
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/11910684.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
  Fandom:
      Zootopia_(2016)
  Relationship:
      Judy_Hopps/Nick_Wilde, Judy_Hopps_&_Nick_Wilde, Chief_Bogo/Benjamin
      Clawhauser, Chief_Bogo_&_Major_Friedkin, Finnick_(Zootopia)/Original
      Character(s), Bucky_Oryx-Antlerson/Pronk_Oryx-Antlerson/Gazelle, Gideon
      Grey/Travis, Nick_Wilde's_Father/Nick_Wilde's_Mother, Fangmeyer/Wolford_
      (Zootopia), Jack_Savage/Skye
  Character:
      Judy_Hopps, Judy_Hopps's_Siblings, Nick_Wilde, Finnick_(Zootopia), Nick
      Wilde's_Mother, Nick_Wilde's_Father, Chief_Bogo_(Zootopia), Benjamin
      Clawhauser, Wolford_(Zootopia), Fangmeyer_(Zootopia), Gideon_Grey,
      Original_Male_Character(s), Original_Female_Character(s)
  Additional Tags:
      Implied/Referenced_Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced_Drug_Use, Non-
      Consensual_Drug_Use, Knotting, Anal_Sex, Public_Sex, Vaginal_Sex,
      Underage_Sex, Gay_Sex, Interspecies_Relationship(s), Romance,
      Interspecies_Romance, Interspecies_Sex, Government_Conspiracy,
      Conspiracy, Easter_Eggs, multiple_media_references, Alternate_Universe_-
      Canon_Divergence, Murder_Mystery, Serial_Killers, First_Love, First_Time,
      My_First_AO3_Post, Explicit_Sexual_Content, Explicit_Language, Action/
      Adventure, Terrorism, Various_ZPD_-_Freeform, Masturbation, Way_Too_Many
      Tags_To_List, Minor_Character_Backstory_Alterations, Assassins_&_Hitmen,
      Past_Drug_Use, Sex_Club, Nightmare_Fetishisms, Work_In_Progress, My_First
      Work_in_This_Fandom, Other_Additional_Tags_to_Be_Added, Izu_Genes
  Series:
      Part 1 of The_Zootopian_Directive_Collection
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-08-26 Updated: 2018-03-24 Chapters: 20/? Words: 133439
****** The Zootopian Directive: Book One: Genesis ******
by 0P3RaGh05T
Summary
     Things just got a whole lot more complicated. Nick and Judy thought
     it was over, so did everyone else. They were wrong. It was only the
     beginning. An old threat rears its head. Secrets are revealed. The
     city is thrown into chaos. Lives forever changed. Nick and Judy will
     have to achieve something beyond impossible if they're to end this
     once and for all.
Notes
     Been a while since I've written anything, so it's gonna have issues.
     Will be revising along the way, just please be patient. Comment,
     Review, tell me what you think.
See the end of the work for more notes
***** Chapter Zero: Important Please Read *****
Chapter Notes
     This "Chapter" was amended following my 17 year old nephew-in-law
     posing a series of questions to me. The amendments are in bold. I
     really should have had it to begin with.
                      Chapter_Zero:_Important_Please_Read
HUZZAH HA HA HA HA HA HAH!!! *Cough* *Cough* *Cough* (Pounds chest) <Speaks in
a hoarse voice> Been a while since I’ve done that. (Takes a swig of mineral
water) Ah, much better. Hello ladies and gents, boys and girls, madams et
messieurs, guess what? I’M BAAAAACK!!! A baker’s dozen years of sitting on my
ass is OVER! There are a few authors both here and on FanFiction.net that have
small snippets of why I stopped writing. To those of you of whom I speak, I
have a confession: Everything I’ve told you is true just from different points
of my 40+ years of life. I’ll be updating my profile tomorrow to make sure I
don’t forget anything. Until then, it will remain blank.
So, First off: Welcome to my first Fanfiction for the Zootopia fandom. I’m
currently working on another Original Work that I’ll be posting as soon as I
think it’s worth posting. Anyway, as I stated above, I haven’t written in
nearly 1.5 decades so I’m really, reallyrusty. I also have no editor, beta
reader, or anyone to slap me over the head when I make continuity errors. Well,
that’s not entirely true. LastEdge over on FanFiction.net was gracious enough
to give me his seal of approval, so thanks for that mate. Please check out his
story Broken Clockwork, it’s a great read and I really enjoy it.
I’m going to start off by requesting that you please read all the warnings,
tags, and other things in the description. This story WILL contain elements
that will have it rated EXPLICIT. If you refuse to scroll back up, I’ll list
them here. They are as follows: Rape/Non-Con, Underage, and Graphic Depictions
of Violence. The tags list is too long to write here so I seriously suggest you
reread the description. I in no way condone these acts in any way, shape, or
form. This is a work of FICTION. Any person who actually commits these acts
should be charged to the furthest extent of the law and either be sentenced to
life in prison without parole or given the death penalty. I wrote these acts to
give the story drama/horror/trauma and similar elements alone.
Now, I’m going to acknowledge the writers whose stories have inspired me to
claw my way out of the personal hell I was trapped in to write this story. The
order is NOT a ranking. *Ahem* LastEdge, Cimar of Turalis/Wildehopps, Zanrok,
Fox in the Hen House, Midnightopheliac, Kulkum, Cloperella, neorenamon,
Alps_Sarsis, Armasyll, Prester_John, Anheledir (Laverne), DatCatTho,
Secrets_of_Starfang, twocentnuisance, Johnsoneer, Milesupshur47, MysteryGirl22,
SilverStripes, weatheredlaw, Kittah4/VariableMammal, Humanities_Handbag,
Lagarde, BjornBattlebear/GustheBear, and a few others who I can’t remember off
the top of my head right now.
Comments, Reviews, and Miscellany: Each chapter will contain at least one
Easter Egg (References to other works and/or media). If you find them, please
leave a comment along with your reviews. I’ll be awarding minor prizes to the
first four to get it correct. It could be an early release of the next chapter,
a shout out in the notes, or even an offer to send me an OC that fits into the
story. I really want to know what you all think. I have the first set of
chapters prewritten but would like to know what you all want to see later in
the series. I’ve planned this whole thing for a total of 85-100 chapters per
set, for 5 sets, each set has 5 arcs/acts. This is the largest project I’ve
ever undertaken.
Last part before Final Words. I know for a fact that there will be commenters
who will insult the story. To those of you who find pleasure in this, sorry to
break it to you but I thrive on your efforts. This story whether anyone reads
it or not, is being written simply because I want to get back into the game
after so long. To the others, I thankfully accept your constructive criticism
and look forward to taking up the challenge of meeting your expectations. If I
have offended anyone with this section, I apologize but I honestly feel it
needed to be said.
Final Words: This story took me a good six months to come up with, search for
references, come up with the story (which even I will admit is rougher than
sandpaper), come up with a playlist to listen to while writing and for a
soundtrack (which I will post a list of songs per chapter in the prenotes of
each chapter once I can find the lists.), and find someone to give the first
chapter a once over (Thx again, LastEdge!). 13 years of not writing has left me
back at square one, so yes the story will seem all over the place. I will begin
revising the chapters after I finish posting the first act, so please be
patient and if you feel like contributing to the effort by all means leave a
comment. If you managed to get through this long rambling Author’s Note, you
are truly a godsend. I hope you enjoy the story. I’ll be posting a chapter
about once every 2 to 3 weeks depending on how life treats me. Much
appreciated, OG.
***** Chapter One: Taking the First Steps *****
Chapter Summary
     They've just hustled Bellwether into confessing and are now waiting
     within Chief Tobias Bogo's office to be debriefed. While they wait,
     Nick and Judy discuss a few things that need to be addressed. Bogo's
     return however makes them realize that this is FAR from over.
Chapter Notes
     YAY!!! First Chapter!!! So, it has been a little less than 24 hrs
     since i posted the Forewarning and I've gotten 2 bookmarks, a
     comment, 4 kudos, and 75+ hits. I'm so happy!!! I honestly consider
     this an accomplishment. I was a little disappointed that no one
     seemed to realize the minor Easter Egg at the end, but given the fact
     that more than likely no one read through the whole thing i'm not
     surprised. Anyway, I pleased to present the first chapter of my
     series. On with the show!!!
     This chapter has recently been edited with the wonderful assistance
     of Fairlane302! Thx for your help, I really appreciate it!
     Originally, i was going to update this @ 7, but my son's not feeling
     well so he didn't go to piano practice. Chapter Two will be updated
     shortly.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                     Chapter One: Taking the First Steps 
            ZPD_Precinct_One_HQ_-_Zootopia_-_Late_Evening
            Nick and Judy were sitting in Chief Bogo’s office waiting for him
to return from his meeting with the new interim Mayor. The Chief had requested
to speak with them following the arrest of former Mayor Bellwether after they
had been extracted from the display pit in the History Museum. The two of them
had agreed, provided that they could have a couple of minutes to eat. The Chief
had driven them himself to the precinct and ordered take out for them, before
he was called away to an emergency meeting.
            “Well, Carrots. I don’t know about you, but I have to say that
today was one of the craziest I’ve had in awhile.” Nick stated. “Let’s see. We
raced all over Zootopia, crashed a train full of evidence, ran through a
museum, hustled a criminal mastermind, and solved the largest case of the
decade all in just under twelve hours.”
            Judy laughed. “Yeah. Hopefully we won’t be brought up on charges of
willful destruction of public property for the train. I don’t have any way of
paying for that. I don’t even have any money to pay for a hotel room tonight.”
            Nick’s ear twitched at the last part. Turning to her, he asked
“What do you mean by that? Don’t you have an apartment?” He found himself a
little concerned that Judy had no place to stay.
            Judy shook her head. “After the press conference three months ago,
I dropped everything, Slick. I resigned, canceled my lease on the apartment,
and moved back to Bunnyburrow. Did you think I was only there for a vacation?”
            Nick’s ears flattened against his skull as his jaw simultaneously
dropped and his eyes widened. “Carrots! Why? You were constantly telling me how
hard you worked to become a cop. Why would you turn your badge in after all
that?”
            Judy gave Nick a sad smile. “Let’s see. I was assigned a case that
I had no chance of solving on my own, conned a con-fox into assisting me, took
turns saving each other’s lives, nearly lost my badge before he stood up for
me, asked him to be my partner ‘cause there was no one I could see as more
reliable to watch my six, before giving a speech that tore the city apart, and
worse, ruined our partnership before it could even begin, losing the first true
friend I ever had in the process.”
            Nick found himself speechless at Judy’s words. It took him a minute
to get his thoughts back in order, but once he did, he asked. “Wait. You quit
because of me? Fluff, I’m not someone to throw your dream away over. Not only
that, but how could you see me as a friend after everything I did to impede
your investigation in the beginning?”
            Judy chuckled softly. “You weren’t the only reason I resigned but I
think you were the most important. As for why I consider us friends, well, I
don’t even remember when I started thinking of you that way. I mean, we did
start off antagonizing each other, but somewhere along the way I just came to
see you as a friend.” Looking down at her paws in her lap. “And when you ran
off after the conference, I just didn’t see a point anymore. I had lost the
trust of the only mammal I trusted to be my partner.”
            Nick felt his chest constrict. He never imagined that she would
resign because of him. Honestly, when she had called out to him to let her
explain back then, he had to force himself to not look back because he knew
that if he had, he would have let her. Now though, he felt horrible for having
left her, for having broken that trust. She gave up everything because of him.
“Hey. Back then you tried to stop me from leaving by asking me to let you
explain. I didn’t want to listen then, but if you’d like, I’ll listen now.”
            Judy glanced at Nick and saw that he had a sincere expression on
his face. Sighing, she turned to face him fully and indicated to her left
cheek. “Rub your thumb here. You’ll understand why I behaved the way I did once
you do.”
            Nick carefully extended his paw and ran his thumb over her cheek.
As he did he tensed upon feeling three raised scars. Gently parting the fur
there, he saw them and soon realized the reason for her actions back at the
press conference. Swallowing thickly, he said. “Y-you…where did you get these?
And who gave them to you?”
            Judy locked eyes with Nick and in a soft voice said. “I got them
during a festival back home after the school play where I announced I wanted to
be a cop. Some of my classmates were being bullied by Gideon Grey. He had taken
their tickets and when I stepped in, he focused his attention on me. We had a
scuffle then he knocked me to the ground, said that I was never going to be a
cop, and to prove it he clawed my face.” Changing her voice to a whisper, she
continued. “Gideon Grey is a fox.”
            Nick jerked his paw away and stared at her. It all started making
sense to him. The fox repellent, her anger when she found out he had conned
her, and even her actions at the press conference. He realized that the
repellent was probably given to her by her parents and she had never intended
to use it. She had been angry because she had thought he was different from
other foxes. It hadn’t been him she saw during their fight, but this Gideon
Grey. Nick wanted to die. The first mammal that had ever actually trusted him,
wanted him to be their partner, and he had unwittingly caused her to relive a
traumatic experience from their kithood and left before she could explain,
leading her to give up everything she had strived for. He didn’t realize he had
started crying until Judy brought her paws to his cheeks and began wiping them
away.
            Seeing Nick begin to cry, Judy went to brush them away. In a soft
voice, she whispered “Hey. It isn’t your fault. You didn’t know. Besides, I
shouldn’t have reached for the repellent anyway. I knew you weren’t going to
hurt me, but I reflexively reached for it, thinking it was a tranquilizer, even
though I hadn’t been issued one due to my inexperience on the force. You aren’t
the one at fault, Slick.”
            Nick whimpered. “I’m still sorry. I just…I never thought that…I
mean, I didn’t think that you had experienced something like that.” Gulping, he
went on. “I don’t know if you will agree, but if…if you are willing, I would
still like to be your partner on the force.”
            Judy smiled at him. “Of course, I still want you to be my partner.
But I’m not a cop anymore, Slick. I mean if Chief Bogo rehires me then
absolutely I’ll give you my recommendation, but I’m not going to assume
anything.”
            They both looked at each other for a moment before they heard the
door open. Turning to see who it was, they saw the Chief come in carrying a
bag. They watched as he set the bag down on his desk, before taking his seat.
Once he was situated he opened the bag, pulled out the takeout containers, and
stated “OK. So, I have a fried rice with fruits and vegetables, a box of spring
rolls with crickets, spiders, and other bugs, and two orders of mashed
potatoes. Is that agreeable?”
            Nick and Judy nodded. Nick took the spring rolls while Judy took
the fried rice. They both took a container of mashed potatoes. The Chief then
gave them each a bottle of water before continuing. “Now, I have good news, bad
news, and worse news. Where would you like to start?”
            Judy went to answer but was cut off by Nick, who said. “Let’s start
with the bad news first, then have the good news, and finish off with the
worst.” Judy looked at Nick with an expression that conveyed ‘Really?’.
However, Chief Bogo nodded and replied, “That may be for the best.” The Chief
put his elbows on his desk, steepled his fingers, and began to speak in a
serious tone. “Bad news is that Doug Ramses managed to evade capture. As he is
the one who manufactured the Night Howler Serum, I consider his capture a
priority. However, the good news is actually a couple of items. First, Officer
Hopps, you have been reinstated, effective immediately. You are however,
required to wait until you are fully recovered from your leg wound. The medic
suggested two weeks would be optimal. Secondly, Mr. Wilde, I seem to recall
that you filled out an application at Officer Hopps’ request to be her partner.
Do you still have it?”
            Nick was caught off guard by the question, causing him to choke as
Judy started patting his back to help him clear his airway. Once he was able,
he replied, “Sorry. No sir, I do not. If you have a spare I can fill out
another one.” His ear twitched in Judy’s direction hearing her clear her
throat. Turning to look at her, he saw her pull out her wallet, extract a
folded piece of paper and hand it to the Chief.
            Cocking his brow, Bogo took what Judy offered to him and unfolded
it. Looking at it a minute, he turned to Nick and handed it over. Nick accepted
the page and was shocked to see that it was the application he had filled out
three months ago. Handing it back to the Chief, he looked at Judy and asked,
“You kept it?”
            Judy gave him a small smile. “I wanted something to remind me of
you. To remind me of my mistake at the press conference.” She didn’t tell him
that she had also kept it hoping that, by some miracle, she would be able to
fix things between them.
            The Chief asked, “Mr. Wilde? Do you still want to apply?”
            Nick looked at the Chief and nodded wordlessly. As he watched Chief
Bogo sign the application, Nick felt something akin to pride swell in his
chest. He was going to be a cop. He was going to be Judy’s partner. He was
fulfilling his kithood dream of helping others. He suddenly felt something else
swell in his chest as he realized that he had Judy to thank for that. Turning
to look at her, he saw that she was smiling and his heart skipped a beat,
something that was starting to happen more often whenever Judy was around.
            The Chief cleared his throat to gain Nick’s attention. “You will be
required to report to the Academy in five weeks.” Placing the application in
his outgoing paperwork, he once again took on a serious expression. “Now, as
for the worse news: After we arrested former Mayor Bellwether, we issued search
warrants for her home and office. At both locations, we discovered a massive
collection of evidence that has complicated matters to the nth degree.”
            Both Nick and Judy felt a mixture of intrigue and dread. They
simultaneously asked, “What sort of evidence?” Quickly glancing at each other
with smiles on their faces at the occurrence, they listened carefully to the
Chief as he elaborated.
            “Among other things, we found paw-written letters written in code,
encrypted emails from anonymous sources, phone records showing calls to and
from burner cells, as well as bank statements showing money transfers from
untraceable accounts.” The Chief decided to test them by asking, “Do you know
what the obvious conclusion we have drawn from this is?”
            Nick and Judy looked at each other. They both knew what this
possibly meant. Judy gave Nick a subtle nod indicating that he should be the
one to answer. Nick nodded back before returning his attention to Chief Bogo
and stating, “That this is far from over. Everything you listed points to the
fact that she was a low man on the totem pole. No doubt there are others she
conspired with and they will soon attempt to finish what she started.”
            Bogo nodded. “As it stands, we have no way of knowing who else is
involved. The level of encryption on her laptop and emails is equivalent to
those used by the Zootopian Security Agency. The coded letters also seem to be
on the level of agents in the Counter-Intelligence Sector of the Mammalian
Intelligence Bureau. As for the burner phones, we have no way of tracking them,
but our Financial Department is currently trying to determine where the money
transfers originated.”
            As Bogo was speaking, Judy started to realize the severity of the
situation. She spared a glance at Nick and saw that he seemed to be in deep
thought. Deciding to inquire about his thoughts, she asked, “What are you
thinking, Slick?”
            Looking at Judy out of the corner of his eye, Nick replied, “What
I’m thinking, Fluff, is that this level of organization reminds me of someone
from my past. He often told me that there were dark places in this city, and
even the world, where very few would venture.” Meeting the Chief’s gaze, Nick
asked, “Do you mind if Officer Hopps stays with me for a while? It’s getting
late and we need to rest if we are going to assist.”
            Bogo had to restrain himself from smiling. “Why are you asking me?
I may be her superior officer, but what she does on her own time is none of my
concern.” He could tell that the fox cared for Officer Hopps, even if he didn’t
know it himself yet. It was also clear to the Chief that Hopps had feelings for
the fox, as revealed by the fact she had kept his application and that she had
even stated in her letter of resignation that without the help of her friend,
she saw no point in continuing.
            Judy felt blindsided by Nick’s statement. Sure, she was grateful
that he willing to let her stay with him, but she really wasn’t pleased that he
just assumed she would agree. Yes, she had told him she didn’t have anywhere to
stay, but she hated the idea that he didn’t think she could care for herself.
She went to tell them she was fine when a small pang in her leg reminded her
that she was injured. She loathed to admit it, but with her leg as it was, she
would need someone to help her, if only for a short time. ‘At least this way,
I’ll get to be with Nick.’ Sucking up her pride, she said, “I don’t mind. If
Nick is willing to let me stay with him until I’m recovered and can find a
place, then I am more than grateful.”
            Nick smiled at Judy’s words despite the pang in his chest at the
use of the words ‘until I can find a place’. Despite his impeccable memory, he
had difficulty recalling ever experiencing anything like it before, though he
was beginning to have a slight suspicion as to what this feeling was.  “That
settles it then. Let’s go, Fluff.” Hopping down from the oversized chair they
were sitting in, he helped Judy down and led her out of Bogo’s office, and the
building. After exchanging a few words of farewell with Clawhauser, Nick
decided to lead Judy to a small park a couple of blocks away. As they walked,
Nick was still trying to place what this feeling he was having was, but was
having a difficult time identifying it. ’I swear, I know what it is, but…’
Approaching the park, he asked Judy, “What do you think, Fluff? Knowing what we
now know, how do you suggest we proceed?”
            Judy had been lost in her own world, thinking about how glad she
was that she and Nick were together again until Nick asked his question. She
thought about her answer before saying, “Let’s just take it one step at a time
for now. We still need to get you through the Academy and I need to fully
recover before I’m allowed back to active duty. Not to mention we have things
we need to discuss.”
            Nodding, Nick responded. “I agree. We need to prepare ourselves as
best we can. I also have things I think we should talk about, but right now we
just need to rest.” Stopping, he scanned their surroundings until he saw one of
the CCTV cameras. Taking Judy’s paw to lead her over to it, Nick felt a rush of
emotion at the contact, but kept his face relaxed. The minute they were in
range of the camera’s view, Nick quickly began to tap a pattern on his leg
using a variation of binary, taps being one with pauses as zeros, using the
claws of his free paw. Once he was done he took Judy to one of the park benches
and had her sit down.
            “What was all that for, Slick?” Judy asked. She wasn’t sure of what
to make of Nick’s actions just then and was curious as to what he had done.
            Nick shrugged and answered. “Remember that guy I was telling you
and the Chief about?” When Judy nodded, Nick continued. “Well, I was actually
talking about my dad. His past isn’t something he really talks about but he
taught me some of the tricks he used back then. His late brother, Walter, was a
hacktivist. He taught Ian, his only kit, everything he knew. I sent Ian a
message that the two of us need a ride to my place using the CCTV camera. He’s
never told me why, but he’s spliced into to system.”
            Judy tilted her head and asked. “If your cousin is spliced into the
system why didn’t we go to him while we were working the Missing Mammals case?”
It made no sense to her that Nick hadn’t utilized this familial connection back
then.
            Nick gave Judy a sheepish smile. “I, um, I’m not really on speaking
terms with my cousin at the moment, but since he has an alert out for anytime
the name ‘Wilde’ pops up in the system, hopefully he will be notified of my
application to the ZPA. I’m pretty certain that with what’s going on, the Chief
will have scanned it into the system by now.” Indicating in the direction of
the CCTV camera, he stated, “Ian’ll know that something’s happening and that
I’m involved. Then, he’s going to begin using a Muzzle Recognition Software he
designed to search the last thirty minutes to an hour for me. He’ll see me
tapping out a message requesting a favor for transportation to my place.” He
really hoped his cousin didn’t ignore the notification once he saw his name.
Judy was injured and he didn’t want her to make it worse by having to walk too
much, since his place was a good distance from where they sat. Nick silently
prayed Ian would see the message he sent and be willing to put aside their
differences for now.
            Judy gave Nick a look that said ‘You have got to be kidding’.
Seeing Nick’s still smiling sheepishly, she let out a huff. After thirty
minutes or so, she went to say something before her ear twitched at the sound
of a vehicle approaching and turned to see it.
            Nick noticed Judy’s movements and decided to see what had grabbed
her attention and immediately blanched. “No, no, no, no, no. Damn it Ian, why
did you tell him?” Nick whispered. Grabbing Judy’s shoulder, Nick told her
“Stay behind me at all times, and whatever you say or do, do not under any
circumstance make any sudden movements.”
            Judy felt afraid at Nick’s words, but nodded, trusting him to keep
her safe. When Nick left the bench, she immediately got behind him and stayed
as close as she could. As they approached the vehicle she witnessed a pure
black-furred fox with emerald green eyes exit it. The instant she saw the eyes
she knew exactly who Nick’s cousin had sent to retrieve them: Nick’s father.
‘They have the same eyes. Exactly the same eyes.’Judy thought as she glanced
between the two. She curiously wondered why Nick didn’t share the same pitch-
black fur as his father. ‘A question best left for another time, I suppose.’
            Feeling Judy freeze next to him, Nick halted his advance without
looking away from his father. He wrapped his tail around her waist
protectively. Nick didn’t know what to expect of his father since they hadn’t
seen each other in years. The one thing Nick knew was that he wouldn’t allow
his father to hurt his mate no matter what. Nick’s mind ground to a halt.
‘Mate.’he thought. ‘She’s my mate.’He began to think back over everything: The
sense of betrayal he felt at the conference, the lifelessness he felt when she
had no longer been there, the unadulterated happiness upon her return, the
maelstrom of emotion he had felt during their debrief back at the precinct, and
the sense of wholeness with her wrapped in his tail now. He knew what that
sensation he felt was. He had seen it before in old movies, read it in books,
heard about it in music. He, Nicholas Piberius Wilde, was in love, in love with
this bunny doe named Judy Hopps. The instant he realized that he had thought of
Judy as his mate, Nick identified the source of the sensations he had been
experiencing. He had fallen in love with Judy. He didn’t know when or how it
happened, but it had. For the first time in his life, Nick found himself more
determined than ever. He was going to woo Judy and have her fall in love with
him too. Locking eyes with his father, Nick tightened his tail’s grip around
Judy’s waist thinking,  ‘I’m taking the first step to realizing a dream I
didn’t even know I had, and I’m not going to let anything, not even my own
father, stop me!’
