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Chapter Twenty-Two: A Game of Betrayal

Vernon felt a yawn coming on, but as one of the ram guards eyes fell on him he did his best to stifle it. The group of mammals had been sitting strapped to chairs for hours now, at least as far as he could figure. The setting sun shining through the fogged windows facing outside the office had long since faded, giving way to the icy cold of the Tundratown night. During that time the group had mostly remained silent. They had learned rather quickly that the henchrams wouldn't tolerate any talking whatsoever, particularly Nick who had been on the receiving end of several beltings for talking out of turn. The only time they had managed to have any sort of conversation was when the rams traded shifts, which Vernon mostly used to check on Dawn. During one of those periods Judy let the group know that she was working through her bindings, and was simply waiting for the right time to strike. But for now the group had fallen back into silence, waiting for whatever was coming with increasing dread.

Vernon, despite his brave face, could feel tension wracking every fiber of his being. The thought of the unknowable fate that awaited the four had lodged his heart up into his throat. With everything that had happened so far, Vernon never really gave full consideration to dying. But now that it looked as though soon enough he may very well be meeting his end, the wolf felt filled with regret. The thought of never saying goodbye to his parents, his siblings, his friends. The pain his death might cause. All of it was weighing heavy on his mind. But the regret that burned the strongest was not being honest with Dawn, not being able to tell her how he felt.

Vernon's ears perked up as he heard hoof steps. Looking up he could see the rams who had been watching them making their way over to the door.

"Another shift change." The wolf thought to himself. "Maybe...maybe I still have a shot."

As the rams slammed the door behind them, Vernon was the first to speak.

"Dawn, you still awake?" He whispered.

"Yes Vernon, of course I am." The ewe replied in a dull tone.

"Before..." The wolf swallowed hard at the thought of the end that loomed above them all." Before whatever happens to u-us happens. I need to tell you something."

"Puppy..." The voice was laced with concern. Vernon could feel one of Dawn's hooves trying to clutch his paw, and in response the wolf managed to wrap one of his fingers around hers. It was the best they could do considering the restraints.

"I-..." Vernon looked down at the floor. "I-"

"DAWN!" Vernon's head shot up to the sheep now standing in the door. He was a new one, unfamiliar to the wolf. The sheep scurried around Vernon, over to the ewe behind him as more rams filed in.

"DAWN! IT'S YOU!" The sheep yelped.

Vernon felt Dawns chair shake violently against his own.

"DON'T TOUCH ME DOUG! DON'T YOU EVEN DARE!" Dawn snarled.

"Hey, hey Dawn. C'mon babe." The sheep replied nervously.

"BABE!? THIS ISN'T COLLEGE DOUG! WE'RE NOT TOGETHER ANYMORE!" The ewe spat.

"Alright, easy Dawn, easy. You want to keep this professional we can do that."

"PROFESSIONAL!?" Vernon could feel the ewe's chair rattle again. "YOU KINDAPPED US! TIED US UP! YOU CALL THAT PROFESSIONAL!?" She snarled.

"HEY! I SAVED YOU!" The sheep yelled back.

"FROM WHAT!?" Dawn replied.

"THE CITY DAWN!" Doug replied. "Zootopia wants your blood Dawn. You can't tell me the name of a single mammal aside from me who would treat you like you deserve to be treated!"

Vernon felt the ewe's stray finger find his again, bringing a small smirk to his muzzle.

"I was fine out there Doug." Dawn replied. "I didn't need any help, especially from you!" Dawn's finger squeezed Vernon's tightly.

"In fact I was turning my life around." She continued. "The only mammal that was dragging me back down was you and your pathetic little plan to win me back!" She snarled.

"Wh-what are you-?"

"The fire Doug!" She spat. "The fire, killing Don, trying to hurt Vernon. It was all you trying to win me over. I know it all already."

The room fell silent. Vernon tried to angle his head in a way that would allow him to see Doug's reaction to being caught red hooved, but could barely make out the edge of the sheep from the corner of his eye.

"Mouflon." He heard Doug grumble in annoyance.

