Fire Instinct Blue: Outline
Season 3: Into the Interior
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AN: Back again! And don't worry, things are getting simpler! A little note, I forgot the hypothetical episode names last time, so I've updated them (right at the bottom)… While carrying on making new ones for this season and beyond.
The following borrows from:
Guardian Blue: Season 2 (Alps Sarsis): All of it, so big spoilers even though I tweaked a lot of the stuff around the bad guys.
Guardian Blue: The Duke of Absolution (Alps Sarsis): All of it.
Fire Triangle: season 1 (Merc Marten): No spoilers, but a couple of characters introduced early.
When Instinct Falls (Upplet): Takes in characters, and a fairly big spoiler for the end of the fic and start of When Night Falls (Though I'd say it's not one that would ruin your enjoyment of it or anything. It's a 'nice touch at the end' kind of reveal).
Bloodlines (Upplet, Berserker88, Mindjack): All of it (being Lucy's backstory), so spoilers.
Merc's pre-zoot stories on furaffinity: The three chapters of the Colinas Robles Foster care centre arc, and the follow up (Conors loft). Touches/ inspiration from the Pizzeria Pompei and Carrie Gilchrist's arcs.
My one shots and drabbles: Long live the king (no spoilers, but some inspiration from)
The Neverwere moments part 4, Trustworthy (6wingdragon): No spoilers, but I take a bad guy faction (Reino Del Sol) and their rough modus operandi from there.
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Restarting exactly after, Judy is in shock, Vivienne is crying tears of joy and Stu and Bonnie completely don't get it… In private, Nick explains that whether she wants to be with him or not, he has vowed his life and the next to her. Judy is shocked, worried for him, and confused, but he explains that she gave him meaning in life, brought his mother back from the dead and literally pulled him out of hell.
She confesses she has deep feelings, but is worried, feeling she has so much to live up to given how much he has vowed to him. They decide to start from the beginning, Nick promising to take her out on a date. This all runs alongside Nick's continuing mental recovery from his ordeal, as in GB S2.
Lucy is shown tending/ caring for an injured Vlad, as they go into hiding, the vampire bat crime lord quickly trying to regain his contacts and control of the nocturnal mob. Curious about Lucy's newfound altruism, he asks, she slowly revealing her past (from Bloodlines). Originally the daughter of one of the richest vampire bats, she was young, immature, but just starting her artist career, which was really taking off and could be successful. However, her 'best friend' Martina, after failing to convince her to give up a scholarship, frames her for the murder of her beloved brother. Lucy finds her (disdainful) father convinced she did it, and recounts going down in her trial in a blaze of glory, slamming Martina for what she did. Eventually given a life sentence, she's bullied and beaten in jail, though finds friendship in her mongoose cellmate Ci-Ci. A lunchroom fight though has Lucy finally stand up for herself, earning the interest of 'La Bruja' (a rabbit gang boss) and also get her first taste of virgin blood. LB hires Lucy for some trials, gaining her interest, and saying that in the long term she plans an escape. Retreating to her cell, Lucy is gutpunched realising she missed her 19th birthday, but Ci-Ci comforts her.
Meanwhile, Duke is struggling, no longer hustling and scrounging a living recovering bottles and cans for the deposit. Vivienne spots him and takes him back to her new shop, slowly getting fit out and being prepared for business. She offers him a job, he's nervous at first, pointing out that he didn't work in the sweet shop that his brother in law set up… Vivienne persists though, and in the end brings Nick along. Duke's issues are from how he saved Nick, the fox relating that after so long on the bottom and getting that taste of good, you can't go back. Though nervous, he begins work.
Conor Lewis, meeting with some sheep friends from the concert, helps out at a clothing drive at a church, including visiting a foster home… It's bittersweet as he realises it isn't that bad and even if he doesn't get adopted, the staff would care for him and he'd find love and affection… only for the fact that he's a fugitive to weigh in and rule it out.
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Conor talking to a punky vixen: "So, fox to fox? How is it, really?"
" 'Really?' "
"Yeah... You know..."
"Heh, I know what they say about foxes in the system. God knows I was terrified when I was dropped off here. Bullying, locked in the back, taking the blame for everything, never getting a chance to get out or a chance to have stuff of your own or even privacy, and sweet Mother Marian if you so much as looked at another sneaky conniving fox. And to top it off I'm, like, totally self aware. I'm not some sweet seven year old vixen who's wonderful parents were killed in a car accident. I'm a teenage punk whose single mother is serving six years for getting drunk and causing the car accident! But..."
"But?"
"It's good. Honest. They care for you, they actually try and do their best. And yeah, I know I'm not gonna get adopted or anything, but I'll be out in two years and get state support and stuff. I'm happy to stay here looking after all these cool dudes, like how they looked after me. It feels good. It feels more like home than home ever did."
"Really?"
"Okay fine, I'd love to have the perfect parents come and adopt me, but I'm a realist, yo."
Nods. "Never let perfect be the enemy of good."
"Uh-hu," (looks up) "I mean, I know I'll never get this, but doesn't mean I can't enjoy it."
