"Thank you for joining us today."

Nate was standing upon the same podium as he was yesterday. It had been a little over a day since all the bodies were transported back from Precinct One, and the funeral procession had just commenced. I honestly didn't have any idea on how the dead were treated in the wasteland. I knew that many societies preferred burial, and I have witnessed it, and even done the same myself, but I didn't realize that the Guardians cremated their dead. I guess it made sense, seeing how large of a graveyard would have been needed for such a long run organization like this. I just had to make sure I was nowhere near the crematory when it happened.

"You may notice that this is a bit of an unusual gathering of not only Guardians, but civilians as well. Chief Lazlo wasn't just a friend and companion to the Guardians, but a friend to those he died to protect. It would be wrong of us to prevent these souls who he had touched from seeing him laid to rest."

Mayor Swift, along with many other mammals who I either didn't know, or barely knew were present along with the entire force. Field agents, patrols, everyone of them were called back in for the funeral, and even a few of those who had sided with King had arrived, though they had been escorted by armed Guardians. King had awoken a few hours ago, but I wasn't surprised he wasn't there. Knowing him he was probably laughing his ass off at this. I really wanted to shoot him.

"Chief Lazlo was a great leader, but he wasn't just a leader, he stood side by side with the Guardians, and never once considered him above any of them. That is why we have chosen to honor his death not with the pomp that typically comes with a death like this, but rather to honor him as he did us, as a Guardian. All those who died during the fateful events at Precinct One will be honored with Mister Lazlo as their ashes are put to rest within the Hall of Guardians. Now, there are a few mammals who would like to say something. Stalker Logan."

"Thank you Chief Valiant. As you all know, I have been Chief Lazlo's right-paw mammal, serving him loyally all while commanding the forces during battles. Some of you have gotten to consider me the bite to his bark due to my ability to take control of a confrontational situation. He dedicated his life to helping so many that I was more than willing to take the stress off of him when it came to fighting. He wasn't a coward and he wasn't afraid of a fight, I've seen his unbridled aggression when it comes to push or shove, but even during those times he cared too much about getting innocents caught up in the battle that I'm sure many of you saw that as a weakness. No, it wasn't a weakness but his greatest strength. I know how easy it is to end a life, how that can affect you, long after the calluses of war have hardened. He always had the ability to look past that violence and create a better solution when it presented itself. When no solution was found, he was as a skilled surgeon, cutting out the infection before it could spread. Thanks to his efforts, the walls of Darkwater are stable, the influences of Raiders and other malicious groups are at an all time low within the heart of Zootopia, and that blight on the map called Wild Times is no longer in operation. Sometimes war is necessary, but when Chief Lazlo sounded the horn of battle, you knew that all other options had been expended. Today I ask of you to not mourn the loss of a leader, but to mourn the loss of a friend to most, and to some, a father."

I could tell that the last thing Logan said had effected Nate, but he still kept his composure. I wonder if anyone else saw it, or if it was just me? Without any other word, Nate nodded towards Mayor Swift who was sitting in the front row. She had on a long black dress that still showed how attractive she was, but also emphasized her current sullen state. From what I heard, shortly after taking back the base, Logan had Agents send out communications to everyone who was close to Lazlo, including Mayor Swift. When she arrived, I could tell that his death hurt her, but despite the fact, she was still keeping her composure around everyone. She was, however, caught by surprise once Nate welcomed her, as the new Chief.

"Thank you Logan. Most of you know me as the mayor of Hope. I remember the first time I met Lazlo. It was nearly twenty years ago and we were under attack by the Council who thought that Hope would be a perfect place to help them expand deeper into the wasteland. Hope has been under attack before, but usually by raiders or loosely organized gangs. This time, it was different. They were armed and organized. I had never met Lazlo before, but I knew of him, most of the wasteland did. We all heard his tails of chivalry, but I know many didn't believe them. To be honest, I didn't at first. That might come as a surprise to many who know me, but back then I was younger and more naive of the world. I had taken over as Mayor only a few years prior and already had learned that if someone sounds too good to be true, they usually are. Thankfully, Lazlo was not. When our distress signal was finally answered, Lazlo led the charge personally, and within hours had driven the Council away. It was hard to believe there was a mammal out there that actually cared about others like he did.

