While I was figuring out ways to get closer to what was going on, specifically to where the Guardian's ship had made their, hopefully, emergency landing, Drake had gone and brought up the others. The wall was thick enough for us all to comfortably stand without risking falling in, but the water's felt dangerously close to me. Every time a little wind kicked up and tossed a small wave towards us, my Pip-Boar beeped warning me that I was taking on rads. The sooner we get this done, the better. I keep thinking back to that test and hope I don't grow an extra limb.

"So, what's the plan 'livi?"

"Not sure yet Holly. Trying to find out how we can get over to where the Guardians crashed. Once we figure out the situation, we can do what we can to assist them in rescuing whoever this hostage is."

"Uh… Olivia?"

"Not now Nate. Drake could fly us over there, but I doubt we'd be able to make it without them seeing us."

"I… I think…"

At times I wish there was a way for Drake to call his 'kin' to help, but he'd already told me that it wasn't possible unless they were close enough. And I highly doubt there are more of them that enjoy being out during the day. Come to think of it, I wasn't really sure how he felt about the daylight. I may have to ask him about that after this, I'd hate to be causing him any discomfort from it.

There wasn't much around us, mostly water and I knew swimming was out of the question. The nearest landmass, a small collection of wood that had been haphazardly thrown together, was still way too far to make it without getting dipped in the rad soup. There were a few buildings near us, but they looked like they were either flooded or mostly submerged, so I doubt we would find anything useful. I did, however, notice a small antenna array nearby.

"Hey Nate?" I waited a few seconds but he didn't respond. "Nate…" I was cut off by a loud noise that was suddenly made apparent, and it was getting closer. I quickly turned towards the noise and my jaw nearly dropped when I saw Nate approaching on the water in some sort of… I think it was a pre-war boat?

"Land-ho! I've always wanted to say that."

"Where did you get that?"

"There was a disabled boat over there. I was able to fix it up in a jiffy."

"Why didn't you tell me that!?"

"I tried. You just weren't listening."

"I… good work Nate."

The boat was a decent size. Since there were no lakes or oceans in the Burrow, I never really paid much attention to things like this so I had no idea if it was a good find or not. There was a large enclosure up top that could fit two, maybe three of us, and enough room for a couple out on the open area, but while I didn't know boats, I knew structural damage, and it had obviously seen better days. I was sure we would fit but Drake?

"Well, it should hold most of us but… Drake? I'm not sure if it'll fit you."

"Drake. Fly. Hide."

"Fly, hide? Do you mean fly stealthily?"

"Yes. Fly. Hide."

"Works for me. Any objections? No? Good. All aboard the Nate Express!"

Despite earlier circumstances, Nate seemed rather pleased with himself for his accomplishment. I wasn't sure if it was the fact that he was able to help us, or if he was simply happy to have fixed something. I know all too well what it's like to not be able to tinker with something. Unfortunately, my only chance at doing that regularly flew right out the window when the Legionaries visited Hope. After this, we need to get back to locating them. Though I'm not looking forward to Blanche's plan.

"Ok Nate, take us to where the Guardians' ship crashed."

"That's Captain Nate to you! Tally-ho!"

Did he just say 'tally-ho'? Sometimes… at least he's happy. I'm still unsure about my feelings involving him, but I like seeing him when he's happy, I'm sure they all do. Not that I don't like him when he's unhappy, but when he's like that I just want to… I really need to work out my feelings regarding him soon before they become a greater distraction. I just don't even know where to start.

"Is 'livi daydreaming about her fluffy fox?"

"Gah! Don't scare me like that! And it's not what you think!" even though she knew it was exactly what she thought, or at least, close to it. I'm sure she's greatly exaggerating things in that head of hers.

Holly leaned closer and started to whisper, "I know he likes you, both Mark and I can tell. He's… changed since meeting you. In a good way too, but I can tell that neither of you have any idea what you're doing. Just remember, if you need a girl's advice, my door is always open. Well almost always, when it's closed, well… hopefully the two of you will find out one day." She gave me a wink before heading back to Mark's side.

That rabbit… here I am trying to work things out and she has to go and make things so much more complicated. I knew what she was talking about and I never even thought about… and now I am. Fuck you Holly! I think Nate must have seen me staring at him for… oh hell, I don't even know. I quickly changed my view, taking out the scope and pretending to look out at the water so he didn't see me blushing. I was starting to know that feeling all too well. Yeah, when we have some quiet time we really need to… what is that? Oh fuck.

"Everyone down!"

