"Do you have any ideas where they took her?"

An hour went by as we were still no closer to coming up with a plan to save Holly. The traders had come out of the attack physically unharmed, but their mental state was a whole other story. Doctor Boll had to sedate two of them after they nearly attacked her while she was evaluating them, and the third kept yammering on about how Hope was responsible for the loss of goods due to their lack of security. I do admit that this town could have maintained a better defense line, but from everything I have been told, no one would have expected a deathwing attack in the middle of the day.

Markus was still in the infirmary while Nate had reverted back to his inconsolable self from earlier. After our brief exchange on our technicalknowhow,I was starting to like that fox, but after I had to incapacitate his brother I feared that things between us were much worse off than where they'd started. I tried to apologize to him, but he wouldn't even look at me, let alone hear me out. I'll have to make it up to him…somehow.

"Unfortunately, since attacks like this are typically done under the mask of darkness, no one has previously been able tofind their course, no one was stupid enough to seek one out either."

"Well you don't know Miss Springs very well then."

"Oh hush Onion. Someone must have seen them. It was broad daylight."

"I have sent word out to local settlements to keep an eye out. We know they headed North East, but that is all we have so far."

Usually when the mayor is talking to me, she seems rather sweet and affectionate, but now I can truly see that she is a leader first and foremost. With her steadfast attitude and serious visage, I could tell that she was taking this rescue very personally. Despite Holly not being a resident of Hope, she was still under the protection of Mayor Swift. So she must feel responsible for her, and foreveryone else's safety.

"What about the thing the deathwings were trying to take? It was obvious that they weren't out hunting, but rather they were seeking something in particular."

"That's the strangest part, it was just simple circuitry. Deathwings aren't known for their intelligence. They are savage beasts whose only purpose in life is to hunt and kill. There has never been an account of a deathwing doing anything else."

Circuitry? From the way they're described, something like that would have no interest to them. "Mayor, is it possible they are … evolving?"

"What do you mean Olivia?"

"Well, I know from history books that we mammals used to be simple animals. Our primal instincts were the only driving force. Predator against prey, kill or be killed, but we eventually evolved past that, both physically and mentally. Isn't it remotely possible that this could be a similar case?"

"A slim possibility? Perhaps, but it took us mammals thousands of years to get to where we are now. These...beasts, are not in any pre-war records so that means they came into existence only the past couple hundred years. I don't think it's possible for natural evolution to accelerate that fast."

"Naturally, no, but what about scientifically?"

"I am not sure if I follow you."

"Well mayor, while I have little experience with these creatures, I do have a knack for breaking things down logically. No mammal that I know of has the ability to regenerate organic flesh with such speed and efficiency. I also noticed that they don't resemble any known mammal, but rather, multiple ones. Now I am not an expert on genetics, never cared much for anything in that type of field, but they kinda reminded me of something from my younger days in the Burrow."

I looked around after mentioning my Burrow, I was so focused that I forgot where I was. Thankfully the only ones here were the Mayor, Onion, and Nate, who had for the first time started looking in my direction. I wonder if mentioning the Burrow helped to regain his focus? I opened some files on my Pip-Boar and held it out to show everyone.

"When I was younger, I loved to read. I still do, but back then I didn't care what it was. From whatever technical manual my mother could get her paws on to her collection of romance novels," I got a strange look from Nate, and a raised eyebrow from the mayor, "…anyways, I remember these books on ancient mythology. I was fascinated with ancient cultures and how their technologies were similar to modern ones, only a thousand years before our modern technology came about."

"While watching those creatures, I was reminded of a picture I saw once in one of those books. It was called a Chimera. It was part goat and part lion. It was a predator and a prey residing in the same body, and to some it was revered in a god-like manner. I always wondered if that was where the idea of harmony between predator and prey was born."

"That's rather fascinating, but what does it have to do with the current situation?"

"Well, some cultures believe that a chimera was not born, but made by the paws of a god. What if these things were simply machinations of some demented mind? What if they were simply using them for their nefarious deeds?"

"That … sounds logical, but unfortunately, I highly doubt that someone 'made' these."

"Why not mayor?"

"Well, first of all, I recall a story about some mercenaries awhile back who raided a deathwing lair and stole their eggs. Apparently, deathwing eggs are worth a lot of caps."

