Something isn't Working.
Agent Walker was sitting buried deep in a pile of vegetable matter that was wilted and just beginning the early stages of rotting. Normally she detested using such material as concealment and cover, but in this case it was affording her reasonable protection for her duties as lookout and scout. The elder members of the Hopps family didn't inform GSD of the impending hostile takeover of their farm; GSD had been monitoring them since the situation about the two young vixens reared its ugly head. When the three teenage bunnies disappeared it was a no-brainer to track and prepare to intercept the hare who was visiting from a foreign land.
She grinned. Mr. Gary Nobel; hare from the Black Forest of whom Interpol identified as a member of a large criminal organization who happened to know how to get himself out of any legal trouble. Their intelligence network had identified he was in recent contact with the Hopps farm not too long ago, and from the recording of the zphone conversation just a few minutes ago proved the hare was blackmailing the rabbits to trade their farm for the lives of the abducted does. Director Dench ordered teams to rescue them; it was also a main tasking to capture as many of the Dark Underground and their associates as possible.
"Walker, Rogers... Report." It was the colonel's voice.
Cynthia pressed her mic. "Team Lima has successfully rescued the friend of the family, Candice Thumper. She is being treated at Plainsboro Hospital; other than the typical abuse and sexual assault... she is none the worse for wear. She had given us intel on what we can only assume is lower-ranking membership and their daily assignments. Acting on this we have apprehended several mammals that have been positively identified as members of the underground criminals. These may not be the ones we really are looking for, but they are in our history files as perpetuating many unsolved crimes."
Stella clicked her mic. "They're using very good encryption, looks like the last system we just upgraded from. I'm in... they just sent meeting spot for the swapping two does' for property deeds."
"Good work. Sending reinforcement. Our charges should be back in parents' paws by dinnertime. Proceed with next phase. Big Dog out."
"Hey boss... can we get out of... this?" The ferret's voice carried a tone heavy with disgust. The arctic vixen inwardly agreed but she had chosen this solely because most mammals would avoid it on purpose. It also afforded justification of a long afternoon soaking in a hot tub, something that would only be better with a certain male by her side. Mother Nature only knew what activity could be encouraged during this activity. Cynthia shook the image out of her mind and refocused on what her partner just said.
"Sorry... but you know exactly why this is best spot. We'll get proper rest and relaxation at the Mystic Springs Oasis soon enough."
"But... you know... what male wants his paws around this?"
The vixen grinned. Before she could utter a reply it sprang back on. "Oh... OH! Noooo! I gotta find someone other than HIM!"
Cynthia felt a twang of sympathy. Stella had been avoiding Agent Golden ever since the tomcat first expressed infatuation. Cynthia had been searching for weeks for a suitable male that could give her partner some satisfaction. Thus far the only one reasonably suitable was a ferret working at a small automobile repair shop. Most females with Stella's' skillset would consider such male as a very far step down to be dateable, but after the many dates that ended not very well for her friend... Cynthia thought it was worth a chance. An evil grin crossed her muzzle; he was scheduled to be at the Mystic Springs Oasis later this evening. He had received a paw-delivered note and his boss notified that being in work clothes was acceptable.
Cynthia looked towards the other pile of vegetable scraps. If the female ferret was going to be in soiled clothes, it was only fair he was as well. Maybe it could lead to her partner knocking that chip off her shoulders. Maybe his muscular body just might encourage the ferret to allow him to rub some of that grime from her soiled fur. Maybe... Cynthia stopped her thoughts right there. Somehow every time she was thinking these dirty thoughts, Mr. Savage had them as well. Last thing she needed at this moment was him sending her certain text messages. Like the one she just received. *sigh*.
Stu was standing at the appointed meeting place, his father Albert along a few of his eldest bucks there as well. Floyd was nearby watching the nearby roads and any clearings in which the foul hare and his minions could enter the area. Bonnie wanted to be there but Opal and Elizabeth knew her emotional state would be more of a hindrance. Their daughter Judy and Nickolas were over on the nearby hilltop recording the whole thing via high-powered video equipment; this time making sure it was immune to jamming by anything except the most sophisticated types. Technically Judy Hopps was ZPD and strictly prohibited by protocol because she was family. Nick... it was stretching the definition of *family* to include him, but wherever his wife went he did as well.
At the appointed time a small convoy of vehicles appeared and entered the small clearing by the lake. Clearly visible was a cage on the bed of one of them, two bodies covered by large burlap bags moved within the cage. Several mammals of various predator species got out and formed a line beside the truck as a small group of hares got out of a sedan and approached the Hopps family. Stu was not surprised that the hare that started this whole thing was not among them.
"So you are here... and thus far it appears you followed orders. Or did you?" the middle age hare said as he pressed a button on a small box. He watched the small screen for a few moments, clearly expecting something to happen. He looked up towards the hill where the Wilde-Hopps duo had been positioned. He pressed another button and grinned as he watched the hill. Moments later large explosions rocked the hillside as numerous munitions hit it.
"There... now we can continue our business without eavesdroppers looking in. Hand over the deed."
Stu lifted his chin. "No. First you bring the two bunnies here; prove these are my daughters."
The hare scoffed at the elder rabbit, and quickly jump-kicked Stu. The other hares quickly pulled out handguns and pointed them at the Hopps family. The lead hare calmly walked over and grabbed Stu's paws, forcing him to slowly release his grasp thus letting the document fall to the ground.
"Stupid country bumpkins. Never fails to attempt to set the stage, or the agenda." He picked them up and looked the documents over casually, after a while smiled and put them into his coat pocket. He signaled the truck and two mammals opened the cage, roughly forcing the occupants out and making sure they stayed lying on the ground. Once he was satisfied the hare turned back towards Stu, who remained lying on the ground himself.
"Our deal is completed. Next time we won't allow you to live, seeing as how you broke your word and cheated my boss out of the property he clearly was entitled to. Good day dear rabbits."
At that moment the other hares opened fire on the entire Hopps family. Red suddenly appeared on everyone's chests and they fell to the ground, lying motionless. The group put their weapons away and returned to the sedan, getting in and soon the convoy drove away.
Floyd appeared a few minutes later and walked over to the group of dead rabbits. "All clear. Let's see what they left us."
Miraculously everyone got up and followed the elder over to the two burlap-covered bodies. Upon reaching them the young bucks worked to remove the bags and bindings; and once seeing the faces of the two young does everyone sighed. This was expected. This was the hare's modus operandi.
"So young ladies... who are you and how much was you paid?" Stu was looking at what obviously was two teenage does but not the ones they were hoping to see.
Ralph removed the gags from both and received nods from both females.
"Good sir... we were told we would be paid the remainder of the agreed upon price after you removed these bindings. Now pay up."
"Oh... I don't think so." It was the unmistakable voice of Zootopia's favorite bunny.
Everyone turned and was greatly relieved Judy and Nick had survived. Judy was in her ZPD uniform; Nick was wearing a trench coat. She marched up and quickly subdued one of the females while Nick did likewise with the other. Handcuffs were placed on them and they were Mirandized. Now both females had eyes wide open and mouths agape.
"What? We did nothing wrong! We only fulfilled what we were half paid to do."
"And what exactly was that? Speak slowly and carefully; we are being recorded." Judy pointed back towards the small shack on the dock, towards one of its small windows. A couple mammals came out of the doorway and proceeded walking towards them. Once they close enough these could be identified as a couple sheriff deputies from the Tri-Burrows. They picked up the two females and held them, obviously waiting for Judy to finish her interrogation.
"I strongly recommend choosing your next words carefully," Nick said as he slowly leaned until he was inches from the nearest female's face, "Otherwise you just may be facing attempted murder charges and a whole slew of other charges. Speak carefully and things might go well for you."
"I want my lawyer. We did nothing wrong." The other female quickly shook her head in agreement.
"Suit yourself." Judy nodded and the deputies removed the females and soon put them into the cruiser, driving away a short time later.
After the deputies were out of sight Stu hugged both Judy and Nick together. Nick was impressed the elder rabbit could reach around both of them, and then again he was only holding them by the waist. A few moments later he released them, only for the other rabbits to hug them. Soon they were released and the looks on everyone's faces clearly asked the same unspoken question.
"It's a hustle, sweethearts" Nick said and quickly dodged a glove thrown by one of the sons.
"Nick said it had all the earmarks of a setup. So we took the liberty of setting up a repeating transmitter. It was this they locked onto and blew up." Judy was smiling as she explained why she couldn't let everyone know ahead of time they planned to change their own modus operandi.
