Hey, guys. I'm back with the next chapter, already. Not much to jot down on this note, except, please enjoy.
"Alright. Whatever supplies you may want or need, I suggest you grab them." said Finnick.
"Thanks, Finnick. You know the drill, ladies. Find something we may use later." said Nick.
"Can't believe you agreed to this, Fin. What you should've done was just left them, back there." Finnick muttered to himself.
"You weren't kidding about this guy." Clem whispered to Nick.
"Yeah, dude acts like he has a huge stick up his tail." whispered Judy. "No pun intended, Clem."
"I'm not saying anything." Clem grinned.
"Yeah, Fin's one of a kind." Nick agreed. "Just stay close to me, both of you."
After grabbing everything they think they needed, they walked in Finnick's direction, when Clem noticed a chess board.
"Hey, guys. Check this out." Clem pointed to the board. "Any of you two know how to play?"
"My dad tried to teach me." said Judy.
"I know how, but pretty badly at it." admitted Nick.
"Always wanted to learn." Clem gazed at the white pieces, and hovered her paw over to see which move was the best. The white pieces were close to winning against the black pieces.
"Hey, Bobby Fischer! Don't touch anything on that board!" yelled Finnick.
"Bobby who?" asked Clem.
"Don't pay much mind to it. We better get moving." said Nick.
"You got everything you need? If so, let's go." Finnick said, leading the way. "Close the door behind you, while you're at it."
Finnick led the group through the ruins of the diner, up the stairs, and through the apartment where the owners of the diner previously lived in. The group crossed the roof that connected to a next door bakery with an apartment of it's own, then down to the kitchen. Inside, a low moaning could be heard.
"Wait, is that a Runner?" Judy whispered, stopping the group in their tracks.
"Oh, sorry about that. That one fell into one of my traps, earlier. Been meaning to take care of it." Finnick said, pulling out his machete.
In the main part of the bakery, Finnick chopped off the head of a red panda Runner, which was pinned down by a heavy contraption of debris.
"So, what're you really doing out here, Nick? Where's Honey?" asked Honey.
"This is a solo drop-off, this time. Plain and simple." said Nick.
"Really? I thought you two'd be inseparable. But, I guess it sounds like trouble in paradise." said Finnick. "So, what're you dropping off? That cute, little bunny, and the brat, too?"
"You're gonna refrain from calling me cute." scowled Judy.
"Ha, ha. Yeah, screw you, too." Clem sarcastically chuckled.
Finnick genuinely chuckled at the girls' tough demeanor. "I really hope you know what you're doing."
Outside, there were several of abandoned cars, but also Savages. Nick, Judy, and Finnick immediately sprang into action, Clem standing by Nick's side, ready to back him up, holding a brick in one paw, which she used to stun a zebra Runner, her switchblade in another, which she used to stab at an antelope Howler, before it could bite Nick. By the time the coast was clear, Finnick had taken out most of the Savages. Even for his size, he was faster than the mutated mammals, chopping off their heads, or impaling their torsos, with ease.
"Boy, you picked a heck of a place to hold up, Fin." Nick said, catching his breath, and nodding a thanks to Clem.
"Yeah, well, as bad as these things are, at least they're predictable." said Finnick. "It's the normal mammals that scare me. You of all mammals should understand that."
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Judy.
"Nothing." Nick evaded her question. "So, where're we going, first?"
"My other safe house. It's right through there. More of an armory." Finnick pointed to a gate, leading to a staircase, going up the hill, to a church.
"I thought we were going to fix a car?" asked Clem.
"We?" scoffed Finnick. "You know how-"
"Fin." Nick interrupted, not wanting to get into another argument.
"Like I said, what we need is on the other side of town. Now, that side I don't go to, 'cause it's overrun with Savages, so we need more guns." said Finnick.
"Well, why don't you fix one of these cars?" asked Clem.
"Oh, my God. You're a genius. I mean, all this time, why didn't I bother to fix one of these cars?" Finnick sarcastically stated.
"Okay, no need to sound like a douche about it." said Judy, crossing her arms.
"Their tires are all rotted, and the batteries are all drained. Can't even begin to imagine what the inner engineering looks like. Only ones making new cars these days are the military." said Finnick.
"Are you done?" asked Clem.