"Eggs? So that means … wait! Did you know who they were? If we ask them, maybe we can luck out and it'll be the same lair!"

"Mercenaries around here are not to be trifled with. If you don't have the caps to hire them they may as well kill you where you stand. As for your question, they died after the mother tracked them down and tore them to pieces. They may be savage beasts, but they always protect their young."

I thought maybe I was onto something. I figured it would be a long shot, but right now there's nothing to go on, and the more time we waste trying to plan, the greater the chance that Holly would be dead, if she wasn't already. No, she has to be alive! Why else would they take her rather than just kill her where she stood? If there was only some way to track her … bingo!

"Nate!" I think I startled him a bit, but his face told me that while he wasn't crying anymore, he was still beside himself. Still, I had to try to help. "Did Holly have a Pip-Boar like you?"

At the mention of her name he looked straight at me, as if he was trying to burn a hole right through me. "No…She…Hated it. She didn't want it…Where is my brother?"

"He's still with Doctor Boll. I told her to let us know the second he's awake." The mayor was trying to comfort him with her words, but I don't think it had any effect on him.

"Why can't I go see him?!" His despair quickly turned to anger.

"Please, calm down. Olivia and I are trying everything to help find your friend, but we both think that it would be best that you stay with us. There are rumors going around that you three have cursed this town."

"Cursed? I think that's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Indeed Olivia, but the truth of the matter is, since they came here, there has been one bad situation after another, and it only takes one superstitious individual to connect the two and spread it like wildfire."

"I…I just want my brother and Holly back…I…"

I walked over to Nate and placed my paw on his shoulder. He cringed a little when he felt the touch, but then I felt him relax a little. He looked up at me with his eyes wide, "I promise I will do everything to get Holly back. Alive."

He looked as if he was going to say something when the door to the mayor's office burst open. It was Markus, awake and very agitated. Doctor Boll, riding on top of one of the mayor's guards, Reggie I think, rushed in behind Markus. The doctor was trying to get Reggie to grab him so she could give him some sedatives.

"Markus, I'm glad to see you're awake." The mayor was rather calm despite the sudden entrance by the irate fox.

"Where's my brother?! Where's Holly!?"

"Markus, please calm down. Nate is with us, but Holly is…"

"Mark…She's…Gone."

I could tell that Markus wanted to yell some more but at the sound of his brother's feeble attempt to speak, his sudden anger evaporated and he rushed over to Nate's side. "Are you okay? And what do you mean she's…gone?"

Mayor Swift went to respond, but I jumped in instead. I like her playful banter over this…seriousness. I knew she cared about finding their friend, but I wonder if they were oblivious to that fact. "She was taken by the deathwings. We don't know why, and we don't know where, but like I told your brother, I will not rest until I bring her back."

"You…" Markus' tone started angrily, but when he looked at me it softened, "You will?"

"I know we don't know each other very well and you have no reason to put your trust in me, but after some of the things I have seen, I made a vow that I will do whatever I can to protect the innocent, no matter the cost."

I could see Markus' irate attitude fade. In any other situation, I would have expected a smile, but I only saw tears forming. Between him and his brother, I felt like I wanted to cry as well. When the door to the office burst open, again, it caused me to lose that emotion as I turned to see who it was this time.

"Mayor! We finally finished salvaging the caravan. We thought you should see this."

The ram that had barged in was carrying a large wooden box filled with electrical components. It looked like simple scrap but I recognized it from earlier. It was what that deathwing was trying to take. I rushed over and grabbed the box from him and cleared off a table in the middle of the room. The mayor looked as if she wanted to object, but the words never came as I dumped the contents out of the box onto the table.

I sifted through everything, mentally categorizing all of it and trying to build whatever it could be in my head. A few of the components were damaged, but most of it survived the fall. Some of the parts did not seem to fit, probably from some other cargo, but it was all there. I knew what that creature was trying to steal, but why?

"What is it Olivia?"

"It's an amplifier for a radio transponder." I didn't even notice Nate next to me and jumped a little when he spoke. From the looks of it he had completely snapped out of his somber mood.