"That's right Doug, so don't make it out like this was some grand sweeping gesture to save me from injustice. The only mammal making me suffer was you!" Dawn growled.

"So what if I planned it!" The ram fired back, pacing into Vernon's line of sight again. He could tell Doug was nervous, sweat already beginning to from on the sheep's brow.

"I was trying to help you see Dawn!" the sheep held his hooves out. "Things like what I did would have happened to you eventually. You can't tell me you really thought you would change Zootopia's opinion of you? That you'd really be able to move on and live a normal life!"

"I was!" the ewe replied.

"Bullshit!" Doug turned back toward the ewe, leaving Vernon's sight line.

"I-"

"Bullshit Dawn!" He spat. "You and I both know better. Zootopia was never going to welcome you back with open arms. Eventually they would find a way to put you back behind bars." Vernon could feel Dawn's chair begin to tremble. "And they were going to weren't they? As soon as they found you after what happened at Bug Burga, they were ready to lock you up again."

"It's-"

"Face it Dawn, there's no way you can ever lead a normal life again. Why even kid yourself. We were doing Zootopia a favor, and this is how we were repaid. It's time to finish it Dawn." Doug growled.

"I don't care Doug. What we did was wrong, and I deserve all the scorn and hate I've gotten. You think getting rid of all predators is doing Zootopia a favor? Since when did you start speaking for all mammals?" Dawn hissed.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! Is this the same Mayor Bellwether I used to know?" Doug spat. "The mammals of Zootopia don't know what's best for them, they'll follow any mammal if they're convincing enough. Use enough flowery language and false promises and you can lead them anywhere."

Doug began pacing again, placing a hoof to his temple in annoyance. "The only thing to do is start over, the right way. And this is your chance to get in on the ground floor Dawn. Take your rightful place."

"What are you going on about?" The ewe spat.

"Think about it Dawn!" The sheep walked back toward her. "All those years, the predators that picked on you, used you up and tossed you aside." The sheep hissed. "Those same predators run this place Dawn! It's time to-"

"It wasn't just predators Doug! It was every mammal! Every mammal that was larger than me!" Dawn growled back. "I was small, I was weak, and I didn't stand up for myself! I spent too much time listening to prey like you! Prey that convinced me that predators were the root of all my problems!"

"All the better then" The sheep snapped. "This is our chance to make them all pay Dawn! The whole city!"

"NO DOUG!" Dawn spat. "I'm done with you, it's over. You want revenge on every mammal? Well you aren't doing it through me. I'm done being your puppet."

Vernon heard the sheep let out a prolonged sigh.

"I thought I could convince you..." Doug muttered. "I mean, you remember the trial Dawn. I never wanted you hurt; I cared about you...always."

"But I can see it'll take more than just my word to make you see what the right thing to do is here."

The ram let out a sharp whistle, causing Vernon to wince. Looking up, Vernon saw three new rams enter the room. Two were dressed in hazmat gear while the other was clad in a crisp brown suit. As the two hazmat rams removed their helmets Vernon immediately recognized them as Wooligan and Mouflon. But the one in the brown suit remained unfamiliar. He bit down on the stump of a cigar, twirling the nub from one side of his muzzle to the other. His muzzle and face were covered in smoker's lines, and his wool was as dirty a grey as the ash on the end of his cigar. What caused Vernon to shrink in his seat were the ram's piercing yellow eyes, which had taken a brief moment to glare at the wolf before the ram made his way over to the ewe behind Vernon. As the mystery ram left his sight, Vernon began to feel Dawn's chair tremble.

"D-Dad?"

Vernon felt anger surge through him. It couldn't be, there was no way in hell it was.

"Hello Dawn." The ram grumbled.

"Y-you?" Dawn stuttered. "Y-you're?"

"Yes Dawnie dear, I'm in charge here. Doug works for me now." Aster replied, almost mockingly.

"Y-YOU!" The lamb was shaking; Vernon felt her finger grip his tightly. "YOU DIS-OWNED ME! YOU AND MOM DIDN'T EVEN VISIT ME!" Dawn was shouting now.

