A.N. Hey all. A Zootopia fanfic is here from yours truly. I do not know exactly how dark this story will end up, so I'm going to start with this as rated T, but I might change my mind. Also, this is a bit of a pilot chapter. If people don't want to read this story, I'll leave this one alone for awhile and focus on my other stories. Anyway, read and review.

A young man stepped into a large container, the front was made of glass, and the outside was thick metal, lined with lead, and machines inside that monitored his heart and vital signs. His dark grey hair was trimmed short and his eyes were an unnatural shade of gold. He was clothed in a simple white shirt, and a pair of black pants. He wore no shoes, but they were placed next to him. He turned to the front and backed into a padded platform. Men in white lab coats bustled around taking final test measurements and preparing the technology that would keep him in stasis until he was needed.

"William," one said. "Are you prepared?" the man inside nodded. The scientist pushed a few buttons on the panel in front of him. Metal bands began to encircle William, moving under his torso, holding him down as more encircled his legs and arms. They clasped together and the whole container began to lean back on its automated hinging. He felt the cord push into the base of his neck, connecting to the inner cords that connected to a small chip and connecting to his brain. He saw the automated arm that was on the side of the container reach over with a needle. He felt needle pierce his skin and the injection that would keep him in stasis was injected. It would take a few minutes to work, but it would work.

"William," the scientist said. "Remember this, when you wake up, you have your weapons in the chest along with your personal belongings. They are in the compartment directly besides you. However, if you do not have the immediate time to grab them, a simple staff is stored in the side next to your bed that will be available once you wake up.

"I understand," William said.

"Do you remember your name?" the scientist asked with a smile. It was a running joke between them.

"William Dante Alistair," William said. "I am soldier 037, codenamed Lycaon. I am under the command of project Genesis."

The scientist nodded. "May you find peace when you wake. If you do not, may you cause peace." William felt his eyes close as the injection slowed his heart and the inside began to get colder. Finally, his heart stopped, and frost began to cover the inside of the glass, but by this time, he could not feel it.

Many Years Later

In Zootopia, everything was in harmony. Predators and prey got along, and everyone sang kumbaya. Yeah right. In all cities, there's a mess. Whether it's politics, celebrity gossip, crime, or even separation between sects, there's a mess to be found. This was were Nick Wilde, newest hopeful recruit to the Zootopia Police department found himself. Nick prided himself in being calm, cool, and collected, but right now, he was seething.

"How could anyone expect a lying, scheming, no good fox to turn himself around and become a cop?" He heard a cadet quietly whisper. He sat at his lunch table alone, eating quickly and studying from the police manual. His best friend Judy was a help, but he'd need to know all the information himself. That adorable little bunny was the only thing keeping him from dropping this whole idea and going back to the street con.

"This is the first time a fox ever even attempted this," another chimed in. Nick took a quick glance to see a small coyote looking up to a fierce brown bear who had a scowl stretched across her face. "I mean, Officer Hopps was the first Bunny to become an officer, and she was also the valedictorian, and helped with the Night Howler case."

"Yeah?" The bear cut in. "So? Rabbits are different from foxes. It's as simple as that. Rabbits, don't steal consistently. Rabbits don't cause constant trouble. Rabbits don't run street cons on any mammal they find." She glared at Nick and he knew she aimed that last comment on him. He'd been careful in his hussles. He broke no laws that they could pin him on, and when Judy had convinced him to join the force, or at least try to, he had paid off all his debts in that respect. It had cost him a pretty penny, but it had been worth it.

"I'm just saying," the small coyote said quietly. "Maybe he's not like other foxes."

"No, I am," Nick said. "I'm just like other foxes. I use my resources, and I have red fur. That's about all that we all have in common. Oh wait, there is one other thing. Mammals don't like us." He idly turned another page in the manual. Speaking up probably wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done, but he wasn't going to take it lying down.

"You forgot to mention criminal activity," a lioness growled.

