We managed to clear the building and make it back to the ground level with relative ease and, thankfully, no signs of ghouls. Around the other side of here the streets were torn apart from the underground explosion. This would make traversing the roads a bit trickier since we weren't on the side that we needed to be on. There was also a very rank smell filling the entire area.

"Ugh, that smell. It's awful. Here you two, take some gauze and wrap it around your face. It helps a little."

Markus handed Nate and I a strip of cloth gauze from his first aid kit and we all wrapped it around our nose and mouth. He was right. It did help some, although now we looked like we belonged in a B-rated monster movie. The cloth muffled our voices a little bit, but we could still hear each other talk.

"Hey, Nate. You said something about being able to increase the range of my scanner?"

"Oh yeah! Here, let me take a look."

He gently grabbed my arm and started to mess around with the Pip-Boar's settings. A shiver ran down my spine, as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on with me when I was around him. I looked at Nate but his mind was lost in his work, so I tried to distract myself with Markus.

"So, that's a pretty … well … noisy gun you have."

"This thing? It's my trusty revolver. It might be loud, but it sure does kick."

"I think my ears are still ringing from it. Can't you put a silencer on it or something?"

"It probably just blow the thing off."

Nate finished with his work and let go of my arm. Even though he wasn't putting any pressure on it, I instinctively rubbed it. I looked at my Pip-Boar but it didn't look any different. Guess I will just have to wait until something finds us. It would be nice to be able to go from point A to point B abated for once.

We were a little over halfway there when we needed to stop to rest. I think they heard my stomach growling from a mile away. None of us wanted to stop, but if we arrived filled with exhaustion, we would be just as helpful dead. I pulled out the sandwiches that Petunia packed for me. I offered part of them to the brothers, but they had food of their own.

This sandwich was wonderful. I still don't know if it's her cooking, or if I just have had horrible food my whole life. I may have to work out some kind of trade so she can keep my belly full of her deliciousness. Half the town is falling apart. I am sure she has something that needs fixing. I have a lot of work ahead of me when I get back, and I am actually looking forward to it.

"Hey, when we rescue Holly, what are your plans?"

"Probably head back to our place. To be honest, we are heading in the general direction of it. We liked Hope and all, but too many of them still have a backwards attitude regarding foxes for us to feel safe there."

"That's too bad Markus. You two seem to handle yourselves in a fight well and, between Nate and I, we could probably have the town running in peak condition within weeks instead of months, if we were lucky. I know that Mayor Swift likes you and, as of right now, she is trying to convince the town that you are good mammals, and I will vouch for that as well. I mean, if both the mayor and the 'Hero of Hope' say you're okay, that should stand for something. Shouldn't it?"

"That … is very kind of you. Both of you putting your trust in us so easily. Unfortunately, we have been down this road before. No matter how much you try to convince someone, if they truly believe that all foxes are un-trusting, then nothing and no one will be able to convince them otherwise."

How can people be so heartless? To like one mammal, but hate another, just due to their species and nothing more?

"There has to be something I can do, anything, to help. Once I get back to Hope, I will do whatever it takes to change their minds. Even if it means them loosing me. I don't know if I can live someplace where the seeds of hate are planted so deeply."

They both just stared at me. Why is it so hard to believe that someone cares? Sure, I may be oblivious to this world, both past and present, but all I want to do is reach for the future; a future where mammals are not trying to kill each other for stupid, petty reasons. A future where mammals can live where they want and how they want without fear of them spreading like a plague.

And this is just here, in Zootopia. Was the rest of the world like this?

"Well, we should get moving. Everyone set? … What? … Why are you … no, don't you dare."

It was Nate first, coming at me with his arms reaching out at me. Then it was Markus doing the same thing. Crap they were flanking me. They were getting closer, and closer, and … now I am being hugged. This felt … weird, but oddly enough, it felt … natural.

It was Markus who broke the air first. "You may not be our Holly, but you make a good replacement. Just remember though, Holly will always be my bunny. You, you can have Nate."

"WHAT! Are you … what … are you …"

"Whoops, I think I broke her. You okay there, bro?"

Nate had broken away from the hug rather quick, and I saw his face was bright red. I don't think all my synapses were firing right. I kept stammering, my vision was blurry, and I felt warm everywhere, and I do mean … FUCK! Keep it together Olivia, keep it together. Breathe, that's it, take deep breaths. Calm down.

"Miss? Are you okay? You look …"

"YESIAMOKAYLETSGO!"

