Hey, guys. I'm here with the next chapter. Not much to say except, enjoy.
(Summer, Five years later)
Nick shot up awake. Another one of those nightmares, again. Sitting up from the bed, Nick threw on his green flannel shirt, and jeans. Nick lost his old hawaiian shirt a long time ago. Nick's ears perked up, when he heard a repeated knock at his door.
"I'm coming." Nick said, annoyed.
Nick opened the door to find his partner, Honey Badger, at the door. Honey was a female badger, same age as Nick, wearing a dark, red flannel shirt, a grey shirt underneath, and jeans. A pointed tuft of white hair was on top of her head.
"How was your morning, Slick?" Honey said, as she made her way inside.
"Don't call me that, please." Nick murmured.
"Want a drink?" Honey asked, as she poured herself a glass of wine.
"Nah, I don't feel like having one." said Nick. "So, where were you, Honey?"
"West-end District." said Honey. "We had a drop to make."
"We had a drop to make?" Nick asked, in a precise tone.
"Well, you wanted to be left alone, remember?" said Honey. "I've also got some other interesting news, for ya."
"Well, lemme guess how our drop went. The whole deal went south, and the client made off with our pills. Is that right?" said Nick.
Honey just chuckled, and held up a stack of green cards in her claw. "Deal went off without a hitch. Enough ration cards to last us a couple months. Easy peasy." she said.
"You wanna explain that?" Nick pointed to a cut on Honey's cheek.
"Oh, this." Honey touched the cut. "I was on my way here, and I got jumped by these two creeps. They got a couple of hits in, but, I'm okay. I managed."
Nick took a piece of wet cloth, and rubbed the cut, to ease the pain. "So, are these creeps still with us?" he asked.
"Now, that's funny. In a dark, humorous way." smirked Honey.
"Did you find out who they were?" Nick asked, again.
"Yeah, they were a couple of nobodies. What matters, though, is that it was Duke Weaselton that sent them." said Honey.
"Our Duke Weaselton?" asked Nick.
"Yep, and he knows we're after him. Figures he's gonna get us first." said Honey.
"That little weasel. He's smarter than he looks." said Nick.
"No, not smart enough." grinned Honey. "Because I know where he's hiding."
"Yeah, right." Nick rolled his eyes.
"Old warehouse in Area 5. Can't say for how long, though." Honey shrugged.
"Well, I'm ready to do this, now. Y'know?" said Nick, as he walked out the door.
"Oh, I can do now." Honey said, as she followed Nick outside. "Just got us some new ID's, too. So, they won't give us any trouble at the checkpoint."
"Well, we only got a few hours left 'til curfew." said Nick.
"Then let's get a move on." Honey said, as she led the way out of the alley, where Nick's apartment was located.
Out on the streets, mammals were going about their business, as normal as business was, these days, let alone, as normal 'normal' could get, too. The military was patrolling the streets, and up on the rooftops of buildings, too.
Mammals at the food line were all piling up for rations, but there were fewer than before, meaning they were running low, again. Further down the street, Soldiers lined up four mammals to scan them for infection, since they were caught hiding in a condemned building.
The first two mammals, two gazelles, were clean. A zebra was scanned positive for infection, and immediately put down. The last one, a cheetah, made a run for his life, but as fast as he was, was gunned down.
This was the kind of stuff Nick saw everyday. The scariest thing, even though he wouldn't admit it out loud, was he had gotten used to it.
Up ahead, Nick could see a military truck brining in mammals in yellow suits. Probably more people who were released from quarantine in another district. To the left was the checkpoint. Nick and Honey displayed both their ID cards to the rhino guard, who made a quick scan.
"What's your business here?" The guard said, returning the cards to their owners.
"Got the day off of work. Visiting a friend." said Nick.
"Alright. Go on through." said the guard.
BOOM!
The military truck behind the guard was blown away. Nick and Honey backed away, when the guard closed the gate.