"Now I will tell you something that I have not told to many. Lazlo was the reason that I am who I am today. Like I said, I was young and naive. My parents never let me travel outside the town, so I was very oblivious to what went on out there. Only by talking to the traders did I learn of how bad this world was. When my parents were nearly killed by raiders disguised as traders? I didn't want to leave the town, afraid of what other dangers might be out there. Lazlo showed me that while the world is full of dangers, not everyone is untrustworthy. He took me to places that I never thought I'd see. The serene, if not deadly waters of Darkwater, the rolling hills of Bunnyburrow, even to the Meadowlands where a small town called Meadow Valley has prospered in peace since before the war. This opened my eyes to how much beauty is in the world. It also taught me to find that same beauty within everyone. A mammal's exterior tells them who they are, not who they were or who they can be. I've learned to read past that, to see the real mammal that resides in us all. That is why he will be missed, because he was one of the most caring and gentle souls I have ever met."

I found myself crying from her speech. I knew that Lazlo was a good mammal, but I didn't realize how much of one he was, and how much of a positive influence he had over other mammals. It makes me wonder why anyone would want to leave his command. If only there were more mammals like him in this world, then maybe groups like Guardians wouldn't be needed. Next up was Mark.

"My name is Mark Valiant. Some of you may know me simply as Nate's brother, and others as a civilian medic that has helped heal wounds in the past. What some of you might not know is how close my family is to Chief Lazlo. He was… Is and will always be my family's savior. If it weren't for him we wouldn't be standing here talking about him now. He saved us when we were only three days out of our old Burrow. He knew we wouldn't be able to survive. I still remember what he said. 'You're a pair of foxes and a bunny, I don't care about that. You won't survive out here longer than a week if we just leave you behind. It wouldn't be right.' I never thought he'd take to any of us like he did though. I'll miss him, but I'll always remember how he treated everyone. So long as you didn't try to shoot him, he generally wanted to help you. That's the attitude I took when we finally set out on our own, that's the attitude I'll take until the day I'll die. I know I'm gonna miss him, but I'll do my best to live on with his memory in my mind."

It was Holly's turn now, and just like always, she was blunt and to the point.

"Lazlo was a pain in the ass. I don't say that to be mean. I say that because he always demanded that we check in with him. Once a week, every week. I say that because whenever he could, he'd send one of his patrols our way to make sure everything was alright. He was a wonderful, caring, almost overbearing in a fatherly way pain the ass that I'm going to miss so, so very much. I know I annoyed him to no end whenever I was around here, begging to see any new firearm you were all able to dig up. Wanting to check up on the armory and see if there was anything I could scavenge. I was that terrible hopeless daughter who'd get tangled up with the wrong buck to him and by God would he always let me know it! But that's the kind of mammal he was. He was a pain in the ass to all of us in one way or another because he cared about all of us. To him, we were his family, we always will be. So none of you had better forget that! Or else I'll make sure to out you when he comes back from the dead because discipline has become too lax! Cause we all know he will too. He cares too much about us all to let us slide like that."

Then the moment I was anxiously awaiting came. Nate nodded towards me. I didn't know what to say, I wasn't a talker. Give me someone to shoot, or something to fix and I'm your girl. Talk about someone who I have not known nearly as much as everyone else in front of hundreds of mammals? I'm scared shitless. A hard nudge from Holly told me that I needed to get up and do this. Please, someone just shoot me and get it over with.

"Um… hi? No, what I mean is…" Come on Olivia, get it together. All those eyes on me… "Look, I'm not good at this type of thing. Want me to strip down and rebuilt a generator ten times better? I can do that. Take out a horde of savage ghouls? Done that a few times. Talk in front of a crowd of people, whom I know at least half of them still tiptoe around me like I'm some kind of volatile bomb? Not my thing." Gah! I'm getting off topic. Why is this so fucking hard to do? "Chief Lazlo he… I didn't know him nearly as much or even as well as most of you. Most of my time with him was of a direct result to nearly getting myself killed. I think he spent more resources on keeping me alive than he has in a month on all of the Guardians. Still, he kept caring. I bet if he wasn't the mammal he was, I would be dead. At first I thought it was simply him repaying me for saving his life. I could understand that. When he kept saving my life? Part of me wondered if he was simply trying to use me, or even recruit me, which he did try, but this life isn't for me. After a while, I began to realize that he wasn't helping me for some ulterior motive, that he genuinely wanted to help. When I found out about how he helped Holly, Mark, and Nate? I knew he wasn't a bad mammal. After meeting bad mammals over and over, it was hard to understand that there really were good ones out there.

