"Yes, it seems that somewhere along the line I was exposed to a strain of (the virus), and I will not die that kind of death. It's pointless! So, I suggest you run for your life."

Dr. Blackgaard, Adventures in Odyssey Episode 334: The Final Conflict

Judy took a deep breath. "I think it was the noise."

Ellen stared at her. "That weird feedback-y stuff on the sound system? I thought that was just messed-up wiring or something."

The rabbit officer shook her head. "I know it sounds crazy," she admitted, "but I think the toxin was modified and now the sound… I don't know how it works, but everyone was okay until the noise started. And Taelia was okay even after eating the toxin…"

"Until she left a soundproof room," Xavier concluded. "But how could sound trigger a poison? Nicole, did you ever hear of anything like that?"

The red wolf started to shake her head, then stopped. "Wait, I did. Taelia asked me about it the other day; neural targeting." She looked to Taelia. "There was some research on ways to trigger parts of the brain with sound frequencies. I thought it was all debunked, but it makes sense!"

"Glad someone gets it," Vicky carped, folding her arms. "Someone wanna do subtitles for the rest of us?"

Judy waved to Vicky. "If you guys are doing a science lesson, I'll need someone to help me get one of these cars running."

Vicky scowled. "And you just naturally guess I'd know how to hotwire one?"

It was a pretty pointed reminder, but then Judy knew – or at least had a rough idea – how to hotwire things herself. It had been on a survival show she watched once because it was about dealing with emergencies. "Actually, I guessed you'd be strong enough to break into the steering columns," she countered. "But if you can't do that-"

"Fine," Vicky snapped, coming to help Judy look.

Isabelle turned to the walls. "Someone should be looking for car keys. Fill me in later."

Nicole busied herself improving the dressing on Nick's shoulder as she explained. "I think the toxin was modified to weaken higher mental functions like impulse control," she articulated. "At least, that would explain why mammals were acting more aggressive even before everything went haywire. When the sound kicks in it spikes the effect, or maybe adds a complimenting factor like heightening the fight-or-flight reflex. It sounds crazy, but I can't think of anything else that explains… that." She concluded with a wave toward the mansion.

Ellen shook her head. "Why would someone do that?" she asked in wonder.

Xavier answered, his voice low and cold. "Can't you guess? It's a weapon." He looked back towards the building. "Even a darted elephant could only do so much damage, and other mammals would be all too quick to resist or run. But by lacing the food with a toxin he could activate any time, Obearon – Cudd – could turn practically the whole concert savage before anyone had time to react. With something like that you could massacre an army with the flick of a switch."

By this time, Isabelle had succeeded in finding a key box on the wall and throwing Judy the fob for a black Meowcedes Falcon the doe had zeroed in on. Judy got it open and Vicky helped her adjust the seat.

The situation had not been lost on Officer Hopps. She knew mammals were dying back in the mansion, and the impulse to go back in and help them had been overwhelming. As a police officer, her first duty was to serve and protect. Yet she hadn't missed Nicole's explanation of the modified toxin, or Xavier's guess that it was a new weapon. Just the thought of it – of more massacres like this one conjured by a power-mad goat – was enough o turn her stomach. There was nothing she could do about the mansion. She had to focus all her attention on stopping Cudd, before everything happening inside became a horrific prototype.

She turned to the band. "I need you guys to take care of Nick for me," she ordered. "I have to get after Obear… after Cudd. All of you stay put until the rescue crews arrive and…"

Silence fell as she trailed off. It was Isabelle who broke it.

"Until they get eaten alive?" she asked, coldly.

Judy felt as if her heart had been ripped out.

Vicky strode towards the mansion door. "Heck with waiting. I'm going inside and tearing up some wires."

"That's insane!" Xavier shouted, chasing after her. She turned just in time to meet the wolf's charge, and the two of them tumbled head over heels in a heap. Xavier managed to emerge on her back, plying every wrestling trick he knew against her heedless resolve and raw might. The others all dashed in, grabbing here and pulling there, all except for Taelia who still half-lay, half-sat in a horrified daze.

"We have to do something!" Isabelle shouted.

"We could all get killed!" Xavier countered.

"They'll all get killed if we don't!" Nicole objected. "You two have a son in there!"

"Let go of my leg!" Vicky demanded.

Judy rushed in, trying to restore order to the flailing melee. Nick looked on and then looked at Taelia, who just gazed almost entranced at the madness.

Then she looked at him. The pain on her face was beyond words; beyond imagination. He could see her body heaving with every breath. Shoulder or no shoulder he started towards her, hoping to offer some comfort.