Whatever guns those ships have fired really big bullets. The projectile flew past us and thankfully missed, but I had a feeling that there were more where that came from. I traced its line of fire to a smaller boat that was heading right towards us. Either that was a warning shot, or these guys have horrible aim. Either way, it's game time.

"Shiver me timbers! Batten down the hatches! There be some buccaneers upon us!"

"Oh shut up Nate and try to avoid their fire!"

"This isn't as maneuverable as you'd think!"

Just like Blanche he knew how to ruin the moment too. Even if he didn't know there was a moment. Speaking of Blanche? She wasn't on my shoulder and I don't remember seeing her since we got on. Where could that mouse be?

"Blanche! Where are you?"

"Over… here."

Why did she sound… oh, don't tell me. I walked over to where some damaged crates were in the rear of the boat just as another projectile zoomed past us and hit the nearby water. I saw the unmistakable robotic tail sticking out of one of them. I bent down and there she was, the pure white fur on her face showing a slight hint of green.

"You're getting sea sick, aren't you?"

"Tell anyone, and I…"

"Slice my throat, I know. Got it. You gonna be ok?"

"Once I get off this fucking thing yeah."

"I'll just tell them you're not a ranged fighter. You owe me one."

"Yeah, whatever ass-twat now just…" She threw up into one of the damaged crates. I should be more worried about her but I was just feeling, amused at the situation.

"Incoming!"

I felt the boat shake as one of the projectiles must have glanced the boat. They were getting more accurate so that could only mean…

"You're trespassing on Tide Breaker territory! Stop your boat and prepare to be boarded!"

It must have been warning shots. They were probably trying to force us to come to a stop while they got closer for them to demand it. I had a feeling that they didn't know who they were dealing with. I also don't think they saw the giant deathwing flying over them as they neared us. I looked up at Drake and pointed right at the enemy vessel.

"What the fuck… it's a deathwing!"

"You sure? I thought they only…"

Drake landed on the boat with such strength that it knocked one of them right into the water as the entire ship shook. The other one, a cheetah, tried to shoot Drake with a rifle but missed when Drake flew back into the air and right over to the cheetah and picked him up by the shoulders. I tried to shout at Drake to bring him here so we could question him, but I don't think he heard as he flew over the side of the wall. I think he was… yep. He dropped him off the side of the wall. That cheetah was definitely dead. I should have been mad at Drake for doing that, but honestly? I had the sneaking suspicion that they wouldn't have gone out without a fight.

"Drake. Help."

I didn't notice him hovering over me, but I did notice the blood dripping from the talons on his feet. And his mouth. Did he?"

"Drake. Hungry. Drake. Feed."

"You… thanks, but didn't I say not to eat other mammals?"

"Drake. No. Eat. Friends. Drake. Eat. Bad."

"We need to work on that. From now on, don't eat any mammals unless I say it's ok."

"Drake. Bad." He actually sounded sad.

"No Drake, you're not bad, I just need to be a bit more specific with what I tell you. As long as you promise not to eat anyone else, I'll forgive you."

"Drake. Promise. Drake. Good."

"Yes, you're good." I should have had more negative feelings towards what he did, but despite the fact he can talk, I need to remember that before that damn boar did… whatever he did to Drake, he was merely a savage beast that would have probably have eaten us without a second thought. At least I can do good by him, and maybe, he can do good by us.

"We should take their ship." I saw Mark and Nate looking out at the enemies boat.

"Why?"

"Well, for one thing, it has weapons, this boat was probably once a fishing or recreational boat, not meant for combat. That one however, looks to have a reinforced hull and weapons. Even Drake landing on it didn't damage the hull too much."

"Plus," Mark continued where his brother left off, "if we go cruising around in this thing, we'll be a target for any other ships they might have. If we ride their own?"

"We can slip in undetected! Brilliant Mark."

"That's my Marki, where he lacks smarts, he makes up for with tactics."

"Well Flopsy, I don't see you coming up with any brilliant ideas."

"That's 'cause it's your department, brushbutt."

"Ok people, concentrate! Let's all get onto that boat. It's a bit bigger so you wanna join us Drake?"

"Drake. Fly. Drake. Watch."

"Alright. Let's get moving then."

This boat was definitely much roomier than the other one. It's overall design was similar, a single cabin with plenty of floor space, but the large gun mounted on the top, along with a much deeper hull made for better protection. Plus it was nowhere as loud as the other one. Holly instantly jumped onto the large gun, while Nate took the controls. I saw Mark keeping a watch while Onion was just floating around. That left the newest member of our group.

"You doing any better Blanche?" She was next to a bunch of ammo crates.

