Prologue.
** This story begins after events in "Trial Before the Council of Elders"
Authors Note:
There are certain parts of this story that are questionable for young teens. I've greatly improved in keeping it focused on non-sexual content, but for some story arcs it has to be broached to adequately explain what is going on. These are words and terms, not graphic expatiation. Therefore consider the reader warned.
Eons ago before the beginning of recorded times there once stood two factions of mammals: the predators, vicious and strong; and the prey, meek and terrified. For thousands of years there was a terrible struggle between the two as the prey attempted to live without being eaten, and the predators struggled to find enough food to feed their young. It was not unusual for a young prey to witness one or both of its parents being killed so it had a chance to escape. Those who lived to grow old were held in high esteem; and their counsel heeded to without question. They lived through many attacks by predators and bested them; therefore it was they who lived to teach others how to do same thing.
Then about two thousand years ago years ago there came a truce between the two factions, between predator and prey.
It started when a priest, a honey badger... the least likely of predators to live peacefully... that took up the mantle of peace and stood defiantly at the edge of the Great Watering Hole. The honey badger stated that Mother Nature would have no more bloodshed of her intelligent ones. She had sent him to enforce her will, starting at this very spot. She had clearly made provisions for the predators; fowl and fish were given for them to eat. Any living thing living in the sea that breathed air was also off the menu. This did not sit well with the predators. How could one of their own betray them? Especially one whose species were known to take pleasure in killing entire herds in one day just to stock up for the harsh cold bitter winter. It was blasphemous. It deserved to die.
So the battle raged for days on end. One lone honey badger against an army of mammals thrice its size; the carcasses started piling up, but no end was in sight. Foxes quickness of mind was no match for the honey badger; neither was the quickness of minks, ferrets, and other small predators' species. Bears tried but quickly found their brute strength was no match against the smaller but more agile mammal as it slashed their jugulars; same with the lions, tigers, and jaguars. It was a spectacle to behold; a battle that clearly should have ended quickly by the mass thrown against a lone mammal. It was well-known that honey badgers loved a good fight; and this one proved worthy of that reputation. It was unbelievable that such a small mammal could stand against such numbers, but it did.
When the battle ended many days later the prey species wandered onto the battlefield, pressing through the blood soaked grass and around the dead bodies. Predators who did not partake of the fight also meandered onto the field of battle. Both groups surveyed the area, counting the dead but finally giving up. Soon they came across the limp body of the honey badger. With its final dying breaths it implored the two factions to mend their ways, to start anew here at this watering hole. Mother Nature promised a bright future for both should they heed these words, but she also promised both factions would lose their supremacy should they continue their ancient ways. He waved his paws in the air, conjuring a cloud of thick white mists along the waters' edge. Within it was shown an ape-like beast strolling through a meadow. In its fur-less paws it held strange things; something that threw thin long leafless branches that killed predator and prey alike. The hairless ape also held a thick stick-like thing that emitted black smoke, killing predator and prey alike seemingly by pointing at either one. The beast made traps well-hidden which easily caught the smartest of mammals as if they were sucking cubs and kits. Prey were corralled in small buildings; forced to bear young that were hauled off and killed for food. Predators kept in cages and killed for their pelts. And both predators and preys kept in strange open-air enclosures they couldn't escape; forced to stay there as many hairless apes watched them from a safe distance.
When the mists cleared all mammals looked to where the honey badger once lay; they caught a glimpse as his body dissolved into the fading mists never to be seen again. Each mammal heard a voice speaking; it felt as if were next to each one, it felt as if it were speaking from within. The voice implored them to change their ways, or else what they saw in the mists would come to pass.
This would become their fate if both factions refused to stop: Mother Nature would rise up an apex predator that would easily dominate all mammals. The choice was theirs to make. Wisely the leaders got together and made a pact. To this day few predators dare attempt to kill any prey species with its own teeth and claws or by other means. There are some kingdoms spread worldwide that still do, and Mother Nature warned them they will rue the day they chose to continue their ancient ways.
At the Great Watering Hole the mammals started a new way of life. Over the millennia they would transform it into fishing villages, then to fortified cities, and finally into the metropolis known as Zootopia. To this day in a secluded part of an ancient park rarely visited by anyone somewhere in the great city of Zootopia, one can find an old barely legible flat stone. Upon its surface is written a warning and a promise. A warning... should predators seek to continue their ancient shedding of prey blood; and should mammalkind fail to reign-in these predators, Mother Nature will rise up the prophesied apex predator. And a promise... as long as mammalkind control their bloodthirsty ways, the apex predator will remain a fable.
But evil that lurks within all sentient beings would find another way to manifest itself.