"Get outta here! Now!" the guard shouted. "FIREFLIES! OPEN FIRE!"
"Nick, C'mon!" Honey pulled Nick away from the fight, and ran into a nearby apartment complex.
"Those freakin' fireflies." Nick mumbled in annoyance, and winced when he felt a large cut on his left arm.
"Here, Nick. Patch yourself." Honey handed a disinfectant bandage.
"Thank you, kindly." Nick said, as he patched his wound.
"They're gonna close all the checkpoints. We're gonna have to use the tunnel leading outside." said Honey.
"Wait, you mean, OUTSIDE the wall?" asked Nick.
"Or, we could just let Duke go." Honey retorted.
"I hate it when you're right." muttered Nick.
"Of course I'm right." smirked Honey. "C'mon, it should be down this hallway."
A raccoon ran up beside Nick and Honey as they were walking down the hall.
"Hey, guys. I heard what happened outside. You okay?" he said.
"We're good. How's the east tunnel looking?" said Honey.
"Pretty good. You two gonna pay Duke a visit, too?" said the raccoon.
"Who else is looking for him?" said Honey.
"Dawn Bellwether, and Judy Hopps." said the raccoon.
"Dawn and Judy? What do they want with Duke?" said Honey.
"You think they would tell me?" said the raccoon.
"Well, what did you tell them?" said Honey.
"The truth. I got no idea where he's hiding." said the raccoon.
"Good mammal. You stay outta trouble, 'kay?" said Honey, as the raccoon nodded a good-bye.
"Dawn looking for Duke? What would the Fireflies want with him?" Honey asked Nick.
"I don't know, but I don't like it. We gotta find him before they do." said Nick.
"Hey, guys." a leopard greeted the duo, when they entered the room where the tunnel entrance was.
"Hey, how's the tunnel looking?" asked Honey.
"Just checked it out. It's all clear."
The wolf pointed to a large hole in the wall, covered up by a large TV set. Moving the set, the duo jumped down the hole.
"Ugh. Mammals need to watch what they throw down here." Honey gagged at the smell of the sewage, clawing at the air for the light switch.
"Here it is." Honey flicked the switch up, brightening up the tunnel. "Let there be light. C'mon, our backpacks should be here from last time."
On a nearby bench were two backpacks. Nick's was brown tannish, and Honey's was lime-colored green. Both had gas masks, attachable flashlights, and 9mm pistols.
"Not a whole lot of ammo." Nick said, as he holstered his gun, and gathered his supplies in his pack, slinging it around his shoulders.
"Well, make your shots count." said Honey. "Alright, Texas. Boost me up."
Nick boosted Honey up the ledge, leading to the trap door, that led outside. Pulling Nick up next, the two emerged from the ruins of an old diner. Walking out of the diner, they could see the grass, the plants, the small trees, vines covering the old buildings, and the outer rim of the wall.
"Boy, it's been a while since we've been out here. It feels like we're almost like we're on a date." smirked Honey.
"Well, I am the romantic type." smirked Nick. "Oh, look. The ladder's still here, from last time. Ladies first."
"Lady? You must have me confused for someone else." Honey joked, as she climbed the ladder, Nick following behind her.
The two worked their way down the building, towards the basement, leading to where their tunnel back into the city. However, the duo was greeted by spores, tiny plant-like particles released by the mutated Night Howlers. One whiff, and they're good as infected. Which is why everyone carried a gas mask with them, these days.
Donning their masks, the duo switched on their lights, and walked slowly through, having their pistols out in case of Savages, the name the mammals used to call infected mammals, because of the aggressive, primitive hunting behavior, like mammals were, back in the Stone age.
"This way was clear of spores, last time we were here. What do ya think happened?" said Honey.
"I think that's our culprit, right there." Nick pointed to the body of an infected koala, it's body dripping blue blood, and flower petals growing out of it's skin.
"Body doesn't look that old. There's probably more nearby." said Honey.