"What do you think ass-twat!"

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure you're going to be ok."

"Well I… thanks. I'll be ok, just please don't let me be on this boat any longer than I have to."

"Trust me, I wanna end this as soon as possible. Like I said, the longer it takes to find those Legionaries, the more danger other's are in because of me. You know the Legionaries, would they attack a town just to get to a target?"

"If you pay them enough, they'll tear a baby from their own mama's belly, so yes, they would."

"Why did you even want to join them?"

"Caps mostly. They'll always fulfill a contract no matter how and that has earned them the right to be the most expensive mercenaries in the Zootopian Wasteland."

"Caps? Is that the only reason, to be rich? What if you lost more than your tail? You can't spend money if you're dead."

"There was… another reason." She seemed very calm, speaking as if she only wanted someone to listen to what she had to say, but just like her other emotions, this one didn't last long. "One that I don't wanna talk about now ass-twat. Now leave me alone until we reach land!"

I didn't just surround myself with mammals, I surrounded myself with mammals that had… emotional issues. Nate kept freezing up at the sight, or even mention of anything Burrow related, Holly seemed to be overly creative with her teasing, Mark was… well he was the most calm and collected of the bunch, but he talked a lot, and my mother once told me that mammals who talk a lot often are hiding something. Then there was Blanche. Calm one second, ready to get herself killed the next. At least Drake seemed to be an easy one to figure out. Then again for all I know he has deep emotional issues too, but doesn't know how to express them. I wonder if the wasteland still has psychiatrists?

"Avast ye! There be our scuttled mates!"

He must have read a bunch of pirate books or something, he was having way too much fun with this. "Okay Captain, let's move around to the back of this structure. I don't want to risk being attacked while trying to leave the boat."

In front of us were three structures that at first looked like giant icebergs, but as we got closer I realized that they were made of steel and concrete, shaped to look like an icecap. Two of them topped at a large curve, but the other one was much flatter, and right near the water's surface. As we turned past the second larger structure we saw the smoke, and then the wreckage of the Guardian's aircraft that had been shot down.

"Hurry, we need to see if they're alright!"

Holly, Mark, and Nate all rushed off the boat the moment they were able to. I followed, along with Onion. Blanche was nowhere to be seen, so I figured she must have still been trying to recover. As we approached the wreckage, I saw three Guardians. There were two wolves and a tiger. None of them were wearing the large exo-armor that I've seen before, but rather smaller uniforms covered in metal plates that seemed to move along with their body.

"Logan! It's been a while."

"Mark, is that… what the fuck are you doing here?"

"Saving your ass, that's what."

"Holly? Nate? Well the whole gang is here and… you must be Olivia Springs."

"What… how did you know?"

"Chief Lazlo mentioned that you were traveling with these three, I just didn't expect to see you here, especially under the circumstances."

"Circumstances? What circumstances?"

"You didn't hear?" Logan pulled out a small device and a message started to play.

"This is a message to the Hero of Hope. You are to turn yourself over to us in exchange for the prisoner. Any attempts at rescuing her will result in her execution along with the rest of your pitiful town."

"Me? They want me? Why is everyone after me!? Who the fuck did I piss off?"

"The Tide Breakers don't normally take hostages, at least ones who are nowhere near Darkwater. Chief thinks they wanna sell you to the Legionaries."

"Lazlo knows about that? How the fuck did he find out?"

"We kinda told him 'livi. We had no course of action at the time, and thought that some extra eyes and ears would help. The Guardians have tangled with them a few times, so we asked them if they could let us know if anything came up."

"Why didn't you tell me that Holly?"

"You were already worried and dead set on doing this alone so we figured the more people we get to help, the sooner this could be over with."

"I appreciate the concern, I really do, but next time, don't keep things like that from me, especially if it's my life on the line."

"You said it yourself, there are more lives on the line than just your own, but I won't keep anything from you again. I promise."

"Back to the situation at paw. Who's the hostage?"

"It's… Mayor Swift."

"WHAT?!"

We all reacted the same way. I don't think anyone expected that. "How? How the fuck did they take her from all the way over in Hope?"

"We don't know yet, but shortly after she was taken, Chief Lazlo got a distress signal from Hope informing him of what happened. He tried to get a hold of you Miss Springs, but he was unable to get through to warn you."

"It probably happened in The Dam. Those ass-twats could never get a working radio in there, let alone some kind of signal."

"Blanche! You… you good?"

"Yeah, yeah. Now, what was this about Jezzie?"

"You know her Blanche?"

