"P—p-please d-don't…"

I awoke to the sound of Nate's voice. He was saying something, but his voice, it sounded… strained, as if he was in trouble. I jolted up from the bed, forgetting where we were, the thought of trouble at the front of my mind. It was dark, but not dark enough to prevent my enhanced vision from adjusting long enough to see that we were in a small room, a room that I remembered resided within the confines of the Guardian's base. So why was…

"I-I couldn't h-help it…"

I looked next to me and saw Nate, his body curled tightly against itself. There was no one here, but he sounded panicked. That's when I realized he was having a dream. No, a nightmare. His fur was standing on end and his body was trembling as he muttered fearfully in his sleep. I placed my paw on his arm, but he didn't stir, rather he seemed to cower away from it.

"Nate, sweetie, wake up."

I gently rocked him, trying to get him to wake up, but it wasn't working. He was a heavy sleeper even in a state like this. I knew first paw how traumatic a nightmare can be on the mind, even if it wasn't real. I also knew that Nate had been there for me, so I needed to do what I could to help him. Having someone close to comfort you after such a horrid dream is really the best thing you can have.

Pulling the rest of the blanket off of him, I curled against his back and held him, all the while trying to ease him out of the dream. I never had to deal with something like this, so I didn't know the first thing about it, but I knew he needed me here, and I wouldn't leave until he was better.

"Sweetie, it's me, Olivia. Wake up."

I remembered what Mark did to wake him up before, but was wondering if it would be too much, so I tried a gentler approach. I slowly drew one nail over his ears, not enough to cause a scratch, but enough to hopefully try to get through to him. All those times that he's been there for me, I never knew if I had woken up on my own, or if he had done something to wake me, but I think it was working because I could feel his trembling starting to subside.

The tense feeling of his body started to fade and his fearful mumbling declined into an incoherent jumble of words. Suddenly his eyes snapped open as he woke in a slight panic. I grabbed his arm so that he wouldn't try to move and hurt himself, especially if he wasn't conscious enough to remember his surroundings like I had been at first.

"Nate, it's okay, it was just a nightmare. I'm here."

"O-Olivia?"

I grabbed him and pulled him close. I could hear his heavy breathing and pulsing heart beat starting to slow down as his body caught up with his knowledge that he was not in any danger. After a few moments, I felt him wrap his arms around me as we just cradled each other.

"I'm here, and you're safe. That's all that matters." I pushed him back just enough to be able to look him in the face. His dream might be over, but I could tell on his face that whatever it was, was still on his mind.

"I-I… it was…"

"Shh." I kissed him only to sense some trepidation still remaining. "It was bad, wasn't it?"

"I was… and y-you were…"

I slowly moved him down, back into a lying position, never once taking my eyes away from his. I didn't know what time it was, but my body was telling me it was still early. We needed our rest, but I also needed to make sure that he would be okay, and not have the nightmare return.

My eyes still locked on to his, I spoke slowly, trying to give my voice a sense of comfort to it. "Whatever you were dreaming, it isn't real, and it will never be real."

"I… lost control… again…"

"Again? Like with… Letty?"

"Y-yes… but it was worse, m-much worse. Y-yesterday, it was c-cloudy, I wasn't f-fully aware of what I was doing. But this… I saw, and felt everything, but I-I couldn't control my actions."

"What… happened? If you don't want to tell me, I will completely understand."

"I don't know who, b-but my body was being… controlled. I-I… had a knife… and y-you were… y-you… I couldn't stop my paw, but I wasn't clouded, I could… it felt s-so real… I… I was… going to… I was b-being f-forced to…"

He couldn't seem to be able to say it, but when he started to slowly trace my ear with his paw, I think I figured out what he was trying to say. "You were being forced to cut, my ear, weren't you?"

"Y-yes… I c-could feel t-the skin… I c-could smell the b-blood… it… it…"

"It wasn't real. See? I have both ears, and no one will be cutting them off, especially not you." I grabbed his paws and slowly moved them over my ears, trying to comfort him in the fact that they were, in actuality, still attached to my own head.

"I… I…"

I pulled his head against my own chest and kissed him between his own ears while gently stroking his neck. I heard him inhale, as if taking in a smell, and soon found his body calming down at a much greater rate. We both sat there like this for I don't know how long before he unburied his face and gave me a kiss. I think he had calmed down enough to try to go back to sleep.

We held on to each other as we both drifted away.

Is it morning already? It felt as if we had just fallen asleep again before my body was telling me that it was time to get up. I tried reaching for my Pip-Boar to check the time, but found myself unable to move due to a large red weight on top of me. I tried to move Nate, his arms and one leg wrapped around me, but it was futile. At least he wasn't having a nightmare again.

"Ugh, Nate? It's morning."

"Murr?"

"We need to get up, it's morning. I think."

"Just two more minutes…"

He rolled towards the other side of the bed, taking me with him in our tangled mess. I tried to move, but despite how we were situated, it was still rather comfortable. When he drew the blankets over us in a half awake state, it made things worse as my body started to relax once more.

"Nate we need to…" I let out a yawn as I snuggled into his back. His tail flicked towards me and I caught it, snuggling into it as if it was some stuffed children's toy. I don't know why, but his tail just felt so nice to cuddle, just as much as he does.