It first chose petty feuds between family and friends, or between one village and another. This was countered by the bright side: a system of laws and rules were developed to govern all mammalkind, notable exceptions being some mammals chose to rule themselves. Rabbits created their own system; with the eldest forming what was known as the Council of Elders. Bears chose a singular matriarch in their lands known as the Svalbear Empire. Wolves had their Alpha male in the Lupusdon Empire. The desert mammals gathered together under a sultan in the Dromedary Empire; and the jungle mammals under the wise rulership of elephants in the Pachydermia Territory.
But the darkness would not be contained. It found a permanent home in the hearts of individual mammals who desired more than scraps the ruling class allowed others. These mammals first became petty thieves, then gangs of thieves. In time they developed their own society within the present one which they named the Dark Underground. It was a name both figuratively as well as practically; because their society lived in the cavern system under the great city of Zootopia. Soon it became clear that this society of thieves needed rules of its own, or else it would tear itself apart from within and be discovered by the others. Once they had an agreed upon list of rules most could live under, they knew they needed a governing body whose tasking it was to enforce said rules. This became the Dark Council; their membership would be limited to twelve mammals. A separate mammal was placed in control of the council and became known as Chancellor of the Twelve, and the council members known as Alphas.
Not all gangs and thieves were content with how things was organized; so they formed a different organized criminal organization more in keeping with their ideals. This became known as the Crime Syndicate. While not officially at war with the Dark Council, it took advantage of every opportunity to steel or wrest control of specific areas or commodity markets. Member were not content to be limited with many rules that they viewed was weighing down progress, that had slowed down the Dark Council. The Syndicate, as they commonly was referred to, simplified their rules and simplified the punishment given for breaking said rules. In a nutshell; all their rules basically revolved around two principles: 1). If you can get away with it, it's yours. 2). If you aren't smart enough to prevent theft of your property, it's your fault.
Both organizations kept copies of the same ancient books. In these books it was explained why even those living outside normal society needed rules to live by, and what would happen without them. These ancient manuscripts explained why a code of conduct was necessary, why they must have an agreed upon set of rules. Eons ago in the beginning it told of stories what happened when such criminal society lived without them. While the Dark Council adhered to these books closely, The Syndicate used them more as a guideline.
The cavern system under Zootopia had many twists and turn, plenty of crevices for individuals to form their own lair. Over the eons the caverns had been sculpted to better fit the needs of the Dark Underground community. As better building methods and materials became available, these were used to fortify each level as well as access the deeper levels of the caverns. Eventually exploration was forced to stop when they discovered water flooded areas. When scuba and other diving methods were discovered, exploration resumed. They discovered larger chambers that were prime real-estate if they could be drained. Unfortunately they also discovered just how fragile certain areas above these were susceptible to crumbling down. Therefore a program of pouring large amounts of concrete began in earnest, continuing to this day.
It is unknown just how far down under the water the caverns go, but recent robotic probes suggests it may be as deep as the nearby ocean. Since it is freshwater and nobody has discovered the boundary of brackish water signifying the boundary between saltwater and freshwater, it has been determined this cavern system has no direct opening to the ocean. This is considered a good thing; there would be no opening for large water-born predators to enter into their sanctuary.
Life in the great city of Zootopia has normally been a quiet but rhythmic flow of relations between animals. Sometimes friction arose between predator and prey, when it does the mammals of Zootopia Police Department was there to restore the calm. Not necessarily to the satisfaction of all involved, but hey... you can't please everyone all the time, as the old saying goes. Sometimes this would be between prey mammals, and sometimes between predators.
Something started to change after the Lynxion War.
No one could tell you when they first noticed; but an air of unease had settled in the city. It was difficult to pin-down exactly what it was, but most mammals could feel it. It especially was felt by the officers in the ZPD. When Clawhauser, that eternal fountain of cheerfulness and tori-eating, came to work depressed nearly every day... then you know things are bad. Chief Bogo had his hoofs full trying to keep his officers properly motivated. He sent a message to Colonel Kohle over at Global Security Division, asking them to use their particular skills to determine if this was a real threat or a figment of everyone's imagination. The report he received back was inconclusive; but the old Scottish Terrier promised to have Zootopia monitored. Currently things were heating up someplace that was tying his teams far away from the great city, especially Team Bravo led by Agent Jack Savage.
It started as an increase in petty thefts; then progressing to increasing violent actions for no obvious discernible reason. Mammals least likely to be violent would attempt to seriously harm ZPD officers. Dr. Bennett Otterton and his fellow medical professionals at Zootopia General Hospital soon found themselves swamped with injured mammals and ZPD officers. Paramedics like Josie Warmner were busy tending wounded out at various crime scenes. Medical students like Judy's former-abducted friend Janice Rosenberg, after classes at Zootopia Community College were completed for the day, would be assigned to assist nurses with the overflow of incoming patients. Even the medical professionals at Zootopia Health Commission and Medical Evaluation and Response Team (MERT) were called in to help. Commander Camella Warmpaw and Camila Bogo led their teams to attempt to figure out if a toxin or other medical reason could explain the rapid increase in violence around the city.
