Just as Zack said, the flight took about an hour to reach our destination. To avoid any unnecessary confrontation, we kept above cloud cover most of the time, only dropping beneath to get his bearings. I had enjoyed the view when I could, but since it was a pretty cloudy day, flying this high got boring, fast.

Jasmine and I had a few bits of conversation here and there, but nothing really pertaining to, well anything. I didn't want to drag her into my emotional squalor and I could tell she wasn't used to having to deal with stuff like this, at least not with people who cared for her like I did. She did tell me that she kept her feelings to herself while with the Red-Necks, always afraid it would show weakness and in turn get her punished again. I kept having to assure her that she can be open around any of us, and we will not get angry at her for it. We were quite opposite in that way. I wasn't afraid of showing my feelings most of the time, but she always kept either a neutral or positive expression about her, no matter how she felt. Guess in order to survive as long as she did with those bastards, she had to.

Engineer Tuskgen was a different story. While she was very kind and outspoken, she still seemed to be a bit nervous around me, using Jasmine as some kind of barrier between us. I kept telling her that I was sorry for how I yelled at her, that it was out of distress, and not any lack of ability on her end, but my tales seem to have proceeded me, leaving her feeling rather uneasy.

Zack was in full on Guardian mode most of the time, keeping his eyes on both the sensors and what was in front of him, only adding his own words in during a few of Jasmine's stories on what they did since we left Jasmine there. Seems those two had hit it off better than I thought. Seems that he and a few others were the only ones who would even speak to her. For some reason an ex-Red-Neck seemed more of a threat to the Guardians than a talking deathwing did.

"So Zack, tell me what was your first opinion on Jasmine? You seemed to have hit it off with her rather well."

"I ain't gonna lie, I have a… thing for tall women, and Jay-Jay is no exception."

"Jay-Jay huh? You two have just recently met and already you have a nickname for her?"

"Was a bit of an accident you see. I was helping her fill out her recruitment files, and stupid me blanked on how to spell her name. I kept trying to think, 'J… J…' but have the tendency to think out loud. Guess she liked it and it stuck."

I looked over to Jasmine and saw she was blushing. "I-I've never had a nickname, at l-least not a positive one…"

"It's cute. So tall women, huh? You didn't care about the fact that she used to be a Red-Neck or has a metal plate for a jaw?"

"Sure, when I heard that a Red-Neck was brought here, I was on edge, not sure what to expect, but when I saw her, and saw how scared she was, that edginess melted away. One look at her and I knew she wasn't trouble. Since no one other than Stalker Logan and Chief Lazlo would approach her, I felt it was my duty as a Guardian and a gentlemammal to make sure she felt safe and at home. To be honest, I don't see that metal jaw anymore, simply that cute face of hers."

I heard a loud noise and looked over to see that Jasmine had suddenly bolted upright and smashed her head on the roof of the Tac-Lifter.

"You alright Jasmine?" It was hard not to giggle. Good thing Holly wasn't here to take advantage of the situation.

"Y-yeah… I'm just… a bit clumsy."

"Is it wrong that it makes her even cuter?"

The way Jasmine smacked her head on the roof again in a state of shock made me wonder if Zack simply said that to get a reaction out of her.

"Better knock that off Zack before she hits hear head too much, or else she might not remember you."

"That would make me sad. Well, looks like we're here."

Jasmine was rubbing her head, but she seemed fine, so I took a look outside. We had just dropped below cloud cover and I could see a very large building before us. A large sign was on it that read: SwineCo Robotics International. Surprisingly, it seemed in much better condition than the other structures around it. Small craters in the ground told me that this was once a battlefield, but remnants of the combatants were long gone, so I had no idea if it was pre-war or more recent.

"We got to land on the roof. Despite this having been pretty much cleared out, there are always raider groups around here trying to break past our automated defenses."

"If it's cleaned out, then why try to keep it defended?" It was rather odd that the Guardians would be protecting a place that was supposedly empty.

"As you can see, this place was built to withstand everything but a direct impact. Despite it being build long before the war, military grade reinforcements were utilized in its construction."

A thought occurred to me. One that caused me to clench my paws. "Please don't tell me Burrow-Tec has anything to do with this."