"Yeah, we go way back, at least before I ventured off to make a name for myself doing merc work. My uncle is the cook over at Olive's Garden, but we're not really on speaking terms. I think he dislikes my choice of occupation. Beats slaving away in a kitchen all day."

"Your uncle? Ok 'livi, next time we need to find someone in order to find someone else, just start asking around Hope instead of trying to hunt down some damn ghoul. That would have saved us a lot of trouble."

"Yeah, yeah. Next time I'll be sure to ask for anyone who is related to a mercenary. So, you three ok?"

"We're good, a little banged up but still combat ready. Our Tac however...Wasn't so lucky."

"Tac?"

"Tactical Lifter, or Tac-Lifter for short."

"You have any idea where they're keeping the mayor?"

"We guess on their main ship, that large icebreaker. It's heavily armed though, took down our Tac with a single shot. There's also an unknown number of armed mammals on it as well as the smaller ships that flank either side. Without a Tac, we have no air support."

"Actually… Drake!"

"What the… it's a fucking deathwing!"

Why is it always that same reaction? All three Guardians were now on their feet, guns raised as Drake landed next to me.

"Put the guns down, he's with me!"

"He's with…"

"Yeah. Say hi Drake."

"Drake. Help."

"It can…"

"Yes, he can talk. Also, he won't hurt you unless you shoot him. Please don't shoot him."

"I… this is highly irregular."

"That's 'livi for you. I'm sure if she found a way to tame a firebug she'd keep it as a pet."

"I would not. That's what I have Onion for."

"I object Miss!"

"Ok, back to the matter at paw. What were your plans for rescuing the mayor?"

"We…" all three of them were still staring at Drake, but I think after seeing that he wasn't an immediate threat, they put their guns down, but not out of reach I noticed. "… we were just the scouting party. Once we had a better assessment of the situation, we were going to call in for backup."

"Is the backup nearby?"

"Not sure. We had an interruption in communication. Something is blocking it."

"Yeah, I had the same issue with my Pip-Boar. It was actually your distress signal that we picked up."

"Hey Nate, you think you could find the source of the interference?"

"I can try Olivia. What you going to do?"

"I'm going to try to find a way onto that ship."

Typically in situations like this, my friends always seem to try to stop me from doing something dangerous or stupid. And while half the time my choices are dangerous and stupid, they're also usually the best choices. That said, I was very surprised when rather, than trying to stop me, they instead tried to help.

"I got the perfect thing for that. Here."

Nate tossed me a small device. I had no idea what it was but it had a SwineCo logo imprinted on it just like my Pip-Boar. "What's this?"

"It's called a Stealth-Boar. This one attaches to an expansion port on your Pip-Boar and can grant you limited invisibility."

"You can turn invisible!? Why am I just now finding out about this!"

I can't believe there was technology that could turn someone invisible! That could have helped me out in so many different situations, ones that I probably would have been able to escape from unscathed. I wonder if I've seen them already but didn't know… oh that fucker! That's how North stole my bag! He must have had a Stealth-Boar! Although, I don't recall him having a Pip-Boar. Nate has been the only one that I've seen with one.

"Yeah, really useful, but those smaller ones only give you a brief window of invisibility, about thirty seconds between charges."

"This will definitely help, but if it's that small of a window I'll need to time things, and getting there won't be easy. Taking the boat would be the best idea, but how will I be able to get from the boat to the larger one without being seen?"

"Drake. Fly."

"Yeah, that could work, but you're so big I doubt they'd miss you, especially after already being attacked from the air."

"Actually, he won't."

"Come again Nate?"

He pulled out a large brick of some kind, "This is a standalone model of the Stealth-Boar. It can last a few minutes longer than the smaller one, but it's so clunky and heavy and its charge is depleted in one use. So it can't be used again unless its power source is replaced. We typically use it for emergencies, but if we can attach it to Drake…"

"He can fly me up to the ship undetected! I love it!"

"There's only one problem, I doubt he could activate it with those 'paws' of his. You have to initiate the toggle, modify the frequency to match your surroundings, and then activate it. Due to its nature, it makes pre-adjustments useless."

"For once I have a solution Nate." I dug around in my bag and pulled out a remote. "I used these a lot during my times in… in the past, and I was able to make one of them after getting to Hope, but I haven't had the time to make more. It's basically a wireless device that can connect my Pip-Boar to any computer system via a wireless connection, even if the computer has no wireless capability."

"That… why have I never thought of that?"

"'Livi just out tech'd the Wizkit? You two really are made for each other!"