"So that's why you wanted me to shut off my communication equipment" Floyd said with sudden realization what happened to the transmitter could very well have happened to him. He was rewarded with nods from Judy and Nick.
"Ok. Now that we know he never intended to hold to his promises, we should prepare for retaliation. Let's get home. Bonnie has your favorite waiting in the oven. Considering her current emotional state, please don't expect it to be perfect." Stu had a certain look upon his muzzle, one that Judy clearly could tell meant he was deeply concerned about something. She pulled Nick's muzzle down and whispered something into his ear. He nodded in agreement and walked silently with the group back towards the burrow.
Alpha Eleven, aka: Gary Noble, was sitting in the lobby of Leahboar's Bank & Trust. His trusty lieutenant had retrieved the Hopps farm deed and disposed of everyone present. Now the hare was here to get the paperwork transferred into his ownership, something he had done numerous times and each one still thrilled him. It was getting one over on fools that he enjoyed; it was proving if you couldn't prevent getting suckered, it was your own fault.
An impeccably dressed employee stood nearby and called him to follow. A short while later he stepped into the office of the bank operation officer, the walls made of high-grade wood with intricate carvings that appeared to be nearly ancient. Upon the desk was the paperwork he assumed required his signature. It was difficult not to grin, but inwardly he went through a mental exercise and soon found himself properly focused.
"Mr. Noble... please sign here acknowledging the transfer of proper amount of funds has been transferred for the purchase of said property" the operation officer said in a dour voice.
Gary struggled to maintain his composure; why did every such officer he came across display the same tone of voice? He quickly signed the document and flipped through all the pages, signing at each spot marked. He waved away the operation officer who was clearly attempting to do his job; Gary clearly was eager to get this over as quickly as possible. Once the last signature spot was completed he turned to the employee and displayed a very big grin upon his muzzle. This next part was what he enjoyed the most: the handing over the updated deed and the congratulations from several of the top bank employees and managers.
What he received was nothing what he expected.
His paws were quickly cuffed and someone was speaking to him his Miranda Rights. Confusion swept over him. He was about to thrash violently and release a verbal tirade at the highest-ranking employee, but he was being held down by a very large mammal. The group parted as the bank president walked into the room and stood before him. Without saying a word the elder mammal simply placed before Gary the documents he had given the bank earlier that day. Several places were pointed at numerous places throughout the document, but what happened next dumbfounded the hare.
The bank president put the document under a table lamp that had a strangely deep color of red light. Before his very eyes the words on the document faded until they stopped at a very light but still clearly legible hue. A singular new word appeared in very large bold letters diagonally across the top page: Fake.
Gary sat down, keeping himself remarkably under self-control. This wasn't the first time this happened, but it was the first time it was him that was on the receiving end. Before he could utter a word, the door opened and the one rabbit he thought never to see again strode into the room. Stu Hopps simply stood across the desk and looked at the hare. He didn't say anything for quite some time; in fact all he did was stand there and stared at the mammal that had ordered his assassination. Finally Stu sighed and looked towards the bank president, nodding in the affirmative and then departing the room.
Gary found himself forcibly muzzled just in case he had a cyanide pill hidden in a tooth. He was led away by what he could determine was ZPD Marshals or similar law enforcement. It would only be a matter of time before his minions would initiate a rescue, as per protocol.
He was already planning his revenge. Nobody fools Gary Noble... especially not some hayseed hick from a backwater village.
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
Uh-oh. This was going south faster than he anticipated. Soon as he entered their apartment he broke the news. Unfortunately he didn't get to fully explain himself. Now he was on the receiving end of a fully emotional bunny. A couple moments ago they were discussing the recent group of retirees that had just finished refresher training at the Academy. They were to split apart and take a couple of these and go on patrol; Judy's group in one direction and Nick's in another. Nick didn't know about this before he turned-in his badge; he was heartbroken that the ZPD withheld knowledge about his daughter. Then that buffalo hustled him into remaining on the force. But... he didn't have to report to work, just send in reports as required.
"I quit and turned-in my badge."
"Nick! We are a team. Whatever you are going through, you can talk to me. We always tell each other what's bugging us."
"Judy... calm down. It's not what you think..."
"Not what I think? A nasty piece of work vixen chains you up, pokes who-knows-what chemicals into your body, causes my Bunny Pole to stiffen and then trespasses upon it, becomes impregnated by deceit... and purposely hides this fact from you until the day she dies."
"Judy... I still hurt at missing out on holding them, burping them, maybe not changing diapers."
This earned him a fist to his arm.
"But I still hurt most from the purposely hiding their existence. ZPD has a lot of rebuilding trust if they want me back."
"What about our friends? Coworkers who have had their minds changed by your steady performance and expertise? You know everyone in this great city, and it was your contacts that helped them solve nearly impossible cases. Don't you owe it to them to stay?"
"I can do without Mr. Stalker Wolf. Elliot needs to learn what *private space* means."
"Officer Fanghanel is just excitable. Chloe keeps him in-line... most of the time. Now when YOUR mother gets near him, that's when he loses perspective."
"Blaming it on my mother, huh? I think it is he that causes her to lose perspective."
Judy motioned for a truce, and waited a few seconds before speaking. This was a technique they learned back when they were going through mandatory counseling. "You are right, Nick. I should not have gone there. Both of them are two peas in a pod. I'm sorry for blaming your mother."
"It is forgiven. I acknowledge my mother is every bit excitable as Stalker Wolf."
"You know it was he that took the blame for the incident back in the Academy?" This was a reference to something that happened by sheer coincidence that broke an academy rule. One of the Instructors was placing the blame on Nick, which would have been enough violation marks to get him kicked out. Elliot took the blame, knowing that it was reviewable under the right circumstances. A wolf being blamed was more likely to earn a review than a fox. He was correct, and the review team verified it was indeed a coincidence of chance. An official apology to both was given by the Instructor and a formal written apology entered into both service records.
"He reminds me too many times. By the way... when are we going over to wish Chloe a happy birthday?"
"We did that last month. Daniel's will be coming up in a couple months. Speaking of which... they are bringing him over tomorrow when they cubsit Marylyn and Caroline." Daniel was their new bundle of joy; a wolf-thylacine hybrid born last Winter Veil... also known as Winter Solstice.
"All right then. I will go and..."
"Hold it right there, mister." She was glaring at him. "Don't think I've forgotten what we were discussing."
He sighed. "Judy, it's all good. I won't be gone forever. Emma will still be working with you. Lillian will too. Your family being here every day has been a great help. Marylyn and Caroline have been remarkably accepting of you. Even Bogo has been quite supportive. Oh speaking of him..." Nick took a deep breath.
"Bogo wouldn't accept my resignation, not without helping me teach the Upper Chain a lesson. He reminded me that I am blazing new pathways for all Vulpes; if I quit now it would just reinforce the stereotype. He is giving me time away to work out my personal issues, but I might as well be doing something productive. He put me on Witness Protection Detail; said we are tied at the hip and will always be around each other, therefor I am responsible for protecting a very important resource of the Precinct One."
Judy sighed. "Just spill the beans."
"I had everything planned out; words to say, retort to make. I thought he was hustling me... until Clawhauser produced the forms and explained the fine line chief was walking."
"Nickolas, I'm not getting younger. Who... are you protecting?"
"Bogo gave me this." He pulled out the gold badge from his pocket; on the front was his officer's number on it. "You."
Judy held the badge in her paws. This was what she had been working so hard to gain. She had been striving every day to be the best she could be, to earn praise and respect of her peers. It was her that had to motivate this fox to get his reports done each day, solely so his actions didn't mar both of them. He may know everyone in the city, and their fellow ZPD members may seek him out to get their zphone apps working again... but still she wished he would focus more on his responsibilities. She tried so hard to earn this badge... and here it is; her lazy fox got it by simply resigning his badge. It wasn't fair. She cried and buried her muzzle into his neck ruff.
"It's not fair... but it's not legitimate, either."
What? A voice spoke from the other side of the room. From the front door area. Judy wiped her muzzle and looked towards the door. Instantly she recognized the wolf, and she genuinely grinned. Standing there was Detective Markle and their neighbor down the hall, Josie Warmner. Josie was the only neighbor who was willing to give the mix-species couple the time of day; she also accepted responsibility for the spare key to the Wilde-Hopps apartment, since recently the couple came home tiered and passed out at their door.