"Not all foxes are criminals," Nick countered. "My father, for one, worked his tail off to run his own business. Did so til the day he died. Surprise surprise, his business is burned down with him inside it after his business starts to pick up customers." He looked dead at the group. "So who was the criminal there?" He stood up and walked away. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" He mentally chastised himself. "Don't let them get to you. Don't let them see that!" He moved to the next training and prepared himself.

Judy Hopps was happy. She was almost off medical leave! She'd be able to go back to working, and the stupid leg injury she had suffered would be a thing of the past. She hummed a little song as she bounced down the street, choosing a small little prey focused restaurant to get herself some food. As she got in line she saw the Zootopia news being played on a small screen. The headlines read. "Expedition set in motion!"

"Just this morning," Fabienne Growly stated. "Another archeological expedition was set into motion as a new young team of hopeful archaeologists began their journey into the South Desert. This desert is seen as the most helpful part of all archaeologists research, having some of the most plentiful in fossils and is a prime location for many aspiring archaeologists."

Peter Moosebridge now took part in the conversation. "That is correct Fabienne, but also, many believe that due to most mammals feeling uneasy in that territory, that there may be something else in that area."

The two mammals moved on to other topics and Judy turned her focus to her order. After that, she sat down at a simple barstool at a table by the window. She looked out the window and placed a set of earbuds in her ears, starting music on her Ipawd. Ever since the Night Howler case, everything had been rather quiet, and Judy liked that.

Ex-mayor Bellwether was a nervous wreck, not that anyone could tell. She had always been good at acting, and that was all that was keeping her together. She had failed. She had been given a task, and she failed. She was locked away, and was unable to even contact anyone outside. It wasn't right. Predators always had power, as did other large mammals. What she needed was a game changer. Something or someone that could be exploited. All the while theses thoughts raced through her head, she tapped on the metal bed frame.

"Oy!" She heard a lynx guard shout from outside the closed door. "Knock that off!" She complied and the guard shook his head at her. "Bloody ewe." Another guard walked up, wheeling a basket of letters.

"Mail, Bellwether," the guard droned as he pushed a few letters through the mail slot. The ewe perked up slightly. She didn't usually get letters.

"Who're they from?" She asked.

"Don't know, don't care," the guard said as he continued.

"Big meanie," Bellwether muttered as she picked up the letters. Each was marked with the same name, John Doe. "Sounds like a pseudonym," she muttered. She opened the first one.

I admire your drive. You had your heart in the right place, but you executed it in a way that didn't get the desired effect. Know that I will continue your work, and you, my role model, will be able to see your work finished.

-Nighthowler 1

She stared at it. Was this some kind of joke? She placed it back in it's envelope and opened the next one.

Dawn, I have always looked up to you and you are right. You know what really needs to happen to the filthy preds. You understand. One of the few that understands. Don't worry, we'll finish this for you.

-Nighthowler 7

What the hell? She looked at it again. This couldn't possibly be true. It would exceed her wildest dreams! She quickly placed it back in it's envelope and turned to the third.

We stand with you.

-Nighthowler 13

Who were these mammals? Fans? Co-conspirators? Believers in her just cause? She quietly giggled to herself. The name on the front must be a pseudonym, after all, these were three separate letters. She slid them under her pillow quietly as she lay down. She would win, and prey would no longer be the ones crushed under heel.

Nick struggled to push himself up again off the floor of cadet barracks. He had lost count a long time ago, but as per his usual routine, he would not stop until he could not push himself up again. He felt a paw place itself on his back and push him down again. "Oh let me help you," he heard a sickly sweet voice said. "You're working out?" He began to exert all his strength, but could not move himself.

"Careful," he heard another say. He turned to see a wolf watching him with smug satisfaction. "You don't want to break him. He might go back to his conning ways." He scratched his head with mock thoughtfulness. "Though I think that was his plan anyways." He laughed. "I mean, it's not like a fox could truly be reformed." He sighed. "I guess that stupid bunny wasted her time."