"Huh?" (Looks up to see a child get adopted, his new parents turning up and saying it's time, and him running into their arms crying)
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Online, he also keeps up talking and bonding with Erin casually (e.g. while watching John Wolf (John Wick) (a useful set-up for later)). The deer kid from the party is also in frequent contact, now a Conor fanboy, to the point that Conor gets a bit tired from all the online questions and stuff, but answers it anyway to make him smile. Naturally, there'd be plenty of teen banter. (e.g. more wooing attempts by Max march, with help of his silverbun cousin and wingmammal Zach, Erin and the deer kid asking what the ZAPA is like, Jason posting the jimmy neutron show and tell meme with Conor's face photoshopped over. 'Conor, that's the 7th week in a row you've talked about Richard Tomcat in class'. Deer kid starts an angry defence, but before he can post Conor posts: And next week will be the 8th, goddammit!'
At the same time, Jack and Skye bond over buying her a replacement muscle car, hers totalled from when she rammed Darmaw. She's having issues though, and admits it's because the old girl was a bit of a wreck that she got after her release and split with Nick. It gave her something to focus on. A purpose, leading to Jack talking about what gives him purpose (joking that she's a bit of one). Decides to go to the used car auction, though Skye pauses. Thinking about a different kind of challenge. Something new. After all, Nick did a big one. Jack smirks, something to pat yourself on the back about. Going off, she pauses as she sees a vehicle. "Okay, but I think I've just found my new baby."
La Peigne, on hearing the news, scoffs about it, before deciding that he won't be able to do anything for a while. Regardless, he can set the groundwork. He needs allies, he needs mammals of talent, he needs a propaganda network. On searching, he finds a radio host, the hyrax Rocky Hardesty, has surged in support in the burrows for slamming how 'those ferrets and fox got off scot free'. He smiles, asks to set up an investment meeting. 'He who controls the media, controls the mind.' (Could we at least try to see if we can get Joseph frickin' Kucan to voice La Peigne (and Jack too)).
Lucy carries on telling Vlad her backstory. A few years pass, and Lucy is much more used to prison life, even if a bit concerning to Ci-Ci (given Lucy's taste for blood). Finally, LB plans her escape, leading Lucy out to join the thief's guild 'The felidae infernum'. Lucy bugs her to include Ci-Ci in it, which LB eventually agrees to. During a magic show put on by albino flying squirrel 'Ishini the invisible', he gets them into a position and an outside distraction is used to let the group sneak out, the group eventually making their way to the FI's underground base (in the future to become Darmaw's). It's revealed that Ci-Ci will effectively be kept a prisoner, but she's surprisingly non-chalant about it.
Meanwhile, a small turboprop plane arrives at the airport, a maned wolf getting off. Dressed in odd gear (mix of secondhand and traditional) he starts asking for a mammal of interest. However, someone is revealed to be after him.
Judy gets advice from Skye on her first date, something Skye really doesn't feel qualified to do. However, after hearing how Nick vowed to her, she talks about all the things Nick secretly likes (most Judy already knows). Skye also asks about how Judy pushes herself… part of her never left prison until recently. Judy says Try Everything. Dropped off in her new car, they have a romantic night together. Meanwhile, the maned wolf begins talking to a politician, only to pause, realising somethings wrong. He excuses himself, starts heading one way, but doubles back, running. Unknown to him, he's being chased.
The next day at the ZPD, Nick and Judy get a call from Yax. Someone is at the mystic springs to see them, a mammal fearing for his life. He says that there are dangerous mammals higher up, the two are the heroes of zootopia, the only ones he trusts. The two are given the task to go incognito, with disguises and fur dye, with an awkward moment where Judy's mother and Eileen are there, not recognising Nick and Judy. The two try to meet up with the mammal, only to find they're too late. Someone murdered him, with some kind of unique weapon. His last words are "Motti… Motti… Zakhani…" On investigating, they find that he's a mammal from the interior territories called Ukwehli (yax bumping into him in a hostel once, not too far from his town) and a sniffer finds he had a small bag of lavender diamonds. Lavender diamonds are found in 'Reino del Sol', but due to an embargo are illegal unless there's a certificate proving they were older than the ban. However, before they can process things further, they find that someone higher up sent an order to have him cremated. Bogo, taking a creative liberty, decides to use Nick and Judy delivering the ashes back (and using up the many holiday days they were about to lose) as a cover for investigating.
Conor, meeting up for pizza with his friends from the party (the skunks, the tazzie girl and Billy Mackenna, the deer kid), find cops watching them. Another Celt kid threw stuff at the mean girl, blaming her for the party bust, and her parents have influence… The gang are worried this'll snowball into a brutal crackdown on their growing subculture. Trying to nip it in the bud, they debate whether she did tell or not, but realise this will go nowhere without proof, which they have no way of getting… Conor then reveals he knows how to get some, using a back door route into her computer and phone to spy on her. "What, we're gonna hack her?" "Simply put… yes." (he explains that back when he took her phone at the party, he noted a link-to-her-pc app… a huge security hole if ever there was one) and copied the things he'd need to access it in case she ever pulled something again (esp with pictures against Dana). He puts it on the table, and after a brief pause the whole group approves doing this.
They find that she didn't call the cops, that was her boyfriend against her orders. However, they find that she has a bunch of incriminating/ sensitive blackmail pictures against all of them (even Conor, or Queer boy as she calls him…) especially against Dana from Craig (from back when they were in a relationship, yes, those kinds of pictures).