Nate slowly turned with a yawn that matched mine. "Olivia? You awake?"

"Yeah. How you doing?"

"Better. Didn't have any more nightmares. Didn't have any dreams I think."

"I'm glad you were able to sleep better. We really should get up and check on the others." I pressed my face into his tail. "In five more minutes."

"No, we really should." He didn't sound so sure he wanted to leave the comfort of the bed either.

"You first."

"No, you."

"Can't make me."

"Oh, I can't… Binky?"

In a flash, he was untangled from me and sitting on top of me. I wasn't scared, simply caught off guard. I was about to ask what he was going to do, when his paws started to move towards my sides. No, he wouldn't. My sudden outburst of laughing confirmed his intentions.

"S-stop! I c-can't breathe!" I was laughing so hard that I could feel my lungs working overtime trying to keep me alive.

He stopped his tickle barrage for a moment. "So, that mean you're gonna get up?"

"Technically you're more 'up' than I am at the moment."

Don't think that was the answer he wanted as he started up again. I tried to wiggle my way out of his grasp, but he was much stronger than I think he even let on to be. I reached, trying to find somewhere to retaliate. I almost found it when the door to the room flung open. In a split second, both Nate and I were back under the covers, drawing them up to our necks.

"HOLLY! Why can't you knock like a normal mammal?"

"Um, I did? I heard a ruckus and wanted to make sure things were alright."

"What if we were in the middle of some other kind of 'ruckus'?!"

"I…" It took her a second for her mind to process what I had just allured to. When she did it was very obvious as she suddenly looked a bit embarrassed. "Sorry! I didn't think… um, breakfast?" I think I just left her speechless.

I sighed. "Yeah, give us a few moments to get dressed. How's Jasmine doing?"

"She's, well… you'll just have to see for yourself."

Holly left and I was rather confused. Did something happen to Jasmine? Was Engineer Tuskgen able to fix her up this quick? Now that it was on my mind, I hurriedly got out of bed and started to get dressed. I went to change my underwear into a clean pair when I saw Nate suddenly turn away bashfully.

"Aww, come on. You've marked me, seen me naked on multiple occasions, and had sex with me. You can look if you want."

"S-sorry… C-can't help it sometimes… B-But… Well… You're really beautiful Olivia… A-And I just… Get bashful around you…"

Between what he said and that dopey look he gave me saying it, I nearly melted. Still naked I walked over to him and sat on the bed, leaning in and giving him a little kiss. I know that breakfast was getting prepared for us, and we probably didn't have much time, but certain feelings were starting to swell in me after he called me beautiful. I wrapped my arms around him, giving him a much longer kiss, and then…

"You guys dressed yet? Breakfast is getting cold!"

"HOLLY!" Nate and I yelled simultaneously. We looked at each other, realizing that we must have both had the same thoughts going through our head. I couldn't help but laugh as I gave him one more hug and kiss before getting dressed.

I gave him a wink. "To be continued."

I don't know if it was because I was in a fairly decent mood, but I was half expecting breakfast to consist of real food. From the slop sitting in front of me that looked like someone took a rock and somehow liquefied it, I guessed that the Guardians probably didn't get to experience fine cuisine too often. Once this is all over, I think I may need to 'rent' Petunia and Petey for a day, give these mammals a taste of real cooking.

"So then the Tac-Lifter went airborne but I was looking down shouting 'that was my favorite horseshoe!'."

I had joined the others with Jasmine and Zack who must have gotten there before any of us because in front of both of them were empty plates and bowls. Zack was telling her some anecdote while she kept giggling every time he got to the punch line, even if it wasn't a very good one. They actually made for a cute couple.

"So Jasmine." I had to interrupt Zack's conversation with her, otherwise I don't think I would have been allowed a word otherwise. "How's it going with Engineer Tuskgen?"

"Oh, well she thinks she has an idea, but it's going to take a few days. Both her and the Doc tell me that the plate has already fused with my skull, so it'll be too dangerous to just remove it."

"That sucks."

"Oh, I don't mind it actually. I thought… well, some of the other Guardians still give me 'looks', but…"

She seemed to be lost at what to say, so Zack decided to take it upon himself to finish her train of thought. "She's perfect the way she is. Heck, I don't even see the metal, I just see her lovely face, and if anyone says otherwise? Well I ain't called Lightning Hooves for nothing."

Yeah, I think those two have Nate and I beat as fastest growing relationship in the wasteland. If it had been any other mammal, especially another giraffe, I probably would've been very hesitant to leave her here, maybe it was Mayor Swift still rubbing off on me, but I don't feel any wrongfulness or deception from this zebra.

"Well, I'm glad you have found a kinship here. I've also seen how some of the Guardians look at you. I can't say I blame them, an unknown mammal, especially one with past ties to the Red-Necks, coming into their home. I wasn't planning on leaving you here alone, I was going to wait until they had come up with a good way to keep you hidden from the Reclaimers, but with Stalker Grant here with you, I feel better about leaving you here."

"You can just call me Zack, and I'm glad to hear I have the acceptance of the Zootopian Wasteland's greatest heroine."