Nick's eyes flashed and he found a newfound strength. He began to push up again and slowly, but steadily he began to raise himself. The wolf's eyes widened and Nick began to growl in exertion. Suddenly the paw increased it's pressure and he was slammed down to the ground. He didn't stop however. He began to push himself up again, and this time, it was harder. The wolf walked over to him and kicked him in the side. With a yelp, Nick impulsively brought his arm in to protect himself and fell to the ground.

"Aw, did the poor little fox fall down?" He turned to see another wolf, this one female, that looked a lot like the other wolf.

"I know I'm not that popular, but you'd think that family would stay together," he laughed. "I mean, the Canidae family would be so disappointed." He chuckled at his joke, referencing their biological similarities.

"True," the wolf said. "But we're truly family," he slung his paw around the female wolf's shoulder. "You're more like the black sheep of the family. Or should I say, the Bellwether, of the family." Nick felt anger spike through him, but he didn't let it show.

"Comparing me to that sheep?" He asked. "Can I say, Ewe?" He laughed again and this time the paw was removed from his back, but soon after, he felt a kick to his ribs that lifted him off the ground. He slammed into the wall and saw stars. He sat up and rubbed his head. When he opened his eyes, the two wolves were gone. Eh, just another pair of assholes. Speciest Mammals were a dime a dozen, what were two more?

"Are you okay?" He looked up to see the same coyote from before. "I just got here and saw you next to the wall, you okay?" he looked at Nick worriedly. "You've got quite the nasty bump there," he said pointing to Nick's head.

"I'm fine," Nick said. "It's not a problem." He stood up, dusted himself off and reached out his paw for a shake. "Nicholas Piberius Wilde, but my friends call me Nick, or a multitude of other nicknames."

The coyote took his paw with a smile. "I'm Richard Lesley Coyote, or Rick. Sometimes people call me Reckless."

"I'm not sure whether to laugh or offer condolences," Nick said. "Lesley?"

"Hey, my brother got it worse," Rick said with a laugh. "His name's Wile Einstein Coyte."

"Wile E. Coyote?" Nick asked. "Wait, is he the comedian that always does that slapstick routine with that roadrunner?"

"Yeah," Rick answered. "He's from Avia City."

"Where's that?" Nick asked.

"It's where the birds live," Rick answered. "And the only reason I know that is because of my brother."

"I've seen a few of your brother's comedy routines, they're pretty damn good," Nick said.

"That's cause he's always been practicing since we were pups," Rick answered. "But enough about me, what happened?"

"Ah, nothing much," Nick said as a lazy smile slid across his face. "Just a couple of jackasses."

"I didn't know any donkey's had enrolled," Rick said with an innocent expression.

"Not that kind of jackass," Nick laughed. "They were just nasty pieces of work, it's fine."

"If you say so," Rick said with a sidelong glance. "Well, it's time that I slept, we're going to be put through hell tomorrow." He walked towards his bunk. "See ya Nick."

"Adios Ricky," Nick answered as he walked to his bunk. He smiled. At least not everyone was an ass. No offence to donkeys.

Chief Bogo was busy filling out paperwork. Again. He sighed in annoyance at the mounds of paperwork that would have a smaller mammal stumbling under their weight. Honestly, each crime had its own set of paperwork, and with the new cadets coming in soon, it was just more paperwork! He sighed as he took off his glasses to rub his eyes. Honestly, Clawhauser's ramblings weren't as annoying as this. He filled out another sheet and sighed before looking at a picture of his wife and child that he kept on his desk. "You guys are the only reason I keep this job," he sighed. "To make the world a better place, as Hopps would say." He turned back to the paperwork and picked up another file. He opened it and a few crumbs and sprinkles fell onto his desk. "Dammit Clawhauser!"