The wolf thanked the Arctic vixen and walked towards his protégé. "I just came from a meeting with Chief Bogo. He read me in on the particulars about your family. You may not know it, but most of what's in your service jacket has been labeled Top Secret: Need to Know classification. Now I understand why you could not tell me half of what we talked about, Bogo and I. Godmother, eh? And those two young vixens. Well... now you can talk freely."
He turned to Nick. "Congratulations, detective. Remember: it is in name only. It can be revoked at any time, but you have proven yourself smart enough to know when and where you can use it. That badge will allow access to systems and places your previous standard badge couldn't. We are going to use your new ability, under my guidance, to hunt down those that threaten you two directly. Now, let's brainstorm on what you are going to do about the Servants of Truth."
Commissioner Ursus and Director Dench were in a private meeting in his office. The operations using the cloned bodies were having a good effect; until recently. A report from Zootopia General Hospital gave a disappointing summery of how the clones were being recycled. Hence why this meeting was necessary.
"So... the material breaks down after so many uses?" The commissioner asked somewhat disbelieving.
"That's it in a nutshell. Technician Pangola did an analysis and discovered that there is a subtle change each time it is recycled. She strongly recommends disposal after four uses, just to be on the safe side. If we have to use it more, she says the older material be used for areas hidden by clothes. Although after being dismembered by a bomb blast, everything is exposed."
"Then I guess this means we don't use direct blasts. How did the Dark Underground get wind of this?"
"Who knows? They do have snitches everywhere, possibly medical grade scanner units. Pangola suggests switching to different mammals and having the clones be more constructed like a real body. She recommends we should give them, *ahem*...privates between legs, although I recommend trying the outer parts first. And the gender differences around the remainder of the body as well. We can always full-organ make-up as a last resort, as well as having the brain be more formed but missing the major synopsis connections."
Commissioner Ursus held his head in his paws. He was still recovering from surgery to remove the shrapnel, which was successful. The medication he was taking was fickle; his doctors were monitoring and constantly adjusting the dosage. Overall it was merely a constant dull throbbing, reminding him of how he felt back on that fateful day.
"Still hurts, huh?" the mouse squeaked as she placed a sympathetic paw on his. "You really should take a few days off. Your staff runs as smooth as a Rolex."
"I'm here because my wife is the world's least sympathetic nursemaid."
"You mean she won't allow you to have that low-alcoholic drink to take your medications." She enjoyed his grimace; knowing she guessed correctly.
"My lovely and gracious wife knows that is the best method of handling pain such as this."
"Uh-huh. You mean she knows that alcohol combined with your meds will have an adverse reaction that most likely will kill you. I applaud her wisdom." The mouse made a bowing gesture knowing the look on his face was priceless.
"Don't you have some dangerous mission that needs your careful guidance?"
"I already have one I'm doing right now... and the subject is sitting before me."
The bear winced. "I'm not a laboratory specimen for you to pick and prod."
"No, you most certainly are not. You are a dear friend that is in charge of an important government agency, which I might add, needs you to be in top form. I would be derelict in my duties if I allowed you to do anything which might harm your health, which in turn harms the ZPD which harms my beloved Zootopia. Face it Frank... you have two Ladies looking out for you."
"Make that three... errr, four" a voice said just as the bear felt a needle in his arm. The elder vixen chuckled at his grunt of exasperation, and then released his arm as Nurse Otterton put the syringe into a disposal bag.
"Audrey, not you too?"
"Take your pick. But like Judi and Clare I like to see to the general welfare of the city's powerful mammals, even those who have an aversion to doctors." The vixen now had given the bear a kiss on his muzzle and was now standing next to the Segway. "By the way, before I forget I'm here to give you two an update on the nemesis."
"Isn't that my department?" the mouse asked.
"My team just happened to get it before yours did." The vixen clicked her remote and the lights dimmed and the view screen turned on.
"You're referring to the tunnels in the Tri-Burrows." The mouse squeaked.
"We now have confirmation they are in the Longears territory." Colonel Kohle had just entered the room. "Team Lima completed their tracking of the tunnel that nearly severed the power conduit for our bunker... it led to burrow we had suspected was invaded. There's more." As he clicked the remote a series of pictures showed a massive cavern with multiple branches leading off into many directions.
"They followed one of these on a hunch... it led to a burrow in Longears territory. Analysis suggests the tunnel system in the Tri-Burrows have been operational for many years. This could confirm the local farmer's problems with theft and the local law enforcement inability to catch the thieves."
"There's more" a new voice came from the doorway. Gary Bevyton walked in with Gene Dexter following. "We did an analysis on crop production for the Tri-Burrows for the past few years. According to figures the market should have been flooded with produce every year, but historical records show only gradual increase as the population grew. Therefore we had GSD do an aerial survey which we computed the acreage verses crop yield from the records. They don't match. Current acreage suggests the Tri-Burrows could easily support Zootopia."
"Doctor," the mouse asked the scientist, "spit it out. Say it plain."
The two rabbits looked at each other; Gary motioned for Gene to continue.
"It means analysis of records indicate these burrows have produced far less than capacity suggests. Therefore either under-capacity has been purposeful, which is doubtful, or what has been produced has been going elsewhere. Putting this together with the recent discovery of underground intrusion... and the conclusion speaks for itself. The Dark Underground has been using the Tri-Burrows to support its population. It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination if they also used certain rabbits for food."
Director Dench rubbed her chin. "If that's true then those bunnies who moved away from home..." she was pressing buttons on her notepad. "Computer search is tracing last known addresses of all who moved. I'll have available agents check with local law enforcement, see if they will do a health and welfare check for us."
The commissioner grunted. "Well, looks like I have to send a team to do a cursory check drive-by each burrow. If this is true, then we need to evacuate as many rabbits as possible. Preferably as quietly as possible."
"I'll get the Marshal Service to evacuate the Bunny Burrow courthouse. The Council of Elders has guards patrolling there; these should be quite helpful directing the citizens. Zootopia Traffic Authority should send as many trains there as possible. But we'll probably have to do the land evacuation like we did back in the Lynxion War. Someone get ahold of the pentagon and have the tents set back up."
The Council of Many had gathered for its monthly meeting; this was a separate criminal organization and was the governing authority of the Crime Syndicate, or The Syndicate as it was commonly referred to. Unlike the Council of the Twelve, this didn't have permanent members assigned. Each faction would send whatever mammal was available. But in recent years certain individuals were regularly attending these meetings.
Chancellor of Many rapped his gavel. "House of Burgamongor, what have you done?"
The wolf looked pleased. "We finished the newest tunnel to the Outback Isles. Fortune favored us; we connected to several burrows and now are solidifying our positions. Looks like we'll be able to double food production shortly."
"House of Slymineran, your report."
"The Zootopians are aware of our operations in the Tri-Burrows. We can thank the sloppy work the Dark Underground did that broke into the power conduit for that bunker. We suggest moving ahead with our plans for the rabbit-controlled territories."
"Won't that bring the wrath of the Dark Council down upon our heads?"
"Perhaps. But our agreement with them allows us to control certain territory. These tunnels have always been a joint venture and since we started cooperating progress has been significant. They have had control of a certain number of burrows, we controlled others. I strongly recommend sealing off that tunnel, the one leading to the power conduit."
"It might be a little late for that. We've detected agents of theirs have already gone through and have reconnoitered a few of our tunnels. Sealing the tunnel only stops them from entering from there. Since they already know certain burrows are under our control, I say we go ahead and solidify our fields while we still have the upper paw."
The Chancillor of Many rapped his gavel. "So be it. The ruse is up; grab as many farms as possible. Rabbits, too."
Stu and his father Albert were out walking their fields. Many of the Hopps youngsters were tending the crops, some had families of their own and as agreed with the Elders of the Burrow could take home as many produce to feed their own families each day. Opal, Bonnie, and several of the daughters and daughter-in-law were at the moment tending to many bunny kits; some were toddlers, some were still nursing, and others were almost old enough to start school. It was an unwritten rule that Hopps young had to bring their youngest kits here in order to get free vegetables. Of course besides working a certain number of hours in the fields, they could enjoy kitsitting free of charge. It was a not so subtle method of getting their young to bring the grandkits over on a regular basis; something Bonnie and the two elder does' enjoyed very much. This also had an added benefit; it gave the teenagers who still lived in the burrow valuable skills in rearing kits. The young does' learned how to handle toddlers feeding and diaper changing, the young bucks learned how to teach them social and work skills. All this under the careful eyes of their own elders.