"Holly! … anyways, it should work for the large Stealth-Boar. I can simply manipulate it with my Pip-Boar so that all Drake needs to concentrate on is flying. Is that okay with you Drake?"

"Drake. Help."

"Well, it's settled. Let's make the proper adjustments and we'll be off. Nate, since I don't know how to operate that boat, I need you to drive us there and rush right back, we may need that for backup."

"I… yes. For you."

I could see his face and ears turning redder than normal. That damn Holly and her teasing. I really need to find some way to 'pay' her back. I affixed the remote to the Stealth-Boar and got it's connections all sorted. With just a few button presses, I can activate it and stealth Drake as he flies us up to the boat. Then I just need to find the mayor, rescue her, and figure out how the hell to get her off.

"You don't have any other Stealth-Boars, do you?"

"Not on us, we left the rest back in the bunker."

I guess I'll have to play it by ear once I free her. "Onion, I need you to stay back here. I'll message you when I rescue the mayor and when I need help."

"Yes Miss. Do be careful."

"Aren't I always? Now, we ready? Let's go Nate."

Nate, Drake, and I got onto the boat. I asked Drake if he didn't mind laying down below, to keep him out of sight. He said he didn't mind, but I had no idea if that was true, but he did what I said. I really hope he didn't think of me as simply another 'owner'. There are so many things that need to be addressed with my friends, but as long as it doesn't affect our working together, it can wait until we have more time. Provided that ever happens.

We set off towards the large icebreaker that Logan said was the Tide Breaker's headquarters. It was at least three times higher from the water's surface compared to the smaller boats around it. We just had to sneak in undetected. I'm definitely glad that Mark had suggested we take this boat. We would probably not have made it this far in that other one.

"So, Nate, I've been meaning to ask, but…" Part of me thought it was the right time, and part of me knew it wasn't, but it had been bugging me forever. Fortunately, or unfortunately since I still was undecided, I was interrupted by a radio transmission coming from the boat.

"Approaching Tide-Chaser, this is the Tide-Breaker, who authorized your return?"

"Uh… what do we do Olivia? If they find out we're not one of theirs, they'll surely kill us."

He was right. We didn't know their codes or even the names of the mammals who were on this ship. One slip up and we were good as dead. There was one thing they wanted however. I ran into the cabin and grabbed the mic.

"This is Tide-Chaser, we've captured the rabbit, and are seeking permission to bring her aboard." I used the gruffest, most masculine voice I could muster, although I doubt it would work.

"You got that fucking Olivia Springs? Good work mate! The boss knew holding this hostage would draw that cunt out. Bring it over to the port side and we'll lower the lift."

Or maybe it will. Wow, these guys sure are gullible. "Ok Nate, we need to move this ship closer. Whatever you do, do not go to where they said, they'll probably have others waiting. Here is good, oh wait! There's another boat here!"

We pulled around a small obstacle that was floating in the water to what had appeared to be an unobserved side of the large vessel, just to find a boat much smaller than this one floating right next to it. I pulled out my scope and took a look. I was expecting to see someone on it, but it was vacant. That gave me an idea.

"Nate, pull up next to that boat, Drake, get ready!"

"What are you going to…"

"Trust me."

When Nate finally pulled alongside the smaller boat, I jumped off into it. Nate tried to object but I threw a smile at him that seemed to calm him down. I moved over to the controls. I had watched Nate… operating the boat while riding here, and saw it was a rather simple setup. I turned the ignition switch and the boat's engine revved up. Looking around I saw a metal box that was large enough for what I needed to do.

"Ok Nate, as soon as this boat moves, I'm going to jump back onto yours!"

"But Olivia…"

"I said trust me!"

"But the tie!"

Tie? What was he talking about? I shook it out of my head and propped forward the accelerator with the object. I felt it start to move forward as I ran and jumped back onto Nate's boat. This would act as a distraction for Nate to escape once it darted the opposite direction. Or at least it should, why isn't it moving?

"Olivia! It's tied to the ship!"

Then I saw it, some kind of rope attaching the smaller boat to the larger one. Fuck, why didn't he tell me about that? Oh, wait, he did. I really need to start listening more. I pulled out my gun. Since it was silenced it wouldn't attract any attention. I fired once but it only grazed the rope. It took two more shots to finally weaken it enough to snap under the tension, and the mammal-less boat took off. I quickly grabbed the radio.

"Tide-Chaser to Tide-Breaker! That fucking rabbit knocked one my boys out and stole a fucking boat! We need all available craft after her!"

"What? Oh the boss ain't gonna be happy. You heard him, after that boat!"