"Dawn..." Aster replied calmly.

"YOU TOLD ME I HAD 'TAINTED' THE BELLWETHER NAME! AND NOW YOU'RE DOING THIS!?" Dawn was screaming.

"Dawn." The voice was firmer now.

"WHAT A SURPRISE, MY FATHER THE DRUNK AND THE HYPOCRITE!" Dawn's voice was laced with sarcasm.

"DAWN!" The voice bellowed. Vernon could feel Dawn shaking again, and he had had enough. The wolf began to struggle against his bindings.

"YOU!" Vernon sputtered. "YOU MONSTER!"

"Shut it Mutt!" Aster responded.

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER!" Vernon snarled.

"Boys." The voice said firmly.

As soon as the words left Aster's muzzle Vernon found himself at the end of two barrels held by Mouflon and Wooligan. Slowly Aster strolled over to Vernon, his eyes sharply focused on the wolf. Leaning in, he blew a puff of smoke directly into Vernon's eyes causing the wolf to wince.

"What I did to her?" Aster shook his head dismissively. " I thought I raised her right, taught her to stay away from trash like you!" The ram spat. "But I guess I didn't beat enough sense into her." Vernon growled lowly at the ram.

"Maybe if I had tried a bit harder with her, she would have succeeded all those years ago. But I suppose I can't fully place the blame on her for that fiasco." The ram turned away from the wolf, walking over to Nick.

"After all, it was you two who really ruined everything." The ram sighed. "That was where she messed up, where we messed up. Predators aren't the only problem."

"So what!?" Judy piped up. "You're after prey now too?"

The ram sighed, turning his back to the group. Vernon watched another puff of smoke rise from his maw.

"We're after the city Hopps. All of it." Aster replied calmly.

"What!?" Nick snapped.

The ram turned back to face the group, his muzzle twisted into an insane grin.

"We're going to flood every district with night howler, and let this city tear itself apart until there isn't a mammal left alive." He spat.

There wasn't a mammal among the group who could suppress a gasp, the horror of Aster's statement hitting them like a blow to the gut. Vernon grit his teeth and snarled at the ram.

"WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!? I THOUGHT YOU ONLY HATED PREDATORS!" The wolf growled.

"Oh I do." The ram walked back over to the trussed wolf. Taking the cigar from his mouth, he jammed it into Vernon's muzzle causing the wolf to let out a whine of pain. "I do immensely." The ram sneered, before flicking the now extinguished cigar aside.

"VERN-"

"The problem is the city. The message Zootopia promotes. The idea that predators and prey can flourish together has persisted for far too long, and the prey of this city actively promote this idea." Aster hissed, cutting Dawn off.

"My daughter's plan failed because this city is filled with tainted prey, too many predator sympathizers like that Gazelle, or Lieutenant Hopps over there." The ram waived his hoof at the rabbit.

"After Dawn was revealed, did you see how quickly the city's tune had changed? All that anti-predator sentiment suddenly swept away in an instant. All of those simpering cowards desperate to make amends, to heal the cities wounds. Even after they were shown the true nature of all predators." He hissed.

"Yeah, all you needed to do was drug them. Using a toxin that has shown the same effects on predators that it does on prey. Really conclusive proof there greywool." Nick piped up.

Vernon watched the ram walk over to the fox. Aster reeled back and punched Nick hard in the stomach, sending the fox into a coughing fit.

"My boys were right; you really don't know when to shut up do you Wilde?" Aster sneered.

"B-Beats listening t-to some-" Nick let out another cough. "-some grizzled o-old grazer talk about h-ow superior he i-is." Nick spat.

"But I am Wilde; all sheep are when it comes to mongrels like you." The ram went back to pacing. "You see after Dawn's imprisonment I knew the city was unsalvageable. All those bleeding hearts would make change impossible. From that point I knew Zootopia needed to be purged."