"That reminds me, Finnick. You gotta reinforce the fences, again. Seeing as what happened with the Savages, just a minute ago, it doesn't pay to double-check the fences. You ignore the simple crap, and now you're paying for it." muttered Finnick.
"Okay, now he's talking to himself." Clem whispered to Nick.
"Yeah, he does that a lot. Finnick?" said Nick.
"Nick? Right through here." Finnick led the trio through the gate, up the steps, and towards the church basement doors.
"You don't touch anything." Finnick pointed to Clem, then pointed to Nick. "You, close the door behind you."
Finnick walked to a table, and turned on a lantern to shed more light in the room. "Okay, let's gear up." he said.
Nick stopped Clem from reaching for a pistol. "Hold it. Remember what Finnick said?" said Nick.
"What? I need a gun to protect myself, too." said Clem.
"No, you don't. You got your knife." said Nick.
"Nick. I know how to use a gun. I can handle myself." Clem stated, boldly.
"I said, no. Now, just wait here." Nick stated, sternly.
"Fine, I'll just wait around for you three to get me killed." Clem sarcastically spoke out loud.
"Psst. Clem." Judy whispered.
Clem walked over to Judy, as she handed her a 9mm pistol gun. "If he doesn't know about it, he can't take it away."
Clem reached for it, but Judy pulled it back. "It's for emergencies, only." said Judy.
"Okay." Clem genuinely agreed, hiding the pistol in her pack. "Why don't you let me use the bow, instead? I'm a pretty good shot with that thing."
Judy looked at the bow, and the quiver of arrows she selected for herself. "First, you need to show Nick you can prove to be responsible." she said. "Now, the safety on the pistol's turned on. You know how to turn it off, right?"
"I do. You don't need to worry, okay? You trust me, right Judy?" said Clem. Judy nodded.
Unknown to the girls, Finnick overheard the conversation with his big ears, but decided not to bring it up with Nick. It wasn't his business, nor his problem, anyway.
"Welp, this goes on as the worst job you've ever taken." Finnick said to Nick.
"Yeah, it's up there." said Nick.
"How is Honey even okay with this suicide mission?" asked Finnick.
"It was actually her idea." said Nick.
"Really? Well, I guess the broad's not as smart as I thought she was. But, screw her." said Finnick. "Seriously, Nick. You gotta take that kid, and that rabbit back to where you found them."
"Fin, I can't just take them back." said Nick.
"Then, send them packing. Let 'em find their own way." said Finnick.
"I can hear you, y'know." Judy called, pointing to her big ears.
Finnick ignored her by loading up the three shotguns he got out for himself, Nick, and Judy.
"Nick, let me tell you a little story." said Finnick. "Once upon a time, I had someone that I cared about. It was a... partner. Someone I had to look after. But, in this world, that shit's good for one thing, and one thing only. Getting you killed. So, you know what I did? I wisened up, and I realize, it's gotta just be about me."
"Fin, it ain't like that." stated Nick. "It's-"
"Bullcrap. It is just like that- Hey!" Finnick shouted to Clem, who was looking at a stack of magazines. "What'd I say to you when we walked down the steps?! What'd I say?!"
"I'm just fixing your stupid pile!" said Clem.
"Don't! Touch!" shouted Finnick.
Clem responded with giving the 'finger' to him.
"Aw, dammit." muttered Finnick. "You keep babysitting like this, and eventually, it's gonna blow up in your face!"
"Fin! Can we please just get on with it?" said Nick.
"Here." Finnick tossed a shotgun to Nick, and then one to Judy. "Let's get on with it. Oh, but first. Here, Nick. You'll need this." Finnick tossed an object to Nick that looked like the make-shift bomb that was used for the explosive trap on the Clicker he saw, earlier.
"A nail bomb. New toy from the toy box." said Finnick. "I always carry one or two around with me, in case. You gotta stand a good ways back, 'cause when that thing goes off, it shreds anything nearby."
"Yeah, I've seen your handiwork." Nick said, putting the nail bomb in his bag. "So, we got shotguns, and bombs. What're we doing with them?"
Well, every week, this military caravan comes driving down, searching for supplies. I mean, you'd be amazed at the shit that they overlook." said Finnick. "Anyhow, a few weeks back, one of their trucks gets overrun by this pack of Savages, and it plows right into the high school. Still sitting there with the battery inside."