She saw him as well; saw the blood staining a hasty dressing over the teeth marks; her teeth marks. The sheer abomination of it shook her to her core and left her wishing she could retreat into a coma – or, at the very least, a cocoon of self-pity and mindless shock. The sight held her gaze; trapped her like a tethered chicken helpless before an approaching alligator, unable to escape the reality of what she had done, and what was going on in the mansion behind them.

Some fragment of her mind chastened back, 'What's wrong with me?' This was not addressing the toxin; she had no trouble distancing herself from that. It was a drug; an invader, neither of her nor wanted by her. It was her own reaction that rattled her on this point. She was uninjured. She could recover. What right had she to pity herself when Nick was hurt who-knew-how-badly, and back in the mansion mammals were killing and being killed?

Whether this grain of self-doubt was justified or not, it sprouted a thought and grew into an idea. She recoiled at the notion of it, but conviction could not be denied. She turned her gaze on the rest of her band, and on Judy trying to restore some semblance of order. Faced with the tumult, her mind made itself up and she took a deep breath. Before she could again become sane, she shouted out for all the world to hear – or at least everyone there in that otherwise desolate garage.

"Tie me up!"

Everyone stopped, and one by one – some with more difficulty than others in the midst of the tangle – all eyes turned to her.

"What?" asked Judy, puzzled.

Taelia took another deep breath and forced herself to her hands and knees. Every brain cell in her aching head told her to retreat from the mad scheme, but her heart told her the die was cast. "I'll shut down the sound. I'm not sure how, but if you get me back to the sound room I'll find a way. But you'll need to tie me up for when I get crazy on the way."

This time, Judy managed to speak before everyone could start talking at once. "Taelia, you're not in shape for-"

"Who cares what kind of shape I'm in?!" the vixen shot back, tears pouring from her eyes. "Mammals are going to die if I don't do something! By the time anyone else can get in there, whole bodies could be just like Nick's shoulder or worse! Maybe I'm in no shape to stop it, but it's our only chance!"

Everyone – even the ones aching to go back inside – scrambled in their minds for some objection. It was monstrous beyond words to even think of agreeing that Taelia, of all mammals, should go back in to try to do anything. She had suffered worse than any of them except perhaps Nick, and Nick for his part wouldn't have even thought of comparing his shoulder to what had been done to her tonight.

Alas, every argument to the contrary was worse by hundreds of times, even Nicole's effort to protest about ongoing effects and the possible damage of repeated exposure. Horrible as the fact was, Taelia's crazed suggestion was the only sane answer in existence.

Judy took a deep breath and met the vixen's gaze. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked.

Every atom of Taelia's soul cried no, but she nodded. "I'm sure there's no other choice."

Well, when she was right, she was right. Everything in Judy's training said not to send civilians into that charnel house, but in a way she was secretly relieved. Maybe they could stop it – and maybe she could give them an ace in the hole. "Okay. I might have something that can help, You guys start tying her up."

"I can do that," Ellen volunteered without hesitation. "I used to tie my brother up all the time."

Everyone stared at her for a moment at that. She shrugged helplessly. "He wanted to be the next Harry Howldini."

Vicky shook her head. "Suddenly your family makes a lot more sense," she remarked.

Xavier cleared his throat. "I'll help Ellen. I was pretty good with knots back in the Junior Ranger Scouts."

As the others all toiled around her – quite literally with Xavier and Ellen – Taelia did her best not to think too much about what they were up against. Her time under the influence was all a blur, but the looks on her friends' faces, the way they tied her so securely, and the glimpses she had gotten of Nick left her fighting not to vomit. Nor did it help that as Nicole worked on Nick's shoulder she diligently kept him away from her view. Was that to protect her, or out of fear of her.

Why had she agreed to this? Was she crazy? Scratch that; was she still crazy? She bit back a sob. She had to look brave. This had been her demented idea. However badly she might want to change her mind and bail out, she didn't dare. She'd never live with herself if she did.

Salty tears stung her eyes, and she prayed as she hadn't in many, many years. 'If You're up there,' she pleaded, 'if you ever hear me at all, help me! I can't do this and I can't say no! Do something!'

Whether it came as an answer or no, she felt Xavier's paw come to rest on her forehead. Opening blurry eyes, she looked up at him.

"I've got to tie your muzzle," he told her solemnly. "No one would think less of you for bailing out, but it's your last chance."

For a full five agonizing seconds, she hesitated. She wanted out. She wanted to rest. She wanted to get back to the surface and never go anywhere again, let alone to that hated house.

The sight of him lowering the string he'd gotten from somewhere spiked her veins with adrenaline and blood pressure. "Do it," she ordered quickly, before she could change her mind. "Now!"