"Yes, that's exactly what it is. We had something similar to this in my Burrow. You see, radio signals can reach very distant places. Heck, with the right relay stations, you can extend a signal indefinitely…"

"…But you can't force that signal too far underground, or else it simply gets absorbed into the ground and disperses." Nate interrupted me, but oddly enough, that was exactly what I was about to say.

"Now Burrow-Tec designed the Burrows to automatically open once they send an all clear code, but they never built any receivers above ground to prevent outside forces from hacking into it …"

"… so they created these super charged receivers to catch the errant signals in order to piece them back together into an uncorrupted signal."

Was he reading my mind or something? "Precisely. Of course, a single one of these could never pick up every bit of signal since it would get dispersed so quickly when it hit the ground …"

"… that's why they installed dozens of them throughout the Burrow so that they'd pick up as much of the fractured signal parts as possible."

"Would you stop that! He's right though. This is part of a much bigger design. One of these alone wouldn't be able to do much. But link many together and you'd be able to receive, or transmit, a signal anywhere. Even from the center of the planet."

I looked at Nate. I couldn't tell, but I think he was blushing, or at least a looking a bit full of himself. I opened my mouth but the mayor interrupted. "So, what does that tell you about our current situation?"

I kept looking at Nate, seeing if he wanted to take the helm this time but he just stood there, an odd smirk forming on his face. I turned to the mayor, "That means, who ever wanted these parts …"

"… is underground!"

I wanted to slap him. I think Markus was feeling that, because he casually stepped between Nate and I, looking at the parts on the table as if trying to understand them. "So, can this help us find Holly?"

"Maybe. Mayor, are there many cavern systems near here?"

"Too many to count unfortunately. There are rumors of a massive underground cave system beneath the city but no one who has ever ventured down below has returned alive. There are also the Palm Caverns beneath Sahara Square, but that is deep in Red-Neck territory. If you thought those Berserk-kings were bad, you don't wanna tangle with Red-Necks."

Red-Neck? Oh, those fuckers. "Actually, I do. They are pretty high on my shit list right now. Shortly after leaving the Burrow I ventured to Beaverton, hoping to find supplies and maybe a new home. Just to find it had been burned to the ground. I learned from the only survivor that it was the Red-Neck that did it. After he … died … I made a promise that I would avenge them." I remembered the children. I had to blink to force myself to not cry. Too many tears have been spilled already today.

"Burrow …" Markus made the word sound both bitter and confusing at the same time.

"Later Mark." Nate put his paw on his brother's shoulder, I could see a small smile in him. I enjoyed seeing this side of him much more.

"Oh sweetie, I heard about Beaverton. They were not the most respectable people, but no one deserves that."

The images of the children, the smell of the burnt flesh, the burning of the smoke in my eyes, they wanted to return. They wanted to remind me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. No. Not now. First save Holly, then take care of those fuckers. I opened my eyes and everyone was staring at me, worried looks in each of them.

"I'm okay, really." I cleared my throat, "Now, how do we use this new information to find Holly?"

"Miss? If I can interject?"

I had completely forgotten about him, "What is it Onion?"

"Well, I did not think it important at the time Miss, but with this new discovery of yours, it may be more valuable than I thought."

My Pip-Boar beeped and my attention was drawn to it. Onion had uploaded a file to it. I opened it, but all I heard was feedback. I quickly muted the file as I watched the visuals. It was a signal. Nate had pushed Markus out of the way and was leaning over my Pip-Boar, lost in its erratic waves.

"It's a stray radio signal. If you use your Pip-Boar's radio to tune into its frequency, we might find out more."

"This thing has a RADIO?"

"You…Didn't know?"

"NO! Despite my technical prowess, my knowledge of these things is mediocre at best. Hell, I didn't even know about B.A.T.S. until I smacked it with my paw!"

Nate laughed. I think it was the first time that I've actually seen him this happy. It was kinda … cute. Gah, not him too! I shook my head as he asked if he could see my Pip-Boar. I agreed and took it off. It was much smaller than his, due to my size, but he had no problems with it as he interfaced his own to mine.

"Oh, I see. It's still in factory mode. There are some modifications here and there, Hackatron? That's highly unoriginal, but the Pip-Boar has many features to it, and it's even expandable! You can get small expansion cards to add more features to it. Didn't you learn how to use this thing in Pip-Boar 101? I thought it was a required class?"