So very gullible. When surrounded by these raiders, I feel like the smartest mammal out here. "Ok, as soon as we take off, book it back to the others and await my signal."

"You don't have to do it alone. I… can wait here?"

"I'll be fine."

"But… I…"

He didn't want me to leave. He seemed eager enough to drive me here, but now he didn't want to leave me to whatever awaited us up there. I would love to have the back-up, but the more that board, the greater the risk of detection. I had to convince him to go, despite the odds. I walked over to him and grabbed both his shoulders with my paws and leaned in. Holly'll have a field day with this, but I had a feeling it would work. Nate seemed to be caught by surprise, uncertain on what to do. I leaned in until we could feel the warmth of each other's face. I really wanted to, I really did but…

"You be a good boy and head back, and maybe we can continue from here." I whispered the words. I don't know why being so close to him made me feel this way. It was a surprisingly good feeling, one that I really didn't want to end, but I had a job to do, and I couldn't do it with me constantly thinking if he was still safe or not. The last thing I needed was him taking the mayor's place.

"I… I…"

We pulled away from each other as Drake came up top. He looked between us as we were pulling away.

"Olivia. Like. Cub."

Not him too! "We… are you ready Drake?"

"Drake. Fly."

"Good." I went and affixed the Stealth-Boar to him. Thankfully it had some sort of strap on it, but I had to adjust it so that it wouldn't interfere with Drake's flying. Once I was sure it would not fall off, we were all set.

"Ok Drake. Nate is going to head out of here as soon as we take off. After you drop me off, head back and meet up with them, ok?"

"Drake. Protect."

"I know you wanna make sure I'm safe, but I need to keep the mammals up there distracted. I only have thirty seconds to figure out where the mayor is being kept, and it'll be harder if they suspect anything."

"Drake. Fly. Olivia. Safe?"

"Yes Drake, I'll be fine. Trust me."

"Oh… O… Olivia? I should mention… your Stealth-Boar is reusable, but you have to wait a minute between uses."

"That's good to know. Thanks Nate." I felt myself smile at him and he smiled back before suddenly changing his focus to the controls of the boat.

"Let's go Drake."

He grabbed me by one of his claws as we both took to the sky. Thankfully Drake seemed to have full control over his claws. I could feel the pressure keeping me to him, but at no point did it ever feel like he was going to break skin, although he was grabbing me by the shoulder Blanche dug her claws into, so it was feeling very sore. I pushed the pain out of my mind as I activated both our Stealth-Boars. I had figured that I would use a few seconds in bursts to maintain the longest coverage, but since Nate said that mine was reusable, I decided to play it safer.

It was a very weird feeling. The invisibility wasn't total. I could see the shimmering image of Drake above me, along with the same shimmer when I looked down at my arms and body. It was a very faint shimmer however, so as long as someone didn't focus too long on us, they'd probably just think it was nothing.

We flew up and over the side of the ship. It looked much larger than I thought, and there were mammals scurrying everywhere. I saw at least three large guns that looked more like cannons. That must have been what took down the Guardians aircraft. Unlike the other boats where the cabin was situated towards the front, the large cabin here was more centered. On top of that was a small mounted machine gun and I saw a moose operating it. He had swung the gun right at us and I was prepared to drop, but he must not have seen us because he continued his movement until he was facing away. That was close.

Near the rear of the ship there wasn't near as much activity. I saw a few mammals here and there, but otherwise it was the perfect place.

"Drake? Down there." Thankfully he figured out where I wanted him to go because I realized that he probably didn't see me point.

"Olivia. Stay. Safe."

"I will." He dropped me close enough that I was able to land without making too much noise. I saw a bear turning the corner but he didn't stop to look back. Good.

I assumed Drake took off because I couldn't see any signs of a shimmering nearby. Including my own. Fuck! When did it wear off? I looked around and thankfully no one had saw me. I found a small alcove that I shoved myself into. I needed to wait until it was ready again before I could continue. I checked my scanner and I saw dots everywhere. Lazlo had my friend-or-foe mode activated, but I think it only detected active aggression because all the dots were white. Somewhere among these dots had to have been the mayor.

When my indicator showed that the Stealth-Boar was ready again, I peeked out of the alcove and made sure the coast was clear. I would only activate it when I needed to. When I saw that no one was there, I left my hiding spot and picked the nearest corner to me. I glanced past it and saw at least five mammals ahead of me. I tried to think of where the mayor could be, and then I saw a door. I'd bet anything she's down below. I activated my Stealth-Boar and quickly moved to the door. It wasn't locked thankfully, so I slowly opened it enough for me to slip inside.