The ram removed a flask from his jacket. Uncapping the silver case, Aster took a swig. Wiping his maw, he let out a sigh before the evil grin returned to his face. "So I began to reach out to all my father's old political contacts, and the friends I made during my college days petitioning for a predator registry." The ram let out a pleasant sigh. "Once I started digging, you'd be surprised how many more mammals came out of the woodwork. So many prominent prey so eager to finish what Doug had started. I especially lucked out with Wooligan over there." Aster waived his flask at the ram whose barrel was still aimed on Vernon. Wooligan nodded in response.

"With him in my corner, I could get direct access to Doug. Which made it all the easier to craft this plan." Aster chuckled, turning his back to the mammals again. "It took two years of gathering associates, and ironing out the details just to get the ball rolling." The ram took another swig. "It all really got started once we found our little supplier."

"That's where Stoat came in?" Judy hissed.

The ram turned, raising his flask toward the rabbit. "Ding, ding." The ram sneered. "As you are all well aware it is illegal to grow night howler in the city without special authorization. Luckily one of my associates is somewhat of a foreign dignitary, and had come across Stoat while staying in Howlingrad." Aster sighed pleasantly. "The little rat was a serial counterfeiter, as well as a farmer of questionable herbal supplements and desperate to get to Zootopia any way he could."

"So you gave him a way to easily pass off his counterfeit money, while trading the real Zbucks for his crops." Nick growled.

"It worked perfectly. Stoat would send us the fake bills, and my associates would swap them out for the real thing. We'd send a fraction of it back to Stoat, which was still four times his local currency and in exchange we'd get tons of night howler. Nobody would expect bank owners and government employees to be assisting a counterfeiter, and they'd certainly never think to look that high up." Aster chuckled.

"And the rest of the money?" Judy asked.

Aster motioned his flask around the room. "All of this Hopps." The ram took a swig.

"Doug's lab equipment on OutbackIsland, my work here. The trucks, the gear, we needed to fund it all somehow. Luckily my associates were more than willing to back it." The ram sighed wistfully. "It was all going smoothly, that is until Stoat finally arrived in Zootopia."

"That little rat couldn't keep to himself. He needed more." Mouflon hissed. "He had to keep up the counterfeiting. But without us to pass off the Zbucks at higher levels, he was easily traceable."

"He put the whole plan in jeopardy." Aster swayed his flask at the mammals. "Luckily we covered our tracks pretty well I'd say. Pseudonyms, fake names, fake numbers." Aster took another sip of his flask.

"AD Labs..." Nick muttered.

"Like it, it actually means Aster-Doug Labs. I thought it was cute." Aster chuckled deeply.

"But where did I fit into all of this Dad?" Dawn sputtered.

Aster laughed. "That was Doug my child, all Doug." Aster made his way back over to Dawn, leaving Vernon's line of sight.

"You see I couldn't brew the night howler myself, despite my background in chemistry. And Doug was only willing to work with me if I promised you to him."

Vernon felt Dawn's chair rattle against his own.

"What!? Y-you promised m-me to him!?" The lamb spat. "Like an arranged marriage!?"

"Now, now, Doug just wanted you safe. He wanted you back in the fold. And I was willing to trade that price for his work." The ram paced back into Vernon's view.

"Once I agreed to that, all the work Doug completed at OutbackIsland was brought to me to recreate here, and we continued that line of communication up till now. The only problem became making good on my end of the bargain." Aster growled.

"Because you had to resist us at every turn you little gimmer!" Mouflon snarled at Dawn.

"No, it's because you wouldn't stick to the plan Mouflon!" Yelled Doug.

"SHUT UP!" Aster bellowed, causing the rams to fall silent. Aster walked back over to the ewe, letting out a tired sigh.

"You see Dawn, Doug had this whole convoluted plan, which I'm sure he's already told you about. A way to make you understand just how much this city despised you." Aster strolled back over the Doug, wrapping a hoof around the sheep.

"And bless his heart, he tried his best to make sure you got the message." Aster grinned. "But once again, there really are too many bleeding hearts in this city. Something my boy didn't foresee." Aster gently shook Doug.

"Mammals like Hopps, and Wilde..." The ram released Doug, making his way over to Vernon. Placing a foot on the wolf's chair, the ram took another swig of his flask. "...and this bizarre fellow over here." The ram snarled.

