Pain. I could feel everything, and I wanted it to stop. I could feel my skin blister as it was licked by flames, I could feel my blood boiling as heat overwhelmed my body. I couldn't move. I tried to lift my arms to fan away the fires, but they hung limp at my side. I tried to get up, but my legs were unresponsive. I couldn't even feel them. Why couldn't I feel my legs? I tried to look at them, but the smoke was burning my eyes. I blinked a few times, trying to fight away the smoky tendrils. My eyes began to clear, seeing through the haze and focusing down towards the ground. My legs, they were … gone, my lower half disappeared into the floor.

Anguish. I could hear the screams. They were so very loud, so many voices, merging together in my head. I could not separate them, save for one word. Help/em. I wanted to help, but I could not move. I started to lose the feeling in my arms. I looked down, fighting against the haze, to see my flesh and muscles, melting off of my bones. I tried to call for help, but every time I opened my mouth, I couldn't speak, my mouth filling with the taste of death.

Fear. I was going to die. The dread feeling that my life was slipping away and there was nothing I could do about it. The taste of death lingering in my mouth. The feeling of despair, knowing that these were my last moments alive. I couldn't think about that, I had to do something. I tried to pull my arms up, to find something to grasp onto. The skeletal remains of my left arm shattered as I lifted it. Pushing myself through the pain, I worked on my other arm. This time I was able to free it, causing me to fall forward.

I won't give up. Taking my free arm, I tried to pull myself free from the floor. I felt resistance, but edged myself forward. I dug my claws into the wood beneath me and pulled with all my might. I could feel myself moving, inch by inch. Suddenly, I was yanked backwards. I tried to cry, but the heat evaporated the tears before they had a chance to form.

I won't give in. This world was swallowing me whole, but I have to do what I can to help someone, anyone else. I sank my claws into the floor again and tried to pull myself forward. I could feel my body stretch as my resistance to my movement hardened. Forward, move forward. Don't look behind, keep looking ahead. I was pulled back again. Eyes forward, eyes …

I froze up at the sight. I thought my body had melted to the floor, that I simply had to tear myself from it. No, it was far worse. Paws. Dozens of paws were grabbing me, dozens of disembodied limbs, grasping to pull me into some unknown void. The horror filled me as I tried to scream again. Of all the screams around me, I was the only one silenced. I tried to pry one of the arms off me, but it was in vain, my remaining limb melted before my eyes, flesh, muscle, bone. It was gone, just as I am to be.

I looked forward, trying to avert my gaze from the horrors behind me only to be greeted with new ones. My vision was clear, clearer than it had ever been. I wish it wasn't, because right before me were children, their arms missing and their faces bubbling and melting, only they were not the ones screaming. They were smiling. They crept closer to me as I was dragged into an abyss. Their mouths moved as if speaking, but no words left their lips. They continued to smile as they drew closer. Closer. I tried to close my eyes but the flames melted my eyelids. I couldn't escape the horror. Closer.

I dared to look back. My torso covered in grasping claws, being pulled into what now looked like a fiery pit. Flames burst out, but nothing burned. The heat increased, flowing over my body as I got closer. I could feel my flesh starting to boil. The pain was unbearable. I couldn't scream for help, I couldn't close my eyes to hide the horror, I was helpless. The arms finally pulled me into the fiery abyss as I fell. The last of my fur burning off. I fell. The flames covering my body as I could feel my eyes about to pop. I fell. My flesh and muscles falling off me.

I fell.

The world crashed around me as I was suddenly awoken.

I was laying on my back staring up at, was that the bedroom? I tried to get up, making sense of everything. That dream, it was so … real. No, it was not a dream. It was a nightmare. So many had died, so many had suffered with their deaths being the only form of release from it all. I slowly got up, my back hurting as assessed my situation.

Onion was right, again. I saw small bits of the floorboard had started to rot. I must have been asleep when it finally giving way to more weight than it was used to. The mattress seemed to have taken the brunt of the impact, otherwise I would probably not be getting up. I wiped myself off as I carefully stepped over shards of wood and rusty nails.

"Miss! Are you alright? I heard an awful noise and feared the worse."