I grabbed my bag and started to walk, hopefully in the right direction. I wasn't in the mental state to even begin to think about what my body was doing. I just needed to walk, preferably in front of them so they didn't see my expressions. I didn't even want to know what it looked like. Hopefully they were following, because I didn't look back to check.

Eighty-One-Point-Twelve. We are getting close. It's a good thing too. The sky was darkening fast, and soon we would be under the cover of night. Since we had left earlier, after eating, nobody spoke even a word. I don't know if any of us were regretting anything, or if we didn't know how to break the tension. A little quiet time was always good, especially after … whatever that was.

We had left the large buildings a few miles back, and now we were in the outskirts of Savannah Central. In the distance, we could see the massive walls that separated Sahara Square from the rest of the districts. When we first saw them, they did not look very large, but the closer we get, the higher they seem to reach.

"Beyond those walls, a bit further north, is where we call home. It's a rather calm area, but I admit it is dangerously close to Red-Neck territory. Thankfully, we have kept ourselves well hidden from them." Markus took the lead in talking again, although I had been purposely trying not to look at Nate. I really didn't know what to say about earlier. It was his brother's fault.

"Wait, Red-Necks? I need to pay those fuckers a visit sometime."

"Whoa, no one just 'visits' the Red-Necks! They are one of the most feared raider groups in the Wastes! They would sooner burn you alive then talk to you … and that's if you're lucky."

"Well, they burned Beaverton to the ground, and I made a promise to myself that I would pay them back for their atrocities."

"Look, Nate and I understand that you care. We both agree that you have more compassion for this world than everyone else we know combined, but if you go throwing your life away for people who can't even thank you, what's going to happen to the ones who can?"

I hate being wrong. Every time I think my heart is in the right place, someone shows me that that I am acting too rashly. Even if I did have the power to save everyone, it's no use if I am dead. The problem is, I can't just sit back and do nothing either. How do I even know if I have the power if I don't try to use it?

"Those fuckers are not going anywhere, but Holly's life is in danger. Once everyone is safe, then I will figure things out. It's getting real dark now. I hope we …"

I felt something push me back, and at first I thought it was Onion, but after quickly switching on my Pip-Boar's light, I saw that it was Nate. I was about to say something when he pointed to the ground. Directly in front of me was a large hole. It was big enough that it could have swallowed me whole if I had stumbled into it.

"It's a firebug burrow. You don't wanna rile them up … although it is probably already out hunting."

"Thanks Nate. How did you know it was there?"

"Us foxes have pretty good night vision. I was … keeping an eye out for dangers for you … us."

"Well I appreciate it. I'll be more careful. What is a firebug anyways? I heard them mentioned once before."

"Nasty things they are." Markus came up from behind as we walked around it, avoiding two more of the large holes, "They are giant flying pests with razor sharp scythe-like claws on their legs and mandibles that could tear through steel. Although that's not what makes them dangerous. It's their abdomen. If you ever see a giant glowing dot in the distance, you better make sure it don't get too close. They spit radioactive goo that sticks to everything, and if they feel threatened, they can cause themselves to go nuclear."

"Wait, you mean there are living nuclear bombs out here!?"

"Afraid so. Now, you really have to make them feel in danger to make them go boom, like cornering them, but if you see their belly pulsing, you better run."

Zombies, mad mammals, flying death machines, and now living nukes? This world is all sorts of screwed up. I may need an army just to save everyone from its horrors. Although if I keep making friends like this, I may have an army sooner than later. I think my to-do list might need a few more volumes by the time I am done with it.

"Sooo, tell me about Holly. I probably should know a little more about the person I am rescuing."

"She's my girl. We have been together for, well a long time now. Now is not the time to go into too much detail about our past, but let's just say it's complicated. Now she is a firecracker to say the least. Honestly, you remind of her a bit. You are both determined, care about protecting those around you, and you're both survivors. To tell you the truth, I heard some rumors of what you have done, but I didn't believe them until I saw you handle those ghouls. Although, Holly would have probably just shot them all. She likes her guns."

"Rumors? What rumors?"

"Well, there's you taking down that robot all by yourself, of course. Then there is the incident at the Regal Giraffe Theater. Mayor Swift said you took out an entire group of Grey Quills by yourself. Heck, even the Steel Guardians were having trouble with them, but hearing that some rabbit just walked in and killed them all without breaking a sweat, it is a rather unbelievable feat. After seeing you today, I am starting to believe it."

"Wait, the mayor knew about that?"

