Think Pink

By Harry Leferts

HL - You know what? Something struck me re-reading a past chapter and I had an idea rolling around in my head... And oddly, I can see Taylor doing this because it would be a cause near and dear to her heart in a sense, so have an omake:

After yet another day, both Ingrid and Sabah were relaxing in the office at the top of the Dollhouse when a knock caused them both to turn to see a nervous Taylor in the doorway. Sharing a look with Ingrid, Sabah frowned slightly at the expression she saw on Taylor's face. "Is something wrong?"

Still nervous, Taylor shook her head and paused. "Not... exactly... maybe? I don't know..." Sighing, she scratched her neck through her cloak. "This went better in my head."

Gently smiling, Ingrid only waved at one of the free chairs which Taylor took gratefully. "Well then, how about we help out with that, hmm?" Once Taylor had sat down, Ingrid got up and walked over to the small machine in the office and had it make some tea. "Now then, what seems to be the problem?"

For a few moments, Taylor was silent though she was looking back and forth between Sabah and Ingrid before she took a deep breath and let it out. "Its... I was looking up some stuff on the internet earlier and I found something that I really, really want to do. Because I can't help but think that it would help out a whole lot, but I'm not sure how you might take it and... um..."

Sitting down and placing a cup of tea in front of Taylor who nodded and thanked her, Ingrid smiled. "Well then, just tell us, I don't think that either Parian or myself would have any problems with any ideas that you came up with. Especially if it had made you this wound up."

Reaching over, Sabah took Taylor's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "She's right, so what idea did you get?"

Unsure, Taylor bit her lip and then told them her idea. For almost a minute once she was done, both Sabah and Ingrid just stared at her before something came over their faces. On Sabah's, there was nothing but understanding. What was on Ingrid's was harder to understand for Taylor, but there was approval there as well as something she couldn't quite place. After a few seconds, Ingrid just grinned as she leaned back in her chair. "You know, Keynote... that is an excellent idea and I think that we can improve on it..."

Blinking, Taylor frowned a bit and Ingrid knew she was furrowing her eyebrows. "Improve on it?"

Her grin becoming a smile, Ingrid hummed. "Yes, improve." Leaning forward, she placed her chin on her clasped hands. "And this is how we're going to do it..."

Taylor was just straightening up from talking with Tyler when some of the buildings suddenly seemed to get closer. Straightening up, she smiled as both Clockblocker and Vista stepped off and into view, Clockblocker waving at her. "Hey there, Keynote."

At the greeting from Vista, Taylor nodded some. "Hey right back, on patrol?"

Chuckling, Vista tilted her head a little but still nodded as she glanced inside the Dollhouse. "Yeah, we do keep law and order after all..."

If Vista was slightly curious. then Clockblocker was highly so as he leaned forward. "What's... with the pink shirt you're wearing?" He then spotted the same thing that Vista had inside the Dollhouse and raised an eyebrow unseen. "And why are the other employees wearing pink shirts? No offense, but while I don't know fashion I do know that it doesn't look right over your costume."

Practically bouncing, Tyler was the one who answered with a large grin on his face. "Keynote is standing up against bullies!"

Turning from him to Taylor, Vista blinked behind her mask, somewhat interested. "Oh?"

In reply, Taylor only jerked her thumb at a table where Mog sat with flyers. "It's International Anti-Bullying Day, wearing a pink shirt represents taking a stand against it." Then she shrugged a bit. "Maybe being a hero I can help out against it just a little." Voice softening, Taylor ignored the various phones and such recording her. "Villains may be the biggest bullies out there, but there's others as well and they're harder to fight against, but not impossible. Especially if we all take a stand, together."

Both Vista and Clockblocker shared a look and then nodded a bit before the smaller of the two smiled. "And you're right about that..."

Live From The Zoo

By Harry Leferts

Missy excitedly waved to various other members of the Wards as she ignored how Miss Militia and a grumbling Armsmaster were watching them. "Come on guys! Keynote is about to start her show!"

Coming in with some popcorn, Dennis set the bowl down on the table and took a handful. "So... what world did they end up in this time, any idea?"

Just shaking her head, Missy watched the screen as it slowly loaded up. No one had been quite sure, but after her fight with Uber and Leet, Keynote had somehow come into the possession of their drone which followed her around. If nothing else it saw the hero's popularity skyrocket as people saw her battles from up close. Dolls at the Dollhouse were selling like hot cakes...

Dolls like the one that Missy would deny having.

However, at that moment the screen popped up as the rest of the Wards as well as Glory Girl and Panacea (who Glory Girl had dragged along) took their seats. It showed what looked like a room but where Keynote normally sat was nothing more then an empty chair. Frowning, Missy shared a look with the others before Keynote's voice came over. "Hey everyone! Glad to be able to talk to you from this new place and let me tell you..." Suddenly, what looked like an anthropomorphic lioness in Keynote's costume leapt into the chair and grinned at them before speaking in the hero's voice. "I'm not lion when I say that this is strange, but awesome!"

Off screen, what sounded like something hitting flesh could be heard before Parian's voice came over the speakers. "Oh my God, Keynote... did really just say that..."

A mouse then crawled up onto the table and both Armsmaster and Miss Militia stared as it wore Mouse Protector's costume. "HUZZAH! An excellent choice of words, Keynote!" Suddenly, she disappeared only to reappear on the transformed Keynote's shoulder. "But no need to be so catty, Parian!"

Yet again, the sound of someone groaning could be heard. "Why did I go with the two of you...?"

Blinking, Armsmaster turned toward Miss Militia and frowned. "She's a mouse..."