           <Meanwhile @ the ZPD>
            Tobias Bogo had placed his head on his desk after the fox and bunny
left his office. Letting out a long, droning groan, he sat up. Opening his
drawer, he pulled out an old photograph. The picture was of him at his
graduation from the ZPA. Standing next to him was another Buffalo that made
even Bogo look tiny. The older Buffalo was wearing a full military uniform with
a chest full of medals. Looking at the photo, Bogo said, “You were right you
senile old codger. I should have listened to you, instead of telling you that
you were crazy.” Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was past time to head
home. He looked between the photo and the drawer. Two minutes later, Bogo
closed and locked his office. The photo was now positioned next to his computer
monitor beside the photo of him and his mother, right where it should have been
from the very beginning.
           On_the_furthest_fringes_of_Zootopia
           A lone mammal cloaked entirely in black looked out at the
brilliantly lit city. Turning away, they walked into the woods behind him. As
he continued further in, he was joined by more cloaked mammals. They all
arrived at a large clearing in which a massive flattop stone rested in the
center. Atop the stone, sat a highly unusual looking mammal dressed in a black
loose-fitting tunic and robe. The lead mammal of the exodus march approached
and stated, “Your Chancellorship, I regret to inform you that Dawn Bellwether
has failed to accomplish her goal.”
           The Chancellor didn’t turn to look at the speaker. He merely
continued to look at the night sky. “No. She did exactly as I anticipated. You,
however, failed.” As he spoke those words, the one who had spoken was grabbed
by his comrades. “You were the one who gave your word that she would succeed.
Her failure is your failure.” Snapping his fingers, he signaled those
restraining the focus of his contempt to approach with the mammal. Once they
were close enough, he gripped the poor unfortunate soul’s garb and hauled him
close. “You will be punished accordingly.” Without hesitation, he lunged
forward and ripped his victim's throat out, before beginning to devour him.
Tossing aside the remains, he swallowed, saying, “All of you can go. Continue
with your assigned duties. I’ll contact you when it’s time.”
           The mass of black clad mammals dispersed leaving their Chancellor
alone. None wanted to share the same fate as their former comrade. A single
mammal stayed behind, waiting. After a substantial amount of time had passed,
he said, “Your Chancellorship, I don’t mean to overstep my bounds, but if I may
speak, I would like to inquire why you have yet to give me a mission.”
           This time the Chancellor did turn to look at the speaker. “I have a
need for you yet. Do not despair my loyal paw. Your time will come and is
swiftly approaching. Patience is the key.” Waving a paw away, he added, “Go.
When the time is upon us, I will call upon you to complete the task I have
planned.” He watched as his follower bowed and took his leave. Laying back, he
once more looked at the stars. “We’re just getting started. We’re merely taking
the first steps.”
Chapter End Notes
     Track list:
     1. Exodus (Intro) by Aviators [Theme for Part One of this story]
     2. East Wind by Donald Arnold & Michael Price [Start of Chapter &
     Debrief]
     3. Remember, Remember by Dario Marianelli [Chapter End]
     4. My Type by Saint Motel [Nick's Theme] - I see Nick as Mr. Right
     from the film of the same name
     5. I Believe in You by Michael Buble [Judy's Theme] - I find that
     this song fits her well
     6. Hood by Forest Swords [Nick's Father]
     7. The Dark One [The Chancellor]
     Bogo also has a theme, but i haven't found the sticky note yet.
     An interesting yet probably pointless piece of trivia: On Native
     American totem poles, the lower you are to the bottom the more
     powerful and influential you were considered while the higher you
     were placed...You get the idea.
***** Chapter Two: All I Ask of You *****
Chapter Summary
     Things are getting interesting. Wonder how it will go. FYI - Yes, i
     know i suck at summaries.
Chapter Notes
     Two chapters in one day? Truth is my in-laws are coming to visit for
     a week late this morning. That means no time to write. Ch 3 will be
     out this coming Thursday. After that every 2 to 3 weeks on Thursdays.
     This chapter was recently edited by Fairlane302! Thanks for your
     assistance, I really appreciate it!
     Chapter Three will be up @ 7:45 8/31/17
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                         Chapter Two: All I Ask of You
           Just_before_midnight_-_Precinct_Park_-_Zootopia
           Judy didn’t have a clue what was going to happen. The moment Nick
had wrapped his tail around her she had felt safe and secure, but that didn’t
stop her from worrying about what was coming. She remembered being frightened
before. Chief Tobias Bogo was a very intimidating figure, but this? This was
something different. Nick’s father almost seemed to be a spectral nightmare,
fading in and out of the darkness around them. The only way she could notice
him was by his eyes that reflected what little light was there.
           Nick’s father began a slow approach after realizing that neither
Nick or Judy had any further intention of coming closer. As he neared them, he
saw that Nick’s tail was wrapped firmly around his companion and stopped no
more, and no less, than five steps away. None of them spoke. Each waiting to
see who would initiate the conversation. Surprisingly to both Nick’s father and
Judy, the one who spoke first was Nick.
           “I won’t apologize. I will admit that I didn’t make the right
decision but I will not apologize. I’m sure Ian told you that I applied for the
Police Academy and I will explain everything later. Right now, Judy and I need
to rest, so if you don’t mind.” Nick said while jabbing a claw at his father’s
vehicle. Nick’s tone showed that he was not willing to negotiate on this.
           Gazing at his son for a moment, the black fox started to smile.
Turning his attention to the bunny currently embraced by his son’s tail, he
said, “Hello, Officer Hopps, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Jameson Wilde,
Nick’s father. I humbly apologize if I’m frightening you, but old habits die
hard. If you will, I will drive you home.” He began to walk back to his vehicle
when he heard Nick ask “Who’s home? Mine or yours?”
           Jameson stopped and turned to look at his son. “My home is your
home, Nick.” Giving his son a devious smirk he added, “Besides, I’m not the one
Ian called.” He watched as Nick’s eyes widened as the dawning realization hit
him. Turning to his vehicle once more, Jameson climbed in and started it up.
           Nick turned around to face Judy. “Do you mind if I carry you? We’ve
walked quite a lot this evening. and I don’t want you to cause any more damage
to your leg.”
           Judy shook her head and replied, “Not at all, Slick.” Raising her
arms so that Nick could pick her up she was surprised when he swept her off her
feet bridal style and made his way to his father’s vehicle. She found herself
enjoying how comfortable she was in his arms and began to cuddle as close as
she could to his chest.
           Once inside the vehicle, Nick looked at his father and asked, “What
should I expect when we arrive?” The knowledge that Ian hadn’t called his
father but his mother had Nick terrified. He heard his father chuckle and threw
him a glare filled with annoyance.
           Ignoring the look his son tossed him, Jameson told him, “You don’t
need to worry. Your mum isn’t going to beat you over the head. She’s just
really relieved you are alive.” Jameson shook his head. “You do know that Ian
had a difficult time keeping tabs on you after you ran away from home, right?
You should have heard his rant on how he never thought you would use what I
taught you to avoid the family. After a week, he began to wonder if you had
actually died and felt horrible because he thought he was responsible for your
departure.”
           Nick snorted. “I ran off because you, mom, and Ian were determined
to get me to follow in one of your paths and I had no desire to do that. Ian
never bothered to even talk to me except during those times he agreed to play
videogames. Mom on the other paw kept trying to tell me that if I didn’t get my
act together I would never meet a vixen who would be a potential mate.”
           Jameson glanced at Nick out of the corner of his eye and responded,
“Not that it matters now.” Seeing Nick tense, Jameson looked at the bunny in
Nick’s lap and saw she had drifted off to sleep. “She doesn’t know, does she?
That you love her, that is?”
           Nick sighed. “Truth is I hadn’t even figured it out myself until the
moment I saw you tonight.” Leaning his head on the headrest, Nick continued. “I
don’t even know when it happened. I mean, I know when it happened but not the
exact moment. It happened within the span of forty-eight hours, dad. During
that time, we ended up saving each other’s lives, gaining each other’s trust,
and so many other things.” Looking down at Judy curled up in his lap, Nick felt
a sad smile stretch across his face. “I’m certain you saw the press conference
she had three months ago. After her speech, we had an altercation, and I left.
I couldn’t properly function after that. I tried to go to the precinct to talk
to her but I couldn’t. I didn’t even know that she ended up resigning because
of our argument. Those past three months were the hardest of my life and I only
just now realized it was because I was pining.”
           Jameson glanced once more at the bunny in Nick’s lap. He smiled as
he realized something. “She’s the reason you’re becoming a cop, isn’t she?”
With a silent chuckle, he continued before Nick could answer. “Remember what I
told you when you were little? I said that when you meet your soulmate that you
would begin to change yourself for them. You would walk away from your own
desires just so you could make them happy. I’m not saying you have imprinted on
her yet but you are pretty damn close to it.”
           Nick listened as his father spoke. The moment his father finished,
Nick whispered, “But I have.” He felt the car jostle a bit. “She is the center
of my whole universe, dad. My anchor to reality. I can’t even see a future for
myself where she isn’t there. It’s terrifying because even though I know this,
I don’t know how to explain it to her, or if she’ll even accept me that way.
I’m nearly positive that I will die if I lose her.” Nick could feel tears
forming in his eyes.
           Jameson pulled over, parked the car, and turned to face his son.
“Hey. Look at me.” He waited until Nick complied. “You will find a way to tell
her when you are ready. Until then cherish the time you have together. Use it
to court her and have her fall in love with you. I don’t know much about
bunnies, but I’m almost certain that if she can sleep like that, then she has
feelings for you too. She probably just doesn’t know the full extent of them
yet.” Taking off again, he remained silent so Nick could think on his words.
           Feeling better from his father’s encouragements, Nick nodded. “I can
do that.” Looking down at Judy once more, Nick oh so gently used his thumb to
caress her cheek, drawing out a small sigh and a smile from her. Smiling at her
reaction, Nick swore to himself that he would get Judy to fall for him. Turning
his attention to the window, he saw that they were almost to his parents’
house. “Nice to see this area hasn’t changed that much.”
           Jameson chuckled. “Actually, you might be surprised. Your mom and I
ended up cordoning off a bit of land for you if you ever came home. Ian wasn’t
too happy once he learned that the amount of land we set aside for you is five
times what his father left him.” If Jameson was honest about it, the reason Ian
had so little land was due to his brother’s minimalist lifestyle.
           Nick looked at his dad with wide eyes. “You can’t be serious! You
and Mom’s place is three and a half times the size of Uncle Walter’s place. Why
would you set aside a piece of land larger than your own home for me?”
           Jameson said nothing as he continued to drive until they arrived at
the entrance to the Wilde Estate’s driveway. “You’re going to have to ask your
mother.” he stated as he keyed in the code to the gate. Once the gate opened,
he continued to drive down the lane that lead to the manor. Jameson could hear
Nick whispering softly, but was unable to make out what was said. A small part
of him wondered if Nick was listing all the changes since he left home. Pulling
up and shutting off the vehicle, Jameson turned to face his son and said,
“She’s the one who decided, not me. Your mother set it aside because she wanted
you to have a place to build a den for your mate when the time was right.”
           Nick let out a breath. “Of course she did.” Looking at the house,
Nick began to recall his kithood memories. With a tiny bit of apprehension, he
couldn’t help but ask, “How do you think Mom will take it? Do you think she’ll
approve of my decision to court Judy?” If there was one mammal that scared Nick
more than any other, it was his mother. He hadn’t always been on good terms
with his father, but his relationship with his mother had always been
turbulent, to say the least. He honestly didn’t care what his mother thought of
his decision to court Judy, it was his decision and if she didn’t like it, then
she could burn in hell.
           Jameson looked out at his house in thought. Without looking at his
son, he stated, “I think she will. After you ran off, your mom started to
rethink her parenting style. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. As long as you
are happy she will be too.” Unlocking the doors, he exited the vehicle and made
his way to the house.
           Nick sat there for a minute looking at Judy. Sighing, he began to
shake her softly and whispered, “Hey. Fluff. We’re here. You need to wake up
now or do you want me to carry you again?”
           Judy began to stir at Nick’s gentle shakes. Blinking the sleep from
her eyes, she looked at Nick before looking outside. Her eyes widened as she
took in the massive structure before her. She felt the sleep wash away being
replaced by shock. She spun around to look at the surrounding area. With the
aid of the bright lights from the open drapes, she was amazed to only see vast
open scenery, a few smaller buildings including greenhouses, and a large lake.
Whirling her head around to look at Nick, she exclaimed, “Your parents live
here?”
           Snickering at Judy’s reaction, Nick nodded. “Yeah. When I was a kit,
I used to ask how we could afford this place and my parents would tell me that
Dad’s old job just paid well. He never went into detail but I could tell he was
doing it for the safety of Mom and I.” Opening the door, Nick got out and then
helped Judy down. “Come on, Fluff. There is still one more mammal we need to
see.” He took her paw and led her to the house.
           Judy could feel her heart beat faster every time Nick held her paw.
She had heard her sisters say that when they held paws with their significant
others, their hearts would accelerate. She glanced up at Nick. She had quite
honestly found him to be exceptionally attractive ever since the Missing
Mammals case. Having never been in love before, Judy wondered if that was the
reason for these sensations she was experiencing. She did love him, that she
knew for sure, but was shein love with him? A small part of her insisted that
she was. If it was love, then was it possible Nick loved her too? Judy pushed
the thought aside. There was no way that Nick saw her in that light. She wasn’t
anything special. Growing up, when all her sisters had dates every other night,
she would sit alone in her room, dreaming of one day finding someone. When she
turned twenty, she realized that she would never find anyone who would want her
and just focused on becoming a cop. She decided that she was fine with just
being Nick’s friend and when he met the vixen of his dreams she would help him
win her heart.
           Judy followed Nick up to the house and blinked when he held the door
open for her. With a shy smile, she entered the house and found herself in awe
of the entryway of the house. The room was enormous, complete with warm, earthy
tones, a grand, winding stairwell leading to the second (and third) floors. The
floors were tiled in an elaborate design. The walls were lined with paintings
and photographs from different time periods. Antiquities were strategically
placed throughout the room. The entire room was illuminated by a huge crystal
chandelier. Judy just stood frozen at the sight.
           Closing the door behind them, Nick placed an arm around Judy and
stood there waiting for the inevitable. They didn’t have to wait long as his
dad came back, followed by a middle-aged vixen with the same fur pattern as
Nick, but with chocolate brown eyes. Tightening his grip on Judy, he said,
“Hello, Mom. It has been a while.”
           Judy looked at the vixen that had approached them. She had to admit
that Nick’s mother was beautiful. Judy thought that if she were a fox herself
she would want to look like Nick’s mother. She saw Nick’s mother stop a few
paces away almost as if she was afraid to get close. Judy watched as the vixen
brought her paws together and wrung them. She could tell that Nick’s mother was
nervous, but didn’t understand why.
           Nick’s mother took a deep breath and let it out slowly. With a
nervous smile, she said, “Yes. Yes, it has.” Swallowing, she took a half-step
forward only to stop as she saw Nick’s eyes narrow. Taking the half-step back
to her original position, Nick’s mother said, “Sorry. It’s just…I really don’t
know what to say. I’ve imagined this scenario so many times and now that it’s
actually happening I have no idea how to proceed.” Sighing, she looked at Judy
and gave her a shy smile. “Hello, you must be Judy. Jameson’s told me you are
the one who convinced my son to become a cop. My name is Vanessa Aurora Wilde,
but you can call me Rory.”
           Judy gave Nick’s mother a shy smile of her own. “Hello, Mrs. Wi—I
mean Rory.” Judy bowed a little to show her respect. When she straightened up
again, she was surprised to see Rory’s eyes wide, she looked at Nick and
Jameson to see that their eyes were wide as well. “Did I do something wrong?”
She was worried that she had somehow offended them.
           Nick however shook his head and answered, “No, Fluff. You just
surprised us will your mannerisms. Foxes are a bit old fashioned but we didn’t
expect you to share those mannerisms.” Moving to stand directly behind Judy,
Nick brought his paws around her stomach and held her tight. “Another thing you
should know is that, normally, foxes only bow to the parents of the ones they
intend to court.”
           Judy’s eyes widened before she lowered her ears to cover them. “Oh,
sweet cheese and crackers. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to give you that
impression. I just acted out of habit.” Judy felt so embarrassed. Yes, she had
started to realize that her feelings for Nick ran deeper than just normal love,
but she didn’t want to hurt his chances at finding a vixen and now she had just
given his parents the impression that she intended to court him. She was on the
verge of tears when she heard a small chuckle coming from somewhere in front of
her. Peeking out from behind her ears, she was just in time to see Nick’s
mother burst out laughing and Jameson clench his right paw into a fist and
press it to his muzzle which was turned up in a smile. “W-what?”
           Nick turned Judy around and knelt before her. Carefully taking her
face in his paws, he gave her a soft smile. “Ignore her, Fluff. My mother
wasn’t expecting you to freak out over something like that. You didn’t know the
significance of the gesture.” Seeing Judy begin to tear up, he turned to his
mother. “SHUT UP ALREADY!! SHE’S EMBARRASSED ENOUGH AND YOU’RE NOT HELPING!!”
           Vanessa immediately stopped laughing as her son yelled at her.
Taking a couple of steps back, she raised her paws in a gesture of surrender.
“I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you further embarrassment. I was
just caught off guard and your reaction to learning what it meant was just too
precious.”
           Deciding to step in before things escalated, Jameson stated, “It’s
late and the two of them need to rest. Nick if you would be kind enough to take
Judy to the spare bedroom across the hall from yours, we’ll all turn in for the
night and tomorrow we can discuss things.” Looking at his wife, he added “You
and I also need to have a conversation in private.” He indicated for Vanessa to
head to the sitting room and as she left, he focused his attention on Judy. “I
suggest you text your parents and tell them you are alright. Do not call them.
You need rest and once we have breakfast we can contact them.”
           “Thank you, Mr. Wilde. I appreciate your generosity.” Judy replied.
She felt Nick take hold of her paw again and fought to hold back a blush. She
let Nick lead her up to the second floor and followed him to one of the doors
along the wall. Looking at Nick, she said, “Is this it?”
           Nick looked at the door before them. Glancing behind him, he saw the
door to his old room. Focusing on Judy, he said, “Come with me for a bit.”
Tugging on her arm to get her to follow him, he led her to a small room at the
end of the hall. Ushering her inside, he pulled Judy in for a hug.
           Momentarily caught off guard by Nick’s sudden embrace, she returned
the hug. “You alright, Slick? You’re not behaving like yourself.” She was
concerned because in all the time she had known him he never once acted like
this.
           Nick sighed gently. “Yeah. It’s just…you are special to me, Carrots.
You’re the first mammal to truly trust me. Not only that, you want me to be
your partner. I don’t know how to show you how grateful I am for that.”
Releasing her, he looked at her in the eyes. “I’m going to do my best to repay
you, Fluff. I’ll show you that I can be who you need.” Nick worded that last
part carefully so that it could mean both as her partner, friend, and hopefully
potential mate.
           Judy had a sense that Nick’s words meant more than how they sounded.
She hated a small part of herself for what she was about to do, but it was
necessary. Giving Nick a small smile, she said, “I need you to be happy, Nick.
That is all I ask of you. I’ll always be your friend, no matter what. We may
fight and will probably have days where we hate each other but I’ll never
abandon you. When the day comes that you find the one of your dreams I’ll help
you win her heart. So, promise me you’ll do whatever makes you happy, alright.”
           Nick felt his heart clench. He wanted to tell her that she was the
one whose heart he wanted to capture. She stood there before him saying all
that, not knowing that she was the source of his happiness. He wondered if she
thought that he couldn’t love her. Nick was forced to hold himself back from
kissing her, so instead, he drew her back into another hug. “I promise, Judy. I
promise you that I will do whatever I need to in order to be happy.”
           Nodding into Nick’s shoulder, Judy told him, “That’s all I ask of
you, Nick.” It broke her heart that she couldn’t tell him how important he was
to her. She wasn’t going to be the reason he was unhappy though. Drawing back
from the hug, she said, “Alright, Slick, we need to go to sleep. We have a busy
day tomorrow and lots of things to do.”
           Nick nodded and led her back to the room across from his. Opening
the door, he let her enter so she could look around. “This spare bedroom used
to be my media room, as if you couldn’t tell by the huge collection of music,
DVDs, videogames, and books.” The bed in one of the corners was appropriately
sized for a mammal Nick’s size. There was also a piano in another corner and a
guitar on a stand next to it. On the walls were posters for various bands and
movies. He watched as Judy approached the piano.
           Standing before the piano, Judy pressed a few keys. Seeing that it
was well maintained and tuned, she pulled up the bench and began to play ‘Crime
of Passion’. She didn’t hear as Nick came up behind her. Too focused on playing
the song, Judy didn’t notice Nick gazing at her in wonder. Finishing the song,
Judy released a sigh. Feeling a paw on her shoulder she looked over and saw
Nick. He had an expression of wonder on his face. Feeling a little shy, she
looked away.
           Nick looked at Judy for a bit before turning his attention to the
piano. He hadn’t played since he ran away from home at the age of seventeen.
With another quick glance at Judy, Nick began to play himself. The song Nick
chose to play came from an old film titled ‘The Legend of 1900’ called ‘Playing
Love’. He didn’t know if Judy had ever seen the movie but he hoped that she
would understand what he was trying to convey to her through the song. Turning
his head to face her as he continued playing, he smiled seeing her entranced
expression. As he finished the song, Nick put his arm around Judy and pulled
her into another tight hug. Letting her go, he smiled, and as he exited the
room he said. “I’ll see you in the morning, Fluff”.
           Judy watched as Nick closed the door. Still reeling from the fact
that Nick had played for her, she made her way to the bed. As she laid in the
bed, she stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. She finally realized that she
might indeed be in love with Nick, and it appeared that he cared deeply about
her. She shook her head. She wouldn’t let Nick waste his chance at happiness on
her. He deserved to find a lovely vixen that he could bring home to his mother,
start a family with, and who could give him kits. Feeling her heart break, she
began to cry herself to sleep quietly.
           Nick entered his own room and looked around. He noticed it had been
left unchanged since the day he left. Looking at the door of Judy’s room, he
closed the door of his and began to go around pulling out all his old adult
magazines like Pelthouse, Knaughtty Vixens, and Badass Bitches. Throwing them
all into a trash bag, he started looking for all the porn videos he had hidden.
Once he found the last of his old porn, Nick dragged the bag to the fireplace
in the main room and tossed it in. He heard someone clear their throat behind
him and turned to see his dad.
           Jameson looked at his son then to what Nick had thrown into the
fireplace. “I always assumed that you had a porn stash hidden in your room but
I never bothered to check.” Taking a seat next to Nick, Jameson asked, “Is that
all of it or is there more around the house?”
           Nick smirked. “Oh, let’s see. There’s the magazines in your study,
the videos hidden in the false back of the video cabinet, and let us not forget
the erotic novels hidden throughout the library.” Looking at his father with a
side-glance, he chuckled at his father’s annoyed expression.
           Jameson huffed. “I’ll have you know that I have never needed that
shit.” He knew his son was pulling his leg. Jameson remembered telling Nick as
a teenager that porn was a horrible addiction. The first time he had found Nick
with an adult magazine, he had wanted to lecture him only for Nick to ask why
people bought such unrealistic crap. He and Nick had then ended up discussing
the subject for a while. It was at that time they had discovered that Nick was
asexual. That had been a long, awkward conversation between them. Jameson still
couldn’t believe how they reached that conclusion, but he had no intention of
doing it again.
           Nick’s smirk became devious. “Who said I was talking about yours?”
Nick busted out laughing as his father looked at him with wide eyes. “Oh, that
is too hilarious.” Calming down, Nick stated. “No, there isn’t any more in the
house. If there is it isn’t mine.”
           Nick and Jameson sat there watching the fire destroy all the
evidence of porn. Jameson found himself wondering if Nick ever engaged in the
act. “Have you ever had sex, Nick?”  He saw that Nick didn’t even jump at the
question, but a smile did spread across his son’s face.
           “Nope. I’ve never met someone who made me feel that way until Judy
came along and hopped into my life.” Nick stated. “An acquaintance of mine
though, he used to sleep with a different vixen every night. One time he
brought a vixen over who asked if I wanted to join them. I declined which
caused him to ask if I wanted to watch. I agreed if only to not have him bug me
about why.”
           Jameson hummed. “What happened next? Did your acquaintance bother
about it later or did he drop the subject?” He was curious to know if Nick had
to reveal his asexuality.
           Nick looked up and stated, “He didn’t necessarily question me about
it, but he did want to know if I was gay. I told him that my type just didn’t
happen to be vixens and he let it go.” He had to smile as he remembered Fin
just cocking an eyebrow and shrugging when he didn’t elaborate further.
           Chuckling, Jameson asked, “How do you think he will react when he
hears you are attracted to bunnies?” Jameson was trying to tease his son but
the look on Nick’s face caused his chuckle to die in his throat. He had never
seen his son with such a serious expression.
           “I’m not attracted to bunnies. I’m attracted to Judy and only to
Judy. I’ve dealt with a pawful of lapines before and I never once felt anything
for them.” Nick stated adamantly. No other mammal had ever gotten him to feel
the way he felt about Judy and he knew that there was no chance of finding
anyone else who could. Noticing that the fire had finally burned the last of
the porn, Nick got to his feet went to leave the room. “Goodnight, Dad”
           Jameson watched Nick as he left the room. Rising to his feet,
Jameson headed to the master bedroom. Standing before the door to he and
Vanessa’s room, Jameson closed his eyes and whispered, “All I ask of you, is
that my son finds happiness.” He then entered the master bedroom and went to
sleep.