A group of rabbits, seemingly like half a burrow, came from the direction of the Johnson's farm. Albert waved cheerfully, but Stu's ears perked up. The rabbits didn't stop, but continued at the break-neck pace as they passed the Hopps elders.
"Albert, Stu..." Francis paused long enough to warn them. "There's an invasion going on! Strange mammals are popping up through the ground! Our burrow was hit not too long ago, father told me to get as many of my siblings and lead them as far away as possible. You should get your family and leave before they get here."
The rabbit didn't stay; he warmly hugged both elders and joined his siblings running through the Hopps farm and out to the main road. Ralph had just joined his elders, and was holding his drone. "Dad, Pops-pop... should I send this up and get a bird's eye view?"
Stu nodded, asking for a quick 360-degree view first so they would have an idea if other burrows were under attack. Ralph sent his drone to a short height and slowly turned its camera around. It showed most burrows to the direction of the Longears territory was under attack; many of the families desperately trying to escape and those lucky enough were making a beeline towards Bunny Burrow. Healthy rabbits could make only half the distance before exhaustion necessitated rest; scared rabbit would run until leg cramps halted them. It was clear these were running for their lives. This felt like the Lynxion War all over.
Stu had his son send the drone close to the Johnson's farm; just close enough for the camera to get a decent view and then record what was being seen. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, fields looked perfectly fine, no unusual depression anywhere. The drone went closer to the burrow itself; again everything looked fine, so he brought back the drone and put it away in its carrying case.
"Ralph, send the footage to your sister. Let her know what's going on, perhaps she can get help here quickly. Your grandfather and I will get your siblings rounded up and headed to your sister's home in Zootopia."
"Judy's?" Ralph asked. "Or Jane's?"
"Judy's. Mr. Big recently let them have an apartment large enough for an elephant family. We'll just have to cram in until I can drive them to their own home."
Ralph ran quickly to the burrow, he knew the passwords to the email system and since he almost always was the one doing it for the family, already had several pre-written emails ready to send at a moment's notice. It was only a few minutes until his task was complete. As usual his older sister Jill called from work.
"Oh, hello Ralph. What's going on?"
"Jill listen I don't have long. The Johnson Family just ran through our farm as if the Grim Reaper was chasing them. Claimed an invasion was going on. Video footage I sent you shows their burrow just fine; but the others between here and the Longears territory... it's a madhouse. Dad says we are taking the family to Judy's apartment since its large enough; he'll take Greg, Gary, Mark, Charles, Joshua, Miranda, Josephine, and Paula's family's home soon as he can. Right now it looks like the whole eastern Tri-Burrows is a traffic jam of rabbits."
"Ok Ralph, calm down and have a cold glass of carrot juice. Clara is notifying our boss and they should pass the word to the appropriate authorities. May I suggest you send a copy to Sheriff Springs and Commander Knolls? They might want the info." Jill signed off and then called her sister; Judy needed to know that her family was heading here and she might want to tidy-up the place before young eyes saw things they shouldn't.
A knock on her door broke Audrey from reading another standard field report.
"Director, you should see this" Mindy Softpaw, personal secretary to the director, made the words seem more of an order than suggestion. Audrey cued-in this meant something very bad or very important needed her attention. The elder vixen shut down the report program and opened the electronic file blinking rapidly on her computer screen. She did not like what she saw. It was footage from a drone showing the chaos happening this very moment in the Tri-Burrows. Her trained eye could tell some of the rabbits running had suffered one injury or another; so she paused the video, and then sent a coded message to her Department Heads. They needed to get medical help out there quickly; she also sent a quick message to Commissioner Ursus so he could get his officers over there. She was pretty certain the local sheriff and police could use help.
After this she called her son; the email she just received from Jill Hopps let her know what Judy's parents were doing. Nick and Judy were sleeping-in today, as this was their approved day off. John and Jackie had keys to Judy and Nick's apartment; they would be able to help get the place presentable and help with the two newest members of the family. Finally after these were sent and the proverbial fires under control, she called down to ZHC Transportation department. She had all available troop transport trucks sent to Bunny Burrow, these would take rabbits from there to the nearest towns in the Meadowlands. It was obvious the trains would be overloaded, thus the need for additional transportation.
"Good Afternoon. I'm Fabienne Growley. We interrupt your regularly scheduled program, *As the Burrows Tumble* to bring you breaking news. Here's our team at the location."
The scene was shown from the air; down below everywhere the camera panned was a mass of rabbits moving through the mountain pass between the Tri-Burrows and Zootopia.
"Good afternoon viewers. I'm Audrey Drew, ZNN Special Topics Reporter. Below me is the emergency evacuation of many burrows in the Tri-Burrows area. Emergency services are still being rushed here to coordinate the rush of rabbits. We have been asked to appeal to those close to Tv or radios to pause and rest themselves. ZPD and GSD have mammals' on-scene closest to where the disturbance originally started. Roll the tape please."
Strange mammals obviously not rabbits were shown at many of the burrows. Some were shown beating or otherwise controlling group of rabbits, others were holding weapons pointed towards the main road leading by each farm. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know this was another invasion. Unlike the recent war with the Linxion Empire, where the starting point was not immediately obvious.
"We can only speculate where these mammals came from. It is obvious they must be from a city quite like our Zootopia, but these appear unlike any we know. Mayor Franz Leporide has a press conference scheduled at 2Pm this afternoon. This all we know right now. Back to you in the studio."
Judy was still tired from working the previous two days. She was annoyed at Nick but thankful the chief found a clever way to retain the fox on the force. Nick couldn't be her daily partner; he was after all on indefinite leave of absence. But Bogo wasn't kidding about the new badge giving the fox greater access to ZPD computer files. They were finally able to get the information to close-out several of their pending case files.
Thankfully John and Jackie were here as was her sisters Jane and Jill. Jill's work partner, Clara, also was here. The trucks and transports were moving non-stop getting her siblings from the train station to her apartment. Thankfully Mr. Big had the apartment next door available; he graciously let her family use it for at least this week, but she would have to ensure it was properly cleaned and presentable afterwards.
Marylyn and Caroline were understandably confused at first, but when the young bunnies started playing, the vixens joined in. Judy and their mothers were relieved that these were getting along; obviously these adults were keeping an eye on them. Nap time proved a lifesaver; the mothers were impressed the vixens let the bunnies lay close to them. The collective heat from all those bodies soon put everyone to sleep.
Audrey was in heaven; she had Caroline sleeping under her tail, a few bunnies were also sharing the tail and some laying close by. Jackie was also in heaven; as the maternal grandmother she was entitled to have Marylyn sleeping under her tail on her lap, with a few bunnies close by. Bonnie was going to and fro tending to her daughters and daughters-in-law needs; obviously ignoring their pleas to sit down and rest. Bonnie's youngest were twelve years old; being able to tend young kits was invigorating. But soon she grew tired and settled down into an over-sized chair meant for an elephant. She had picked up a few of her grandkits and now was resting comfortably with many kits snuggled close to her.
Judy by now was finally feeling the effects as the adrenaline finally wore off. She was sleeping with Nick's tail drooped around her, and his paws gently holding her. Jane, Jill, Clara, and Jenny were admiring how their sister could sleep so deeply in a predator's paws. But they saw how committed he was to his wife; and Jenny took a few quick pictures of this moment. She had also gone around to both apartments getting pictures of sleeping bunnies. Some slept only near their siblings; the older ones were mixed-in with their cousins.
Mr. Big and Fru Fru stopped by, inquiring if the entire family had arrived safely. Jill could only vouch for the youngest siblings; her father and the eldest siblings had not yet arrived and neither had the Elders of the Burrow. She was getting more concerned as the afternoon wore on. The Arctic shrew rubbed his chin for a moment and said on behalf of the godmother he would send scouts out to verify where they were. He accepted kisses from all the sisters nearby, even Clara whom he had hired for a couple simple cases since the famous Wilde-Hopps trial. In his eyes she was worth handling his small things; he still had to keep sensitive business to the trusted lawyer of his family.
It was almost three whole days before the streets were clear enough so the large transport trucks could take Stu's elder kits and their families back to their homes in the Meadowlands and elsewhere. By now the Tri-Burrows and large parts of the Longears Territory were now contested territory. Somewhere in there were many missing rabbits, including the older members of the Hopps farm.