"Yeah, a bit bruised, but I'm fine. Can't say that much about the house though."

"I told you it was not safe."

"Yes mister know-it-all, I'll remember that in the future."

"Well someone has to know it all Miss."

"I think I am finally rubbing off on you."

"I will take that as a compliment, Miss."

I smiled at him, trying to forget about that nightmare, though I doubt something like that can be forgotten so easily.

"Hey Onion, it looks like I forgot to bring my luggage on that trip, could you be so kind as to get my bag? I really don't wanna risk for a second fall, going to be sore from this one for a while."

"Yes Miss, it's good thing you didn't build me any legs."

"If I did do you think I would be walking when you could carry me? I am a lady after all." I flipped back my ears with a wave of my arm with the most elegance I could. Of course I do not have an elegant bone in my body, and Onion knows that. If I did not know any better, I thought I heard a small chuckle from him.

When Onion got back with my bag, I checked to make sure I had everything. I only salvaged a small bit from that gun, but I kept the scope. It had a pretty good range on it, and I figured it would make a good scouting device. The supplies that Bo gave me were starting to run low, I was planning on stocking up when I got to Beaverton, but looks like I will have to wait a bit longer. I would have to portion it better until I can find something.

I also noticed something large and heavy in the bag. I pulled it out and realized it was the gun I found in the now floor-less bedroom. I must have been a bit tired when I saw it, because I remembered it being much smaller. While only a handgun, it was obviously meant for a larger species than myself. I could barely put my paw around the handle. I could manage pulling the trigger, but based upon the recoil of the first gun I fired, I would be lucky if this didn't turn me into a projectile. I managed to pop the magazine and to my surprise, it used the same bullets that my smaller, more manageable gun used. How could something so much bigger use the same ammunition? Maybe it was just for this very reason, so that scavengers such as myself do not have to be picky about their ammo. If it shoots it's compatible. Or maybe I was just lucky, that sniper rifle did have different ammunition.

I tossed the gun on the floor, If I can't use it, no point having it weigh me down. I was getting hungry, I hadn't eaten since arriving in Beaverton, and even if I was hungry then, I wouldn't have been able to stomach it. I grabbed a carrot snack and started to eat it before remembering. I snapped it in half and re-wrapped that half and kept it for later. I took a small swig of water wishing I could finish it off. The taste of vomit still clung in my mouth. Then I realized something - something that I should have thought of before.

"Hey Onion! I'm an idiot."

"And this is news, how?"

"Shut up. This is a house, right?"

"Yes, people used to live here."

"No, what I mean is, what should all houses have?"

"A usable floor?"

I was starting to miss the overly emotional robot from yesterday. Did I accidentally program him to be bi-polar? Or maybe even this place can effect a robot's mind. "No, I was talking about a kitchen."

"A kitchen? Oh! Well thought Miss. Although I am sure two-hundred years of aging is not going to make for a good culinary experience."

"As long as it keeps me alive, it can taste like shit."

We looked through the first floor until I found what must have been a kitchen. Like everything else, it was covered in a layer of dust. There werestill no signs of the family that used to live here. Maybe they were evacuated in time? I know that my Burrow was not the only shelter. Of course, even if they did survive, they would be long dead by now. Fuck thinking about death.

There was only one window in the room and it was still intact. It was a decent sized kitchen, multiple appliances, an island in the middle, and a very large refrigerator. I went over there immediately, but was dismayed that it must have lost power a very long time ago. Any food that was in it had rotted away to nothing, only small remnants of plates and empty containers remained. I checked the cabinets for whatever I could find. I found a box of grass thins that had turned to dust. Behind it was something more promising. A box of Fruity Bombs. On the box it showed a small squirrel flying holding a strawberry and dropping it as it exploded into multi colored spheres that landed into a bowl. In a smaller print at the bottom of the image was: Ten Times the Fruit and Sugar!. Next to it was something in even small print: Contains 0% Fruit. So it was a box of fruit flavored orbs that didn't actually contain any fruit? Then what was it flavored with! At least in the Burrow if we were handed dried fruit, it was actually made from real fruit! No wonder it's so crappy out here, maybe the same geniuses were responsible for defending us.