Chapter End Notes
     Track listing:
     1. Nevermore by Nox Arcana [Judy's view of Jameson]
     2. Rainy Song by Tomoya Naka [The Car Ride]
     3. Cuzco by E.S. Posthumus [The Entryway of Wilde Manor]
     4. Bloodlines by Austin Wintory [Vanessa Aurora 'Rory' Wilde's Theme]
     5. Crime of Passion by Kurt Kuenne
     6. Playing Love by Ennio Morricone [From the Legend of 1900 - piano
     version]
     7. I am Yours by Really Slow Motion [1st love theme]
     8. The Name of Life by Lucas King (From Spirited Away) [Chapter End]
     Also, I want to say that when i being the massive revision and
     editing movement, I will be using all comments from every chapter as
     guides on how to better improve this story. That being said, PLEASE
     COMMENT AND REVIEW!!! and don't forget that those who manage to
     figure out the Easter Eggs can win an award.
***** Chapter Three: Feelings and Heart to Hearts *****
Chapter Summary
     Epiphanies and dawning realizations take place. Nick learns of a few
     more past demons Judy possesses. Judy learns some rather important
     aspects of vulpine nature.
     If someone thinks of a better summary let me know. I'm so bad at
     these.
Chapter Notes
     Unfortunately, this chapter has no track listing. I'm sure that
     somebody could probably generate one, though. This chapter was
     written after having dinner with my wife after we dropped our kids
     off at my folks place. My wife and I ended up actually ended up
     making notes together on this.
     Also, please grant a round of applause for Fairlane302! He assisted
     me with editing and revising Chapters 1, 2, and 3! Thanks again for
     the assistance!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                 Chapter Three: Feelings and Heart to Hearts 
            Wilde_Manor_-_Wilde_Family_Estate_-_Zootopia
            Judy woke with a gasp. She sat up and began to take deep breaths in
an attempt to slow her heart down. The dream she had had been so real that she
could still remember the sensations she had experienced. In her dream, she and
Nick were snuggling together on a large bed. Dream Nick had started to nuzzle
her cheek affectionately before kissing it. She reciprocated the gesture, only
Dream Nick had turned his head just in time to capture her lips with his own.
The kiss turned into two, and then more immediately followed. The intensity of
their kisses grew until they began to roll around, tearing each other’s clothes
off. Dream Nick eventually broke off the kisses and began to lick and suckle
her neck, causing Judy to feel a fire flare up in her loins. She had
instinctively opened her legs and felt as Nick slowly penetrated her, causing a
wave of pleasure to overtake her. Nick’s ministrations had been gentle and
loving, causing her to writhe in ecstasy. As she felt herself reaching her
limit, Dream Nick whispered to her, “I love you” which caused her to climax.
The strength of her climax had awoken her. Lifting the covers, she saw that she
had an actual release from the dream. For Judy, this meant two things. One:
though she already knew that she loved him, now she was certain that she was
irrevocably in love with Nick. Two: she was experiencing her first heat.
            Meanwhile, Nick was laying on his bed gasping from an erotic dream
of his own. He stared at the ceiling of his room, trying desperately to get his
breathing under control. Covering his eyes with a paw, Nick groaned. He had
heard of erotic dreams but he had never experienced one himself,until now.
Sighing, Nick looked down at himself and what he saw caused the remainders of
sleep to quickly dissipate. For the first time in his life, Nick had a boner.
He just stared at it and felt a smile manifest on his face. Chuckling, Nick
told himself, “Well, Nick old buddy, if you needed any further proof to show
you she’s the one that right there is it.” He tentatively reached for his erect
cock with his paw and gently began to stroke it. Closing his eyes, Nick
imagined that Judy was there watching him with a mischievous smile on her face.
He could hear her telling him things like ‘Good Boy, Nick’, ‘That’s it Nick let
me see you cum’, or ‘Mm, I wonder how that will feel inside my hot, wet pussy’.
He could hear her asking him ‘Are you enjoying yourself?’, ‘Would you like to
eat me out or just ram your dick in me?’ or ‘Want me to be your bitch, pup?’.
The moment he thought the last one, Nick felt himself reach his limit and
quickly squeezed his knot. He fought back the urge to let out a mating cry at
the intensity of his release. He shot rope after rope of thick cum all over his
chest and face. Once he finally finished, he laid there heaving, before rolling
out of bed and going to his private bathroom. Jumping in the shower, Nick
quickly washed off his seed, before hopping out and thoroughly grooming
himself. Stepping out, he ran to his closet and chose a nice t-shirt and pants.
Dressing as fast as he could, Nick opened the door of his room just in time to
see Judy exiting her own.
            Judy and Nick looked at each other, both being unprepared for the
occurrence. Nick decided to speak first, “Morning, Fluff!” Nick was entirely
caught off guard by Judy’s reaction, which was to slam the door of her room and
lock it. Cautiously approaching her door, Nick called out, “Carrots? You
alright?” Not receiving an answer, he placed his paw on the door and spoke
softly, “Judy? Judy, please talk to me. Did I do something?” He waited
patiently for Judy’s answer. After a minute, he started to worry until he heard
Judy answer his question.
            “No, Nick. You didn’t do anything. I wish I could tell you what’s
wrong, but I can’t.” Judy was on the verge of tears. She couldn’t tell him that
she loved him, couldn’t let him know that he had caused her to go into heat,
and it was heartbreaking. She had told herself last night, over and over, that
she was fine with just being his friend and that when he met the vixen of his
dreams, she would help him win her heart. The only problem with that plan was
that bunnies could die from a broken heart. Judy took a deep, shaky breath.
Through the door, she told Nick, “Don’t worry, Slick. It’s just that it’s a
personal matter. I’ll take care of it.” She hoped her voice was light. She
didn’t want him to worry.
            Nick, however, could hear the pain in her voice and it made his
chest hurt. He had hoped last night when he played for her that she would
understand. That’s when a thought came to him, ‘Maybe she does. But maybe…maybe
she thinks that she isn’t good enough. Or she thinks that I would be happier
with a vixen.’Nick sighed softly. ‘I need to make her understand that there
could never be anyone else for me. That she is the one.’Nick felt a level of
determination unlike ever before. ‘Slowly. I have to do this slowly. Show her.
After all, actions speak louder than words, right? I just need to figure out
how.’ Nick started formulating a plan. Stepping away from Judy’s door, Nick
called out “I’ll make us some breakfast, Fluff. Once I have it ready, I’ll
bring it up here for you.” Nick all but ran down the stairs and towards the
kitchen. When he entered, he saw his parents sitting at the counter, but he was
too focused on his goal to acknowledge their presence.
            Jameson and Vanessa watched as Nick began scouring through the
cabinets. Looking at each other, Vanessa stood and walked to her son.  She had
never once seen him act this way. He looked so focused and it made her wonder
what was on his mind. Reaching to place a paw on his shoulder, she missed as
Nick turned in the direction of the refrigerator. Looking back to Jameson, who
was currently watching Nick with interest, she decided to speak. “Nick, dear?
Do you think you can tell us what you are up to?”
            Nick didn’t bother turning around as he answered his mother’s
question. “I’m trying to find out what I can make Judy for breakfast. Do we
have any potatoes?” Nick didn’t possess a great deal of cooking skills, but on
the occasions when he could afford it, he would buy potatoes to make hash
browns. Nick hoped that Judy would like his hash browns since it was one of the
few vegetarian dishes he could make. Being an omnivore himself, Nick was
capable of eating meat, but he chose to refrain on the account that he
preferred tofu. Becoming frustrated that he couldn’t find any potatoes, Nick
spun around to look at his mother only to see her coming out of the walk-in
pantry with a bowl of different types of potatoes. Walking over, he grabbed
regular, purple, and sweet potatoes and pulled a pan from under the sink to
cook with before proceeding to prepare the potatoes and make the hash browns.
            Jameson got up from the table and made his way to the refrigerator.
Pulling out an assortment of fruits and vegetables, he set them on the
countertop near the stove and said, “Use these to make her some juice.” The
only reaction he got from Nick was a small nod. Curiosity getting the best of
him, Jameson left Nick to his devices, and made his way upstairs to Judy’s room
before knocking on the door. Hearing Judy ask who it was, he answered, “It’s
Jameson. May I come in?” He was caught off guard when the door opened to reveal
his son’s bunny looking haggard. Worried by her appearance, he went to speak,
only for Judy to cut him off.
            “This is your house, Mr. Wilde. You don’t need my permission to
enter.” Judy stated with a rough voice. She had been trying to pull herself
together for the past fifteen minutes so that she could join Nick in the
kitchen, not wanting Nick to have to bother bringing her food upstairs. She was
caught off guard as Jameson gently pushed her back and stepped inside the room,
closing the door behind him. When he turned back around to face her, Judy
didn’t know what to expect.
            Jameson pointed to the bed and said, “Judy, you need to sit down.
You look like you are about to pass out.” When Judy didn’t move, he sighed.
“Judy, please sit down and tell me why you look so disheveled.” Once he saw
Judy make her way over to the bed, Jameson grabbed the stool that was near the
guitar stand and moved it next to the bed. He waited to see if Judy would speak
first but after a minute of silence he realized that she wasn’t going to
initiate the conversation. In a soft, gentle and fatherly voice, Jameson said,
“Judy, whatever it is, you can tell me. I can keep a secret. Hell, there are
things about me that Rory still doesn’t know and I have no intention of letting
her find out. If this is about Nick then I assure you whatever you tell me will
not reach his ears.”
            Judy was conflicted. She didn’t feel comfortable telling him, but
at the same time she knew she needed to tell someone if only to ease the strain
on her emotions. Sighing in submission, she complied, stating, “I’m in love
with your son.” Looking at Jameson to see his reaction, she saw that he had
assumed Nick’s ‘Never let them see they get to you’ mask. When Jameson remained
silent, Judy continued, “I love him immensely, but there is no way he could be
in love with me. Even if he is, how could he possibly be happy with me. I mean,
the chances of us having kits is infinitesimal as best. I’m sure you and Mrs.
Wilde expect him to have kits someday. Nick deserves to find a vixen that can
give him everything he could ever want: love, kits, a family, a future. I…I
can’t really give him anything except love, and a job isn’t a future.” Judy was
crying heavily now. Her heart was beating too hard and too fast. She was
starting to convulse.
            Jameson began to move the instant he saw her beginning to twitch.
He grabbed her and pulled her into a strong hug. “Judy, you need to calm down.
Take a deep breath and slowly let it go.” He heard her do as he ordered. “Do it
again, Judy. Repeat the process over and over.” He stayed there holding her
until she relaxed in his arms. Once he was sure Judy had regained her
composure, Jameson placed her back on the bed and spoke. “Judy, can I confess
something to you?” He saw her give a small nod. “You are not allowed to repeat
these words. Ever. If you do, I can promise you it will not be pleasant for
either of us.” He looked her in the eyes. “Foxes mate for life. Now, I don’t
know a lot about bunnies but I do know that they mate for life as well. An old
jackrabbit associate of mine did tell me a few things after all. For foxes
though, it is a little more complicated. Foxes believe in soulmates. Now, many
misconstrue how foxes use the term, so let me explain. For a fox to find their
soulmate is rare, but the signs are often clear. Once a fox finds his or her
soulmate, that’s it. They become eternally bonded. To them, the other becomes
the epicenter of their whole universe. They become whoever or whatever their
soulmate needs them to be without even realizing. Be it a friend, a lover,
anything.”
            Judy felt her eyes widen and heart beat faster at Jameson’s words.
She started to think about previous encounters with Nick. Thinking over what
Jameson told her she identified how Nick had subtly begun to change during
their time together. But a part of her refused to believe that she was Nick’s
soulmate. “It isn’t possible. I’m a bunny.”
            As she spoke the words, Jameson grit his teeth. Finally fed up, he
said in a harsh, no-nonsense tone, “You are dying!” The words had the impact he
wanted as Judy tensed. Standing, Jameson looked at her, hating himself for what
he was about to say. “You are killing yourself by denying your own feelings. My
son is currently worried out of his mind because he doesn’t know what is wrong
with you. He is cooking for you hoping that he can show you how much he loves
you. Truth be told, he probably knows that you are trying to force him away. He
is doing everything he can to be who and what you need him to be right now. You
are it.”He watched her intently, trying to gauge how much further he had to
push. The small shift in body language she made showed him what he needed. In a
voice just above a whisper, but so powerful it might as well have been spoken
by a king, Jameson said, “Judy. He won’t ever find anyone else. He knows that
he will have to go your pace, but nothing you say or do will drive him away.
You two will still have disagreements, still require moments where you will
want some time to yourselves, and you’ll both still wonder why the other
continues to put up with you, but that is how life goes. Over time you will be
able to know what the other is thinking, feeling, and even what the other is
going to do, before they do it and be right where they need you to be.” Taking
her face in his paws the way he used to take Nick’s when he was a kit, he
finished with the words, “I don’t expect you to believe or trust me, but if you
really, truly, want Nick to be happy then you need to stop this. You are what
makes him happy.”
            Judy began to cry. She cried hard. Harder than she had ever cried
in her life. There was a knock on the door and Judy stopped crying long enough
to ask, “Y-yes?” She knew who it was without even having to ask. There was only
one mammal it could be. Hearing Nick state it was him, she began to get up to
open the door only for Jameson to stop her. She watched as Jameson went to the
door and open it just enough for him to slip out then close it behind him. She
started to wonder what they were talking about but forced herself to try and
calm down so that when Nick came in they could talk.
            Nick was surprised when his father slipped out of Judy’s room. “Uh,
what is going on? Why can I hear Judy crying? What the hell did you do?” With
each question Nick got more enraged. He wanted to swipe at his father with his
claws but due to the fact he was carrying the tray of food he had prepared for
Judy, he couldn’t. He settled on giving his father a death glare that, to his
surprise, caused his father to flinch and take a half-step back. 
            Jameson put his paws up in the universal signal for surrender. “I
can’t tell you.” Jameson nearly collapsed under the weight of his son’s glare
as it intensified. Hoping to pacify his son, he elaborated, “It’s not that I
don’t want to, but I can’t because it isn’t my place. It’s Judy’s.” Feeling the
weight of his son’s gaze lessen, he continued, “It will take some time but she
will tell you when she is ready.” Seeing his son relax, Jameson sighed. Turning
to head back downstairs, he stopped to say one last thing, “She may be
impervious to many things, Nick. But she isn’t as strong as she thinks she is.
I have a feeling that she has some past demons she will need to face eventually
and when that time comes, she’ll need you more than ever.” Glancing over his
shoulder at Nick, Jameson finished with, “She’s damaged Nick. She doesn’t need
you to fix her. She needs you to restore her.” With that bit of advice, Jameson
left, adding “I’ll get her parents’ contact info from Chief Tobias so I can set
up a video conference with them. I’m sure they’re worried.”
            Nick watched as his father left, wondering what exactly he meant.
Facing Judy’s door again, he knocked once more hoping that she would let him
in. He didn’t have to wait long until the door opened to reveal to him a sight
that broke his heart. The bunny before him looked like death brought to life.
There were bags under her bloodshot eyes, her ears were drooping and, last but
not least, there were tear tracks in her cheek fur. With a voice full of
sadness, Nick said, “Oh, Carrots.” Judy stepped aside so that he could enter.
Walking over to the small desk, Nick placed the tray of food down and made his
way back to her. Kneeling before her, he took her face in his paws. Looking at
her, Nick couldn’t understand what had put her in such a state. With a tender,
loving voice, Nick said, “Judy, talk to me. I hate seeing you like this.
Please, tell me what’s bothering you so that I can help.”
            Judy placed her paws over Nick’s. Closing her eyes, she began to
sniffle. In a voice so weak Nick could barely hear her, she told him, “Hold
me.” She immediately felt Nick embrace her. Unable to stop herself, she began
to cry into his shoulder. She heard Nick tell her that it was alright, that
everything was going to be fine, that he was here with and for her. She just
continued to cry in Nick’s arms and she was thankful that he never once
loosened his grip on her. She had no idea how long she ended up crying, but
once she was finished, she felt Nick pick her up and set her on the bed. Once
she was settled, she watched as he took the tray from the small desk and placed
it before her. She was honestly amazed by the food he had made for her. Before
her Nick presented mixed potato hashbrowns, honey and brown sugar glazed
carrots, turnip chips, and a glass of a veggie-fruit blend juice. Gingerly
taking one of the carrots, she slowly took a bite. Letting out a contented
sigh, she began to eat in earnest.
            Nick didn’t say a word the entire time Judy was eating. He just
watched her with a smile on his face. He still wanted to know why Judy looked
so awful, but he could wait until she was ready. As Judy finished the last of
the food, Nick took the tray away and placed it on the floor next to the bed.
Taking a seat next to her, Nick pulled her into his lap. He wanted to say
something, but he knew that Judy needed to be the one to start the
conversation. He waited, not wanting to force her into telling him. Luckily, he
only had to wait for a short amount of time.
            “I’m sorry, Nick.” Judy told him. “I…I am having a hard time
dealing with my emotions right now.” While Nick and his father had been
talking, she had been deciding whether or not to do as Jameson had told her.
She finally chose to take Jameson’s advice, but she hoped that Nick would
understand her reluctance to reveal everything at once. “Nick, I-I think I’m in
love with you, but I’m struggling with conflicting emotions. I want to be with
you, but at the same time I don’t see how you could possibly be happy with me.
I-I mean you could find a vixen and have a family with kits. I can’t give you
that. You deserve that. I…” She let out a broken laugh. “…I-I’m nothing
special. Growing up...my brothers and sisters would have dates every night or
every other night. I-I’m the e-eldest a-and I’ve n-never even had anyone t-take
a-any in-interest in m-me.” She had started crying, but she forced herself to
keep going, knowing that she needed to tell him everything and that he needed
to hear this. “N-not only that b-but I-I’m twenty-four and I’ve never even gone
into h-heat.” Chuckling sadly, she added, “W-well, u-until last n-night an-
anyway.”
            Nick just sat there listening carefully to every word Judy spoke.
He felt his heart shatter as she told him all this. He started to understand
what his dad had meant when he said that she was damaged and that she wasn’t as
strong as she thought she was. The knowledge that she had never had anyone
interested in her before caused him to feel a mixture of emotions: shock,
happiness, anger, and hate. He could see that the lack of interest bucks had
shown her had caused her to see herself as either hideous or not even worth the
consideration. The unadulterated fury he felt towards all those goddamn morons
made him want to hunt them down and torture them so that they could have an
idea of what they put her through. He also found the thought of finding a vixen
repulsive enough that he wanted to hurl. The thing that shocked him the most
however was the fact that before last night she had never gone into heat. He
had known that felines went into heat, but learning that bunnies did as well
was a surprise. Nick wanted to say something but didn’t want to stop Judy
because he was afraid that if he did she would shut him out, so he stayed
silent.
            Judy was curious about what Nick was thinking, but was scared that
if she didn’t continue that she wouldn’t be able to later. “As I said, I think
I’ve fallen in love with you and I-I hope that you can fall for me too. I-It’s
going to be hard, but if you are willing to try, do…” She gulped thickly. “…do
you think that you are willing to…?” She stopped as she felt something
unexpected.
            Hearing Judy struggle to ask him if he was willing to try to fall
for her, Nick realized that he had to be patient with her and take all this at
her pace so that she could accept that he was in love with her too. In response
to her question, he laid a soft, tender loving kiss to the top of her head.
Drawing his lips away just enough to whisper into one of her ears, he said,
“I’m more than willing, Judy. I’ll wait as long as I need to and will take this
as slow as you need. I know that you don’t see it, but you are absolutely
gorgeous. At least to me you are. We will work together, OK? I’ll be there
wherever, whenever, and however you need me. I have no intention of ever
abandoning you. There is no force in existence that could cause me to do that.”
            Chuckling weakly, Judy asked, “What about my parents? They work
with a fox now, but that is quite different from having one date their eldest
daughter. Not to mention that if they do have an issue with it, then they’ll
probably end up trying to drive a wedge between us. There is also the
possibility that they will try and convince me that it is impossible for
mammals to fall in love with a mammal outside of their own species especially
in a predator/prey interspecies relationship.”
            Nick answered instantly, “Doesn’t matter. As I said, there is no
force in existence that can make me to abandon you. Your parents may not accept
it, but I don’t care. If they disown you, heaven forbid, then mine will take
you in until I can get our den fully constructed. You are going to live with
them while I’m at the Police Academy anyway.” He had spoken to his mother about
it while he had been cooking Judy’s breakfast. He had expected his mother to
start berating him, telling him exactly what Judy probably thought her parents
might tell her. He hadn’t imagined that his mom would begin to literally jump
for joy but she did. She had also told him that she and his dad would care for
her while he was at the Academy. He had been so stunned that he had almost
burnt the last bit of hash browns he had been cooking.
            Judy felt her eyes welling up again. Tightening her grip on Nick,
she whispered, “Thank you.” She still couldn’t understand why Nick was destined
to be with her. Jameson’s words came back to her and she started to understand
the meaning hidden behind them. Nick’s entire life was slowly shifting and she
was the cause. No matter how hard she tried, it would be absolutely impossible
to reverse. He was hers in every way. It would take her some time to get used
to that fact as well as accept that he was here to stay. She knew she was
damaged, but finding out that Nick didn’t care and was willing to help her heal
was more than anything she could have hoped for. Finally calming down, Judy
asked, “So…does this mean we’re a couple?”
            Nick was quiet for but a moment before answering. “Something like
that. I think you and I both know that you aren’t ready for a relationship. So
here is what we are going to do. You and I will be friends, for now.” Feeling
Judy begin to tremble in his arms, Nick added, “Hey! I didn’t say that I was
going to leave you. What I meant was that we are going to let you get used to
us being friends and progress from there. Remember what I said about going your
pace. You are going to be the one responsible for when and how our relationship
progresses.” He felt Judy relax and continued, “Once I get out of the Academy,
you and I will be partners, which might help. The one downside I can see is
that I will be away for, what is it, six months?”
            Judy nodded in response to Nick’s question. “Yeah.” Suddenly, Judy
had a thought and pulled away from their embrace. “I just realized something.
The Academy tends to request officers to assist in the training of new recruits
on occasion. I bet if I talked to Major, she would allow me to fill the
position for a while.” Judy didn’t want to be away from Nick right now. She
resolved to call Major after she called her parents.
            Nick looked at Judy with a cocked eyebrow. “You have the contact
info for a member of the Academy’s staff? More importantly, who is ‘Major’ and
what kind of name is that? Or is it her rank?” The idea that Judy was on
amicable terms with one of the faculty members of the Police Academy made him
wonder if she could actually pull it off. He also didn’t show it but the
thought of Judy possibly being at the Academy with him, even as a temporary
instructor, had him struggling to keep his tail from wagging.
            Judy laughed. “Major is her rank. Her real name is Barbeara
Friedkin and she isn’t just a regular faculty member, she’s the Chief
Instructor.” Judy had become friends with the Major after managing to impress
the polar bear with her determination, resolve, and defiance. She and Major
ended up exchanging contact info. Dread suddenly flooded Judy as she realized
that Major could very well hate her for the conference. Judy felt herself begin
to shudder then felt Nick pull her back into the hug.
            “Judy, calm down. It’s okay.” Nick said in a soothing voice. “If
you still want to call her we can, but first we need to call your parents.”
Pulling away only enough to get off the bed and hold her to his chest, Nick
walked out of the room carrying Judy. Descending the stairs, Nick brought Judy
to a plain wood door and knocked. Hearing a small click, Nick pushed the door
open and entered.
            Judy was astonished by the contents of the room. The right wall was
lined with filing cabinets, on the left, there were bookcases full of, what
appeared to be, ledgers, record books, reference books, and other forms of
reading materials. The back wall had tinted windows with photographs of the
Wilde family between them. Bringing her attention to the center of the room,
Judy saw Jameson sitting at a desk, facing away from them. Once the door was
closed, she watched Jameson turn to them and smile.
            Standing up, Jameson said, “I assume the two of you have reached an
understanding.” Seeing Nick and Judy nod simultaneously, Jameson’s smile grew.
“Wonderful. Judy, I would like to apologize for upsetting you. If you don’t
forgive me, I understand. However, that is not the reason the two of you are
here.” Gesturing to his desk, Jameson silently signaled for Nick to place Judy
in the chair. “I have my computer set up for a video conference between the
Hopps’ Family Farm and ourselves. In case you are wondering, I had Tobias
inform your parents to expect your video call as well as the caller ID to look
for. Whenever you’re ready, tap the ‘Call’ icon. I will give you two some
privacy.” Finished, Jameson left the room.
            Judy and Nick looked at each other with apprehension in their eyes.
Judy was a little frightened, not knowing how her parents would react. Nick was
worried about how Judy’s parents would respond to his presence. Nick moved to
the other side of the table facing Judy. Giving her a smile, he nodded to
indicate that he was there for her, and that she should proceed when she was
ready.
            Judy returned the smile. Taking a deep breath and letting it out,
Judy tapped the ‘Call’ icon. She waited patiently for her parents to answer.
Glancing once more at Nick, Judy felt herself relax. Nick was here with her and
as long as he was, she knew she could do this. Putting on a smile, she focused
once more on the screen. The instant the call connected however, her smile
faded and her ears drooped. Her parents’ faces were a mixture of anger,
concern, and fear. She went to speak only to have the words die when her father
said, “Judith Laverne Hopps, you have some explaining to do.”
Chapter End Notes
     For this chapter I'm going to give the Easter Egg. The meal served
     was inspired by a real one. The question is who made it, me or my
     wife?
***** Chapter Four: Video calls and Breaking News *****
Chapter Summary
     Title basically says it all.