"So, we take that battery, and we put it in another car." said Judy.
"Bingo." said Finnick. "I wanted to get it, but it seemed too dangerous with all the Savages, but screw it. Nick needs a car."
"What if it's damaged?" asked Nick.
"Nah. Those trucks are like army tanks. It's just still sitting there." said Finnick.
"That could work." agreed Nick.
"Alright, let's go." Finnick said, then turned to Clem. "Kid, I swear. If you took anything..."
"Hey, man. I don't need your crap, okay?" said Clem.
"Nick, you and Fluff over there are keeping an eye on her, right?" asked Finnick.
"Like hawks." said Nick.
The group headed up the stairs to see the rest of the cathedral, the main room still intact after all these years.
"After all these years, it still looks beautiful." whispered Judy.
"Well, if you got anything to confess, this be the place to do it." said Finnick. "C'mon, we'll climb down through the window."
The group climbed through the window, and onto the small roof, where they could see the high school in the view.
"Look, there it is." Finnick pointed out. "Alright, we got quite a walk. So, let's go."
The group hopped down, and made their way to the gate.
"Just beyond this gate is whole new territory, to me." said Finnick.
"Whoa." Clem noticed a pile of infected mammals, burned to a crisp.
"C'mon, Clem. You don't need to see that." said Judy.
"I've seen worse." said Clem.
The group past the gate, and crouched down, as the sound of Howlers filled the quiet air. The group snuck through the graveyard, which only made their demeanor filled with more dread. The group reached the other gate, Finnick quickly taking out the key ring, and unlocking it, as quiet as possible.
They continued down an alley, to avoid the houses up on the hill, where most of the Savages were gathered, luckily for them.
"You weren't kidding about this place, Fin." whispered Nick. "Wait, look. Through that garage."
Nick pointed to an open garage, with a side door that led to the rest of the neighborhood, since the alley was blocked by a truck, and a tree. When Nick went to open it, it was tied shut on the other end.
"Hey, maybe I can get through that." Clem pointed to a boarded up doggy door, the ones that canine, and sometimes, feline mammal toddlers use to get in and out easily, before they learn to open doors.
"Be very careful." Nick said, as he tore off the board. Clem nodded, and crawled through.
"Maybe, you should've given her a gun." Finnick said to Nick, but looked at Judy, who glared back.
"Okay, Fin." said Nick.
Clem opened the door, with a worried look on her face. "There's more of those Howler things near the house." she whispered.
Nick and Judy took out their knives, and Finnick brought out his machete. Two hyena Howlers were on the front porch. Nick and Judy made quick and quiet work of them with their knives, while Finnick snuck into the house, and chopped off the horse Howler's head.
"Ugh. I hate these freaking things." said Clem.
"How much farther is it, Finnick?" asked Nick.
"We're almost there. We go in, we get the battery, and we get out." said Finnick, as the group walked through the house, and out the laundry room door.
"Look, up and over that RV. We can cross through that plank." Finnick pointed out.
The group climbed up, crossed the plank, leading into the treehouse next door, and hopped down near the backyard's empty pool.
"So, how'd that get there? You got friends in this part of town?" Clem pointed back to the plank.
"No, but I have a good idea who might've come through there." said Finnick, as they walked into another house.
"Hey, Nick. You got a second?" Nick turned to face Clem.
"Look, um, I just wanna say I'm sorry. About Honey. Alright, that's all I wanted to say. I won't bring it up, anymore. I just wanted to tell you that, one time." said Clem.
"Clem." Nick put a gentle paw on Clem's shoulder. "You don't have to worry about me." Nick turned to Judy, and said, "You too, Judy. I'm okay."
Judy nodded, with a caring, concerned look.
"We should catch up to Finnick." said Nick. Judy and Clem nodded, again.
The group worked their way through their second house, and out of the garage, which brought them to the high school. The front parking lot was filled with fences, and school buses, with signs on their sides that read, 'QZ transport'.
"Look, there's the truck. Sticking right out of the high school." Finnick pointed to a military truck that broke halfway through the left wall of the building.
"Hold up, guys. There's Savages. I got this." Judy whispered, pulling out her bow. From where they were hiding, Judy took aim, and the arrows pierced right through the unsuspecting Savages.