"It was. I just kinda … skipped it. And every class that disinterested me. My mom was one of the teachers so I think she lied to them and said I was being home-schooled."

"Well, good thing I'm here. And…done."

He handed it back to me and I locked it back onto my arm. It looked the same as before, but there was an additional application on the main screen: Radio. I activated it and was greeted by static. There was the option to manually tune it but I didn't know the signal, so I switched back over to the file. I think my Pip-Boar recognized it, because there was now the option to 'tune to frequency.' I activated it and it switched back over to the radio. A second later, the signal was there.

"It's … beeps?"

The radio signal consisted of a series of beeps. They were rather slow, with a few seconds of silence between them. I moved my arm around, as if it were an antenna. The signal remained the same until I pointed it towards the East. I think it just got faster … I left the office, my arm raised as if I was trying to catch something out of the air. I walked in one direction and the beeping slowed down, and when I moved Eastwards, the beeping got slightly faster, or at least I think it did.

"I Think … we can use this to locate Holly."

"There are dozens of radio signals all throughout the wasteland. Why do you think that this one could lead to her?"

The mayor sounded skeptical, and it was a long shot, but we didn't have anything else to go on.

"Can I see that for a moment?"

Nate grabbed my wrist and started to play around on my Pip-Boar. "Hey! You don't go doing something while asking if you can do it!"

This felt, weird. Not weird in the fact that someone was using my arm like a mount to fool with my Pip-Boar, but weird as in there were strange … tingles in my skin. I never had any physical interaction with someone other than my mother, at least not a calm and gentle touch like his. I tried to toss the thoughts from my brain as Nate finished doing whatever it was he was doing.

"See? There's a hidden signal buried inside the primary signal. Whoever's transmitting it is doing so through two different wavelengths within the same frequency."

"That definitely sounds suspicious. Now, in order to find it …"

I opened my Hackatron app. 'Unoriginal?' Bah. Who cares what it's called, as long as it works. I managed to copy the radios source code into the application and proceeded to modify it. It only took a few lines of code, but I managed to alter the radio enough to track the signal. I booted it up again and along with the frequency identification, there was now a percentage tally. It was currently set at nine percent. I took a step east and it changed to nine-point-eight percent. Bingo!

"I just modified the radio so that it'll tell me about how close I am to the signal's origin. The signal strength is only at nine percent. So it's quite far but it's in the same direction that the deathwings fled. And if they were trying to get parts to build a signal amplifier, it's the best lead we have. Give me thirty minutes to gather my stuff, and I'll find Holly and bring her back."

Nate and Markus both stepped in front of me. "Hold on. We're going with you."

"No. I won't let you."

"She's our friend, and we will not abandon her."

These guys sure do have touchy switches controlling their emotions. "You are not abandoning her! I just don't want to see the two of you get hurt."

"We've been out here far longer than you have, we've seen things you can't imagine." Markus' voice was now being led by his anger.

"I don't care how long you've been out here but I made a vow to protect people, and that includes from themselves! I saw how riled up and agitated you became when that deathwing snatched up Holly. You were putting yourself, your brother, and everyone else in danger with your actions and I don't want to risk that again. I want this to be a hostage rescue, not a massacre. It'll hard to do that with your emotions getting the better of you. What if those creatures have other hostages? Are you really willing to risk their lives to save Holly's?"

"I … you think there might be other hostages?"

"Honestly? I don't know. Mayor Swift, have they taken hostages in the past?"

"Well they usually …" I don't know what she was about to say, but she cut herself off after looking towards the brothers, "… not that I have ever heard of."

"Holly would … hate us if we let harm come to another innocent mammal. But that doesn't change the fact that we need to be there for her! We've always relied on her strength to protect us; to keep us safe and sane in this miserable world. We've been through so much. More than you can even imagine, and it's always been together that we survive. Even in the Burrow …" Markus looked at Nate before trailing off. I saw that the mere mention of their Burrow started to upset Nate. What happened to them in there?

