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Published:
2016-10-18
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2018-07-15
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25/?
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Prepared For The Future

Chapter 25: Something's Gotta Give

Chapter Text

Zootopia is property of  Disney

Fallout 4 is property of Bethesda


 

“He’s hackin' and whakin’ and smackin' ...

He’s hackin’ and whakin’ and smakin' ... ”

“Wilde! Would turn that shit off already?” Finnick growled, turning around briefly and shooting a scowl Nick’s way.

“What? You lose your taste in music in your old age?” The fox replied.

“Just shut it. I’ve heard enough of that stupid song over the last 200 years to last a hundred lifetimes. Of all the songs that could’ve survived the bombs, why did that have to be one of them?”

A few paces ahead of the two foxes, Judy stopped and stared at the scene in amusement.

“Huh. I would’ve figured you’d like the music from your time,” she said.

The fennec wheeled in place to stare bug eyed at Judy.

“My time? That shit was like a hundred years old before I was born!”

“Oh, come on,” Nick said. “That didn’t stop you from getting every Jerry Vole record you could get your paws on.”

“Yeah, cause he’s classic!” Finnick protested. “And at least they had some of his music out west. Over here they got nothin’ worth a damn …”

“That right?” Valentine said from the back of the group. “And here I was thinkin’ you had the hots for that dame in the Third Rail.”

“Nobody asked you, tin-mammal,” Finnick grumbled, “At least Gazelle puts out new songs. And Nick! I said to shut that thing off.”

“Alright, alright. Take it easy, Finn,” Nick said as reached for his pip-boy and turned off the radio.

The ghoulified fennec only grumbled and increased his pace, his trusty bat now slung over his shoulder. The other shoulder featured an old and heavily modified lever-action rifle, which Finnick only referred to as “My Gun”. It looked to be built off an old Henry, but was chambered in .38 and lacked a stock, but featured a sawed-off barrel. It was clear that this was no Raider gun, cobbled together from whatever rusted pipes and scrap metal was available. The metal was well oiled, despite its age, and the fennec had a custom sheath made for it, so clearly he’d had it for quite awhile.

“You know, your old friend there hasn’t changed a bit,” Valentine said.

Nick let out a chuckle. He had to agree that even after all the hell Finnick had been through over the past 200 years, he still was same grumpy fennec he remembered.

“Well, he always was stubborn. It’s gonna take a lot more than the end of the world to change him.” Nick replied, before the synth picked up his own pace.

They were only a couple miles out from Diamond City, with Finnick and Valentine charting a safe route through the ruins of Boston. Nick was thankful that the closest they came to any real violence was the occasional distant gunshot that echoed around the desolate streets.

Their plan of action was simple: get some rest for the night in Diamond City, stock up on any supplies they needed, and then head back towards Cambridge in the morning to find Paladin Danse. If anybody had access to the kind of hardware they would need to survive the Glowing Sea, it’d be the Brotherhood.

Valentine had already told them that he wouldn’t be going that far, and judging by how the Paladin had reacted to the synths at Arcjet a few days ago, Nick couldn’t blame him. Judy and Valentine had suggested that maybe Finnick shouldn’t go either, seeing as how the Brotherhood saw any form of ghoul as an abomination, but the ghoul was having none of it.

As the fennec put it, “I don’t give a damn what they think of me. I ain’t lettin’ Nick wander around this wasteland without a little backup.” Nick appreciated that Finnick was so willing to stick by him, but he did have to admit that he was concerned for his old partner’s safety.

As they walked, Nick was pulled from his thoughts by a nudge on his right, which he quickly realized was from Judy.

“Hey, you got a minute?” She asked.

“Yeah, I suppose - now that the Big Guy up there is done with his temper tantrum. What’s up?”

“So… there’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you…” the rabbit began somewhat meekly.

“What about?” Nick said.

“Well… back in Sanctuary I agreed to help you get to Diamond City to try to find your son. I wanted to do that because I knew it was the right thing to do. But… it wasn’t the only reason…”

Nick raised an eyebrow.

“Hopps, if you’re about to tell me you have a crush on me, then I swear I-”

“No, you dumb fox!” she quickly interrupted with a light, playful punch and a slight smile, which Nick returned before Judy continued.

“It’s just… the way your son was taken. Shady mammals entering a Vault just to take one kit? That’s not normal - even for the wasteland. And recently there have been a lot of disappearances in the Commonwealth that aren’t normal. Somebody’s fine one day, and the next they’re gone without a trace, no note, no personal items missing, just… gone.”

“So I’m guessing you knew somebody that vanished?” Nick asked.

Judy glanced up at him briefly before turning her attention back to the crumbling road in front of them.

“Yeah... It was one of my older brothers, Sam. He was the oldest actually,” Judy began, her ears drooping slightly. “He went out one night to check on the crops and was never seen or heard from again. Mom and Dad put up a huge fuss with the DC guard. Only reason we weren’t blacklisted was because we grew the city’s food.”