General Earl Rommel, hero of the Lynxion War, was sitting at his command table and completely frustrated. He had fought craftier enemies, but this one seemed immune to his scouts. GSD had assured him they were here, but every tunnel that was searched either led to dead ends or looped around to another burrow. He was waiting on Colonel Kohle to meet him; here was a mammal who could justify wearing the title the Zootopian press placed upon him.
Finally the Scottish terrier entered the tent.
"Enjoying the fresh air instead of the nice coolness of your office?" the dog said to the elder red fox.
"Good afternoon to you as well. Please tell me you have a solution to or little dilemma."
"I believe we do, general." He handed a data chip to the attaché who immediately put it into a computer port. Onscreen was displayed schematics and other information about the surrounding area. Certain areas were highlighted.
"We used deep-scanning radar to investigate the blockages and loops. What we found was a cleaver use of reconstruction of the walls. Fortunately no material regenerator can accurately replicate the original mass. The inconsistencies of the original material simply cannot be duplicated. We're going to have to re-dig the tunnel and stop from time-to-time to rescan the walls, make sure we are heading in the correct direction."
"Why can't we simply go and find a back door?"
"You already tried every tunnel here in the Tri-Burrows; all of them led you to where they wanted you to go. Sorry, but this is going to be slow digging. But don't worry; we need your teams to go inside once we break through into their staging area. We are pretty certain they will have heavy weapons waiting on the other side."
"Colonel, do you have any idea what we are facing?"
"Analysis of the video sent to our office suggests these are mammals that simply spent more time underground than above. They go by the name Dark Underground. Simply put they are more than petty thieves; they are wealthy, well-armed, and have technology equal to our own. But they prefer to steal rather than put forth the effort to develop it. This doesn't mean they are ignorant, far from it, they are fast learners. They have to be in order to keep out of our jails and their members off our knowing about them."
The fox thought for a moment. "So what you're saying is up to now they were an unknown. What caused their cover to be blown?"
"They decided to overthrow Zootopia and claim it for themselves." A voice came from the doorway. Only one of these knew who it was and grinned.
"Please come in, Mr. Big" Colonel Kohle said as he watched the fox's face.
"Thank you, my friend. What does our new friend think about my former associates?"
The fox's eyebrows rose quite high. "Former associates? Colonel, just who have you gotten yourself involved with?"
"A very knowledgeable and highly principled mammal. One who has earned my respect in more ways than one, even though our collaborations are careful to avoid disclosing sensitive information." The dog by now had warmly greeted the rodent, although the dog refused to kiss the ring and the rodent refused to call the dog in any manner denoting submissiveness. They settled on a simple fist bump and nodding their heads towards the other.
"Please explain what he meant by former associates."
The rodent was placed down on the table near the command table; at a spot not too close to the edge but not too far where Koslov couldn't easily reach him should things go south. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote. "General, watch this if you will."
He clicked a button and the lights dimmed as a video played on the table's view screen. "What you are seeing is a recording of my last meeting with the Council of the Twelve. These are the governing head of the organization you were told about, the Dark Underground. I was able to get this with the help of the colonel, and both of us hope to enable my next meeting to be more informative. As long as I am able to attend these meetings, we will be able to acquire intel on their next operation."
"Mr. Big... why are you doing this? The punishment upon discovery is... terrible."
The rodent looked at the elder fox for a moment. "General, I live by the old ways. The ancient writing has proven time and again that greed is the shortest route to failure. My family business may not be cushy or pleasant, but neither is it excessive in dealing with mammals that fail to abide by their word. We, you and I, live by similar principles; individual choice is restricted for the good of the whole, and personal accountability is high."
The fox thought about this for a moment, and then nodded in the affirmative. "I can agree to that, but my job doesn't take advantage of mammals."
The rodent smiled back. "We both do not force our terms on others. We present our means to better the individual, and they either accept our terms or leave."
The fox laughed heartedly. "Ok, I concede. Military service is as voluntary as accepting mafia loans. Different but similar. But we got off track; why did you go against them?"
Mr. Big motioned the general to sit next to him. "Years ago when I was first initiated into the Council of the Twelve, I genuinely tried to make every meeting. Unfortunately most of the time my fellow Alphas, that's what we are called, made attempts to kill me. The bylaws state any Alpha can acquire another Alpha's position and resources by any means. This caused me to lose many of my guards, so I arranged to give the Chancellor of the Twelve my normally scheduled payments by other means in lieu of making the mandatory meetings. This worked well for many years, but when they decided to take action to overthrow the government of Zootopia I became alarmed. But it was their decision to kill everyone in government without having just cause... that was one straw I couldn't put on my wagon. Since the godmother to my grandkit is a ZPD officer, that would put me in violation of the ancient laws. I cannot act against the godmother without just cause, and doing so on the orders of the council is not justification enough. Besides, the bunny has acted with nothing but honor towards my family and my guards. Therefore it was a no-brainer to remove my allegiance."
The general was taken aback a bit. "Mr. Big, you are aware this puts you on their most wanted list, yes?"
The rodent looked at him and smiled. "As it should be. I am not deceived as to think I am invincible. I think staying true to the old ways will help me prevail in the end. Life for me will be radically different and I have no idea what it will cost me. But with the help of my friend here," he pointed to the dog, "I am convinced I will survive this with more than I would alone. The godmother most likely will be a great help."
The general nodded his understanding. "Alright, I am satisfied. How do you propose we deal with this crisis in the Tri-Burrows?"
The remainder of the afternoon was spent hashing out the details of strategy each one should do.
Gregor McKeen was restless. His new ally had something about him that continually set his fur on edge. They were supposed to inflict serious damage on the ZPD, preferably killing individual officers if possible. He was doing his part, but somehow his partner somehow was using tactics that didn't perform up to the expectations of the council. Did that rodent have any clue about how close he was to getting a vote for termination on the council?
Damn the rodent and his precious old ways. If they were really that helpful, then surely all the other Alphas would see the value in following them. Gregor strode across the floor, pacing from one end of the room to the other. He could picture in his mind the principles that were taught to all kits and cubs of the Dark Underground community. One by one they went scrolling before his mind's eye; and one by one he affirmed they were worthy to live by. *Ugh*. They were now in stark opposition to how the council was operating today.
He needed to find a way to meet the tasking of the council without violating these ancient principles. Perhaps there was something to how his ally was behaving; he needed to find a compromise before he became the next target of the council.
At the appointed time of 10Am, everyone filed back into the Joint Courtroom. The main floor of the courtroom was once again cleared and Judy and Nick were once again standing on separate sides of this room. Judy, her parents, her legal counsel Clara Leaps, Councilor Elizabeth, and Officers Quickpaw and Lioness... all these were on the Left-paw side of the room. Nick, his parents, his legal counsel Jill Hopps, Councilor Floyd and Officers Wolford and Delgato... these were on the Right-paw side of the room. Ten Court Guards were also in a line-abreast standing behind each group, poised with their ancient weapons.
The Matron of Proceeding signaled for the Final Judgement to begin. Nick and Judy's parents placed paws on the young couple's shoulders. The Master-at-Arms bellowed: "All rise for the reading of the Verdict!"
The Council Adjutant read the following prepared statement.
"We the Joint Council of Matriarchs and Patriarchs declare... that after hearing reasoning and explanations from all parties involved; and hearing all evidence from the Medical Authorities here gathered; after many hours of questioning of the Predator and Prey couple compelled to stand before this Council; after seeing evidence of relations said couple were required to present before this Council; after hearing directly from the Predator himself his reasoning, his declaration of Love, his promise to honor the Doe he had so chosen to take for himself both Bride and Life-mate; having all this completed and done... We the Joint Council so declare these Proceedings to be satisfied and completed. We therefore find your relationship as Guilty."
What?! It couldn't be... He was stunned and confused. Where did they go wrong? What grave error was committed? They had witnesses who testified in detail, each clearly explaining how they became the best role models. Their mandatory counseling sessions were laid bare, all the details that clearly showed the progression of their relationship from infatuation to everything the Adult Initiation Class defined as the proper relationship.
He looked up into the Council, looking from face to face. Many had cold eyes staring back at him; accusing eyes that said everything unsaid. Of course they would be this way, this rarely changed when a fox was on trial. Society, no matter how many high and mighty sounding words were used... in the end justice would be denied. Society always made sure foxes would bear the guilt of society; why should this council be any different?