Chapter Notes
     Hello again!! Many thanks to Fairlane302 for his much appreciated
     assistance in editing this chapter. It was like meatball surgery.
     Also, a shout-out to liiwilliams08 for getting one of the Easter Eggs
     last chapter. He also got one for Chapter One as well, but he hasn't
     sent me his prize choice yet, though i think that's due to them not
     appearing yet. liiwilliams08, your reward for Ch 3 is inbound and the
     reward for Ch 1 is still open.
     Unfortunately, this chapter, like the one previous, doesn't have a
     track list. Fret not, however, for the other chapters will have the
     links to the songs within the story. You'll just have to copy and
     paste into your search bar.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                 Chapter Four: Video calls and Breaking News 
Wilde_Manor_-_Wilde_Familial_Estate_-_Zootopia_-_Just_prior_to_12:00_Noon
Nick shivered at the tone of Judy’s father. It was one that he often heard as a
kit, whenever his parents expected him to tell them the reason behind his
mischievous shenanigans. He watched as Judy’s nose began to twitch. Ignoring
how cute it was, Nick carefully slipped his paw under the monitor to place it
on hers, to remind her that he was here and that she wasn’t alone.
Judy felt Nick give her paw a gentle, comforting squeeze. Returning the
gesture, she took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right.” She mentally
prepared herself as best she could. “Where would you like me to start?” She
watched her parents carefully as they seemed to ponder how to proceed. Judy
took a quick peek at Nick when she was certain her parents weren’t paying
attention. He had a soft smile on his face that made her want to smile as well.
Returning her attention to her parents, she saw that they had decided how to
proceed.
Stuart and Bonnie Hopps looked at their daughter with serious expressions.
Bonnie took the initiative by asking, “Where are you? That Buffalo, Chief
Tobias Bogo I believe, told us that you are staying with a close friend. Is
that true?” Bonnie wasn’t angry, per se. It was more anger born of worry. The
phone call from the ZPD had her frightened that something horrible had happened
to Judy. She remembered that Judy told them that, normally, when an officer
fell in the line of duty the Chief would call to inform the family. While Judy
may not be an officer anymore, Bonnie had assumed that even a former officer’s
family would still be contacted if something happened.
Judy mulled over how she could answer the question while still leaving out the
fact that she was now being targeted. Coming up with what she considered an
acceptable response, she stated, “That is the truth. I’m in the process of
being reinstated as a law enforcement officer and I’m staying with a friend
until I can find a suitable apartment.” She felt Nick squeeze her paw in
approval of how she answered her parents’ inquiry. A small part of her was
unsure whether she should hide the fact that she was staying with Nick from
them or not. She didn’t have any way of knowing how her parents would react to
that information. She also didn’t know how they would take the news that she
and Nick were ‘seeing each other’. Judy wasn’t ashamed of him, but she wasn’t
ready to tell her parents about him yet.
Stu Hopps pursed his lips in thought as he tried to figure how best to ask his
question. He decided not to beat around the bush. “Would the name of the friend
you’re staying with be ‘Nick’, by any chance?” He watched the blood drain from
Judy’s face. A small part of him was concerned that he should have waited to
ask that ‘til later, but it was too late now. He wasn’t sure if Judy was aware
of it, but there had been several times where he or Bonnie would wake up at
night to check on the younger kits only to hear her crying for someone named
Nick. They had no knowledge of who or what Nick was, but they knew that if Judy
was crying for him in her sleep then he had to be someone special to her.
Judy felt her heart stop and her ears drop. She began to panic. Her mind began
to race as she tried to figure out how they learned about Nick. The pressure of
Nick squeezing on her paw drew her back from the precipice. Calming thanks to
the knowledge that Nick was with her, she answered, “Yes, Dad. His name is
Nick.”
Stu nodded. Bonnie asked, “You thanked him for letting you stay with him,
right?” Judy answered with a nod. “Good girl. Now, I expect you to tell us a
little about this Nick. What kind of buck is he? What does he do for a living?”
Bonnie was excited that Judy had a good close male friend in the city. She was
happy that after all these years that Judy had finally met a buck.
Judy winced at her mother’s barrage of questions. She knew that this would
happen, but she wasn’t ready for it. She felt Nick gently rub the back of her
paw with his thumb comfortingly. The gesture soothed her a bit and gave her
courage. She saw this as just another challenge she needed to overcome. “Well,
first and foremost, Nick isn’t a buck. He’s a recently enrolled cadet at the
ZPA, so he’ll be an officer like me.”
Stu and Bonnie blinked at Judy’s answers. Bonnie cocked a brow. “Not a buck?”
she asked. She got a headshake in response. Bonnie frowned and narrowed her
eyes. She saw Judy’s nose twitch apprehensively. Looking down, Bonnie started
rubbing her temples as she started to remember something. She couldn’t place
what it was, but she knew it was important.
Stu glanced at his wife knowing she was having difficulty remembering that it
had been Judy they found with the predator related porn stash. Turning his
focus back to Judy, he asked, “So, what species of predator is he?” He could
almost hear Bonnie’s neck snap like a gunshot as she spun her head to look at
him.
Judy’s jaw dropped at her father’s question. She found she couldn’t formulate
an answer. Unable to stop herself, Judy looked up at Nick for help. She
realized her mistake as soon as she made it. Immediately refocusing on the
monitor, she found her parent’s giving her knowing looks. She sighed. “Come on,
Slick. They know you’re here. You might as well let them see you.”
Nick nervously made his way around the desk to join Judy. Lifting her out of
the chair, he sat down then set her down in his lap. Only after he was certain
Judy was comfortable did he look at the two older bunnies on the other end of
the video call. The looks of shock and bewilderment would have been funny if
not for the magnitude of what was taking place. “Um, hello Mr. and Mrs. Hopps.
My name is Nicholas P. Wilde.”
Bonnie and Stu looked at each other then back to the red fox tod with their
daughter. “Uh, hello.” Stu stated. “I’m Stuart Hopps and this is my wife
Bonnie.” Bonnie nodded politely as she was introduced. Stu began rubbing the
back of his neck as he admitted, “I got to say that you’re not quite what we
expected, son.”
Nick gave a nod of understanding. He didn’t know exactly how to proceed, but he
knew he needed to make a good impression. Giving them a closed mouth smile to
hide his teeth, he said, “Your daughter’s truly one of a kind, Mr. and Mrs.
Hopps. She’s the reason I’ve enrolled in the Police Academy.”
Judy’s ears flushed and she lowered them over her eyes in reaction to Nick’s
tiny praise. She kept her ears over her face in embarrassment as Nick continued
to provide a list of minor compliments about her to her parents. Finally, she
whined, “Nick!” She felt him chuckle softly.
Nick set his chin into the space between her ears. “Sorry. I couldn’t help it.”
Judy’s response was to just nudge an elbow into his chest. Nick had to resist
the urge to nuzzle her affectionately. “Your parents still have questions they
need answered, Cottontail.”
Sighing, Judy shifted to look back at her parents. She told them that she would
do her best to answer all the questions they asked of her, but that she
couldn’t say much as a few of the answers could pertain to an active
investigation. Her parents then took turns asking their questions. Her father
inquired as to why she took off in such a hurry. Her reply was that he and
Gideon had given her the one piece of information that she had been missing
during the Missing Mammals case in order to close it properly. Her mother had
followed up by asking where Judy had left the truck. This had Judy breaking
down into a long apology, saying that it was probably just a shell by now since
the part of Zootopia she had to leave it in was known for mammals stripping
vehicles of their parts.
Stu expressed his disbelief that the old clunker of his actually made the trip
to the city. He told her that if it hadn’t been completely stripped down, she
could either keep the truck and get it repaired or sell it for scrap. After
all, he still had what one could easily consider as a fleet of better
maintained vehicles.
Stu’s next question had been along the lines of how she was faring. Judy smiled
as she told them that she was alright, but just feeling a little worn down by
everything that had happened. Her mother then asked how had she gotten her job
on the force back. That was a little difficult to answer as it tied into the
still ongoing investigation into Bellwether’s co-conspirators, but with Nick’s
help, Judy managed to give Bonnie an answer without divulging any case details.
Their final question was in regard to what her current living situation was.
They knew she was staying with Nick for these first few days at least, but they
were interested in Judy’s more long term plans. Judy explained that Nick and
his parents had offered to let her stay with them while she looked for a new
apartment.
Bonnie and Stu listened as Judy answered every single one of their questions.
They guessed that she didn’t want them to worry excessively, which, of course,
caused them to worry. However, they also realized that Judy wasn’t going to
tell them everything, and besides, they were far more focused on the fact that
she was okay.
Bonnie also expressed her desire for Judy to find a better place than her last
one. She had noticed during their MuzzleTime calls how bad Judy’s old apartment
seemed and so she started listing things to look for and consider when looking
for her new place.
As her mother rambled on, listing all of the things she felt an apartment
needed to provide, Judy couldn’t help but feel thankful that her parents didn’t
have cable television. She had no doubt that the various news outlets were
currently running the story of how she and Nick duped Bellwether into
confessing to supposedly masterminding the ‘Savage Predators’. That plus
everything that she did leading to it, like blowing up a train and racing away
from a sociopathic ram wielding a firearm, hellbent of exterminating her and
Nick. The last thing Judy needed right now was for her parents to start
berating her over her dangerous actions.
Once Bonnie moved on from the apartment topic, the four of them spoke for a
little while longer about varying subjects, such as Nick’s upcoming stint as a
cadet at the Police Academy or what Judy should expect once she was an officer
again. They all agreed that Nick and Judy would keep Bonnie and Stu apprised of
their day just so they knew what was happening.
As the conversation seemed to be coming to an end, Nick glanced at the clock in
the corner of the screen and saw that it was almost noon. Looking back to her
parents, Nick stated, “I want to apologize for this, but Judy and I have to go.
We need to go buy her some new clothes.” Promising to contact them later and
exchanging farewells, Nick ended the call. Looking at Judy, he asked, “Before
we go, do you have anyone else you wish to call?”
Judy turned back to the touchscreen computer monitor. Entering the contact info
for Major Friedkin, she hesitated for a moment before tapping the call icon.
The line rang twice before a large female polar bear appeared. Judy wondered
what Major was going to say. “H-hey, Major.”
Major Barbeara Friedkin narrowed her eyes at the bunny. “I have so many things
I want to say Hopps, that I would be an old hag by the time I finished,
therefore, I’m just going to tell you the top three.” Leaning in close to her
screen, she stated, “First and foremost, I’m very disappointed in you, Hopps.
You worked your tiny ass off to get where you were and then, after you fuck up
a press conference, you just up and leave? I thought you were better than
that.” Leaning back in her seat, she said, “Secondly, yes, I did see the press
conference. No, you don’t have to worry. I’m not mad, no, actually, I’m fucking
furious, just not with you. Tobias had absolutely no right to put you in the
spotlight like that. You were a rookie with little to no experience in that
kind of situation. Finally, believe me when I say that if I had been there, I
would have ripped the horns out Chief Tobias Bogo’s own head and impaled him
with them.”
Nick blinked at the completely calm, cool, and collected tone that the polar
bear used as she basically threatened the Chief of Precinct One. He also
noticed a small trait in her eyes that he had seen before elsewhere.  Searching
through his memories, he identified who else he had seen that had possessed the
unique trait. “I don’t mean to be rude and interrupt, but are you by any chance
related to a polar bear named Bearnard Kozlov?” The tiny flecks of green in her
blue eyes were a very rare thing, and Bearnard Kozlov had them too.
Major Friedkin turned her attention to the fox whose lap Judy was currently
sitting in. “He’s my maternal uncle.” She cracked her neck, then said, “You
must be Nicholas Piberius Wilde. I’ve been reviewing your application for the
ZPA. Normally, I wouldn’t consider a fox, but you’ve got recommendations from
both Judy and Tobias, so I’ve gone ahead and approved it. I’m sure that Tobias’
old geezer is up there nodding his approval. May I inquire as to how you know
my uncle?”
Nick deliberated explaining how he knew Bearnard. He had no knowledge if Major
Friedkin was aware of her uncle’s occupation and had no desire to create issues
for either of them. He carefully formulated how to answer Major’s question.
“Before I answer your question, I must request you answer another one of mine.
Are you aware of your uncle’s current profession?”
Major frowned at the vulpine. It wasn’t that their family didn’t know what
Bearnard’s job was, but it had caused problems on occasion. Friedkin considered
lying, but realized that if the vulpine asked the question then he also knew
what her uncle did for a living. “He’s an enforcer and bodyguard for Antonio de
Medici-Borgia, or as many in the underworld know him, Mr. Big.”
Nick nodded in response to the Major’s statement. “To answer your question
then, I used to perform odd jobs for Mr. Big. On various occasions when he was
indisposed, I dealt with your uncle instead. As for how I knew that you were
related, you and he share a very rare characteristic. Blue eyes with green
flecks. Not exactly a common trait shared among mammals. The most likely
conclusion one could draw would be a blood relation. It fits far better than a
mere coincidence.”
Major and Judy both looked at Nick with stunned expressions at his display of
abductive reasoning. For him to accurately deduce the relation between the two
polar bears by observing such a minor detail, and using his memory to link a
matching detail from his past in such a way was astounding. Judy could only
imagine how good of a detective Nick could be. Major was of the same mind and
wondered if she should enroll him in the police academy’s Advanced Placement
Honor Courses. Major was the first to recover from Nick’s little display of
abductive reasoning. “I’m seriously considering having you take AP Honor
courses.”
Judy gave a small smile. “Uhm, that’s part of the reason I’m calling. You see,
I was wondering if you would be willing to let me fill the Temporary Instructor
position for a while.” She watched as Major mulled over the idea. “Please,
Major. It’ll just be for a while. I want to make sure Nick’s all set up at the
Academy.”
Major gave Judy a frown. “No.” She watched Judy’s whole face fall. “Hear me
out. I would like nothing better than to say ‘Yes’, but unless Tobias approves
the assignment my paws are tied. Get his approval then we’ll revisit this
subject.” Returning her focus to the tod, Major stated, “You better be ready,
Foxtrot. I’m going to drive you into the ground.” With that the call ended.
Judy let out a long sigh. “Looks like I’m going to have to find a way of
convincing the Chief to assign me to the Temporary Instructor position. That
isn’t a discussion I’m looking forward to.” Her ear swiveled at the sound of
someone approaching the door. When the door opened, she turned to see Jameson
staring at them with a grave face.
Jameson looked at Judy and his son stating, “You two need to see this.” Leading
them to the living room, he picked up the television remote. Selecting the
channel for ZBC, he sat down next to Vanessa on one couch while Nick and Judy
sat on the other. On the television, Peter Moosebridge could be seen talking to
Fabienne Growley.
Peter: “Approximately one hour ago, Former Mayor Dawn Bellwether escaped from
her transport convoy while enroute to Zootopia's Supermax prison. Bellwether’s
escape appears to have been facilitated by a group of mammals that evidently
possess military training. While none of the Officers tasked with overseeing
the convoy were killed, five of the eight were transported to the Metropolitan
Teaching Hospital of Zootopia in critical condition. Chief Tobias Bogo held a
small press conference a short while ago, and had this to say."
Chief Bogo appeared onscreen standing behind a podium looking at what was
probably a prewritten speech from the Precinct’s media liaison. Looking up at
the reporters and camera crews, he picked up the carefully written speech and
tore it. Tossing the now confetti-like pages into the air, Bogo began to speak:
“Roughly an hour ago, Dawn Bellwether, with the aid of a team of unknown
mammals, escaped. The ZPD is currently looking into who these mammals are as
well as searching for Bellwether. The officers wounded during the escape are
currently recuperating at the MTHZ. The Department views the actions of these
unknown mammals as acts of terrorism and they will be dealt with accordingly.
We have no further comments at this time, but we have one request. Please let
us do our jobs, and know that anyone who threatens the lives and wellbeing of
my officers will be prosecuted to the furthest extent of the law, up to and
including treason and terrorism.” Finished, Bogo walked off stage and out of
view of the cameras.
Judy and Nick looked at one another. With Bellwether on the run, they both knew
that they were in danger. Nick wrapped his arms and tail around Judy
protectively. “We’re going to be fine, Judy.” He heard his parents get to their
feet. Looking at them curiously, he asked, “Where are you going?”
Vanessa pulled out her mobile phone as she answered. “I’m going to call the
hospital and have the officers transferred into the care of my team. Then, I’m
going to change and get over there as fast as I can.” She went to exit the
room, but stopped in the doorway. Turning around, she looked at Jameson. “You
better make damn sure they’ve got the best equipment you’ve got.” She walked
out with those words.
Jameson gestured for Nick and Judy to follow him. Guiding them a door with a
voiceprint lock, he pressed a button and stated, “Jameson Timaeus Wilde.
Authorization Code: Nightstalker.” A series of electronic beeps signaled that
the room was now accessible. Opening the door, he indicated for Nick and Judy
to enter.
Nick and Judy’s jaws dropped as they saw what the room contained. The room
almost looked like an armory. The room was roughly square, but well lit by the
rectangular reinforced window situated near the ceiling on the far wall and LED
lights embedded in the ceiling. There were white illuminated cabinets on the 3
walls opposing the doorway. On the wall to the left of the door, there were
sidearms, combat knives, nightsticks, and other such one-pawed weapons. On the
opposing wall, were various two-pawed rifles, and on the wall directly across
from the door, there was a variety of vests and body armor, similar to those
used by the Zootopian Armed Forces. In the center of the room there was a
counter, with a variety of strongboxes and cases beneath it, likely holding
even more equipment.
As Judy surveyed the room, she noticed that many of the items on display,
especially the firearms, would have required a number of special permits to
even own, and a cache of weapons like this, being in private hands, was
unprecedented as far as she knew. She cataloged her concerns away as yet
another question for later. Now was not the time.
Nick whistled. “Wow. Is all this from your previous life, Dad?” he asked as he
scanned the rooms various contents. Not getting a response, Nick glanced at his
father to see that he had already pulled out two suitcases specifically
designed to carry gear and equipment. He and Judy watched as Jameson walked
around scanning everything to determine what they required.
As Jameson walked around the room, he would periodically select an item that he
thought might suit either Nick or Judy, and place it on the counter. When he
had a variety of different gear set out upon the counter, he called Nick and
Judy over to present the gear to them, and introduced them to the items he had
determined would best suit them.
Jameson had selected a variety of weapons for the two, ranging from
appropriately sized sidearms, to butterfly knives for close combat. There was
even a scoped rifle intended for Nick. Once Jameson was satisfied that both
Nick and Judy were familiarized and happy with his selections for them, he
assisted the two in packing the gear into cases. As Judy finally closed and
latched her case, Jameson stated “I’m going to call Tobias. With that ewe on
the loose, the two of you are in danger. I want to know what he’s planning for
his next move.”
Nick and Judy nodded their agreement. They followed Jameson out of the secured
room and back into the living room. Suddenly, Judy’s phone rang and the caller
ID showed that it was her parents. Groaning, she muttered, “Why do they have to
call now?” She sent them a quick text explaining that she was busy dealing with
a matter pertaining to an investigation and would call them back as soon as she
could.
Jameson picked up the remote to the smart television and selected the video
conference application. Finding Chief Bogo’s contact, Jameson opened the call.
Chief Bogo’s face appeared on screen and Jameson said, “Greetings, Tobias. Mind
giving us a rundown of what strategy you’ve got planned?”
Bogo’s eye twitched. “Don’t call me Tobias. We don’t know each other well
enough and I don’t appreciate mammals I don’t know calling me that. The only
mammals allowed are my dear mother and father.” Sitting up straighter, he then
began explaining what would take place. “Tomorrow afternoon, Officer Hopps and
Cadet Wilde will depart from Savannah Central Station for Bunnyburrow due to
Bellwether’s escape. I will send Harrison Wolford and Zannah Fangmeyer,
Detectives Rank 3, to collect them from a neutral location of your choice. They
will escort them to the station and supervise their departure. Officer Hopps’
family already knows to expect their arrival. Now, I have other things I must
see to and a recent development to verify, so I’m ending this transmission.”
With that the screen went black.
 Jameson chuckled. “Direct and to the point. He’s just like his father. If
you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to take care of something.” Jameson left
the room to contact someone to gather intel on the two officers had chosen for
the escort assignment.
Judy scrambled to get her mobile phone out of her pocket as soon as the Chief
mentioned her parents. She selected the MuzzleTime call option and waited for
her parent’s to answer. Upon seeing her mother and father’s serious
expressions, Judy sheepishly asked, “Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. What’s going on? We
talked not too long ago.”
Bonnie stated, “That Buffalo, Chief Bogo called us, saying that he’s going to
be sending you and Nick to Bunnyburrow for a while until he calls you back to
the city.” A loud scream made her turn and shout, “NATHANIEL ELLIOT HOPPS!!! IF
I HAVE TO TELL YOU ONE MORE TIME TO LEAVE YOUR SISTER ALONE…” A loud crash
resounded over the line. Bonnie’s eye twitched. Passing the phone to Stu
saying, “You tell them. I’m going to beat Nathaniel.”
Judy and Nick shivered at the tone that Bonnie’s voice had as she made that
statement. Stu’s reaction was quite similar, but he managed to keep himself
together and said, “He mentioned a police escort, is there something going on
that we should know about?”
“No, no, it’s fine. The city is just a little unsettled at the moment, so I’m
sure it’s just a precaution” Judy lied. She hated having to lie to either of
her parents, but the exact nature of the situation was still need-to-know, and
the last thing she wanted to do was worry her father unnecessarily.
“Well, ok, if you say so Jude. The next train to Bunnyburrow is tomorrow
evening, right?
Judy nodded her agreement, “Yes dad, will you be there to pick us up?” There
weren't many trains traveling between the Tri-burrows and the City, but despite
their infrequency, they were on a regular schedule.
“Yes, and your mother and I have already prepared the room next to yours for
Nick.”
With that, Judy exchanged her farewells, reassuring Stu that she would call
later to check in. Turning to Nick as she hung up, she said “Well, looks like
you’re going to be meeting my folks sooner than we expected Slick.” Jameson
reappeared, and asked if Judy could follow him for a bit, so she gave Nick a
tiny peck on his cheek, saying, ‘I’ll be right back.”
Nick gave her a soft, warm smile with a nod. His dad told him to check all
their equipment and that it wouldn’t take long. Going over everything, Nick
found his mind wandering as he wondered how the rest of Judy’s family would
react to his presence. Deciding to just deal with it when they get there, he
got up and headed to the kitchen to prepare a small meal for Judy and himself.
Metropolitan_Teaching_Hospital_of_Zootopia_–_Savannah_Central_District_–
Zootopia_-_1:53_pm
Vanessa Wilde walked into her office to find her team already pouring over the
patient files of the officers wounded during Bellwether’s escape. “What do we
got?” she asked as she pulled on her white lab coat. Her team stood and greeted
her. Waving them off, she picked up the file for one Officer Leon Delgato.
“Officer Leon Delgato. Male Lion. Age 30. Suffered multiple GSWs, none through
and through. Flatlined twice during surgery.” said Pronk Oryx-Antlerson. He
hooved over another file to Dr. Wilde, stating, “Officer Henry Grizzoli. Male
Arctic Wolf. Age 33. Also suffered multiple GSWs, none through and through. One
of the bullets passed through his stomach and lodged in his lumbar spine. The
surgeon says that there was only minor damage in that regard, so he shouldn’t
suffer any major setbacks with his recovery.”
Vanessa nodded to him. Pronk was one of the better mammals on her team. Yes, he
had a tendency to be loud, but only when he had something he felt was important
to say. On the occasion that his husband would show up, she would always give
him an extra fifteen minutes on break as a reward for all his hard work. “Good.
What else?”
“Officer Lillian Cheetara. Female Cheetah. Age 28. She’s not as bad as the
others, but she suffered a GSW to her right leg. The shot had enough force
behind it that the bullet’s impact shattered her femur bone. They’re still in
surgery.” stated Viktor Wolfstein. He was a rather large grey wolf who Vanessa
had hired for his huge in-depth knowledge on the anatomy and physiology for
every species of mammal. He also was the team’s go-to mammal for cases
involving kits due to his own kit-like personality.
“What of the other two?” Vanessa asked seeing that those were the only files on
paw. “Am I missing something or were the reports of five being injured a lie?”
She watched as her team shifted uncomfortably. “Someone better start talking
before I get pissed.”
Olly Clawfrey, a male jaguar on the team who specialized in neurology, said,
“The other two are currently in surgery and we haven’t gotten their files yet.”
The exasperated scoff Dr. Wilde gave made him flinch. “I also don’t think we’ll
ever be getting them.” Seeing the look of shock on her face, he elaborated.
“Dr. Meerkata convinced the board to have them transferred to his team not too
long ago.”
With a look of barely contained rage, Vanessa stated, “That’s not acceptable
Olly. Not. Acceptable.” before she stormed off towards Dr. Timothy Meerkata’s
office, kicked the door in, and sent a death glare his way. “ARE YOU OUT OF
YOUR FUCKIN MIND, TIM!?!?” she shouted, making the Meerkat jump. “I
specifically requested that the officers be transferred to my team before you
did. You had better have a good reason for stealing my patients from me or by
the Divine Entities, I’ll show you just how useful a doctorate in medicine can
be in zooicide.”
Dr. Timothy Meerkata raised his paws in surrender. “Now hold on a minute and
let me explain. It wasn’t like I was trying to steal your patients or anything.