"Yup, to be honest, during the siege she wanted to find out how to contact you, but she did not even know if you were real. Then here you come, waltzing right up the door, taking down yet another raider group all by your lonesome, like you were Jack Savage himself."

"Well, I can assure you, while some of that is true, I wasn't alone. I had Onion there with me every step of the way, and I nearly killed myself fighting their leader - this massive elephant with a whip just as big. If it wasn't for the Guardians rescuing me and patching me up, I would have died right there with her."

"Wait, elephant with a whip? No, you can't be talking about Bailey. Can you?"

"What, you know her?"

"Know of her. She is the second in command of the entire Gray Quills! She used to be an arena champion, and was undefeated. When she was recruited into the Gray Quills, she rose ranks so fast that they expected her to become leader. She is one of the strongest mammals in the Wastes!"

"She was. I kinda choked her to death. With her own whip. I was not a happy bunny at the time."

"So wait. You are telling me that you killed her with her own weapon?!"

"I thought I already said that?"

"I am glad you are on our side. Remind me not to make you angry."

"Don't worry. As long as you aren't trying to kill me and torture someone, I won't kill you."

I was teasing Markus, but when I shone my light to his face to see his reaction, it was a lot more serious than I imagined it would be. Nate's expression was similar to Markus'.

"These deathwings don't stand a chance against you, do they?"

"Well, I did have one saving grace back then, B.A.T.S. Unfortunately, I ran out of serum."

"Oh! Here. I have an extra vial on me. I don't use it much, but always carry some. Just in case."

Nate tossed me the vial. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. I shined the light on it and it was a blue iridescent color that shimmered in the light. I was so glad to have some more of this stuff. I think I was starting to miss it. Now, how do I …

"Here, let me help you."

Nate came over and took the vial from my paw and gently grabbed my arm. He then froze and looked at me while I felt his grip loosening. I placed my paw on his and nodded, letting him know that it was okay. To let him know that I wasn't going to kill him, or at least that's what I thought I was trying to say. Nate simply put on an awkward smile as he opened a small compartment on the Pip-Boar and replaced the empty slot with the new chemical.

"Roughly, these last thirty uses, give or take the species. Although I have seen them run dry in less than fifteen and last nearly fifty. Depends on the model of Pip-Boar, really."

"Wait, there are different models of these things?"

"You bet. Yours and mine are both the three-thousand series, one of the later models. There are also the two-thousand series, the one-thousand series, although those last two use an older non capacitive screen, and outdated operating systems, and then there is the most elusive four-thousand model. Only five of them were ever made. They look similar to the three-thousand, but their operating system is much more adaptable, allowing its user to integrate advanced software and hardware modules. I think I would die if I ever found one."

Here I barely knew about my own Pip-Boar, and he is acting like they are a god-given tool. Eh, whatever. As long as I can use it to suit my needs, it's just another tool to me. Still, I would like to know more about it.

"Okay Nate, here's the deal. After we rescue Holly, you need to teach me everything there is to know about my Pip-Boar."

"Alright! What do I get in return?"

Umm … I … No, bad Olivia! "How about I let you take a closer look at … Onion?"

"Miss! I object!"

"No one is asking you Onion. Okay, it's settled. Let's go before I do … say … forward!"

Ninety-Five-Point-One. We are almost there, and thank goodness for that. I really need a distraction, and shooting things has often proven to be quite the distraction for me. I don't enjoy killing, but at the same time, there is this … thrill that I get when I am in the heat of battle, and I had a feeling that a battle is what we are about to get. Thankfully Nate had been able to replenish my B.A.T.S., that will come in handy. Come to think of it …

"Umm, Nate?"

I pointed my light towards him and he still had a rather bashful expression on his face, but snapped out of it when he saw I was facing him. "Y … yeah?"

"I was just thinking. Now that I have some replacement serum for my Pip-Boar, I can use B.A.T.S. again, but there is one slight problem I have been having with it."

"What?"

"I have no flipping idea how to activate it! It always just seems to know when I am in danger and prompts me to initiate it, but I have only gotten so far with that."

"Oh! That's easy. There is a special command you say. The default command is 'Serum X-241 Initialization Sequence Activate,' but I think the developers realized that is quite the mouthful to remember in combat, so they allow you to change it," he grabbed my arm to get to my Pip-Boar. Why does he keep doing that, and better yet, why do I keep letting him? "… and here you go. Just change this to anything you want. It is tied to your vocal pattern only, so you don't have to worry about anyone else activating it."

