"It's morning. Rise and shine Binky."
Huh? Morning? I don't wanna get up.
"Sleepy."
"I gotta meet with Logan. He's gonna start showing me the ropes. Did you want to sleep some more?"
"What time is it?"
"Um, five in the morning."
I grabbed the blanket and rolled myself up in it, turning myself into a bunny burrito.
"I'll let you sleep some more." I felt him kiss me between the ears. "Come find me when you get up."
"Love you Pillow."
"You talking to me? Or your actual pillow?"
"Both."
"Love you too Binky."
A small bit of light entered the room as Nate opened the door and left, closing it behind. I wanted to get up, but I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. I knew he wouldn't leave the base without letting me know, and we were all safe here, so I wanted to take this time to catch up on rest. Plus, Doc's orders.
"Hey 'livi, you up yet?"
I just closed my eyes, damn it Holly.
"It's almost ten and Mayor Swift is about to head back to Hope. She said she wanted to see you first."
Almost ten? I thought it was only five? Shit. I didn't want to sleep the entire day away.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting up."
I was so tangled in the blankets that it was much more difficult to get up than I thought. I kept trying to roll around, moving my arms and legs to find the edge of it, but it only made the whole thing feel more constrictive.
"Whoa girl, let me help you."
After a moment, Holly had gotten the blanket loosened enough for me to work my way out. It was rather embarrassing honestly. I jumped out of bed and tossed the possessed blanket back, acting like nothing happened. I looked at Holly as my eyes finally decided to focus, and she had a smirk on her face.
"What?"
"Oh nothing, just glad I didn't send Marki in here to wake you."
"What do you mean?" It took me almost a minute to realize that I was completely naked. Fuck! "Not one word Holly, not one word."
"Not like I haven't seen it before, I mean we are both the same gender and species after all."
She was right, we were both girls, and it's not like she hasn't seen me change before, but I was still feeling flustered, so much that I had forgotten where I even put my clothes. I kept finding Nate's clothes, but not my own. It's not like we did anything exciting last night, I simply got undressed, we got into the bed and talked until I passed out at some point. So where did I…
"Maybe I should start to call you doofette now, your clothes are right here."
I turned around and Holly had my clothes in her paws. I quickly snatched them from her. "Thank you. You can leave now."
"What crawled up your butt and died?"
I didn't realize that I had been snippy at her. "Sorry. Things have just been… I've had a lot on my mind the past few days."
"You want to talk about it?" She stood there for a second then sat down on the bed. "Actually, no, sit, let's talk now. I'm sure Jezzie can wait a few more minutes."
"Jezzie?"
"Yeah, apparently she didn't want us just calling her Mayor anymore, that it sounded to official and she considered us more than that. Plus, you know me and nicknames."
I wanted to tell her that was what Blanche had called her, but I think I was finally over her death enough, and didn't want to reopen those floodgates again. I sat down next to her. The more awake I got, the more I remembered Nate and my conversation from last night.
"What's going on in that head of yours 'livi?"
"It's… it's everything really. Everyone seemed to know Lazlo, to have such kind words about him but it just makes me wish I had gotten to know him better. I think the only one who knows less about him is Jasmine. I've also been thinking about the Legionaries, about how despite the fact they're scattered, that at any moment they could reunite with a rekindled effort to get me, and I need to nip this in the bud before anyone else gets hurt. Then there's the fact that we have no idea where Drake is, despite Nate's attempts to triangulate his communicator. I feel like all I've been doing is sitting here, twiddling my fingers while the world continues to fall apart around me."
"You need your rest. Doc knows it, Mark knows it, heck, I think even Nate knows it. You're burned out 'livi, and a burnt bunny won't be any good to anyone. Both Logan and Nate have reactivated the teams watching over the Legionaries, so we will be informed if they make any moves. Nate even gave his first official order and had a small team of Agents track down any signs of deathwing activities and look for Drake. This world isn't going to fall apart just because you're resting, otherwise it would have long before you left your Burrow."
"I know, it's just…"
"There's something else, isn't there? It's not about that boar, is it?"
"No. I still want him to get what's coming to him, but I'm mostly over that, at least parts of it. No, the thing that's been on my mind so much, the thing that's starting to scare me, is the simple fact that, what if I'm losing Nate?"