"Good aim." whispered Finnick.
"Thanks." Judy whispered back.
"Alright, come on. Up that bus. There's a ladder on the roof." Finnick pointed to the bus, closest to the school, sticking out of the crashed fence.
"Nick, gimme a boost." Judy said, as they got to the bus. Nick helped Judy up, and she bounced onto the roof, with ease.
"Don't get killed up there." said Finnick.
"Thanks, Fin." Judy replied, as she lowered the ladder.
"Guys, more Savages!" Judy warned, as a pack was charging in their direction.
The group climbed onto the bus, and hopped down the opposite side of the fence.
"They're trying to get through the fence! We gotta get inside to get the battery!" yelled Finnick.
Nick rushed to the doors, but they wouldn't budge open. "They're locked from the inside!" he shouted.
"Nick, Jude! Hold' em back! I'll find another way in, around here!" Finnick shouted, and turned down to the right.
Nick and Judy held back the Savages that made their way through the holes in the fences.
"Guys, I found a way in! Through the window! C'mon!" Finnick called, and the group ran around back, and into the window.
Nick waited until the others made it inside, then he crawled in last, but then, a wolf Howler grabbed Nick by his tail.
"Nick!" Judy cried, and whacked the Howler's head with the butt of her shotgun, loosening the grip around Nick's tail, allowing him to fully crawl inside. Finnick blasted the Howler's head with his shotgun, and slammed the window.
"That's not gonna hold." said Clem.
"Neither is the door." Judy pointed to the locked doors, being forced open by the piling Savages.
"Girls, quick! Grab that ball rack! Fin, make it fast with the battery!" ordered Nick.
Finnick ran to pry the hood open, as Nick, Judy, and Clem braced against the ball rack, holding the Savages back behind the doors.
"Please, tell me you're done!" said Nick.
Finnick finally got the hood open, only to find no battery inside.
"Guys, it's empty!" said Finnick, wide-eyed.
"What?!" said Nick.
"The battery! It's gone!" shouted Finnick.
"Guys! We can't hold it back, much longer!" cried Judy.
"Finnick, where to?!" Nick said to the frantic Finnick. "Fin, where?!"
"Anywhere, but here!" Finnick cried.
"Get ready to haul tail, ladies! Move!" Nick said, as the group made a run for the door. They burst into the hallway, slamming and locking the hall doors behind them, just as the Savages broke through the outer doors.
"C'mon, we'll sneak out the back, through the gym." Finnick led the group down the halls, past several classrooms, and into the gym.
Nick, Finnick, and Judy braced the gym doors with a large gym tarp rack. Suddenly, a large, menacing noise could be heard at the front of the gym.
"That doesn't sound good." muttered Judy.
Through the doors came bursting out a Savage elephant, covered from head to toe in purple flower petals and yellow pollen. The elephant let out a gargled moan, and started throwing balls of pollen at the group, who took cover behind large stacks of boxes, left in the gym.
"What the fuck is that thing?!" shouted Clem.
"It's a damn Bloomer!" cried Finnick.
"A what?!" yelled Clem.
"Clem, stay hidden! We got this!" cried Nick.
"Nick, wait! The nail bombs!" shouted Finnick.
"Right! Judy, get it's attention! Me and Fin'll get it from behind!" cried Nick.
"On it!" Judy yelled, rapidly fired at the Bloomer.
The Bloomer's thick bulk made the bullets do little damage, but successfully turned it's attention away from the foxes. Nick and Finnick took cover behind two large stacks of boxes behind the Bloomer, and pulled the pins out of the nail bombs.
"On three!" said Finnick. "Ready? Three!"
Nick and Finnick threw the bombs, as they bounced off the Bloomer, who turned back to the two foxes.
"Judy, get down, now!" shouted Nick.
Judy ducked behind another large stack of boxes, next to where Clem was hiding, as the Bloomer exploded into a billion pieces. As soon as things turned quiet again, the group slowly crawled back out from behind the boxes.
"Sweet cheese and crackers, as you'd say, Judy." said Clem. "What was up with that big guy?!"
"He's been infected for a long time. We call them 'Bloomers'." said Nick.
"Bloomers. Gotcha." said Clem.