"He did his best to take them out, or push them away." Aster grumbled. "We even killed the bear." Suddenly Vernon felt the ram grip his muzzle tersely, shaking the wolf's face as he stared him down. Vernon squinted as the thick stench of alcohol assaulted his nostrils. "But you!" The ram narrowed his eyes at Vernon. "Who are you!? Why did you stay!? Hmm!?" Aster growled. "What are you trying to get out of all this mutt!?"

"So what!?" Judy's voice caused the ram to release his grip. "You're just going to blow up trucks full of night howler all over Zootopia?" Aster pushed the wolf's muzzle away hard as he released his grip. The ram walked away from the wolf, causing Vernon to let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh no Hopps, it's much more precise than that." The ram grinned.

"You see, Districts like Tundratown, Sahara Square, and the Rainforest District have very complex systems in place to keep their natural environments persistent." The ram sipped his flask. "The air conditioners in Tundratown, the rain system in the Rainforest District, the heaters in Sahara Square." Capping his flask, he tilted it to it's side, moving it around as if it were a toy car.

"So we load our lovely trucks up with night howler, roll them into the plants that run the biome controls for each district, and pump the gas into the systems." The ram sneered. "With enough gas, each district will receive a thorough blanket of gas. It will be in-escapable."

"My gods..." Nick muttered in horror.

"Y-you...you're sick!" Judy stuttered.

"What about Savannah Central!?" Dawn growled.

Aster chuckled. "That was the only district that caused us trouble. After all, it has no climate system in place. So were sending a bulk of the trucks there to just ride around, releasing the gas simultaneously throughout the district." Aster uncapped his flask, taking another swig.

"Any mammal that manages to get by un-affected won't be able to escape alive."

"And what happens after!?" Judy spat. "You can't possibly believe you are going to get away with this!"

"Everything is on a time table Hopps. It's part of the long game." Aster smiled. "All of the night howler will be released at six am tomorrow morning. This factory is also set to blow up at the same time." The ram chuckled. "Under normal circumstances that might stand out, but they'll be so many other fires and explosions across the city no one will notice."

"Afterwards the Meadowlands will declare a state of emergency, and my associates will send in heavily armed troops to take back the city. Once it's cleared it will be up to those in charge of the Meadowlands to re-establish Zootopia." Aster took another swig of his liquor, finishing off the flask with a comfortable sigh.

"The world will be so terrified that they'll listen to anyone who's leading them. So when they suggest that the new Zootopia be limited to prey only, to prevent terrorist extremists from having reason to target the city again the new citizens will be more than willing to go along with it. Then we'll slowly ease out prey mammals that are too large, too dangerous to exist around smaller prey. And then the rodents and so on. Twenty years from now, Zootopia will be transformed. A sheep only paradise, free of any threat to our kind. A beautiful Ewetopia if you will." Aster snickered.

"Y-you...you're evil!" Judy stammered.

"FINALLY!" Vernon's felt shock travel through him, that had come from Dawn.

"I've been waiting for one of you idiots to sell me a concrete plan." Dawn chuckled.

"D-Dawn?" Vernon muttered.

"But you send Doug in here to pitch it to me first? The most pathetic sheep I've ever met."

"H-hey!" Doug stuttered.

"This Riggwelter couldn't find his pizzle even after you sheared him, and you expected me to believe he had a fool proof way to get back at this city. Bah!" Dawn hissed.

Vernon tried to touch Dawn's hoof, only to feel the lamb swat his paw away.

"Now someone untie me before this filthy wolf touches me again! I can't tell you how disgusting these last few months have been." Dawn growled.

Vernon felt his stomach sink, his ears flopping down as his face twisted in confusion. Inside the wolf felt a mixture of horror and sadness. There was no way this was really happening.

Doug looked at Aster nervously, only to receive a nod from the ram. With that, Doug ran over to the ewe, and presumably began to untie her.

"I knew I taught you well." Aster grinned.

"I learned from the best Dad." The ewe said, now walking up to her father. Dawn turned to glance at the roped up rabbit and fox.