"Aww, we just got to know you and we already gotta leave you? Don't worry Jazzie, we'll be back to check up on you." Holly got up and slowly walked over to Zack and leaned in close. "Now, you better keep her safe, or else Mark and I will have a nice new striped blanket."

"Don't worry Holly, I already gave him the talk."

"Aww, you're no fun 'livi!"

Zack did a very audible gulp while Jasmine was just looking confused as to what was going on.

We finished up our meal and while it wasn't the best tasting stuff, it left my tummy feeling content. We gave our goodbyes to Jasmine and Zack as we went to meet up with Chief Lazlo in the garage where our APC had just been looked over by his mechanics. Nate had been very adamant about them not messing with his stuff, but Lazlo had assured him that it was just some minor repairs they were doing.

"I hope all of you are well rested. I took the liberty of donating some ammunition from our reserve. We can't spare any actual weapons, but we have no shortage of bullets. Threw a surprise in there for you too Holly."

"Ohhhh! What is it? What is it?" Holly sounded, and looked like a kid with her paws clenched together and jumping up and down excitedly.

"It's in the APC, just… don't hurt yourself. Please." Lazlo sounded concerned, as if something like this has happened in the past.

I was about to question Lazlo's concern when I heard something at the door. I turned and saw Bo, dressed in his Guardian jumpsuit.

"Bo! Glad to see you again."

"You too Olivia. Came to see you off, and also," he whispered as I realized someone was behind him, "you can come out Bea."

From behind his massive leg came a much smaller bison dressed in a cute yellow dress. It was his daughter, Beatrice. She seemed very nervous as she stood there, rocking back and forth and fidgeting with something in her hooves.

"Bea made something for you Olivia. Go ahead, she won't bite."

His daughter hesitated before slowly walking towards me. I could tell she was very young, maybe four, or five, but despite her youthful age, she stood nearly as tall as me. She held out a small box. I took it from her, but before I could say anything, she darted back to her father's side. I opened it and inside was a tiny piece of wood. I took it out and inspected it. I could tell that it was roughly carved by a sharpened tool, and it took me a moment before I realized what it was the shape of. A rabbit.

"Is this… me?"

"Yup. She may be young, but she's taken after her mother. She crafted little trinkets to sell before we tried our hooves at the farm life. Still does it as a hobby, and my little Bea has taken a liking to is as well."

"It's beautiful." I looked at Bea and smiled, "thank you."

"Y-yur w-welcam." Despite the stuttering, she sounded as cute as she looked.

"Well, gotta get her back to the misses so I can report for duty. Just wanted to give my regards."

I placed the statue in my pocket. "Don't worry, you'll be seeing us again sooner than you think."

The rest of the time there had been more structured. We loaded the APC while Mark and Holly looked over the supplies that Lazlo generously gave us. At one point she came out of the APC in a very ecstatic state holding what looked like a small shotgun. She pranced around with it before Mark yanked her back into the vehicle.

Lazlo had also given Nate some supplies to fix the coolant problem, so he jumped at the chance to finally fix it. The last two times we had to stop resulted in… very unpleasant circumstances for both of us, so I think having that fixed was a priority for him. That left Onion and I to wander around the garage. There wasn't really much for me to do, so I was glad when I saw Jasmine enter.

"Didn't think I'd see you before we departed. Where's Zack?"

"The Chief called him and some others for some kind of meeting. Not supposed to visit the Doc for another hour, so figured I'd come and say goodbye one last time."

"You make it sound like you'll never see us again."

"No, it's just. No one has ever been so kind to me like you guys have been, and after meeting Zack and a few of the other Guardians who actually treat me like a mammal, and not a… this," she waved at her jaw, "I'm starting to worry, what if something happens to all of you? What if I'm left all alone, again?"

"Nothing will happen to any of us, not as long as I can help it. I promise you."

She gave me an awkward smile before scooping me up and giving me a hug. Why are all the large mammals always trying to hug me? This would be a problem if I was scared of heights. I did my best to return the hug before she put me down.

"I know I'm probably annoying you saying this, but I mean it. Thank you. For everything."

"It's my pleasure to help, and I'll let you in on a little secret. I kinda like the praise. Reminds me that I really am a good mammal, or at least I try to be. Sometimes I just… well, let's just say I've had too much blood on my paws at times to feel like I'm actually doing any good."

"You are, more than you know it. I think any other mammal would have just let them… I don't think I would be alive if anyone else had come along."

"You're a sweet girl Jasmine, just keep being yourself and everything will be fine." I heard Nate give a holler, "Looks like it's time to leave. Stay safe Jasmine, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." I gave her a wink, but her clueless expression told me that it flew right over her head.

I really was glad that she met Zack. Between him and Lazlo, I doubt any trouble will befall her. Hopefully by the time we return, Jasmine will have a whole new look to go with her new lease on life. Sometimes change is a good thing, and I know first paw how good some changes can be.

It's strange. The past few times, save for some breaking down and a few random mutated insects, we've not ran into any trouble while moving from place to place in the APC. I think Holly was a bit put down by that, because every time she thought there was a danger, she took a look at the mounted guns and started to drool. I think she had a bit of a problem when it comes to weapons.