"I hate to interrupt for little biology lesson, but can we get out of here, now?! Please?!" said Finnick.
Nick boosted up Clem, Judy, and Finnick first onto the folded up benches, then Judy and Clem helped pull up Nick. The group hopped through the open window, and climbed down back onto the ground. The four made a run to the fence, and up the ladder leading into a nearby yard.
"Inside the house, now!" Finnick ordered, as he used a rake to push off the ladder, just in case, as the sound of Savages could be heard headed near the fence.
The group rushed inside, and slammed the sliding glass door, Finnick closing the curtain, to avoid the Savages spotting them inside.
"Well, that could've worked out better." Clem huffed, trying to catch her breath.
"C'mon, Clem. Why don't we gonna go check out this side of the house?" said Judy, leading the teenage vixen from the tension she could sense coming from Nick at Finnick.
"Finnick?" said Nick.
"Look, somebody had the same idea, and they stole my shit, first." said Finnick.
"Well, then what the crap is plan B?!" said Nick.
"You outta be thankful you're still drawing breath!" snapped Finnick. "That was plan A, B, C, all the way through freaking Z. Oh, and furthermore, you can tell Honey that-"
"Don't you bring Honey into this!" Nick snapped back.
"She can shove it right up her-"
"This has nothing to do with-"
Both foxes stopped arguing when Nick realized Finnick was looking at something behind him, catching his attention.
"Oh, my God." Nick whispered when he saw what was behind him.
Hanging from a ceiling, at the end of a noose, hung the body of a female fennec fox, with sandy blonde fur, long bangs on her head, covering her lifeless, sapphire eyes. She was wearing a pink Gazelle t-shirt, and a red kilt.
"You know this girl?" asked Nick.
"That's Sandy." said Finnick.
"Who's she?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She was my partner." Finnick said, his voice cracking a bit.
Nick looked back and forth between Finnick and the body of Sandy, in shock and confusion.
"She's the only dumb blonde who'd where a hoodie that stupid." said Finnick, as he cut Sandy down, letting her body fall to the floor.
"She's got bites all over her. Here, and..." Finnick's lip quivered, as he pointed to the bites on her ears, hands, and feet.
"I... guess she didn't want to turn. So, she..." Nick whispered, pointing out the obvious, tragic case of what happened to the poor female fennec.
"Yeah, guess not." muttered Finnick, then he shook his head, and spat, "Well, screw her."
"Nick, Finnick! We found something!" Judy called from the opposite side of the house.
Nick and Finnick rushed into the garage to see Clem in the driver seat of a van, with a picture of a male and female wolf in medieval clothing, the male wolf holding the fainted female wolf in his arms. Clem turned the keys, and the sound of an engine sputtering to life.
"Check it out. It's still got some juice in it." smiled Clem.
"That's my battery." Finnick said, looking into the front of the van to see the same battery they were looking for in the first place.
"Why, that little bitch." Finnick grunted, and slammed the hood. "Out, now." he ordered Clem.
"Okay, okay." said Clem, letting Finnick step into the driver's seat, and turned the keys, the engine making that sputtering noise, again.
"Welp, the batteries are drained, but the cells are still alive." said Finnick.
"Meaning?" asked Judy.
"Meaning, we push it outside, get it running, and the alternator will recharge the battery." explained Finnick, stepping out of the van.
"Is that your guess?" asked Nick.
"Look, you're the one who wanted a plan B. Well, this is as good as it gets." said Finnick.
"So, what're you thinking?" asked Clem.
"Thinking you drive, and we push." said Nick.
"What the? That's more of my stuff!" Finnick looked into a bag to see a lot of ammo and food. "Is that it, Sandy? Run off, and take my stuff?"
"You gonna be okay with this?" Nick asked Clem, who sat in the driver's seat, again.
"Yeah, I've read all about driving. I actually drove a car, back in Boston, once." said Clem.
"I just want you to know, you and Judy have done a good job. Alright?" said Nick.
Judy and Clem's faces lit up with surprise, then smiled.
"I won't let you guys down with this." said Clem.
"Sweet fox." Judy teased.
"Don't get used to it, Carrots." smirked Nick.
"You might wanna check the house. See if there're more supplies." said Finnick.
"On it." said Nick, as he combed the house to find a few more supplies, food, and ammo, but Nick also found a note. Nick saw it was from Sandy, and to Finnick.
