Our Finest Hour

Chapter 10: Hell

I was numb, absolutely numb. All my worst fears were coming true. War was coming, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I looked down at my injured leg with a sneer. I was useless to Talon in this state. How pathetic… I couldn't even defend my people when they needed me the most. I felt a dull pain in my heart as I thought about my comrades in arms; fellow Predators fighting and DYING to protect Happytown. I'd failed them. I was a failure. Outside, sirens began to wail a dreaded song. One way or another, this was the end of an age. I looked up as Mary pushed my wheelchair to the couch. I hadn't even noticed she'd left. Her eyes were burning with determination.

"I have to get you somewhere safe." By the look in her eyes, I knew she wouldn't take no for an answer. I admired that about Mary; her drive. Wincing as my leg started to act up, I let her help me into the chair. Before she could cart me off, I stopped her with a paw.

"Now would be a very good time for those pills." I watched her with some amusement as she rolled her eyes and went to go fetch them from the kitchen. Pouring a glass of water from the kitchen sink, Mary returned and plopped down two capsules in my open paw. I popped them in my mouth and gratefully accepted the water. Downing the glass in one big gulp, I set it down on the table and nodded in her direction. "Let's get the hell out of here."

There was chaos in the streets. Amidst the piercing wails of the emergency sirens sounded screams and shouts. Scared children watched with big eyes from their parents' arms as they left their homes behind, perhaps for the last time. Uncertainty for the future poisoned the air like a mist of despair. Was this the end? NO… said the soldiers of Talon whose eyes burned with fire. All reserves mobilized, the main body of troops gathered near fortified positions along the northern Bellwether wall. Scouts had witnessed the ZAF amass an invasion force in the old industrial district. Talon was prepared to meet them in kind. What fighters remained in Happytown proper assisted in the evacuation, ensuring no one was left behind. Everyone knew where they needed to go. After the first Bloody Monday, protocols were enacted. Escape routes were constructed, all leading toward the hospital; the sanctuary of Happytown.

The young were first, left with the old, infirm and sick. Some able bodied men and women remained as a last ditch barrier, but all else were to take up arms. Mothers, fathers, sons and daughters received their weapons gratefully, a shine to their eyes. Everyone was prepared to give their last breath fighting. No one could ever say Happytown went easily into the night.

"Move! Move!" Commanded my brothers and sisters in arms as they directed us to the hospital. None of them wore their signature masks. It was an unspoken agreement that when the time came, we would show our faces to the world, unafraid and unashamed. Mary pushed my wheelchair among the throng of worried Predators as I sulked.

"I can push myself, you know." I huffed in annoyance. I could practically hear Mary rolling her eyes.

"Do you ever stop whining?" She asked dryly.

"No." I smiled despite the gravity of our situation.

"Just shut up. This is faster." I pursed my lips but said nothing more.

"Mommy, daddy!" Screamed a little black bear cub in the middle of the street. She was crying, holding a disheveled teddy bear like it was her life line. She was dressed in a pink nightgown, seemingly having just been woken up as the evacuation went underway. Gazing at her distressed face, a fierce protectiveness overcame me. I knew what I had to do. Opening my mouth to call her over, I was surprised when Mary beat me to the punch.

Abandoning my wheelchair, Mary bolted over to the cub like a flash of white lightning.

"Hey there." She said to the cub in a soft, welcoming tone. Mary knelt down so she could meet the cub's nervous gaze and smiled. "Where are your parents?"

"I-I d-don't know…" The cub sniffed, shedding more tears into her silky, black fur. "Daddy said I shouldn't talk to Prey. He says they only want to hurt us." Mary kept up her smile like a champ, even though I knew that had to have hurt.

"I'd never hurt you, little cub. I just want to see you with your parents. Come with me to the hospital, I'm sure they're already waiting for you." The cub's eyes were filled with hesitation. Sensing that now was a good time to intervene as any, I wheeled myself over to the two. Putting on a big grin, I looked down at the cub who seemed to relax in the presence of another Predator.

"My name is Martin, what's yours?" I asked kindly.

"Shelly." The cub replied curiously. "Shelly, this is Mary." I gestured over to the hare. "She's a good mammal. You can trust her. Come with us to the hospital and you can ride with me." Shelly's eyes glistened with tears and excitement.

"Okay." The little bear agreed. Mary helped Shelly into my lap and I gave the little cub a comforting embrace. Shelly hugged me back tightly, as if afraid to let go. I was secretly glad she was still so young, or the child would have flattened me. While not the biggest bears, black bears were definitely larger than foxes.