A serious streak popped through Holly's face, turning towards worry and concern. "You are the world to him, and I can't imagine you doing anything to change that. Did he say something to you?"
"No… yes… I mean… I don't know. This whole leadership thing has thrown my brain into a loop. I know he loves me and I still love him, and I can't see that changing anytime soon, but he has new responsibilities. From what little I knew of Lazlo, he never had time for a relationship, and spent most of his time working to keep the Guardians in check. After this little civil war thing that happened, the Guardians are going to need to be put back together piece by piece and I'm afraid that I'll be left out, that he won't have time for me anymore."
"Oh 'livi. That will never happen. Yes, things might be different, and I'm not going to say this change will be easy down the road, but he could never leave you behind like that. Have you ever thought about becoming a Guardian? You're already both brave and strong enough for it, and you would never have to worry about leaving his side."
"The thought came up, but it's not my kind of life. Despite being the Chief's girlfriend, he would have to treat me like any other Guardian. Favoritism is not a good thing to have in a group of mammals who's ranks are determined by skill. Yes, I'm sure I have what it takes to climb up the ladder, and hell maybe take over for Logan one of these days, but all the others would see is Nate showing me slack, despite working hard to rise. Plus, I really do want to eventually return to Hope and fix that place up. I was just hoping that Nate would be there with me for it."
"I think he wanted to. He's told Mark and I on multiple occasions that he hopes Jezzie is able to find away to convince everyone of our good intentions. I think he wanted to eventually settle down in Hope with you."
"Really? Not like it will happen now. Nate can't simply up and leave the Guardians to go live with some rabbit miles away from his own people, and I highly doubt I could live here. I'm getting tired of living someplace where there aren't even windows. Makes me feel like I'm in the Burrow all over again."
"We never thought our bunker would be a permanent home either, but it kinda ended up like that when we weren't able to find a good place to live that would accept us, or at least, accept them."
"What should I do Holly?"
"Just keep doing what you have been. Not this, moping, but being there for Nate. He doesn't want to lose you just as much as you don't want to lose him. Things will work out in the end."
"What if it doesn't?"
"It will. Knowing that doof, he'll pass on leadership to Logan well before he loses you. Even after everything that's happened, you are still the whole world to him, and I don't see that changing anytime soon."
I hugged Holly. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."
"And now I have been hugged by a naked girl…"
"Eep! Sorry, I forgot."
"I'm just joking 'livi. Though I do see why he likes it. You are surprisingly soft and fluffy. I admit, while I have seen a naked bunny, being hugged by one is entirely new… Hmm I wonder if Mark would be Jealous of us though… Oh the Scandal! Do you think we should break it to him easy or just come right out?"
"I have my gun around here somewhere…"
"On that note, I think I'll be going… Jezzie is with Nate and Logan in the Chief's office. You remember where that is, right?"
"Yeah, now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get dressed before anyone else decides to come barging in."
"Just remember 'livi, you promised to let me show you how to fire a gun without having to rely on B.A.T.S. so much."
"Yeah, yeah. Oh, here's my gun."
I heard the door open and close quickly without another word from her. I stood there for a moment to make sure she was gone before getting dressed. Once I was dressed in my typical outfit, which Nate had been generous enough to wash for me, despite me telling him it wasn't that dirty, I left to head towards where Mayor Swift was waiting for me.
It had been about two days since the funeral, and things seemed to be returning to normal. I passed by Guardians who were traveling between where ever and whatever they do on a typical day. The path towards the office took me past the hanger and I happened to look in to see Jasmine and Zack exiting from a Tac-Lifter that just landed.
"Hey Jasmine!"
"Olivia! How're you doing?"
"Fine, I think. Having issues wrapping my brain around some things, but that's nothing you need to be concerned with. How're you doing?"
"Good. We just returned from Precinct One."
"Really? What's going on over there?"
"Logan wanted us to start gathering any weapons and tech and bringing it back here for Tuskgen to take a look at before they get inventoried."
"Find anything interesting?"
"The usual, weapons, ammunition. Did find a few Nuke Tubes and a dozen M42 Mini-Nukes."
"Please tell me you aren't bringing nukes into the base."
"No, not yet. Tuskgen needs to send a team of engineers there to verify the detonation mechanism is locked, otherwise they won't be cleared for transport back here."