"From hearing what others have had to say about him, I know now truly how much he cared, and not just about some small rabbit who happened to save him. I didn't even know who he was when I did, I just knew that some helpless mammal was in trouble and I had to do something to help. Even if I did know he was the leader of the Guardians, I would still have done everything I could to help him. I don't care who or what you are. Actions speak louder than species or gender, and if you are in trouble, I will stop at nothing to help, even if it means taking down an entire raider group and nearly getting killed in the process. You never know how important a single mammal can be until they prove it, and I think that's what he saw in me, something that even now I find myself having trouble grasping at. I wish I could have met him sooner, to get to know him as well as all of you, but even though he's gone, I will cherish everything he has done for me, everything he has taught me and do my best to continue to spread his belief that everyone deserves saving, but sadly, in this world there are those who are beyond saving, but those mammals should not be dealt with through ruthlessness, but rather compassion. My mother once told me that I will meet those who will truly hate me for no reason, and that those are the ones who are suffering the most. Taking the life of another mammal is an unavoidable obstacle in making this world a better place, but those who suffer in life, should not be made to suffer in death. Um… I think I got a bit off topic again…" fuck. I could feel those eyes piercing me like daggers now. "Chief Lazlo may be gone in life, but he will always be remembered in death, and I will do my best to help continue his vision to make this world a better place for everyone."

I hurriedly walked off the stage, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. I had started to talk and my brain took over. Sure everything I said was the truth, but why did I feel like it wasn't my place to be here to begin with? I'm not a Guardian, and I really didn't know Lazlo very well, but I know he was a good mammal.

"You did fine 'livi."

"You sure Holly? I was nervous as fuck up there."

"Yeah, we could tell, but you still did good."

More and more mammals stepped up to tell their own stories on how they knew Lazlo, both civilian and Guardian. All of them knew Lazlo in different ways, from different times, but every single one of them had nothing but praise for the fallen Chief. He really had touched so many mammals during his life. It made me miss him even more, knowing the impact he has had on the world. I really did wish I knew him better.

Zack gave a nice speech on how Lazlo was like a king of old who treated both royalty and peasants with the same respect. Tuskgen kept her speech short and simple. Despite the fact that her and her brother had not been on talking terms, I could tell that she was taking his death hard. Even Bo gave a few words, about how Lazlo helped stand up against the evils of slavery. I had wondered if Jasmine would talk, but her name never came up. I wasn't sure if it was because she was one of the newest recruits and knew even less about him than I did, or if there was still an issue with her past. I am hoping that her past doesn't affect her future with the Guardians, but with Nate in charge, I doubt it will. I think even my friends have gotten to like, and hopefully trust, Jasmine.

Once everyone who was willing and able to give a speech did, Nate took the stage again.

"Today, we've all seen just how many mammals Lazlo and his actions have affected. How many considered him a friend and even as close to family as it's possible to be. He touched many of our lives in profound ways, gave us hope, gave us each a chance to become a better mammal. I considered him a father. There were evenings where nightmares were just… Too strong for me to withstand and he'd find me wondering aimlessly in the middle of the night, afraid of my own damn shadow. He was the first to ask me just how… How bad I had it in the Burrow we came from, the first to actually listen to me. To actually care about what happened to some scruffy little fox the rest of the world had no time for. When he learned I enjoyed working on machines and computers? He encouraged me not to hold back, to crawl a little ways out of my shell and try my best, no matter if it was good enough or not. He let me fiddle with a lot of run down tech around here and I came to know a few of you that way, just fixing odd little devices here and there. Reprogramming computer programs that had once been impossibly corrupted. All of that he encouraged me with. Even gave me the idea to fix up an old pre-war military transport. Even now he's still urging us on, giving us a guiding light through the legacy he left behind in all of us. Chief Maximilian Lazlo demanded from each of us that we give it our absolute best no matter what it was we found ourselves doing. He encouraged us to see beyond ourselves! I know I will never be the same mammal as he was, nor will I ever try to be. All I can promise is that I will do my very damnedest to live up to his memory and his legacy. That I will do everything I can to help each and every one of his guardians reach up beyond their limits. To see more in themselves and those around them, to see all of the potential for greater and greater things! I swear this day that I, Nathan Valiant, shall carry on his legacy and help this world become a better, safer, and once again joyful place. I will fight for it, I hope we all will."

Most of the crowd stood and cheered, from the looks of it, there were very few that didn't. Whether or not all of them agreed with Lazlo's choice to make Nate leader, I'm sure they stood together with him in not mourning the death of a mammal, but in the legacy he created in life, a legacy that I'm sure Nate will do all he can to keep alive.

And if he fails? I will be there to support him every step of the way.

"Your blood pressure is off the charts Miss Springs."