"No. This place was built long before Burrow-Tec existed. I don't think Burrow-Tec was even formed until the war broke out."

"Gee, what a coincidence."

"What you mean Olivia?"

"I don't know. I can't explain it but I've developed a bit of a hatred towards that company. I doubt any of them are even still alive, but everything that has ever gone wrong. Seventy-Six, Ninety-Three, Eighty-Eight. Even the Corpse Engines, they've all been associated in one way or another with that damn company."

"They saved countless lives after the bombs started dropping." Zack seemed concerned with the growing tone in my voice.

"Yeah, but how many more had to suffer because of them? I've read some of their files involving Corpse Engines. They didn't show any sympathy cutting open innocent mammals in order to find ways to stuff a smaller one into them. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they had something to do with how Nate and Mark were treated, or how an entire Burrow turned cannibal."

"Look at it this way, if Burrow-Tec didn't exist, your ancestors might not have survived the war, meaning you wouldn't be here helping others, and in turn I would've never met the beautiful giraffe sitting next to you."

And there goes another thunk, this time followed by a muffled scream.

"Remember Zack, brain cells?"

"Sorry."

"You okay Jasmine?"

"Mm-hm."

I fished out some pain medication and gave it to Jasmine. I could tell that three whacks to the head was starting to cause a little discomfort to her. You'd think by now she'd be used to it. At least she didn't faint this entire time.

"You may want to give her helmet shock-absorbers Tuskgen."

"Well it does have extra plating on it. Giraffes are known to use their ossicones during combat."

"Ossi-what-now?"

"Ossicones, the small horn-like structures that giraffes have."

Jasmine lowered her head down and I saw the two little stumps that she was talking about. "Oh. Guess I never really noticed."

"They tend to get a little sensitive. Especially the females. There are times that they…"

My time with Nate gave me a bit of forewarning as to where she was going with this. "Yeah, you can stop right there. Whatever you and Zack do in private can stay there."

I felt the Tac-Lifter suddenly take a dive for a second before leveling out as Jasmine smacked her head on the roof again. Why did I say that? That damn rabbit was rubbing off on me too much.

"We haven't… I mean…" Now Zack was nervously stuttering, breaking through his normally suave tone.

"Don't worry. I had nearly the same reaction when Holly teased me about Nate and I. Only, I wasn't flying a giant metal object. Please, try not to kill us."

"Sorry. Ahem, we should be landing any moment. This looks like a good spot."

I watched as we slowly approached the roof. There was a very large clearing that Zack had maneuvered us to. There was a slight bump when we landed, followed by some small shaking before everything stabilized.

"Sure the roof is safe?" I was concerned, remembering all the times I inexplicably fell through a floor or the ground.

"Don't worry. This place was built with special dampeners to protect from violent earthquakes. It might sway here and there, but nothing to be nervous about."

"So Tuskgen, have any ideas where to start?"

"Well, what I need would probably be located in the fabrication plant. From the blueprints, it's located in the basement of the building."

"Basement? Figures. This is what, four stories tall?"

"Five. With two sub-basements."

"Now Zack, you sure this place isn't occupied?"

"Positive. We send some Agents here every few weeks to make sure."

"Why haven't the Guardians just taken it over and turned it into some kind of outpost?"

"While very secure, it's not a tactical location. Chief Lazlo prefers placing our outposts on the outskirts of raider territory to act as a buffer. There are too many Firebug nests nearby, so most raiders steer clear."

"Wait. You mean those living nuclear bombs?"

"Yeah. Hard to tell their nests because they burrow underground when not feeding."

"Well fuck." My swearing seemed to have caused Tuskgen to take pause. "Sorry. Not aiming it at anyone. I just was hoping for a quick mission. I want to get back as soon as possible so I can be there when Nate wakes up."

"Don't worry. He's in good paws." Jasmine said it in a way that I think she was trying to comfort me.

"I know. It's just… knowing him, if he woke and didn't find me there, he might think the worst. I don't want him to have to worry about me."

"Well then, let's move out. Tuskgen, make sure you don't go off by yourself. Make sure at least one of us is with you at all times, although I would prefer if none of us split up." Zack snapped into his role and was now acting very serious.

"I got my Pip-Boar's scanner on. I'll be sure to keep a watch. Speaking of which. Give me a moment."

