S03E06 - Dead or Alive

"Dead or Alive" is the sixth episode of Season 3 of We Can Fix Pawbert. Luther and Pawbert pursue Lionheart's convoy through the ZTA tunnel system while Nick and Judy converge from the surface.

Synopsis

Luther and Pawbert commandeer a civilian's car and phone to pursue Leodore Lionheart's convoy into the ZTA tunnels. When the car fails, they continue on foot and commandeer a service train, fighting through an ambush at a track junction. Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps reach Dead End Station, where Lionheart broadcasts a citywide manifesto attacking Mayor Winddancer and calling citizens to rally at City Hall. The episode ends with Luther and Pawbert leaping onto the rear car of Lionheart's twelve-car train.

Plot

At the outer wall breach, Luther and Pawbert watch Leodore Lionheart's convoy disappear toward the ZTA tunnel access. They can't let him escape, but they're in prison grays with no vehicle, no phone, no resources. A civilian sedan approaches—a middle-aged kudu returning from an errand. Luther carjacks him with flat, professional efficiency, taking the car and phone. Pawbert tells the terrified civilian to stay past the bridge, away from escaping inmates, then apologizes before they speed away.

Pawbert calls Judy Hopps and explains everything—the orchestrated breach, the explosives Luther found, the extraction convoy waiting for Lionheart. Chief Bogo is overwhelmed, dealing with hundreds of escaping inmates. Nick Wilde deduces that Lionheart is heading for Dead End Station—an abandoned terminus at the edge of Sahara Square with no cameras and no foot traffic, perfect for staging whatever comes next. Nick and Judy divert from the prison response and head for the tunnels.

The kudu's sedan wasn't built for tunnel infrastructure. The undercarriage scrapes against track sections, sparks showering, until the engine dies with a terminal shudder. Luther and Pawbert continue on foot through service corridors, tracking the convoy's path through tire marks and oil stains. They encounter three ZTA maintenance workers and Luther intimidates one into revealing the convoy's route—Platform 7, toward Sahara Square. On a service platform, Pawbert figures out how to start a powered service train, echoing Nick and Judy's train escape from the original Zootopia with a triumphant callback.

At a track junction, a rear guard ambush awaits—a coyote with a gun, a badger with a wrench, a boar with size and patience. The coyote fires three times; the third shot grazes Pawbert's shoulder, a line of fire across his deltoid. Luther takes down all three in brutal close combat, ending with three headbutts to the boar's face. He pulls the track lever for Pawbert, who's keeping pressure on his wound, and they continue. At another junction, a young antelope officer confronts them. Luther talks him into approaching close enough to disarm, taking his service weapon—his first real weapon since the escape began.

Nick and Judy reach the surface access road and find it blocked by Lionheart's rear guard. Nick floors it, Judy returns fire, and they crash through the blockade with the cruiser battered but functional. They dive into the tunnel access.

At Dead End Station, Leodore Lionheart broadcasts his manifesto. His technicians have hijacked every ZNN display, every ZTA monitor, every phone with emergency alerts enabled. Lionheart attacks Mayor Winddancer, lists government scandals, claims he was protecting mammals when he was imprisoned, and turns xenophobic—targeting the reptile community with lies about danger and murder. Gary De'Snake watches with his family in Reptile Ravine, his siblings asking if they'll have to leave. Gary insists it's lies, but his parents remember what exile looked like. At City Hall, Winddancer is moved to a safe room, guarded by a ZSI wolf whose careful scanning suggests his loyalties aren't what they appear.

Lionheart calls for citizens to rally at City Hall, to remove Winddancer and restore order. He boards a twelve-car Inner Loop train with his forces—an army of prisoners from the breach, corrupt guards, and true believers. Luther and Pawbert emerge from the service tunnels behind his position, watch him board, and sprint along the platform as the train departs. Luther catches the rear railing, pulls himself up despite screaming ribs, and catches Pawbert's wrist as the lynx jumps toward him. They tumble onto the rear platform as the train accelerates into darkness. Lionheart doesn't know they're aboard.

Key Moments

• Luther carjacks a kudu civilian, taking his car and phone
• Pawbert apologizes to the terrified civilian and warns him to stay away from escaping inmates
• Pawbert calls Judy and explains Lionheart orchestrated the breach
• Bogo learns Lionheart escaped and is overwhelmed with the prison response
• Nick deduces Lionheart is heading for Dead End Station
• The civilian car dies in the tunnels; Luther and Pawbert continue on foot
• Luther intimidates ZTA workers into revealing the convoy's route
• Pawbert starts a service train with a triumphant Zootopia callback
• Rear guard ambush at track junction; Pawbert takes a bullet graze to the shoulder
• Luther defeats three attackers in brutal close combat
• Luther disarms a young antelope officer and takes his service weapon
• Nick and Judy crash through a roadblock to reach the tunnel access
• Lionheart broadcasts his manifesto, hijacking every screen in Zootopia
• Gary De'Snake's family watches in fear as Lionheart targets the reptile community
• Mayor Winddancer is moved to a safe room guarded by a ZSI wolf (betrayal setup)
• Lionheart boards a twelve-car Inner Loop train with his forces
• Luther catches the rear railing and pulls Pawbert aboard as the train departs

Key Lines

Characters Introduced

Locations

• ZTA tunnels — Service tunnels, track junctions, service platform
• Dead End Station — Abandoned terminus at edge of Sahara Square; Lionheart's staging ground
• Gary De'Snake's home — Reptile Ravine; family watches broadcast in fear
• City Hall — Mayor's office, safe room

Items

• Kudu's phone — Commandeered from civilian; used to contact Judy and coordinate with pack
• ZPD service weapon — Taken from antelope officer; Luther's first real weapon since the escape
• Service train — Commandeered at Platform 7; powered by Pawbert with Zootopia callback
• Inner Loop train — Twelve cars; commandeered by Lionheart for his army
• Broadcast equipment — Hijacks ZNN displays, ZTA monitors, emergency alerts citywide

Notes

• Leodore Lionheart makes his first physical appearance in this episode (mentioned since E02).
• Lionheart's populist rhetoric is recognizable political language designed to manufacture a movement.
• Dead End Station is an abandoned ZTA station at the edge of Sahara Square—no cameras, no foot traffic.
• Luther uses the stolen weapon sparingly through E07-E08, preferring close combat to avoid drawing attention with gunfire.
• The exchange when Pawbert starts the service train—Luther: "It would take a miracle to get this rust bucket moving." / Pawbert: "Well, hallelujah."—is a direct callback to the similar train escape scene between Nick and Judy in Zootopia (2016).
• Gary De'Snake's family scene shows the real-world impact of Lionheart's xenophobic propaganda—a family that returned after generations of exile now wondering if they'll have to leave again.
• The title references Dead or Alive (Jack Ryan/Tom Clancy). All Season 3 episode titles reference novels from the James Bond, Jack Reacher, or Jack Ryan series.