Suddenly, Nick felt something grab his foot. Nick jumped to see a cat pinned underneath rubble.
"Help me, please..." The cat coughed. "My mask broke. Don't leave me to turn, please..."
"What do you want to do?" asked Honey.
Nick's only answer was to grant the cat's request, and pulled the trigger, so he wouldn't suffer from turning.
"Poor guy." said Honey. "I don't recognize him from the city, which means he must've been trying to find a way in. You got all these mammals in the walls complaining, but then, they're mammals outside, trying to get in."
"Wait, d'ya hear that?" Nick hushed.
From down the hall, was the sound of yelling. But, the yelling sounded more like feral screams, than mammals calling for help, or out of fear and pain. Nick and Honey took cover behind a wall, and peeked around a door frame to see a savage rabbit standing there, twitching, while two savage beavers were feasting on the body of a dog.
The infection, no matter if the mammals were predator or prey, would bring about cannibalistic hunger, their teeth would grow more sharper, making them something more monstrous. Something un-mammal.
"How do you wanna play this?" whispered Honey.
"I'll strangle the rabbit, you go for two head shots on the beavers." whispered Nick.
Putting the plan to motion, Nick and Honey were able to bring down the savages.
"Alright, let's go, before more show up." Honey and Nick ran up a flight of stairs, and hopped out the hole in the second floor wall, landing on the grass. Now, they were in the clear of the spores, they removed their masks.
"Ah, that's better." Honey breathed in the clean air. "That's what I love about the outside. I freakin' hate the smell of the city."
"Well, why don't you ask Finnick to get more of those air fresheners?" asked Nick.
"I would if they weren't expired." said Honey. "Speaking of Finnick, we're supposed to get another shipment from him, next week. More pills, supposedly."
"Speaking of shipments, for Duke's sake, he better still have our guns." said Nick.
Nick opened a vine-covered wooden pallet, that acted as a secret door to the building, leading back into the QZ. Traveling into the building, across a large gap via a blank for a bridge, and down the fire escape, they were back in the interior of the zone, and right to the building door that led to Duke's part of town.
"Nick, here. We're gonna probably have to fight our way out." Honey tossed a case of ammo at Nick, that she found, along with a second case for her, on a nearby table. Honey knocked on the back door, and it opened to reveal a male fox kit, wearing a baseball cap.
"Hey, little feller. Look what I got for ya." Honey waved a stash of ration cards. "No soldiers, none of Duke's guys, and they're yours."
The kit nodded, took the cards, and closed the door. Nick could see the kit, looking around the area, through where he stood by the window. The kit knocked on the glass to signal the coast was clear.
"That's our cue." said Honey, as she opened the door.
"Y'know, he's expecting us." said Nick.
"Well, that'll make it more interesting. said Honey.
"Hey, Honey. Hey, Honey." a male badger called to Honey. "Wow, pretty lady. You looking fine."
"Not now, dude." Honey shrugged the badger off.
"C'mon, girl. I-"
"I said, NOT NOW." Honey repeated, with more assertiveness.
"Okay, okay. Don't get all huffy-puffy about it." said the badger.
Nick and Honey continued to walk through what appeared to be a market district, with shops of various style. From left to right, there were meat shops for predators, vegetables that were smuggled in from the outside for prey, fish, lizards, and birds being sold as pets, and just weapons and junk, mostly.
"Hey, fox. Where do ya think you're going?" Nick was stopped by a hippo in a white hoodie and black baseball cap.
"Malick, move outta the way." barked Honey.
"Oh, sorry, Hon. Didn't realize he's with you." Malick moved out of the way.
"Who was that?" Nick asked as they continued walking.
"An old headache. Don't ask." said Honey.
Up ahead, Honey handed a shrew in a grey hoodie a stack of ration cards.
"Looking for Duke. Did he come through here?" she asked the shrew.
"Half-hour ago. Went back to the wharf. Still there, probably." said the shrew, taking the cards.