"Look. I understand. Over a week ago I thought I killed Onion because I carelessly tossed a grenade without thinking. I was tearing myself apart from the inside over that, and he's just a robot. I can only imagine how it must feel losing someone of flesh and blood like this. I also know how one simple careless action can cause so much pain, and how sometimes...sometimes you never feel like you can recover from that. I'm just afraid that the more people there are to stage a rescue, then more lives would be at stake. And if anything happened to either of you or Holly because of some mistake, no matter whose it was, I don't think I could live with that grief and I doubt either of you could either."

"We've survived because of the three of us being there for each other. If even one of us were to fall, I don't think any of us could live with that grief either."

I didn't know how to respond. At this rate we'll still be trying to discuss this come nightfall!

"Boys, go get your stuff. Olivia, sweetie, we need to talk. In private."

The brothers left at the mayor's command, along with anyone else in the room, save for Onion, and that left just the three of us here. She paced back and forth a few times before sitting down at her desk. She motioned for me to sit in the chair across the desk from her. It was nice to finally get off my feet, but she seemed a bit … agitated. To be fair, so was I.

"Those two are … ugh! I barely even know them and they're already driving me crazy with their stubbornness!"

"I see another stubborn mammal as well."

"What, me? Mayor, I know what you're thinking, but bringing them with me just adds more ways for this to go wrong. I don't know any other way to let them know that."

"Then don't."

"Pardon?"

"Olivia, from what I have seen from you. You are quite the remarkable young woman. You have a strong mind and a kind heart, but that can only ever get someone so far. I don't know if you have the soul of a warrior or if you are just lucky, but either way, there is one thing I am certain of. The wasteland is a cruel mistress. Better mammals than you have fallen quickly at her whim, and you know what they all had in common?"

"Crappy gear?"

"No, they were all loners. In every single story I heard about the wasteland swallowing a 'hero' alive, all of them had chosen to travel their path alone. Friends and companions are not simply extra weight that you have to worry about losing. They are your sword and shield in the darkness. They are your eyes for when you are blind, your ears when you are deaf, and your crutch when you need something to lean on. As long as you have someone by your-side, you can never lose, even in the face of great adversity."

"But I have Onion."

"True, and I am also certain that without him you would have fallen many times over."

She was right. While I've been able to out-think my way from most dire situations, most of them would have left me for dead if it wasn't for Onion. All this time I thought that with just the two of us, we could survive anything. I never did consider anyone else by my side. I never had any friends in the Burrow, and I honestly never even once thought of making them out here. Sure I had the support of the Guardians, but I don't know if I could count on them when the chips are down.

"There's also another matter...One that forces me to act upon it with some urgency."

"What's wrong?"

"Remember how I told you that after all these attacks, many of the residents are growing ever more suspicious of Nate and Mark, simply because of their species?"

"Yeah, and I think that's stupid."

"I agree, but as mayor, I need to respect the wishes of my people and do what I must to keep peace. Some of the more...influential residents are trying to force me to kick them out. I hate to say this, but I am glad that it was Holly who was kidnapped, and not either of them. It is because a rabbit, not a fox, was kidnapped that I have been able to buy a little more time, but this won't last."

"That's…Why do mammals have to be so single minded?"

"There are some things that one can never truly change. Many mammals aren't the type to judge others by species, but something in their subconscious mind seems to subtly imbue their thoughts with such hatred. Even if they themselves are not the hateful type."

"But I don't see that. Sure, if someone enjoys killing or torturing another mammal I find myself hating them. But to hate someone because of their species? I can't even imagine how to feel about that. I could care less what your species is, it's the actions of a mammal that define them."

"That is why I like you Olivia. You're not the same as other mammals. You have a purity about you that I don't think I have ever found in another mammal. Even in myself."

"But mayor, you're so kind and generous, and accepting. How can you call me pure and not yourself?"

"I was not always like this. Even I have a past, but it is not the time or place to tell that story. You need to take those two and leave if you are to have any luck in saving Holly. While you are gone, I will try to … settle matters here with the residents. If not for yourself, do it for us."

"I …" Even she had a past? What did that mean? I wanted to know more, but it's already been a couple hours since Holly was taken and every minute wasted is a minute too late to save her. "… I will mayor."

"Now move along sweetie, your boys are waiting." I started towards the door but the mayor spoke up once more. "Oh, and Olivia? You might wanna keep your eye on Nate. He might not show it well, but I think he's taken quite the liking to you."

