Here is the 90th installment. Nothing else really to add at this time.

Additional notes live at the end of the chapter, when they exist, so here is the obligatory, on with the show.

Sadly, I do not own and thus can claim no rights to Zootopia or its characters. They belong to Disney.

It continues…. Enjoy.

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Operation Wild Cards ~5pm Zootopia time

Team Code: WildeHopps - Part 4

Members:

Nicholas WildeHopps Judy HoppsWilde

Yernet Arronsen Brandon James Hertzwool

Target: Ranking Senior City Council Member Meadowlaw

Location: Grazer Tower, 110th floor

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They took a few minutes to collect weapons and other items from the bodies, as well as the items and weapons taken from the guards Nick and Judy had secured in their second room. The group set themselves up to make the hallway a kill zone. Arronsen behind the second apartment door from the elevator, and Nick on the same side in the third apartment. Hertzwoll was opposite Arronsen and Judy opposite Nick. Meadowlaw gagged and tied to a chair in the middle of the hallway, just in front of the main apartment door. Hertzwool then keyed the radio of the now dead Tusk lead.

"Team, this is ZPD Officer Hertzwool. Second and top are down. We have Wilde and Hopps pinned down in one of the main bedrooms. Need backup to finish this. The second was a full tilt moron and came in firing grenades, then ended up falling his dumb ass out the hole he made thinking he was some kind of action hero and going to jump across the gap."

"This is TUSK team River Hog, team lead. What do you mean I'm down?"

Hertzwool groaned, it was clear he was familiar with the boar in question before keying the radio again. "Hey, I was here waiting for Meadowlaw. I was tasked with giving him updates on the situation in the city and being his ZPD point of contact during the emergency. The lead guy claimed he was top. If he wasn't, well, he's dead. Hopps took him out. Wilde took out the guy they said was second. Shot him in the leg as he was trying to act like he was John Wick, causing him to fall out the hole he made with his grenades. In either case, the rest of us have the rabbit and fox pinned down and need backup."

There was a pause. "Roger. We're on our way up. Is the hallway clear?"

"Affirmative. We have that clear, just can't move because of the last action hero who created a bit of a hole. You probably saw and heard the debris hit the street. We need the backup to keep them pinned down so we can get close enough to do something."

"Roger. We were wondering about all that, and the bodies. Expect us to confirm once we are up there."

"Understood. No issues with that. Just need help." Nick fired several times into the wall for emphasis as Hertzwool spoke.

A few minutes later, the elevator dinged and the maitre'd from the front desk was held out front, weapons pointed around them. The actual top cursing at seeing Meadowlaw trussed up at the end of the hallway. "What the rut! Get us out of here!"

One of the others responded. "Sir. Elevator is locked out. We're going nowhere this way." They all groaned as the lights in the elevator also went out, meaning they were fully stuck and there was no way to override the lockout. "Emergency stairs are at the other end of the hallway behind a hidden panel."

"Crap." Yelling down the hall. "Whoever you are, stand down."

Judy responded. "This is Judy Hopps, ZPD and ZSID. You are the ones that need to stand down. Step out of the elevator slowly, lay your weapons down and allow your hostage to go free."

"Not happening, Hopps. I do not recognize your authority. I'm TUSK, and we are independant."

"Then I suggest you contact your chief or commissioner Bogo and get direction. The rest of your team is dead and we are authorized to kill you if you are in our way, or on one of our lists if you resist. You can see our authorization hanging in front of you." One of the copies of the warrant was hanging from a string just outside the elevator.

The top ordered the Matre'd to hold the dangling paper still so he could read it. "HOLY HELL! That cannot be real!"

"Call your chief. Call the Commissioner. Please, feel free to verify it. We have you pinned and the elevator locked out."

There was some mumbling and another curse. Then the top making a call. "Sir. … I'm at. … Of course, he's… WHAT?! Please tell me… Oh gods. Who? … … Seriously? By Moccus and Baco, sir! … … Yes sir. Apparently all of alpha team is deceased. I can confirm two based on the bodies that landed on the street. It would seem they went in, as someone recently described it to me, action hero style. … Yes sir. Will detain them and advise. … Me sir? … Yes sir."