"Just don't let Holly near them, or else you won't have a base to come back to. You seem to be adjusting to this new life pretty well Jasmine."
"Yeah, Zack has been helping, and I've actually made a few more friends here too. Seems that some of King's guys were spreading some nasty rumors about me, and that's why it was so hard to get very well adjusted here. After the dust cleared from his betrayal, and the fact that I haven't 'burned everyone alive' as a few of them put it, I don't think I'm as big of a threat to many of them now."
"I'm glad to hear that. I wish that it didn't take an upheaval to do it, but it's good that you're starting to fit in."
"The fact that I punched a few Guardians in the face for saying some nasty things about her didn't hurt either." Zack came up to us, carrying three very large bags.
"You, what?"
"Yeah. I got in a bit of trouble from Logan, but it was worth it. Can't stand seeing someone messing with my girl like that."
I heard a small squeak from Jasmine, and waited for the inevitable over-reaction, but it never came. "I see you're handling affection a bit better too."
"I… well… I think I'm getting used to it…"
"She still doesn't react well with any public displays of affection though, but Logan doesn't really care for others showing it while on duty either, so we try to behave around others."
"That's sweet. Glad you two found each other. Just remember Jasmine, if you need any suggestions for when you two are… alone, I'm sure Holly and I can make a few." I gave her a wink.
It took a moment before Jasmine realized what I was saying and her eyes widened as she nearly tripped over her own feet. Zack dropped the bags to the ground and steadied her before she fell.
"Sorry. Just kinda slipped out." Holly's starting to rub off on me. Great. "I think I'll leave you two alone before something else slips out that I'll regret. Wanna join us for lunch later?"
"S-sure…" Jasmine sounded very flustered.
"It's a date then. Not a date… I mean… I think I'll be going now."
I admit it was kinda cute how she overreacted to these simple things, but I'm glad she's slowly working it out. I would hate for Zack to find it tiresome after a while, though, something tells me that it would take much more than that to make him feel that way. In truth, I was really afraid that no one would like her due to her background. Not that I wouldn't be opposed to her being a permanent companion in my band of deviants, I just think that everyone should have someone who can be close to them. I just hope that Holly was right and that I'm over thinking this too much. I may have lived much of my life alone, but now that I've found someone who was meant for me? I can't imagine going back to that ever again.
It took me a bit to finally find where Mayor Swift was, but eventually I was successful in locating it. Inside I was met with not only the mayor, but Nate and Logan as well. All three of them seemed to be locked in a heated discussion that they didn't even notice I was here.
"Ahem." They all stopped talking and looked towards the doorway where I was standing. "I hope I'm not intruding."
"Not at all, Chief Valiant was just trying to make some suggestions regarding the future of both Hope and the Guardians." Mayor Swift smiled at me, but I could tell that her mind was still on whatever they had been discussing. She seemed… unsure.
"I hope you slept well." Nate was trying to show some professionalism with Logan around. I'm sure it was hard for him.
"Yes, I did. That is until Holly came and bothered me, but I won't bother any of you with that. So, I heard you're heading back to Hope Mayor?"
"Yes, and please, just call me Jessabell, or Jessie. No need for formalities at this point I think."
"Okay Ma… Jessie." That was gonna be a difficult change after all this time. "Holly said you wanted to see me?"
"Yes actually. How you holding up?"
Why did everyone have to open with that? "I'm as fine as I can be."
From her scrunched face, I could tell that she didn't believe me, but she didn't press the matter any. "I see, well I had two things for you. Firstly, is the whole issue with some of Hope's citizens and their distrust for foxes. I have done what I can to assure them that both Nathan and Markus are not bad mammals. It has won some over, but others not so much. However, in light of the news that a fox is now Guardian Chief, some of their minds might be changed. Most of the town liked Lazlo, and appreciated his commitment to trying to make this place safer for everyone."
"Do they know what happened yet?"
"A few do, but the details are sketchy at best. Upon my arrival I will be having a town wide meeting to inform everyone of events, but as long as Chief Valiant here continues passing on Lazlo's good grace, I have a feeling that eventually, they will see him in a much more appreciative light."
"I'll do my best to make sure Mister Lazlo's legacy lives on."