After debating what to do, Conor calls and informs his coyote friend to ask her what she wants, and (knowing Craig probably has copies too) they set up a spoof warning email from the ZPD and a 'mental Judge' (Judge George Schlatten, nicknamed Judge Predd) stating that they'll be doing searches and kits with these kinds of pictures on their system WILL GO DOWN (boosted with the news that one girl is in juvie for several months just for mocking a teacher on the internet… the gang use this but can't help but think it's crazy). They watch and snigger as the pair snap emails to each other and double delete the pictures. The cloud lifted. Conor hangs out with them, especially the deer kid (who he's taking a liking too), and has a good time. He just wishes Erin could be here…
A funny snap-too shows Erin wishing she was anywhere else where she was now: manning the family produce stand, with Max March wooing at her with help from his silverbun cousin and wingmammal Zach. Worse, her parents seem to be taking a liking to him and saying they should be friends… until Erin sees Max nabbing a carrot or two. Pointing it out, her parents flip out and chase the two bucks far away.
Planning for their mission, Nick and Judy need a translator, and it turns out that Jack has spent time in the interior territories. He tells Skye, and though she's nervous she decides she wants to go out with him. It's a new purpose, and try everything right? (Also wants to be with her emotional support bun). They fly out, potentially on a plane flown by Travis Sr. On the way, Jack warns them that the village is not too far away from the border of 'Reino Del Sol'. The gang know about it. A llama headed empire in the mountains with a notorious mammal rights record, to the point that certain species (mainly Ukwehli's own) are almost all treated as indentured servants/ slaves and Zootopia has an embargo on them. The royal Supai family justify this by claiming that they are descendants from the sun god, and lived peacefully until Ukwehli's species invaded from the jungle, their history and evidence supporting this (they may well have censored anything to the contrary, but Zootopian records show a great conflict going on at the time of first contact, and there is little from before). Eventually a band of restorationists returned the rightful rulers to their throne and, despite their legacy of evil, the wolves were given a place in the empire.
Jack speculates that Ukwehli was a refugee who escaped from there, probably stealing the diamonds to try and make a living. Diamonds from the area are banned for sale, including the ones he had, maybe he was hoping to get a waiver to sell them given his circumstances. Maybe the assassin tried to recover them, but failed.
On asked about his last words, Jack does not know what Motti means, though he notes that a Motti Kalani was a princess of the Kalani dynasty. One of them remarks that the Kalani's were hyenas in the pridelands, Jack agreeing. Descended from Shenzi Kalani (who the hyenas still hold as leading their people to survival from Mufasa Pride the Great's (considered the first brokerer of the Pred/Prey truce, the Circle of Life Accords) ethnic cleansing.
(According to the lions the hyenas refused to stop preying on prey, poisoning them instead so more bodies were given as funeral rites; according to the hyenas Mufasa, refusing to let his species be challenged as leaders turned the hyenas into scapegoats and exiled them. The public mostly sides with the lion version, with negative consequences to the hyenas still felt today)
After working with Mufasa's hated brother Taka the scarred in an overthrow attempt that killed Mufasa, eventually thwarted by his son Simba the Great, Shenzi was once more banished along with various lion factions loyal to Scar, though the two did not get along (Shenzi killed Scar). When Kiara Pride wed Kovu (scar's heir), the exiled lions were brought back into the fold, the royal line continuing through them given that Kion pride (Simba's firstborn) married Jasiri Kalani, Shenzi's granddaughter and heir, the act a symbol of reconciliation to bring the hyenas back in. Some refused to take a knee though, and left with Motti Kalani into the deep interior, her dynasty surviving for a few centuries before dying out. The name Motti is thus popular with female hyenas, given that it symbolises a refusal to bend or humble oneself to oppressors.
Jack wonders if the last traces of that line lived in Ukwehli's village. On asked about the other words, he said they translate to 'sorry…'
Arriving on the site they travel out, Skye enjoying the adventure. They eventually work out that there is a village with a hyena called Motti in there, and go to talk.
Meanwhile, back in Zootopia, Vivienne is working with Duke on the new franchise. She doesn't like the bare outside wall though, and though the owner says she's fine to paint it, she doesn't know what with. However, on seeing the mural done for her son on a guitar shop, she goes in, asking who made it. Conor says he knows who, and invites his deer friend out to help. Vivienne pays him some money to repaint it on her store, given that he can then do a different one on the guitar shop. However, he is spotted doing this by Sarah Whitepaugh (who recognising him as the deer who helped the cultist 'get off' to La Peigne's rage), who calls the police and notifies them of a graffiti artist. She then calls an officer directly, asking about the call he just got and telling him to make sure the kit has to go to court. She leaves, narrowly missing Conor, who's inside, playing to Vivienne. She's broken off as she hears the deer kid yelling, the police arresting him for vandalism. They pause, before giving him a ticket and saying he can iron it all out in court. Get it over in ten minutes tops. Vivienne is fuming, apologises to the kid, and pays him double to finish the job, promising to turn up to the court house. Conor makes him promise to get a lawyer, even if it's a court appointed one.
