Author's Note,

Hello everyone. Just some fair warning: This is the first real writing project so plot might not be as strong as some other's. Please comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for clicking on my story; hope you like it!

Ghost

Chapter One: Let's Start a War

A small rabbit stood at the door of a rundown bar. Her badge shone in the crude neon that lit the alley way in the Nocturnal District; the smell of urine and alcohol mixed into a foul fog that assaulted her nose. Broken bottles and used needles covered the ground as mammals entered the bar that she was supposed to guard. Mostly predators. Wolfs, tigers, lions, cougars, coyotes, and even the a few bears walked past the small officer. They were dressed in leather and denim; their fur was spiked and colored in all different ways.

Judy took a deep breath as she wondered how she had been stuck with this particular security detail. This was an event that had been on the ZPD calendar for a while, this band was a catalyst for brawls. Unfortunately for her, she had drawn the short straw that morning during assignments and got stuck in the worst side of town at night. She had plans to cuddle up in her small apartment with a good book that night, but instead she was now in the last place a small mammal would ever want to be: surrounded by drunk and likely violent predators. She sighed as she reminded herself that this was the career she wanted, and nobody said it would be easy.

Once all the concert goers were inside, she stepped into the bar entitled "O.M.F.U.M" or "Other Music For Ugly Mammals". The place was packed tight. The lights were turned down so that the stage was hardly visible. Judy found a place near the door where she could survey the whole floor as well as see the stage. The bar owner, an old bobcat in jeans, boots, and a simple tee-shirt, stepped up to the mic. "Ladies and Delinquents. Please give a non-destructive welcome for Wolfbane!" The crowd cheered as the band took the stage.

The light levels only allowed silhouettes to be seen. There were three large shadows and one smaller shadow. Then the opening notes of the first song rung out across the bar. It was just a few simple notes as the crowd provided the opening lyrics. "We are all we have tonight" was the line they repeated. Judy was not too taken aback by the intro, but then the song really got going and the lights shot on. The sound attacked her ears. It was guttural and primal. She tucked her ears to her back to try and dampen the wave of musical rage. The center wolf started singing, well more like a mix between roaring, growling, and singing. He was bare-chested, wearing torn jeans, and combat boots; the fur on his head was spiked up and colored a bright red that extended to his shoulders. The mammals on the dance floor devolved into a whirlpool of fangs, claws, and fur. The bassist was another wolf with a deep blue Mohawk and was dressed similarly to the singer. The drummer was also a wolf, Judy was starting to understand why they were called "WOLFbane", in a torn tee-shirt and long fur that hung over his eyes. The fourth member of the band surprised the shell-shocked bunny. It was a fox in worn jeans, combat boots, and a leather jacket. He was easily half the size of the other three but was almost more ferocious. The fur on the top of his head was half black and half his natural burnt-orange, the tips of his ears were beached to near white. The fox pounded the strings of his guitar at an incredible speed, all while providing back-up vocals and preforming minor gymnastics. Judy couldn't take her eyes off him.

The concert went on into the night; the smell of alcohol was so thick that one could've gotten tipsy by simply inhaling. At some point Judy had gotten over her initial shock and tried to listen to the music. It was fast and abrasive, packed with frustration and passion. It was a marked difference from what she usually listened to; her HidePod was full with Gazelle, Kitty Perry, and Christy Agorilla. The only thing she had ever heard that was even in the same ballpark as this was Five Seconds in the Sahara, and even that wasn't close. She couldn't tell if she liked it or not, all she knew was that it was different and raw.

About halfway through the show four deer walked into the bar and stood in the back; they obviously hadn't seen the bunny, because after another song had ended they pulled out rifles and opened fire on the crowd. Some fell while others fled. Judy dove behind the bar. Then she heard a gun discharge that differed from the deer's. She peeked out and saw the fox firing on the assailants. He was taking cover behind the dead body of the singer. The bassist was on the side of the stage, wounded but ok, and the drummer was hiding behind his kit. As the fox fired again, dropping one of the deer, Judy remembered that she had a gun and a radio to call for back-up. "Hello? This is Officer Hopps at the O.M.F.U.M bar in the Nocturnal District requesting armed back-up; we have a 12-75. Multiple wounded, one confirmed dead," she practically screamed into the radio. As she turned to draw her weapon she heard a yipe. She turned to see the fox clutching his shoulder, his jacket was pulled back so she could see his white wife-beater underneath; a wife-beater that was quickly turning red. Her eyes went wide at the sight. She then turned and fired on the shooters; she dropped one and forced the other out the door.

A minute later SWAT busted the doors down to see a blood covered bar. There were over twenty bodies, some writhing and moaning, others still and silent. There were three dead deer along the wall near the door. As they moved to the stage they found Officer Hopps tending to an unconscious fox.