"Thank you, Martin." Mary whispered into my ear gratefully as she passed. I said nothing, just grinned real big and gave a thumbs up. Mary took the handles to my wheelchair and started wheeling us to safety. The hospital wasn't far now. I could see it in the distance like a beacon of hope.

All of a sudden, a terrible dread stole the breath from my lungs. Stiffening in my seat, I honed my senses and searched the area warily. My instincts were screaming at me to run and hide, but nothing seemed wrong? That's when I heard it. Almost impossible to make out above the crowd and sirens, but undeniably there. A subtle… whistling? It quickly increased in volume until the disturbing sound was plain as day.

"What is tha-" Mary started to question, only to stop when a blinding flash burned itself into our retinas. Time stopped and my pelt began to bristle. Blinded, I closed my eyes and hugged Shelly tightly to my chest. She screamed. The whole world went silent for one, agonizing moment, before hell was unleashed upon the earth.

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" I roared in my loudest voice before throwing myself to the ground. Covering the cub with my body, I awaited the inevitable. Terrified screams rang out as the heat of a thousand suns scorched my pelt. Eyes screwed shut, I ignored the pain. Mary…! But it was too late. The shockwave came soon after, blowing me and Shelly away in a howl of death and ash.

Tossed like a ragdoll across the street, I did my best to absorb every jarring hit for the little cub. When we finally skidded to a stop, my whole body was numb and my ears rang. I opened my eyes. I could see Shelly was crying, but I couldn't hear her. I couldn't hear anything but that incessant ringing. Adrenaline coursed through my blood, easing the wound in my leg. Standing on trembling knees, I took Shelly into my arms and surveyed the carnage.

The hospital and the surrounding area was gone, replaced by absolute ruin; skeletons of burned out buildings that had stubbornly refused to fall. Seven mushroom clouds littered the horizon, interspersed by towers of black smoke. Flames danced in the carcass of Happytown, spreading like a disease. Embers and ash fell from the sky like snow, filling the air with the smell of burning flesh. Mammals littered the street, their maws open in silent screams. Some of the smaller animals were sprawled out on the pavement, unmoving and broken. I had a feeling they weren't going to get back up. Soon, my hearing popped back in, but I wish it hadn't.

Fires roared in the distance like some great beast. Shelly was sobbing into my chest. Howls of pain and terror rose on the wind alongside the pained screams of the dying. Falling to my knees, I felt… hollow. I didn't even know I was crying until my vision turned blurry.

"This isn't real." I whispered hoarsely. "This can't be real…" Of course it was real. The harsh reality of it all was just starting to sink in. Happytown was down for. We… were done for.

I flinched when a paw touched my shoulder. Looking up, I saw that it was Mary and relaxed. Her eyes were red and puffy as tears leaked down onto her cheeks. Half the fur of her face was singed black. Watching Mary break down beside me filled my heart with a fire I'd never known. Wiping my eyes with a free arm, I stood despite the pain. I was still a soldier, I couldn't afford to lose myself now. These mammals were counting on me.

"EVERYONE!" I screamed, pulling the attention of what remained. "WE NEED TO GO!" I gestured wildly with my arm. "THERE MIGHT BE MORE COMING!" Everyone murmured in disbelief and panic. The shock had yet to wear off.

"But where will we go?" Called a female kinkajou holding her wailing cub close to her breast. Her eyes were nearly manic in desperation.

"The aid society…" Mary whispered next to me. She jumped up and faced the throng of scared Predators fearlessly.

"FOLLOW ME TO THE AID SOCIETY. WE WILL PROTECT YOU!" Mary shouted at the top of her lungs. The effect she had on the crowd however, was not positive. Looking for an easy scapegoat for the destruction that had befallen their home, Mary was a prime candidate.

"Why should we trust Prey?" Questioned a singed tiger.

"What if she's one of them!" Screamed an enraged honey badger.

"Make her pay!" Howled a blackened wolf. Anger flared brightly within me.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I yowled, moving myself to protect the hare. "SHE'S PREY, BUT MARY RISKED HER LIFE FOR US. SHE'S HERE WHEN SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE! I'M THE BLACK HOOD AND I TRUST HER. NOW LET'S GO BEFORE ZOOTOPIA SENDS US TO HELL!" At my outburst, the crowd quieted and had the decency to look ashamed. Mary and I shared a look. In that moment of silent communication, something passed between us. Thank you. Mary broke our gaze first and gestured for me to follow. Clutching Shelly in my arms, I limped after her. As we passed them, our fellow mammals quietly stepped into line behind us.