"Dear Finnick,"
"I doubt you'd be too bold to come down to this neck of town. But, in case you did, I just wanna let you know I hated your guts. I grew tired of your crappy set-in-your-ways attitude, as much as I felt to this town. I wanted more from life than this, but you could never understand that. By the way, that stupid battery you kept muttering about, I got it. You were right, though. Trying to leave this town would end up killing me. Still, it beats spending another day with you. Good luck to you."
"Love, Sandy"
Nick finished reading, and walked back into the garage, handing the note to Finnick.
"Finnick, I... I found this in there, and... I thought you should have it." said Nick.
Finnick took the note, and quickly read it.
"So, that's how ya feel." whispered Finnick. "Well, screw you too, Sandy. Freaking idiot." Finnick crumpled the note into a ball, and tossed it aside. "You guys ready to go?"
Nick and Judy silently nodded, and moved to the back of the van. Finnick pulled up the garage door open, and joined the two in the back.
"Alright, shift her into gear." Finnick said to Clem. "Now, when we get to pushing, keep your hand on the clutch-"
"I know how to pop a clutch." said Clem.
"How do you- You know what, I don't care. Just don't screw it up." said Finnick.
The three mammals pushed, Clem stepped on the gas. Inch by inch, the van was starting to move. They made it up the hill, and pushed the van downward, the adrenaline was enough to spark the van to life, again.
"Ha, ha. Hear that sound, guys?" chuckled Nick.
"Music to my ears." grinned Judy.
"Yeah, well that means the Savages heard it, too. Let's get in the van, now!" said Finnick.
The three mammals ran down the hill, as Savages began emerging from behind the sides of houses, from both sides of the streets. Nick, Judy, and Finnick piled into the van, and slammed the doors shut.
"Go, Clem! Drive! Floor it!" ordered Judy.
Clem stepped on the gas, and the van sped away. The Savages gave chase, but were soon left in the dust. Finnick peeked out of the door to see the coast was clear, before closing it again, and sat back down, next to Nick and Judy.
"You three really fucked my day up. You know that, Nick?" Finnick half-chuckled.
...
An hour later, the van was right near Finnick's guarded part of the town.
Finnick knocked the wall of the van to get Clem's attention. "Alright, stop here. This'll do." he called.
Nick, Judy, and Finnick emerged out of the back of the van.
"Keep her running, okay?" Nick told Clem, who gave a thumbs up.
"That girl nearly got us all killed." said Finnick.
"You gotta admit, she held her own well, back there." said Nick, Judy nodded in agreement.
Finnick chuckled. "You ain't gonna make it, this long. Oh, by the way. Got something else for ya."
Finnick dug into his backpack, and tossed Nick a long, black siphon hose.
"What's this for?" asked Nick.
"You'd be amazed at how many cars still have gas in them." said Finnick.
"Appreciate it." said Nick. "Listen, Finnick. Um, about your girl back there... That's a tough deal, and I, uh..."
Finnick nodded back. "We square?" he asked.
"Yeah, we're square." said Nick.
"Alright. Then, get out of my town." said Finnick, as he started the walk back to his safe house, and back to his daily, lonely routine, tomorrow.
Judy turned to ask Nick what was their conversation about, since she wasn't in the room where they found Sandy, but Nick stopped her.
"Wait 'til we get in the van." said Nick.
Judy nodded. She knew, despite all they went through, if Nick considered someone like Finnick as a friend, then he couldn't be all that bad. She could tell they had a lot in common, when it came to hardship, and survival, and about their pasts, whatever their pasts were like.
Shaking her head clear to focus, Judy and Nick joined Clem back in the van. Clem sat in the back seat, Judy at the passenger side, and Nick at the wheel. The trio drove away from Lincoln, and away from Massachusetts, as they started the long, winding road toward Wyoming, and towards the Fireflies.
Up ahead, a storm was brewing, but all three knew a storm would be the least of their problems, from here on out.
Well, guys. That looks to be another good stopping point on this chapter. Next chapter will have the city of Zootopia itself, replacing Pittsburgh. However, it may just focus mostly on the Savannah Central area, since Pittsburgh in the game is probably the biggest level. Hope you're enjoying it, so far.
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.