I remembered that my friends wanted an update from me to make sure we were safe. Didn't want them to worry.

"Miss? Everything okay?"

"Yeah Onion, we just arrived. Holly and Mark with you?"

"Miss Kerrigan is here, but Mister Valiant went to check up on the other Mister Valiant."

"'Livi! You guys okay?"

"We're fine. Just got here and about to go inside. So far there's no trouble. How's Nate doing?"

"No change. I'm sure he'll be awake in no time 'livi. Please be safe and hurry back."

"Trust me, I don't plan on doing any dawdling here. Once we find what we came for, we'll rush right back."

"We'll be anxiously awaiting your ret…" Holly's voice was cut off and replaced by static.

"Holly? Holly! Zack we gotta go…"

"Don't worry Olivia. Nothing's wrong, it's just a radio blackout." Zack sounded rather calm about it.

"What do you mean 'radio blackout'?"

"Part of the defense system. Prevents any raiders from calling for help before the nearest Guardian patrol can arrive. System should have kicked in sooner than that. I might have to check it out while you're looking for your parts."

"Why didn't you tell me about that?" I was starting to get mad.

"I forgot you weren't at the briefing. Don't worry, the others were informed about it. It's a standard Guardian procedure."

I looked at Jasmine and she nodded in agreement with Zack.

"Why was I not informed about this briefing?"

"You were… well it was just before we left and you were with Nate, and let's just say that no one was willing to interrupt you in your current condition at the time."

"What do you mean… it was after the recording, wasn't it?"

"Yes. While I nor any of the other Guardians were made privy to its contents, Holly and Mark suggested that we leave you alone. I was supposed to go over it with you, but I had other things on my mind." Zack seemed to say that last part with a bit of dread.

"Like what? Everything okay?"

"It's official Guardian business. Nothing you need to worry about. So, shall we continue?"

I didn't like it, but I had to trust in him. Jasmine agreed with Zack, and since I trusted her, I felt better. It's not that I didn't trust Zack, it's just that I still didn't know him very well, and he's been nothing but friendly, especially to Jasmine and I've learned that overly friendly is often not a good sign. Though I didn't feel any threat from the zebra, so I guess it must just be the stress I was under. I had to make sure this was quick. I needed to get back.

We spent the first forty minutes waiting for Zack to disable the automated defenses so that we could traverse down to the basement levels. I decided that this would be best spent looking in our immediate vicinity for anything useful. Right away I could tell that this place had been ransacked. Minus a few odds and ends, and some garbage laying on the floor, this first room was empty. The next few were the same. If it wasn't bolted to the floor or wall, it was gone.

"You sure weren't kidding about this place being cleaned out. You think we'll even find anything useful here Tuskgen?"

"No clue, but it was either this or sending out every Guardian to scour the wasteland, and that wouldn't have been well received."

"Damn, I was hoping to be lucky. How's the defenses coming along Zack?"

"Well, I have floors five through one deactivated, but I'm having issues connecting with the sub-level defenses."

"You think we could have company?"

"Not sure. None of the active defenses were triggered, and the minefield is intact."

"How can you tell?"

"See here?" Zack showed me a screen that had an outline of the building from the top. Surrounding the place were hundreds of small red dots. "Every red dot is an actively armed mine. If any were green, they would have been disarmed, and any white dots would mean they were detonated. Since they're all red, I can assume the field is intact. The only way into this place is the roof, and the ground floor and neither were triggered."

"Then what's the issue with the sub-levels?"

"Could be a short in the system. I'll have to take a look at it then report it once we leave. You three can continue the mission once we get there."

I saw a look of concern in Jasmine's face, but she didn't say anything. I was still not sure as to their relationship, but I wasn't about to let him get hurt. I know all too well how it feels to see someone you care about get hurt.

We took it slow moving from floor to floor. Every time we passed a promising area, Tuskgen asked us to stop to check it out, but while she found a few bits of machinery here and there, none of it was what we were looking for. Each time she went 'ooh', and 'ah', my hopes rose that we had found what we needed and can leave. Soon as I found out it wasn't, they were dashed.

