Present Day:

In a deserted city street, the body of a rabbit was face down on the asphalt, clad in a set of digital camouflage fatigues and combat boots.

At first, she laid perfectly still. A breeze ruffled her short grey fur. One long ear twitched, then the other, followed by a little pink nose. She took in a deep breath, her fingers curled, and her face scrunched in discomfort. Finally, violet eyes fluttered open.

Judy Hopps stared blankly ahead for a few seconds, brain feeling fuzzy. All that greeted her sight was the road, and a few parked cars. Where am I? What's that noise…?

"-meo, Foxtrot, Romeo! Retreat! We are overrun! All units fallback to Rally-Point Charlie! Repeat! General Order Romeo, Foxtrot, Romeo…!" a tinny voice said, frantic.

It took a moment, but the words began to register. The message triggered something:

The wind rushed through her fur as their truck raced down the road. Judy stood in the bed just behind the cab, both paws wrapped around her pistol's grip. Nick stood behind her, operating the mounted machine gun. Two wolves she wasn't familiar with sat on either side of her, ears alert and assault rifles at the ready. Captain Viverra, Corporal Paddins and Private Rayas took up the front seat.

The bunny had her ears up, trying to listen for any signs of movement. She was finding it a difficult task. The screaming coming from behind them was too much to ignore. By the time she heard the hoofbeats, it was too late.

"Nick, one o'clock!" She shouted. The fox reacted instantly, and the wolf to Judy's right had to scramble out of the way as the vulpine gunner spun around and took aim at the enormous bull that thundered into view from a side street. The big gun barked twice, barrel flashing, and the top of the beast's skull disappeared in a pink mist. It was only momentum that kept it going, but that was enough. More than a ton of meat and bone slammed into the side of their transport, just above the front driver's side tire.

Judy's world blurred as she was thrown from her feet. No sooner had she hit the metal floor then she was thrown into the air. In her disorientation, it seemed like she flew forever. The last thing she saw before everything went dark was the black asphalt rising to meet her.

The memory cut through the fog clouding her brain, and she gasped. She immediately regretted the action, the entire left side of her rib cage flaring up in burning, stabbing pain. The bunny clutched her side, body curling as she choked back a scream.

Even as her body spasmed from the pain, her mind was racing. Years of experience, both as a cop and as a soldier, had trained her to ignore what was unimportant so she could focus on what was.

Nick! My squad! I have to find them!

Still gasping from the pain, she shakily pushed herself off the ground. She sat back, legs folded beneath her, and listened for her companions.

"...Order Romeo, Foxtrot, Romeo…" the tinny voice continued. Her ears twisted in the direction of the sound, and her head swiveled to follow. What she saw made her gasp, the pain in her side forgotten.

The gun truck lay on its side. Steam billowed from under the crumpled hood. Shattered glass spread out across the pavement. Nothing was moving.

The bunny tensed to spring to her feet, but her ribs throbbed in warning. Wincing, she stood slowly instead, legs shaky. Making her way forward, she focused her hearing on the wreck. She counted four familiar heartbeats. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth, but she paused when she realized that the two wolves weren't there.

A quick scan with her ears revealed one heartbeat nearby. She turned towards it, and the sight that greeted her made her blood run cold. One of the wolves was embedded in a sedan's back windshield. She took off towards him. Her pace increased when she realized that she could see blood running down the side of the car. Just as she made it to him, Judy paused as she realized something. Leaning up on her toes, she stretched up as far as she could. Even as her ribs screamed in protest, she managed to press a paw to the side of his neck. It just confirmed what she already knew. The heartbeat she heard wasn't his, because this wolf didn't have one.

Sinking back to her heels, she looked up at where the soldier's head hung above her. The edge of the window was embedded in the back of his neck, just below his helmet. The unlucky dog was dead on impact.

Judy closed her eyes, fighting back tears. The shock of seeing death had long since worn away, but the sadness still lingered. But, just like pain, sadness was something you had to learn to ignore while in the field. She pressed one paw to her aching ribs and wiped her eyes with the other. Time to work.

The bunny listened for the heartbeat again. When she found it, she opened her eyes, forced her eyes away from the canid corpse, and walked around the car. On the other side was the surviving wolf soldier, sprawled on his back across the sidewalk, helmet askew. His rifle was on the ground just over his shoulder, still attached by a strap caught under his armpit. Judy walked up to him, but, just before she could prod him with the toe of her boot, someone called out.