I did it because I didn’t want you to burn yourself out again. That’s kind of
why the board forced you to take a mandatory vacation, isn’t it?” The pressure
of her glare increased making him want to hide under his desk. “Come on,
Vanessa. You know me. When have I ever…”
Vanessa raised her paw in a stop gesture. “You will transfer them back into my
care by the end of today or so help me I’ll report you for unethical
malpractice.” She slammed the door and turned around to see that Pronk had
followed her to Dr. Meerkata’s office, and was giving her a wary look. Sighing
as she began making her way back to her office, she said, “Did we get back
anything on Officer Cheetara?”
Pronk nodded. “She’s just been moved to recovery. Also, Chief Bogo will be
arriving to take custody of the bullets in due time.” Rubbing the back of his
neck, he asked, “Is it at all possible for you to let me leave early? Bucky and
I have a date tonight. It’s our anniversary.”
Vanessa smiled at him. “Of course. Go and have a wonderful night. Don’t worry
about coming in tomorrow either. Consider it a reward for all the hard work
you’ve put in for the past six months.” Receiving a grateful grin and thank
you, she bade Pronk farewell as she arrived back at her office. Within, she
found one of the largest Buffalos she’d ever seen holding a discussion with the
rest of her team as he signed some paperwork that must have been the evidence
custody forms. “You must be Chief Bogo. Dr. Vanessa Wilde.”
Chief Bogo turned and nodded in greeting. “I’ve just been informed that my
officers are now in your care. Your team also tells me that you haven’t quite
gotten around to checking on them. Would you mind if I accompany you while you
do?” Tobias Bogo could immediately see the resemblance between Dr. Wilde and
Nicholas Wilde. “I beg your pardon, but may I inquire if you’re the mother of
Nicholas Wilde?”
Vanessa smirked at the Chief. “I am indeed.” Motioning for him to follow her,
Vanessa led the Chief to the patient’s rooms. After making the rounds to each
of the Officers under her care, checking that everything was in order with
each, and allowing the Chief a couple minutes with them all, Vanessa eventually
informed him that they needed to rest and led him back towards her office. “My
son’s truly determined to graduate from the Police Academy. I haven’t seen him
act this way in a long time. You’re going to have him assigned to Precinct One,
is that correct?”
The Chief grunted. “I can put in a request for the Commissioner to assign him
to us, but the only real way to guarantee it is for him to score in the top
three of his class. However, I’m guessing you weren’t informed of the full
scope of the situation.” Seeing the both confused and concerned expressions on
her face, Chief Tobias Bogo clasped his hooves behind his back and started to
explain. He watched her face shift from one expression to another as he gave
her a complete rundown of what would soon take place.
Vanessa Wilde listened attentively to the Chief’s explanation. When he was
through, she leaned back in her chair and looked at the ceiling. “Seems Nick
left quite a bit out this morning.” Nick had given her an abridged version of
what had happened over the course of his years away from home. ‘Abridged? Ha,
more like the Cliff notes.’She sighed. “My husband is currently making sure
they have the necessary equipment and gear they will require back at home. My
husband used to be something of a mercenary and he just kept all of the items
he collected over the years after he retired.” It was a lie, but it was a
necessary one. Jameson had actually been an operative for a clandestine black
budget subproject of a covert agency, but the true parameters of his work were
classified above top secret. Even Vanessa didn’t know the full scope of what
Jameson used to do, and she was his wife.
Bogo was intrigued by the information Vanessa provided, but decided not to pry.
“I see. Well, thank you for granting me time with my officers. Please keep me
informed of any changes.” He nodded farewell and took his leave, heading back
to the precinct. He had some paperwork he had to finish and bullets to turn
over to Ballistics.
<MEANWHILE @ THE GRAND PANGOLIN APARTMENTS>
Bucky Oryx-Antlerson was getting ready for his anniversary date with his
husband Pronk. He took in a long breath as he checked his outfit in the mirror.
Hearing the door open, he turned to see Pronk hurry into their closet to grab
the set of clothes that he had preselected prior to leaving for work. “You’re
back early.”
“SHUT UP, BUCKY!!” Pronk yelled. “DR. WILDE GAVE ME THE REST OF THE DAY AND
TOMORROW OFF. SO, HURRY UP AND GET READY.”
“YOU SHUT UP!!!” Bucky hollered back. “I’VE BEEN READY FOR THE PAST HOUR. I’VE
BEEN WAITING ON YOUR ASS.”
Pronk came out of the closet with an annoyed looked on his face. “You know,
sometimes I really hate how you’re constantly ahead of schedule.” Walking over
to the mirror, he finished buttoning up his dress shirt. He went to tie his
bowtie, but let out a huff of frustration as he struggled with it.
Rolling his eyes at his husband’s antics, Bucky turned Pronk around to face him
and fixed his bowtie for him. Done with that, Bucky decided to tell him about
what happened earlier today. “So, after you left, I had a visitor.” He saw
Pronk tense up. “Hey, now. Just listen to me for a second.” He sat Pronk down
on their loveseat. “She came by to apologize to you, but when she saw you
weren’t here, she insisted that we join her at the restaurant early, on her
treat.”
Pronk went to say ‘no’, but the look on Bucky’s face made him sigh. “Fine, but
if she gives me grief over this I’m leaving and you can either come with or
start looking for a new apartment because you won’t be staying here.” Rising to
his feet, Pronk walked out of the apartment followed by Bucky. Their
reservations weren’t for another 45 minutes, but knowing her, she would have
the maître d’ look for them so they could be escorted to the private dining
area.
Soon the Oryx-Antlersons arrived at the restaurant where, sure enough, the
maître d’ guided them to the area usually reserved for their more high-class
guests, though the place seemed unusually barren for the popular restaurant.
They were led to a table where she was already seated. Bucky and Pronk both
felt their jaws hit the floor as they saw what she was wearing. It was a floor
length black satin dress, completely backless all the way down to her tail and
a slit up one side showing off a single leg. “Holy crap, Gazelle! You look
amazing!” They stated simultaneously.
Gazelle blushed at their compliment. Shifting a tiny amount, she asked,
“Really? It isn’t too much? I don’t normally wear dresses so I was a little
freaked out that I wouldn’t strike a good figure wearing this. You’re
absolutely sure I look good?”
Bucky and Pronk looked at one another. They could tell that they were in
agreement on on that. Pronk looked at Gazelle and asked, “Did you reserve this
whole area? Is it just going to be us?”
Gazelle nodded nervously. She hoped that Pronk would accept her apology for
what had happened when they were younger, but either way she wanted this dinner
to be private. Pronk and Bucky had been her two best friends, but after she
attained stardom that all went to hell. Throughout their school years, they
would meet up, hang out, and catch up with one another, but as Gazelle’s music
career started to take off, they ended up not seeing each other for weeks at a
time. She had been a little surprised when they both admitted they were
bisexual and she had found herself starting to fantasize about the three of
them together. Then, she had screwed up big time by releasing a music video
that basically offended both of them. The video ended up being a major hit, but
it cost her their friendship. She hoped that this time she could rectify her
mistakes.
Bucky came up beside them. “Good, because you look dazzling.” Looking around
and not seeing anyone else in the room, he asked, “Did…did you really reserve
this entire section for us?”
Gazelle nodded frantically. “I did.” Wrapping her arms around herself, she
said, “I wasn’t sure if you would come, so I reserved the floor so that no one
would notice me alone.” Smiling a bit, she added, “But you came, so at least
like this we won’t be bothered by anyone and we can catch up.” She gestured to
the table she had been sitting at, indicating for them to join her before she
sat down.
Pronk and Bucky joined her at the table. Knowing that she had stopped by
earlier to apologize, Pronk chose to give her an opening. He didn’t hate her,
he was still a bit hurt over the music video, but he was willing to give her a
chance. “I hear you're scheduled to go on tour again soon to promote your new
single ‘The Thrill’. You going to end it here in Zootopia or somewhere else?”
Pronk asked.
“Actually,” Gazelle began. “I’ll start touring here then end here. The song is
a tribute for one of my dancers, who’s dating a prey. They’re always telling me
about how thrilling it is to be together.” She smiled for a bit then let out a
long sigh. “To be honest, I...I actually hoped to use this dinner as a way to
start apologizing.” Seeing she had their attention, she continued. “I made a
mistake in releasing that music video. I shouldn’t have even written that song
to begin with. I don’t know what I was thinking when I wrote it. I never meant
to offend either of you, but I want you to know how sorry I am.”
Pronk and Bucky looked at her then each other. Bucky mouthed ‘Well?’ and Pronk
lowered his head in thought. The video had been released almost a decade ago
when they were still in high school. Thinking about it, the video hadn’t really
been the problem. Pronk had felt emotionally stung by it, but that was all.
Pronk also knew he had a tendency to make mountains out of ant hills. Gazelle
was obviously trying to make amends and Pronk still remembered all the good
times the three of them spent together. Facing her, Pronk said, “All is
forgiven. I just want you to promise me that you won’t do it again. That video
really stung, you know. Right, Bucky?”
Bucky let out a ‘Hmm’ as he was busy reading the menu. Looking at the prices,
he began to worry that he may have bitten off more than he could chew. He’d
worked hard to save up enough to bring Pronk here for their anniversary, but it
appeared that he would have just barely made the quota this year, if not for
Gazelle covering the tab. ‘I’m either going to have to find another job that
pays more or pick up some more shifts.’ The idea of finding another job was
daunting, but picking up extra shifts was even worse to him. Bucky decided he’d
start looking the day after tomorrow.
Pronk sent Bucky an annoyed glare, but didn’t say anything. Turning back to
Gazelle, he asked, “What about you? Any special mammal in your life?” That was
something that had always bothered him. He and Bucky had had very good reasons
for staying friends with Gazelle. The three of them had grown up together, gone
to school together, and even went to prom together. He and Bucky had known for
a long time that they were both bisexual, but Gazelle had struggled with her
own orientation. He could remember how difficult it was for her every time a
male (and occasionally female) would ask her out. None of those ever ended
prettily.
Gazelle sighed softly as she considered the question. She wasn’t as young as
she used to be, nor was she old enough that she could be seen as a mother, but
even now, at the age of 26, she had yet to lose that last little bit of
innocence. “Nope.” she answered as nonchalantly as she could. “No one’s managed
to pique my interest.”
At that, Bucky looked away from the menu. “You’re kidding, right? How haven’t
you found someone by now? You’re beautiful, kind, and overall wonderful. Are
they too afraid to just talk to you?” Bucky honestly couldn’t understand why
Gazelle wasn’t in a relationship yet.
Gazelle simply shrugged. “I have no idea. That’s probably why, but I really
don’t know.” The waitress finally came and took their orders, but Gazelle was
thinking back on the real reason she had yet to be with anyone. ‘They say that
one of the hardest things in life is telling the person you love how much they
mean to you for the first time. Well, I have both of them right here with me
and I can honestly admit that that statement is completely true.’
When their meals arrived, they merely caught each other up on what had been
happening in their lives. Gazelle told them about a new song she was writing
called ‘The Hunt’, a companion piece to ‘The Thrill’. It was from the
predator’s point of view where ‘The Thrill’ was from the prey’s. Pronk told
them about how the team of residents he was on were treating the five officers
wounded during the escape of Dawn Bellwether, who they all agreed was insane.
Bucky filled them in on how the company he was employed at was downsizing, but
that his job was secure due to having been there since the beginning meaning he
had the necessary experience the company wanted.
Finished with their meals, Gazelle said, “I know that this doesn’t even come
close to a full apology, but I hope that we can see each other again soon. I’ve
missed spending time with you guys.” She felt Bucky and Pronk hug her from both
sides and she sighed in relief.
Pronk said, “Don’t worry. We’ll see each other again.” Pulling back from the
embrace the same time as Bucky, he said, “How about this. Every Wednesday
night, we meet up at the old meeting spot. We’ll sit and talk for a while then
go to the arcade down on Parkland Avenue just like we used to?”
They all agreed to that arrangement. They left the restaurant and were amazed
that night had already fallen. They looked up at the sky to see the twinkling
stars with bright smiles on their faces. Bidding farewell, they went their
separate ways. Pronk and Bucky to their apartment. Gazelle to her hotel room
down the block. Unbeknownst to them, they all shared the same thought: ‘I bet
the paparazzi are going to have a field day with this.’
Home_of_Walter_and_Ian_Wilde_–_Wilde_Familial_Estate_–_Zootopia
Ian Wilde was sitting in front of his computer combing through the city’s CCTV
cameras trying to see if he could possibly identify the mammals responsible for
assisting Dawn Bellwether with her escape. As he waited for one of his programs
to finish running, he thought back to the events of the previous day.
After his computer had notified him of Nick’s application to the ZPA, he nearly
had a heart attack. He had immediately called Aunt Rory to tell her the news.
He then used his Muzzle Recognition Programs to search for Nick and found him
tapping his leg in the old binary shorthand code that they had come up with.
What made him pause however was the bunny that Nick’s tail was wrapped around
at the ankles. Ian was pulled from his thoughts by a knock on the door that had
him yelling, “It’s open!”
A very pretty vixen walked in wearing nothing but one of Ian’s shirts. “You
going to come back to bed any time soon?” This wasn’t the first time she had
ever visited this tod, but she was always surprised that he never gave any
indication of wanting more. Yes, she was a prostitute, or at least a former
one. She ended up leaving that life after meeting Ian. He had originally called
her just to have someone to talk to and she found him very similar to herself.
She soon found herself waiting anxiously for his calls.
Ian’s ears perked up at the sound of the vixen’s voice. Turning to her with a
sheepish smile, he said, “Yeah, sorry. I’m coming.” He rolled himself away from
his computer station and spun his wheelchair around. “Want a ride?” he asked
teasingly, wriggling his brows. This drew the intended effect of getting her to
laugh and come sit on his lap. He wheeled them back into the bedroom.
The vixen kissed him as he reached the side of the bed. “I hate to ask, but are
we ever going to actually talk about us?” She felt Ian sigh sadly. “Sorry,
sorry. I just want to know if we’re ever going to really be something. We’ve
been seeing each other for months now and you never seem to say anything on the
subject.”
Ian gave her a kiss then said, “You need to go. I’ll make you something to take
with you.” He wheeled out of the room towards the kitchen. He had hoped that
she wouldn’t ask, but she was right. They had been seeing each other for months
now, but in the beginning, he never had any intention of sleeping with her. He
always made sure he didn’t knot her, otherwise he was sure his brain would
identify her as his mate, which she wasn’t. He threw together a couple of
sandwiches and put them in a carry out container. He met her by the front door
and gave them to her. “I’ll see you around.”
Leaving Ian’s place, the vixen couldn’t help but scold herself. She knew she
shouldn’t have asked, knew that everything had gone according to how Ian had
planned it, but she felt like a moron for falling for a guy like him. Suddenly,
she started to fear that he would no longer call on her. A vibration in her
skirt pocket drew her from her thoughts. Taking out her phone, she saw that she
had a text from Ian saying, ‘Stop worrying. I’m still going to call on you
every now and then.’ Sighing in relief, she made her way home with a tiny bit
of hope in her heart.
After she was out of view, Ian shot her a quick text then rolled back into his
computer room. Pulling up the information on the bunny doe with Nick on one of
the various monitors in the room, he reread her documentation for what was
probably the dozenth time. A small portion of his brain wondered what it was
about her that drew Nick to her. An IM notification brought him back to his
computer. He raised his brow as he saw it was from his Uncle Jameson. Clicking
the link embedded in the message, he was brought to a secured communications
network.
Jameson: I need you to do me a favor.
Ian: What can I do for you, Uncle Jay?
Jameson: Police Chief Tobias Bogo has assigned some officers to escort your
cousin and his doe to Savannah Central Station tomorrow afternoon. I need you
to give me the 411 on them. Names are Harrison Wolford and Zannah Fangmeyer.
Ian: I’ll get right on it. As soon as I learn something, you will.
Jameson has signed out of this chatroom.
Ian signed out as well and pulled up his secured connection into the ZPD’s
Internal Affairs database. Locating the employment files of the two officers in
question on the ZPD’s open internal network. He accessed Fangmeyer and
Wolford’s files and made digital copies, forwarding them to his uncle. Taking
one more glance at the image of Nick and the doe, he debated accessing Judy’s
file as well. Making his decision, he moved Judy's file onto the ZPD's secured
network, sealing her file behind multiple levels of encryption and passwords.
‘They want to come after her, they’re going to have to go through me.’ Logging
out, Ian glanced at the digital clock on his wall. Seeing how late it was, he
rolled his way to his room and crawled into bed then fell asleep.
Chapter End Notes
     Some of you may have noticed that a number of tags were taken down.
     This does not mean they won't reappear. Until something comes up the
     tag will no longer appear. When we get to those portions, I'll add
     them again.
     The next couple of chapters are under heavy rework before being set
     to Fairlane302 for editting. My writing room is in such bad shape
     with no organization at all, that current and future chapters have
     gotten muddled expect three weeks in-between updates for the next
     two, maybe three, chapters. We use the one under editing to help keep
     things flowing smoothly. Chapter 5 is almost ready. In the words of
     Ieyasu Tokugawa, "Patience is the key." Yeah, I shortened the
     original saying, sue me.
     Lastly, the Easter Eggs per chapter has increased. Each of the
     previous chapters had two, but now there are three. Therefore,
     everyone now has three chances to win a small reward.
***** Chapter 5: Planning and Preparations *****
Chapter Notes
     Posting later than I originally planned. Internet in my area is down
     (along with my WiFi). Apologies to everyone.
     Once again, many thanks to Fairlane302 for putting up with me and
     editing this chapter.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                    Chapter Five: Planning and Preparations
Wilde_Manor_–_Zootopia_–_Approximately_2:15_in_the_Morning
Nick was sitting at the dining room table cleaning the two sidearms given to
him by his father. He had already disassembled them out of pure habit. He had
already checked the sniper rifle, butterfly knives, and spare firearms for
possible complications. In fact, he had done all of this multiple times over
the last several hours. Nick remembered the night of his so-called scout
initiation. After he had managed to leave the building and tear off the muzzle,
Nick had run all the way home, crying. He hadn’t been aware his mom had left
already to pick him up, but that wasn’t what he had been focused on. He set the
gun barrel down as he recalled that night once more.
* Flashback Begins *
Nick ran into the dining room and stopped in the doorway. His dad was sitting
there having just finished cleaning his sidearm. When his dad saw him, Nick ran
into his arms. “D-Da-ha-had!!” Nick sobbed. He felt his dad wrap him in a
strong, warm embrace and cried even harder. Nick finally managed to calm down
when his father lifted him up and sat him in his lap. “It…it was awful, Dad.
Th-they m-muzzled me. They told me that if they thought they would trust a fox
that I had to be really stupid. I-I couldn’t even d-defend myself.”
Jameson stroked Nick’s ears. “Hush now.” he said, softly. Jameson figured
Vanessa was unaware that Nick had ran home. Pulling Nick into a one-arm
embrace, he shot a quick text to his wife to inform her of the situation. He
stood and carried Nick into the Manor’s fitness room. Setting his son down in
front of the mirrored wall, Jameson said, “Okay, here’s what going to happen.
I’m going to teach you self-defense and the two of us are going to make you
into a big, strong tod, alright? That way, when something like this happens
again, you’ll be ready. You just need to promise me that you keep training,
okay? And what did I tell you about promises?”
Nick sniffed and stated, “A promise is one of the most important things a
mammal can give to another. It’s a verbal symbol of trust. Once you have made a
promise you must keep it.” It was one of the more important lessons his dad had
taught him. “I promise to keep training. I might not always be able to but I’ll
do my best to train when I can.” Nick promised resolutely.
Jameson smiled and nodded his approval. “Okay then. Besides, with how strong
you’ll get, when you meet that special someone, you’ll be able to protect her.”
He ruffled Nick’s headfur which caused his son to try and bat his paws away.
“Let’s get started, Champ.”
*Flashback Ends*
They had started by setting up a workout menu. Over the next couple of years,
Jameson would teach Nick different martial arts styles and they would spar.
Sometimes that was how they settled their disputes. Then one day, Nick
disappeared. Jameson hadn’t worried. He knew that Nick had grown tired of the
atmosphere at home. Vanessa though, had had a conniption, but Jameson didn’t
blame Nick. He even gave an acquaintance a note to pass on to Nick, stating
that he understood.
Nick had kept up his training for a good length of time, but soon he just used
it to exercise and stay in shape. After the press conference though, Nick began
to train again, going full throttle. Yes, he had been angry and hurt, but only
three days later he knew that Judy had done something to him that was
irreversible. He wasn’t sure what it was that she had done to him, but Nick
found himself determined to become stronger than ever. When Judy returned, she
had found him during his relaxation time. That desire to become stronger had
reemerged again, only this time far more powerfully. Now? Now, he knew why. The
sound of someone clearing their throat had him turn to see who it was. His jaw
hit the floor at the sight he beheld.
Judy somehow managed to keep a straight face in response to Nick’s reaction.
When Jameson had woken her up earlier to help get her ready for the trip to
Bunnyburrow, she hadn’t known what to think. He had led her to a small room
where he explained that he had a couple of his former jackrabbit associate’s
spare outfits. He pawed over a spandex bodysuit as the base layer. It had been
a size and a half too small for the jackrabbit, but as it was meant to stretch
so that it fit snuggly, it had fit his associate well. In comparison, it was
roughly half a size too small for Judy, so it fit nigh-perfectly. Jameson had
left the room for her to change into it. When he had returned, he carried a
couple of items with him, including a jet-black suit. Jameson adjusted the body
armor to fit her then had her put on the five-piece suit. He fitted her with a
holster for her sidearm then let her examine herself in the mirror. “I’m almost
certain Nick’s going to find himself speechless.” Jameson had told her. Turned
out that he was right.
Nick looked at Judy wearing a wonderfully formfitting suit. “W-wow!” he
muttered. Standing, he walked over to her and then made a circle around her.
“Y-you look breathtaking, Fluff.” He was quite certain that she looked a bit
larger than normal, but drew the conclusion that she was wearing some type of
body armor underneath the suit. “I wonder if Dad’s going to have me dress up
like this.”
Judy gave him a crooked grin. “That’s actually why I’m here. He wants me to
bring you upstairs so he can get you all suited up.” She took his paw and felt
her heart skip a beat. She still wasn’t used to this, but she desperately
wanted to be. She led Nick upstairs to the room Jameson had led her to so that
Jameson could get him fitted.
Jameson heard Nick and Judy enter and turned to face them. Gesturing to Judy,
he asked Nick, “Do you want her to leave? Or are you comfortable enough to let
her stay?”
Nick looked at Judy. They had agreed they would take things slow, but he didn’t
mind Judy seeing him undress. “I don’t mind if you stay,” he whispered to her.
“But, if you want to leave, you can.”
Judy blushed. Stammering, “I, I, uhh...” She wanted nothing more than to be
okay seeing Nick naked, but she wasn’t ready for that. She tried to say
something, but the thought of seeing Nick undressed sent her mind spiralling,
and she couldn’t formulate a response. Thankfully, Jameson pulled a divider out
from a storage closet, and began setting it up, bisecting the room.
“Here, Nick and I can work behind this, that way you can remain in the room
while we take care of things.”
As Jameson’s statement started to sink in, and Judy realized that she wouldn't
be seeing Nick in a state of undress quite yet, her thoughts finally settled
down, and she was able to respond with an “Oh, thank you, in that case, I think
I would like to stay then.”
With Judy’s acquiescence to the plan, Jameson continued, “Excellent, Nick,
please step behind this with me, and strip down to your undergarments so I can
fit you.” In addition to sizing Nick up so that he could select a set of
undergarments, body armor, and a suit for him, Jameson also wished to use this
opportunity to determine how physically fit Nick was.
As Nick moved behind the divider and removed his shirt though, Jameson couldn’t
stop himself from taking a sharp inhalation of breath as his heart nearly
stopped upon seeing the state of Nicks upper torso.
Nick said nothing as his father looked upon him. He was extremely well-built
for a fox. His muscles were both lean and compacted, allowing him to deceive
others into believing that he wasn’t a very dangerous threat. However, he knew
that what caught his father's eyes were all the scars that he had accumulated
over his years on the streets. Some of them were the result of different
vocations he had taken, such as a personal bodyguard. Several others were from
the various underground fight rings that he had participated in until recently.
Still, despite all his scars, Nick thought he cut an impressive figure. As
Jameson collected himself, he indicated for Nick to turn around slowly,
allowing him to judge just how much damage his son had accumulated over the
years. Jameson had to grit his teeth and bite back a growl as Nick came full
circle; The scars covered a majority of his upper body, and it appeared likely
that they continued down his legs as well.
“Son, there is no reason a 25-year-old tod like you should have such an
extensive collection of scars.”
Nick’s brain came to a halt as his father’s statement echoed in his head. He
quickly began to recalibrate his mind. It wasn’t that he had forgotten, but
ever since he had left home,it had become pure habit to tell others he was
older than he actually was. It had gotten to the point that whenever he was
asked his age he just added 7 or 8 years. Now, he started to realize just how
bad it must look. Nick hung his head. He felt a mix of pride and shame from his
scars. Pride because he could perfectly recall how he got each and every one of
them. Shame because of how it must appear to have them at such a young age.
Judy had heard Jameson’s initial sharp intake of breath as Nick’s shadow behind
the translucent divider had removed his shirt, and it had driven her
apprehension to the limit. She was already stressed enough, given the events of
the last day or so, and when Jameson made his statement, it was the final
straw, and she rushed around the edge of the divider, her heart nearly breaking
in two as she took in the sight of Nick.
Nick sharply turned at the sudden gasp that Judy had released upon seeing him,
and his shame shot to all new heights as he took in the sight of Judy’s droopy
ears and tear-filled eyes, her entire countenance a mixture of both despair and
fury. Seeing Judy’s reaction to his scar covered torso had Nick’s own ears
pinning themselves back against his head, as he began rubbing his right paw up
and down his left arm.