It did, however, taste really good. The box was sealed and when I opened it I was greeted by a very pleasant aroma. This stuff was still edible! I grabbed a pawful and ate some. It might not be the healthiest thing around, but it's food. I continued to look and found two more items that were still (I think) edible. A can of Hungry Maw Canned Carrots, and Nifty Cub Apples, another canned item that promised to last forever!. I did not open them, if they were edible, it would have to wait until later, I doubt they would last long outside their cans.

Once I was content with my search (which also turned up three more bottles of Rad! Cola, I'll make sure to keep the caps this time), I grabbed my bag and we headed out. I opened the door slowly and peaked out to make sure it was safe. I did not notice anyone, or anything so I opened it the rest of the way and headed out with Onion taking the rear.

"Oh my, what a gloomy day it is." Onion remarked a bit sourly.

Yeah, it had been a very nice day yesterday, but today it looks almost as if the sky was depressed. While it was light out, I saw no sign of the sun, the clouds were thicker than I even remember seeing in books. I hope it doesn't rain. Then again, maybe the rain is safer to drink than what we've found so far. I reached the bottom of the steps that lead off the porch when a voice startled me.

"Welcome to a typical day in the wasteland. Can't be all sunshine and rainbows every day, can it?"

The voice was very gruff and raspy, like he, at least I think it's a he, had been smoking every day of his life. Smoke. Was it a survivor!? I looked around me but could not seem to find the source of the voice.

"Show yourself. Are you from Beaverton? You sound hurt, I can try to help you."

"Heh, I am long past anyone's help."

From around the side of the house stepped a figure, at least a foot or so taller than me. He was dressed in a ragged button up shirt, I couldn't tell what color it was supposed to be, I don't think it was ever washed before. His pants were torn into makeshift shorts, but the most noticeable thing was his fur, or lack thereof. His fur was gone, with his skin shriveled and wrinkled, as if it was pulled taught over his muscles. It looked just like a …

"It's a ghoul miss! Stand back!"

There was something different about him though. I don't recall any of the ghouls before standing so non-threateningly, I don't recall them talking before either. He was obviously not a burn victim, at least not from Beaverton, his skin looks like it has been like this for a very long time. I also couldn't make out his species. His ears were missing, but he could obviously hear me, and what looked like a tail is simply a wiry mass of bone and tissue.

"Typical," he started, putting one of his hands into a pocket in his pants, "I show myself to you, and what do I get? 'Oh no, it's a ghoul! Quick kill it before it eats my brains!'"

"You're different from them, aren't you?"

"And the rabbit hits it right on the nose. Take it this is the first time seeing a more, civilized, ghoul sweetheart?"

"Don't call me sweetheart, and yes. Our previous encounter did not leave a very good impression."

He pulled something from his pocket, my instincts made me reach for my gun, but they were swayed when I saw it was nothing more than a stick. He put it in his mouth and started to chew on it. Was that a … pawpsicle stick?

"Whoa, easy there carrots. What, did you think I was going to do, attack you? A defenseless ghoul like me would not stand any chance against you and your butler-bot."

"Don't call me carrots either. I have a name. And for your information, we have had a bit of a rough couple days, so we are a little on edge."

"Don't call you carrots? Well I just figured, you being a bunny and all, that you would have a love for all things carrots."

"Just because I am a rabbit doesn't mean … where's my bag? What? How did …"

How did he? One moment he was standing there and the next he had my bag, I didn't even see him move!

"Let's see here," he said as he started to rummage through my bag, "you got some small packs of dried carrots, a couple cans of carrot paste, and even a small plastic carrot …" he paused for a moment as he pulled out the now broken carrot recorder. He stared at it for a few seconds before he shook his head, "and I can't call you carrots? And if I can't call you sweetheart, what should I call you?"

"The name is Olivia, and I would appreciate it if you gave me my bag back. Now." I was starting to dislike this guy.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Olivia."

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that. This is obviously not your home, so that would make you a, what burglar? I would say cat thief, but you seem to lack the necessary species for that."