Zack told me that even if we found what we were after, he wouldn't have been able to leave until he figured out the issue with the sub-basement, and since he was the only one who knew how to fly the Tac-Lifter, we were basically stranded here until he did. I should have known this wouldn't be a walk in the park. Last time we were in a park, someone died…

Damn it Olivia! This is not the time or the place!

"You okay?" Jasmine seemed worried, and it was then I realized I had just slapped my head.

"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking thoughts that I really shouldn't be. So, how you doing?"

"Okay I guess. It's a little nerve racking, not knowing what to expect."

"I know what you mean. Ever since Zack said there was something wrong with the defenses, the fur on the back of my neck won't relax."

Floors four, three, and two were just as empty as the rest. Whoever cleared this place out was very thorough, and it made me increasingly more nervous that we won't find what we were looking for. I know that this arm isn't the deciding factor whether Nate lives or dies, but I don't want him to start to feel like he's useless again after everything we've been through to convince him otherwise.

"I don't think we're going to find anything." I couldn't help but say it morosely.

"I can see the anxiety building on your face." For the first time Tuskgen approached me with concern, not nervousness. "I didn't want to get your hopes up, especially after seeing how you handled them getting torn down already, but there's a very specific reason I chose this place."

"Why?"

"While we knew ninety-nine percent of this place had been scavenged, there is one place, located within sub-section two of the basement, that has remained untouched. It was where the SwineCo technicians kept the prototypes while awaiting shipment to production facilities. Most of the prototype rooms unlocked when the power's main system failed, but one went into lock down mode. Not even our best technicians could get it unlocked, and from the looks of it, neither could any other scavengers."

"Then what makes you think we can get into it now?"

"We have something no one else had. A Pip-Boar." She glanced down to my arm. "You see, SwineCo created the Pip-Boars, and besides Burrow-Tec personnel, most SwineCo technicians used them. Yes, the Guardians are no strangers to those devices, but all the ones we have found so far were too damaged to help us any. Yours however, is still in pristine condition, and from what I've been told, still has aspects of it in factory mode. Plus, I heard you're a pretty good hacker."

"Well, I am actually, but what is this about it being in factory mode?"

"You see, while Burrow-Tec and SwineCo worked together on the Burrow system, for some reason SwineCo cut ties with them only weeks before the bombs fell. No one knew why, but from some records we found, the higher ups didn't want some random Burrow-Tec personnel to waltz right into the prototyping facilities, so only SwineCo personnel had their Pip-Boars linked to security access. That feature is still inactive on yours, meaning we can use it to clone an access link to get us in."

"If this is a Burrow Pip-Boar, why is that inactive? You'd think that after two hundred years of passing it down through the generations that someone would have eventually accessed everything."

"That's the thing. We didn't think it was important then, but when you first arrived at our base and you were being healed, they sent your Pip-Boar off to me to take a look at. I promise you, I didn't do anything to it other than inspect it for damage and to try to figure out if you were a threat to us. I did, however, notice one thing. You Olivia Springs, have been the only user."

"Wait, what? How can that be? I was told that there were exactly enough Pip-Boars for the original five hundred occupants."

"Yes, but from what little Burrow-Tec records we have recovered, most of the Burrows never met capacity before they were sealed. You must have gotten lucky and when they passed it out, it was one of the new ones. Funny thing is, that was never designed for a rabbit."

"Um, there were only rabbits and rodents, and that sure as hell wasn't designed for a rodent."

"Take a look here." Tuskgen gently rotated my arm and pointed to the bottom. "See that line? They don't exist normally. Someone modified it to make it smaller. Haven't you ever wondered why yours and Nate's screens were the same size?"

"Not really."

"A rabbit is supposed to have a screen two inches smaller than a fox. Every Pip-Boar line was uniquely created for a specific species. Next time you take it off, look at the serial number under it. Holly told me about the emergency link you established between you and Onion, so I won't ask you to take it off and cause them worry, but just check."

"What am I looking for?"

"You'll know."

Why did that seem ominous coming from her? Before I could inquire further, Zack stopped us.

"This is where we have to split up. The control for the defenses is here, and I can manually disable the sub-basement defenses. I need to see what happened so I can report it when we get back. You three keep going, I'll meet up with you once I'm done."

"You sure? What if something happens?" Jasmine sounded concerned.