Seeing Judy’s reaction to Nick, and surmising that the sight of Nick had caused
the proverbial pot to finally boil over for her, Jameson quickly decided that
Judy was the more pressing matter. Jameson pointed to Nick. “You stay here.
Judy, please come with me.” He led Judy out of the room and turned to point at
Nick again to make sure he stayed in the room. Closing the door, he made his
way downstairs with Judy. He arrived on the ground floor just as Vanessa walked
in. “Rory, Nick is upstairs in the outfitting room, covered in old scars.
Please go check him out, and make sure they are all superficial.”
Vanessa sighed as she heard Jameson’s request. She knew that Nick obviously had
received injuries while he lived on the streets. She had cried herself to sleep
some nights wondering if she would ever see him again. She gave Jameson a nod
and walked upstairs. ‘Nick’s fine. He’s taken some damage, but he isn’t dead.
He’s here and he’s alive.’She kept repeating that to herself the entire way to
the outfitting room.
After he watched Vanessa go upstairs, Jameson led Judy into the library. “Take
a seat. I’m sure you have a number of questions that have been bothering you.
I’ll make us some tea and we can talk.”
Judy sat down in one of the plush chairs. She did indeed have a number of
questions and concerns over the last day or so, but the timing had never seemed
right to pursue them, so she had tried bury her questions. Clearly the stress
of doing so had been less concealed than she thought. “Am I that obvious?” she
asked. Jameson gave her a smug grin that had her sigh. “I’m sure that you have
conditions set for this exchange. May I hear them?”
Jameson set a teacup filled with chilled red clove tea. “Two. First of all, we
do this quid pro quo. For every question that I answer, I get to ask one in
return, if I so choose. Second, there may be questions that I will not answer.
Either because it isn’t my place or due to the fact that I’m unable to divulge
the information at this time. In those cases, I’ll say pass and you may ask
another. That sound reasonable?”
Judy nodded her agreement and took a sip of the tea. “Oh, that’s good.” she
stated with a smile. “Okay, first question. Might I inquire why you have pure
black fur?”
Jameson smirked at her. “Ooh, straight to the good questions.” Taking a sip of
his own tea, he answered, “It’s a bit complicated, honestly. I possess a very
rare genetic marker that many haven’t heard of. It’s called the Izu Gene. Truth
is that most mammals actually have it, but only a few actually awaken or
activate them. They are utterly unique because how they manifest is different
for every mammal that awakens. Mine physically manifested causing my fur to
become black. The Izu Gene also grants enhanced traits such as intellect,
strength, agility, and constitution. Vanessa and I had Nick tested as soon as
he was born. He has it too, but for some odd reason his seem to be awakening
slower than what is considered normal.” Setting his teacup down, he stated, “My
turn  now. Your black fur markings? Are they natural? Or did you get them
permanently dyed that way?”
Judy nodded. “They’re natural.” She fell silent for a minute. “Heh. You know,
growing up, I would constantly get bullied because of them. Never really
learned why. Nobody would tell me. I still don’t know why my classmates would
call me all the things they did.” She gave Jameson a sad smile. Choosing not to
dwell on the memories, she decided to probe for answers on a subject that had
been bothering her ever since her arrival at the Manor, “Nick told me that his
mom worked hard to purchase a ranger scout uniform for him, but judging from
your house, I almost feel like that was a lie. What is Nick trying to hide?”
Jameson felt bad about what Judy had gone through because of her markings. He
wanted to tell her that the markings were nearly identical to Nick’s, but he
didn’t think it was his place. He chose instead to answer her question. “Nick
didn’t really lie. He just bent the truth a little bit. Obviously, we could
have purchased any old standard ranger scout uniform, but Vanessa scoured
through all of the tailor and seamstress shops to find just the right mammal to
custom tailor a specially made ranger scout outfit.” Jameson frowned. “Nick
only ever wore it that one night. Did he tell you what happened?”
Judy frowned as well. “He told me that everyone present were prey mammals who
said that if he thought they would ever trust a fox without a muzzle he had to
be dumb.” Judy watched Jameson pinch the bridge of his snout. “I want to say
that if I had been there that I would have stood up for him, but…”
Jameson looked at her curiously. “But what?” He paid close attention as Judy
brushed her left cheek in the opposite direction revealing three distinct scars
from claws. Jameson’s eyes widened as he stared at them. Swallowing thickly, he
said, “I’m just going to guess that those were given to you by a fox.”
Judy gave a small nod of confirmation. “I was surprised to find that he’s now a
pastry chef back home. My parents are even business partners with him now. On
the day that I returned to the city, I met up with him again and he apologized.
He’s the one who gave me the final piece of information I needed so I could
find Nick and truly close the investigation.”
Jameson huffed. “I’m just going to assume that you’ve already told Nick this.”
Getting another nod of confirmation, Jameson took another sip of tea. “Your
turn, Ms. Hopps.”
Judy considered which question to ask. “What does Mrs. Wilde do at the
hospital?” Yesterday, Mrs. Wilde had announced that she would have the wounded
officers transferred into her care, but Judy wished to know a little more
detail than that.
Jameson shrugged. “Rory’s a diagnostician over at the Metropolitan Teaching
Hospital of Zootopia. She takes the cases that most refuse to take or won’t
take for either personal reasons or bigoted discrimination.” Finishing his tea,
Jameson chuckled. “That’s kind of how we met. She saved my ass.” Setting his
cup down and sliding it aside, he asked, “I can tell you’ve got more serious
questions to ask. Why don’t you go ahead and throw them at me?” Jameson
inquired.
Huffing, Judy stated, “I hate how perceptive you are. I guess your previous
line of work, whatever it was, had it ingrained so deeply in your mind it’s
second nature.” Seeing Jameson’s expressionless face, Judy sighed. “I would
like to know about the armory yesterday. Where did all those firearms come
from? I’ve never even seen or heard of some of them. Are you even permitted by
law to own them?”
Jameson’s face remained expressionless and he seemed to look off into space.
Closing his eyes, he answered, “I should really say ‘pass’, but…” Jameson
leaned back in his seat. “Here’s what I can tell you: All of them are from my
former profession. Yes, I’m licensed to own and carry them. I’m unable to
inform you of any more than that.” Looking her directly in the eyes, he stated,
“My past isn’t one of bright, twinkling lights of multiple colors, Ms. Hopps.
I’d very much prefer that you refrain from digging too deep.”
A sense of fear welled up within her and Judy wondered how much wiggle room she
had. “What exactly was your former profession?” she asked warily. That feeling
of dread intensified before it simply disappeared.
“Pass.” Jameson stated in a tone that brooked no argument. The terror in her
eyes, had him sigh. Pulling out a small notepad from his pocket, Jameson wrote
down a small note and slid it across the table to her. The note was short,
stating: ‘The information is classified above top secret.’ He watched as her
eyes widened at the words.
“I see you understand, any further questions brewing in your mind?”
Looking Jameson directly in the eye and composing herself, she asked, “Is there
anything you can tell me about how to court your son properly? We’ve already
agreed that we’re going to take this slow, but I want to do this right.” The
wide grin that she got from Jameson had Judy relaxing a bit, knowing he would
help her.
Jameson got up and walked over to one of the bookcases. Selecting a specific
book, he made his way back to Judy. “Here. This should tell you everything you
need to know.” He passed the book to her then reclaimed his seat, finishing off
his tea.
Judy looked at the book Jameson had just given her. It was titled The Complete
Young Vulpine’s Guide to Maturity. Judy looked up at Jameson with a confused
look. “What exactly is this?”
Jameson stood to get himself more tea. “That is the book given to all fox kits
on their thirteenth birthday. Normally, a kit will inherit the book of the same
sex parent, but that one is a little different. Rory typed that one up herself.
It contains the information of both the books given to a tod or a vixen. She
even gave it to Nick on his twelfth birthday instead of his thirteenth for some
reason unknown to me.”
Judy opened the book and scanned the table of contents. There were chapters
specifically designated to the courting behavior of foxes as well as one for
mating practices. Judy felt her ears heat up as she began to imagine both she
and Nick entangled in bedsheets. Closing the book quickly as if it would stop
the mental images, she asked, “You’re letting me have this?”
Jameson smiled at her. “Of course. You’re going to need it. Especially once you
and Nick have kits.” Seeing Judy begin to panic, he swiftly added, “Not that
I’m expecting the two of you start getting busy anytime soon. Take your time
getting to know each other better.” He felt relieved as he watched Judy relax.
The library door then opened to reveal Vanessa. Jameson asked, “He all good?”
“Yes.” Vanessa confirmed. “All his scars are only flesh wounds. He’s still in
the outfitting room waiting for you two.” She left, having said what she needed
to and headed to the kitchen for something to eat.
Jameson and Judy walked back upstairs and rejoined Nick. Now that she had
calmed down a bit, and gotten some answers, at least to the questions that
Jameson could help her with, Judy had an opportunity to take in the sight of
Nicks shirtless body properly. Needless to say, it caused a surge of emotions
in her; Sadness, at seeing all the scars, and thinking about the pain Nick must
have endured. Happiness, at knowing that apparently they were all superficial.
Embarrassment, at seeing the mammal she was in love with topless, causing the
blood to rush into her face and ears. Arousal, because the sight of Nick like
this caused her heat to flare up again. Finally settling on relief, Judy rushed
over to Nick, embracing him tightly. She felt Nick reciprocate the gesture and
wrap his tail around her. Being in Nick’s arms made her feel safe and
protected. When she felt Nick lay a kiss to the top of her head, Judy let out a
contented sigh.
Nick smiled at Judy’s reaction. “You need to let go so that I can get fitted,
Cottontail.” He fought back a grin and chuckle as Judy pulled away with a pout.
“Ok, but we need to have a talk too Slick, sometime soon.” After all, Judy
needed to know about those scars, and she hadn’t forgotten Jameson’s statement
that no 25 year old should be so scarred.
Nodding his head to show his understanding, Nick took the articles of clothing
that his father was now offering, and stepped back into an alcove behind the
divider to pull on the spandex undergarments. Re-emerging, he let his father
fit him with body armor. “Is this stuff police issue?” he asked, curiously.
“Nope. It’s military-grade.” Jameson stated. Making the final adjustments, he
retrieved one of his old suits and gave it to Nick. “Here put this on. It
should fit, if just barely.” He watched as Nick put the suit on and smiled as
he imagined Nick doing this on his wedding day. Shaking his head to clear it,
Jameson made a few minor adjustments. He was surprised to find that instead of
being a little large for Nick, it was actually much tighter. Finished, Jameson
said, “Okay. So, it’s now…“ Jameson checked his watch. “4:05 in the morning.
The armed escort won’t arrive to collect you until 5 o’clock in the afternoon.
What do you want to do?”
<MEANWHILE>
The_Hopps_Family_Homestead_–_Bunnyburrow_–_Tri-Burrows_-_4:20_am
Bonnie Hopps was seated in one of the large living rooms inside the burrow
drinking a warm glass of milk. For some reason unknown to her, she was having
difficulty sleeping. She kept having this feeling that something was coming for
her, but that wasn’t really unusual when it came to her. More often than not,
others would tell her that she was paranoid, but she just considered it being
sensibly prepared. Gently picking up her cup, Bonnie began making her way to
the small library located near the front entrance. She hoped that reading one
of the many novels would help her sleep. Before she got there however, there
was a knock on the front door. Proceeding with caution, she withdrew a handgun
from the side table near the entrance. Checking to make sure it wasn’t actually
loaded, she marched toward the door. Peeking through the peephole, Bonnie saw a
rather curious looking jackrabbit buck with tiger stripes nervously fidgeting
just on the other side of the door.
Jaxon Lapins stood outside the address for what he hoped was the correct
residence of one Bonnie Blue O’Hare. His ears were standing upright hoping to
catch any sound emanating from within. He soon identified two very clear
sounds. One was the lock disengaging. The other the sound of a firearm being
cocked. That one caused a tiny shiver of fear to travel down his spine. He
started to berate himself for his decision to come this early in the morning,
before the sun even peeked over the horizon. As the door cracked just enough to
see a single eye glaring at him, he cleared his throat and asked, “Hello,
ma’am. Is this the home of Ms. Bonnie Blue O’Hare?” The door opened a little
more to reveal a doe that he immediately identified as the one he was looking
for. She was obviously older than the photos he had seen previously, but it was
indeed her.
Bonnie stood in the doorway. Her gun positioned so that she could quickfire at
a moment’s notice. Staring straight at the buck, she asked, “That depends on
who’s asking and what they want.” Narrowing her eyes, she noted the buck’s
tiger-like stripes. Leveling her gun center mass, she stated, “If you want
answers, you’re going to have to give some in return.”
Jaxon gulped in fear. He raised his paws in a gesture of surrender. “Ms.
O’Hare…”
“The name’s Mrs. Hopps.” Bonnie corrected. “Mrs. Bonnie Hopps.”
Nodding once in understanding, Jaxon continued, “Mrs. Hopps, my name is Jaxon
Lapins.”
Bonnie stepped forward instantly, pressing the barrel of her gun between the
jackrabbit’s eyes. “You better start explaining right now or I’m going to blow
your head off.”
Jaxon felt his heartrate pick up out of terror. “I-I fully intended to, Mrs.
Hopps.”
Bonnie used the gun to indicate for him to turn around. Once he had, she
grasped the collar of the jackrabbit’s shirt, pressed the muzzle to his back,
then guided him inside and into the small library she had originally been
heading towards. Once she forced him into a chair, she pulled another directly
in front and rested the gun on her knee, once more aiming it center mass.
“Start. Talking.”
Jaxon took a deep breath. “As you might have surmised, I’m the son of Bryan
Jonathan ‘BJ’ Lapins.” Seeing her eyes narrow, he flinched. “I’m fully aware
that you have every reason to hate him and I don’t blame you. However, my
father is dead and I’m here to fulfill his dying wish.” Receiving the gesture
to continue, he began his tale. “My entire kithood, my father would tell me
about you. I knew you better than my own mother, who died in childbirth having
me. For years, I was under the assumption that she was you. One day, my father
pulled me aside, sat me down, and began to give me the full story. How he met
you, fell in love, then was summoned to report for duty in the middle of the
night after your first night together.”
Bonnie disengaged her firearm, but kept it positioned. “Keep talking.”
Jaxon felt a little more relaxed knowing that her gun was no longer prepped.
“He was assigned to a mission that ended up going sideways. As a result, he was
unable to return sooner. By the time he and the team he was with completed the
mission, almost a whole year had passed. When he came back to find you, he
could find no record of your existence.”
Bonnie scoffed. “Of course not. After he left, I found out that I was pregnant.
My father was beyond furious. I tried to explain, but he would hear nothing of
it. My husband, Stu, was my best friend back then and he lied to my father,
telling him that the kit was his. That mollified my father, who then proceeded
to plan the wedding. After the kit’s birth, he realized that we had lied to him
and I was disowned, banished from my family, then every record of my existence
as ‘Bonnie Blue O’Hare’ was struck from public record.”
Jaxon’s ears drooped. “I’m well aware. That, however, didn’t stop my father
from doing everything within his abilities to locate you. I must say that your
parents were very thorough, because my father was completely unable to track
down anything.” Clasping his paws in his lap, he stared at the floor before
continuing. “My father never stopped searching for you. Three years later, he
met my mother. He explained that he had already found his lifemate, but
couldn’t find her. My mother understood and aided him in his search. I wasn’t
exactly an accident, but my father didn’t want to die knowing there was a
possibility you were alive and he wasn’t around any longer to explain.”
Bonnie studied the buck and could find no indication that he was being
deceitful. Sighing, she said, “I always thought that BJ just up and left me,
like a one-night stand.” Placing her piece down on a side desk, she stated, “He
really was one of a kind.” Giving the jackrabbit buck, Jaxon, a melancholy
smile, she asked, “How long did it take you to find me?”
“Oh, just…six years.” Jaxon answered. “I started where my father left off.”
Reaching into his pocket, he extracted a small jewelry box. Passing it over to
the older doe, he stated, “My father gave me this to give to you. Said that he
always wanted you to have it.”
Bonnie took the offered box and looked inside. It was a beautiful engagement
ring with a rich cyan colored sapphire, the same color that BJ’s eyes had been.
Chuckling, Bonnie fondly stated, “That moron.” Closing the box, she kept it
between her paws as she leaned back with them in her lap.
Hearing the library door open, both turned to see who was joining them to see
Stu wearing nothing more than his boxer briefs and a robe. Stu looked from one
to the other, mildly surprised by the presence of the striped buck. His nose
twitched as he realized that he was BJ’s kid based on the unusual markings the
buck possessed. Tilting his head to the side, Stu inquired, “I know it’s rather
earlier than normal, but would either of you like breakfast?”
Bonnie smiled and stood. “I’ll get started on it, Stu.” Turning to Jaxon, she
added, “Come on. It would be considered rude not to feed a guest.” Exiting the
library, she made her way to the kitchen.
Jaxon stood to follow, but was stopped by Stu, who said, “Just so you know, I
don’t blame you for anything your father did. You’re not the reason he left,
that much I’m aware. Couple of weeks before he left, BJ told me to watch over
her and I gave him my word. I know she still loves him, but…” he shrugged in
lieu of continuing.
Jaxon stared at the older buck in astonishment as he watched him walk in the
same direction as his wife. Following, he started to look at the large number
of photographs that lined just that particular hallway. He stopped when he came
to a single photo that showed Mr. and Mrs. Hopps with only one kit. Female with
foxlike markings. His mind raced as he realized that the young doe in the
photograph was his half-sister.
Bonnie came to find Jaxon when he hadn’t entered the dining room after Stu. She
found him staring at the photo of her and Stu with Judy the day they brought
her home. Walking up and standing beside Jaxon, she said, “I guess you figured
out that that young doe is your half-sister. Her name’s Judith Laverne Hopps.
She, as well as a friend of hers, will actually be here late this coming
evening on account of a police investigation they were involved in. She’s an
officer in the ZPD.”
Jaxon felt flooded with pride at the news. “That’s amazing.” Turning to Bonnie
with a large smile, he asked, “A buck?”
Bonnie smirked a bit. “Actually, a red fox tod.” She wanted to laugh at Jaxon’s
shocked expression. Then she saw it soften into a tender look. Curious to the
rapid shift, she asked, “What is it?”
“Nothing.” Jaxon stated. “It’s just fascinating to me that she’s befriended a
fox.” Pulling off the glove on his left hand, he showed her an engagement ring.
“I’m actually betrothed to an arctic vixen.”
Bonnie stared at the engagement ring in amazement. Slowly, she started to
chuckle and then exploded into full-blown laughter. “I’m sorry. I’m not
laughing because I think that it’s funny in the sense you're engaged to a
vixen. It’s just that Judy was always a little more inclined towards predators
as a kit, too. I always thought that it was a phase, but during our last video
call with her, I realized that that’s just how she is.” Wiping away a tear that
escaped, she said, “If you want to stay for a while to meet her then you’re
more than welcome.” Taking on a sad expression, she added, “I think it’s time
that Stu and I told her the truth about her parentage anyway. She’s probably
already guessed some of it, but she deserves the whole story.”
Jaxon thanked her for her hospitality then asked, “Would you mind if I called
and invited my fiancée? She’s currently already on her way to our new assigned
post, but we don’t have to report in for another week or so.”
Bonnie put a paw on his cheek. “Of course. I would love that. And, please, call
me ‘Mom’, okay.” She saw Jaxon’s eyes widen and fill with tears. Giving him a
quick hug, she led him through the dining room/kitchen area to one of the back
patios. “You go ahead and call her out here. When you’re done come back inside
and eat.”
Jaxon watched as Bonnie walked inside. Taking a seat in one of the many chairs
available, he pulled out his phone, selected the contact info for his fiancée,
Skye, let it ring once, hung up, then redialed. The reason for this was since
both he and Skye were ZIB agents, any time they called someone their Caller ID
would read ‘Blocked Number’. They used process to let the other know that it
was them. When the call connected, Jaxon couldn’t help but smile at her
greeting.
“Hey, Tiger! Everything okay?” Skye asked.
“Yup. Everything’s fine.” Jaxon replied. “Out of curiosity, where are you right
now?”
“I’m about an hour away. I had to stop and refuel just a little while ago.”
Skye told him. “Why? What’s up?”
Jaxon decided to just tell her. “So, I managed to locate her residence. I was
greeted with a sidearm aimed center mass.” He heard Skye gasp and quickly
continued. “Now, hold on for a minute. Let me finish. I’m fine. She didn’t
shoot me. She let me in and we talked. Well, I talked, she listened. I
explained everything.”
“How did she take it?” Skye wondered. She had helped Jaxon in his quest to find
his father’s true love for the past five years. She knew that more than likely
the doe had moved on, thinking that Jaxon’s father was deceased, but she always
held a small hope that when they found her she would forgive him.
“Pretty well, actually.” Jaxon answered. “She’s married now. Her husband is an
old kithood friend and my father even told him to look out for her. My father
just seemed to have forgotten that. But, I learned something amazing Skye.”
“Oh, what would that be?” Skye inquired. From the sound of Jaxon’s voice, she
could tell it was something truly exciting for him. She grew curious as to what
he learned that could get him like this.
“Skye, I have a half-sister!” Jaxon exclaimed. He heard her gasp and let out a
squeal. “Her name’s Judith and she’s an officer in the ZPD. She’s scheduled to
return home for a while due to an investigation she and her friend were
involved in. Bonnie’s invited you and I to stay here for a while so we can get
to know her.”
“Okay then, I’ll hurry up and get there as fast as I legally can.” Skye stated.
“Do you know when she’s due to arrive?”
Jaxon sighed. “No. All I know is it’s late in the afternoon.” His ears picked
up the sound of multiple voices coming from the dining room/kitchen. “Hey, I’ve
got to go. Breakfast is being served and Bonnie would like to introduce me to
the rest of the family. Call me when you get here and I’ll let you in, Okay?”
“Okay. I should be there soon.” Skye informed him. “Oh, and Tiger?”
“Yes, Skye?” Jaxon inquired.
“Love you.”
Chuckling, Jaxon said, “I love you, too.” He ended the call and prepared
himself for what he was sure would be a long line of introductions. Checking to
make sure he was presentable, he walked back inside.
ZPD_Precinct_One_–_Zootopia
Harrison Wolford and Zannah Fangmeyer were two of the most well-known officers
within the Zootopian Police Force. Well, they weren’t exactly officers.
Officers walked a beat, gave out parking tickets, and conducted traffic
control. No, Harrison Wolford and Zannah Fangmeyer were detectives in Precinct
One’s Criminal Investigative Division, both Rank 3, with Harrison being the
senior partner.
The C.I.D. of the ZPD had five ranks. The lower the number, the higher your
position. Rank 5s were the ‘Greenhorns’ or probationary rookie investigators.
These got mentored by the Rank 4s for 12 to 18 months. Rank 4s who weren’t
mentoring either rode a desk and evaluated the work of the Rank 5s or conducted
cold case investigations. Rank 3s were either assigned a partner of equal rank
for field work or tasked with supervising the Rank 4s. Rank 2s were the ones
who were assigned high priority cases such as serial killers, rapists, and
similar offenders. The Rank 1s…those were the Special Investigators. Rank 1s
were tasked with investigating crimes like assassinations and terrorists.
Harrison Wolford had applied at age seventeen for the Police Academy and was
granted approval thanks to a little used policy called the ‘Pre-graduation
Clause’. It was for High School students who aimed to be police officers right
after graduating. His reason was personal. When he was 12, one of his older
brothers and his three younger sisters had been kitnapped then forced into
prostitution and drug addiction. It wasn’t until he was 14 that his older
brother Elias had managed to escape with their sisters. Harrison vowed that he
would become a cop to make sure that others never went through anything like
that.
During his time at the police academy, he met and befriended another wolf named
Artemis Howle. They soon became best of friends. The two were both tied for the
top of the class. Their friendship, however, came to an end when Artemis was
involved in a fight. Instead of letting the Academy’s Disciplinary Committee
handle the situation, Artemis simply vanished. Harrison Wolford graduated
valedictorian. He was assigned to Precinct One and after his three-month
probationary period, his training officer called in some favors to get him
registered for the Detective’s Exam. He scored the highest of all the
applicants. He was selected by a Rank 1 detective to be his trainee unlike the
others. At the 12-month mark, he was promoted to a Rank 4 and simply rode a
desk working the Top 10 coldest cases. Within 21 weeks, he had solved seven of
them. The day he closed the 7th case, his old mentor and one of the Promotion
Review Board were told of his accomplishments. He, however, turned down every
promotion and stayed at Rank 4 for eight years. He finally accepted the
promotion to Rank 3 after he closed a grand total of 50 cold cases. His first
case as a Rank 3 was when he met Zannah Fangmeyer.
Zannah Fangmeyer’s parents had decided that they would let her stay home alone
on the weekend of her 15th birthday. That Thursday afternoon they left saying
they would return early Monday morning. As soon as they left, Zannah made sure
to lock the doors and windows then went to take a shower. After she was
finished, she had gone downstairs to watch a romantic film, but was knocked
unconscious. When she had come to, Zannah discovered she was bound and gagged
to her parents’ four-poster bed. There was also an unidentifiable male lion in
the room wearing a mask. He then sexually assaulted her in multiple ways. She
was raped vaginally, anally, and orally. The assault lasted the entire weekend.
Her parents found her when they returned. She had been taken to the nearest
medical center where she met Harrison Wolford. Her rapist was never caught. He
had been meticulous in every way. There had been no fur, no prints, no DNA.