It wasn't long before mammals started blaming this on their favorite escape goats: the residents of Happy Town. Foxes were the primary targets. John and Jackie Wilde experienced a higher than usual bigotry and petty theft; number of customers started dwindling at their store. Other storeowners experienced similar things. Even foxes who worked in various places in Zootopia or any of its 12-Ecosystems experienced the same racism. Even Officer Nickolas Wilde wasn't immune to abuse from those he was sworn to protect.
Another favorite group to be escape goated was the Lynx. After the Lynxion War in which many rabbits in the Tri-Burrows and Outback Isles had been captured and many eaten, many prey species had taken to exert payback whenever wherever they could against any Lynx they saw. This led to many Lynx moving to predator-friendly neighborhoods, some moving to Happy Town. There they greatly improved many areas which eventually led to these sub-districts becoming a vibrant and prosperous part of Zootopia.
Soon the increase in violence found its way into the courtroom. Chief Justice Aurthur Dent became alarmed at how his charges were being treated. He wasn't as concerned about his seasoned ones like Judge Edward Matheus and Judge Judith Proudmore of the Superior Court of Zootopia; these could easily change their procedures to best handle the situation. No... it was his newest ones over at the recently established Circuit Court of Bunny Burrow, Judge Petunia Springs and Judge Amy Cloverfield, who he had to keep a close eye on. He was pleased that the Zootopia Marshal Service increased security within the courthouse; and the local sheriff Ben Springs and the new Bunny Burrow chief of police Commander Bugs Knolls both were taking extra precautions in establishing more stringent security outside the courthouse for this circuit court. This included security chief at the Council of Elders estate Chief Vaulter; because sometimes the Bunny Burrow court would hold part of their proceedings up there but only when one of their plaintiffs or defendants was part of the Council's cases. The old judge was pleased all these were working well with each other; it fulfilled a requirement of the renewed Charter Agreement the government had made with the Council of Elders.
Mayor Franz Leporide, the current mayor of Bunny Burrow, soon found that his town was not immune to the violence wracking Zootopia. After he imposed a curfew and mandated everyone travel in groups of three or more, he contacted their ally; the Longears Family who controlled much of the Outback Isles. Unfortunately they were experiencing similar problems. The Estate of the Council of Elders seemed to be immune, probably because it had many different law enforcement and other agencies inside its walls... or maybe it was something dealing with Mr. Big.
One day protesters started appearing throughout the 12 Ecosystems of Zootopia. These made claims which were fantastic and outrageous; some stating only safety can be found by joining a certain gang or criminal element, others stating that the ZPD wasn't doing its job and best solution was purchasing a personal weapon. Others made claims that were difficult to figure out; ZNN News Reporters Audrey Drew and Victoria Harridon was busy documenting many of these. They regularly interviewed Zootopia's favorite psychologist Dr. Ben Bearinton each week to get his opinion about these. The doctor used these opportunities to point out the propaganda in each message, how they attempt to control you, what their control mechanism are, and why all mammals should ignore these.
Then things intensified. What started out with random harassment of a single officer soon turned into a series of ambushes. Medical professionals at Zootopia Health Commission could not discern any reason for the attacks; therefor these were concluded to be willful and deliberate. Such actions were truly disgusting, for they considered neither the value of life nor innocence of the mammal affected by their actions.
Mayor Leodore Lionheart and the city council soon were forced to implement a curfew. As more officers were killed in random attacks, Governor Randolph Darcy was contacted for help. Deployment of the National Guard did help reduce the number of the attacks; and the ZPD beat officers were grateful for their help, especially for their prompt response during ambush attacks. Director Judi Dench, Director of Global Security, was brought before the city council for her recommendations. What she recommended did not sit well; but neither was it rejected outright. While the city council debated on a course of action, the mouse left and returned to her office. She thought bringing back retired and former officers was a no-brainer, at least on a temporary basis until control could be restored.
Only the intervention of Mr. Big prevented the total elimination of the ZPD. It was he who told Chief Bogo who it was responsible: The Dark Council of the Twelve... and the alternate society of criminals it ruled which was known as the Dark Underground.