He looked up again at the council, and recognized what was plainly displayed across the faces; prejudice, disgust, and clearly wanting this unnatural relationship ended soon as possible. He looked over at Judy; she was as stunned as he was. He looked at the rabbit next to Judy, Clara Leaps was her legal counsel; the doe was clearly as shocked as Judy was. Jill Hopps, his legal counsel, was saying something in his ear; but he couldn't comprehend her words. His whole focus was on Judy; and her face was downtrodden, and he knew the look displayed upon her face... she saw the look upon his face; and knew he was about to make an offer she knew he didn't want to make.
The Chancellor gaveled the courtroom back to order. "Accused... he who was formerly known as Nickolas Piberius Wilde. Do you wish to invoke the agreement this council voted on a few days ago?"
*Nick.* A voice softly said sounding as if someone was speaking far away.
The Chancellor rapped his gavel until everyone quieted down. "Accused... this chancellor waits your answer."
Nick slowly stood up and faced the council, his legal counsel and Councilor Floyd doing likewise. He only prayed the council would honor the agreement they had approved a few days ago. It would rip his heart from his chest, but at least Judy would be protected from death.
"Council, Chancellor... I do invoke the agreement we made a few days ago. I accept and will forevermore have no further contact with the other Accused known as Judith Lavern Hopps. No contact... wither by chance meeting in public, any correspondence by phone or written or verbal means. I will remove myself from her life in order to spare her death. Such is the depth of my commitment. I will have no new romantic relationships with bunnies as per Lapin Law. I do hereby agree to and accept the terms of said agreement both in the literal written words as well as the spirit they were intended."
The Chancellor chuckled; and then his throat erupted into a full belly shaking laugh.
"That was well said, Accused. Almost convincing enough to actually work; too bad every Accused who uttered those same words within these four walls met the same fate. But in the end it is all futile."
No! He had it in writing, followed their ancient practice. Used his own blood mixed in the ink and penned the words himself. A blood pact is as solemn a promise one could make; to be broken was a violation of the highest order.
"Oh... you're thinking about the blood pact we had you do." A very evil grin appeared across his face. "That was a lie. Quite convincing and based solely upon your Vulpes blood oath. We Lapins never had such an oath. Why should we? Lapins were too busy trying to survive than to create such a ritual. But the look upon your face as you wrote the words, and now as you invoked our false promise... priceless!"
He heard laughter... it was nearby. He turned and saw Jill Hopps, his legal counsel laughing as hard as she could. It was incredulous; she had worked so feverishly on his behalf... how could she betray him so effortlessly? She had wept tears after he signed the document, angry that he made it without her consent.
"Foolish fox... THIS is why you should have let me handle it. This is what I'm trained to avoid. But you thought you were smarter than your legal counsel, and now you'll reap what you sowed. Oh by the way, I'll put an extra charge on your bill; this way at least your parents will pay me what I should have been paid. Your selfish attempt to save your hide has cost my sister... MY BEST FRIEND... her life! Now I won't have the privilege to name one of her kits. I was really looking forward to it."
Jill spat into his face; an obvious breaking of professionalism, not to mention a disrespectful act towards her client. She attempted to run over to her sister, but the burly guards blocked her path. He never heard such swearing and cursing come from the little rabbit since he knew her. Then the unexpected happened.
Raymond grabbed Judy and ran up the dais. Keven grabbed Nick and did likewise. He saw Raymond jump into the pit, holding the little bunny close to his chest as possible. Nick knew what that hold meant; he was sacrificing his own life so the godmother would survive. Good... she was safe, now he could expect to join her shortly at the bottom of the pit. He wasn't certain what he would say to Mr. Big about two of his valuable minions sacrificing themselves. He could only hope that somehow they strung a net below so all could scale down somehow.
"You think Mr. Big cares for you?" Uh-oh that didn't sound good.
Before he could reply the polar bear pushed him onto the Executioner's block, firmly fastening him to it. "Because you took matters into your own paws instead of letting your counselor handle it, that action absolves us from protecting you. The godmother will learn a valuable lesson: her position is precarious, and we will only protect her after the godfather and his family is secure. You just made our tasking much more difficult, so we leave you behind."
The polar bear jumped down into the pit just beating the guards who almost grasped his paws.
"Wow... how did they get so much water down there? Didn't Joey say the fire was burning brightly this morning?"
"He did. But his body was found just a few minutes ago on the other side of the estate. Now I can understand this; obviously he forced to say those words."
"Well... obviously it took all night to plug the bottom and get that much water in there."
*Nick!* The Voice was closer, more insistent.
Nick didn't have long to ponder these events; the Executioner had just entered the room. It looked like he... he was sobbing something fierce. The burly buck had his massive axe balanced upon his meaty shoulders, and was looking around the room; it was obvious he was confused.
"Executioner," it was the Matron speaking, "The bunny was taken by intruders; she had escaped... for now. Proceed with your assignment."
The burly rabbit nodded and trotted up the ramp. Once he arrived at the top he appeared satisfied that the fox was securely fastened down. "You just had to take matters into your own paws, didn't you? Couldn't trust your legal counsel to do her job, didn't you? Before I severe your head, I'm going to exercise my rights and have her family have their say. Stay right there, I'll be right back."
Stay right there... how cute. Where, how was he going to get anywhere? Moments later the Hopps elders arrived, obviously not happy at the verdict. It was every bit as awful as he was expecting. Bonnie cried and wiped her tears on his sleeve, as did Grandma Opal and Councilor Elizabeth. Jill and Clara half-heartedly apologized for failing to get a Genuine verdict; but they did remind him it was his own fault for taking matters into his own paws. Stu, Grandpa Albert, and Councilor Floyd patted his head, thanking him for all the good times and handling the bunny kits as if they were his own. It was going to be very difficult explaining why Uncle Nick would never again tell them stories; did this ever occur to him when he made that ridiculous agreement? Judy's sisters that were sitting in the balcony, Evelin, Miriam, Mia, Valentina, and Flowers, kissed his forehead one last time; saying they would never forget his attempts to make housework such fun. Judy's brothers who also were sitting in the balcony, Greg, Gary, James, Carl, and Ralph, patted his shoulders; thanking him for staying the extra hours in the fields and making those times as fun as possible. The remainder of Judy's family simply stood at the edge of the dais and said nothing; their sad eyes said everything they could not.
Where was his family? Oh... there! But... oh yeah, a Vulpe tradition. He failed them and now they were putting some distance between him and them, least the bad luck he brought upon himself was to find a way to attach itself to them. Director Audrey Wilde, his grandmother... she was this superstitious? That was something new. But what hurt the most now... his own mother and both grandparents were abandoning him. He expected the other relatives, but not these.
"Ready Accused?" The Executioner was back, and now he seemed happier.
"Just get it over with, ok? I have a rabbit's home and garden to haunt."
"Oh... it won't be me that swings the blade, Accused."
Nick looked up, not believing his eyes. Judy had the huge blade in her paws, and the biggest evil grin he ever saw a mammal give. How did she get here? Wasn't she carried over the edge by that polar bear? She should be miles away by now, starting a new life.
"Surprised to see me? I couldn't leave without letting you know just how disappointed I am with you. My parents and elders will have quite the hard time getting the burrow back in order. Nobody can tell stories quite like you, Nick. My family will remember certain things that you have imprinted good memories upon, and this will cause them to grieve all over again. And work... who will be my partner now? The ZPD probably will protect me for a limited time, but the judicial system will probably hand me over to the council. So now I have to go into the witness protection program thanks to your blunder the deal. We had good times, Nick. I loved the romping in the sack, and I thought no other mammal would fulfill me like you can. I was wrong."
Wrong? How could she be so certain... oh. Yeah, he could. The Executioner was kissing Judy's muzzle, and she was enjoying it. Nick could only chuckle; the old saying certainly applied: *Big paws, big... you know.*
Judy continued. "Nick, I have to do something. The council might be satisfied if I offer something of value to them. I'm sorry, but it's either you or me. And I value my hide. The Executioner... you know he has the hots for me, right? Last night he proposed, but it would only be good if you are dead. Mom is so happy I finally have a proper rabbit for a husband. Awww... now don't look so distraught, Nick. You brought this upon yourself when you screwed up the deal. Got hustled by another rabbit, didn't you? Well, I can't keep you now that you've proven so easy to hustle. Now the council will only proclaim me Genuine if I do one thing... please don't move. It hurts more if you twitch around."
He was out of energy; everything he had tried to do to save their hides... failed. Now it wasn't only society that turned against him, it was the surrogate family... the Hopps... that now did as well. It hurt when his own parents abandoned him, now his surrogate family did as well. He couldn't take it anymore. He was crying his eyes out when the massive axe did its job.