Miss Militia just nodded. "Yes... she is." Then she sighed and pinched her nose. "And I pity Parian now..."

Meanwhile, on screen, Keynote just grinned even wider showing her large, sharp teeth. "Right, anyways through the use of certain powers, we can all blend into this world without anyone knowing kind of like..." Rubbing her chin, she frowned for a moment and then snapped her claws. "Star Trek I think. Anyways... To all those watching us?" Keynote then took the drone and motioned it to a window where it looked out onto an awe inspiring city with humanoid animals of all sorts walking along. "This is Keynote and welcome... to Zootopia!"

Jaw dropping, Missy stared at the image on the screen as did everyone else before she let out an uncharacteristic squee. "This is going to be so awesome!"

Elsewhere in the city, Ingrid just grinned as she twirled in her chair, the same video on the screen as everyone else was seeing. "So, the shipment of the new Keynote dolls should be in by tomorrow? Good, good... looking forward to it." Holding up a doll of a lioness Keynote, Ingrid grinned. "It's great doing business with you..."

Daughter Riley: At The Zoo

By Harry Leferts

Leaning against the open window of the hotel room, Riley's tail wagged as she smiled. Part of her couldn't believe the place that they wound up, especially all the different animals around them. On a nearby viewscreen, a anthro gazelle welcomed people to Zootopia. Glancing at her reflection, Riley grinned at the sight of the wolf that met her as she tapped her claws on the windowsill. In the background, she could hear Sabah flipping through various fashion magazines as Taylor was pouring over a map of the city trying to find the Keyhole so that they could close it.

Suddenly, an idea came to Riley and she rushed over to grab her wallet and tinker-tech phone Dragon had made for her. Having heard her, Taylor looked up and blinked at the sight of her adopted daughter rushing around. "And where do you think that you're going, Riley?"

With a sheepish expression on her face, Riley glanced towards Sabah who was also watching her. "Um... I kind of want to go and explore..." Holding her paws together, Riley looked from Taylor to Sabah and then back. "I promise to be good and not get into any trouble, honest!"

Sabah just sighed as she leaned against her own paw before shaking her head. "You're too much like Taylor... you make that promise and I just know that you'll get into trouble somehow."

A chuckle escaped from Taylor as she leaned back. "Oh come on, Sabah, we're not that bad."

From where she was, Riley nodded. "Yeah! I super promise not to get into any trouble."

Snorting, Sabah first looked toward Taylor with hooded eyes. "Yes, you both are." She then turned toward Riley and let out a sigh at the hopeful expression on her face. "Fine, I guess... just do your best to stay out of trouble and remember!" Frowning, she leaned forward. "No revealing superpowers or that you're anything but what you look like, okay?"

Her eyes wide, Riley blurred as she rushed forward in a roll and kissed Sabah on the cheek. "Promise, Sabah-Mama!" Then in another blur, she was beside Taylor who leaned to the side to receive a kiss from Riley on the cheek. "Thanks, Taylor-Mama!"

As Riley rushed out, Taylor gave a smirk to Sabah who only groaned and walked towards the medicine cabinet. "Hopefully they have some Tylenol or aspirin... or something. Because I know that I'm probably going need it."

Taylor just laughed before Sabah picked up a sock and biffed it at her, knocking the lioness from her chair. "HEY!"

Sadly, the only answer she got was an amused smirk from Sabah as she walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, outside, Riley rushed down the hall and slid under a elephant's legs to get past and then leapt into the stairwell before bouncing off one wall and then another. Hitting the floor, she continued to run and eventually reached the street. Slowing down some, she twirled around as she looked around her. "Wow... this is so different from Brockton Bay..." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and hooked up her ear phones and downloaded information about the city and where to go as she began to walk with the crowds. "Now... where to first..."

A few hours later, Riley was holding a hotdog, or what this place had in place of such for carnivores, as she sang along to a song on her phone. "Away, away! We are explorers reading every sign, we tell the stories of our elders in an never ending tale! Away, away!" Taking a bite, she quickly chewed and swallowed. "We know the way!"

The sound of paws close by caused her to pull out her earbuds and turn to see a fox in a police uniform and a hotdog of his own. "Nice song there, kiddo. Where's it from?"

Smiling, Riley kicked her feet out a bit and shrugged. "It's something that my moms and me picked up on our travels."

Just raising an eyebrow, the fox nodded. "So you and your moms travel around a lot, huh?"

At her nod, he scratched his chin and was about to say something else when a rabbit walked over and smiled. "Where are your moms, sweety?"

Blinking, Riley just stared at her for a few moments before rubbing the back of her head. "They're back at the hotel looking over some things." Crossing her arms when she saw the looks, she sighed. "They know that I can take care of myself you know."

The two officers just shared an bemused look before the fox held out a paw. "Name's Nick, and this is my partner Judy."

Once she shook Nick's paw, Judy shook Riley's. "Sorry about that. It's just that seeing someone your age sitting alone is all. Especially with the reports of strange monsters around the city."

Riley was just about to say something when her phone beeped and she looked at the text. At the same time, both Nick and Judy raised eyebrows at the unfamiliar icon of a dragon on the back of the phone. "Oh, fiddlesticks! Mom wants me back now."

Chuckling, Nick finished his own hotdog and then shook his head. "Well, how about we give you a lift then? Just so that you get home safe?"

After a few moments, Riley just nodded and hopped off the bench as she followed the two as they lead her back to their car. "Cool!"

For some odd reason though, both Judy and Nick couldn't help but feel that something was going to happen... And after the whole incident a few months back, they had learned to trust their instincts.