Finnick lazed about in his van, idly running his fingers over a pile of cash. He'd been doing it for so long, he knew exactly how much was in it just by running his fingers through it. He'd never been a super spender, always keeping most of his cut hidden for emergencies. The problem was, without Nick, he couldn't do the hustle. Much as he hated to admit it, Nick was the brains of the operation. Had been forever. He idly wondered about becoming a cop too before immediately throwing that idea out the window. He wasn't that crazy, and he'd probably have better luck trying to become a chauffeur. What was that new easy transport app? Pride? He shrugged it off. He'd see if the chauffeur company had any openings tomorrow.

He heard a knock on the door and he grabbed his baseball bat. He opened the door quickly, searching for the culprit and a scowl on his face. "What?" He snarled.

"Hey! Fin!" He looked down to see a wide, cocky smile on a weasel's face with a white undershirt and blue shorts. He had a toothpick in his mouth and Finnick held his breath for a few seconds, trying to calm down like he had to for his anger management classes.

"Weaselton, you've got three seconds to beat it before I beat your ass with my baseball bat!" He snarled. The weasel looked around unsurely, but stayed put. "I said beat it!" He swung his bat and Duke ducked with a yelp. Fin slammed the door shut and walked back up towards the front when another knock on the door sounded. He groaned and walked back. "You'd better have a good reason for bothering me!" he snarled.

"I got some good stuff to sell!" Duke said quickly.

"If you try to sell me another one of your movies," Fin said exasperatedly. "I will hook you up to an air pump and we'll see if the weasel goes POP!"

"It's nothing like that!" Duke said. "I got these!" He held out a bag of small blue flowers.

"What the hell are you doing?" Finnick snarled. "Don't bring that stuff around here! Why the hell do you have that?" He snatched if out of Duke's hand. "We have enough problems without these being brought into the mix!" He shook the bag at Duke.

"That's the problem!" Duke hissed. "Someone called me, told me to pick up a package for them, I of course, got a little curious," he said with a smirk. "But when I opened the box, all there was were these little blue flowers!" He shuddered. "The box is about as big as my duffel bag, a little bigger, and it's filled to the brim with this stuff."

"Why didn't you give it to the cops!" Finnick hissed.

"Uh, hello?" Duke asked. "This is me we're talkin' about, I don't deal with cops."

"Oh really?" Duke whirled around to see a familiar bunny in a simple sleeveless shirt, and leggings, her earbuds and Ipawd in her hand. "Well it's a good thing I'm off duty then." She grabbed the weasel by the scruff of his neck and tossed him into the van before hopping in. "So what's going on?"

"This idiot's got a box of these!" Finnick said holding up a bag of blue flowers. "Recognise them, Bunny Cop?"

"Night Howlers," she muttered. "Weaselton, where's the box?"

"It's at my place," he said. "It's safe, don't worry."

"Then we need to go get it," Judy said. "Finnick, think you can give us a lift?"

Finnick sighed. "Sure, but the weasel stays in the back."

The drive had been short, but they had taken back roads filled with potholes. Judy and Finnick had been fine, but Duke, without a seatbelt on, had been thrown around the van repeatedly, slamming into the ceiling and floor. Each thud and groan giving Finnick a predatory smile.

"You really don't like him do you?" Judy asked Finnick.

"No," he said. "And he's getting it easy."

Within the next ten minutes, the trio was at a small apartment. It was run down, and one of the stairs to the next floor was missing. "That cannot be up to code," Judy said.

"It's the slums," Duke explained. "Who cares? Not the big wigs up top." He walked in and quickly brought out the box. Opening it, Judy was greeted by emptiness. "What?!" he shrieked. "No, no, no nonononononono…. It was right here!" He ran into his apartment and Judy heard crashes and clangs before he ran out again. "They were in my house!" he began to pace. "I need to pack up and move. No more staying here. I'm not getting involved with this shit again!"

"Duke!" Judy called, snapping him out. "How'd they get in?"

"That's just it!" He called. "I don't know!" Even if they came in through the vents, I wouldn't know, because I had to take off all the vent covers last week!"

"So now what?" Finnick asked.