Once the funeral was over, and things were situated and starting to get back to a semblance of normalcy, Mark suggested… no, insisted that Nate and I go visit Doc. Both Mark and Holly agreed that the past few days Nate and I had shown signs of battle fatigue. I insisted I felt fine, that I was as mobile as ever, but he still insisted, so here I am receiving news that I knew I didn't want to hear.

"Muscular reaction times are off, pupil dilation is abnormal, and I don't even have to run the tests to tell that your mental acuity is below acceptable rates."

"I feel fine Doc."

"No, you don't, or at least your mind is trying to tell you that you don't. I see this all the time. Working as a medical technician in an army has made me quite the expert at detecting this. If I took a guess, most of your more extraneous events have been fueled solely through adrenalin. Have you been using B.A.T.S.?"

"Here and there."

"I don't care what those 'doctors' who worked for Burrow-Tec say, using that serum as a replacement for proper training isn't good. There's no such thing as a non-addictive chem. The more you get used to using it, the harder it is to function without it."

"I can't help it Doc. When people are in trouble I need to act, and fast."

"Well, try to keep its use at a minimum. I already know it's impossible to tell someone to not use it, but please, don't overdo it."

"I'll try Doc. So, am I good to go?"

"From here? Yes. From the base? No."

"What do you mean? I still have Legionaries to hunt down."

"You and Chief Valiant are ordered to rest. A few days at least, a week would be best."

"I can't be tied down for a week!"

"And there goes your blood pressure spiking again. I do have the medical authority to keep both you and the Chief confined to quarters."

"But I…"

"No buts. You're to come and see me for a checkup every day until I'm certain you're fit for duty again, even if I have to get some Defenders to drag you here."

He was really going there? Would any of them even want to do that? Damn it, I got to stop thinking about things like that. I already feel bad enough that I intimidate some of the Guardians, I don't need to do or say anything that will make that worse, especially considering my boyfriend is now their leader.

"Okay Doc. I promise."

"Good, now run along, I've got work to do."

I wonder if anything can intimidate him. I've seen Logan crack more smiles than this doctor. Then again, with what he has probably seen, with an unthinkable amount of mammals that probably died under his care due to injuries, I guess it isn't surprising he is how he is.

"'Livi, you done in here?"

"Oh, hey Holly. Yeah, Doc was just wrapping things up with me. What's up?"

"We might have a problem. Come with me."

Holly sounded serious. My first thought was that something happened with Nate, but that washed away quickly. He was with Logan, going over the details of his new role as Chief. Plus, if anything had happened to him, I think Holly would be much more frantic. Right now she just seemed… concerned.

I followed her deeper into the base towards the wing that held the supplies, armory, and at the very far end, Tuskgen's lab. It wasn't long before I started to hear crashing noises. The telltale sound of breaking glass, warping metals, and yelling, lots and lots of yelling. I picked up the pace and ran towards the source of the noise, Tuskgen's lab.

Inside, the origin of the ruckus was clear. A large elephant in a tattered lab coat was throwing the largest temper tantrum I had ever seen. Everything that wasn't bolted to the ground was either shattered or scattered throughout her lab. From the scrapes and cuts on Tuskgen's thick hide, I could tell that she had been injured in the process. She is such a kind, gentle mammal, why is she doing this? Then she turned and I saw the tears, rolling like a waterfall down her face.

"Tuskgen?" I couldn't think of anything to say, but I wanted to make sure that I had her attention.

She currently had a large cabinet that from the looks of it, had been attached to the wall moments earlier. Upon realizing that she wasn't alone, she simply dropped the fixture and stood there, looking paralyzed. I slowly walked towards her, trying my best to not look intimidating, but that was hard when I still had no idea how the others really saw me.

"Tuskgen, what's wrong?"

After a moment, she simply dropped to the floor and started sobbing uncontrollably. I walked close enough to put my paw on her arm, and I felt it tense up. I just stood there, not moving my paw nor saying anything. It took nearly a minute, though it felt like an eternity, for her tension to ease up.

"W-why did that… d-dumb brute have to g-go and get himself killed."

"Your brother? Is that what this is about?"

She slowly nodded. I saw her blindly reaching around for something with her other hoof. I looked around and saw a large towel, large for me at least, sitting crumpled up a few feet away. I walked over to it and handed it to her. Once she realized what I had given her, she grabbed it with her trunk wiped the tears from her eyes before switching it over to her hoof and blowing her trunk. It was hard to not show how painfully loud it was to me.

"T-thanks."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I-I…"

"You don't have to, if you don't want to."