"And once again the innocent ewe act plays out perfectly. Seriously how stupid can you two be?" Dawn sneered.

Nick simply let out a weak chuckle, but Judy was clearly furious. Vernon could see the rabbit desperately trying to shake free of her chair.

"You bitch!" The rabbit hissed. "I knew it! I knew you were still the same monster you always were!"

"Aw...bunny is upset." Dawn mocked.

"Dawn." Doug rushed to her side, only for her to push him away.

"You want me back Doug? Then prove to me you're a real ram and maybe in time I'll consider it." Dawn snarled.

Doug looked up to Aster pleadingly, but the ram simply laughed.

"Doug as much as I like you son, gotta respect a ewe who can command herself."

As Doug seemed to falter, Dawn strolled over to the nearby table. Leaning against it the ewe crossed her arms. A smug grin crossing her muzzle.

"So what do we do now Dad? How can I help?" She smirked.

While the rabbit continued to fire off obscenities at the lamb, Vernon was lost in his own thoughts. Something seemed off about this whole thing, it couldn't make sense to him no matter how hard he tried to wrap his mind around it. There was no way Dawn would turn on them, on him. A familiar uneasy feeling burned within the wolf, something he couldn't quite place.

"Well, we have to start filling the trucks Dawn." The ram pointed to the truck outside, parked under the injection nozzle. "How'd you like to fill the first one?" Aster grinned.

The ewe hopped away from the table, clapping her hooves together excitedly.

"Oh really! I'd love too!" She chirped.

"Now wait a second." Mouflon interrupted. "You aren't going to let her j-"

"Shut it Mouflon." Aster growled.

"No I won't!" He snarled back. "You are telling me were going to jeopardize everything for Dawn again!? That you'll just take her back, just like that!?"

"Blood is thicker than water Mouflon." Aster sneered, giving Dawn a pat on the head.

"Well then I'm done Aster, I'm walking out of this idiotic operation. You and Doug have been playing fast and loose for too long!" Mouflon was up in Aster's face.

The rams face was cold and calm as he stared Mouflon down.

"Fine, go on Gavin. You can leave." Aster replied calmly.

Mouflon gave a final snarl before turning away from Aster. He had barely made it a step toward the door before a shot rang out. Vernon watched as Mouflon's lifeless body crumpled to the floor. The other rams had backed away in fear, leaving Aster standing alone, smoke still wafting out of the barrel of his gun.

"ANYONE ELSE WANT OUT?" Aster hissed, glancing at the other rams around him. The only one who had remained close to him was Dawn, her face remaining stoic despite her father's actions. Slowly the rest of the rams filed back in around him.

"If anyone was causing problems Mouflon it was you." Aster spat. "That's what happens when you deviate from the plan!"

Aster turned to give the group of mammals a final grin. "Well, let's get moving. We have a city to raze." He chuckled, motioning his rams out of the room.

"Oh Dad. You should lock the door behind us. We don't want those cops getting loose now do we?" Dawn sneered at Nick.

Aster merely rubbed the poof on Dawn's head, before turning to exit the room.

"You heard her boys, seal it up. We'll deal with them later." Aster chuckled.

Before exiting Dawn gave a final glance at the group, weakly waving a hoof at them.

"Bye Bye Bunny." She grinned.

And with that, the reinforced door was sealed shut.

"T-that!" Judy sputtered. "I'LL KILL HER!"

As the rabbit continued to blurt obscenities, Vernon simply watched the lambs head to the nearby platform in disbelief. As they explained the instructions to Dawn, a growing dread began to fill Vernon. Something was off, and the tension in his stomach was building. He knew there was more to this than met the eye. He was unwilling to believe that Dawn would turn on them, not after everything they had been through. The wolf tried his best to hear them over Judy's hollering.

"That's it Dawn, just pull the lever down." He could barely hear Aster.

Vernon watched the rubber nozzle extend, lining up with the top of the truck. Once it was close, two rams scaled the vehicle and lined the nozzle up properly, signaling Aster when it was attached.

"Now press the locking mechanism to hold it in place." The ram continued.