“How old were you?” Nick asked quietly, the sudden seriousness in his voice mirrored in a direct gaze that Judy had seldom seen. Where before the fox’s eyes held a glimmer of mirth, here she saw nothing but somber, unvarnished concern.

The rabbit found she couldn’t hold his gaze, and turned hers back down to her feet.

“Nine. It was a really strange thing at the time. Suddenly your older brother is gone and you have no idea why. You ask your parents and they don’t have an answer. You ask the guards and they just tell you to run off and keep your mouth shut about the whole thing.”

Judy stopped as she felt a weight on her shoulder. Turning, she saw it was Nick’s paw. He was still staring at her.

“Hey … you don’t - if you’re not ready, I-”

“I’m fine, really. It’s just… been awhile since I’ve really thought about it.”

Nick placed a second paw on Judy’s other shoulder and gently turned her to face him.

“Judy,” the fox said softly. “Whatever you need, I’m here.”

He smiled warmly and said, “Least I can do.”

“Thanks Nick,” the rabbit said, returning the smile before resuming her normal pace. “Anyway, it was real rough on all of us. Sam was the first. My parents never really got over it. You wouldn’t believe how scared they were when I said I was going to join the Minutemen. Because they knew they were going to lose me just like they lost Sam. Not in the same way, but…”

“I can understand that fear,” Nick said. “No parent wants to lose their child.”

“Yeah, well... But I gotta try. If he’s out there, somewhere…”

Judy stopped.

“He’s the only one that told me that my dreams weren’t stupid. He didn’t tell me I couldn’t, he just said it would be hard. And he promised to help however he could. Just like I’m gonna help you, Nick. It’s gonna be hard, but we’ll do it. We’ll find your son.”

Nick nodded and said, “And we’ll find your brother.”

“And if you stand there in the road, you’ll find a bullet in your damn skull! Pick up the pace! We don’t have all day here, Wilde!” Finnick suddenly yelled from up ahead.

Nick stared at the old fennec up ahead, and suddenly he felt a small paw grasp his and give it a quick squeeze. He turned to see Judy beaming up at him, before she released his paw and continued down the road.

Nick couldn’t help but smile back.


 

After awhile, they made their way to the gates of Fenway. Even after two hundred years of desolation, Nick was still impressed at how the residents of Diamond City had maintained it.

The four of them had made good time, reaching the main gate just before sunset. The few guards they had passed gave the group a long look, which Nick supposed made sense. They were a rather odd bunch.

The four mammals were just about to head through the main gate of the city before Finnick stopped them.

“I’ll wait out here. How long you gonna be?” the fennec asked.

Nick turned to his old partner, confused as to what he was saying.

“Huh? What are you talking about, Finn? It’s almost dark, we gotta get inside and rest up.”

“Ah, gotcha…” the ghoul replied, his ears lowered. “I’ll just find someplace nearby to lay low for the night. Hey … while you’re in there, why don’t pick me up either something to drink or something to smoke, I don’t really care which.”

“I can pick you up something,” Valentine said. “Got a couple of spare cigars lying around the office somewhere.”

“Why can’t he just go get them himself?” Nick asked, turning to face Valentine and Judy.

“Wait ... You two haven’t told him, have you?” Finnick asked.

“Haven’t told me what, exactly?” Nick asked.

Valentine and Judy shared a glance and the rabbit took a breath.

“Well,” she began. “Ghouls aren’t really… allowed in Diamond City.”

“What?” Nick said, his mouth slightly agape. “Why?”

“I know, I know, it’s a stupid law. But Lionheart campaigned on it, and he’s the mayor, so ...”

“Yeah, after he got elected most of the ghouls in the city moved down to Goodneighbor.” Valentine interjected. “Not that they had much of choice in the matter.”

“Wha-… so you’re telling me that he can’t come inside the city just because he’s all corpsified and gross?”

“Unfortunately,” Valentine said. “Lionheart managed to convince a good chunk of the mammals in the city to be more afraid of ghouls than synths. They couldn’t do anything about synths, but they could do something about the ghouls.”

“Look Wilde, it ain’t a big deal. I know a spot nearby I can hole up in. Ya don’t need to-” Finnick started.

“No, I think I do, Finn,” Nick said firmly. “God, I thought everyone finally got over crap like this, but nope! Even after two hundred years and a few nukes, mammals still find new and creative ways to be assholes for no good reason.”

Nick glared at the gate to Diamond City while Judy, Valentine, and Finnick looked for something to say.

The fox turned back to his companions and sighed, “Well. I guess I have no choice.”

“Look kit, it’s just the way things- what the?” Finnick started before Nick suddenly grabbed the fennec under the arms and began striding forward leaving a stunned Judy and Valentine in his wake.

“Wilde! Get your fucking paws off or I swear I’ll rip them off and shove ‘em-”

“Tsk tsk, Finn. Language.” Nick chided as he walked, wrestled with the struggling Finnick.