Nate was back to driving while Mark was busily putting together some med-packs for us. We, and by we I mean me, have had the tendency to get a few injuries along the way, and he had decided that each one of us carrying a basic kit would be wise just in case he was unable to tend to any injuries. It was a good idea, but it also reminded me of our mortality, and how at any moment things could turn sour. I lost one friend already, I don't think I could take loosing another, especially given how close the four of us have become.

"We got less than a mile until we reach our destination. Should I park so we can scout the area?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea Nate. I don't want to have any surprises."

He found a nice area to park and hide the APC. Lazlo had no idea how large the installed forces here were, but I had to be prepared for anything. Even a few Legionaries left unchecked could cause problems. I wanted to make sure we had a good grasp on what we were dealing with before we went in guns blazing.

I saw a pole that had been uprooted from the ground and was now leaning on the side of a crumbling house. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going 'livi?"

"Right over here, don't worry. I just want to get a higher vantage point."

It was only a few hundred feet from our location, and still well within visual range of them, so they only hesitated slightly before I moved out. The pole was old, but it must have been very well crafted because it barely even creaked under my added weight as I climbed it to the roof of the house.

Once I was situated, I took out my scope and scanned the horizon. So far everything looked calm, maybe they… there. I saw movement and focused my sight on the area. Sure enough there were at least two Legionaries. One was a tiger and the other was a wolf, both wearing the same tactical uniforms that all the Legionaries wore. At least they're easy to pick out.

I watched them for a good ten minutes, but they barely moved, and when they did, it was only a few feet. There was something off about them that seemed too familiar, but I just couldn't place a finger on it. It was like I saw this before. A third mammal, this time an elephant, caught my attention as it slowly moved towards the other two. There were at least three of them. While there were a few scattered buildings around them, I couldn't tell which one was the actual outpost. We had to get closer, and I saw just the means to do it.

"What you see 'livi?"

"Three of them so far, but I can't tell where they came from. Definitely Legionaries though."

"You think any of them are the Elite?"

"Can't tell, although my guess is they wouldn't be simply wandering the streets looking to get shot. No, whoever the Elite is, they're probably within the outpost, provided there's one here to begin with."

"Yeah, three choices makes it a bit hard. So, what's the plan?"

"Well, a full frontal assault is out of the question. Besides not knowing how big their forces are, for all we know they could have the area trapped or mined. No, we need to get closer, at least close enough to cement a better plan."

"Can't we just blast them with the turrets and be done with it?" Nate's addition to the talking surprised me.

"No, don't think so. We need the Elite alive, and what if one of them is the Elite? Can't risk it until we know better. Plus, that thing is loud, I don't wanna be pulling every baddie out of the woodworks. Good backup idea though, so don't rule it out. If the shit hits the fan, being loud will be the least of our concerns. No, my idea is to take a bit more subtle approach. There is an entrance to an underground station between two tall garages overlooking where the three are. If we can get in there, we can position ourselves in a way that we can observe, and even overhear everything. Once we know where the Elite is, we can launch a surprise attack."

"That's the most concise, thought out plan I think I have ever heard come from those lips 'livi. Are you feeling well?"

"Har-har Holly. After everything we've been through, I've learned that a well thought out plan is a much better course of action, and one that hopefully won't get us all hurt."

"I think knocking boots with Nate also knocked your brain into where it belongs 'livi."

I punched her in the shoulder. I must have done it harder than I thought because she gave a genuinely painful reaction.

"Ouch! Not so hard. That's Nate's job."

I wanted to punch her again, but a noise distracted me. I drew my gun but I don't think Holly heard what I did.

"Okay! I take it back!"

"Shush, you hear that?"

"Hear what? I don't hear any…"

The noise caught her attention now. It was a small rustling noise, and it was not too far from us. I slowly crept towards the noise, all the while readying a round in the chamber. Mark started to pull his gun out but I held my paw out for him to stop. If there was any danger, my gun was much quieter and would attract less attention.

I signaled them towards where the noise was and I moved ever so slowly. It sounded small, so I doubt it was an ambush, although it could still be a rodent. I was not in the right position to see if the three were still down there, but I kept myself ready for anything. I crept towards the noise but it suddenly stopped. I held my gun out and waited.

Suddenly a radroach popped out from under a discarded crate and skittered towards us. I panicked and shot it, killing it instantly.

"Fuck! Damn bug scared the shit out of me!"

"And you blew the shit out of it."

"I panicked, okay?"

"Big brutish mercenaries don't make you bat an eye, but a small mutated insect scares you? You gotta get your priorities straight girl."

"I'm not scared of a damn bug. I said I panicked Holly. Sheesh."

I could tell she was just teasing, but that didn't make my heart stop racing any quicker. Sure it was just a bug, but what if it wasn't? What if the Legionaries already knew we were here and were just waiting to spring a trap on us? I had a solid plan, but there were still too many variables in this equation to make me feel comfortable about our current situation. I just wanted to find this Elite, get what we needed, and get on with our lives. If I found out the Elite wasn't even here, then we pull out and head for the next outpost.

After making sure that the three haven't spotted us, we moved out. I suggested we take the longer way down which meant going down a small curved channel. Mark started to tell me that it was a flood channel for during the rainy seasons to prevent potential flooding to the area. Since we were close to the Rainforest District, it rained in these parts much more commonly than the others. At least it did before everything went to hell. It still rains, but much more unexpectedly.