"I know you will." Jessie pulled out a box from under her chair. "Now, onto the other matter." She looked at the box for a moment and then sighed before continuing. "If you were not aware before, I am sure you are now. Lazlo had… taken a liking to me when we were both younger. I think it was the only time he loosened up and showed compassion outside of his work. I, however, was not able to return that compassion. It wasn't because I didn't like him, no that was far from the truth. He was a wonderful mammal, kind, generous, and if things were different, would have made a perfect life mate, but since I was not, nor am I still not into males in that fashion, I had to turn him away. Unfortunately it was not too long after he gave me this."
Jessie handed me the box. I looked at her questionably but she kept it there until I took it from her hooves. It was wrapped with a simple red ribbon that I carefully untied. Opening the box revealed a shimmering dark aqua blue dress. I looked at her but she simply gestured for me to keep going. I placed the box on my lap and slowly pulled out the dress. It was long and flowing, and it looked like it was made of metal the way it caught the light and shined. I stood up, still holding it and then I noticed something.
"This was for you? It looks way too small."
"It was for me, but I had the town's tailor alter it for a smaller frame."
"Smaller frame? What do you…"
"For you."
"Me? Why?"
"Lazlo was sweet, he really was, but sadly it was never to be, and though I know I broke his heart he was still a dear friend to me, as you are Olivia. I would be honored if you took this and wore it. For both of us. I think he would appreciate the idea that I could not truly ever accept such a wonderful gift from him and I think he knew I would find someone better suited for it. The memory of the time I hurt him still lingers for me, but to see this dress make another couple happy. I think truly that would bring joy to him and I know it would bring joy to me as well."
"I… I don't know what to say. Thank you." I held it close to me and turned towards Nate. "What do you think?"
"It's… I…" I think him trying to picture me in this was starting to break his professionalism. Logan must have noticed that too so stepped in.
"I'm sure you're in a hurry to get back Mayor Swift, but I need to know your opinion on the matter. Remember, this isn't a definitive decision just yet, and I'm still uncertain of its outcome, but it is now well within Chief Valiant's duties to make such suggestions."
"I still don't know. That sounds like… I would have to have a meeting with the town leaders. I may be mayor, but I govern a freethinking town, so the citizens have the right to accept, or oppose, any suggestions like this."
"May I ask what's going on?"
"It's Guardian business Miss Springs, I don't think…"
"Stalker Logan, if you remember, Olivia was hired to be the town mechanic, and as far as I know that position is still hers, so any decisions regarding Hope concern her as well."
"Yes, sorry Sir."
"The town of Hope stands between this base and Precinct One. Logan and I are hoping to reestablish Precinct One as not only a secondary base, but to use it to make the Guardian's presence more known to the wasteland. Right now, this place is hidden away from the public's eyes, and because of that, there are still some who question our viability as guardians to them if we keep hiding ourselves. Mister Lazlo had drawn up plans to reestablish Precinct One as a link to the rest of the world, to house recruitment, training, and everything else that the Guardians need to grow again. I've been looking over his files, and while I agree with needing us to grow, I think he was doing it all wrong. I'm proposing that we move main operations to Precinct One."
"What does that have to do with Hope?"
Nate looked to Jessie. "Mayor?"
"You probably know this already, but Hope was built on the main train station that shuttled mammals in and out of the city of Zootopia. Besides the overground rail systems, there were plenty underground ones as well. One such system extends below Hope and connects to Common Square where Precinct One is located. Chief Valiant wants to not only move operations to Precinct One, but to extend them to Hope as well."
I turned towards Nate. "You mean militarize the town?" That didn't sound like him at all.
"No! I mean… no, not at all. The surroundings to Precinct One are still dangerous territory. It'll take months, if not longer to make sure everything is secure. Until then, I want to use Hope as a kind of temporary operation center. It would handle recruitment, organization, communication, and so on. In return, I'm offering permanent Guardian security to prevent any… problems from ever happening to the town again."
"What do you think about that Ma… Jessie?"
"I don't know. Some of these raiders have been getting much more brazen. Despite Wild Times having been shut down, some of our regular traders have been reporting an increased demand for slaves, but if the Slave Prince is behind this, he's being very secretive about its whereabouts. Along with that, some traders have had their caravans attacked more frequently, resulting in the need for more protection, and thus having to increase the costs of goods and services."