"E-ever since we were kids, he always picked on me. Called me 'Ed'. I-I'm not that feminine, I'd rather dress in coveralls than anything else. I never liked 'girly' things, and he picked on me because of that. Calling me his 'brother', that he didn't even have a sister just because how I dressed and would rather tinker with whatever junk our parents brought in on salvage missions."

"There's no shame in that. I'm not exactly the girly type either, and I've been tinkering since I was told enough to talk."

"Says the bunny who owns some sexy lingerie."

"Shut up Holly. You still owe me for that too, don't think I've forgotten." I turned my attention back to Tuskgen. "Was that why you two didn't talk much?"

"N-no. I mean…" She slowly reached up with her trunk and pulled down the collar of her undershirt just enough to pull out a necklace. It was oval shape made of what looked like tarnished copper and was nearly as big as my paw. She tapped it with her hoof and it popped open, revealing two older elephants, one on each side.

"Are those…"

"My parents. They were scavengers, long before even my brother and I were born."

"Were they also part of the Guardians?"

"No. Honestly, the way they talked about them, I don't think they even liked them."

"Why not? Sure there are some that are a bit… rough around the edges, but they just want to do good."

"You don't know much about them before Lazlo took over, do you?"

"Not really, no."

"Lazlo might have been old, but he was the most recent in a long line of Chiefs. Before him, there was Chief Chaffer. If Lazlo was the kindest, Chaffer was the meanest. From what I hear he wasn't a bad leader, but he used fear to control the Guardians. He constantly threatened to toss mammals into the brig, even for simple things like being a minute late to your post. He'd limit everyone to enough food to keep us alive, and if you were injured in battle? You were left to die if you couldn't make it back to the Tacs. He didn't hate those he commanded, he simply wanted the best, no matter how many died to give him that."

"That's horrible. I'm so glad that Lazlo was a good mammal. I'd hate to see how… wait a second, Lazlo told me that every Chief was descended from the one to found the Guardians. Does that mean…"

"Chief Chaffer was his… father."

That hit me so hard I thought that someone punched me. How can someone so kind, and so generous have been fathered by someone who sounded so cruel.

"What happened to him?"

"My parents were in their teens I think, when the Great Divergence happened."

"Great Divergence?"

"When the Steel Guardians split off into three factions, each with their own ideals."

"Oh, you mean the Corrupted and those Council Guardians?"

"Yes. My parents were salvaging an old military complex a few miles inside the Rainforest District. The Corrupted Guardians were barely even Guardians. A dozen or so stole some gear and joined forces with some raider group. They were no threat to the Guardians, so Chaffer ignored them. The self proclaimed Revolutionary Council of Steel Guardians on the other hoof was a liability to the Guardians, and so a liability to Chaffer."

"What does that have to do with your parents?"

"Chaffer lead a charge against the fleeing Council, straight into the Rainforest District, straight into where my parents were. They weren't killed obviously, but that fight injured both of them, and since they were injured civilians, Chaffer ordered the medics to leave them to die. If it wasn't for a traveling merchant who saw the whole thing, I wouldn't be here talking to you."

"So that's why your parents hated the Guardians. I wouldn't blame them if I was in their position, but that doesn't answer why you and your brother didn't talk to each other. Hell, it now makes me wonder why you two even are Guardians in the first place."

"Like I said, my parents didn't like them, and long after we were born, that dislike of them continued. Even when Lazlo took over for his father, and started to shape the Guardians back into the peacekeepers they were meant to be, they still didn't trust them, said that too many mammals throw around false hope just to strip it from you with nary a moment's notice. Despite their injuries, they were still able to continue their work, and I enjoyed helping. I was never one for digging through the junk, or traversing with them on dangerous hunts, but every time they brought home something that looked beyond repair, I fixed it up and they sold it, making a decent amount of caps to live on. We weren't rich by any standards, but we could buy food, water, and even the occasional little fun thing here and there. Life couldn't be better. Until we met Chaffer."

"What do you mean, met? I thought Lazlo had taken over by then?"

"He did. Problem is, he didn't do it because his father died or retired, he did it because Chaffer… when I met him, face to face, he was the Chief of the Council."

"Wait, what? What do you mean the 'Council'?"