Harrison stayed with her every step of the way, answering every time she called
even if it was just because she needed someone to talk to. On her 18th
birthday, she applied for the police academy then graduated salutatorian. She
was assigned to Precinct One where she was partnered with Harrison thanks to a
minor policy change that required every Detective to have an officer assigned
to them. Five years later, she took the Detective’s Exam and scored in the Top
Three. 18 months after that, she was promoted to Rank 4 where she managed to
close 35 cold cases on her own and 8 with Harrison’s assistance. As a result,
she was promoted to Rank 3 two years later.
Anyone you asked at Precinct One would tell you that the two of them were
rather unusual for their respective species. It didn’t take any psychological
training to see that Harrison didn’t follow the pack mentality most wolves
possessed and fit more into the ‘Lone Wolf’ category. Zannah was also rather
odd due to her size, because even the smallest full-grown male tigers were
slightly larger than the largest fully matured female tigresses. Zannah’s size
as somewhere in the range between the smaller and more moderately sized males.
Both were more muscular than normally seen for their species and yet they were
leaner as well.
Presently, Harrison and Zannah were in the final stages of checking their
equipment for their assigned mission. Chief Tobias Bogo had assigned them to
escort their colleague Judy Hopps and her friend Nicholas Wilde to Bunnyburrow.
Originally, the plan was only to transport them to the Savannah Central Train
Station, but a recent development required an immediate change of plans.
Harrison checked to make sure they had enough tranquilizer darts as well as
bullets. Zannah was currently fastening her tactical vest.
“You know,” Zannah began. “This type of assignment would usually be given to
someone either ranked 2 or higher. I wonder why they chose us for this task.”
Harrison pawed her the on-duty weapon she had been registered when she joined
the force, having determined that it was functional. “I’m up for a promotion
review sometime next month.” he stated, matter-of-factly. “I’m guessing this
will serve as my final performance evaluation.” Loading his service revolver,
he closed and spun the chamber then holstered it. “It’ll probably serve as a
major stepping stone for you, too.”
Tossing Harrison his tactical vest, Zannah hummed. “Maybe, but I’m just hoping
to talk to Judy during the trip.” Double checking her clip, she added, “She’s
been through enough shit as it is.”
Harrison nodded in agreement as he finished getting his vest on. “And we’ll be
able to get to know Nick as well.” he pointed out. “Something about him tells
me that he’s…I don’t know. Special, I guess.”
Zannah looked at Harrison all geared up. Smiling, she stood in front of him.
Wolves tended to normally be smaller than the smallest tigresses, but Harrison
was far larger than any other wolf she had ever seen. He actually stood about 2
to 2.5 inches taller than her. “Look, I know we’ve been trying to figure out
our feelings for each other, but I haven’t changed my mind.” She ran a claw
from the side of his lower jaw down to his collarbone. “I’m willing to wait,
but my heat will be kicking in soon and I don’t want some random male to start
attempting to bed me.”
Harrison closed his eyes at the feeling of Zannah’s action. “I…I know.” he
admitted. “It isn’t that I don’t want to, but you’ve seen what society thinks
of interspecies couples. Too many times we’ve been tasked with investigating a
case where the motive for murder was ‘to cleanse the disease’.” Opening his
eyes as he placed a paw over hers, he whispered, “I want to protect you from
that, Zannah.”
With a wry grin, Zannah stated, “I’m damaged goods, Harry. I was raped over an
entire three-day weekend and survived. Believe me when I tell you I’m not
afraid of anything anyone can do. We’re partners. We’re supposed to protect
each other. So, let me protect you just like you protect me.”
Harrison pulled her into a tender kiss. Pulling away before either of them lost
control, he hugged her close to his chest and whispered, “We’ll keep this just
between us for now. Okay?” Feeling her nod into his chest, he laid a kiss on
her cheek. Stepping back, he looked at the clock. It was now 1:30 in the
afternoon. According to the agreed upon plan of action, he and Zannah were to
meet up at a neutral location to have Nick and Judy transferred into their
custody from an anonymous mammal at 2 o’clock. “Let’s get moving.”
Chapter End Notes
     If anyone is curious, the Izu Gene is my personal combination of
     Midi-chlorians (from Star Wars), Precursor DNA (Assassin's Creed),
     and the Mutant X-gene/Meta-DNA (DC/Marvel Universes).
     I also have plans for a Zootopia/Star Wars crossover. My planned
     Original Work has been put on hiatus as the person who inspired the
     work (my last living grandparent) has passed away recently. No, it is
     not scrapped, just waiting for a new inspiration.
     Also, my, now 9 year old, son has been suspended for breaking a
     fellow 12 year old student's nose while defending his sister. (I'm so
     proud yet slightly ashamed.)
***** Chapter Six: Tales Aboard the Zootopian Express *****
Chapter Summary
     Another look into the past aboard a train to Bunnyburrow. We get a
     bit more info about our favorite mammals. We also meet some new
     characters that will leave impacts on the city.
Chapter Notes
     *Looks around* "Hello? Anyone? You all still there?" *Crickets* "If
     anybody is still there, I'd like to apologize for the delay. I know
     it isn't much, but I hope you enjoy this chapter."
     Thanks again to Fairlane302 for putting up with my insanity and
     helping me edit this mess. Good news is everything will be slowing
     down again soon. That means more writing and reworking the errors.
     Enjoy.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                Chapter_Six:_Tales_aboard_the_Zootopian_Express
Mystic Spring Oasis – Sahara Square – Zootopia – 4:30 pm
Judy felt absolutely embarrassed to find herself here in front of the Mystic
Spring Oasis once again. She and Nick had spent most of the morning out
shopping with Jameson and Vanessa, who was continuing to insist on being called
'Rory'. Not Mrs. Wilde, not Lady Vanessa, Rory. By the end of the shopping
trip, as they had stopped by the MTHZ to drop Rory off for work, Judy had
finally conceded to her wishes, bidding 'Rory' farewell, and thanking her for
the shopping trip.
It had only been a short drive after that before the three of them had arrived
here at the meeting point, and earlier than expected too.
Nick and Judy exited Jameson's vehicle and removed their luggage from the rear
seats before turning to give Jameson their farewells. Expecting him to leave
them there, they were surprised to see him exiting the vehicle as well.
"I've got just a few final items that I want you two to have before I leave you
in the paws of the ZPD's escort" Jameson said, as he moved towards the rear of
his vehicle. Opening the vehicle’s rear compartment, he waved the two over.
Within, there was a small ruggedized case of the sort that you might use to
transfer expensive camera gear, or weapons. Opening the lid of the case,
Jameson extracted what appeared to be two watches, two earpieces, and two sets
of sunglasses. Motioning for Judy to step forward, he immediately began to
adjust the earpiece to fit before doing the same with the sunglasses, repeating
the process with Nick.
Nick and Judy looked at each other through the eyewear that Jameson had given
them and were surprised when data boxes appeared in their line of sight,
showing information. From Nick’s point of view, the boxes gave him Judy’s full
name, date of birth, blood type, and several other data points. For Judy it was
similar, the only difference was that hers showed Nick’s. Both looking at
Jameson, they found themselves confused as all his information was listed as
question marks.
Seeing their confused looks, Jameson decided to explain. “Those are augmented
reality glasses. They will provide you with any information that is available
on what is within your line of sight. The info provided comes from a variety of
various databases including, but not limited to, the ZPD, ZSA, ZIB, and
Interpawl. Please do not ask me to give you an explanation. I would love to,
but at this moment I can’t.”
Given what Jameson had told her only just that morning, Judy found herself
realizing that it was very probable that Nick’s father could have been either a
secret agent or clandestine operative of some sort. Glancing to Nick, she saw
that he seemed to understand it wasn’t that his father wanted to keep them in
the dark but had no choice at this time.
"The glasses can be controlled either by voice command, or by using these
watches. The watches also have a number of other functions, including being
able to communicate with any other paired watch. The watch is also linked to
the earpiece." Jameson stated, as he pressed a combination of buttons to pair
the watches together, before handing them over to Nick and Judy.
With that, Jameson hugged them, bade the two farewell, and good luck, before
climbing back into his vehicle, and driving off.
As Jameson drove off, Nick nodded, stating, “My dad’s probably going to park
further down the street then double back on paw to surveil the transfer at a
distance.” Scanning the surrounding area, Nick noticed a small group of mammals
making their way over to enter the establishment. One of the mammals was a
vixen Nick immediately recognized from his past. Brushing his paw against the
watch to activate the sunshades his father had given him, Nick was able to see
the data boxes containing her information. Tapping Judy on the shoulder, he
said, “If I had had these when I was still hustling then I would have been a
knowledge broker.”
Snorting, Judy shook her head. “Somehow, I’m not surprised.” Spotting the vixen
within the group, Judy’s ears drooped and she glanced at Nick out of the corner
of her eye. He didn’t show any sign or indication of observing the vixen, but
the shades left an opening for that little insecure part of her mind  to rattle
the cage she stuffed it in. Clearing her throat, she said, “That vixen sure is
pretty.”
Nick huffed in annoyance. “Not falling for that, Judes. Yes, I know her, but
only in a professional business capacity. She was a rival street hustler Finn
and I partnered with for a short time before we learned she was skimming cash
out of the till.” Wrapping an arm around Judy, Nick added, “Besides, I have no
desire for vixens anyway.”
Judy felt that little insecurity subside, at least for now. “Sorry. I’m still
struggling with the fact that you want me instead of a vixen like that.” she
whispered so softly it was almost no more than a breath. She felt Nick squeeze
her shoulder and his tail wrap around her ankles out of view. She felt
immensely comforted by the gestures. Suddenly, her ears alerted her to a
vehicle approaching. Turning in the direction of the sound, Judy witnessed an
unmarked, armored police car stop right in front of them.
Nick whistled. “Wow. They really aren’t taking any chances, are they?” His
question had been a rhetorical one, but the massive wolf that stepped out
apparently decided to answer any way.
“Nope. You and Judy are both highly important components in regard to this
investigation. Your safety is paramount.” Harrison explained.  Slightly taken
aback by the black suits worn by the fox and bunny, but deciding it wasn’t
worth bringing up, Harrison extended his paw, stating, “Harrison Wolford,
Detective Rank 3. My partner, the tigress, is Zannah Fangmeyer, Detective Rank
3.”
Nick reciprocated the gesture while taking note of info within the wolf’s data-
boxes, replying, “Nicholas P. Wilde, former street hustler extraordinaire. You
already know Judy. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He helped Judy
into the vehicle then assisted Harrison with loading the luggage he and Judy
had brought. As he was moving the luggage into the vehicle’s trunk, Nick
noticed his new glasses flashing up with background data on the pair of
officers. Quickly reviewing the data, Nick determined that none of it was
particularly relevant at the moment, so he disregarded the data for now, but
filed it away in the back of his mind. With everything packed, Nick joined Judy
and Fangmeyer inside the vehicle, saying, “Let’s get rolling.”
Harrison drove off in the direction of the train station. “I’ve been ordered to
inform you two that there’s been a development in the case. Approximately five
and a half hours ago, the corpse of Dawn Bellwether was discovered in a remote
area of Tundra Town. She was shot point-blank, execution-style and had her
tongue cut out and placed within her hoof.”
Judy blanched at the news. “Didn’t she get rescued by some paramilitary
mercenaries?” She couldn’t understand what had led to Bellwether’s rescuers to
murder her.
Looking out the window, Nick stated, “Bellwether wasn’t the one in charge,
remember? That extraction was ordered by whoever is and he’s using what
happened to send a message. ‘Those of my subordinates who fail in their
assigned tasks or are captured will be executed without hesitation’.”
Zannah didn’t say anything until Nick was done. “Because of that, Harrison and
I will be accompanying you to Bunnyburrow. We won’t be disembarking however,
we’re only making sure you arrive without incident.”
Judy and Nick nodded. The four soon pulled into the overnight parking for the
Savannah Central Train Station. Exiting the vehicle, they grabbed their luggage
and walked inside. Heading to the platform for the train going to Bunnyburrow,
they gave the train attendant their boarding passes and entered their
compartment.
“Looks like the Chief got us on a sleeper car.” Harrison observed. Stowing
their luggage in the overhead bins, he took a seat next to the door. “Might as
well sit down. Unless, of course, you want me to pull a bed out.”
Nick shook his head. “We’ll be fine. We’re too wired for sleep at the moment.”
Sitting in an available seat, he pulled Judy into the seat next to him. “We’ve
got time, so how about we just make casual conversation?”
The four of them sat quietly, unsure of how best to begin. The silence dragged
on for so long that it became uncomfortable. Finally unable to take the
silence, Zannah requested that they tell them about their adventure on the
‘Missing Mammals’ Case. Nick and Judy were happy to oblige, telling them just
about everything. They omitted certain parts, like having Mr. Big threaten
Weaselton for information. Every so often, Zannah would stop them to ask a
question. Harrison just sat and listened to it all quietly.
An attendant came by and offered them refreshments, but Harrison politely
declined saying they were fine. When the attendant left, Nick asked Judy, “How
far out are we?”
Judy looked out the window to see if she recognized any landmarks. Seeing the
radio relay tower that was used to allow some of Zootopia’s radio stations to
reach the Tri-Burrows, she replied, “We’re still about 160 miles from
Bunnyburrow, so we’re looking at maybe another hour and a half, give or take a
quarter.”
Zannah shook her head. “I still can’t believe how far your hometown is. I mean,
don’t take this the wrong way, I don’t mean to insult you or anything, but you
live out in the boondocks.”
Judy started laughing. “I’m not offended in the slightest, because you’re
right. Bunnyburrow is, and these are Nick’s words, a carrot picking podunk. Not
to be confused with the actual place named Podunk.”
Nick smirked at Judy’s words. “Told you.” Looking out the window himself, he
said, “This is actually the first time I’ve ever left the city. I can’t believe
how open it is.”
Harrison stated, “I’ve traveled as far as the city of Predatorton, but it was
for a family function. If I recall correctly, it’s about a nine hour and forty-
five minute train ride from the city. There aren’t any prey mammals within the
city limits. They all live just beyond the outskirts.”
Judy sighed. “Before heading to Zootopia, I never visited anywhere outside the
limits of the Tri-Burrows. My parents never had any interest traveling other
than when the Tri-Burrow’s fair was visiting one of the neighboring areas.”
“I’ve been to Felinia. It’s a small town that’s home mostly to felines, but
there are a few other species living there.” Zannah told them. “My parents took
me to visit my late Uncle Felix, my father’s younger brother. We stayed for the
whole summer vacation from school that year. It was awful.”
Judy noticed the sad expression on Nick’s face. “You okay, Slick? You look like
something’s bothering you.”
Nick shrugged. “It’s nothing really. Just thinking about a couple of things
from my past.” He turned to her and gave her a tiny, melancholy smile. “I’ve
never been out of the city, but I know a great number of places within its
districts that many mammals would never imagine existed. There’s a bar in the
Rainforest District, for example. It’s called the Jungle Boogie Pub. Finn and I
went there once because we heard awesome things about it, but when we got
there…” He shook his head. “All the workers were completely nude. Not a scrap
of clothes on them.”
Judy balked at that little bit of info. “That’s against Health Code
regulations. How are they still in business?”
Nick snorted. “They’re in the Rainforest District and just on the edge of the
border that’s used to separate it from the Canal District. That area is often
ignored for a variety of reasons, including the fact that a good number of
mammals are too frightened to go there.”
Harrison nodded his agreement. Standing, he said, “I’m going to the restroom.
I’ll be right back.”
Locking the compartment door after he left, Zannah said, “I’m sure there are a
lot of places in Zootopia that many don’t know about. Are there any that you
try to avoid purely due to personal reasons?”
Nick sighed. “Plenty. There’s one that I don’t even think the ZPD knows about.”
Noticing the curious expressions on Judy and Zannah’s faces, he started
explaining. “I’m sure you know about the Nocturnal District, right?” Receiving
nods, he stated, “Okay. Well, further into the Nocturnal District is a special
sub-district known as the Red Light District. Its streets are lined with
establishments specially designed to promote ‘sexual relations’, if you get my
meaning. Now, none of the working girls and boys are forced to do anything they
don’t want to, but they don’t really have many rules either. I only went
because Finn wanted to get me a ‘present’ for my eighteenth birthday. It did
not turn out well. Finn’s always been quite open with his sexuality, but when
we got to the first sex club, I finally realized just how much of a slut he
really is.”
Judy had to resist the urge to vomit. “That’s horrible. How can he just sleep
around like that? Don’t foxes mate for life?”
Nick barked out a laugh. “Yes, yes, we do, but you see there’s something that
is required to really seal two foxes as mates and Finn is a master of getting
around that.”
Curiosity piqued, Zannah asked, “And what, pray tell, is this requirement? I’m
also guessing that other canid species that mate for life such as wolves also
require whatever this thing is?”
Nick gave her a smug smirk and wriggled his brows. “You interested in your
partner, Tiger-lily?” Seeing the tigress blush, Nick’s smirk became a gentle
smile. “Yeah, some other canid species require it, too. I don’t know how well
versed in canid reproduction you two are so I’ll break it down for you. During
the act of mating, a small bulb forms at the base of our cocks, called a knot,
that is used to bind or tie us together. This can only be done with the one we
chose as our lifemate. It bonds us in a very special way. Most canines will
imprint on our lifemates as well, but when we’re tied to them we tend to stay
like that for an extended period of time.” He grinned at Judy then added, “I’ve
been told it’s quite intimate.”
Judy’s ears were so red that it was almost an exact match to Nick’s fur. She
thought about the book Jameson had given her back at the manor. She had packed
it in her luggage, which was right above their heads. She smoothed her ears
back, hoping Nick wouldn’t notice how red they were. “Sounds nice.” she
whispered.
Nick turned to her with a loving smile. He leaned over and laid a featherlight
kiss on her cheek. Returning to his original position, he saw Fangmeyer lost in
thought. “You okay over there? You’re really quiet.”
Zannah blinked then nodded. “Yeah, I’m ... fine. Just have something on my
mind. Don’t mind me.” She looked out the window and watched the scenery pass
by. She was actually remembering her first night with Harrison. It hadn’t been
planned, but it had truly been the best night of her entire life. Harrison, on
the other paw, had seemed to struggle with something, but eventually they
climaxed together. She remembered that he kept whispering ‘Don’t leave me,
please. Please, don’t leave me.’ repeatedly. It was something he still did.
Thinking about what Nick had said, a small part of her began to ponder if
Harrison had actually been asking her to stay with him even though they hadn’t
tied together.
Harrison returned from the restroom to find Nick and Judy relaxing against each
other, by all appearances, napping. Zannah looked lost somewhere wandering
within her mind. Sitting down, he whispered, “Hey? You okay?”
Zannah went to nod, but stopped herself. Shifting around to look Harrison in
the eye, she stated, “Come with me. We need to talk.”
Following her into the adjacent compartment, Harrison asked, “What’s going on,
Zannah? You seem a little distressed.”
Whirling around on him, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him close. “Why?” she
asked him. “Why haven’t you tied yourself to me during any of our nights
together?”
Harrison almost felt like he would collapse. It was like his breath left him,
rendering him speechless. Licking his lips nervously, he asked, “H-how do you
know about that?”
“Nick was telling us a couple of things about the city and we ended up on the
subject of sex.” she explained. “Now answer my question. Why haven’t you tied
me?”
Harrison’s ears fell flat against his skull. “I-it’s…” he trailed off, unsure
how to explain everything to her. “Fuck.” He dropped down into one of the seats
and started to rub his eyes. “This isn’t how I expected, or  wanted,  to have
this conversation.”
“Sorry, but not sorry. Start talking, Harrison.” Zannah ordered, sitting down
across from him
Harrison sighed. “Okay.” Getting on his knees before her and placing a paw on
her knee, he looked her in the eyes and said, “Before I met you, I was in a
very committed relationship.” Feeling her tense, he quickly added, “We didn’t
knot! We didn’t knot! Not for the lack of her trying, though.” Taking her paws
in his, he continued, “She was very determined to get me to tie her, but I kept
refusing. It just didn’t feel right to me. Finally, when she broke up with me,
she told me that if I wouldn’t knot her then I would never find someone. It’s
not that I don’t want to, because by the Divine Entities I do, but a tiny part
of me keeps telling me that you aren’t her. That I need to wake up, go after my
ex, and tie myself to her. She did something to me and I don’t know what or how
to fix it.”
Staring down at Harrison sadly, Zannah ran her claws gently through the fur on
his head. “Why didn’t you tell me all this earlier? I would have understood.”
Harrison looked at her with tears filling his eyes. “I was scared. I love you
and I was afraid you’d leave me when I told you.” he admitted. “We haven’t
knotted, but I  have  imprinted on you, Zannah. You're basically my center. The
thing my life revolves around. If you left me…”
Zannah put a paw over his mouth. “Stop. Right. There. Just stop. I’m not going
to leave you, Harrison.” Pulling his head close, she smoothed his headfur
lovingly. “We’ll get through this, okay. We’ll get through this together.”
Harrison wrapped his arms around her tightly. He let out a single shaky sob
then rose to his feet. “We should get back into our assigned compartment.”
Taking ahold of Zannah’s paw, he ushered her back into their compartment where
Nick and Judy were still conked out.
<Back with Nick and Judy>
After the door to their compartment closed, Nick and Judy each cracked an eye
open to see if they were truly alone. Seeing that they were, they sat up
straight. Nick had wanted to give both detectives a chance to slip away. He was
also sure Judy had some questions for him. “Okay, Fluff. I know you’ve got
questions. Let’s hear them.”
Judy sighed silently. “Back at the manor, your dad stated something about your
age.” She waited for a moment hoping Nick would know what she was trying to
ask. Thankfully, he was quite aware of what her intended question was.
“Yeah,” Nick began while rubbing his neck. “Well, I left home at 17 after
dropping out of high school.” Folding his paws in his lap as he looked down,
Nick continued. “I’ll be honest, that story of hustling since I was 12 was
exaggerated. I started almost immediately after I dropped out.” Nick started to
explain how he was often discriminated by the teachers because of his species
and how he dropped out midway through his Junior year. “I just stopped going
since it was so obvious no one at the school could believe that I managed to
get my spectacular grades without cheating. Additionally, my mom and I were
usually at odds, so my home life was not much better. Between the problems at
school and home, I ended up just leaving without a word to anyone or even a
note. I was homeless for a while until I started taking odd jobs for cash.
That’s when I started hustling. In less than a week, I had made enough to put
down a rental deposit on a small studio apartment in Happytown.”
Judy listened as Nick explained himself. “What happened after that?” It kind of
made sense that he had started a short time before getting an apartment if he
needed to pay rent. Odd jobs didn’t pay much, especially not enough for that.
“Heh,” Nick chuckled. “At first, the small scale hustles I was occasionally
doing were enough to cover my rent, but shortly before my 18th birthday, my
landlord raised the rent, and I had to start hustling more often. My rent was
due the next week, but after living expenses, I didn’t have enough saved to
cover the increased rent. The landlord threatened to evict me if I didn’t pay
on time. So, I started thinking up more profitable cons. I had started by
running smaller cons like three card monte, but with the rent hike, I soon
graduated to larger schemes like the pawpsicles. It didn't take long for me to
start building a reputation as quite a gifted grifter. Thanks to that
reputation, there were a number of mammals that wanted to be hustling partners
with me during that time, but they never stuck around long until Finn.”
Smoothing his headfur back, he knew he had to tell her. “I, uh, had a few
vixens as roommates,as well as partners, but I promise you nothing happened.
There was one vixen I had to kick out for trying to sleep with me, but other
than that, I was on my own until Finn came around and offered a partnership.”
Jealousy coursed through Judy at the thought of Nick living with vixens, but
his open honesty and his promise that he hadn’t slept with one all but snuffed
it out. She slid closer to Nick and leaned into him. She felt Nick wrap an arm
around her and drape his tail over her lap. She snuggled closer saying, “That’s
enough for now, Slick. I want to know about those scars too, but we have until
approximately 8 o’clock ‘til we arrive and I’m exhausted. Let’s take a real nap
until then. Harrison and Zannah will wake us when we’re close.” She heard him
give a hum of approval then let herself fall to sleep.
Bunnyburrow Train Station – Bunnyburrow – Tri-Burrows - 7:25 p.m.
Stuart and Bonnie Hopps were driving the large bus they normally only used to
bring their kits to a sporting event at their school. With them were Jaxon
Lapins and his arctic vixen fiancée, Skye Wintory, as well as a few of their
other kits. Skye had arrived earlier that morning, but her arrival had thrown
the Hopps warren into disarray. It had taken nearly three hours to calm
everyone down long enough to explain.
Stu drove the bus into the area designated for arrivals. Throwing the bus into
park, he then turned to face those present. “Okay. Judy and her friend will be
arriving soon. Let’s go over how everything’s going to happen one last time.”
All the passengers, with the exception of Jaxon, Skye, and Bonnie, said, “We
are to be polite, friendly, and hospitable.” Getting a nod, they all piled out
of the bus and raced to the platform Judy’s train was to arrive at. The older
kits tried to corral the younger ones together with difficulty, but they
eventually managed it.
Stu helped Bonnie down before Jaxon did the same for Skye, who was having a
hard time getting used to the dress she was wearing to make a good impression
on Jaxon’s half-sister Judy and her todfriend. “Jaxon, I want you to promise me
that I’ll never have to wear another dress ever again. Not even at our wedding.
We’ll just go to the damn courthouse.”
Jaxon chuckled, but said, “Yes, Skye, I promise. You have my word.” Receiving a
kiss, he took her paw and they followed Mr. and Mrs. Hopps into the train
station. “This place is rather…what’s the proper term I’m looking for?”