The inside was dimly lit, but I was able to make it out. There were paintings on the wall depicting a great sea battle. It looked like someone had painted over the sails of the 'winning' side with the same wave image that these ships had. There were crates scattered all over. I had no idea what this room was, but my Stealth-Boar was starting to wear off. I heard the clipping of someone's hooves heading this way. Fuck. I looked around and the only hiding place was inside a large empty crate. I rushed over there and threw myself in. I felt my whole body bend in ways I didn't know it could, but I was hidden.

"I can't believe we almost had that fucking rabbit! The boss'll be royally pissed at us if we don't get her back!"

"I know Frank. Hopefully our boys can retrieve her."

"You've been spending way too much time with that mayor chick. Weren't you just supposed to bring her meals, not sit around staring at her?"

"I can't help it! She's just so… beautiful! If things were different, I would've rushed down to Hope and courted her with all my might!"

"Hah! Good luck with that. Though you got a point, she is very attractive, for a landlubber. If I could, I wouldn't waste my breath with courtship. I'd take her by the fur and tear her in half… if you know what I mean."

"You're disgusting. It's mammals like you that give raiders a bad name. Me? I'm a gentlemammal who believes in treating a lady right."

"I don't know how you survived this long buddy. You should have…"

Their voices trailed off. I didn't like the way they were talking about the mayor. If I was in any other position, I would have shoved my gun right down his throat and made him take back what he said.

"Those ass-twats gone?"

"Yeah… BLANCHE?!"

"What? You think I'd miss rescuing Jezzie, especially if it meant slicing a few jugulars along the way?"

"How did you even… you know what? Never mind, it's too late to argue semantics. Just keep quiet until we find the mayor. Ok?"

She must have hidden in one of my pockets at some point. I'll have to have a word with her about sneaking around like that. Still, she might prove useful. I didn't want the others coming with me because they'd stand out, but Blanche? As long as she keeps hidden, things should be fine.

From how those two bastards were talking, we must've been close to where the mayor was kept. I checked my scanner and still saw a bunch of dots scattered around, but there were three of them very close by. I checked for any signs of life then started moving towards the dots. Leaving the room I saw that this place was a maze. There were doors scattered through the corridors, but most of them were locked. I looked for signs but they weren't helping. Bridge, Mess Hall, Quarters. I doubted any of those would be a place to keep a hostage. Then I saw it. Brig. I may not have a very good idea what the different naval terms were, but I knew what a brig was. A prison.

"That's where they must be keeping her."

"Well let's go rescue Jezzie!"

I didn't have to use the Stealth-Boar up until now since there was no one to see me, but that had to change. Around the next corner there was a door marked Brig above it with two mammals on either side. One was a wolf while the other was a badger. Both of them had rifles. I activated the Stealth-Boar, if I could just manage to distract…

"You let Jezzie go you ass-twats!"

Blanche jumped from her hiding place and darted towards the two mammals. That little… fuck. I went to turn off my invisibility and grab my gun but then I heard two loud noises. I looked up and both of the mammals were lying on the ground, a pool of blood forming around each of their heads. How the fuck?

"Olivia! Get your ass over here! I'm too small to open this fucking door."

"How did you… When did… oh fuck it."

I went over to the door and found it locked. I didn't have time to pick it so I went over to the two lying on the floor. These two had died faster than I was able to react. I didn't even hear them speak or fire their weapons. I'm so glad she didn't join the Legionaries. If it was her who came after me?

I found a key ring on the wolf and thankfully one of them was able to unlock the door. The door clicked loudly as it swung open. It was dark inside, but not dark enough to prevent me from making out some shapes. As I entered the room, my eyes started to adjust more and I saw that it was a very basic room. There was a toilet, a bed, and that was it. There, sitting on the bed was Jessabell Swift, mayor of Hope, and someone I considered my friend. I didn't know what to expect. In my head I imagined her crying, or yelling to be let out, but what I was met by was neither of those. There she sat, looking right at me, her face stern.

"Mayor Swift, we're here to rescue you. Are you alright?"

She didn't say anything as she got up and slowly walked over to me and grabbed me in her arms, hugging me. "Thank you, but you shouldn't have come. They want you."

Her tone made it sound like she was simply addressing someone in a much better situation. She was a very strong willed mammal. Stronger than I think I could ever be.