"Lazlo never liked going into details of it. He even changed his name so that neither he, nor the Guardians were reminded of his betrayal. If you think King's betrayal was bad? I tend to get a little… nosy when it comes to files, provided they aren't encrypted. I'm not that big of a snoop, but still, I can't help it sometimes, and when Lazlo brought his data-log in for me to fix a minor corruption in the database? I accidentally ran into a few things, including a detailed report that he never released. It was the Chief's personal data, and I wasn't planning on doing it, but when I ran into the names of my parents, I had to. I never did tell him about it, I felt too ashamed. It seemed that Chaffer had a personal vendetta against the Council, so he diverted so much energy and resources to try to get at their base. The Rainforest District is a deathtrap. Fallen trees, sniper and grenadier nests dotted all over, and more automated turrets than you can shake a tail at. I think the Council's leader at the time was a bit paranoid, and with Chaffer after him? I don't think I blame him.

"Eventually, Chaffer succeeded, at the cost of many Guardian's lives. He captured the leader, but then the Guardians never heard from him again. A weeks later, after countless search and rescue teams came up empty, he reappeared, suited in the Council's crest, leading them to war against the Guardians. That's when Lazlo took over, after seeing his own father's betrayal. Despite Lazlo being rushed into the position, he was a natural leader, and he rallied the Guardians to push the Council back into the Rainforest. It took a few years of skirmishes, but soon the Council started to show less and less aggression. They all thought that Chaffer had finally died, and that they were scattered. They were wrong.

"When he appeared again years later, it was in a small town near the north western wall of Darkwater. Not many towns thrived there, but this one did simply due to the fact that it was surrounded by so many untouched areas to scavenge. It was aptly named Junktown, and this is where we lived. They would scavenge the areas, bring it back for me to repair and then I would sell it from a small tent that was set up in the middle of town. Most families within Junktown did that, but all the traders came to our tent first. It made me feel… special, to know that my hard work was so eagerly wanted by mammals from all over. My brother, on the other hoof, didn't care about scavenging, fixing, or selling. From the moment he was old enough to fire a gun, that's all he cared about, shooting things. Sure, he knew right from wrong, and would never harm someone who didn't deserve it, but he was never phased when it came to killing anything, or anyone, who did deserve it. Think that's why once he was old enough, the town's mayor made him one not only a guard, but one of the top rank ones. He was as deadly with a minigun as he was accurate with a rifle. I'm just glad no one was dumb enough to give him a Nuke Tube, or else he would have leveled the town. Didn't stop Chaffer and the Council from doing that anyways."

"He destroyed the town?"

"Destroyed is an understatement. It seems that there was some hidden military bunker nearby with tons of weapons that were hidden away shortly after the war. He wanted it, and nothing, no one would stand in his way. He personally came to the town, to ask the mayor if he knew where the weapons were. He didn't, otherwise we would have found them and sold them a long time ago. When the mayor told him that? Chaffer got angry and not only killed the mayor, but started to slaughter everyone, yelling to everyone that this land was Council property and that we were never given permission to utilize it, despite the fact that the Council never expanded beyond the Rainforest District."

Every time she mentioned Chaffer's name, I got angry. I didn't know if this mammal was still alive, though I doubt it given Lazlo's age, but if he was, and I ever saw him? He wouldn't be anymore. The Council already sounded dangerous, but under Chaffer's leadership? They sounded like one of the most dangerous groups in the wasteland.

"Did he… kill your parents?"

"I… When the fighting broke out, I did the first thing that came to my head, I called for the Guardians. I had heard so many good things about them in recent years, I just knew they weren't the monsters that my parents made them out to be. My brother never shared my thoughts, following their hatred of them, despite never having met them before. I had a small short wave radio that I had been tinkering with, and managed to get a message out. When I got a message back and told my parents? It was as if they forgot we were in danger. They never hit me or my brother, but they never needed to. Their words always hurt so much more. It wasn't until Chaffer shot my father that my mother stopped yelling. I was scared, I couldn't move, I didn't know what to do. I don't like fighting, I just like making things. My brother saw this and charged him, guns blazing. Chaffer was in full armor, so my brother's small rifle did nothing to even slow him down, and two of his soldiers grabbed my brother and beat him an inch from death. I was still sitting there, too scared to do anything. My mother watched my brother's beating in horror as Chaffer asked her if she knew where the weapons were. When she said no, he killed her too. I probably would have died if it wasn't for the Guardians arriving. They drove away the Council and took all the injured back to their base to be healed. Not everyone made it, but my brother did.