Whistling filled our eardrums as yet another volley hurtled towards our doom. The noise stopped us in our tracks. Ice ran down my back as terror filled me with only one thought. RUN!

"EVERYBODY RUN!" Mary screamed, her eyes wide with horror. Snapping from their stupor, the crowd let off one big wail and bolted. It was utter chaos. My eyes on Mary's back, I ran as fast my injured leg could allow. Pain jolted through my calf with every step, but I persevered. Holding the whimpering cub to my chest, I felt my heart beating wildly out of control. Brightness filled the sky for but a moment. I picked up the pace in desperation, wincing as sharp agony pierced my leg. Burning heat at my back spurred me on, but no one could outrun a bomb. Giving a yelp, I gasped as the blast wave carried me off my feet, straight through the window of a nearby shop.

Shelly screamed as glass shattered around me. Pain exploded in my side as several shards embedded themselves in my flesh. Hitting the tile floor with a thud, Shelly was launched from my grip.

"Shelly!" I yelled, my voice reverberating through the empty shop. Broken shelves, coated in several years' worth of dust littered the tiny room. Flicking my head in the direction of the little girl, I was relieved to find her shaken, but unharmed. Attempting to get to my feet, I put weight on my injured leg and it immediately buckled beneath me. Giving a pained yelp, I nearly fell on my face.

"I wanna go home." Shelly wept. Gritting my teeth, I sat back up and inspected my wound. I wrinkled my muzzle as the scent of blood wafted up into my nose. I was bleeding badly. A dark patch already stained my pants, and it was only growing.

"Me too, Shelly…" I muttered as I began to pull the glass from my side. Wincing in pain, I dropped the bloody shards to the floor in distaste.

"Martin! Shelly!" Mary screamed from outside. I saw her slender form through the broken window. Cupping my paws to my muzzle, I cried out.

"In here!" Mary's sensitive ears twitched in the direction of my voice. She turned her head and our eyes met. She sighed in relief. Loping over to the window, she hopped inside, careful to avoid the jagged glass.

"C'mon. Everyone's waiting, we need to go." I looked down at my leg, then back up into her dirty face. Even covered in ash Mary was beautiful.

"I don't think I can." I told her the truth. My leg pulsed painfully, almost causing me to cry out. Blood leeched from the wounds in my side, seeping into my shirt. "Take Shelly and go. I'll be fine." I lied.

"No." Mary growled, her face twisting up into a snarl. "You listen here fox." She hissed, getting up in my face. Our snouts were barely an inch apart. Her eyes were burning coals, glaring into my soul. "No one. And I mean no one, gets left behind." I gulped and nodded slowly. This hare was a force of nature all unto herself. "Shelly, can you walk?" Mary asked the cub in a much kinder tone. When the little girl nodded, Mary smiled. "Up you go then." Mary ordered as she helped me stand. "Take the pressure off your leg. I'll help you."

Leaning into her, I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she did the same.

"Let's go Shelly, we're leaving." Mary called to the cub. "Easy now…" Mary cautioned as we started to hobble along. "Headquarters isn't far now. You can make it Martin." She reassured as we left the shop. The ghost of a smile spread across my face. Mary sure was something special. She was strong and kind, who could resist her allure? Where our bodies touched, I could feel the faintest flicker of warmth.

Pillars of black smoke rising from ground zero turned the sky a bleak grey. Motes of ash continued to fall from the clouds, blanketing the city in a layer of black soot. Our feet crunched in the dust as we walked. Everymammal had eyes only for us as we passed. Soon, they began to follow, muttering things I couldn't hear. In the near silence we pressed forward, a procession of mammals befitting a funeral.

Wolves howled in the distance, most likely packs or families desperately calling for one another. The mournful cries hung over Happytown like a shroud, breaking the hearts of even the coldest mammals. I found myself tearing up at their song. How couldn't you? This was the end of Happytown, the vanquishing of our hopes and dreams. Even if our people were able to drive off the invading ZAF to the north, what home would they be coming back to? Mary patted my back as I began to weep. Choking sobs tore from my chest as I finally broke down. We'd lost everything in a single day. Please god, if you're there… why? What did we do to deserve this?

"Oh god, why!?" I screamed, clinging even harder to Mary. She didn't say anything, just stopped in her tracks and embraced me softly. I cried into her shoulder, getting snot and tears all over the fabric of her shirt; but she didn't care. Mary just tightened her hug and stared ahead with a broken gaze. "What did we do, Mary?" I sniffed as wailing broke out amongst the refugees. We were all at our breaking points.

"You didn't do anything." Mary replied quietly, her words nearly lost between the screams and sobbing. "You didn't do anything wrong."