"We still have one bag," Judy said. "But you two are going to have to come down to the station so we can get a statement from you two."

"Uh, no," Duke said. "You've got your little recording pen, just use that, I'm not going to the station. I've been there enough times."

"Duke," Finnick said. "This is the same stuff that almost got Nick sent to a mental hospital for life, and almost cost Judy her life. I'm going in with her, and if you don't I'll hit you with my bat, and drag you there by your tail myself!"

Judy glanced at Finnick with shock, he never used her real name. "Let's go," Judy said. The others hopped in the van and Finnick pulled out, going towards the police station, just over the speed limit. "I'm surprised you follow traffic laws," Judy said with a smirk.

"I'd rather not get arrested or even SEE a cop before we get to the station, Bunny Cop," Finnick growled. "So yes, I'm going the speed limit."

"What about you Duke?" Judy asked. Silence greeted her. She turned around and saw an empty back. "Where'd he go?" she wondered.

"Son of a bitch!" Finnick cursed. "He ran! That cheating, lying, piece of-"

"We still have the evidence," Judy said. "And because he ran, we can get a warrant for him as a missing persons if we can't find him."

"I hope you're wrong about this nighthowler business, Bunny," Finnick growled.

"So do I Finnick," Judy said quietly. "So do I."

Several Mammals carefully dug through the sand, having found many other artifacts already. They could read most texts that they found, having found many different artifacts through previous years. Green signs talking about a highway, signs proclaiming businesses, and though most books and papers had been destroyed, they had been able to find some that had been carefully stored and were in good condition. It was these books that allowed for most all mammals to speak the same language. After all when the different species stayed split up long ago, they each had their own language. As many species found these artifacts and learned to read them together, the language became the common language that was spoken today. After all, why bother learning another species language, when the other species also learned to speak the same dead language as you. It was just easier to adopt that language, and it helped with the reading of artifacts.

"Found anything yet?" An echidna asked.

"Not yet," a dingo replied. "This place is supposed to be a gold mine of knowledge, but so far, nothing.

"Well we can't stop yet," a small hare said as he shoved a spade into the sand. "We'll find something."

"Easy for you to say," a bear countered. "You haven't been out here working all day."

"Yeah I have," the hare replied. "You buried me in sand two hours ago remember? I had to spend an hour digging myself out."

"Oh shut up both of you," A raccoon gripped. "Now keep digging, we've only got a few hours before the sun sets and we'll have to stop then anyway."

They continued to dig, each one carefully moving each shovelful of sand away, though some of it always slid back in. As the raccoon pushed her shovel back in she heard a dull thunk. "Hold up!" She called. She quickly bent down and pushed the sand to the side with her paws. It took a few minutes, but she was greeted by the sight of a dull piece of metal. "I found something."

"About time," the echidna scoffed as she walked over.

"Hey!" The hare called. "Can someone fish me out?" He was in the bottom of a pit he had dug in the short time, but was unable to climb out as the sand kept shifting.

"I got it," the bear sighed as he held out his shovel for the hare to grab. As he pulled the hare out, the others moved to the raccoon and began to help her dig out the sand. As they moved more and more sand, the metal kept showing up, and as the pit got bigger, they still hadn't revealed anything.

"The hell?" The dingo muttered. "How big is this thing?"

"Don't know," the hare grunted. "But we might need some more help with this."

"No," the raccoon said. "This is where the sand is at its lowest, so the next time the wind even begins to blow, and this whole thing will be covered in a few dozen feet of sand."

"So what?" The hare complained. "We have to dig this whole thing out now?"

"We have to find an opening," the raccoon said. "Then we can place a tracker so we can find this place again later."

"Makes sense," the hare said. He walked a few feet and resumed digging out the sand, careful not to hit the structure. However, his shovel continued to sink, past the metal they stood on. "Hey guys!" he said. "I found the edge." The others stopped and began to help the hare to dig out the side. They continued, digging the pit around them. "How deep are we?" the echidna asked.