"I know, but I'll never let them take me, or anyone else again." I pulled up the radio on my Pip-Boar. "Onion, I have Mayor Swift, she's safe." I looked back towards her, her face a confusing mix of relief and sternness. She was glad to see me, but I think she was also showing concern over it as well. If the Tide Breakers really did want to sell me to the Legionaries, then I just gave myself right to them.

I wasn't leaving without a fight.

—

Fallout: Zootopia After Show

Featuring:

'Stripes in the Morning'

[Stripes]

"Good morning Zootopian wasteland! This is Stripes coming at you live from Darkwater!"

[Max]

"Why the hell did you drag me out to this radioactive cesspool Stripes?"

[Stripes]

"For today's After Show, of course. We're here with the smallest, yet deadliest ball of fluff that exists in all of the wastes. Blanche Tailoway! How are you doing Miss Tailoway?"

[Blanche]

"What do you ass-twats want?"

[Stripes]

"For an exclusive interview, of course. May we have a few moments of your time?"

[Blanche]

"No."

[Stripes]

"Please? Only be a moment of your precious time."

[Blanche]

"What part of no don't you understand? N. O. It means fuck off."

[Stripes]

"Actually that spells F. O. What would it take for just a tiny bit of your time?"

[Blanche]

"How about you do yourself a favor and go wander into a deathwing nest or something."

[Max]

"Well this isn't getting anywhere. How about a drink?"

[Blanche]

"Now that is my kind of offer. What ya got?"

[Max]

"Some highly sought after Oxbow Hard Cider."

[Stripes]

"Hey! That's my private reserve! You can't just go around giving my stuff away like that!"

[Max]

"The way I see it, you buy most of your booze with the money that you make from the show, money that I have yet to see a cap from. Guess it's time for you to pay up."

[Stripes]

"Buh…"

[Blanche]

"Not normally a cider gal, but free booze is always the best kind. I'll bite, what you wanna ask me pony?"

[Stripes]

"I'm not a pony! I'm a fully grown adult zebra thank you very much!"

[Blanche]

"Well you whine like a child."

[Max]

"I like her."

[Stripes]

"You're not helping Max. Okay, we need to get this show on the road so here we go. Ahem. So Blanche, I've heard that you have a bit of a nickname among even the other mercenaries in the wastes. Ghost was it?"

[Blanche]

"Yeah, that's one name I'm called."

[Stripes]

"I'd like to know how you got that name, if you don't mind me asking."

[Blanche]

"I'll show you."

[Stripes]

"How did you… since the audience can't see what just happened, I'll try to explain it. One moment Blanche was here…"

[Max]

"Pointing doesn't help, you striped pain in my tail."

[Stripes]

"Ahem. One second she was on this table, the next second she's back on the table holding a lock of my mane. You know how long it takes me to maintain these luscious locks?"

[Max]

"Uhh, that's… not your… mane…"

[Stripes]

"Why are you chuckling? If that isn't my mane then what… Is that? Gah! My tail fluff!"

[Max]

"Kinda looks like you got a rat tail now, or maybe just a worm trying to crawl out your ass."

[Stripes]

"Alright! This interview is over! I can't take this today. First he give away my best cider, then she cuts off my tail fur. What next? I need a drink. Barkeep? A large frothy glass of cider please. Well this is Stripes signing off and… oh, hello, you need something? What's your name?"

[Gary]

"Gary."

[Stripes]

"Nice to meet you Gary. Names Stripes, of Stripes In the Morning. You've probably heard of me."

[Gary]

"Gary?"

[Stripes]

"Yes, I got your name already. Is there something you want? You keep staring at me."

[Gary]

"Gary? Gaary."

[Stripes]

"I think you need to cut this lemming off. Sounds like he's had one too many already."

[Gary]

'Gary. Gaarrry. Gary?"

[Stripes]

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna be going now. Keep the change. Thanks. Oh, hello, you… twins?"

[Gary 2]

"Gaarrry."

[Stripes]

"Oh don't you start too."

[Gary]

"Gary? Gary."

[Gary 2]

"Gaarrry."

[Stripes]

"Theres three of you now. Great. Max? I think we need to be…"

[Gary 2]

"Gary."

[Gary 2]

"Gaarry?"

[Stripes]

"MAX! Well, it was nice… um, talking to you? It seems that… there's eight of you now. Yeah. Oh, I'm still live? Crap. Well, sorry about that folks. This is Stripes signing off. Tune in next time for…"

[Gary 2]

"Gary? Gaary. Gary, Gary Gary!"

[Stripes]

"Definitely not you. See you next time folks!"

[Gary]

"Gary!"

[Stripes]

"Get off me you little…"

Static