The history of the Outback Isles is one of feast and famine; of destruction and rebuilding. It was this cycle of being invaded that kept the rabbit population from overwhelming the land. The ingenuity of the inhabitants barely allowed them to keep abreast of the hordes, to stockpile enough building material to repair and rebuild. Perhaps it was this that forced the invention of the burrows, of burying their homes deep underground. Perhaps it was this that forced building tall thick walls around center of their villages, time being of the essence. But as any army commander can tell you, any defense can be overcome with enough time and persistence. Perhaps this is why lower class citizens were given the less protective system, and farmers used the burrows to protect their families. Whatever method used, it was the lower classes that suffered the most; sacrifice them so the hordes would be appeased and leave.
Jonathan and Emma Longears had thought once the family curse was cured things would get better. For awhile it did. Their treaty with the Zootopians proved beneficial; their trade with the Tri-Burrows was both profitable as well as drawing both Lapin societies closer. Celebrating holidays together was becoming more frequent, and their young were inter-marrying. Their relationship with their ancient nemesis, the Council of Elders, had gotten better; all thanks to a certain bunny-fox couple that recently joined. Their ancient pact with the Svalbears was strengthen because of this. Life was getting better every day.
Then the chaos hit. Everywhere in the Outback Isles protesters were in the streets, and law enforcement was being attacked at random intervals. Thankfully Marcie Strongpaw, Great Mother of the Svalbear Empire, had insisted on having an ambassador in their main compound. The bear may not be a trained warrior but his very presence kept the larger species of protesters at bay. An emergency dispatch to his superiors resulted in a small security force being sent to ensure his protection and the Chancellor and Matron of the Burrow by extension. Marcie strongly encouraged Jonathan to contact Mayor Leporide and coordinate together. It was obvious the Zootopians would need to know what was happening out here, and together they would survive this.
The response they received from Mayor Leporide was not encouraging. Quickly they communicated with the Bunny Burrow city council and formulated a mutual support plan. It was obvious that both Lapin societies were being targeted by the same unknown force; therefore they needed to pool some of their resources. The Longears patriarch and matriarch let the Zootopians know they were also being supported by the Svalbear allies. When the governing council of the Tri-Burrows requested a small group of Svalbears to be posted at Bunny Burrow city hall, Marcie insisted an equal number of their rabbits be stationed at her governing hall. It was agreed and Director Dench was contacted. Team Charlie was dispatched to the Longear territory and Team Echo went to the Svalbear Empire. Team Bravo had previously been assigned to the Tri-Burrows and now would be supplemented with a fully-staffed support facility.
Council of Elders had years ago requested support from GSD and soon allowed it to establish a small facility on the estate. After the renegotiated Charter Agreement went into effect, a better building was built by the Zootopia Corps of Engineers; Estate Law Enforcement Center now was the central hub for all non-estate mammals. It also had expanded rooms for the estate guards, which brought their skill-set into modern times without sacrificing traditional training methods. After the Wilde-Hopps trial, the ZPD Upper Command and that of the GSD established a new program for advanced classes in melee weapons training; obviously taught by the council's guards. Gary Bevyton, Gene Dexter, and Technician Marsha Springs; these were the lead support staff for the GSD. Gary and Gene is the scientist working for the GSD, and Marsha is the lead repair and troubleshooting anything these scientists needed help with.
Police Commissioner Frank *Teddy* Ursus had his paws full. He was a male Grizzly Bear known as a no-nonsense work ethic; but he had a soft spot for his officers wounded on duty. He was not content to sit all day in ZPD Headquarters pushing paperwork; he stepped outside every day to visit one precinct and get a first-paw look at what his beat officers and detectives were experiencing. As top chief of Zootopia's police force, he was always concerned about the welfare of his twelve precincts. His newest charge, a male Honey Badger from the Order of Mother Nature, was a recent hire and surprisingly was a good fit. The commissioner knew he would have to keep track of this ZPD Religious Counselor; over-work was a typical problem that was the main cause for his predecessors to leave the job.
He had his eyes on one chief in particular: Precinct One Chief Bogo. Chief Bogo had a tough year and came through with flying colors. The Wilde-Hopps case was a nasty surprise to the whole police force, most officers in every precinct thought the bunny-fox officers were being raked over the coals of outdated assumptions. Chief Bogo led his team with a cool head; this put him on the Commissioner's radar, and unofficially onto the promotion list.