"We were still young, and we had no parents. Lazlo was so kind, and when he saw how skilled I was at fixing things, he asked me if I wanted to apprentice under the lead Engineer. I don't know if it was due to all the potential things I could do, or if it was because I was still in shock at watching my parents killed right in front of me, but I knew that there was nothing for me, so I didn't hesitate to accept. My brother, however, wasn't so accepting. From how he fought against the Guardians who were simply trying to help him, I think Lazlo saw something in him as well. It took a few months but he finally convinced him to join the ranks. To be honest, I think over the years he finally realized how good these mammals really are, but he never forgave me for calling for the Guardians behind my parents back, or for not doing anything to help as I watched them die. I think, even after all these years, part of him still blamed me for their death. I tried to patch things between us, but he's one of the most stubborn mammals I know. From what Lazlo told me once, he said that my brother didn't like anyone here, but he respected them enough to follow. Plus, he had access to all the guns he could ever want. I just wish I could have at least said… I'm sorry."

"You did what you had to do. If you didn't, you, and everyone else including your brother, would have died that day. Your actions saved lives, even if he never saw it that way. I really didn't know him, but I will tell you this, he died not only doing what he loved, but he died a hero, protecting all of us from an ambush. If he hadn't been there with us, we would have probably not lived either. He died saving lives. Whether or not he liked any of us, he still fought with the bravery and loyalty that a friend would. Like I said, I didn't know him, nor his motives for joining, but I know that Lazlo would never force joining on anyone, just like with me, just like with Mark and Holly, and Nate, he asked, he gave us all a choice. Is it possible, that he didn't accept being a Guardian out of his own sake, but to be here to watch over and protect you? Even if he never showed it?"

"I… I never thought about it. Lazlo has told us that we weren't bound by contract, that we were free to leave at anytime for any reason. Do… do you really think that's why he stayed all these years?"

"I can't tell you what to think, but if he hated the Guardians so much, why else would he have stayed?"

"I…" She gave me a hug, a rather painful one due to her size, but I didn't complain, especially after she said "thank you."

Holly and I stayed and helped her clean up a bit before we left. While not completely over her brother's death, she seemed much closer to her normal self than she had been moments earlier. Once we helped her enough that she said she could take it from there, Holly and I left to find out where our significant others were. Once we were down the hall a bit, Holly whispered to me.

"Do you really think that's why he joined and stayed all these years? I can't imagine being part of a group you despised for that long."

"I don't know honestly. It just felt like the right thing to say."

"I really hope you didn't just give her false hope about her brother's feelings towards her."

"From what I have learned Holly, sometimes false hope is better than no hope at all."

Fallout: Zootopia After Show

Featuring:

'Stripes in the Morning'

[Celeste]

"Hello again folks! Well… It's been a while hasn't it. Not that this isn't fun buuut well… With a perforated boyfriend things kind of get in the way, which is probably why you haven't seen or heard from Max as much as some of you might want. And as for Stripes? For this episode let's just say he was drugged, chained up, and thrown into the nearest available utility closet. He's been pestering Max for on this particular subject for a while and it came to a head the other evening. Drove my poor little fox into an exhausted drunken mess.

"Why you might ask? Well it seems that Stripes has been wanting to talk about the first time they met and just how Max came to be here in Zootopia, as well as why he has such an aversion to Memory Lane. Yes that's right! My fox isn't even a local to our er… Not so fair wasteland. In fact he's only been here for the last four or so years of his life. Now before I go on I must inform you that Max has a very… VERY difficult time relating to his past. It took me forever and a day to get what I have out of him and he seriously had to have me sit on him to keep him from drinking. A lot of you probably won't think his past is that hard of one once you hear it but that's a matter of opinion. For him and where he came from and everything he's seen, it's made him into a far different mammal than what he used to be.

"So then… Maxton Septim Redbridge, just where was he born and how did he end up here? Why did he end up where he is now? It seems that he came from a far off community called Foxmoors somewhere three or four hundred miles northwest of Hope. As Max described his old home to me, it was a place of green grass and large trees with only the occasional rad storm, a largely idyllic community which was by and large prey controlled, with one special caveat. The founding families were all vulpine in origin and it was rather common for better off prey to marry into these families, keeping the namesakes of the town founders alive and well. Max as it happens was just… I guess you could say lucky enough to have been born into one such family, specifically the Redbridge line. As far as he can remember, his birth mother died sometime soon after he was born and in interest of keeping his family line alive his father married a rather well off Merchant's daughter who just so happened to have been recently divorced… With quite a number of her own kits. He never really gave me any specifics beyond the fact that she was a rabbit.