After the call ended, he ordered the team out. "Move forward. Stop at the first set of doors and check." Once they were all out, the doors to the elevator closed, much to the complaint of the team. Checking the first set of doors, they found them locked and unable to be opened. "Spread to second set of doors." They did so, the top holding back with two of the five at the first set of apartment doors and the maitre'd. They had themselves pressed to the walls, weapons pointed down the hallway at the opposite sides. It was clear they knew they were pretty much screwed.

Judy and Nick watched with interest the clear war on the older lead boar's face as he glanced at the two he's kept with him at the first set of doors. They were even more interested as he took a step back so that he was fully between them and the elevator, still holding the maitre'd. Looking between them again, he shifted his grip on the maitre'd and put one hoof on his side arm, then whispered something to the maitre'd who nodded, clearly scared.

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N: So, you caught that I assume?

J: Yep. Do we tell Arronsen and Hertzwool?

N: I mean, we can. Might freak them out a bit to have our voices in their heads. I can feel them.

J: Yeah, new and a bit freaky, though no more so then the whole sharing of senses. Can feel the boars too. Maybe we make contact with the top and confirm what we heard?

N: He knows you're a rabbit and might be able to have heard that, so it's too risky. I'll tell Arronsen, you tell Hertzwool. and we'll deal with the aftermath with the top according to what happens.

J: Sounds good.

Nick and Judy chirped their radios and got responses from the other two.

Judy, touched the mind of Hertzwool

J: Try not to freak out.

Hertzwool let out a bleat of surprise, causing every weapon to be pointed at the door he was behind, barely cracked and they could see the muzzle of Hertzwool's weapon, causing them to all freeze.

J: I said try not to freak out. It sounds like the top is actually on our side. He's told the maitre'd to be prepared to get thrown aside. He's planning on ordering them to put down their weapons, but we can't be too sure it's not a ruse as they all know I'm a rabbit and will have likely heard what he said. Just think towards me and I'll hear you.

H: What the actual hell!

J, chuckling mentally: Yeah. You'll get over it. Just be ready. You have the one on the opposite side of the hallway from yourself, second door. I'm targeting the one at first door. Nick and Arronsen are doing the same.

H: Got it. But by the lanolin in my wool, this needs some explanation.

J: Happy to, but later. Be ready. We react based on what they do, and specifically the top.

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Nick reached out to the mind of Arronsen. Feeling the edges, he noted that Arronsen clearly noticed but also didn't freak out. Smirking, he thought towards Arronsen.

N: Interesting that you would recognize the sensation of another mind touching yours.

A: Yeah. Long story. The weird part is that it is a mammal like you doing the reaching.

N: Is it though? Surely you have heard the stories?

A: Yeah, but like you said. I am Nightwolf. Just because I am not all black or have small enough patches to be successfully dyed, doesn't mean I haven't undergone training.

N: Hmm… Fair enough. So. The top just told the maitre'd to prepare to be thrown clear. From what we heard of the phone call, the two at the first doors are on the list and he's been ordered to take them in, and kill them if they refuse to comply. He's also been ordered to then surrender to us, along with the other two. You have the door two boar on your opposite side, Judy and I have the door one pair to either back up the top, or take him and them down.

A: Got it. I have my target, awaiting order.

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The Tusk team froze, all of them realizing at about the same moment that the second and third set of apartment doors were open just slightly, and a weapon muzzle was visible through each. The top spoke loudly. "Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" Then giving the two nearer to himself his attention. "Team. Lower your weapons. Slowly. We're under new orders. The direction we initially received that the rabbit and fox were acting on their own is false. In fact, the mammal that gave us that direction has been arrested as a terrorist. I got hard validation with codes from TUSK lead himself. We are to stand down and accept arrest."

The two by the middle doors looked back in shock, one speaking. "Top, you cannot be serious."

He nodded. "Deadly serious. They, as in Wilde, Hopps, and whoever they may have with them, are fully authorized, confirmed by top, to use lethal force if we resist."

The nearer two turned themselves to look back at him. "That so, top?"

"It is. Sadly, it also implicates you two, as well as the entire team that came up here. So please, don't force this. There is no way out of this that doesn't involve all of us in cuffs for processing and determination if we were part of the terrorist cells, or dead."