"Carrots! Carrots, where are you!?" A familiar voice frantically yelled. Judy's ears sprang up as she turned to where the shout came from.

"Nick! I'm alright! I need an assist!" She called back. When something rustled behind her, she spun to face it. The wolf was sitting up, apparently disturbed by her shouting. He looked around for a second, blinking uncomprehendingly at his surroundings. Judy reached out and grabbed the stunned soldier's shoulder. His head swung towards her, but he just blinked at her, too. Knowing time was of the essence, the bunny impatiently shook his shoulder.

"Status report, soldier! Are you mobile!?" she barked at him. The wolf jumped, his eyes visibly sharpening as his training took hold.

"Uh-, Yes-yes, ma'am! I am action ready!" he started slowly, but his voice got louder and more enthusiastic as he finished. Judy gave him a sharp nod.

"Then saddle up!" she commanded. The wolf scrambled to obey, only to nearly fall on his face when one of his arms simply failed to hold his weight. Judy reflexively tried to catch him, only to be cruelly reminded that she was in no condition to do so. The dull throb in her chest instantly escalated to a fierce, stabbing pain. It felt like her ribs were made of jagged glass instead of smooth bone. The bunny fell to her knees next to the wolf, both of them gasping in pain.

This was the scene that greeted Nick as he ran up, assault rifle at the ready. The fox looked a little worse for wear. The left side of his face was a mess, eye blackened and fur matted with blood that oozed from a gash on his cheek. Letting the rifle hang at his side from its strap, he kneeled next to Judy, pointed ears pulled back as he watched the rabbit clutch her side. A keen examination of her side revealed no blood, so that left…

"Bruised or broken?" he asked quietly, concern coloring his voice.

"Broken! I think…" the bunny gasped out, confirming the fox's fear. Nick looked up as the wolf got shakily to his feet, left paw clutching his right shoulder. A quick scan of his nametag revealed the soldier's name.

"Geri, head back to the…" Nick trailed off as the wolf suddenly bolted. The fox stared after the other canine, only to watch as he approached the still form of the other wolf.

"Franky?" Geri called out, voice fearful. He reached out his good arm, gave a still-warm shoulder a little shake, broken glass crunching faintly. "Franky? Franky!?"

Nick forced his eyes away, throat tight. He looked to Judy instead. Her expressive violet eyes were focused on the ground, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Nick new for a fact that however how bad they hurt him, the wolf's plaintive cries were a thousand times worse for her. No matter how tough a front she put on, deep down she was still a very sensitive, empathetic soul.

A sense of urgency swept over Nick. He realised suddenly that they had tarried too long. Gently, he wrapped an arm Judy's thighs and picked her up, holding her to his chest with one arm like one would a child. She reflexively fisted both paws in his shirt for balance. The glare she shot him was also reflexive, as she hated to be carried. The look was replaced with a wince not even a second later, mostly due to her throbbing ribs. She dropped one paw down to cradle her side and ignored her embarrassment to focus on her breathing. Being carried, at least, would jostle her ribs less than if she walked herself.

Nick walked up behind the grieving wolf. He had to reach up to grab the taller wolf's shoulder. Geri jumped at the contact. Bloodshot brown eyes looked down at them from under wilted ears. Nick stared back, green eyes steady.

"Grab his tags. We have to go," he said.

"I can't-" Geri hesitated, but Nick didn't. He squeezed the wolf's shoulder.

"You can't help him anymore, but you can tell his family. It's up to you to let them know what happened. Grab his tags. Let's go," he said, firmer than before. For a second, all Geri could do was stare at the fox. Then, he turned back to the corpse that used to be his friend. He grabbed the tags from where they rested on the lifeless chest. The wolf paused, eyes locked on the face of his dead friend. Then, with a tug, the chain broke and the tags came away in his paw.

Nick, still carrying Judy, had already taken off by the time Geri turned away, and the wolf had to jog to catch up. They quickly approached the overturned truck, where three soldiers were standing in a group just outside the field of broken glass that used to be a windshield.

Private Rayas, a seven foot tall zebra, was leaning on Corporal Paddins, a five foot tall brown bear. The height difference made it look comical, with the tips of Paddins short, fuzzy ears not quite reaching past Rayas' shoulder. From the way the zebra's leg was held tenderly off the ground, they probably didn't have a choice.

"-got injured here, I need evac!" Captain Viverra was standing next to them, shouting into a radio sized for her small paws.

"That's a negatory, captain, all ground vehicles are involved in civilian evacuation procedures," replied the operator. It was a different voice from the one that still blared from the truck radio, deeper and calmer.