At the village, the gang arrive and find it nearly abandoned, the only mammal being a very wary hyena who can speak passable English. Motti. They reveal that Ukwehli is dead and say that he was cremated, the hyena acting in despair and fury, almost attacking Judy in rage. However, she stops when told that Judy just delivered it, though is still distraught. She pauses though when she finds the ashes still there and after panicking trying to figure out what to do, to Judy's horror, begins spreading them on her crops, tilling the dirt. When the bunny says that's essentially eating him, she seems to get an idea and almost eats some, until Jack calms her down.
Jack informs Judy that the communities here still practice traditional burial rites based on 'The Circle of Life'. Dead mammals, pred or prey, are to returned to the animals and plants, so their spirits still live on in the living. If Ukwehli was cremated and the ashes kept, then according to her views he would have no afterlife, nothing… He'd be gone, eternally. Hence why she panicked, and would have seen it as her duty to eat some of them. Judy is horrified, it's wrong, it's evil, it… However, Jack questions her about who it harms. Judy though is still disgusted, as are most of the others… Later that night, after Jack helped Motti mix the ashes with leftover meat for bugs to eat, she reflects on how values she felt were self evident, rights and wrongs so fundamental, aren't held here… And thinks about how she feels that the ZPD need to come out and stop this wrong… yet part of her tells her that's wrong too. She and Jack get into an awkward debate about where to draw the line. What about Reino del Sol and their slaves, do we have to respect them, too?
They are interrupted with an incident involving Nick, Judy, Motti, a Bui-Bui (with mammal animals gone, insects began getting bigger to fill in the ecosystem gaps. Or, in this case, arachnids). Inuendo results. On hearing about a giant spider, Skye boards herself inside her hut, regretting her life choices. (Nobody mentioned giant spiders!)
As Vlad recovers his strength, Lucy's story continues. Under Peter Ishini she carries on training, though she feels an irony at still being 'not free'. Missions include heists and sneaking into LP's company, where she first sees the Morningmew (reverse nighthowler, makes you super passive) drug being tested, stealing some for herself (eventually for use on Martina). Her dark side is still being cultivated though and, eventually, the FI killing Ci-Ci makes her snap. She destroys it from the inside, seemingly kills Peter Ishini, goes off to get her revenge against Martina (Morningmewing her to make her into her 'best friend' companion, to be featured throughout). After all this, she chooses to live for herself. But, after seeing Skye and on seeing Vlad injured, she was reminded of her brother dying in her arms. She feels something different to the darkness when caring for him.
Later on, while eating dinner (roast Bui-Bui?), Motti reveals that Ukwehli did escape from Reino del Sol but as a cub. Her mother, the old chief, took in him, his father, and his pregnant mother (who'd been shot while escaping, she and her child dying in childbirth). She considered Ukwehli her girl-like tomboy brother, which was why she was so distraught.
A while back, mammals started vanishing from local villages. At first, someone said it was a 'Nandi', a giant white ghost bear. They ignored him, quickly realising that armed mammals were abducting local villagers, taking them somewhere, and after hiding in fear for too long Ukwehli investigated. Reino del Sol soldiers were there, both digging diamonds and trying to destroy, something… Despite her fears, Ukwehli took the diamonds, bartering with some of them to get a flight back to Zootopia, to try and warn them. Satellite phoning Bogo, the gang suspect that there's someone connected to the bad mammals in city hall, given that they learn he visited there before running out.
Back in the city, Conor learns to his worry that the kid's mother not only didn't hire a lawyer, but waived her right to a court one. Apparently the prosecutor (not the one who did travis) said that the judge treated mammals who didn't waste his time well, and that this would be an easy one to deal with given that apparently he was doing a job. Conor though has a full on panic attack in private, and even tries to get Vern Rodenburg to scoot in. He's too far away and can't, but asks one of his associates to help out. Despite almost begging the mother, the mother brushes her off, but begins to have second thoughts as she sees parents with kids enter and then come out. Alone. Crying. Joining the session after lunch, she holds firm, given that Vivienne and Conor are there to give witness (the young fox though having flashbacks at the proceedings, having to step out to throw up into a bin). The judge is the groundhog, Judge Predd, who asks if the deer kid did the murals on the guitar shop and the bakery. The kid answers yes, but before he can continue he's hit with a rant about messing up the city, plastering the figure of a controversial figure everywhere, messing everything up. He's given three months in juvenile detention before he, his mother or Vivienne can get another word in. Vivienne tries to object, and almost gets arrested for contempt herself before getting a hold of herself. She consoles the crying mother as her kid is led away in pawcuffs. She's consoled by the paralegal, who says that Vern himself will take over and file an appeal. It may not even get him out early, depending on how long it took, but they could clear his record. She though just wants her boy back.
Out in the interior, the five mammals river raft down and find the site in question. Local mammals, and slaves from Reino Del Sol, are there. Shackled, shock collared, being forced to work, their loved ones held as hostages. Managing it is one of the royal family, a young prince aiming to make his father, the king, proud. Investigating, they learn that the area, after being found with a few, is being loaded with Reino's lavender diamonds. Being downstream from the embargoed mountain kingdom, the aim is to load it up and claim that the diamond deposit was washed down there. Being outside the borders, it won't be subject to the embargo, and a front mining company can come in and legally extract them, the profits funnelled directly back to the royal family. While complex, it's necessary, given how their old route (via Jim McCrodon's company (the one seen in the first prologue)) was destroyed. The king notes that their sellers in Zootopia must be running low.