Xavier rubbed his eyes before muzzling her. "I'm proud of you, Taelia," he told her gravely, clearly knowing it might be the last thing he'd ever say to her. "You're… well, you're acting like a real soldier. Don't ever forget that."

She swallowed. That was the highest compliment Xavier ever gave to anyone for anything. Ever.

By now, Judy had found what she was looking for in her phone. "Okay," she called out to the band. "Who's not dating anyone?"

They all stared at her in confusion. "What?" asked Xavier, sounding a little frayed. "Why would you ask-?"

"Plausible deniability," Judy pressed, drumming her foot impatiently. "Just give me a volunteer."

With confused looks, Vicky and Ellen both raised their paws. Judy glanced back and forth, then pointed to Ellen. "Phone," she ordered. "Open to contacts."

Ellen fished out her phone and handed it over, watching as Judy punched in some information. "Now, if anyone asks," she said quickly, "this is the number for a blind date. I did not tell you – if I was the one who gave it to you – that he works for the ZPD, and especially not that he's in the tech department, or that he might be able to help you if you can reach the sound room. Anything you may be able to do with that, I don't know anything about."

Isabelle shook her head. "No offense, but that sounds really implausible."

Ellen didn't question it as she took the phone back, seeing that Judy had tacked '9-1-1' onto the name for easier searching. "Is he cute?" she asked hopefully.

Vicky kicked her. "Really?!"

Judy took a deep breath. "I don't think I need to tell you guys that even letting you go back in there like this is very illegal and will probably cost me my badge – again."

Xavier smiled. "You can't keep us out and chase after Cudd at the same time," he assured her, picking up Taelia. "You're doing the right thing."

"Yeah, nice heroic speeches," Vicky sniped. "Now go get that creep and give him an extra kick for me, alright?"

Judy nodded. At another time she might have smiled confidently at such a send-off. Today, though? This was war. "Let's do it."

Judy started a little when she found Nick in the Falcon, already buckled in and ready to go.

"You shouldn't be running around right now," she advised.

He raised an eyebrow. "Funny. I used to say you should stay back in Bunny Burrow."

She scowled. "Nick, don't kid around. You know I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to you."

"Must be my roguish charm," he smirked. "The funny thing is, I was about to say the same thing to you. Besides, you think I'm gonna sit around out here while you chase the bad guys and they try to help the good guys?" He jerked a thumb towards the band as they made their final huddle before heading back into the nightmare of Poisson Manor.

Much to her annoyance, Judy had no good answer to this. For that matter, Nick would have better senses for the dark than she, and as she had just been reflecting, she'd need all the help she could get. "Fine, but when I say to stay, you stay, alright? No following."

Nick smugly snapped off a salute with his good arm. "Let's go, Officer Fluff. We've gotta put that goat out to pasture."

Judy rolled down her window and gave two quick honks on her horn to get the band's attention. "Good luck, guys!" she shouted out. "Text me when you're done, alright?"

"Don't have your number!" Vicky countered.

Judy humphed, but Nick was quick with an answer. "Taelia's got mine! Call… me!" He trailed off slightly as he looked at Taelia, bound up as helpless as a caterpillar in its cocoon. A whole slew of thoughts and feelings ran through his head; regret and confusion at how quickly everything had gone south, shock and pity at what had happened to her, doubt and fear as to whether they'd ever really make things right.

'Just when things were looking up,' he thought, his stomach turning sour.

At an affirmative nod from Xavier, Judy pulled away.

As Judy pulled away, the band laid out battle plans with Xavier taking the lead.

"Okay, Vicky, I want you taking point. I want you keeping all three open for anything going sideways ahead of us. Stay low looking around corners, and only try to fight if someone jumps you." By 'all three' they all understood him to mean eyes, ears, and nose on the alert.

Vicky nodded, cracking her knuckles.

Xavier considered. He and Vicky were the only members he was inclined to send into fisticuffs, even under the circumstances. Even as tough as they were respectively, if anything especially large came their way they'd be in trouble. 'Equalizer,' he thought. "Does anyone have some spray cans? Fur spray, maybe alcohol-based sanitizer?"

Ellen fished in her purse and pulled out a few cans. Nicole had some too; six in total, between them.

"Good." The sprays, used on eyes and noses, should be enough to impair an attacker's senses and give the band a better chance to survive an encounter. Now came the hard part. Obviously, there were no very safe options for this operation, but it was an agony deciding whom to put in the spot behind Vicky. She, all things considered, was the one most likely to come out on top in a fight if worse came to worst, and would probably have protested to any place but the front anyway.