"Deep," the bear said. "I'd say at least twenty feet."

"Twenty of your feet or mine?" The hare snarked as he dug.

"Oh shut up all of you," the raccoon snapped. She saw the top of some kind of edge, like that of a door. "Keep digging." They continued, digging down farther and farther until they revealed a door. It had been long, and the sand they had removed seemed to already be moving back in.

"How're we going to keep the sand out?" The hare asked.

"Go grab a tarp," the racoon said.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" The hare snapped. "We kinda just dug ourselves into a pit!" The bear picked him up and the hare struggled at the action. "Hey, what're you doing?" The bear then heaved and the hare went soaring up and over the edge of the pit. The others waited for a few seconds. "Ha, ha. Very funny. Assholes." He pulled a tarp to the edge and tossed it down. "Now what?" He asked.

"Slide the weights down the side," the racoon said. The hare dropped down a few weights for the tarp and then slid down. They stretched the tarp over the door and the hare, the bear holding him up, placed weights on the tarp on top of the structure. The raccoon stretched it out in a slope and placed weights on the bottom to hold it in place and the mammals walked to the door. It was made of metal and seemed to be shut tight.

"How do we open the door?" The dingo asked.

"I got it," the bear grumbled. He dug his claws into the cracks of the door and began to pull them apart. At least he tried to. Unfortunately, they were sealed tight. He grunted and strained at the doors. "They're not budging," he growled.

"Looks like we'll need some help," the raccoon said with a scowl. "Hey Little John, toss Skippy up their again. She turned to the hare, "Get the twins, they've got to have some kind of tech to help with this."

"My name's not John," the bear huffed. "It's Jackson."

"Hey, at least you're last name's Johnson," the hare countered. "She keeps calling me Skippy for some reason. My name's Harrison. Seriously, it's not even close to skippy."

The raccoon ignored them. She knew those weren't their names, but it was fun to annoy them. She looked at the door and searched around it. Next to it was some kind of screen, but it was dark. She poked at it gingerly, and nothing happened. She pushed on it a little harder, but still nothing.

"Hey Rachel!" She looked up to see a pair of weasels with a machine in their paws. "You need the door open?"

"Yeah," she called up. "And if you guys try to give me any kind of explosive again, I'll skin you and put it up as an artifact.

"Fine fine," they said. One held the machine and Rachel could see a rope tied around his waist. The other weasel held the rope and as the first weasel began to slide down with the machine, the second kept hold of the other end. As the first weasel came to the bottom he handed the machine to Rachel before running up the side, using the rope as extra leverage.

Rachel picked up the machine and moved to the door. It had a small wedge in the center that she shoved into the crack. Then she booted up the machine and the engine whired to life as it began to spread the doors. The doors shrieked and groaned as they were pried open and eventually the machine could open them no farther. The machine ran down and Rachel took it out. The doors stayed open and they were greeted by darkness. Jackson grabbed one of the doors and began to push, and this time, with more leverage, was able to pull it farther open. He pushed it completely to the side and moved to the other one. He pulled the other open and the other mammals each turned on flashlights.

"Holy shit!" the dingo cursed. "This is the motherload!" All around, the room was in perfect condition from what they could see. Machines were all around and Rachel could see some skeletons that didn't match any mammal she recognised.

"We can't do this alone," she said. "Don," she turned to the dingo. "Call Zootopia. We need way more people, now. Scientists, biologists, engineers, everyone. Get them going on a chopper, as fast as they can. We got here in twelve hours, tell them to make it here faster. Don nodded and ran out the door, running up the incline, slipping slightly, but somehow making it to the top.

"What is this place?" Harrison asked.

"This place?" Rachel replied with a joyful gleam in her eye. "This is the place of knowledge."

A.N. Alright, so this is really just a chapter to lay some groundwork. I have other stories I'm working on, so while I'm working on chapters frequently, updates will be sporadic if people want to read this story. Anyway, have a good day, and please review.