The two looked to each other a moment and spoke in unison. "Dead works for us."

Both turned fully, raising their weapons to take aim on the top and maitre'd, who was shoved to the side and behind the top. There were two weapon reports that roared in the narrow confines of the hallway, and both dropped, crimson starting to pool under them. No one moved for a number of very long moments as the pools of blood grew. Then, after the top pulled his sidearm slowly and set it down on the floor, giving is a shove away from himself. The other two slowly unclipped and lowered their weapons. One of them cursing. "Fuck!"

The door hiding Arronsen and Hertzwool opened slowly, Arronsen moving out slowly. "Yeah. I know. Now, you know the drill, but you're both loaded out, so… This is gonna take a minute. You." Pointing his weapon to the one that cursed. "You get to be first. You." Indicating the other one, move back to the first set of doors.

Once there he noticed he was again in the sights of a weapon, the other door clearly covering the top. Top himself had unclipped his own rifle and set it aside as well. The maitre'd was currently cowering in the corner next to the elevator door. WIth Hertzwool covering, Arronsen helped the Tusk member out of their vest, emptied their pockets, removed the various weapons from their person until they were down to bare BDU's and a t-shirt. They were then given a very thorough search, sufficient that they commented on it.

"Damn. Fondle me much more and I might enjoy it."

Arronsen chuckled. "Hey, just doing the job. With someone like yourself…"

The boar nodded slightly with a slight blush. "I get it. You forget how invasive it can be until you're the target."

A doubled up set of hoof cuffs later and he was kneeling next to a very terrified looking Meadowlaw in the middle of the hallway covered by a now exposed Judy. Nick having moved to provide cover for the top and other officer while Arronsen did the searching. The second was again moved forward and Arronsen repeated the process. Arronsen then did the same for top while Nick and Judy kept watch. Once they were all secured, Judy pulled out her phone.

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Dialing a number, Judy waited for it to pick up, her foot tapping absently. "This is HoppsWilde. Meadowlaw in paw. Need backup, CSI, medical, coroner, and major assistance. The building was damaged by grenades fired by the TUSK team that came in as backup to Meadowlaw's security team. At least a dozen additional hostiles, three TUSK members needing processing, a good dozen plus victims of sexual assault and torture, and multiple bodies. Note, most of the victims are under age. … … Yes, you heard and understood my implication correctly. … Confirmed. HW8821. … … Understood."

With a nod she turned to the rest as she put away her phone. "Okay, we need to sit tight. The entire city is under martial law right now. Things were going well, but someone in city hall we didn't know about tried to take the mayor hostage. They got mauled by the deputy mayor. Seems they forgot that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are mated, or maybe thought that was just a publicity stunt.

This was on the news." Waving a paw towards the main apartment and large hole in the building. "The whole, holes blowing out in a mid-town highrise and all. Bodies of TUSK members raining down on the street, which tipped off the rest. So… Yeah. We're gonna be here for a while. TUSK guys, into this room." Indicating where the other guards that Nick and Judy had taken down were trussed up. "You can join the rest of the guards that survived this little bit of fun. Hertzwool, you are back on guard duty. Arronsen, you and I will be working on freeing the various mammals and getting them all into room 2."

One at a time they were moved into the room, Judy in the hallway, Nick in the apartment with distance so they couldn't try a break for him or escape. Once all the prisoners were isolated and chained together putting the steel cables and shackles used for the slaves to use. There really was no other thing to call them but slaves for Meadowlaw and his friends to use as they saw fit. The various slaves, including the captive herd that Meadowlaw had collected were moved into one of the other apartments. They then settled down to wait. The Maitre'd sending up some refreshments for them unattended on the elevator.

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When the elevator dinged unexpectedly, the gazelle and tiger on it found themselves with three high caliber rifles pointed at them from behind several stone tables that had been moved from the apartments and set up in the hallway as cover positions. Judy and Nick instantly relaxed causing confusion for Hertzwool as he recognized the gazelle and tiger. The fact that they were heavily armed themselves added to his confusion.

Judy with a grin. "Maria! Oh, gods above, I am glad to see you. Should have called first though."