Just as I thought, the channel led to the other-side of the nearest parking garage, and just as I had hoped, there was a maintenance entrance to the tunnels below. It was very large, suggesting that it allowed for even an elephant or a giraffe to operate with little discomfort. That made me think of Jasmine. I hope she was doing okay.

The maintenance tunnel opened up into the main rail area. It was a double track, so the tunnel was very spacious. It was also surprisingly empty. Some discarded waste was here and there, but otherwise it was open. I was really hoping for an abandoned train or rail-car to be able to hide in if things went bad.

"The exit is this way. Keep your ears and eyes open. Onion, you take the rear. Make sure we don't get ambushed or followed."

"Affirmative Miss."

"Everyone, keep your weapons at the ready. I don't want to be caught unprepared."

We slowly moved towards the exit, the small amount of daylight pouring in through it told us we were getting close. Still no noise. We were close enough that if those three were chatting, I would have heard even a mumble by now. Maybe they were just paid to look tough. If the Red-Necks were attacking their base, I'm sure there are other mammals who have a gripe with them.

When we finally reached the exit I signaled them to stop. I went to activate my Stealth-Boar and was about to tell Nate to keep his ready but remembered that I was using his after I sacrificed mine back in Hope. Instead I just told them to wait there that I was just gonna take a look. I promised them I wouldn't engage until I could inform them of my discoveries. They looked worried, but didn't try to stop me.

I slowly moved as far as I was comfortable doing before activating the stealth-boar. Was I was cloaked, I moved up the stairs. Once I reached the top I saw that the same three were just standing there, as if they had not even budged an inch. For a moment I wondered if they were just some kind of decoys when the tiger turned and stared right in my direction. I checked the status of the stealth-boar but the field was still strong. Did he hear… fuck. All three were turning towards me. Did they see me despite being invisible? When the elephant started to raise his rifle, pointing it directly at me, I knew that somehow they did see me. Fuck.

The elephant was the first to fire, but his shot went wide. It almost looked as if he was having difficulties even lifting it. The other two exhibited the same with their own weapons, and just like the elephant, their shots went wide. This was not typical Legionary behavior. What was going… then I remembered. I remembered why the clumsy movement was so familiar. I checked my scanner and my fears were confirmed. All three dots were… blinking in and out of existence. Fuck me! Corpse Engines!

I turn and ran back down to the tunnel as a few more bullets sounded. By the time I reached my friends, the invisibility had worn off.

"'Livi! I thought you said you weren't gonna engage them! We heard gunfire!"

"They aren't Legionaries, they're fucking Corpse Engines and somehow they saw right through the Stealth-Boar!"

"Corpse Engines?! Why the hell would they turn their own people into fucking Corpse Engines!"

I didn't hear Holly swear that often, so from her reaction to this, I could already tell we were in trouble.

"Corpse Engines?" Mark started, but he didn't seem as worried, rather he seemed to be doing more thinking than worrying. "A tiger and a wolf, along with an elephant? Their pilots must be rodents, you can't fit anything larger than that in a wolf at least."

"What, you suddenly an expert on them or something?"

"No, I've just read a bit about them. Not much, just some things we found on our journeys. Not surprised they could detect you then Olivia. They're more machine than mammal, and some advanced military grade scanners can see right through a Stealth-Boar's effects."

"Great, now you tell me. Wait a second… more machine? I, I think I have an idea."

I took off my backpack and pulled out my remote gun. I only had two bullets, since as of late the need to make more hasn't been at the top of my to-do list. I programmed both of them and loaded the first one. Once I was ready I told them to follow me and keep close. We moved back towards the entrance just as the wolf and the tiger were reaching the bottom of the stairs. The elephant was nowhere to be seen. I didn't hesitate shooting the tiger with the remote bullet.

The second it impacted I ducked behind the others to access my Pip-Boar. Bingo! I had full access to the Corpse Engine's systems. A Burrow-Tec symbol flashed as I accessed it's system. I swore under my breath at the mere thought of Burrow-Tec, but I couldn't get distracted with trivial matters. It took me less than a minute to find and disable the Engine's locomotion. I looked up and saw the tiger moving its upper body, but the legs were just planted to the ground as if they were trapped in hardened concrete. I loaded the second remote.

I was able to stop the wolf's movement as well. A few more minutes and I had them completely shut down. Whoever these were, they were once living mammals, but I couldn't think of that now, I had to just picture them as robots, otherwise I may not be able to function right.

"'Livi! Something is happening!"

I looked up and saw movement in the chest of the tiger. After a few seconds the breastplate it was wearing popped off, revealing a hollowed cavity with flashing lights. Inside sat a grey furred rat. The wolf did the same thing, only this time its pilot was a black mouse. Both wore tattered jumpsuits that looked to have been heavily modified with metal plates. There was something familiar about them as well, but I wasn't able to think about it too long before two more showed up. From the way they moved, they were all Corpse Engines. Fuck. Who the fuck is doing this?!

"We gotta go."

"But what about the Elite? What if he's here?" Holly seemed a bit concerned.

"Fuck him! I'm out of remotes and I've seen these things first paw, they can tear us to shreds before we can even react!"