"Exactly why this world needs the Guardians more than ever."
"So Nate," Logan glared at me. What? It felt weird calling him Chief. "What made you bring this up all of a sudden?"
"I… have been thinking. A lot these past few days. Mister Lazlo had so many grandiose plans but never was able to find ways to do it. There's been so much going on. Between the Corrupted, the Council, all these raiders, and even keeping Darkwater's walls from collapsing. He never had the time nor the resources to spread out. I also think he was afraid of another split among the ranks, which happened anyways. Logan and I have been talking and we need to make the expansion of the Guardian forces a priority. That way, we can have dedicated teams dealing with all these things, rather than a few bouncing back and forth. That will free up time and resources for other…Operations."
I knew what one of these 'other operations' was. Me. Holly was right, he would give all this up just to be with me, but since he probably feels obligated to Lazlo, he can't do that. I think he was trying to change the system so that we can still be together. He knows that after all this is over I want nothing more than to take my role of mechanic and fix up Hope. Moving Guardian Operations to Hope? He would have all the excuses in the world to be with me. Moving main operations to Precinct One? That is easily half the distance between there and Hope as it is to this place.
I wanted to ask him this, to see if he really was doing this all for me, but now was not the time. I had to first ask him in private. I'm sure Logan could tell this, but just as he was loyal to Lazlo, he looks like he will be just as loyal to Nate, even if others might think otherwise. That reminds me.
"What about King?"
"Oh yes, him." Nate sounded a bit bitter with his words. "We've already had a few of his followers return to duties, although not without special escorts to make sure their loyalties remain with us, but as for King and those who refuse to follow under me? I've already had Logan strip them of their ranks and privileges. We're not savages, so we won't be executing them for their crimes, but rather tossing them out with a warning that if any of them were to return, it will not be met with open arms."
"That seems a bit… easy on them for what they did. What if King tries to gather some raiders or mercs to try to retaliate against the Guardians?"
"Then we show no mercy on him or anyone with him. I will never forgive him for what he did, but everyone deserves a second chance at life, just not with us."
King may not be the worst of the mammals I've had to deal with so far, but I could tell that he wasn't a mammal who would take this easily. I had a feeling we would be seeing him again, but at least Nate was smart enough to know he might be a problem in the future.
"So, what now?"
"Actually, I think it's time to go pay King one last visit. I told him I would give him and the rest of his followers one last day to come to an agreement before we kicked them out, and times up. Would you like to come with us?"
As if Nate had to ask. "Yes, please."
Jessie said her goodbyes but then I remembered something.
"Um, have you seen or heard from North at all?"
"He was gone for a few days when you called for him, but when he came back he didn't talk to anyone unless it was business related, and even then he seemed… different. What happened?"
"It's a long story, let's just say that I did something that hurt him, despite how important it was that needed to be done. When you see him, can you tell him that I'm sorry?"
"I will pass it on. You're a sweet girl who cares too much about people, whatever happened, he will forgive you."
"I really hope so. Thank you."
We all left the office and Jessie went off to where a Tac-Lifter was awaiting her transport back to Hope. Logan, Nate, and I went the opposite way, towards where the holding area for prisoners was. It was deep in the base, past multiple security checkpoints. It made me wonder if this had been installed during construction, or added after the last division among the Guardians. Either way, there was no sneaking in, or out of here without being noticed.
Once we got the main area, we were lead in by two heavily armed Defenders. Inside the large room were six cells. Five of them were occupied. In cell four sat a very displeased looking rhino.
"Matheous King, have you decided your fate?" Logan was the one to speak.
"Let's see, get thrown out, stripped of everything, or follow a cur. How about you just shoot me and get it done?"
"That's not an option King. What's your decision?"
"You know if you free me, I'll do everything in my power to make you regret siding with that cur."
"And we'll be waiting, locked and loaded for that time." Nate stepped forward, his arms crossed.
"Well, looks like the cur speaks. You'll never make it you know. You'll get eaten alive."
"At least I won't die a traitor."
"Hah! Lazlo was the one who betrayed us first! We're soldiers not politicians. Problems are solved through violence, not words."
"Violence doesn't solve everything, well, except for your short lived leadership. It took, what? One punch to take you out? How's that horn holding up?"