My vocal patterns? What should I change it to? A simple 'Fuck you' could suffice, but I don't want it going off whenever I am angry. It had to be something quick, and simple. Something that I would not normally say, but can easily remember. I had an idea, but it probably sounded better in my head. I can always change it later. What the hell. I pressed the button so that I can record the activation code.

"Pip-Boar, kill."

"Kind of a morbid activation code, ain't it?"

"It's short and simple. Plus, usually there is a lot of death when I use this, so it's also suitable I think."

"Don't anger the bunny Nate."

"We are just about there, but I can't seem to see any …"

In the distance I saw a figure shoot straight up into the sky before speeding over the wall separating the districts. I saw no lights or signs of where it came from, but it had to have been a deathwing. I checked my map and saw that there was a small strip of land that was separated by two rivers. That looked to be about where it was, and based upon the signal strength, it be a good guess.

"Did you two see that?" Nate sounded worried.

"You mean the winged terror flying off in the distance? No, must have missed it."

"You are acting rather calm Olivia. We are about to venture into the den of one of the Wasteland's most dangerous creatures, and here you are joking. What's your secret?"

"Now don't judge me, but to be honest? Sometimes I think what I do is … fun."

"You call nearly being killed time and time again fun?"

"I know, you must think I am insane, and I just might be, but look at it this way. When I am enjoying what I am doing, I am able to focus to much better. You saw me earlier, I nearly got us killed because I didn't want to attack those ghouls just in case they were like us. I was frozen because I was so afraid that I would kill an innocent, that I couldn't think straight. Once I realized they were enemies, that's when I started to have fun with it, and you saw how quickly I was able to take care of the situation. Even in the direst of times, even if I know I am about to be killed, in the end … wouldn't you rather die happy than miserable?"

"You … are one screwed up bunny. You know that? Holly will have a field day with you."

"I keep telling her that Mister Valiant. But does she listen to me? Never."

"Ugh, just call me Mark, or Markus, or something other than that. I don't care for formalities Onion. So Olivia, what's the plan?"

"Well, we need to get in closer, that's for certain. After that? Well I am more of a spur of the moment girl, but we need to handle this with tact and subtlety. If we go in guns blazing, we may hurt our chances of rescuing Holly alive."

"Sounds like we need a Stealth-Boar." Nate interjected, shoving himself between Markus and myself.

"A what?"

"Oh, it's a piece of tech that was created during the war to allow soldiers to sneak into enemy territory undetected. It basically creates a field of refracting energy that mimics itssurroundings rendering anyone within the field invisible for a short time."

"You don't by chance have one of them, do you Nate?"

"I wish. They are not that common since they contain a single charge in them. Once they are used up, it becomes a five- pound brick. I have heard of multi-use ones, but they are even rarer."

That would have solved everything. Sneak in, slap a stealth field on Holly and sneak out. Things never work out that easily for me. The area had become mostly flat, save for a few small houses that were scattered between us and the wall. We needed to get closer in order to get a better grasp on the situation. I pulled out my scope.

"See that house? The one with the damaged roof? We need to make our way there."

"Why do you have a scope that is much too large for your gun?"

"Found this really nice long rage rifle awhile back, but it was too bulky for me, so I stripped off the scope to use for scouting. Okay, we can't waste any more time. Follow me."

I dashed forward putting the buildings between me and where the deathwing came from. It was too dark to see if they had any lookouts, but I did not want to chance it. If they mainly hunted at night, I'm sure their night vision is better than the three of us combined. It's probably a good thing they came with me. My nighttime vision is terrible. They would be able to assist me so that I did not have to rely on my Pip-Boar's light giving us away. Maybe having a team to watch each other's backs is a good idea.

We reached the house without us being seen … at least I hoped. There were no signs of activity on my scanners, so that was a good start. I set my bag down and grabbed my scope and went to climb up the remnants of the home to get a better view when someone grabbed my arm. I turned around and saw it was Nate.

"Here." He handed me something. "Night vision binoculars. Probably be better suited for you than that scope."

I took a look at them. It was like two of the scopes attached together but in a smaller package. I held it up to my eyes but did not see anything. Markus showed me a button on the side of the device and I held it up again and pushed it. The entire world lit up in a wash of green. I was able to see so much details that it was almost as if it was day, and the sun turned green.

"Oh, where were was this thing days ago. You got anything else useful? Like maybe a teleporter that takes us right back to Hope?"