"Didn't know who was down here, only that the floor that the piece of dung Meadowlaw had to himself was where the explosions and hole in the building were at. Thankfully there wasn't any actual structural damage, only cosmetic. Had the construction company checking with drones. My gods! Judy. Nick! What caused all that?"

"TUSK idiot thinking he was in an action movie and charging in guns blazing, including a grenade launcher. Not super bright, and he's one of the ones that ended up spatting on the street."

Jarvis nodded. "So, why are you guys barricaded in? Expecting trouble?"

Nick nodded with a chuckle. "Considering what is going down, yeah. We're gonna be stuck here for a while." Glancing at Judy. "I'd be more comfortable…"

Judy nodded. "I agree, actually. We can vette the responders here before sending them along to where they are actually." Turning to Maria. "Can we impress upon you to keep some mammals safe, and maybe someplace we can store some prisoners without needing to keep an eye on them the whole time?"

A weapon report from the prisoner room had all of them tensing, Nick snapping orders as Judy moved towards the door. "Hertzwool, cover our tails. Maria, Jarvis. That room." Indicating the room the slaves were in. "You'll probably need to make two trips."

Arronsen opened the door slowly, calling out. "Violent Santa Claws." With that, NIck, Judy, and Hertzwool relaxed. "Sorry, Guys. One of the Tusk idiots tried to do something. He won't be doing anything else. Could use some help moving the body in with the rest."

Hertzwool shook his head. "I suppose an explanation on why you trust Gazelle of all mammals so easily should be added to the rather long conversation we need to have. I mean, she's decked out like we are."

Maria laughed. "Simple. We've worked together before."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Nick, watch the rest while Hertzwool and Arronsen move the body. I'll show maria who she is going to be looking after." Glancing over her shoulder at Hertzwool. "She was my college roommate before she made it big. Ever need tickets, let me know. You've more than earned them." Pausing a moment. "Oh yeah, I guess we should deal with Ghret while we are at it."

Nick groaned. "Oh hell, I totally forgot about him." Quickly moving into the room where he had been left and checking him over. They found him unconscious and having crawled a short distance. NIck shook his head. "Idiot probably caused all sorts of extra damage moving around. Impressed he actually managed to. Well, let's get him isolated so he can't do himself any more damage." They got him onto a plank pulled from one of the cages, using a few other items to isolate his head, then stuck him with the rest of the prisoners.

Hertzwool nodded. as Arronsen and Nick moved to deal with Ghret. "FIgured it'd be something stupid like that. For a second there I thought maybe she was Crimson Gazelle and you were Bunny Avenger."

Judy growled. "Im gonna strangle that cheetah if he doesn't stop."

Maria laughed, following Judy into the slave apartment. "You know you can't keep it a secret forever."

Hertzwool paused in the doorway to the prisoner apartment. "Wait…"

Nick laughed from deeper in the apartment where he was looking over Ghret. "Questions for later, Hertzwool. There's a job to do right now."

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It actually took three trips on the elevator to get the slaves up to the floor below Maria's. There was an expansion of her suite going in there. The expansion was partially complete, and the large dogo area was completed, as was a huge lounge area. The slaves were put there, provided food, and Maria called in her personal physician from his apartment in the building to look them over. They were instructed to treat each as a rape victim and as such carefully documented and took samples as they went.

The prisoners were moved to a sub-basement and a panic room located there. Once inside and sealed in, the internal controls having been disabled and then physically disconnected. Turning it into a cell that while comfortable, including food, water, clean air, entertainment, and a posh bathroom, could only be opened from the outside.

With them secure, and the slaves safe with Maria and Jarvis, Nick, Judy, Arronsen, and Hertzwool returned to Meadowlaw's floor and fortified their positions. As much as they wanted to get back out on the street and help out, they needed to deal with the situation they found themselves in and that required the transport of the prisoners, including Meadowlaw, to jail. The slaves were safe and being looked after, and until everything was filtered out, they were better off looked after by Maria and Jarvis then just held up in one of the small apartments where they had essentially been tortured.

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Sitting on the chairs they had pulled into the hallway behind the tables. No reason they couldn't be comfortable in the waiting. Nick glanced at Judy. "Should we just go ahead and deputize them?"

Judy nodded. "It would simplify things for us, especially as they are looking after the prisoners and slaves for us."