When the new circuit court in Bunny Burrow reported that a crime wave was happening in the Tri-Burrows area and the residents didn't bother to report it due to lack of trust in the local law enforcement... the Commissioner knew he had to change things. Internal Affairs did an assessment and a historical study; the results proved a need for more experienced leadership. While a full-rank of chief was not justified, a commander could be. Therefor he was pleased to promote and personally pin the star denoting the rank of commander onto Bugs Knolls; a rabbit senior officer whom he had on his staff for a number of years. Rabbits rarely considered police work as a valid job, and Bugs Knolls was the only one in law enforcement for many years, not counting Jack Savage over in GSD. This officer was adaptable, crafty, expert with almost every weapon in the ZPD arsenal, and held almost every award for bravery; but he refused multiple opportunities for higher rank, for reasons he kept close to his chest. Begrudgingly Bugs Knolls accepted the new position, mainly because it was it was promised more than a desk job: a worthy foe had been identified, one clearly above the skills average ZPD commanding officers had... and he clearly was no average officer.
Commissioner Ursus also was working on the after-effects of the Lynxion War when this new conflict started. His officers were increasingly being ambushed; this forced him to bring back retired officers to fill emergency positions. It was preferable than to leave areas exposed to mammals of ill-repute; most noticeably members of the Dark Underground. He temporarily increased working hours to 12-on / 12-off, and it was necessary to have two cruisers patrol together. This was a stop-gap measure; four officers working together could protect themselves while waiting for backup. When the numbers of his beat officers dropped to a specific level, the National Guard returned to patrolling the streets and was a welcome relief. Chief Mondo Razor, a male swine, had called him almost as soon as it started; the former commander of Precinct One is currently serving as his chief of staff until one of the Precinct commanders would be seriously harmed. Then this retired commander would step in and temporarily assume command of this precinct until the original commander was well enough to resume his position.
Commander Knolls was fully aware of what Internal Affairs had discovered; so he knew his new assignment was going to be difficult. His new charges he would be responsible for were tough, experienced... but lacked the technical know-how to deal with the criminals that obviously were more advanced that the small-time crooks they were used to dealing with. The Lynxion War had thinned-out the less-adaptable ones; this gave him the opportunity to send his Operation Plan directly to ZPD Headquarters as well as his list documenting specific skills and the number of officers he would need to address what was obviously an active organized crime cell.
As a former member of ZPD Headquarters, Commander Knolls had access to all ZPD employee files. He was quite interested in one specific member: Officer Judith Laverne Hopps. The doe had an anomaly in her file that was highly classified and accessible to the Commissioner and others holding Top Secret: need-to-know clearance. Her partner and soon-to-be-husband also had a similar anomaly in his file. If there was one thing he loved most, it was a good mystery. It couldn't be because of the recent trial they just went through, nor because of the training they currently are going through with those old rabbits up at the estate. This... was very sensitive.
The Servants of Truth could be said to have played a role in the upheaval in Zootopia. The original group had been eliminated by an ancient bioweapon, but their ideology lived on via pamphlets and friends they made outside their group. Soon disgruntled mammals discovered the ideology and became new members. They despised what they considered an unnatural relationship Judy and Nick had. To them it was a grave error to have their relationship be judged as Genuine, and they felt it their duty to restore balance and remove this dark blotch upon Lapin society. Because of Judy and Nick overcoming great odds not only in the Nighthowler case and with the trial before the Council of Elders, some mammals started dating others not of their species. Predators started dating other predator species; prey started dating other prey species.
But what really drove the ire of the Servants of Truth was predators and prey started dating one another. When Judy and Nick first passed the council's judgement, many bunnies tried dating predators; which unfortunately this lead quite a few to become lunch. Thankfully city hall was able to get out the message to all the burrows and rabbit elders to halt this; and have their young ones bring the predator to the council's estate for questioning and determining intent. One of Judy's littermates, Clara, started dating a cheetah. A cousin of Nick's started dating a bunny, encouraged by the sharp wit of Judy and how well her and Nick switched lead role in their relationship. This was starting to occur in nearby towns; some successfully lasting quite a while, others barely beyond a few weeks.
The Servants decided this must stop, and this must be made an example of; starting with the pair which encouraged it all: Zootopia's favorite fox-bunny cops.
Somewhere in the deep and secretive cavern somewhere under the great city of Zootopia... the Dark Council of the Twelve was holding their meeting. Today many things would be decided, but most importantly... today was to be the day they put their ultimate power grab in action. Their members were from around the world:
Alpha One: Regis von Mane, male lion and a relative of Zootopia's current mayor. Master of government systems and parliamentary procedures and clever trickery. When not planning his next trickery of a government program or office, Regis can be found in a salon being pampered by several ladies preening and conditioning his paws, claws, mane and any other services offered.
Alpha Two: Albert Battern, male ram from the Gothic Highlands. Master tactician and clever trickery. Albert enjoys medieval jousting tournament, boxing, and Asian contact sports. Occasionally he can be found climbing any vertical structure with minimal footholds; the skyscrapers in Zootopia being his favorite. If he goes to actual mountains, he treats them as *timed events* and keeps scorecards on his progress.