"I don't think their pilots have been acclimated to their Engines. Look how clumsily they move." Mark was still trying to figure out the current situation.

"I don't care. If even one of you get hurt while we're trying to fight them. No, I made up my mind. It's too dangerous. Quick, the maintenance hatch, maybe we can use the APC to blast them before we escape."

"But 'livi, I think we can…"

"NO!"

I wasn't about to argue this. I don't care if we had all the bullets in the world. I saw how easily Mr. Big and his Corpse Engine took on an entire squad of mercs. If one could do that, these two, plus the missing elephant, could potentially kill us before we could even put a dent in them. These aren't mammals anymore, they're glorified Exo-Armor. Any other day I would have ran up and grabbed one of those rodents and made him talk, but no. I can't risk my family. I can't risk another Blanche.

I darted towards the maintenance tunnel. I had made sure to leave the door open just for such emergency. Once I reached it I looked behind and saw that everyone was keeping pace, but they had a worried look in their faces, even Nate. I would never tell them, but of all of them, it was Nate I feared to lose the most. If anything happened to him…

"Grenade!"

Grenade? Where… oh. A small blinking ball rolled towards me. I quickly jumped out of the tunnel as it exploded, causing a shock-wave that sent me sliding a few feet. When the dust finally cleared I made sure everyone was alright. Before we could figure out how many were in there, two more grenades rolled out. I pointed towards the main rail tunnel and we moved as quick as we could before the grenades went off.

"Olivia!" Holly wasn't using my nickname, that meant she was either very angry, or very worried. "We can't just keep running! We can take a few Corpse Engines, I don't care how tough they are, some grenades of our own and some flechette rounds should make short work of these bastards!"

"I can't risk any of you getting killed like I did with Blanche!"

That's all I could think of. I put her in danger, and it got her killed. I kept pushing on, pushing everyone to their limits, but for what? To be rewarded with what? The loss of a friend? No, I don't care if she wasn't the closest of my friends. That's actually what scared me the most. If I lost it that badly after losing her. I can't imagine what would happen to me if I lost Mark, or Holly… or… Nate. Even just thinking of it was making me tear up. I wiped them away before checking on the others. I couldn't see any Corpse Engines in the distance, but I could see them clear as day, even in the darkened tunnels, and they weren't just looking concerned. They were looking scared.

I looked back to where I was running, not wanting their faces to cause me to stop. Not until we were safe. Then, and only then will I have to face my fears. I don't think they'll let me go until I did. That's when I noticed the giant wall ahead, the only separation in it was a large door.

I stopped once I reached the door and started to look it over. The lock was an old manual type. I didn't have time to pick it, but noticed the metal sign on it. I saw something familiar on it, but was to afraid to tell them what it meant. I had a feeling, but I was hoping it was wrong.

"Olivia! We can't keep running like this! And what you said about Blanche, this is different, this time we are able to do something about it!"

I took out my tools and ignored Holly. I felt the tears falling. I didn't, no I couldn't face her like this. I removed the metal sign and tossed it aside. Just as I thought, there was a manual release mechanism underneath it. I popped the handle out and cranked it. The door seemed to sigh as it slowly swung open. Then I felt Holly grab me and force me to look at her.

"Olivia! You…" Once she saw me, saw how I really was, her visage instantly turned to compassion as she grabbed me and hugged me. "You poor thing. You… you're still not over Blanche, are you?"

"I-I… I'm not s-sure I could…" I couldn't stop the tears from flowing now.

"We got company!" Mark was still remaining calm despite everything.

He was right. There were four Corpse Engines now, including the elephant. While they were all moving awkwardly, they were still closing in on us. Holly shoved me through the door and held it open as the others followed. They tried to close it, but the emergency release was jammed and it wouldn't let it lock again. Everyone was concentrating on trying to get the door to stay closed. Everyone, but Nate.

"N-no… It… it c-can't…"

"Nate, what are you… oh, no." Mark's calmness was starting to crack.

I didn't have to look up to know what it was. I saw the symbol on the sign. I didn't want to believe it, but I saw that same one every single day for most of my life. It wasn't just the fact that it was a Burrow-Tec symbol, no I've seen that other places as well. No, this was a Burrow-Tec identifier. This, was a Burrow.

"Fuck, five more showed up! Maybe it was a good idea to run 'livi. Are you going to… what are you pointing at?"

I had slumped down, my back against the door as I pointed towards Mark and Nate. Her eyes followed my arm. I finally was able to wipe away the tears enough to focus on the giant round door that looked identical to my own Burrow, and I figured looked just like theirs.

"A Burrow? There's a Burrow… oh no, Nate." Holly moved towards Nate and put a paw on his shoulder. "We can't stay here, we just can't."

Nate looked towards me, I could see the fear in his face. He looked just like he did when we found that other Burrow, just before meeting, him. This time, it was different. While it took a physical action to get Nate to snap out of it just enough to make it through, this time, he just looked at me, slumped on the ground in tears.

He was still scared, but I don't think it was just from the Burrow.

"W-We… we c-can't…" He looked at me for a moment longer, I could see his tears as well. Then, he turned and walked towards the Burrow door.

"Nate! What are you doing?"