The young prince also promises his father that the disgusting heresy he found will be wiped out. Half of it is gone already, half will be soon, and all the remains will be the truth. His king agrees. As it should be.
Investigating further, the group find out that they found a cave system with huge numbers of ancient paintings and artifacts by Motti Kalani's people. They show evidence that a plague, 'black spot' hit the pridelands. It was anthrax, which hyenas are immune to, this (and the spot symptoms) explaining why the lions (and effectively all species) believe the hyenas were poisoning others. It was all a terrible misunderstanding on the lions part. They also show the hyenas arriving in this area, mingling with the Ukwehli's species, which are shown as living as serfs, even being sacrificed to the sun god by llamas. Traders and refugees talked with the hyena's, grew angry, learnt to read, write, went back and started a rebellion. There are even pictures of a llama and maned wolf, married, as a couple, and evidence of a democracy starting... However, large numbers of llamas are then shown coming in with weapons traded from Zootopia, taking over and killing the successful new government, the king taking the throne once more.
They realise that, as it's made by a third party species, this new truth could destroy Reino's lies. Moreover, there are definitely those in the government with connections to this. Phoning up, Bogo learns about it, and finds that Lanolin, a primarily sheep owned company, was getting ready to dig in the area. Albert Tufts, the disagreeable cyber crimes expert, begins investigating it under the board (not that he's happy), while Bogo discovers that Bellwether was heavily involved (her diaries showing that she was aiming to use the chaos of the Nighthowler crisis as a distraction to thaw their relationship, in return getting funding for her plot). Even worse, when called to the Office of Interior affairs, he spots one of the mammals (revealed to be the one Ukwehli dealt with) with a lavender diamond ring. He sees it and realised she was in it too.
Lucy's story finished, Vlad, getting more in command of his former mammals and stronger, secretly has his intelligence network review Lucy's story. It turns out that her 'lionising it' was actually covering up just how traumatic her trial was. He feels a new sympathy for her, along with a new admiration, and promises her a home in the nocturnal mob and a place by his side at the top. Forever. Rebuilding their power and strength, together, a new power couple of the Zootopian underworld is born.
Out in the interior, the gang seal the cave to protect it and with their skills free the slaves. The prince though is livid and confronts them, furious that they dare try and stop the removal of evil lies and heresy. Judy angrily tells him that he's trying to censor the truth, but he says that she is. The truth is that he's the descendent of the sun god, his mammals fought against tyranny for years, and their evil must be contained. He believes everything hook, line, sinker, and copy of angling times monthly. When confronted about trying to erase the documents, he retorts that in Zootopia they have the same thing under different names. Fact checking, the news, hate speech laws. Mammals who claim what happened with Bellwether was a cover up, absolving a mammal who tried to tear their city apart, are arrested and charged as their story is feared dangerous enough to tear their utopia apart. The prince retorts that they simply do the same thing in Reino del Sol.
The point is raised back that most mammals in Zootopia think that Mufasa the Great was a hero, who laid its figurative foundations. Some think he was a hero but had flaws, who made the wrong choices based on things he couldn't possibly understand. Some think he was a monster. But all are allowed to hold that view and all record, voice and share it, like they'll share what they found. They let mammals disagree, knowing the truth will rise up in the end.
Verbally defeated, the prince orders an attack, the gang taking him hostage (some concerned at first, but Nick arguing that it stops them airstriking them, Judy doing it for justice) and stealing their larger riverboat with the slaves loaded, aiming to travel down river to the nearest large port. This leads to a long slow chase with various Reino agents (e.g. an attack hovercraft, a group of giant otters on motorlaunches) trying at various times to board and raid, while the gang have to keep the boat going, Skye getting deeply attached to her as her mechanic skills keep the paddle wheels turning (and finds alternatives when they don't, such as an 'up is down' kind of scene where the wood panelling is ripped off by the slaves to make oars, the wolves paddling them along). She notes to Judy that the bun may try everything, but her passion is for fighting for what's right, and she sticks to that when serving her purpose. Likewise, Skye stumbled into her own thing.
Deer kid is shown struggling with his time in Juvie. Among other things, he finds lots of kids sent in my Judge Predd/ Schlatten under similar events. They did something seemingly not even a crime, were told it was best to not ask for a lawyer and would be treated better for it, and were then hit hard with the max sentence.
Everything is long, dull, and boring, the odd fun little bit of relief matched with moments of fear. One in particular involves one of Darmaws cultists (one of those who attacked Nick and Judy's place). They start a massive scary fight, and though the deer kid gets out, he sees one mammal thrown into the wall and knocked out by the cultist in front of him. One of his few friends in the place (another judge predd victim) then gets hit down hard by a guard who thinks he was involved. Despite deer kids pleas, he's hauled off. Everyone is locked down for a week, deer kid bursting into tears when he finds out it means his visit with his mother is cancelled.
On the boat, Jack deduces that Motti is a Kalani, she is the heir of Motti Kalani and, via the marriage between Kion and Jasiri, the pride rock throne. Indeed, the city of Zootopia's insignia said that the city be built as a place fit for Mufasa's heir to rule over. And they have that heir, they have the queen! (put in place fun shot showing Motti doing something exceptionally slobbish (e.g. eating ketchup on toast)).