Alpha Three: Cheryl Stalk, female caracal from Aswan Plateau. An accomplished assassin. She used to be a skilled undercover agent that resigned from the ZI-6 Intelligence Agency. Cheryl has a love of all things relating to firearms, and can be found at any gun range honing her skills. It is unknown if she prefers weapons to males; but considering the sheer number of broken hearts and bodies, one can theorize which she prefers.
Alpha Four: Arthur Horne, male cape buffalo from Caffer Savanah. Shipping executive whose businesses exerts influence over many countries. Arthur has an affinity for fine china and expensive dinnerware; his home and many residences worldwide are filled with many such items. His checking account is debited with numerous billings for replacement items, as is his insurance policy. Arthur claims such *accidents* were caused by red flags or heated debates.
Alpha Five: Armand Stout, male African elephant from Pachydermia. Plantation owner and brewer aficionado. Armand enjoys spelling bees and crossword puzzles; he has been known to travel worldwide to play these games against a singular opponent. Armand's habit of using trees to scratch an itch has him banned from many horticultural exhibitions and nurseries. His lawyers are still appealing the last incident, claiming he was merely picking up a shrub someone else had knocked over.
Alpha Six: Franz Wright, Middle-age male wolf from the Lupusdon Empire. Consort to the Empress, Franz enjoys the thrill of the hunt... and time away from his cubs. He detests changing diapers and an angry wife; however prefers these to losing his head. Finding a suitable gift for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and his wife's birthday is always a challenge: especially for the female who has it all.
Alpha Seven: James Adams, male grizzly bear from Kodiak Range. Fishing Industry Executive and author. James has an affinity for all things salmon and is known to take the afternoon off to travel to the Great Outdoors and spend hours in the middle of a stream. Sleeping to all hours of the day is not unusual; especially during the winter months. He swears that a certain Tv show is the biography of his life.
Alpha Eight: Juan Prairie, male greater kudu from the Olmec Plains. Travel Industry Executive and connoisseur of water. Juan is very conscious about his health and detests bottled water from non-natural sources. He loves marathons wither planned or simply running with his herd to nowhere in particular. He met his chosen cow during one of these marathons when she ran circles around him.
Alpha Nine: Alexander Graham, male moose from Boreal Woodlands. Alpine Travel and Old Woodlands Hospitality executive. Alexander has an affinity for log cabins and mountain valley living. He takes great pride that the patent for the telephone was made by his great-grandfather. Alexander can be found at any national park on Opening Day or traveling to other countries to experience their parks.
Alpha Ten: Gregor McKeen, Male grey fox. Godfather of the Outback Isles. Enjoys mystery novels and thrill of the chase. Gregor once was king of the game of Twenty One Questions; but due to unforeseen circumstances he has stopped playing that game. He is currently rebuilding his decimated forces from the recent horde and from an internal civil war. He is forming new alliances and avoiding assassins attempting to claim the reward for the death warrant issued against him.
Alpha Elven: Gary Noble, male hare from the Black Forest. Sand-colored fur, brown eyes. Horticulturist executive. Gary detests non-organic farming methods... and carrots. Growing up poor, he is determined to never return to living that way again. His questionable ethics allows him to use assumptions and anti-predator attitudes-prejudices against his fellow prey species: especially rabbits. This apparent living without morals has allowed Gary to accumulate great wealth... and questions of which species he is.
Alpha Twelve: Mr. Vito Big, an arctic shew living in Tundratown. Banking executive. Vito loves all things Italian and living by the Old Ways; ancient standards that have proven to minimize hardships and maximize profit. He detests modern goals of the Dark Council; as he believes the goals violate the Old Ways and more importantly... his own relationship with his granddaughter's godmother: Officer Judy Hopps. The truce he established through Judy with certain government agencies has expanded his own territory.
Chancellor of the Twelve brought the meeting to order. "Dark Council... today is the day we have been waiting for. Our minions have been carefully placed at vital positions throughout Zootopia. Their reports suggest the Zootopians have been weakened by the Lynxion War and by assisting the Outback Isles in the recent Lupine horde. When we are through with them, no longer will our young be forced to live in these caverns; we will take their homes for our own." He paused, waiting for the hoots and hollers to die down.
"But first we must wrest control from them. We must bring their governing body to its knees, and then remove their heads so the old government cannot seek our destruction via guerrilla tactics. No mercy; all in senior positions must be eliminated. Then we'll thin the others according to their usefulness and malleability. Only after these are accomplished can we move on to solidifying control of the remaining ecosystems. Once all of Zootopia is firmly in our control, then we will move on to conquering the whole world... one territory at a time." Again he paused until the cheers died down.