"For your information, we were not breaking in here to steal, we needed a quiet, safe place to rest for the night. It's not like this is your house either. I don't think anyone has lived here for a very long time."

"Your quite right, Olivia. This is not my house. Nor is it yours. I guess we are at an impasse you and I."

Who does this guy think he is? He may not be one of those other ghouls, but at least they were not as chatty.

"Bag. Now."

"Alright, alright. Here you go."

"Thank you, now if you will excuse us, we have a long trip ahead of ourselves, and would like to get going while there is still light, Mr.?"

"The name's North, North West."

"Umm, I hate to break it to you, but that's not a name, that's a direction."

"Well of course that's my name. See?" He pulled out a small scrap of fabric. It looked like the bottom half of a neck-tie. It was much cleaner and well-kept compared to his current clothing. On the back of it there was a monogram, stitched in gold.

"N.W., so that could mean anything, how do I even know it's yours? You took my bag so deftly you could have stolen that too."

"Well it's my word against yours, sweetheart."

"I said don't call me, ugh! Never mind. Onion let's get out of here, this guy is really annoying me. Onion?"

I turned saw Onion sitting on the ground, completely disabled. My jaw dropped in disbelief as I saw a small round object stuck on his casing. How the hell? I turned around to confront this North fellow, just to see he was gone. I ran across the lawn and looked all over, but he was nowhere in sight. I ran back to Onion and grabbed my bag, I had a spare energy capacitor in here someplace. I noticed something as I was looking, the small bag with the coins. It was missing.

I was beside myself, doing the only thing that came to my mind. I screamed louder than I think I ever had, "North! You fucker!"

He was gone.

"What happened Miss? One moment we were talking to that ghoul, thing, and the next I was deactivated."

"That asshole somehow snuck up on you, placed a small EMP module on you and took my bag. The fucker also stole my coins!"

"The Treasures of Zootopia? Oh dear, I know you had a bit of a fondness of them. I was kinda hoping you would be able to collect the whole set. What of the rest of your stuff?"

"The coins were all he took. I know it could have been worse. He could have taken the food or supplies, but he made a fucking fool of me! That's what makes me so angry."

"I am just as baffled as you Miss. I made sure to monitor everything just in case he turned out to be dangerous, yet my sensors detected no movement."

"Well I guess danger can take many shapes Onion. How the hell did he manage to do all of that? I don't think even a cheetah in peak physical shape could have moved that fast."

"Another mystery to be solved, but I am sure that can wait for another day Miss. We really should get going."

"Yeah, your right. Let's go, but if I see him again, I will have a few choice words with him."

I was fuming over that whole thing for at least another hour before I started to calm down. It wasn't so much the fact that he stole from me, but rather how he did it. I tried wrapping my head around it, but I just couldn't comprehend it. Did they somehow develop technologies that enabled someone to teleport? No, it can't be. An energy surge that large would be bound to leave some kind sign, like a giant bolt of electricity or a bright flash or something. At least that's how it was my books. Maybe some science fiction was less fiction than I thought.

I shook my head of these thoughts. I had to be thinking of my immediate future. I may not even run into that fucker again, and he better hope he don't run into me. Even trying to not think about it kept making me think about it, and now it was also causing my head to start hurting. Again. I put my paws on either side of my head, pretending I could just simply squeeze all this out of me, but I was only met with a bump on the head after running into Onion who had suddenly stopped.

"Ugh. Onion, why the abrupt stop?"

"Miss, I think we should get off of this road."

"Why?"

He did not have to give me an answer. In the distance I could see what looked like a pillar of red smoke extending far into the air. What was that? I knew it wasn't a fire, at least none that I have seen. The smoke from a typical fire is grey or black, not red. It was pretty far away, but I was able to make out two large shapes near the base of the smoke. I couldn't tell how big they were, but from this distance they were obviously much larger than Onion or I. I wanted to get closer, but previous experiences kept telling me no. Wait a second …

I remembered the scope I took from that gun and pulled it from my bag. I knew it would come in handy. I close my right eye as I put up to my left. After a few seconds focusing it, the shapes started to come into focus. They looked, metallic. I could see that one of them resembled a rhino, while the other an elephant. Robots? No, wait, I focused in on the rhino a bit better, it wasn't a robot. I saw his head, his light gray hide revealing that he was simply a mammal, in some sort of over-sized mechanical suit. The elephant however still had its head piece on. Who were they?