Someone asks what it means for Zootopia and Jack says. "Well, as Zootopia is officially a republic, absolutely nothing! But it's fun, don't you think."
Judy also talks to the prince, and during small talk he mentions enjoying some of their movies, mentioning John Wolf (John Wick). They laugh as he recounts the 'we called him Big-Bad. (What, the big bad wolf? Not exactly, he's the one you send to kill the big bad wolf) scene. He then happily mentions that their best commando loves that film, and ever since then they've called him John Wolf, and he killed Ukwehli and he'll be the one sent to kill them all and rescue him.
During the battle/ chase, Judy takes a machette to the chest. Her life is saved by her necklace, Nick's nameplate from the memorial wall. When reaching the nearest port, to hide the fact they arrived from approaching war boats, they hire a bunch of elephants and, before the next wave of Reino riverboats race past, drag the riverboat up and over a hill Fitzcarraldo style, hiding her from sight.
On the way, they contact Bogo, who knows about those inside the government but needs to prove it (Albert found a set of deep links, but it's illegal evidence). He arranges a set of flights back for them and the imprisoned prince, a full diplomatic incident developing. On being pressured by the secretary for the interior, he explains the security detail. Various different vehicles will take the different mammals to different safe houses. In private to Clawhauser, he says that it should mean nobody pays attention to his car, and he hopes that the whole gang like his house. The secretary is shown listening in and makes a call.
Released from lockdown, deer kid quickly begins to hear rumours that a kid was in hospital with brain damage, thinking it to be the one the cultist tossed. He and the others are shown the cultist in 'V3 restraints' as a warning by the guards. Solitary confinement, and when out they're shackled and cuffed (with covers over the ends) and a head-fitting muzzle, be they pred or prey. The cultist led off, Deer kid pauses as he sees the mammal he thought was in hospital in the queue. He then realises he hasn't seen his friend, something an ask around confirms. He's the one in hospital, the guard who hit him still there (even giving deer kid a look) as he walked passed. In an English lesson, this bubbles out into anger, and the deer kid writes an angry ultra edgy poem about it. He reads it out, even after being told to stop, and is taken back to his cells to cheering, a smile on his face.
Aiming to re-set the Nocturnal mob as a force, Vlad falls back on his intelligence network. A lot of his money was made by using bat spies to monitor companies, so he could make wise investments (and that was before the recent high-tech boom in the nocturnal district). Picking up the news about at secret ZPD investigation into Lanolin, he sends Lucy and a team of his best agents in to spy on what's going on. One of them though bumps into a mysterious mammal doing the same thing. A brief fight is seen, with the figure learning that both the Nocturnal mob is alive and well, and Lucy's part in it. Regardless, the mission is a success on the nocturnal mobs part. Realising it's about to collapse in scandal, Fangpyre puts his entire fortune into shorting the seemingly successful company.
Meanwhile, Vivienne is trying to work with the deer mother to sort out help. Conor visits him in juvie (despite his fears/ flashbacks) to cheer him up, blaming himself for it. Takes it hard on seeing his antlers removed for safety and how he's turning from the sweet eyed optimist he knew into an angrier and edgier mammal. They manage to lighten the mood and have fun though, and sing 'I fought the law' as a pick me up. Going home, he looks at one of his rules (never to have anyone suffer for him) and hits himself, before thinking about how easily he could lose everything. He contacts Guild, one of the remaining members of his hacker ring and tells them that, though he was still helping mammals and wasn't that far from clearing all the 'bad benjamins', he wants to wrap up the loaning as soon as possible. He found an extra source of money a while back and as long as he's smart with the remaining bad bills he'll be alright. While he wants to carry on helping mammals, he's had a wakeup call, and wants to make sure he doesn't lose the life he's been building. The contact agrees to help, wishing him luck with the new girl, guy or baby…
Vivienne meanwhile gets a call. She's worried at first, Nick wanting her to go somewhere to help. She's worried about letting the deer mother down, still blaming herself too, but after hearing that it's about her son she says she can go. Vivienne leaves.
A plane lands and Bogo starts driving off, telling his unseen passengers that he hopes to make this quick, only to be suddenly ambushed on the way. The ambushers though soon find that it's an armoured car, and they themselves are surrounded. Bogo then goes in and arrests the secretary of the interior personally. He set it up as a trap, knew she was listening in and has a recording, and assures her that the core witnesses are in a safe place.
In new Reynard, Nick and Judy settle in a guesthouse owned by Honey, the sheep suspicious Badger quite aware of some of the underhoof things that Reino del Sol and a variety of other evil corporations have done (while never explicitly revealed, Honey is Conor's contact and a member of the hacking guild, joining the criminals to, in her view, fight the bigger evils out there). She knows who Jack's brother is, and presses him on it, the rabbit at first shocked and trying to rationalise some of the things his brother's company has done before finally deciding that his twin is evil. He only gets things on public record, none of the truly bad stuff that Honey still has, not that it's revealed she has that.