Suddenly Nick shot up in bed. The pillow and blankets were soaked with sweat; a brief glance around the room told him it wasn't real: it was a nightmare. Judy was sitting next to him; obviously it was her voice trying to wake him. Now she felt safe enough to hold her fox and comfort him. She murmured a lullaby as she cradled him in her paws, gently rocking him as she sang. He looked up into two wonderful purple eyes as she slowly rocked and sang.
"Feeling better, Foxtrot? Maybe you can tell me what the nightmare was about?"
"Carrots it might be better if I don't."
She smacked his arm. "You think my nightmare about the council's decision was any easier? That was what this was about. Don't deny it... you practically whispered a moment-by-moment narrative."
"Then why should I tell you? Everything is already known."
"Because, my husband... the last character you didn't say its name. In your dream the Executioner was one of a few that betrayed you, as did all my family and yours. Do you really want me to guess?"
"It was you, Judy. You held the axe as it did its deed. But before you did..."
"I gave a running narrative of why the council will spare my life if I killed you."
Nick looked dumbfounded at the bunny.
"You do know we have been surrounded by the Servants of Truth for quite some time, right? You do remember they have somehow employed priests whose sole job is to get inside our minds and break our will, yes?" She received a small nod as a response.
"Nick, we have managed to escape their trap every time, but only if we maintain a clear mind. It seems they have resorted to hustling you: combining two of your greatest weaknesses. Me and society's abuses of foxes."
The door opened and in slowly walked the elder priestess. She smiled weakly as she slowly sat upon the edge of the bed. "They got inside your mind, didn't they?"
Nick slowly nodded. She warmly smiled back.
"Now that you felt their power, can you tell me what the difference between reality and your memory of event they used?"
"Priestess, you are..."
"Tell me!"
Nick was startled. Clearly she was greatly weakened, and he only wanted to comfort her. "I immediately knew something was off. The verdict was... the ending was wrong. The next conversation was completely new. Everyone was blaming me for signing a blood pact with my own blood."
The elder priestess grinned broadly. "That was the hook they used; twisted the meaning of the symbolism of the blood. To Vulpes blood has a powerful meaning; hence why it is used in signing important documents. We rabbits almost never do this, except for the council as you discovered in that trial. You now know the tricks they will use; you need to learn the idiosyncrasies between foxes and rabbits; between yourself and other foxes... between Judy and yourself. Remember: these priests have had their consciousness seared. Once they were young priests, then they were captured and then broken. An experienced priest-priestess can fight them, but not in great numbers. Only one who has obtained the rank of High Priestess-Priest can effectively handle an army of Dark Priests. Only honey badgers as a species can handle multiple opponents, but nothing close to a High Priest."
Judy had gone and poured a cup of blueberry juice and given it to the vixen. She still found it interesting that a vixen had entered the priesthood, and become powerful enough to be a High Priestess herself. But it was the why she wanted to know.
"I asked the Moon to hide me. I showed the Moon the vision I had. The prophesy about you two, about the later years and how you would continually be dogged by mammals taking up the ideas and mantle of Servant of Truth. They would have sufficient numbers to track all major priests and priestess; but if I remained hidden I would be able to position myself when you needed me most. I didn't take into consideration how old I would be when you two were born, much less become lovers."
"And now we should figure out your next step of action." The priestess opened a binder and spread several papers around the table. Judy missed Pastor Chester; news had gotten back to them that the High Priest and High Priestess had dispatched him with two other priestesses on a mission. She often prayed for them to succeed and return safely, she didn't want to replace their family priest this soon. Knowing how the Dark Underground worked, she was certain they needed all the help they could get.
Priestess Initiate Clare let the body drop to the ground. It was the last of the group which attacked them in the predawn hour. In her former job she was a minion of the Servants of Truth; before that she was a pit fighter. She wished the skills of her former life was not needed. But when she chose to abandon the Servants of Truth she knew her life would be over. What she didn't expect was their recruiting the Dark Priesthood against her. It was this abomination of religion that opened her eyes to what the Servant's true goals were. That moment the Moon whispered to her, and guided her safely out of their paws and led her to the convent where an old priest assured her she now had a new life. Inside she met the High Priestess and told her story. She was assigned to a few weeks training and once her skills verified and her change of commitment to serving the Moon, she was assigned under the tutelage of Priestess Lioness.
Looking around she noticed Pastor Chester sitting on a log, his paws stained with blood. An impressive number of bodies lay on the ground around him. She knew he had a past which he kept close to his chest. He was now looking at her in a new light; clearly he wasn't expecting her to defend herself effectively as she did. He also didn't expect her to pull a number of these attackers off him; clearly he had gathered them around him to protect the priestesses.
She turned around and looked for her mentor, finally finding the lioness with a glowing orb hovering in her paws. Clara knew what it was; only a mammal with the gift of an oracle could summon it. She also knew why it was summoned.
Priestess Paulina let the orb dissipate and a moment later opened her eyes, breathing as if she was tired. "The Wilde-Hopps are safe, the dark spell broken. Thank you, both of you for keeping these at bay. The Moon told me my skills were needed elsewhere; it was right."
Pastor Chester now was standing nearby. "Apologies for not assisting you."
The lioness waved his concern aside. "You're welcome, but your species skills were needed more, the Moon told me so." She turned her gaze to her protégé. "The Moon also disclosed your former life. A pit fighters' skill combined with honey badgers' is quite the deadly combination. Your opponents clearly underestimated you, seeing as you're a female."
Paulina reached over and pulled her down, embracing the youngster. "Thank you for giving more than you should have. These certainly didn't expect such ferocity from a female. From the male, yes... but not from you. The Dark Priesthood will not make that mistake again."
Initiate Clare looked around. "Where is Team Bravo? They said they would assist us."
At that moment Agent Golden dropped from a tree. "Priestess... Savage is leading our team in distracting their main group away from your camp. Hurry, pack up and get a move on. It won't take them long before they realize they are chasing decoys."
Pastor Chester raised his weary head. "Main group? This was a pretty big one attacking here."
"Apologies, priest... we couldn't grab every one. Agent Walker hoped you all survived." Golden looked around as if counting bodies. "Seems like you did."
Nick and Judy were puzzled. Bogo had called them to work ASAP and made it plain it was an order. Nick was on an indefinite leave of absence, but the chief rescinded it for the duration of the emergency. When they arrived the parking lot was a mad house. Vehicles and mobile command trailers were placed everywhere, power cables snaked in every direction. The military was here as well; soldiers placed barrier wires and guarded the entrances. They presented their badges and Zootopia drivers' license, and were let through after consulting a notebook and making a phone call. Once inside Precinct One it didn't get any better. Clawhauser had a couple mammals sharing his desk; clearly he wasn't happy about it but these new ones had confiscated an area for their own use. Judy hopped up onto the counter, using Nick's back as a trampoline. She gave the cheetah a big bunny hug and a peck on his fluffy cheek.
They finally entered the Bull Pen and no soon than they sat down Bogo entered the room.
"We don't have time so I'll get to the point. The Tri-Burrows are under assault and we have reports of many citizens missing. GSD thinks they are captives but nothing is confirmed. We are going to herd rabbits through certain sectors of Zootopia; not like last time, this is bringing them further into the city. Upper Command has determined they are now in refugee status and will be living in the city for an undetermined amount of time. First they will be stopped at the refugee camp we've set-up just outside the city; a temporary train stop has been built for this purpose. Here they will be identified and given a temporary city I.D. card authorizes them to use certain city resources same as city residence do. Assignments are as follows..."
When everyone had been given their assignment, Bogo motioned one more thing. "Upper Command wishes to thank everyone who has taken in relatives. You have been authorized emergency rations to help feed your relatives for at least the next week, hopefully this won't last that long. Good News... the Zootopia Seventh Army has arrived in the Tri-Burrows and is making sweeps of the area. Hopps... Wilde... you are detailed to go to Bunny Burrow and direct the farmers to gather produce at farms deemed safe; this will be put on the train and used to feed the refugees, reimbursement to be made later. I'm sure you are aware your father and both grandfathers are safe and sound, Hopps. They should make your tasking easier."
Judy was both pleased and nervous. Two of her youngest siblings were still unaccounted for, and her parents still haven't told her how she disappeared.
Colonel Kohle entered through the door Bogo usually did. "Pardon my interruption, but my Upper Command decided all of you needed to know our latest findings."