"Well, what about air!? There's got to be a bird somewhere!" She spat back.

"All air vehicles are occupied. You are advised to travel to Rally-Point Charlie on foot." The response only seemed to enrage Viverra more.

"Son of a flea-bitten whore," cursed the civet, dark fur bristled. She held the radio away and glared at it, as though she were willing it to burst into flame from the heat of her gaze alone. When that didn't work, she brought it back to her mouth and thumbed the switch. "Copy, Base. Viverra, out!"

"Base, out. Godspeed, captain." Said captain just rolled her eyes and clipped the radio to her belt. Nick, with Judy still pressed to his chest, had led Geri to stand by Paddins and Rayas. The now undistracted Viverra's head turned to the fox like a turret.

"Wilde! 'Bout time! Where's-" she cut herself off as she spotted the broken chain dangling out of Geri's paw. A slight tightening in her brow was the only clue that showed she understood. "Status report." She commanded instead. Nick took the few steps to stand before her, free arm straight down at his side.

"Ma'am, Private Hopps has injured ribs. Private Geri: injured shoulder. I am at full capacity," he said, loud and clear.

"Where's the other wolf?" Everyone turned to stare at Rayas, who wilted under the weight of their combined gazes.

"He's gone," Nick said simply. Behind him, Geri cast his eyes to the ground, ears wilted, tail limp. The forlorn wolf was the very image of the 'Kicked Puppy', and the sight of him made Rayas wince.

"Sorry," the zebra said lamely.

"If we're done talking, it's time to move out," Captain Viverra declared. The command brought all eyes back to the civet. "Wilde, you're in the lead. Paddins will take Hopps. Geri and Paddins will support Rayas in the middle. I'll bring up the rear. Clear!?" She glared at the fox, wolf, and bear as they were mentioned, making sure they each understood their role in turn. The fox had other ideas.

"Ma'am, respectfully, I should bring up the rear. The enemy is coming from behind, and I am the best shot. I have the best chance for holding them off, and for preserving ammo," Nick explained quickly, knowing that he only had one chance to make his case to the infamously short tempered Captain Viverra before she blew her top. Indeed, the civet's eyes flashed as she stepped toward the the fox, the anger on her face making her look just a step short of savage, and a short step at that. The officer reached up and fisted her paw in the fox's collar, dragging him down so they were nose to nose.

"Carry out your orders, soldier," she said, voice venomous. She didn't bother with an ultimatum, her glare was threat enough. No time for a reply was given before she shoved Nick away, turned, and stalked off. Judy gasped, her ribs jostled by the sudden movement. Nick grit his teeth as he watched the civet's back.

"Yes, sir!" It sounded like a curse. He turned stiffly and walked to Paddins, while Geri took up his place on the zebra's other side. Despite being short for a brown bear, Paddins still had two hundred pounds on Nick and Judy combined. The bunny fit into the crook of his arm like an infant. While they made the transfer, Nick looked into the bear's brown eyes.

"Careful, Fozzie. You're carrying my hopes and dreams," the fox said with a smirk, both playful and completely serious in that way that was unique to him. The corporal just smiled back.

"Don't worry, Wilde. You know me," he replied. Nick did know him, and it reassured him tremendously. Judy rolled her eyes from her place tucked into the bear's side.

Men.

No sooner did the disparaging thought cross her mind, then a distant sound made her ears twitch. The rabbit instantly focused her incredible hearing on the noise: a pounding heart, four paws slapping the pavement, and a bestial snarl. When she looked at Nick, she found he was already watching her. Their eyes met, and nothing else was necessary.

"Incoming!" the fox shouted. He jumped to the side and swept his arm out, pointing down the road with an extended paw. "Go, go, go!" Paddins and Geri leant forward and took off. They were soon going at an impressive speed, in spite of having to drag the hobbled Rayas along. Nick hustled along behind them, ears trim and erect, rifle held at the ready. He glanced over his shoulder frequently, constantly checking the road behind them. Soon, Viverra was running right beside him, pistol hanging in a two pawed grip.

"Why aren't you in position?" It was alarming how loud the captain could be when quiet. Even though her voice didn't rise over a conversational level, it felt like she had shouted in his ear. Under normal circumstances, Nick might have been intimidated. These were far from normal circumstances.

"Ma'am, this is the best place to cover the squad," he explained succinctly. He didn't so much as glance in the civet's direction, instead keeping his eyes either on the soldiers ahead or the road behind. Viverra's glare didn't let up. If anything, it intensified.