"It is unfortunate but necessary that some agencies must be completely gutted. Their mammals will never support our goals, even when they beg for their lives. These beggars... we'll allow to live for a short time until they train our chosen replacements. Then they too will be killed, else they waken to what they have done and attempt to undo it." He looked around the room, gaging the effects of his words upon his minions. "Good. I see no quibbling. So which am I referring to? The entirety of the Zootopia Police Department, Global Security Department, Zootopia Health Commission with its Medical Evaluation and Response Team subset. The ZPD and GSD for obvious reasons; they are sworn to operate against us. ZHC and MERT are not as obvious; but these operate closely with the previous members, therefore they are deemed not malleable for our purposes."
The next few moments he laid out the assignments for each Alpha, some whose tasking was not directed at Zootopia but for the follow-on campaign.
Alpha Ten knew the death warrant on his head was still in effect when he walked into the Dark Council meeting room. His membership had not yet been revoked; thus merely being here he was openly defying the Chancellor of the Twelve. He stated he was not alone and if necessary he would fight the entire Dark Council again, this time he had more than his wits and claws to defend himself. He displayed not only the head of his former wife and who was the former Alpha Six, but heads of a few assassins they sent to kill him. The choice was theirs to make, he was willing to have theirs sitting above his fireplace mantle. In the end it was agreed to allow Gregor to assume his seat but with a caveat; he would be subjected to assassination outside the meeting room.
Alpha Ten grinned, and invited all who wished to make their best attempt.
It was very unusual for Alpha Twelve to be at these meetings; usually he preferred to remain in his fortress in Zootopia's Tundratown. Today he had three polar bears with him: Koslov who normally was here, and the two brothers; Raymond & Kevin Coldpaw. Unbeknownst to everyone, he was guarded by several mammals using stealth units with extra power supplies that increased total duration to one hour. The chancellor reluctantly gave Alpha Twelve his assignment; he was to assist Alpha Six and Ten in attacking all law enforcement in Zootopia, the Tri-Burrows, the entire Outback Isles, and the GSD headquarters in Zootopia. When time came for the evening meal Alpha Twelve declined to eat with his fellow alphas; choosing instead to depart immediately on his assignment. Normally this was seen as an insult to the council, but considering this was his first joining of the meeting in many months it was excused. Besides the rodent couldn't eat much anyway; and his bodyguard was prohibited from joining the meal.
Once safely cleared of prying eyes the stealthed ones disengaged their units and quickly got into the vehicles; departing the area before there was a chance to be spotted. What he was about to do was treason; and he knew eventually the council would find and punished him. There was only one reason he was doing this: for the sake of his granddaughter's godmother, Judy Hopps. A report needed to get back to the Godmother; only she was in a position to warn the Zootopians of the disaster heading their way.
"Daddy? Where are you? Why did you leave me?"
The vixen rolled about under the covers.
"Daddy! Why aren't you here? It's cold Daddy."
"Marilyn... wake up!"
"Daddy... I'm scared. Why do I have to be alone?"
"Marilyn, wake up. It's me, Daddy." The elder todd said as he gently shook the young light-red vixen.
"Daddy. Who are these mammals? They're mean, Daddy."
Kimberly and Carl Wintersprite sat on the edge of the bed, trying to wake their granddaughter.
"How many nights has it been? Four? Five? Surely this can't be a case of bad venison" Kimberly said as she held her other granddaughter in her paws. Caroline had a darker hue of red than her sister and was the dominate one, but when her sister started having these dreams... the faraway stare of her eyes utterly spooked the young vixen.
"Perhaps it's time to call for the priests" Carl's voice was firm but held a twinge of pain. He knew what they must do. What it might cost them.
"NO!" A voice said from the doorway.
The elder foxes turned around, knowing exactly who it was.
"Your methods are not working, Nursemaid. The elixir you use... I've seen it before. How much longer can you try to pull the wool over our eyes?"
The vixen eyes narrowed. "You do not know to whom you are talking to. I am responsible for these little ones. It is my responsibility for their proper care."
"You seem to forget your place, nursemaid. You may owe a life-debt to our daughter, but you agreed to our conditions on that day you brought these young ones to this household. You may stay here as long as we want you. You are dangerously close to wearing out your welcome. May I strongly suggest leaving this room before you say something more that convinces us to terminate your welcome."
Abigail Canny, aka: the nursemaid, nodded her head and left the room, not exactly feeling better. She had plans for these little vixens, especially the lighter-hue red one. This little one would be used to lure her true father out in the open; she knew the godfather she once served, Josephine Wintersprite, had prized the todd. Abigail had ogled the todd from across the room and agreed... he was most definitely a higher-caliber character and therefore high-value fox. Soon she would make him her own.