The foxes had nearly made it to the gate before Judy and Valentine collected themselves enough to charge after them. Just before they had reached the duo, a guard stepped out in front of Nick, blocking his path.

“Woah, woah, woah,” the hyena guard said, standing a good two feet over the red fox. “The hell do you think you’re doin’, buddy?”

“Oh, nothing officer. Me and my friend were just gonna head into the city, if you don’t mind.”

“Put me down, you asshole!” Finnick protested, though neither the hyena nor fox took any notice.

“Uh well, I do mind.” The hyena stated flatly, but his gaze quickly turned to the rabbit and synth that had just come up behind Nick.

“Valentine, Hopps … this guy with you?” the guard asked.

“Yes he is!” Judy began. “And we can explain this whole thing-”

“There’s nothing to explain,” Nick said defiantly. “We’re going inside.”

“Wait a second …” Sudden recognition dawned on the guard’s face. “You’re that fox from Piper’s article right? The Institute took your son and you went off to find … him ... “

The hyena’s expression fell as he sputtered to a stop, and he looked quickly between Finnick and Nick.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry.”

Nick furrowed his brow in confusion for a moment until he understood why the hyena had apologized. It was all the fox could do to stop himself from bursting out laughing.

“I’M NOT HIS FUCKING SON!” Finnick yelled, renewing his struggle to escape Nick’s arms.

For her part, Judy put up a valiant struggle to keep the smile from her face, but lost in the end.

“What?” The guard asked, bewildered. “I just, I thought-”

“Yes, I’m sure you exercised the whole of your intellect,” Valentine quipped. “Look, the ghoul’s an old pal of Wilde’s, and he wants to go into the city with him.”

“Well sure, but he’s a ghoul …” the guard protested. “We got rules here, you know.”

As they spoke, two other guards, an antelope and raccoon had walked up a few feet behind the hyena to watch the scene unfold with some interest.

“Oh come on, you guys make exceptions all the time!” Judy protested. “How many times have you guards looked the other way after curfew when we used to sneak up to the stands late at night?”

“Well that’s different … you live here!” The hyena said.

“I live here too,” Valentine noted. “And if the old circuits recall, you fine folks made a heck of an exception letting me in.”

“Yeah, but you did a solid for the old mayor!”

“I did. But tell that to the half of that town that would just as soon turn me into scrap metal as share a seat with me at the Dugout. They don’t care who I am, just what.”

“Well they’re morons,” the hyena scoffed. “Everyone knows you’re good people Valentine.”

“But he’s not?” Valentine asked, indicating the scowling ghoul in Nick’s grip. “People, I mean. Lord knows he’s a bit rough around the edges, but so are the Bearborovs, and you don’t see them getting kicked out.”

The hyena turned to the other two guards to look for some kind of assistance or consensus. The antelope shrugged as if to state his indifference, but the racoon said, “Hey, the guy’s got a point boss. And besides, what’s the harm in letting the ghoul in? He starts something, it ain’t hard to make ‘em stop.”

The hyena looked back and forth between his two guards, before turning back to the mammals (and synth) in front of him. His eyes flitted from place to place, and Nick could have sworn he could hear the gears turning in the guard’s head as he considered his options.

“Ok, fine,” the hyena said after an excruciating moment of thought. But a clawed finger shot forth and pointed at Nick. “But, we’ll be watching you. Us guards, I mean. I’ll pass the word not to hassle you, but if I hear even one thing I don’t like, one step outta line … and you’re all out, got it?”

“Loud and clear officer,” Nick said through a smug smile, adding a lazy two finger salute as a flourish.

“That goes for you too Hopps. Same to Valentine.” the hyena warned. “We’re already crossing Lionheart here, so don’t push it ok?”

“Don’t worry,” Judy said as she put a paw on the guard’s arm. “And thank you. You’re doing the right thing.”

Judy flashed a warm smile, one that Nick saw had an immediate soothing effect on the hyena who straightened up and coughed.

“Ok, well then uh … welcome to Diamond City,” he said and moved aside.

Finnick began once more to struggle, but Nick - sensing no need to restrain his friend - quickly let go of the angry fennec.

The four companions stepped through the gates of the city.

“Ah, home sweet home, eh Hopps? Well, anyone else hungry? I could go for a- OUCH!” Nick yelped as Finnick deftly kicked him in the shin.

“YOU,” Finnick growled. “You are a damn MORON, you know that? The fuck were you thinking?” The fennec gave another hard kick to the larger fox’s other shin.

“Easy, easy! Lay off!” Nick whined. “I only have two legs, you know.”

Finnick grumbled something unintelligible and strode forward.

“Yeah, yeah Big Guy … you’re welcome!” Nick called after the angry ghoul.

Glancing over, he saw Judy looking at him with a smile. Mirth twinkled in her eyes, and she asked, “You two always like that? Before the war, I mean?

“No,” Nick said after a long moment in thought. “He was much uglier back then.”