"AHA!" Judy suddenly sounded. Vernon looked over to see the rabbit was free from her bindings, and was now working to untie Nick. "I've got you Nick! Hold on!"

Vernon turned back to watch the rams as an siren began to ring out. Yellow lights flashed throughout the plant, creating an ebbing green color against the already dominant blue. The wolf's mind continued to reel. No, something was very wrong, and as he continued to turn over what was happening his feeling of dread continued to grow more powerful.

"Now just hit the injector switch and it's all set." Aster concluded.

With the whirr of several engines, Vernon watched the bright blue liquid flow down a cable into the nozzle before disappearing into the truck. As it continued to flow he felt a tugging on his own bindings.

"C'mon Puppy, we're getting you out of here." It was Nick's voice, but Vernon didn't turn to engage him. He continued to stare through the sealed door's window at the rams, at Dawn. Suddenly what was happening hit the wolf like a ton of bricks. That uneasy feeling wasn't disbelief, or betrayal. No it was the same sensation he got when he was certain a mammal was lying to him, a feeling his Father was certain al Hunters carried. Vernon could hear his own words replaying in his head as the realization hit him.

"My family can smell bullshit a mile away. My pop swears we have a scent for it. I don't personally think we smell anything though, I think it's just good intuition. That much I'll swear by."

"No..." Vernon mumbled, his eyes growing wide in terror.

Time seemed to slow as the wolf watched Dawn, seeing her turn to catch his glance. Her eyes were sorrowful, just stating to brim with tears.

"Sorry Puppy..." the ewe mouthed to him.

"NO!" The wolf's bindings were away, and he flung his body toward the door. With a sudden yank of the lever, the ewe reversed the controls before snapping it off the console. The nozzle, now locked in place desperately tried to pull away from the truck. With a sharp and mechanical tug the plastic was stretched to it's limits before snapping back into place, barely managing to hold together. With the second yank however, the nozzle ruptured, spewing night howler gas out into the open. Vernon started yanking the sealed door, clawing at it in an effort to break through.

"WHY YOU LI-!" Aster dove at his daughter as the two disappeared into the growing blue cloud. The other rams, most without their masks began to flee in all directions.

"NO!NO!NO!" Vernon whined, pounding on the door. His claws left trails in the polished metal with each wild scrape.

"What the hell?" Nick muttered.

"Did she?" Judy added.

Vernon's aggressive attempts to break the door began to slow as the vile blue plume spread across the plant, swallowing the remaining rams under its thick haze. The wolf's paws now dragging slowly down the glass as he looked on in horror.

"No..." He whispered weakly.

"S-She played him." Nick uttered. "She even sealed us up in here to buy us time."

"We have to get out of here now Nick!" Judy replied.

Vernon continued to stare listlessly out into the now smoke filled chamber. He couldn't see anything anymore, but he could hear it. Wild bleating and shrieking was now emanating from various areas of the fog, as well as the screams of the un-affected rams still in their suits. Vernon's mind had gone blank; he had shut down completely at the thought of losing Dawn.

"Where's my fox spray!?" Nick yelled.

"Forget it Nick! Just help me find a way out!"

Suddenly a silhouette formed in the gases cloud, slinking toward the door. As it came closer, Vernon recognized it as Aster Bellwether.

The ram was on all fours now, his piercing yellow eyes filled with even more hatred than before. Glaring up at the wolf behind the glass, the ram let out a guttural feral bleat before ramming full speed into the door. The vibration traveled through the wolf as the ram made contact, but he remained unmoved.

"What about the windows!?" Nick Piped up. "Those high ones facing the outside. We can probably bust them out!"

"Worth a try!" Judy replied.

The large ram butted the door again, letting out another snarling bleat. On the third impact the ram stumbled back, blood now dripping from the base of one of his horns. It was clear his physiology wasn't made to withstand the tempered steel. But despite the repeated failed attempts, the ram snorted and readied another strike.

"Extinguisher! I'll knock it out with the extinguisher!" Nick's voice was panicked.