Pastor Chester woke up and bolted upright. He just had a very strange dream; he was surrounded by mean mammals that had him in a cage and were taunting him. He couldn't hear then clearly in this dream, only a strong impression he was scared and wanted his daddy. Honey Badgers aren't known for being scared even when very young, hence why he knew it was a dream. That and in the dream his fur was same color as Nickolas Wilde's. But Nick doesn't have any young, at least none anyone he knows would have that information. But every time this priest has dreams like this, it is usually proven true. Now the earthen priest knew something was wrong.
He made himself a written note, then changed his mind and sent a zmail to his superiors. Afterwards he went back to bed. This was one mystery the priest faction would solve one way or another.
Kathrin Wintersprite had been carefully watching the one who called herself Life-Indebted to her deceased sibling, Josephine Wintersprite. Something about her story didn't seem right; she disagreed with her parent's seemingly acceptance of the explanation, perhaps they simply wanted to cement their newly discovered grandcubs into the family. Something about that light-hue one; her spidey-senses had been going off ever since she first laid eyes on it. She didn't buy it that both vixens had same todd as father; coat color rarely mis-matched that much between littermates. But her father warned her to keep her suspicions to herself, said he thought in due time the nursemaid would explain who the real father was. In the meantime she wasn't to confront the nursemaid; he knew she was more deadly than she pretended not to be.
Kathrin missed her sister dearly; they were not only littermates but best friends. When they were cubs they inseparable, and this continued all the way into their teenage years. Of the two Josephine was the more ambitious, the bigger risk-taker. As long as Kathrin was around her, Josephine was on a somewhat-even keel. Of the two Josephine was the more popular with the todds; probably because she was always willing to lift her tail to trade for favors. Kathrin was impressed her sister didn't come down with something; perhaps she did and traded medical help for something. Kathrin sighed. Her sister certainly lived for that golden ring of power; and willingly sacrificed her dignity to get it. Kathrin wondered just what it was Josephine traded that got her killed, leaving behind her remaining surviving cubs for someone else to raise.
Her sister couldn't have a normal funeral; someone had removed her head and left her corps to gather flies. Thankfully the ZPD coroner had arrived on-scene before the eggs could hatch and the larva begin their natural process of reducing the body to its elemental properties, although not without the foul smell the process required. Only close family members were allowed to see the actual body; the funeral director was diplomatic in explaining why the head was missing, he chalked it up to trophy hunters. Her college instructor confided with her to the actual reason... it was a mafia signal to show the world the husband had divorced his wife. The type of cut used to remove the head; he showed her the meaning of each stroke of the blade. Kathrin was pledged to never disclose this to her parents; it was better they remembered her death as explained by the funeral director.
Gregor McKeen, godfather of the Outback Isles mafia, stood out of the balcony and looked over his guards who were doing their afternoon training regimen. This was the latest group of newly recruited mammals to join his forces. They had heart, motivation, eagerness to please... but as expected of ones new to the game, they were clumsy. He made a point to rarely let himself be seen by new recruits; it would distract them and cause more problems just when they needed to focus on their training, not attempting to please the upper chain of command. He remembered his days when he was new to the training. His instructors punished him more harshly than his peers because he knew better; he was privy to the hows and whys everything recruits went through, and why all that they went through was to shorten their training and get them to their next evolution of actually becoming a productive member of the guard.
Nursemaid... he had gotten word of a vixen that had made subtle claims of being the rightful heir to the position, to the title of Godfather. She had wisely avoided making the claim for herself, instead she claimed to have proof who was the rightful heir. This obviously meant that at least one of the cubs of his deceased wife had survived. If this were true, the cub would not be the title holder; but it would be next in line. He had that before he was drugged and thrown into a cell by that cursed vixen. Through patience and deceit he had gained his freedom and hunted her down, and killed her and her lover in a singular action. Now he would have to find this nursemaid and where she hid the cub. Both would need to die before his new wife birthed his cubs.
Catherin McKeen heard rumors; they said her husband had cubs by another vixen. She was not certain wither to believe them, not if the head of a vixen in his personal study was to be believed. She recognized the scar across the throat, a clear sign declaring the marriage was voided. But that little voice in her gut said he was telling the truth; he was certain his Ex's litter had been killed by a member of the Dark Council. Still... it could be possible one survived. She needed to be certain.
As the consort of the godfather, she held certain powers. She summoned one of his advisors and ordered him to send a tracker; she wanted this rumor verified one way or another. If a cub from his previous marriage survived, it had precedence for the title over her... no, their... cubs. As much as she truly loved Gregor, she wasn't certain if she could live knowing another vixen's cubs were the rightful heir. She wasn't the type to kill, but neither could she live ordering the death of an innocent just because of an accident of birth.