The gang realise that the prince was able to send out a distress signal, but Honey reveals that her house is loaded up with defenses. Nick and Judy watch through them in horror as Reino's best agent, 'John Wolf', the one who killed Ukwehli, arrives. Narrowly realising the defences are in place and escaping, he kitnaps a kit (Sam, Nick's 2nd cousin or something, who'll have been seen a few times before, given that his mother owns the diner Vivienne worked in) and tries to arrange a hostage swap. Approaching, they realise he's also slipping through the defences, and he then tries to kick in the door. Finding it armoured, he chucks the kit in a bush, plants charges down, and grabs him up again as he blows the bloody doors off. Taking up positions, ready to fight, the groups hug in fear as they grab what they can… The killer seems like he's going to win when, out of the blue, he's pierced by an arrow shot by Vivienne, who jumps out and begins racing forward, firing at him. Sam is dropped and escapes, the gang hold the agent off, he attempts to grab a grenade and throw it at them but his arm is pinned to the wall before he can throw it. He's killed, just as the elite ZPD forces arrive to secure the area.
In the fallout, the secretary sells out all the members she can in order to avoid being charged with high treason, while Lanolin is raided. The scandal destroys the company, resulting in Vlad, who'd put everything into shorting it, earning a new fortune. The future of his organisation secure, he and Lucy celebrate, further falling in love, and spend a romantic night together confessing their love and making out.
The pictures of sheep on the media, linked with Bellwether, causes some bias towards them, something Judy is worried about. Meanwhile, big 'anonymous' style marches and protests are taking place, only they're using the robin hood style masks from 'H for Honour' (instead of the Guy fawkes ones irl). Before he's taken away, the prince says that the sheep tried to tear apart their society, and now they're going to get terribly treated back. He asks if it feels good to let that society damaging info go free to cause harm. Judy angrily argues that while it fails in practice, Zootopia tries to treat everyone the same, tries to hold that they all deserve a chance. We are mammals, warts and all, but we are all mammals. With you, it's those on top and those below. He smiles. Soon you'll be wishing that you could ban your heresy too.
He's led away, the entire UMF and Reino Del Sol about as close to war as you can get without firing a shot. However, the latter knows it would be a curb stomp, and they're trying to get an agreement where the son will be returned with no charges, in return for the king abdicating, an heir who was exiled for smuggling out slaves being made the new (ceremonial only) monarch, and a new, externally written, constitution being written. The fortune in diamonds recovered from the interior (the whole site under army protection and being fully excavated) would be used to fund compensation to the newly freed slaves, while federal peacekeepers would ensure a peaceful transition.
In Zootopia, with a number of politicians under investigation or resigning, new ones are needed. Bogo has stepped in as an interim mayor for now, until said elections can be held.
Given the rumours that he was involved and was a real life action star are growing, Jack thinks things over. On hearing a press release from his brother, talking about how his company has in the past reformed bad institutions in other places and can work in Zootopia and RDS as a neutral partner (indeed, as of a few weeks ago when we took over the management, you can be assured that the prison system, from youngest mammal in juvie to the oldest in the supermax, will be free of these bad influences), Jack decides that someone needs to oppose him. Encouraged by Skye, given that working and networking is what he's good at, he announces that he'll be running for mayor, Skye, though a bit nervous, by his side.
Vlad finds that Lucy has prepared a romantic evening for him, and on seeing her a bit nervous takes the lead, the pair dancing and then talking and laughing… However, she still errs towards a nervousness, Vlad unsure why given that she's a fearless and brave mammal. She confesses that she's been dealt with something that truly scares her, and asks Vlad to be by her side, to be calm and caring and patient. He promises he always will be, but is still confused… Until Lucy reveals a positive pregnancy test. She's going to have his pups, to which he says that she's going to have their pups, the two embracing.
Judy has her doubts and concerns about everything, and can't help but feel the bad guys are getting away, Nick comes to cheer her up. She talks about her experiences, the good, the bad, and how he paid her back. Nick's confused, but she reveals the dented name plate. She says her life flashed before her eyes, and in it all, one thing was true. The brightest moments were the ones spent with you. In front of a few witnesses, she returns the vows, the pair officially marrying according to fox culture.
She and Nick sign a certificate to make it official, they are now Mr and Mrs WildeHopps. Back in Zootopia, Skye is trying to work out the things needed of her to help Jack, him replying that they can follow their own passions and purposes. Wondering what hers might be now, Jack reveals he has a surprise for her. He reveals that he brought the boat over for her to restore as a personal project, giving her hyper zoomies. Bogo is moving on, stepping in as a temporary mayor and leaving command of Precinct one to (the ideally introduced before) Chief Tora in charge. He comments that there's still one loose end left, and in his lab La Peigne checks up on Doug. The sheep has done it, and La Peigne orders his agents here, there and everywhere to start getting the implants. With all the chaos going on, with his propaganda network set up, there will never be a time like this again.
Doug questions 'a time like what?'
La Peigne smiles. "To start my magnum opus. To start the Fire triangle."
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Note:
With Vivienne choosing to open a franchise established earlier, the Guardian Blue sidestory about Duke can also occur earlier.
The lion king/ shenzi stuff comes from a oneshot I did, and is a fun nod to the Lion King while also helping to introduce the theme of revisionist history. Motti being the returning heir, only for the monarchy to be abolished, is a bit of fun on my part.
I'd imagine that the trek to Motti's village could include lots of things showing how the third world of Zootopia operates. E.g. lots of messages and parcels being sent by bats, elephants acting as parlequin carriers to take cars across rivers, etc. If you really wanted, the scene getting there could have some homages to the top gear road trips, each character having their own vehicle and modifying it (though given the tone, that might be too silly).