Suddenly the ram stopped. Sniffing the air his eyes went wide with fear before the ram scurried off into the fog. Vernon still leaned against the window, his mind starting to come back to life as reality set in. She was gone, she was really gone. Dawn had sacrificed herself to save them.

THUNK! The sound made Vernon jump. THUNK! THUNK! It repeated. Vernon glanced backward to see the fox cop standing on one of the chairs, desperately trying to break the frosted window with a fire extinguisher.

"WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING!?" The fox sputtered.

"TRY HARDER! WHO KNOWS HOW LONG THIS ROOM CAN KEEP OUT THE GAS!" The rabbit yelled.

Another guttural bleat caused Vernon's fur to stand on end. Turning back to the window, the wolf saw a smaller shadow making its way toward the door. He felt tears welling as the familiar form of Dawn Bellwether slowly approached the door. The little ewe was on all fours, her blue eyes smoldering with feral rage.

"D-Dawn" Vernon clasped his paw over his mouth to stifle a sob.

The ewe looked up at the wolf, staring at him with fear in her eyes. Yet she didn't flee, instead she continued to stare like a deer in headlights.

"D-Dawn?" Vernon asked, his tears still flowing.

He watched as the ewes eyes softened, fear fading as she stared into the wolf's eyes. Slowly the ewe crept closer to the door, until she was nearly right in front of it.

"Dawn!" Vernon cried. "Dawn I'm so sorry." He wept.

The ewe simply eyed the wolf curiously, before turning away from the wolf and lying in front of the door. She let out a soft bleat as she laid her head on her hooves.

"S-she's still t-trying to protect us?" Vernon's jaw dropped. "P-protect me?"

Dawn glanced back at the wolf once more, her feral eyes seemingly sad. She released a final lamenting bleat before passing out.

"I'll save you! I won't let you die here Dawn!" The wolf pounded on the door again.

With a sigh, the wolf ran a paw across his scalp. Turning around he began to march over to the fox cop, still desperately trying to break the windows.

"THIS ISN'T WORKING CARROTS!" The fox yelped.

"I CAN SEE THAT NICK!" The rabbit huffed.

"WELL WH-"Before Nick could finish his sentence, the wolf had snatched the fire extinguisher from his paws.

"VERNON WH-!?"

"The windows are high density plastic you dummy." The wolf barked. Vernon began to eye the walls as he continued, searching for the key to their freedom.

"These abandoned places, the banks that repossess them usually replace the outside glass with plastic. That way vandal's can't bust them out, and urban explorers don't cut themselves and sue." The wolf continued, eyeing the plated steel seams.

"So what do we do then!?" Nick sputtered.

"Luckily a lot of these factories are built from crap templates, so they can get them up quicker." The wolf pressed a paw against a seam; it seemed to give slightly under the pressure.

"Sometimes the rivets don't line up with the beams, and so instead of adding a new beam they leave the rivet holes empty."

"But what does that have to do-"

The wolf reeled the extinguisher back, before slamming it hard against the split in the metal. However, the metal withstood the pounding, shimmering slightly as the vibration traveled through it.

"Well that didn't work big fella, got any other br-"

The wolf slammed against the steel again, and this time it caved under the pressure splitting the plates outward and apart into the crisp night air. The wolf hit the wall again and again, the plates popping apart like a zipper as he moved up the panel until finally a large gash had been carved into the side of the room. Vernon placed the extinguisher down and wiped off his paws. Turning to Judy, he waived his paw toward the gaping hole.

"Ladies first." Vernon said.

The rabbit nodded, quickly hopping outside into the dark Tundratown night. Vernon turned his eyes to Nick, who grinned before making his way into the gash. Before the fox had made his way through, he glanced back at Vernon.

"How did you know that Vernon?" The fox asked.

The wolf made his way next to the opening, preparing to make his own exit.

"I'm an architect; we had a class on this kind of stuff Red." The wolf smirked weakly.

With a chuckle Nick made his way outside.

As Vernon clambered through the massive hole, he took one last glance back at the fortified door.

"I'm going to save you Floofs. I will." He growled. And with that, the wolf disappeared into the night.