Nick and Honey were out of the market district, and walking right into Duke's territory. Three mean-looking ferrets came out, guns holstered at their side, blocking the duo's way.
"Here we go." Nick muttered.
"Let us through." Honey said, boldly.
"You guys need to turn back if you know what's good for ya." said the leading ferret.
"Our beef isn't with you. We just want Duke." Honey said, again.
"Turn around, and leave, NOW." said the ferret.
"We're not going anywhere without Duke. You don't wanna do this." Honey warned.
"Bitch, I will bash you're skull, if you don't turn around, and leave, now." warned the ferret.
"Screw this." Honey shot the ferret down.
Both sides took cover, as it became a shootout. Using the crates as cover, Nick worked his way up, waited for the ferrets to make their move, then circled around them, and shot them both down, with ease.
"Nicely done, Texas." said Honey.
"Where did Duke even get all these guys?" Nick said, as he reloaded his gun.
"If there's one thing Duke's good at, it's writing blank checks. Let's go put an end to that." said Honey.
The duo worked their way up to another warehouse, relying on stealth, as they took down a few more guards from behind, and strangled them.. Cutting through the warehouse via a garage door, they took cover from the railing wall of a balcony, the stairs leading down to the warehouse that held all the boats and their cargo came into their view. This was Duke's main hub of business.
"Hey, there's our boy." From where they were hiding, Honey pointed to Duke Weaselton, a weasel with brown fur and amber eyes, wearing a grey-stripped hoodie, and jeans, talking with another ferret guard.
Duke nodded to the guard, and walked back into the warehouse.
"That cocky son-of-a-bitch." smirked Honey. "Let's finish this."
Nick and Honey hopped down, and took cover. Going back into stealth mode, they made another quick round of work, strangling out the guards. With the coast clear, Nick kicked the door down to Duke's office. Honey pulled Nick back to avoid Duke's gunshot.
"GET BACK, NOW!" shouted Duke.
"We just wanna talk Duke! Put your gun down!" shouted Honey.
"Yeah? Well, we got nothing to talk about! So, go screw yourselves!" Duke shouted, as he kept firing hot shots at the doorway to keep the duo at bay, until his gun was empty. Duke threw the gun at the doorway, and ran out the back door.
"He's running! Get him!" Honey shouted, as she and Nick chased after him.
The chase led them through another warehouse building, only it was devoid of any cargo and warehouse supplies, meaning no place to hide for Duke. Seeing Duke jump out first floor window, Nick and Honey hopped out to find Duke's escape route blocked by a locked back alley gate, with the weasel trying, vainly, to open the gate.
"Well, well, well. Hello, Duke Weaselton." smirked Honey. "We missed you."
Duke turned around, and chuckled. "Honey, Nick. No hard feelings, right?"
"None at all." said Honey, as she picked up a broken pipe.
Duke tried to make a run past them, but Honey was faster, and whacked Duke in the shin, sending him smacking hard into the floor.
"Aw, dammit!" Duke hissed.
Nick kicked Duke in the face, and held his right arm out, pinning it down.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Duke cried, in anguish.
"Quit your squirming." said Honey, bending down to his level.
"Look, whatever it is you heard, it ain't true. Okay?" pleaded Duke.
"The guns. You wanna tell us where the guns are?" asked Honey.
"Yeah, sure. But, it's complicated." said Duke. "Look, just hear me out. I gotta-"
Nick bent out on Duke's arm, making him yelp in pain, then stopped.
"Now, you were saying?" asked Honey.
"I sold 'em." said Duke.
"What?" asked Honey, again.
"I didn't have a choice. I owed someone." said Duke.
"You owed us. I say you betted on the wrong horse." said Honey.
"Look, I can get 'em back. Just give me a week." pleaded Duke.
"Y'know, I might've done that, if you hadn't tried to freaking kill us." said Honey.