"Come closer and ask that. I'll bite your face off, cur."
"He's not gonna change. Stalker Logan. Gather him and anyone else who refuses to obey by my command, load them up in a Tac and drop them off in the middle of nowhere. Let's see how long that attitude keeps him alive."
"Yes Sir!"
"You're not gonna stick around for that Nate?"
"I've had it with him. If I never see him again it'll be too good to be true. It's almost lunch time, and I promised Holly and Mark we'd all have it together."
"Yeah, I'm famished. Jasmine, and probably Zack will be joining us as well I hope. Plus, I have a feeling we have a few things to talk about afterwards."
After leaving the area, we found ourselves alone for a moment. I turned and grabbed Nate's head, pulled it down and gave him a kiss.
"Fraternizing with an officer? That's grounds for dismissal miss." Nate said that in an obviously joking manner.
"Whatcha gonna do, throw me out?"
"No, but it may require some… discipline later…"
"You've gotten so much more confident in yourself, and I like that. Maybe this whole thing will work out after all."
"I just hope I'm cut out for the job."
"Well sweetie, no matter what, you'll always have me by your side."
"If things work out the way I hope they do, I plan on it."
I had a feeling that was in regards to this whole talk of Hope and relocating the base, but I didn't want to press it just yet. He'll tell me when the time is right. For right now, I'm just glad that things are going well. Nate was already stronger than he knew, now, I think he's finally realizing how strong he can be.
Fallout: Zootopia After Show
Featuring:
'Stripes in the Morning'
[Stripes]
"Good morning Zootopian Wasteland! This is Stripes with Stripes in the Morning! I want to start off by first apologizing for that little… incident between Celeste and I, although I really need to thank her. You see, that coffee shop I visited, Cup O' Joe I think it was called, wasn't really on my agenda. Apparently, when suggested a place that has amazing coffee a few days ago, she was apparently sending me after a red herring. There was no coffee shop, and I think she was just trying to get rid of me. Woe to her however being that I did stumble upon a coffee shop, and while it's selection was not all that great, I met a cute little weasel there who I think we hit it off with. Apparently someone actually thinks my puns and jokes are funny. She has an interesting story behind her as well, but that is for another day.
"Today's show is a dedication to the fallen Chief of the Guardians, Maximilian Lazlo. I now wish I had tried harder to get a proper interview with that buffalo before his passing, but I will do my best to make up for it by telling you folks a little more about him, and his family.
"Now, at least one of you has inquired as to why Lazlo's father betrayed the Guardians. That requires a bit of a lesson on Lazlo's parent's past. You see, ever since Chief Bogo founded the Steel Guardians, there has been at least one of his descendants at the head of the group, and they have all been male. Now before you start thinking wrongly of them, there was a reason. It wasn't that they thought a female wouldn't be able to handle it, we have seen first hoof that power sees no gender. The reason for this was more symbolic. A male cape buffalo at the head of the Guardians reminded them of Bogo and his commitment to creating a force that could uphold the law and protect its citizens. Bogo died a hero, and that legacy was passed on. The first born male of the bloodline was trained from a young age to fight, to protect. He learned diplomacy and strategy. He learned everything that was needed to make a great leader, and this kept up for generations. That is, until Lazlo's mother was born.
"She was an only child. It is unknown if her parents couldn't conceive a male, or if they simply gave up on it, but the fact remained that the male bloodline of Guardian Chief was broken. That didn't stop her father though. The Guardians needed a Chief when he passed, and he believed that the only one to lead was those born of the right blood, so she was trained the same as any other Chief. In the end, she was not only on the path to becoming a great leader, but she showed kindness and generosity mixed with her ferocity and strength, something unfamiliar, something new to her father's eyes. However, she was uneasy about replacing him as their leader.
"It wasn't due to cowardice, or thinking little of herself due to her gender. No, she knew she could do it, and she wanted to. However, she also wanted to preserve the image of the Guardians, or rather, the image of their founder. She couldn't be the face of the Guardians, but she was the only one trained enough to lead them. That's when she got the idea.
"Every Chief needed to find a companion, someone to bring about the next generation of leaders, and it was no different with her. She decided to find a buffalo who was strong, fierce, and loyal to the Guardian's effort. That's when she met Chaffer. He wasn't the same mammal that you had learned of just recently, he was kind, he was loyal, and he was strong. Very strong. Between the promise of a beautiful woman and being the face of one of the largest peace keeping groups the world has ever known? He fell into it with little thought.