"Now you might be wondering if he was abused or mistreated to make this so hard for Max to share any of it. I can at least say he was never mistreated by his family, if only for the fact that where he came from he always received a special level of treatment for being a direct descendant of the founding families. His step mother made sure he was cared for, educated and never found for want, but he was never really loved like her own kits and his father well… His father was never really there for him. Max only had this to say about his father. He could never look his own son in the eye for fear of being reminded of what he had lost. Which is all the more ironic when you take in how he died. This is where things start to well… Go down hill for Max. His father tried for years to move on from the loss of his mate and sought solace in a place so very much similar to our own Memory Lane. His father largely avoided him in favor of his memories. He eventually became so addicted and lost to the machines that it took his life, leaving the Redbridge namesake and holdings in the paws of his Stepmother. Now you might think this would suddenly become a point where he'd be turned out of his own home. Thankfully his stepmother wasn't an evil little witch and while she didn't really have any feelings of affection for Max, she made sure to have him taken care of. Largely though, he became a non-entity within his own home. No one paid much attention to him and largely left him to his own devices.

"The loss of his father hit him a lot harder than he would've admitted back then. All he wanted was to be loved and to really, well… Matter to someone. Instead he was neglected and largely left to his own devices. This ended with him falling into some bad crowds, drugs, fights… It eventually came to a head one evening when someone tried to kill him for "Lookin' at his girl". That sobered him up pretty quick and at the age of 22 he decided he needed to change. So he left Foxmoor and struck out on his own, taking the one thing his father had left him. An ancient Police Cruiser that had been stripped down and rebuilt for survival in mind. Don't ask me how his father came into possession of such a monster piece of techno-sorcery but he did and left it to his son.

"So over the next ten or so years Max ran all over, fighting slavers, getting captured at times and working his way ever so slowly towards Zootopia. He still isn't quite sure what drew him here, all he knows is by the time he had finally made it, he was grizzled, liked to drink a little too much and had a foul attitude that would easily kill a ghoul just by looks alone. That's where he met Stripes, stuck in the middle no where, tied up to a concrete beam sticking out of the ground and with a rather disgusting gag shoved into his muzzle. He still regrets removing the gag if you're curious. But, for the past four years he's stuck by Stripes, slowly becoming attuned to the Zebra's attitudes and er… Less than amenable qualities. Even he isn't quite sure why he's stuck around the Zebra for so long and since there are a number of positions that have started to open up for him… Who knows how long this is gonna last? Anyhow, as you all by now know he's not as grumpy or as drunk as he used to be. He SAYS it's largely thanks to my influences but I don't believe that for a moment. I think he's always been a good soul deep down and it's just taken a while for it to come out… That and some strong arming relief from the Zebra… Speaking of which…"

[Stripes]

"It's about time I got out of that fu… and the mic is on, isn't it? Ahem…"

[Celeste]

"Well don't forget who's to blame here. YOU decided to push Max too far last night and I had to hold him back from actually striking you. So tying you up and throwing you in the closet was easily the safest option for YOU. So you're very welcome for that."

[Stripes]

"Hey! I wanted to put together a simple show telling the folks out there, some of whom seem more interested in that ball of fuzz than me, how he came to be who he is and how he wound up being my assistant! I figured since we were already at Memory Lane we may as well use it, Fink WAS going to give us a free pass at it, but nooooo… you have to take away my booze, dump out all my precious, and very hard to come by mind you, coffee beans, for what? Gah! You know, it's really not even the fact that he didn't want to. Sure, I did ask him a few times, but I swear, his last no would have been his final one! But no, you had to bind me, gag me, and throw me into some dark pit of despair. Good thing I have a secret stash that even he doesn't know about. Plus, someone told me about this little place that serves the best coffee in the wasteland. I may have to check it out. Ahem, I am rambling, sorry folks.

"This is Stripes, not Celeste, signing off. Tune in Friday when we have a special After Show where we pay a historical tribute to the fallen Chief of the Guardians, Maximilian Lazlo. Until then, take care everyone!"

[Celeste]

"Well now, aren't we just a bit touchy. First, that swill you called coffee was nothing more than a bunch of cans of Instant Grounds. Second, your booze has been eating at your liver and you know you've been doing better since we took it away from you and just so you know now Stripes. Max LOST his father to one of those contemptible machines. Oh and you've told him that you wouldn't ask about his past twice before last night. Anyhow yes, you were rambling, and since you're on the other side of the control board… This is Celeste folks! Really signing off, and don't forget, if you have any inquiries, any stories, feel free to send them to the caller. They'll be happy to see if they can reply. Bye bye now.

[Stripes]

"…You are contemptible."

[Celeste]

"I believe the word you're looking for is bitch, and yes, yes I am."