"Don't worry Jay-Jay, I can take care of myself. It shouldn't take me more than fifteen minutes. Then I'll meet up with you."

"O-okay…"

"He'll be fine Jasmine. Let's go."

The entrance to the basement levels was through a large metal door. It was sealed and I saw the familiar sight of a defense turret attached to the ceiling. I gulped, not wanting to deal with another turret after what happened with Nate, but after a few seconds the door made a beep nose as it slid open. The turret didn't budge an inch.

The door opened to a large elevator. Thankfully there was power, because it took almost five minutes just to reach the bottom. I would have hated to see how many flights of stairs it would have taken to reach our destination.

Outside the elevator it was just as ransacked over as the rest of the place. There were a few posters on the wall, depicting various robots, including the one that had been used against Hope, and the one that nearly captured Drake. There was even a robot that looked a lot like Onion, only with some kind of visor like attachment on it.

"Wait, did this place make robots?"

"Yeah, besides the Pip-Boar, SwineCo was the number one manufacturer of robots. They started out with personal ones, but moved into military use once the war started. This is actually one of the main research and development facilities for the military robotics division."

I poked my head into any unlocked room I found, hoping to find something of use, but they were all empty. Tuskgen informed me that this was still the upper basement level, and that when we got to the lower one, the chances of finding something were much greater. When we finally approached the door leading to the lower level, my heart skipped as I heard a loud noise.

"What was that?"

"Radroach?"

I didn't buy it, and I could tell by Tuskgen's answer that she didn't believe it either. The door was closed, but not locked. I went to push it open but Tuskgen stopped me.

"Jasmine, put your helmet on."

"Y-yes."

"Helmet? I didn't see you have a…"

She had been wearing a very large metal backpack, with what looked like a giant antenna sticking out of it. I figured it was simply a Guardian thing, but when I saw a small panel open up with an attached helmet flip out, I knew it was nothing but standard equipment. I knew that they couldn't remove Jasmine's metal jaw, but when the helmet rotated to attach, I saw how it made the jaw blend into the rest of it, making it look like one unit. It was actually very cool.

"Okay, now use the thermal imager."

I saw the 'eyes' of the helmet fluctuate between green and red. "I see four things."

"Okay, now concentrate on one of the images, and think about focusing it."

"I see… it looks like a… lion?"

"Good. Now do the same with the others. Take your time, and get used to the feeling."

"What's going on Tuskgen?" I was very confused.

"Well, it seems that Red-Necks, despite their backwards thinking, were really good at utilizing the tech to control their flamers. You see, the reason we couldn't remove the jaw is that it has circuitry that was directly connected to her brain. It actually allows them to control their weapons with thoughts, only they never utilized the technology much further than a simple on/off of their weapons. I managed to tweak it to unlock its full potential."

"I can't believe those bastards could have created something so useful."

"They didn't. It was one of the products of a joint project between Burrow-Tec and SwineCo. It never saw mass production."

Technology that required physical mutilation to get it to work? Why am I not surprised that Burrow-Tec was involved.

"Two lions, a beaver, and a porcupine."

"Four? That's all you see?"

"Yeah."

"Well Olivia, you're the expert in… confrontation. How do you think we should proceed?"

"Confrontation is not what I want right now. I just want to get in and get out. We should go back and get Zack and then come up with a plan."

They agreed as we turned back towards the entrance to the basement. We didn't make it more than five feet before yellow lights started to flash. A large metal door slammed closed in front of us, blocking our way back to Zack. I looked for a control panel, but there were none.

"Damn it! What the fuck is going on? Tuskgen, Jasmine, do either of you have a way to contact Zack?"

"I already tried, the radio blocker is preventing it." I could tell Jasmine was starting to panic.

"Okay, let's keep calm. Maybe he hit a button accidentally?"

"That doesn't explain our company."

Fuck. Tuskgen was right. This had to be their doing. There was only one thing to do. "Let's go pay them a visit then. Jasmine, keep Tuskgen in your sight the entire time."

"W-what are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna go play scout."

I opened the door to the lower level and saw a set of stairs leading down. I took a quick peak, but didn't see any sign of mammals.

"Count to sixty. If I'm not back, proceed slowly."