Nick glanced over to Arronsen and Hertzwool. "What do you guys think?"

Arronsen shrugged. "Didn't know you could do that?"

"There is a short list of mammals that, given the right conditions, can be. Those two are actually on that list for a number of reasons. Your crack about her being the Crimson Gazelle is dead on, and why she's on the list."

Hertzwool laughed. "I always believed she was, but there was never any proof. Well, nothing that could be considered definitive. Just like there's always been claims that you were the Bunny Avenger."

Judy groaned as Nick laughed. "Why is it everyone is always so obsessed with you two, but so few remember the Vengeful Vulpine?"

Hertzwool shook his head. "Hey, I like the Vengeful Vulpine just fine. He did a lot of good before the laws changed. I wasn't old enough, but I always wanted to meet him again."

Nick cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean? Again?"

Hertzwool smiled wistfully. "Simple. He actually saved me from getting hit by a car. I'm from Lanolin Heights. Inducted as a Lanolin priest, remember. It was at the time, just as bad, if not worse than Happytown. At least in Happytown the gangs and what not don't go after the residents of Happytown. The Lanolin gangs were not so honorable. They did their best to make the residents of Lanolin Heights their slaves. The Vengeful Vulpine kicked some serious tail in LH. Even after they changed the laws, he'd already basically cripled them, and they never came back.

My dad got beat up by the LHK, that was the Lanolin Heights Kids, all goats and a few sheep. He took down their entire gang, their hideouts, everything. Made sure that it all got into the hands of the ZPD. The gang members that beat up my dad got jail time for it and so much more."

Nick chuckled. "I remember you. Damn, you were smaller than I was, you got one hell of a growth spurt there, Hertzwool. You were so upset. You were going to try and avenge your dad. They were trying to force him into letting them take you. They actually planned to just kitnap you after they beat him a second time and made sure they hospitalized him, that way he wouldn't be there to protect you anymore.

I had to take them down fully. Learned later as I was investigating them and preparing things, that you were just one of a few kits they were after. I found what they did to kits that didn't make the cut. There is a reason most of that gang got life in prison without the possibility of parole."

Hertzwool stared at Nick and then put his face in his hooves. "You're messing with me."

Judy chuckled. "Nope. Nick you call Maria and let her know. I'll call it in so the team knows."

Judy dialed her phone. "This is HoppsWilde. HW8851 Code green. We are secure and awaiting backup and a wagon. We are activating assets CG and SF. … Confirming WH775B. …"

Nick dialed his phone. "Hey, Maria. … Yep, exactly that. … Any questions? … Nope, right now, the only thing we are asking of you is to keep the prisoners and the slaves secure and safe. We're still waiting on a bus for pickup and we're going to leave the slaves with you guys until this has all finished. Figure they'll be safer with you than just about anywhere else. … Sounds good. … Confirmed."

NIck hung up and looked at the others. "She'll keep them safe and secure. Now we just need to wait."

Arronsen groaned. "If they're secure and safe, why can't we get back out into the action."

Judy went to speak, but Hertzwool interjected. "Because they're sending us backup that is likely to have suspected or worse, confirmed problem members."

Judy chuckled, putting a finger to her nose and then pointing at Hertzwool. "Got it in one.

Arronsen shook his head. "Okay, that makes sense and scares me. The longer I'm a part of this, the worse it seems to get."

Nick shrugged. "We're expecting to have arrests in the high three hundreds or more. If we get every mammal before they can go to ground and hold up in one of their safe houses, it would be more than five hundred mammals. Then again, we also expect a few to put up a fight and as we have a number of bodies in the other room, we're hoping to minimize damage and loss of life, but these are fanatics.

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A/N

Remember to share the love. Review and Fav. It is the life blood of every writer to know you are enjoying their work. I also want to thank everyone who has Fav'd, followed, and reviewed this little project. I know that isn't much, but to me, it's huge. Even as a writer of original fiction, that you enjoy this means a lot to me as an author. You can check out my original work and link to my Blog, Scribblings, where a lot of it lives by hopping over to dcballard . com ( Direct: ascensionnovel . / scribblings (remove the spaces) because the forwarding is misbehaving.)

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