"Things were good for a while. He provided the face and the strength while leaving all the details to his wife. She was happy that way, keeping up with her training, being the leader that her father wanted her to be, all while protecting the legacy of Bogo. Then Chaffer started to change.
"It was gradual at first. He started to get angry when she made suggestions that he thought were asinine. He would go against her wishes and modify tactics to meet his whim, not the teams. It grew exponentially until he started to ignore her orders and started to think the Guardians were his to control. Then she got pregnant. Months later she gave birth to Lazlo. It was a boy, a male heir to the Guardian throne. The legacy would continue.
"Now, this is where I am sure some of you are thinking 'So, when will Chaffer start to plot to kill the kid to keep everything to himself?'. Well, sorry to say that never happened. Sure, I'm sure he thought about it at least once, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew he couldn't live forever, and that when he was gone, the Guardians did need leadership. He had planned to simply corrupt Lazlo, to turn him against his mother and learn to harness and control the power of the Guardians.
"Thankfully, we all know that never happened. Lazlo inherited his mother's sense of duty. He often thought his father's ideas were crazy or even dangerous. He saw the Guardians not as toys like his father did, but as a family, a family he had to protect. By this time, Chaffer had gone mad with power. Lazlo and his mother planned on how to boot Chaffer out since he technically didn't have claim to the position, Lazlo's mother held position officially. Then Chaffer led a mission to recover some pre-war weaponry and disappeared.
"By the time Chaffer reemerged as leader of the Council, Lazlo had already been placed within the role of Chief and was well on his way to undoing all the damage his father did to them. Once, and only once did Chaffer and Lazlo meet face to face. Lazlo asked his father why he betrayed them, and his answer was spoken so effortlessly. He wanted an army, not a group of babysitters. The Guardian's agenda was so deeply rooted that Chaffer was unable to gain the power and support he needed to make an army to rid the world of its filth. He saw struggling a weakness. Those who could not benefit his new utopia would be killed. Those who had crops or farms would be absorbed into the Council. He wanted to bring peace to the world by cutting out every single infection that plagued it, leaving only the Council to be the lifeblood of the Wasteland.
"Lazlo tried to convince his father that this was a fool hardy plan, but the haze of power was so thick, Lazlo was unable to do anything, anything but order his forces to drive the Council back into the Rainforest District. Up until the day he died, Lazlo still regretted it. He still thought that his father could have been saved, but he just did not know how. That is why he dedicated his entire life to helping others. He wanted to make the world a good place, to eliminate the suffering, not the sufferers. He wanted to give everyone the same freedom that he and his Guardians had. He cut the contracts, giving all Guardians the freedom to leave, to be who they wanted to be. Some did leave, but most stayed. Lazlo wanted to reshape the Guardians into the peacekeepers they were.
"Unfortunately, he had to sacrifice so much to do so. He never married, he never had a child, he was just too busy trying to make this world perfect. Lazlo never told a soul this, but he had hoped that he could live long enough to see it come true. He was afraid of dying and leaving everything he worked so hard to build in the hooves of another like his father. That is until Nathan Valiant came into his life.
"Lazlo saw something in that fox that no one, not even Nate himself ever saw. At least, no one until a certain rabbit came along. Lazlo knew he was old. He knew that he would leave this world without a leader, a good leader. His bloodline was at an end, and he regretted many things. He never once regretted taking that fox into his world. While none of them wanted to be Guardians, he knew Nate had potential, and spent time secretly trying to bring out that potential within Nate. It wasn't until Olivia showed up that Lazlo could finally see that potential shine through and grabbed a hold of it and molded it. Lazlo had already chosen his successor, he just thought he had more time.
"There is a lot more to Lazlo than this, but unfortunately, today's episode is nearly over. I want to thank each and every one of you for sticking it out through the months. This chapter marks the ten chapter countdown. After today, only nine more left, and that means only nine more After Shows. There is still so much I want to tell you all about this world, and maybe, even after the story is over, I can stop in here and there and say hi. Maybe I'll drag Max with me a few times, but that girlfriend of his? Anyways, take care everyone!"