"Hey Onion? Can you identify those two by chance?"

"I am afraid not Miss. They are too far for my sensors to pick them up, and the range on my ocular unit falls too short to get a clear image."

"I'll have to see about upgrading that. It looks like they are wearing large mechanical suits of armor. Ring a bell?"

"Give me a moment to process that."

I went back to the scope and watched them some more, making sure that we had enough cover so they did not see us. Luckily they were not facing our direction. Yet. I could see the rhino talking to the other one, but even if I was closer, lip reading was never my thing. For all I knew they were trading cookie recipes. The red smoke was still strong, and when they got close enough, it gave their dull chrome armor a red hue to them.

"Well Miss, the only thing I have on record involves a pre-war group of soldiers called the Steel Guardians. They were formed from elite members of the Zootopia Police Department's Special Response Squad. Originally the S.R.S. was tasked with protecting Zootopia's citizens from domestic attacks that regular officers would not typically be able to handle. When the war broke out, the Steel Guardians were formed out of the S.R.S. to help combat the rising hostilities and its advancing wartime weaponry. They were known for their powered exoskeletons that increased their resistances and allowed them to easily handle larger weaponry. Not much else is known about them I am afraid, most of the records were lost during the war."

"Sounds like they survived, or at least their technology did. Steel Guardians, huh? While they sounded like very helpful mammals back in their time, now I am not so sure. For all we know, these are simple thugs who just so happened to find these suits and are taking them for a joyride. Best if we stay our distance. I think we should try to …"

I was interrupted by the sound of a loud buzzing that was getting closer. I looked around to see where it was coming from, but I saw nothing that could have made that noise. It was getting louder, so it must be getting closer. Then I looked up.

"Onion, hide!"

The noise got almost deafening as it flew over us. It was large, larger than any of the vehicles I saw scattered around us. The body of it was long enough to fit at least half a dozen elephants. While it had many hard edges, almost like paneling, it seemed to flow together smoothly. Extending from either side were two large wings. As it started to get closer to the ground, I could see a giant disk in each of them that held a propeller. It bent forward and back as it attempted to set down near the billowing red smoke. I focused my scope the best I could, inching forward a bit. I could see the cockpit. Inside was someone much smaller than the others, but I couldn't make it out, although I could tell the pilot was not wearing the same armored suit. After it finally landed a door slid open on its side. The rhino grabbed something off the ground, his headgear I assume, while the elephant lifted a large duffel bag and tossed it onto the flying machine. They both climbed on as it sped up its engines again and started to take off. It flew towards us and we did our best to hide. If it saw us, I didn't look like they cared.

"Whoa. If we had one of those things get to Hope in no time."

"Ok Miss, next time we see one feel free to ask for a ride. After all the kind mammals we met so far, I am sure they would oblige."

"And maybe I will pay for that ride in scrap metal."

I looked Onion straight in the eyes, or sensor, or … hell, I really need to put something on him to indicate where he's facing. It worked though, because he shut up as we both checked for any other surprises. First ghouls, then bandits, and now mammals in giant tin cans. What next, giant crustaceans? Aliens? At this rate I think it would take a lot to surprise me.

"Let's try to avoid these guys for the time being. Friend or foe, I would rather not learn it the hard way."

"Agreed Miss."

I looked at my Pip-Boar. It's navigation menu still open. According to this we have about five miles to go until we get to Hope, or at least where I hope it is. Five miles. That really doesn't sound far, but that is nearly three times the distance as it was between the stadium and Beaverton, and that felt like forever, plus who knows what else we will run into. Best to take it one step at a time, we are no use to anyone dead. Except looters. And those savage ghouls. And anyone who …

"Gah!"

"Miss! Is everything alright?"

I sighed. "Yes, everything is fine. I just keep thinking things I don't want to think."

"Well, how about some nice relaxing music?"

"No music Onion, the last thing we need is to wake the dead again."