"Back? What are…"

I activated my Stealth-Boar and slipped down the stairs before Jasmine could finish. It was only four flights, but I moved down them so fast it almost felt like I was floating. Once I reached the bottom, I saw the only door, and it was partially open. I slipped through it. On the other side was a long hallway. Every ten feet there was a door on either the left, or the right side of it, but down at the other end was a single door with a red flashing light above it. In front of the door were the mammals Jasmine saw.

I wanted to take out my scope, to see what they were up to, but my invisibility started to fade. I ducked into the nearest room that was unlocked. Grabbing my scope, I took a peak to make sure they didn't notice me and then peered down at them. They had some kind of machine attached to the wall, with a series of flashing lights and numbers on it. I think they were trying to hack the control panel.

"Fuck it Ralph! You set off the alarm! Now we'll have every fucking Guardian on our ass!"

"Don't get your quills in a bunch Felicity. You're the one who told me to attach this damn thing. Why the hell does Impotent-Doe want in here so badly?"

"You fucktard! You know the boss don't like anyone calling her that! Do your job or I'll personally make sure she finds out. Remember what happened to Sammy?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just got to…"

A giant spark caused the beaver to fly backwards. I could see he was knocked unconscious from it, and I started to smell singed fur… no. Please not now. I need to…

"Ralph! You okay? Damn it Gene, he's…" While I was trying to shake the image of burning flesh from my head, the porcupine made eye contact with me. "Who the fuck are you? Wait… IT'S HER! Tammy! Tommy! Get that fucking rabbit!"

Well, looks like my fan club has arrived. Fuck. I pulled out my gun, but not before I saw the two lions inject themselves with something. Oh fuck, they're Berserk-Kings. I saw the familiar look of controlled rage fill both of their faces as they then started charging me. I pulled out my gun to fire, but before I could pull the trigger, one of them dropped. I turned back towards the door and saw Jasmine standing there with what I thought was an antenna hovering over her shoulder.

"That's a gun?!"

"Yup. My own design. Just like her helmet, it's controlled via her implant."

"Oh, Holly would… just a sec." When Jasmine took out the one lion, it caused the other one to stop and simply stare it the corpse. Now, she was charging us again, with a very hateful look in her face. "Pip-Boar, kill."

I knew it was a large enough target that I could have taken her down without the need for B.A.T.S., but I didn't care. One bullet to the lion's head caused her entire body to collapse to the ground. I took aim at the porcupine, but I was too far away, and only had an eleven percent chance to hit according to my Pip-Boar. I fired anyways, and missed.

"Damn it, I gotta get closer."

"No need. Jasmine?"

"Y-yes."

The gun rotated a bit and then fired. Still under the effects of B.A.T.S., I was able to nearly trace the bullet towards its target. Despite the distance, it was a clean shot as the porcupine dropped.

"Computer controlled targeting. All Jasmine has to do is lock on and fire, the system does all the work for her."

"I-It worked…" She didn't sound too happy about it.

"Jasmine, I know you don't like killing, but you did just save us. Don't think of it as killing a mammal, think of it as saving a friend. They would not have."

"I-I… I know. I just…"

"I won't ask you to do it again if you don't want. Just do what you think is best. I won't fault you for it. Now, let's go see what the hell they did and try to undo it, okay?"

They agreed and I walked down the long hallway. Every single door was opened, except for this one. The device that they had planted on the access panel had shorted out, and smoke was pouring from it. It took some effort but I finally got it off. Thankfully, it was only the device that got fried, not the actual access panel.

"So Tuskgen, what do I do?"

"Just like Burrow doors, there's a small manual access port under the instruction sign, only it's designed for a manual Pip-Boar interface."

I took out my screwdriver and unscrewed all four screws connecting it to the wall. Just like she said, there was a small port that matched the size and shape of my Pip-Boar's access cable. I connected it and was greeted with a SwineCo welcome screen. It then changed to a simple screen that asked for password and a user-name.

"What now?"

"Enter the user 'Swinton.H' and leave the password blank. Just give me a moment…" Tuskgen dug around her satchel and pulled out a small device. "When you enter the blank password, this should intercept the authentication and hopefully generate a password for me. I would have never been able to use this without a Pip-Boar like yours."

I pushed the button and got an error.