With the others, it was much harder to tell. None of them were what he would call real combatants. Nicole might be able to use her grasp of anatomy to some good effect, but she was no martial artist by any means. For his own part, he had considered it his job to keep a hold on Taelia. Once she started struggling, they would need some muscle on that job. But he was the only one of them who'd ever really studied any kind of fighting.

Front guard, or bodyguard? That was the question.

Nicole saved him part of the trouble. "I should probably take Taelia," she suggested. "I've handled disoriented and violent patients before."

Xavier considered that and nodded his thanks. "Okay, you go… second-to-back." He'd had a mind to say very back since it seemed very unlikely that mammals hopped up on Night Howler would be smart enough for a stealthy attack. With ordinary combat, the back can be almost as dangerous or even more dangerous than the front. In this instance, the chances of danger were almost entirely forward. Still, Nicole's and Taelia's abilities would be most essential once they arrived, so he wanted to give them at least some buffer of rear protection.

'What am I thinking?' he wondered to himself. He was planning on using one of his own best friends as a meat shield to protect another! How could he even consider that?

The grim answer came almost as quick as the question: 'I am a warrior and a member of a team. I will always place the mission first. I will never leave a fallen comrade.' He had memorized the Soldier's Creed by the time he was nine years old, and it was as etched in his mind as the ABCs or the songs his mother sang to him in the nursery.

He shut his eyes. He had to do whatever it took to get them through this mission alive and get the responders a chance to make it into the mansion alive. There were lives in there that had to be saved at any cost, and that was that. More than that, it was war.

"Xavier?" asked Ellen warily.

He opened his eyes and looked over his friends, doing his level best to think of them as potential fighters; nothing more, nothing less. Which would he trust most or least with a gun, if they were so armed? Which of them had the best chance, and would give the team the best chance? "I'll go behind Vicky with spray cans. Honey, you take some too and come behind me. Does anyone have anything they can use to mark the walls?"

This time it was Nicole who found something in her purse; lipstick, and some mascara as a fallback option.

"Give those to Ellen. Ellen, you take that and a spray can. I need you to keep an eye out behind us and mark the walls in case responders end up coming in the back. Which way we went, dead-ends, any rooms with trouble inside; whatever." In the back of his mind he wished he could lend her his biking glasses which provided limited rear-view vision, but alas he had left them at home.

Looking over his team one more time, he rose up and uttered the two most pivotal words of his life.

"Let's roll."

For those wondering, the conversation Nicole mentions harkens back to chapter sixteen, when Taelia consulted her on some "research" she'd read about. I didn't want to detail it too clearly for fear of dropping spoilers, but I wanted to foreshadow this twist at least a little. The concept is loosely based on so-called sonic drugs or "i-dosing," a supposed way of imitating the effects of medicinal and recreational drugs through sound. This is not recommended, as I have no evidence that it actually works or is safe. Fortunately, based on how said sounds are supposed to work, even if they do they could not be used on a massive scale like this as far as I can tell.

I worked on the notion that, as so many of the animal names used for cars would refer to sentient species in Zootopia (Jaguar, Impala, and so on), bird, reptile, and even fish names might be used instead. The fastest bird on record being a falcon (Peregrine, to be exact), I figured it would be snapped right up as a model name. It also occurred to me that they might name their cars based on the approximate size range for which they were meant, so I considered calling the car of choice a Bobcat. Meowtsubishi Falcon, however, sounded better.

The strategies I had Xavier take into account for the attack draw on my own training as a soldier, and more so on shows I watched about countering things like mall shootings. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but Surviving Disaster is probably the best concentration I know of for information of this kind. Obviously in actual practice it would be highly illegal for Judy, as a cop, to allow civilians to enter any kind of danger zone, let alone encourage it in any way. As both she and Xavier find here, however, desperate times call for desperate measures – and Cudd has definitely made them desperate.

Speaking of Xavier, some of you may remember that I hinted at a reference to American history. Xavier and Isabelle's last name, his father's name, and Xavier's closing line in this chapter are all a nod to one of the great heroes of September 11th, 2001: Todd Beamer, a man who gallantly rallied with other passengers on one of the doomed planes that day and seized it from the hijackers, preventing that tragic day from claiming perhaps hundreds more lives yet. His last known words, captured via a quick farewell phone call, were the same as Xavier's here: "Let's roll."

I hope and pray no one reading this story ever has to make the kinds of calls Xavier or Judy do here, or the kind still ahead, but if it ever happens I pray my material may be useful and G-d be with you.

Easter Eggs

The Incredibles