"This isn't an episode of Space Travelers. Tech like that doesn't exist. No Nate. Not now."

Space Travelers? I'll have to ask about that later. With binoculars in paw, I proceeded to scale the house. Thankfully the roof had collapsed in such a manner that it was like climbing a steep hill. Once I got to the top I looked towards the direction that the deathwing had come from. Just like my map showed, there was a strip of relatively flat land that was surrounded by what looked like dried up river beds. I couldn't see how deep they were from here, but at least we did not have to worry about radiation poisoning.

In the middle of the landmass stood a small squat building. It had to have only been one floor. I couldn't see how, but that must be the entrance to the cave. My thoughts were answered when I saw another figure. This time it was obvious that it was a deathwing flying down into the building. It must not have had a roof. That's how they can get in and out. I fidgeted with the binoculars until I found the zoom. I moved my vision as close to the house as I could. The doors were boarded up, but there was a giant window that looked unblocked. I scurried back down the building to where Onion and the brothers were waiting.

"We have our way in fellers."

"Does it look guarded?" Markus was checking the ammunition in his gun as he spoke.

"I don't see anything, but there is activity. We will have to stay low to the ground and move in silently. Onion, I hate to say this, but your levitator gives off too much light, even in low power mode. You will need to stay back. Keep your communication channel open, and wait for me."

"Miss! I object!"

"No Onion. Do as I say. Plus, this is different than last time. I got these two boys with me."

Onion kept quiet. He knew he wouldn't be able to win this argument. What I didn't tell him was that the real reason I left him behind was so that if we were to get captured, or worse, he would need to go back to Hope and inform them. I know the mayor would want to know what happened to us. He didn't know it, but I had already made a farewell message to be transmitted to him upon my death. I didn't have the heart to tell him, or them, my true feelings on this mission.

"Ok, now that that is settled, let's move out. Remember, low to the ground."

—

Fallout: Zootopia After Show

Featuring:

'Stripes in the Morning'

[Stripes]

"Good Morning Zootopian Wasteland! This is the Savanna Caller's very own zebra, C. Stripes with Stripes in the Morning! Today we have a very special guest, everyone's favorite vegetable shaped robot, Onion! So Onion, tell us a little about yourself."

[Onion]

"Miss? There is a strange mammal here."

[Olivia]

"Just humor him Onion while we get cleaned up."

[Stripes]

"Humor, the one thing that can break the monotony of wasteland living, but this reporter ain't no joke. I'm here behind the scenes to bring about the hard truth. So Onion, tell us, you seem much more alive than the typical robot people encounter. Deep beneath that plated metal exterior, what really makes you tick?"

[Onion]

"Miss Springs created me with tender care. Despite my outward appearance, my internal workings are designed with the finest equipment available to her at the time."

[Stripes]

"Ah, so she stole Burrow-Tec equipment to make you?"

[Onion]

"Miss Springs isn't a thief. She told me that everything in the Burrow was recycled, she was simply advancing on already dismal equipment."

[Stripes]

"So, no heart, no soul resides within you? You just seem so very alive, and hopefully not just mistakenly written that way as if you were being treated as another mammal, and not a robot."

[Onion]

"I may not have a 'soul', or other biological components, but Miss Springs designed me to learn. Not just how to do things, but to learn from how others talk, how they interact with each other. Sadly, most of this is picked up from recordings and Miss Springs herself. She was never much of a social mammal, so I fear I have much to learn."

[Stripes]

"Hopefully you'll learn everything you need, although it would help if a certain someone didn't keep on forgetting or neglecting you in the story… I'm looking at you, me. Or is that me, you? I'm not quite sure how this works."

[Onion]

"Mister Stripes? Who are you pointing at?"

[Stripes]

"Him! No, I mean me! Wait, no, that's not right…"

[Olivia]

"Okay Onion, let's leave the crazy zebra alone. We got a long road ahead of us."

[Stripes]

"Or is it… oh, they're gone. Well that was rude of them. Looks like another episode of the After Show is ending. Remember ladies and gentle-mammals, they are not the only ones with a long way to go, and I hope you enjoy every moment of it, and remember, I'll be bringing you all the hard truths at the end of each chapter, no matter how much it hurts!"

[Max]

"Oh how I wish for the day someone would actually hurt you...then maybe I'd be able to get some rest...Maybe even enjoy some bloody coffee. I Swear you think I run on air and well wishes...By the way...The next time you bump my shoulder when I'm holding a pot of that miracle brew? It might end up on more than just your papers next time..."