Did she just wink? She did! I glanced at Onion as I opened the door but if he had any opinion on that, his emotionless exterior didn't show it. I shrugged it off and headed outside where I was met by Nate and Markus. They must have been waiting for me. Did they hear any of it? I took a look at Nate, who was dressed in a long coat similar to mine but with pockets. A lot of pockets. Even his pants had pockets! Markus was dressed in something similar, but he had some kind of camouflaged pants on.

"So?"

"I gotta go get ready, but once I am, you better keep up. Meet me at the gate in fifteen minutes."

Onion and I headed back towards my place to get ready. Once I told them the news they looked as if a large weight was lifted off their shoulders. Markus had a hopeful smile on his face, while Nate had this cute … Fuck! Why did you have to say that to me! I sighed. I needed to stay focused. I now have to worry about two others and if I lose my concentration at the wrong time, we may not live long enough to rescue her.

I reached my workshop and gathered everything I could. Supplies, ammo, parts for in case Onion gets … FUCK! I forgot to fix Onion's shock baton! I had remembered to remove it, but I didn't have time to work on it. I grabbed whatever extra parts I may need for it. Maybe I'd have time on the way there. From the signal strength I'd wager we wouldn't get there before nightfall. I've started to dislike the night. During the day at least I can see what's attacking me. At night? Terrible things seem to happen in the dead of night.

Once I had everything, I went back towards the gate but was stopped by Petunia as I passed her restaurant.

"Olivia! I heard 'bout your trip ta rescue that Holly gal. Figure you'd be wantin' some thin' ta tide ya over on your journey."

She handed me a metal box. On the front of it was a faded picture of a large hill with what looked like a Burrow door on it and images of mammals lining up to get in. Above the picture were the words: Burrow-Tec.

"Where did you get this?"

"Oh that ol' thang? From what I hear tell, back before the war they were handin' these things out ta anyone an' everyone. Guessin' they wanted ta promote those Burrows. Why they chose lunch boxes? Who knows. Now open it."

I flipped the latch and upon opening it, an amazing aroma filled my nostrils. Inside were a couple sandwiches, some carrot chips, some kind of seeds, and little yellowish wafers.

"Packed ya some kale and carrot 'witches, sunflower seeds, and those yella things? Banana mash crackers. Careful with 'em, I hear tell they can make a rabbit go crazy, but with where you're goin' a little crazy might help."

"Thank you. I'll have to find some way to repay you when I get back."

"Hah! I like how you think rabbit. Ya betta come back, this town needs ya."

I guess the people of Hope really do like me. I wish I could say the same for Nate and Markus. Sure they went off the rocker there, but really, who could blame them? I would probably have done the same in their position. I thanked Petunia again and continued on towards the front gate. I didn't see the foxes anywhere. Maybe they changed their mind?

I passed through the gate and saw the two foxes outside. Markus was leaning on a nearby support pillar while Nate had something small in his paws that he was poking at with a screwdriver. As soon as they noticed me, they both jumped to attention with Nate putting away his tools and whatever else he had in one of his many pockets.

"You ready to go? We've already wasted enough time."

They both nodded at me as I took the lead. Ten-point-zero-one percent. We had a long way to go, and it was already past noon. It felt odd having two more bodies with me, having been used to being alone since my mother died…apartfrom Onion. Maybe the mayor was right. I wanted to protect the world, but how can I do that without anyone protecting me? I really hope I don't regret this.

—

Fallout: Zootopia After Show

Featuring:

'Stripes in the Morning'

[Stripes]

"Good Morning Zootopian Wasteland! Stripes here with today's episode of Stripes in the Morning! Now, some of you may be asking yourself, 'Hey Stripes, I thought you did these shows on Sundays and Wednesday?' well, I typically do, but I will be honest with you. I kinda… passed out yesterday and plumb forgot. Here I had this interview planned out for Mark Valiant, Nate Valiant's brother, but it seems that my 'appointment' with him fell apart just like I did after a very tiring day. Fear not! I will be back bright eyed and bushy tail this Sunday with a proper episode! Until then, I will keep trying to dig up all the dirty little secrets this world has to offer and bring you the truth, no matter how much it hurts!"