"Okay, now use the same user name, but try this password: 'S1W2I3N4T5O6N7'."

Entering the information greeted me with an access accepted screen as the door's lock disengaged.

"Well, looks like your planning paid off. What if it didn't?"

"Zack has three pounds of altered plastic explosive with him."

"What do you mean 'altered'?"

"Well, when it explodes it admits a highly corrosive acid that should eat through the door. Never tested it due to the side effects."

"Do I even want to know?"

"It turns the air into a toxic gas."

"Yeah, you're not using that stuff around me Tuskgen."

We entered the room and it was much different than the other ones. Firstly, it was so large that Jasmine could stand on the shoulders of three other giraffe and still not reach the ceiling. It was also completely untouched. There were deactivated robots in small cubical devices that lined the walls. There was even one the size of the APC, with a segmented body. Weapons of designs I've never seen before lined the walls.

"We have gotta come back here." I felt myself in awe at everything.

"My sentiments exactly."

I heard the sound of someone running down the hallway. Not knowing if there were any more Berserk-Kings hiding, I quickly turned, gun in my paw. It's a good thing I didn't pull the trigger. It was Zack.

"Don't shoot!"

"Don't go running up on us like that! Don't you see the corpses?"

"Yeah, I was gonna ask about that. I got the lock down disabled, but we need to go. Now."

"They're dead, what's the…"

"Found it!" Tuskgen rushed over to us with a small box. "Got everything I need, plus a bit more. Didn't even have to take apart anything. We can go, but I want to get a team back here ASAP to transport the rest of this stuff to the base."

"No can do Tuskgen."

"Why not?"

"It's under lock down."

I turned towards the entrance to see a face I didn't expect. Stalker Logan. Behind him were Mark and Holly with very worried looks on their face. Onion floated by their side.

"Why are you here? What the fuck is going on?" Why did I have a bad feeling.

"Defender King has taken over the Guardian Headquarters. He says he's taking control of the Guardians." Logan was calm, but I could tell there was a bit of concern in his voice.

"How can he do that? I thought Lazlo was in charge?" Then my heart sank. "Where the fuck is Nate?"

"Nate's safe 'livi. The medical team is en route with him to a temporary base."

"On top of that, we've had no contact with Chief Lazlo and his team. Currently I'm in charge of making sure the remaining Defenders don't split apart anymore than they already are."

The feeling of dread was rapidly increasing within me. I could tell that none of them were taking this well, even if they weren't showing it. Lazlo is missing, some brute of a rhino has declared himself leader, and Nate is still in a coma. Why was it every time something happened to make me feel a bit better, it all comes crashing down around me?

"What do we do now?" I wasn't even sure how to react to this, I could only think of Nate's safety.

"We regroup. Call back all the Guardians loyal to Chief Lazlo and make plans to get him. Until we can get the Chief back, we have to prepare ourselves for something that hasn't happened in a very long time."

"What's that Logan?"

"A Guardian civil war."

Fallout: Zootopia After Show

Featuring:

'Stripes in the Morning'

[Stripes]

"Good morning Zootopian Wasteland! This is Stripes with Stripes in the Morning! So, yeah that just happened. No, it had nothing to do with a certain superhero movie that was out around the time this chapter was being developed, but rather an inkling of an idea developed between Max and I. These next few chapters will be, well, interesting to say the least. I will tell you this, the next two story arcs will start to focus a bit more on another character than Olivia, but don't worry, she's still the star of the show, but she can't hog all the spotlight.

"Now, today's episode will be very special. Defender Matheous King is a rather… unique individual and I felt that now would be a good time to get to know him a little better. Now while the onset of a civil war within the Protectors of the Wasteland will prove to be a bit… harrowing for all parties involved, Defender King has agreed to share his side of the story. Defender King, how are you?"

[King]

"You better fucking make sure you do exactly as you're told while you're here zebra."

[Max] (Whispering to Stripes)

"Well this feels like a mistake right off the bat… Stripes…Really not sure about this. I mean I'm normally all for getting your ass kicked around but uh… C'mon Stripes… This is a little extreme don'tcha think?"