Judy wasn't the only one that was genuinely interested.
The dog pressed a remote and the lights dimmed and a view screen lit up, then he continued. "We have been searching for rabbits that supposedly moved out of the Tri-Burrows and to other cities or countries, as their families claimed. We were unable to verify no more than a few hundred rabbits. Our Science Department theorize these never did leave the Tri-Burrows, at least not where they were claimed."
Judy raised her paw and once granted permission asked her question. "Colonel, just how many rabbits are we talking about? The missing ones?"
The dogs looked at his paws as he used a cleaning cloth to rub the lenses. "Thousands. Tens of thousands... perhaps hundreds of thousands. Scientists Mr. Bevyton and Ms. Dexter have a computer program searching achieves of numerous Internet websites searching for anything these rabbits may have left behind. Thus far they aren't finding a singular note. I don't want to leave you with an overly optimistic hope, but neither do I want to dash your spirits. All of you deserve the facts necessary to perform your job. This latest information is historical, but it's possible one of these rabbit might show up. Maybe falsified where he-she was going so it could live where it wanted. Just a theory and maybe we'll be lucky enough to find such a rabbit."
The dog left the room and Chief Bogo dismissed everyone, departing through the same door.
Stu and his older siblings had managed to get all his young out of their burrow and headed towards the village of Bunny Burrow. With the sheer number of rabbits traveling by foot on the road it was difficult to use the truck. He insisted those of his young take their family and go with them; their wives would need their help moving their kits. Now it was a select few who insisted staying behind with their father. Albert and Floyd stayed behind; Albert because he was a member of the Lapin Legionaries and these had been called to duty, Floyd stayed because his robes contained a radio which they could use to talk to the estate.
Stu was proud and worried about some of his young that stayed behind with him: Patrick, Carl, Joshua, Rodney, James, Ralph, Evelin, Miriam, Mia, Valentina, and Flowers. These were part of four of his litters and they usually did things together, like staying with their father regardless of the danger. Or maybe their grandfather was having them reconnoiter the edges of their farm and report what they found. Gramps made it clear if they felt unsafe to turn around and head back pronto; said the sixth sense usually proved accurate in high stress situations such as this.
Earlier Jenny, the Family special moment's keeper and a professional photographer, called earlier when she caught wind of the video sent to Jill. Ralph was operating the drone, listening to her via Hype-Internet program for where she wanted the drone to go. She would request him to focus or pan around a certain area, as she was recording the video via the share-video feature. When she had recorded enough for her special news segment, she asked him to fly around and focus on her siblings that were on recon for Gramps. Once all ten were deemed safe as they waved to the drone, she signed off and Ralph used the drone to warn his siblings about movements of unknown mammals heading towards them.
Joshua, firstborn of Stu and Bonnie's first litter, directed and helped his siblings to dodge the unknown mammals by using little-known paths they had made and used as kits. These were a bit cramped as adults, but proved deceiving as they made through-under-around many obstacles. Within the hour all young were safely back with their father and grandfather. Unfortunately they reported their farm was being overrun by the unknown mammals; Albert gave the order to abandon the farm and wait another day to recover it. Floyd stayed in contact with the estate and relayed information when requested.
Stu had his young prepare two tractors with two wagons connected to each. As Stu drove to town, the young would gather injured rabbits along the road; the bucks would put them aboard the wagon and the does' give first aid. Evelin drove the other tractor following her father. Albert was happy when they noticed other families gathering injured rabbits in same manner they were. Floyd would relay who was picked up by which family and Albert would talk with his fellow Legionaries. A sheriff's deputy soon arrived and took down names of which family was doing what, then told them to park near the downtown park so the sheriff could use them as scouts or help evacuate rabbit families who had relatives in nearby towns.
By nightfall additional police from Grassy Knoll and Woolie Meadows had arrived and were directing most of the rabbits to move to the valley in which the train travelled through and lead towards Zootopia. Does' with young under age eight were put on the train and taken to the refugee camp set-up just outside Zootopia; their buck would travel with their older kits through the valley, stopping as needed to rest.
Jonathan and Emma Longears were concerned about the report they were reading together. Their new allies, the rabbits in the Tri-Burrows, were in the midst of an invasion, or at least that was what the report stated. Surely what was stated was erroneous; it said mammals were erupting from deep underground. It wasn't making sense until the situation regarding the Cloverson Burrow and the Dexter Burrow came to mind. These burrows were being heavily guarded; if the mammals responsible did make a move, the National Guard should be able to deal effectively with them.
Agent Crystal Minksin from the GSD was giving them a briefing on how the unsavory group of mammals that called themselves the Dark Underground operated. Agent Walkerson gave them a breakdown on the tools and weapons they used. Agent Rameras and Agent Ricardo did a slideshow and video presentation on everything the GSD had on these mammals.
"Colonel Kohle wishes to remind you... have the National Guard be extra vigilant; these mammals are crafty and won't hesitate to burrow under your paws. They probably should move tents frequently, or at least keep an ear on the ground; never know if they'll try burrowing."
"Understood. We'll have them sleep in the castles then. Their foundations go down to bedrock, so we doubt they'll burrow under them."
Agent Minksin shook her head. "They burrow through solid rock; our patrol verified this on their recent mission. Otherwise they do prefer digging through clay. But the castles are the better choice; just have guards watching the lower levels."
Jonathan rested his head in his paws. "Ok... we'll pass word to all families and villages; have them keep ears and eyes on the lowest levels of their burrows or basements. Anything else?"
"Just keep everyone checking-in on a regular basis, and you two do likewise with Bunny Burrow. The Zootopians will feel better knowing your current status. We're having the Svalbears calling you regularly, for same purpose. This way you can relay their status when you call the Zootopians."
Marcie Strongpaw, Great Mother of the Svalbear Empire, was troubled by the report which was given her. Magnus Southpaw, Attaché to the Great Mother, was reading over her shoulder. This was annoying her, but she was training him to someday take over as ruler. "If you must read this... here." She pushed the report into his chest. Months ago he would have been startled and very apologetic; now he merely took it in stride, but apologized if nothing more than to acknowledge her as sovereign. He scanned the document in the manner she taught him, grasping the key phrases and rereading if another section seemed to contradict something.
"So the Zootopians think these underground mammals might be trying their trick in our territory?" He asked.
She nodded in the affirmative. "Either that or they might try establishing an underwater entry point at a suitable depth. There have been reports of orcas joining one of their so-called Alphas as an ally. If true, this would enable them to cross the seas; although I can think of better ways than riding such a beast."
His eyes grew as saucers. "This says they have bears."
She snatched the papers from him and read for herself. She skimmed a few, moved over a few, and finally put them down. "GSD says here," she pointed at a few places, "they have allies from the Kodiak Range. We'll have to be careful; these have always been ready to hit our flanks with little or no provocation. Only in the last major conflict with them many years ago did we break them of doing this regularly."
She sighed. "Looks like they have a new reason to try again. We'll have to position our troops along the border, but I wouldn't put it past them to try a different attack route."
He put a paw on her shoulder. "Then I'll have our GSD liaison get a few drones flying regular patrols. No sense in having our soldiers split apart when something airborne will reconnoiter faster."
She looked at him. "Have them send patrols anyway. While the drone will cover more ground quicker, there's nothing like paws on the ground to make one feel total control of your surroundings. Plus... it's good practice."
Magnus turned and relayed the order to a nearby courier, watching as the bear departed the room. He himself bowed to the Great Mother before he himself departed the room. A few hours later he was walking the line; talking to the commanders and giving a brief explanation how the Great Mother expected their ancient nemesis to try a different tactic. He gave them what he thought they might try, and listened to their ideas. Approval was given to a compromise and he returned their salute before moving on to the next command post. Magnus pondered the changes in his life; a few years ago it would have been him that made the patrols and reported to higher-ranking bears. Now it was they who saluted him and waited for his thoughts and approval. Back then he would have agreed with the low-ranking members that these measures were a complete waste of time and effort; now he was privy to the information not readily available to the lower ranks. He decided to make more trips out to the field, talk with those he once made patrols with, get their perspective and temper it with the wisdom of the higher ranks. He could tell this made morale improve and a more professional behavior in the lower ranks. Having the right-paw bear of the Godmother visit and pay attention to your experiences certainly made them feel their personal well-being was important.
Magnus now kept his focus towards the Kodiak Range, and gave Marcie updates at least once each day what the soldiers on the front lines noticed.