"I told you to head the group," she yelled again, quietly.

"I know," was Nick's flippant response, still without a glance in her direction. The captain's face darkened at the show of defiance.

"Listen here, you insubordinate piece of-" the beginning of a truly withering tirade was cut off by an even more withering glare from Nick.

"No, you listen!" He barked, green eyes aflame. "I'm the best shot! Maybe the only soldier on record with a one hundred percent accuracy rating! I am the best soldier for this position, and your tender ego won't change that!" The fox's vitriolic tirade shocked Viverra into silence. For all of three seconds.

"I'll have you court-martialed." Her dark tone and darker glare made it clear that no part of that statement was made in jest. Nick glared right back.

"Any price for the lives of my fellow soldiers. If you were half the officer you pretend to be, I wouldn't have to explain that," he said, voice soft and sharp. The fox's eyes flicked from the civet to the road behind them. Viverra's response was cut off before it could form when the fox raised his rifle, and, without breaking his stride, or even slowing down, made a single shot.

The sudden noise spooked Geri. The wolf tried to look over his shoulder, which slowed his pace considerably, nearly dragging the group to a halt.

"Keep moving!" Paddins and Nick barked almost in unison. The wolf turned his head forward and resumed his previous pace.

Viverra looked over her shoulder, trying to spot what the mutinous fox had shot at. To her consternation, she spotted a collapsed mound of wet, sandy fur just a few yards past the crashed gun truck, now nearly three blocks away. She was disgusted to realize that the smug fox had downed an aggressor from over three hundred meters away, with one shot, while running, and with little-to-no time spent on aiming. It was a kind of shot she would have difficulty with, and he made it look easy. Casual, even.

Bastard fox.

They made it two more blocks before another animal appeared. A tiger leapt onto the overturned truck, fur clumped and tangled with moisture, face and paws smeared with blood. Unnatural crimson eyes with barely visible slit pupils tracked the fleeing soldiers with terrible intent. The beast opened its bloody maw, a gruesome snarl on curled lips. Then the back of its head exploded.

Nick lowered his rifle and watched the afflicted feline collapse bonelessly onto the pavement. He ignored Viverra's hateful glare to cast a look at the backs of the three soldiers jogging ahead of him. Shoulders shifted uneasily and ears pinned back as that feeling from before returned, the one that said they were taking too long. He looked back just as three more wet-furred, red eyed mammals came sprinting around the truck. He raised his rifle again, putting each one down with a well placed shot to the head.

Then, to his horror, dozens more came. They ranged in size from weasels to big cats. Then the gun truck was smashed aside, revealing many more large mammals, ranging from rhinos to bison to bears, with smaller animals like sheep and wolves running around their feet. It was a full on stampede of maddened, red eyed animals.

The sight of it was so shocking that Viverra missed a step. Fumbling over her own feet, the civet would have face planted if Nick hadn't reached out a paw and gripped the back of her shirt, catching her and placing her back on her feet. The save only made the officer glare harder.

Nick payed absolutely zero mind to the glower thrown his way. Instead, he was desperately looking around at his surroundings, trying to spot something, anything that they could use for cover. A distinctive skyscraper just ahead caught his eye, one that gradually twisted as it rose up, only to reverse direction halfway to the top, making it look like each corner was a chevron. Something sparked in his memory, and the fox poured on a little speed. He quickly pulled up next to Paddins.

"Follow me to cover!" He yelled at the bear. Brown eyes flicked down, then forward again.

"Copy!" the corporal yelled back.

"Negative!" Viverra was running just behind Nick now. "We have been ordered to the rally point! Keep going!" she shouted. The fox looked over his shoulder at the civet, then up at Paddins again. Brown eyes flicked down to meet Nick's, and trust built over six months of service won out over fear of authority.

"I said 'copy', Wilde," he said, just loud enough to be heard. The fox nodded, gratitude written plainly on his face.

Nick's gaze fell to the rabbit tucked into the crook of the bear's arm. Judy gazed back. Green eyes met violet, and, just for an instant, the world was nothing but emeralds and amethysts. All of their fear, all of their hope, all of their love passed between them. A world only they knew. Then the moment passed, and cold, hard reality settled in.

Tearing his eyes away, Nick looked forward and sprinted ahead. At the next intersection he turned right, leading the group, including a cursing Viverra, down the street towards a parking ramp set into the side of the twisted skyscraper. There was a moment of terror when everyone realized the security gate was lowered. Nick threw out a paw before anyone could panic, putting all attention on him.