While the adventure plot of GB season 2 was very strong, the main villains and their motive (a primarily sheep company trying to destroy evidence that the pred prey truce was built around a love affair, not a trade agreement by them in the far past) felt just a little weak. I felt substituting in Reino Del Sol (from 6WingDragon's Neverwere moments series) put in a more intimidating foe, while adding in a prince wanting to serve his country and father created a good villain. A llama empire with a notorious history of oppressing Maned wolves, they were instead removing 3rd party evidence that disproved their propaganda, keeping the themes the same. Ukwheli is changed to a maned wolf, from a painted dog, because of this.. Moreover, by including a plotline about them trying to smuggle out their diamonds, Conor's actions from the prequels can be tied in, along with, very naturally, the beginning scenes of the main fire triangle plot line. Some stuff with Bogo is added in, showing him being pro-active in the meantime, while also introducing Albert Tufts from Fire Triangle. Replacing the medi-vac from GB with a long tense riverboat chase also adds to the tension, and gives a unique set up, especially with how different mammals could be used by both sides, and how the good guys could come up with improvised solutions along the way. Finally, though not put in, something similar to Cimar's fic 'The Masked Fox' could be added in, backpackers and travellers from Zootopia (maybe some of the mammals from Outsiders with outsiders, such as the Fanghanels) going missing in that area too, the gang finding them captured for getting too close and being used as labourers. They get to join the revolution too.
Once more, Conor has stuff going on. After a follow up/ round up of the party arc (using a very condensed take on some of Merc's stories, with a newly inserted end game to clear the picture issue up) he meets Vivienne again. The deer kid character tagging along was (at the time of writing this outline, he got reintroduced later as an edgy anarchist with a name) originally a no named character from 3 separate chapters of FT. Introducing him earlier as a young wide eyed innocent and building him up as someone who gets closer to Conor but also darker and edgier makes his eventual scenes later on far more powerful, while giving a first hand look at a bunch of things mentioned in the background of FT. Mainly showing how brutal the judge can be, and also showing that he and La Peigne have agents inside the ZPD. You also get to see LP building up the propaganda and corruption networks he uses going on. Some clues to Conor's backstory are given, and he gets a motive to stop his money lending and to try and wrap it up. Vivienne's big hero moment at the end is built further up.
Lucy's backstory is shown in full, Vlad's double checking of it (and finding just how much she smoothed over how traumatic it was) going on at the same time as the revisionist history stuff into the interior. Shown getting closer, they fall in love, ending with the reveal of Lucy's pregnancy.
Meanwhile, Jack launches into a new arc for himself, going into politics. Such a thing was hinted but not followed on at the end of GB S2… and this arc would take in aspects of Nick's mayor run in When Night Falls and the character Claudia Nihzang from Fire Triangle.
Finally, the Robin Hood stuff being this universes version of the guy fawkes mask is fully established.
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Hypothetical episode names:
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Restart anew: Judy reacts to Nick's proposal, and the pair have a much needed conversation about where to go next. Curious as to why she saved him, Vlad asks Lucy, who recalls the day that started her descent into villainy. Duke Weaselton is given a chance at absolution.
Wards of the state: Joining in on a charity drive, Conor comes face to face with mammals sharing some of his burdens, and some bitter truths. Meanwhile, a new mammal arrives in Zootopia, seeking aid and protection.
Naked truths: Conor and his friends look into who called the cops on the party, and find plenty they weren't looking for. Back on duty, a call sends Nick and Judy on a mission to retrieve an important mammal and bring him to safety.
Vanishing act: Researching more into their contact, the ZPD smell something going on, especially as important things go missing. A new mission, above and beyond the call of duty, beckons. Meanwhile, Lucy recalls how she escaped from prison with the help of a magician.
Legal technicalities: Conor and his friend hang out with Vivienne, but a seeming miscommunication with the law and an apparent formality set off alarm bells for the fox. Travelling through the interior, Jack recounts the ancient and recent history of mammal kind, and how it might be playing into their case.
Their house, their rules: Finding Ukwheli's village, the gang have to deal with local matriarchs and local wildlife. Lucy recounts her training under Peter Ishini, and how she became a true criminal. Conor goes with his friend to court, hoping that he's wrong about what's going to happen.
Mammals of sin: Rafting down the river, Nick and Judy and co discover the truth of the conspiracy, and act to halt it in its tracks. A victim of an injustice finds out he's not the only one. Vlad puts Lucy's story to scrutiny.
Fight back: Freeing the slaves, the gang make a long and slow escape back to freedom, marred by challenges. Back in Zootopia, Bogo and co are forced to root out the enemy within while Vlad and Lucy get a chance to reclaim the nocturnal mobs power.
And hold out: The gang are relocated to a safe house, with an opinionated new host. The threat though is not over yet, as Reino Del Sol have one last card to play. Vivienne has to make a choice, while one last injustice influences a young mammal to stop playing nice.
From this glad day: The ZPD has some news for Zootopia, Lucy has some news for Vlad, Jack has some news for Skye, Judy has some news for Nick, Conor has some news for Guild and all have a leap to take into a bold and unknown tomorrow.