He didn't say anything, he simply walked up to the control panel that operated the door, hesitated and then connected his Pip-Boar to it. Moments later a flashing light started as loud klaxons sounded. Hissing sounds started to escape from the doors seals before it finally started to creak and moan as it rotated to the side. He just opened the Burrow door.

"Nate, what did you just…"

Mark was interrupted when a wolf, a different one from the one I disabled, barged through the door. It didn't maintain its balance and fell forward, arms flailing as it tried to get up. That caused me to jump to my feet. I looked out and saw three more approaching. We had to take our chances, before it was too late.

I brushed away the tears, a surge of adrenaline filling my body as I tried to shove my emotions back down whatever hole they came from.

"Nate! Start the closing procedure, everyone inside!"

At this point, I don't think anyone was questioning me, either that or they were all just stunned by the current happenings, but once the door started to close, we all ran through the entrance. I watched as the rest of the Corpse Engines entered one by one. A few of them started to fire their weapons, but none of them were able to aim anywhere near us. The door finally sealed, leaving us inside the Burrow.

"I can't believe we just… Nate, why did you open the door?"

"I-I… O-Olivia… n-needed…"

"We have guests, how… unexpected."

The voice caught all of us off guard. We all turned to see where the voice came from. Standing fifty feet away were three, rabbits. Two of them were wearing Burrow security uniforms and wielding what looked like the same dart guns that the security at my Burrow tried, and succeeded, in using on me. Between them was a rabbit dressed in a black suit. His fur was so white it made Blanche's look dull. He was wearing a short top hat and glasses.

"Greetings. I'm Overseer Carl Banog, and welcome to Burrow 88."

Fallout: Zootopia After Show

Featuring:

'Stripes in the Morning'

[Stripes]

"Good morning Zootopian Wasteland! This is Stripes with Stripes in the Morning! We're coming to you live outside of Steel Guardian HQ! For some reason I'm no longer welcome inside, but that doesn't stop me from hanging out here until we meet up with today's guest. Now, don't mind Max, for some reason he felt inclined to bring his shotgun with him, despite me telling him countless times that this is probably the safest place to be… Oh, here she is, today's guest, the Steel Guardians newest recruit, Miss Jasmine Rothschild! Good morning Miss Rothschild, how are you today?"

[Jasmine]

"Um, do I know you?"

[Stripes]

"Take it you don't listen to the radio much. I'm C. Stripes with the number one show in the wasteland, Stripes in the Morning! Now, let me start off by saying you are looking very lovely today."

[Jasmine]

"Um… I-I… I, I, um…"

[Max]

"Stripes… This is your ONLY warning. This shotgun is for me to use on you should you get outta line. And I, not you, will be the judge of that. Do I make myself clear on the issue?"

[Stripes]

"I have no idea what you're talking about Max. Now, there's no need to be nervous Miss, I'm simply commenting on your overwhelming beauty. You see, I kinda have a thing for…"

[Zack]

"Hey Jay-Jay, this guy bothering you?"

[Max]

"Why yes officer, this mammal has a horrible inclination towards bothering others. Especially when it's most unwanted. Hence me bearing a shotgun… To use on him."

[Stripes]

"Really now, I'm not *that* bad. Am I? Seriously Max, just because I have had a… slip-up or two on my days off doesn't mean I'll slack on my duties to bring whatever news I can to our audience. Now then, fellow zebra, who are you?"

[Zack]

"I'm with her. Who are you and why are you tormenting my girl?"

[Stripes]

"Oh, so she's taken. Damn. I mean… I'm Stripes bringing my audience everything they need to know about everything within the Wasteland. I know my audience would love to learn more about not only the Guardian's newest recruit, but the fact that she's a former Red-Neck trying to fit in with today's society. I'm just asking for a moment of her time."

[Zack]

"No. Okay Jay-Jay, let's go back inside, and away from the dullard."

[Stripes]

"Really! It won't take long, I promise."

[Jasmine]

"I… I don't mind, actually…"

[Max]

"You're gonna regret those words any minute now…"

[Stripes]

"Thank you Miss Rothschild."

[Jasmine]

"Y-you can just call me Jasmine."

[Stripes]

"Well then, thank you, Jasmine. Now, let's start this interview off with a question that many may have been wondering. You're a former Red-Neck, yet your personality doesn't seem to fit the typical rough, hateful, and generally fiery personality that has often come to be associated with them. May I ask why?"

[Jasmine]

"W-well, I… I never really felt like a Red-Neck, I… I hated them. I h-hated everything they stood for, but they still kept trying to drag me down to their level. I've seen many break from it. I-I… I couldn't let them break me. I would have rather died than that happen. So I… I tried to be everything they weren't. In private though. If they saw me like that, they would… they w-would have…"

[Stripes]

"Say no more. I've seen the atrocities that the Red-Necks have done to others. I can't imagine what they would do to their own kind out of disobedience. But why so open about it now? I mean, most mammals who fight for years to hide feelings typically have trouble expressing them later on in life."

[Jasmine]

"I… I found friends. P-people who actually seem to care about me. Thanks to Olivia, I feel safe and… free. I guess I just… no longer feel I need to hide it. It's all still, strange to me."