[Stripes]

"Well ain't that a fine howdy do? And don't worry Max, they are still Guardians, right? Now you see folks, Defender King has so 'graciously' invited me here to help spread word of his take over of the Guardians. However, that's not really my cup of tea so let's see how this turns out." whispers "Don't worry, I'm still rooting for team Olivia, I'm just curious how this turns out."

[King]

"What was that zebra?"

[Stripes]

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Ahem. So, I want to warm up the audience with a few questions before we go into the big ones. How long have you been a Guardian?"

[Max]

"Yer finally gonna get us killed… Congrats Stripes.."

[King]

"You are here for me! Not them!"

[Stripes]

"Well, um… yeah. You see, yelling and demanding really doesn't get you as far as you'd think in life. Let the people get to know you, get to understand you better. You'll have a much easier time doing, what ever it is you are planning to do, if the people understand it better."

[King]

"If I find out that you're stalling me in order to initiate a sneak attack against us, your hide will make a fine addition to my trophy room!"

[Max]

"A-allow me to interject here! Stripes is well… Utterly incapable of planning such a feat and considering we're literally on the doorstep of your uh… Headquarters… Well I doubt you're in any danger… Like at all. Stripes is completely harmless really."

[Stripes]

"Max is right, except for that completely harmless bit. Though I did graciously leave my weapons at the door, so I guess I am a bit harmless right now. Plus, anyone who would even be willing to make that kind of assault against you is… well… let's just say they don't want me within a hundred feet of them. So, anyways. About the question?"

[King]

"Fine. Fifteen years."

[Stripes]

"Fifteen years? Why is it we haven't really seen mention of you until recently?"

[King]

"Just got out of the brig a week ago."

[Stripes]

"Brig? You mean like a jail? What did you do?"

[King]

"I've been told I have an anger problem. Last mammal who told me that now has a broken jaw."

[Stripes]

"I see… yeah, no problems right there… So, anyways. Why the sudden uprising? Chief Lazlo seems to run a pretty good operation here."

[King]

"The Chief is getting senile in his old age. He thinks that protecting the weak is more important than actually doing our job."

[Stripes]

"Isn't protecting the weak what the Guardians are all about?"

[King]

"Ha! That's old talk right there. Really old. Yeah, before the war I'm certain that the weak needed to be protected. Those mammals paying taxes, working to make this world a 'better' place. How did that help? It DIDN'T! This world is fucked. The weak are fucked. Why bother to protect those who will give nothing in return? I say screw them. If they want to contribute to a better world, they can do it on their own. The Guardians should be out there doing what we do best. Taking out the trash. These fucking raiders, these lowlifes who think they're better than the rest of us. We got the power, so why not show it? That fucking pitiful excuse for a leader just wanted to hide here, popping our heads out here and there and then retreating. He turned an army into a group of servants!"

[Stripes]

"Personally I think they were doing a good job… so why now?"

[King]

"That fucking Lazlo is M.I.A., probably got himself killed along with the rest of those fuckers that look up to him. What better time? Plus this was ripe for division. We're busting our fucking asses out there trying to wipe out these fucking raider degenerates, and what does that fucking Lazlo do? Invites a fucking RED-NECK into our base! They're the worst scum out there! I don't fucking care how 'hurt' or 'innocent' she looks, she's a fucking monster and should be treated like one! Between her and that fucking bitch of a rabbit and her fucking cowardly fox, this place is turning into a daycare!"

[Stripes]

"Wow, you sure have a lot of hate in you. Ever think about anger management?"

[King]

"Last mammal who told me that has to drink his meals through a straw, so best not get on my bad side."

[Stripes]

"It's kinda hard to tell what one that is… eep!"

[King]

"What did I fucking tell you?"

[Stripes]

"Ow-ow-ow-ow… my mane is not a handle!"

[King]

"This interview is over."

sound of crashing and bones breaking

[Stripes]

"Oh fucking… sorry folks, I didn't mean to… I can see my bone! Max! Get me the hell out of here! All that blood… is it… m…"

[Max]

"God damn it Stripes! I… Fuckfuckfuck! I fuckin' told you! I fuckin' told you you god damn idiot! Marian Preserve my soul if I don't make it out of this! You're gonna pay for this one King! Your fuckin' days are NUMBERED YOU HEAR ME YOU OVERSIZED GOR-AGAARH"

Sounds of gunfire and scrambling