"C'mon, it wasn't like-"
"Who has our guns?" Honey interrupted Duke.
"I can't say." said Duke.
That proved to be the wrong move on Duke's part, as Nick snapped his arm. Duke cried in pain.
"Who. Has. Our. Guns?" Honey repeated slowly, wanting Duke to get the message.
"It's the Fireflies. I owed the Fireflies." yelped Duke.
"Excuse me?" said Honey.
"Look, they're basically all toast." said Duke. "So, we go in there, finish them off. We get the guns. What do ya say? C'mon, screw the Fireflies. Let's go get 'em!"
"That is a stupid idea." Honey said, as she shot Duke twice in the face.
"Well, now what do we do?" said Nick.
"We get our merchandise back." said Honey.
"How?" Nick asked.
"I dunno. We... explain it to them." said Honey. "Look, let's just... go find a Firefly."
"You won't have to look very far."
Nick and Honey turned to see two mammals emerging from the corner of the alley. There was a female rabbit with grey fur, and purple eyes, wearing a green t-shirt, a black backpack, and jeans. A necklace was around her neck, and hidden under the collar of her shirt. A pistol was holstered at her side. Judy Hopps, second-in-command of the Fireflies.
The second mammal was female sheep with white wool, and green eyes, wearing large glasses, a light-blue trench coat, a light-read hoodie, and tannish pants. There was a pistol held in her right hoof, and her left hoof was clutching her side, to stop the bleeding from a gunshot wound she got in an earlier struggle. Dawn Bellwether, The Firefly leader, herself.
"Well, there you go. Queen Firefly." said Nick. "Also, I do believe this cute little bunny is the Firefly Princess. Correct?"
"Don't call me cute, Wilde." Judy Hopps scowled. "Yeah, I'm aware of who you are."
"Why are you two here?" asked Dawn Bellwether.
"We should be asking you the same thing. You're not looking so hot, either." said Honey, pointing to Dawn's wound.
"Business." said Judy.
"Same." said Honey.
"Where's Duke?" asked Dawn. Nick and Honey revealed Duke's corpse.
"Sweet cheese and crackers." whispered Judy.
"We needed him alive." said Dawn.
"It's called a hustle, sweetheart." said Nick.
"The guns he gave you, they were ours. Now, we want them back." said Honey.
"Doesn't work like that, Honey." said Dawn.
"Bullcrap, it doesn't." said Honey.
"I paid for those guns." said Dawn. "You want them back? You're gonna have to earn them."
Nick and Honey looked at each other, then looked back at the Firefly duo.
"Alright, how many cards are we talking?" asked Honey.
"I don't give a crap about ration cards." said Dawn. "I need something smuggled out of the city. You do that, I'll give you you're guns back. Then, some."
"How do we know you still have them?" asked Nick. "The way I hear it, the military's wiping you guys out."
"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Judy rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed by the fox's attitude, already. What right gave him to question her best friend like that?
"You're right about that. I'll show you the weapons." said Dawn.
From afar, the four could hear the sound of soldiers coming from where Nick and Honey chased Duke.
"We gotta move. What's it gonna be?" asked Dawn.
Nick and Honey looked at each other, and then nodded.
"I wanna see those guns." said Honey.
"Follow us." Dawn led the three further down the alleyway.
"Dawn... I just wanna know you know what you're doing. Can we even trust them?" whispered Judy.
"Judy, trust me. Have I let you down before?" asked Dawn.
"Is that a trick question?" said Judy.
"I always know what I'm doing." said Dawn. "It's just only a matter of luck..."
Well, guys. That's it for this chapter. I'm trying to blend both of the characters' personalities with their own, along with those they replace in the game. Also, Judy's attire is based on an earlier concept of Tess from the game. Next chapter will introduce the OC to fill in for Ellie in this fanfic.
I own nothing, except a few OC's. All rights go to original owners. No copyright intended. Thanks. Stay tuned for more of this fanfic crossover.