[Stripes]

"I can imagine. Well, I guess things could have been worse. I have seen mammals withhold their good intentions for so long that when they finally release them, their 'good' intentions are anything but. So, let's move on to the next question. How's Guardian life treating you? Do you feel like you fit in more here than you did with the Red-Necks?"

[Jasmine]

"I… Y-yes, and no… I do feel safer, more welcomed than the Red-Necks, even if it is only a few. I… I don't think some of the Guardians care for me, or I should say, my past. T-they look at me… wrong. Like I don't belong… I can tell some of them h-hate me for being there, sometimes I feel…"

[Zack]

"You don't have to continue answering this sorry excuse for a zebra's questions."

[Stripes]

"Hey! I resent that remark. I'm a fine equine if I do say so myself."

[Max]

"If it's any help, he's always like this. Though I'd be lying if I said I agreed with him being anywhere near a good example of an equine. More an example of bad life choices gone unchecked than anything else in my experience."

[Stripes]

"I haven't gotten anyone killed, yet, and I'm doing rather well for myself in this dreadful wasteland. I think I have made some rather good life choices thank you very much. Now, Jasmine, you don't have to answer if you can't."

[Jasmine]

"N-no… It's… it's okay… I n-need to learn to… S-sorry."

[Stripes]

"No need to apologize. Take your time. I don't mind being here watch… err waiting for you to collect yourself."

[Jasmine]

"I… this life it's… different. Very different. Yes, there are some m-mammals who I know don't like me, but then there are others like Chief Lazlo, Stalker Logan, Engineer Tuskgen, Doctor Hedgeworth, and Zack, who don't look at me like… a R-Red-Neck. I-I just need to… learn to ignore the others."

[Zack]

"And if anyone gets out of line, let's just say that I'm well versed in hoof-to-hoof combat. If you know what I'm saying."

[Stripes]

"Yes, quite. You can put those hooves down now. Okay, next question then. What is your opinion on Olivia Springs?"

[Jasmine]

"She… she saved me. I-I never had friends in the Red-Necks, and while I say some of the… Guardians h-hate me for what I represent, most of the Red-Necks hated me even more for what I wouldn't become. I… I never actually killed anyone before. Not with fire. I couldn't. I was… t-tortured by the Red-Necks, my n-neck scarred beyond repair. I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone else. I think… they resented me for it. If Olivia wasn't there to save me, when the other Red-Necks turned on me, probably t-trying to u-use the b-b-battle to finally… g-get rid of me… I would n—n-not be alive… I owe her my life."

[Stripes]

"That's horrible. For someone to turn on their own kind like that, even if they are a heartless raider, just shows how broken this world really is. That's what makes Olivia rather unique to this world. She sees beyond the false visage that the world wears and can see someone who for they really are. Most of the time. So, most of the people I interview tell me that despite her good intentions, she can be a little… crazy at times. What are your feelings on that?"

[Jasmine]

"I-I… don't think she's crazy, but… from what I have seen and heard from others, I wonder if she acts before thinking too much… I don't like killing, unless I really have to, but she… she almost makes it look like an art-form…"

[Stripes]

"An art-form? Well, that's a rather interesting way to think. Next time I do an interview with her, I'll make sure to bring a paintbrush with me. Anyways, Since your 'lover' doesn't seem to care for me much… umm, are you okay Miss? You just… fell."

[Max]

"Oh way to go you jackass! You knocked her on her rear just by talking! It's no wonder Miss Springs has denied any further interviews if they're held by you!"

[Stripes]

"How was I supposed to know my words would woo her so? I mean… are you okay Miss?"

[Jasmine]

"I-I-I-I-I…"

[Zack]

"She's easily flustered."

[Stripes]

"I can see that. Well, I guess that'll be my next question. Why?"

[Jasmine]

"I-I… I don't know… I-I'm not used to mammals actually… caring for me. N-no one ever showed me anything other than… displeasure towards me."

[Stripes]

"Not even your parents?"

[Jasmine]

"M-my father d-died when I was young, and my m-mother… she… I think s-she cared about the Red-Necks more than… me…"

[Stripes]

"That's a shame. I'm truly sorry for that. Well, I think that wraps it up for today's episode. I have the strangest feeling that if I keep asking more questions I'll be leaving with a hoof-size mark on my face. If you don't mind, once you're a bit more acclimated to your new life, I would love to have a follow up interview with you. Maybe with one less zebra in the room?"

[Max]

"Keep talking and hoof prints aren't the only thing you'll have to worry about you overgrown rutabaga…"

[Stripes]

"Rutabaga? What does that even have to do with… I'm not even sure if I have ever *had* one…"

[Jasmine]

"I-I…"

[Stripes]

"I'll take that as a maybe. Well then folks, hope you enjoyed today's episode. Tune in next time where I will be presenting part one of a multi-part series on, the Burrows. Now of course I can't go into a lot of details in a single episode without spoiling things, but I felt that there's just way too much to talk about behind the scenes that one episode would be longer than a typical chapter, so I'll be breaking it down into specific parts, starting with… dun, dun, dun! Burrow Experiments. For all of those who have played a certain game series, you know what I'm talking about. So, until then, take care everyone!"

[Max]

"I swear… you get worse and worse as time goes on…"

[Stripes]

"No, I just age well. Good night everyone!"