"I know the code!" reassured the fox. He hurried to a keypad set into the wall on the right side. He lifted the cover and pressed four buttons, muttering to himself as he did. "Two, nine, six, nine…" There came a negative sounding buzz, and the indicator light flashed red. There was a moment of stunned silence.

"Wilde! I thought you said-" began Viverra, only to get cut off by a frantic Nick.

"I know, I know!" he shouted. He tried the keypad again. "Two, six, six, nine…" He thumbed the numbers as he spoke. Again, the buzz and the red light.

"That's it! We have to move!" shouted the irate captain. Nick put out a paw, temporarily halting the group.

"No! No, I know it!" He turned back to the keypad again, desperately clutching both sides of the little box with his paws, jabbing the buttons with his thumbs. "Two, nine, nine, six…" This time, there was a positive little chime and the indicator light flashed green. The security gate started to rise.

It took everything Nick had to not crow in delight. Instead, he frantically waved the group in.

"C'mon, let's go!" he shouted. The noise of the approaching stampede was becoming alarmingly loud, and the glass panels in the buildings around them were visibly shaking. Paddins, Rayas, and Geri broke apart so they could crawl under the still rising gate, followed by Viverra. Nick punched in the code again, and the metal curtain reversed direction.

The fox slipped under the gate, then stood on the other side, anxiously watching the closing gap as the bear, zebra, and wolf once again linked up. The trio, plus Judy, were soon hustling across the parking lot towards the elevator.

No sooner had the gate hit the ground then something crashed into it. Nick and Viverra flinched back, weapons raised. The metal curtain rattled and shook as first one, then two, then a few more, and so on until dozens of mad animals were clawing and gnawing at the metal links. The gate began to give way under the weight of dozens of madly thrashing bodies. Nick and Viverra, for once of the same mind, turned and fled after their comrades.

The four animals in question were waiting anxiously in front of the elevator, hoping against hope that they wouldn't be forced to flee up the stairs while being chased by demented animals. The elevator chimed, and almost at the same moment a crashing sound from behind signaled the end of the security gate. The three males all turned to look over their shoulders at the noise. Even Judy leaned out of her place tucked into Paddins' chest for an anxious glance, in spite of the pain in her chest. They all spotted Nick as he came sprinting across the garage, Viverra right behind.

"Floor five-five, now!" the fox screamed. The waiting soldiers did not need to be told twice, and immediately piled into the elevator. Geri managed to hit the button for the fifty-fifth floor just as the straggling soldiers bolted into the car. The two small soldiers had so much momentum going they just barely managed not to crash into the three much larger mammals, who took up the entire back half of the metal box. Nick and Viverra both spun, weapons raised. Some of the faster afflicted animals had already crossed the garage, and were only a few yards away when the pair opened fire.

A weasel, a leopard, a white tailed deer, a pronghorn, and a brown hare fell to Nick's machine like precision with his rifle. With two shots from her pistol, Viverra managed to down a dhole. The metal doors slid shut. All of the soldiers tensed as something immediately slammed into the closed portal, the sound of scrabbling claws and savage screaming rapidly fading away as the elevator began its ascent.

For a long few moments, everything was silent.

"Jesus Capybara, what the fuck is happening!?" Geri exclaimed, shattering the charged silence. The unexpected noise startled everyone, making them all jump. Judy gasped as Paddins accidentally jostled her. Nick's ear immediately turned in her direction, the rest of his body following immediately after. Paddins spotted the movement and knew immediately what the fox was after. The corporal released Rayas so he could kneel, and the bear and the fox began to check on the rabbit, though the doe would insist they were just fussing. That left Rayas and Viverra to glare at Geri. The wolf looked entirely unrepentant. "Don't look at me like I'm stupid! It's a legitimate question: WHAT. THE FUCK. IS HAPPENING!?" cried the wolf. Viverra opened her mouth for a retort, but Rayas beat her to it.

"What, you don't watch scary movies? Night of the Living Dingos, Ewe of the Dead, 28 Does Later? Any of this ringing a bell?" the zebra pushed himself away from the wolf, only to slump against the back wall of the elevator car. Geri spun to face him.

"No! Hell! No! You are not telling me we are in some kind of zombie apocalypse!" exclaimed the wolf. Rayas rolled his eyes, then looked right into his fellow soldier's face.

"Geri, that's exactly what I'm saying."