“Dated.” Stu and Bonnie answered simultaneously. They shook their heads then
Stu stated, “We’ve been trying to convince the town council to give this old
building a makeover, but the old buck who’s running it keeps refusing. He’s
constantly saying that there’s nothing wrong with how it looks. We came close
last year, but then they went and spent all the money on contracting builders
to construct new Middle and High School campuses. I’ll admit that the schools
were necessary, however, we still need to get the old building up to the new
building codes.”
Skye looked at the dilapidated place. She immediately agreed that unless some
professional repairs were done soon that the town would no longer have a train
station. Following everyone inside, she could see a few other species
meandering around, waiting for their respected arrivals. “Lots of mammals here
for the middle of the week.” she observed.
“Actually, this is slow.” Bonnie admitted. “Normally, two sheriff’s deputies
are required just to maintain order.”
Skye shuddered at the thought of so many mammals all crammed into this space.
“I don’t really want to think about that.” Looking up the Arrivals Time Sheet
posted on the only high-tech piece of equipment in the place, she said, “Looks
like they’ll be arriving in five minutes.”
All of them heard the tell-tale squeal that indicated an approaching train had
just applied its brakes. Ears swiveling in that direction, they turned to see
it pulling up to the platform. Michael Hopps, one of the elder kits present,
checked his pocket watch and muttered, “Early as always.” The younger kits all
started racing towards the locomotive to be the first to greet Judy, only to
skid to a halt as a wolf of titanic proportions stepped off.
Harrison Wolford scanned the crowd for the two bunnies from the photograph in
the file. Spotting them, he turned into the train car and stated, “Found them.”
He stepped aside to let Zannah off so they could help Nick and Judy disembark.
Nick stepped out first then proceeded to aid Judy’s decent like a true gentle-
fox. Once Judy’s hindpaws had touched the platform, she heard all her siblings
present scream ‘JUDY!!’. Letting out a laugh, she waved, saying, “Hi guys.”
Bonnie and Stu walked up and crushed her in a shared hug. “We’re so glad you’re
okay, Bun-Bun.” Separating from the embrace, Bonnie looked at the red fox tod
standing behind her daughter. Walking up, she held out her paw. “It’s a
pleasure to meet you, Nicholas. Welcome to Bunnyburrow.”
Nick smiled and shook her paw. “Thank you, Mrs. Hopps.” He repeated the
exchange with Judy’s father then turned to Wolford and Fangmeyer. “It’s been
fun. Hopefully, we’ll get to do this again once I’m on the force.” He then
exchanged numbers with them before they climbed back aboard to await the trains
departure back towards Zootopia.
Jaxon was standing off to the side with Skye, staring at Judy. Skye wrapped her
tail around his ankles causing him to look up at her with a confused look.
Skye gave him a sheepish smile. “I don’t want either of them to get the wrong
impression.” she explained. Feeling Jaxon wrap an arm around her waist, she
asked, “Shall we?”
The two of them cautiously approach Judy and Nick. As they got closer, Nick
bristled, but didn’t lash out. Judy merely raised an eyebrow. Stopping just out
of attack range, Jaxon took a deep breath. “Hi. My name’s Jaxon.”
Bonnie stood next to Jaxon and looked at Judy with some concern. “Judy, there’s
something I’m sure you figured out already, but we need to talk about a couple
of things. Jaxon is one of them.” Gesturing at the nearby mini café inside the
station, Bonnie asked, “Can we go over to one of those tables at the café and
talk?”
Stu broke into the conversation by stating, “I’m going to go ahead and take the
kits back, I’ll come back for the rest of you later, after you’ve had a chance
to talk.” After he gathered the kits and left, the five of them walked over to
the café and sat down at one of the tables. Bonnie sighed and began retelling
the story of how she met Bryan Jonathan Lapins, fell in love, mated, and then
lost all contact. Jaxon took over once her portion of the tale ended,
explaining who he was and everything that Bonnie had left out.
Judy sat there taking in all the new information. After a brief moment of
silence, she said, “I always kind of figured that Dad wasn’t my biological
father. Never bothered looking into it, though. Dad was always my dad. He was
the one who was always there for me when I needed him.”
During the entire conversation between the three Leporidae, neither vulpines
exchanged any words. The tension between them was palpable. Skye was shifting
rather uncomfortably. Nick, on the other paw, showed…nothing. Absolutely
nothing. His face was totally devoid of any emotion or expression. Their
silence didn’t go unnoticed by their significant others, however, and upon
seeing the concern in their eyes, Nick finally broke the silence.
“Never expected to see you again.” Nick stated bluntly. “Judging by the fox-
like design on Mr. Lapins’ ring, you proposed. Surprising, when you consider
that you were the biggest slut in Happytown.”
Skye started to growl. “That’s rich coming from you, Nicholas. I wasn’t the one
who was known as the most infamous confidence artist in Zootopia at the age of
19. I often wondered if Mr. Big iced you when I never heard anything about you
after I left.”
Judy and Jaxon exchanged worried looks. “I’m guessing from the animosity
between the two of you that you know each other. Anything we should know?”
Nick and Skye glared at each other. Nick sighed then spoke. “It’s…it’s
complicated.” Reaching over to stroke Judy’s cheek, he smiled. “Skye and I, we
were hustling partners for a long time.” Looking at Judy’s mother, he stated,
“You don’t need to worry, Mrs. Hopps. I’m no longer pulling cons.” Staring into
Judy’s eyes, he whispered, “I’ve managed to find what it was I didn’t know I
was trying to hustle.”
Skye nodded in Jaxon’s direction as if to agree. “We both did, but I think you
all need to hear the whole story. Before I met Nick, I was a drug addicted
prostitute surviving, not living, surviving, in Happytown. Nick came along and
helped me get clean. We then started hustling just to make ends meet.” Suddenly
looking guilty, she added, “It was while we were living together that I…”
Jaxon’s eyebrows shot up. “That you what?” The guilty look that Skye sent his
way had Jaxon understand. “You fell in love with him.”
Now it was Judy’s turn to raise her eyebrows. Nick had told her that he had a
number of vixens as hustling partners, but promised her that he had never been
with anyone before, and judging from Skye’s reactions, he had told the truth.
“What happened between you two?”
Nick let out a long, deep sigh. “She’s the one I told you about on the train,
the vixen who tried to bed me.” Tracing a claw along Judy’s jaw-line, he added,
“She tried and failed. We were sharing an apartment, but I was the sole name on
the lease and kicked her out during her attempt.”
“I was distraught afterwards. I didn’t know why he refused my advances, but it
nearly made me relapse.” Skye admitted. “I was desperate to find someone. It
was winter when it happened so instead of putting myself out there I bought a
ticket to visit family over in Foxhollow. I just ended up moving there after
spring came around.”
“That’s where we met.” Jaxon said. “I’m your rebound?”
Skye shook her head. “No. This all happened almost half a decade before we
met.”
Bonnie had been listening quietly the entire time. Checking her watch, she
estimated that Stu would be returning soon. Speaking up, she stated, “Well, I
must say I’m pleased that everything seems to have worked out favorably for all
of you. Come on, Stu should be pulling up shortly.”
Everyone stood and followed Bonnie outside the train station just in time to
see a pink van with the decal ‘Gideon Grey’s Really Good Baked Stuff’ enter the
parking lot. Nick saw this and let out a low growl. Judy grabbed his tie and
pulled him down to stare into his eyes. They held an entire silent conversation
that way. Nick relaxed and gave Judy a soft, tender peck on her nose. “Sorry.”
was all he whispered.
Bonnie walked up to the pastry van to chat with Gideon. “Hello, Gideon. How are
you?”
Gideon smiled at her. “Ah’m doin’ okay, Missus Hopps. Ah’m actually here to
collect y’all. Mr. Hopps is stuck dealin’ wit ya Pa.”
Sighing, Bonnie gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Gideon. I really appreciate
it.”
“It ain’t no big deal.” Gideon said, bashfully. Looking into the back, he said,
“Hey, Trav, hon, open the back doors.”
Judy, Nick, Jaxon, and Skye saw the back doors of the van open and a ferret
wearing a t-shirt with the word ‘Fox-lover’ printed in big bold letters and
baggy jeans jump out. The ferret, Travis Ferrer, saw them and waved them over.
“Hello, folks.” Spotting Judy, he lowered his ears. “Hi, Judy. I know Gideon’s
already apologized, but I still need to as well.”
Judy waved a paw in the ‘forget it’ motion. “It’s alright, Travis. It’s in the
past. I forgive you.” She watched him give her a slightly crooked grin before
she noticed a glint of light coming from his paw. “Oh! You got married! Who’s
the lucky mammal?”
Laughing, Travis pointed at his shirt, saying, “This here’s the only clue you
should need.” He saw her eyes light up as the realization dawned on her.
Looking from her to the red fox tod she was holding paws with and back, he said
in a conspiratorial whisper, “If you want, you should ask your brother Aiden to
make you one. He’s the one who made mine.”
Looking up at Nick, Judy smiled as she said, “I think I’d like that.”
Nick smiled down at her, then said, “We should get in the van, Cottontail. It’s
late and I’m really looking forward to getting some real sleep, even if just a
little.”
At those words, everyone piled into Gideon’s pastry van. They drove off in the
direction of the Hopps’ family homestead. They just rode in silence, enjoying
the crisp night air. When they reached the Hopps’ Homestead, Gideon got out to
help Bonnie while Travis opened the back door for the others. Gideon scratched
his head before saying, “Well, Ah hope y’all have a nice night. Travis and Ah
need to get home. My Ma’s watching Lil’ Eddy and she needs her sleep.” Waving
goodbye, he and Travis made way for home.
“Who’s Lil’ Eddy?” Judy asked her mom.
“Their adopted kit.” Bonnie replied. “They got him about, oh, eight months
ago.” Gesturing them to follow her, Bonnie led them inside the burrow. “Judy,
your father and I replaced that spare bed in your room’s extension for a larger
one for Nick since he’s a tad bigger. I hope that’s alright. I didn’t want him
to have back problems.”
Judy nodded. “Thanks, Mom. Nick and I are going to head that way right now.
We’ve been up since yesterday morning.” Wishing everyone goodnight, she led
Nick in the direction of her old bedroom. Recalling her father’s words over
their last call, she knew that her parents had set him up in the room next to
hers. Opening the door to Nick’s room, she guided him inside. “You had a media
room. This was my extension after my younger brother Jeb moved out.” Pointing
to the door in the wall, she said, “That door connects my room to this one.”
Turning to give him a glare, she added, “It locks on my side and it will stay
locked. Capiche?”.
Nick gave her a smile and nod before he looked around the room. There were tons
of ZPD recruitment posters as well as a number of photographs with her and
selected siblings. There was also a bookshelf which held an assortment of
smutty novels. Selecting one, he read aloud, “I always thought what attracted
me to him was his predatory nature, at least until he released his inner
beast.”
Judy swiped the novel from him while blushing furiously. “Don’t just go around
searching through my stuff.” she told him. Placing the book back on the shelf,
she said, “I can practically hear your brain formulating questions. Just go
ahead and ask. You don’t hide anything from me, I won’t hide anything from you.
Give and take. I know you still have plenty of secrets, but I also know that
you’ll tell me everything eventually.”
Nick huffed in amusement. “Okay. You told me that you experienced your first
heat the morning after we stayed the night at my mom and dad’s. I find that
difficult to believe based on all the erotic literature you’ve got. Also, being
a bunny and bunnies having such high sex drives, I’m sure you’ve got some porn
stashed somewhere
Judy turned to look at him. “First of all, that’s not a question, but I know
what you’re getting at. Secondly, I don’t have porn. As you have clearly
discovered, I prefer erotic literature about pred-prey relationships. My
parents just haven’t realized that’s what these novels are yet.” Jumping onto
Nick’s bed, which was surprisingly sized for a wolf, she got comfortable and
started explaining. “So, bunnies tend to be very sexual creatures as you are
well aware. The thing most mammals don’t know is that some require certain
triggers.”
Nick climbed up onto the bed beside Judy. “Is that so? Well, do you mind
explaining in further detail?”
“Growing up, my parents had me tested because I didn’t go into heat like most
does. I was seen by multiple specialists to determine why.” Judy told him.
“They all said the same thing. That I had a prerequisite that wasn’t being met.
Until I met that requirement, I would never go into heat. I think that
approximately one out of every 12,000 does experience this.”
Whistling, Nick said, “Damn. But what about all this?” He indicated to the
smutty novels spaced throughout the bedroom. “What would you need all the
erotica for if you don’t go into heat? And where’s your porn stash? Even if you
don’t have any magazines, I’m sure you’ve got some porn vids.”
Judy chuckled. “I don’t think you quite understand, Slick. Just like other
mammals, bunnies don’t need to go into heat or undergo mating cycles or even be
in mating season to enjoy sex. We just become more…” she searched for the right
word. “I guess you could say more ‘fertile’. As for porn vids, I don’t have any
of those either. I like reading because my mind can create a much better
picture.”
Nick nodded in understanding. He laid back on the bed and sighed. “What do you
think is happening back home?” he asked, wanting to prolong his time with Judy
as long as he could.
Despite her exhaustion, Judy took the hint that Nick wasn't ready to be done
for the night. Deciding that she wanted to be close to him anyways, Judy
scooted a little closer to Nick and  cuddled up next to him. “I don’t know,
Red. I honestly don’t know.” She felt him pull her close and drape his tail
over her. Judy relaxed into Nick's embrace, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of
being so close to him.
As she lay there, snuggled into Nick's arms, Judy felt more relaxed than she
had been in a very long time, and before long she noticed Nick embrace
loosening slightly as his breathing steadied out and he fell victim to
exhaustion.
Still, she was so comfortable that she didn't want to return to her own bed
quite yet. ' Just a few more minutes .' she thought to herself, as she slipped
off into sleep.
<MEANWHILE>
Aboard the Zootopian Express en route for Zootopia
Harrison Wolford and Zannah Fangmeyer were sitting in the train’s dining car
eating a small meal. Neither of them had yet to talk about what they expected
upon their return. Giving the busser their plates, they remained seated to
finish their drinks. They watched the scenery fly by through the window.
“Do you think that they’ve uncovered any new evidence? Or, even made any
developments during the time we’ve been here?” Zannah asked seriously. The lack
of updates from the precinct was bothering her.
Harrison shrugged. “I have no idea. I’m choosing to view the radio silence as
proof that they are working so hard following leads that they don’t have time
to contact us and fill us in.” Taking the last sip of his water, he set his
glass aside. “But, I share your uneasiness. Something big is about to happen.
Maybe not today, maybe not next week, or even next month, but something
sinister will take place in the near future.”
Zannah polished off the last of her own glass of water. “We should head back to
our compartment. We need to rest if we’re to assist in whatever way we can.”
She stood and made her way back to the compartment followed by Harrison.
Stepping inside, she pulled out one of the sleepers.
Harrison watched her every move with rapt attention. He waited for her to lay
down before joining her. Laying a tender kiss to her forehead, he whispered, “I
love you, Zannah. Please don’t ever doubt that.”
Zannah rubbed her head into his chest. “I won’t. Just promise me you won’t
doubt my love for you either.” She soon fell into a peaceful sleep within the
arms of her wolf.
Nocturnal District – Zootopia
Deep within the Nocturnal District of Zootopia, the Chancellor slowly walked
through the dark streets. Taking in the sight of other nocturnal predators, he
made his way further into the district. He had a singular goal. Approaching a
rundown, condemned abandoned building, he stopped just before where it was
obvious a gate used to be. “This place hasn’t changed.” he murmured.
The building had a sign that read: ‘Nocturne Bedlam Maximum Security
Penitentiary’. Every window had bars covering them. It was falling apart in a
rather surprisingly systematic way. No lights could be seen, but then again
only nocturnal predators used to be imprisoned here.
Walking into the building, the Chancellor wasted no time in heading to the
lowest level. Arriving, he made his way to the last cell still housing an
inmate. Standing in front of the cell, the Chancellor cleared his throat
causing the mammal inside to raise his head. “Been a long time, Hannibal. I’ve
come with an offer.”
The hyena kept a bored expression. “Is that so. Tell me, why would I agree to
work with you?”
The Chancellor grinned wickedly. “Because, in the end, you’ll finally get your
greatest desire.” He watched the hyena stand slowly and come closer.
The bored expression morphed into one of intrigue. “I’m listening.” Hannibal
stated.
The wicked grin became one of pure malice. “Here’s what I require of you.” The
Chancellor began.
Chapter End Notes
     Question: I'm curious if I should give hints for the Easter Eggs.
     Thoughts?
***** Chapter Se7en: Meetings *****
Chapter Summary
     I have no summary. Just a short message. I choose to write 7 as
     'Se7en' simply because I liked it. There is no reference to the film
     by that name.
     Also, there are two important messages in the notes. Please read
     them.
     Chapter Edit date : 11/4/17
     I had a sleight of mind until today. Apologies.
     Prior to this chapters release I made a promise and it slipped my
     mind for a while. Wrecker159753, I didn't forget.
     Okay everyone, so wrecker159753 asked permission to use my Izu Gene
     and I agreed. I also promised to promote his story when I released
     the chapter, but Im human I made an error. This is me fixing it and
     keeping my promise. Go read his story. I find it a great read. I
     personally am looking forward to how it goes.
Chapter Notes
     Hey'o everybody! Y'all doing good? If so, I'm glad, but I've got the
     flu. Anyway, a couple of things.
     1. liiwilliams08, here it is! We're going to see Nick's little
     discovery! I won't spoil it for you though. I took inspiration from a
     film (Easter Egg).
     2. Thanks again to Fairlane302 for edits. I don't know why you put up
     with me, but bless your soul.
     3. The post chapter notes have a small message that I typed up after
     my son was suspended. If you recall he broke a fellow student's nose
     in defense of his twin sister.
     4. Lastly, neither of us are sure yet, but it looks like my wife and
     I are pregnant again. We've got an appointment at the end of next
     week for confirmation. I'M SO EXCITED!!!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                            Chapter_Seven:_Meetings
Hopps’_Family_Homestead_–_Bunnyburrow_–_Tri-Burrow_Area_–_Approx._1_hr_before
sunrise
Judy opened her eyes as her brain finally registered that there was something
off in her surroundings. The first thing she saw was creamy tan fur. It dawned
on her that she had fallen asleep next to Nick, Judy carefully extracted
herself from his arms, which had enveloped her during the night. Sliding out of
bed, she observed the sight before her. They had fallen asleep on top of the
covers, but at some point Nick had pulled the comforter over them. He was also
no longer wearing the shirt from last night, evident by its presence on the
floor and his bare chest. Judy surmised he must have removed his shirt at some
point to get more comfortable. Smiling, she left the quietly left the room
through the door in the wall that led to her own. Changing into another set of
clothes and quickly going through her standard morning routine, she saw that
the sun was about to make its appearance. ‘ I wonder if Mom’s up yet.’  she
wondered.  ‘Since I woke up hungry, I’m sure Nick will, too.’  Judy exited her
bedroom in search of her mother, as a plan for the best way to wake her fox up
began to formulate in her mind.
It was about twenty or so minutes later that Nick woke to the sensation of
someone tenderly stroking his head. The action caused his brain to begin
initiating start up procedures. Nick slowly began to process the world around
him, one sense at a time. His sense of touch had been the first, informing him
that it was a soft paw was stroking his head lovingly. The second was his sense
of hearing, which told him there was a strong yet somewhat fast heartbeat
located near him. Nick’s sense of smell was third and Nick couldn’t help the
smile that formed upon smelling Judy’s scent in his immediate vicinity.
Cracking open one of his emerald-jade eyes, Nick found himself swimming within
a pool of rich amethyst. “Morning, Fluff.” Nick whispered, followed by a wide
yawn exposing his sharp teeth.
Judy felt a shiver of arousal at the sight. She was still suffering from her
first heat, but thankfully she made use of the stash of hormonal suppressants
in her bedroom as she was getting ready for the day, so it was manageable.
“Morning, Red.” Judy whispered back. “My mom’s making breakfast, so you’ve got
to get up if you want any. Plus, I’ve got things I want us to do today.” After
having argued with a fair number of her siblings for a pawful of minutes a
short while ago, Judy decided to get Nick out of the burrow so her parents
could deal with them.
Nick sat up and stretched. A number of kinks popped in the process which had
him releasing a sigh of relief. Giving Judy a glance, he noticed that she must
have gotten up at some point either last night or early morning and gone into
her room as she was now wearing very different clothes. “Unless you want a
show, you’re going to have to leave the room for a bit.” Nick didn’t normally
wear anything when going to sleep. Whenever he did, he found that whatever he
was wearing usually ended up being discarded as he tried to get comfortable in
his sleep, so except for the covers he was currently under, he didn’t have
anything on.
Judy blushed as she realized that Nick had apparently removed more than just
his shirt, and was actually naked under the sheets. “O-okay.” Jumping off the
bed, she walked to the door. “I’ll be right outside in the hallway.” Closing
the door behind her, Judy leaned back against it and placed a paw on her chest.
‘Oh, sweet cheese and crackers!’  she thought as images of Nick’s nude form
began to flash through her mind.
Nick had just walked into the attached bathroom to piss when his mobile started
ringing. Sighing, he returned to the bed and grabbed it, glancing at the Caller
ID. He was surprised to see that it was Finn. Entering the bathroom once again,
he relieved himself as he answered, “Hello?”
“Seriously, dude? Ya answered yo damn cell while ya pissing?” Finn asked in
that deep, gruff voice of his. “Never mind. Look, I’ve been looking for ya fo’
the past hour. Where da fuck are ya? Did ya fo’get we’ve got a hustlin’ gig to
get to today?”
Nick face-pawed and let out a groan. Finished taking a whiz, he walked over to
his luggage. “Finn, I’m out of the hustling biz for good now. I’ve already
applied for the Police Academy.” He heard a sound of disgust from the other end
of the line. “Finn, you had to have known this would happen. You aren’t that
stupid.”
Finn let out a long groan. “Yeah, yeah, I fuckin’ know.” he admitted. “Man, I
can’t fuckin’ believe ya left me. For a  bunny  of all things.”
Nick felt a small grin cross his face. “Sorry, bud. Why don’t you run on down
to Happytown? I’m sure that there’s another fox you could take under your
wing.”
Finn let out a bark of laughter. “Really? Like any of them muthafuckas could
hold a candle to ya. Ya was the best. Them idiots wouldn’t be worth teaching.
Nah, looks like I’m gonna hafta go legit now. Otherwise, I’ll have yo ass on my
tail.”
Nick chuckled at that as he got dressed in laidback casual clothes. “Well,
you’ve always been good with kits. Maybe you should look into working for Kit
Services. They’re always looking for more paws on deck.”
“Maybe. Anyway, I gotta go. Catch ya on the flipside, Wilde.” Finn said ending
the call.
“Catch you later, Finn.” Nick said softly. Putting his phone in his pocket,
Nick wondered what Finn’s future held. The two had been good friends during
their run, but things had changed. Knowing Judy was waiting for him, he raced
out the door hoping that there was a minor chance that he could possibly get
some blueberry pancakes.
The_Undercity_–_Zootopia
After Ian had informed him that he hadn’t been able to locate anything of note
regarding the identity of their adversary nor the rest of the conspirators,
Jameson decided to call in a favor from an old acquaintance. That’s what led
him here: The Undercity.
Jameson had once told Nick, when he was younger, that there were many dark
places in the world where few sane mammals tread. Places that no one in their
right mind would go if they knew what was good for them. Jameson knew full well
from his experience that the Undercity was one such place.
Most mammals didn’t know of its existence, but those who did tended to steer
clear. Located beneath the city of Zootopia, further down than even the sewer
system, the Undercity was where you could truly find or be anything. Drug lords
and their cartels could move massive shipments of their product without the
ZPD’s knowledge, prostitutes were abundant, mercenaries for hire weren’t
difficult to locate. There were no laws here with the exception that if you
wanted to live be careful who you cross.
As he walked down the wide trade corridor deep in the Undercity, Jameson had to
hide his smile at the sight of all the other pedestrians parting like the Red
Sea in his wake. It appeared that he still had enough of a reputation to make
even the hardened populace of the undercity give him a wide berth. A few tipped
their hats at him, others saluted, and still others…. they just ran as if Death
itself was coming for them.
When Jameson arrived at his destination, he took a moment to observe the facade
of the old building he stood in front of. It was apparent that the place had
seen better days, but looks were deceiving. Walking inside, the other patrons
fell silent as he scanned the locale. Finding the mammal that he was searching
for, Jameson made his way over and sat down at the same booth.
Andreas Bogo sat in the corner booth of the usually lively drug den. He never
partook the products offered, preferring instead the bar’s aged scotch, but he
enjoyed the crazy atmosphere. When the whole establishment went silent, he knew
that Jameson had walked in. He almost wanted to laugh as it appeared that even
completely stoned and drunk, the other mammals present immediately sobered up
in Jameson’s presence. Almost as if merely thinking his name had the power to
summon him, Jameson was seated in front of him nigh-instantaneously. “Jameson.”
Andreas greeted.
“Andreas.” Jameson greeted in return. Seeing several empty scotch glasses, he
asked, “Been waiting long?” He got his answer as the cocktail waitress placed
another glass before the enormous cape buffalo. “Well, that answers my
question.”
Chuckling, Andreas pushed the glass aside. “Never ceases to amaze me that even
after all this time that you still look just the same as when we first met over
half a century ago. Benefits of your Izu Gene no doubt.” His voice was rough
with age and decades of smoking cigars, but still quite powerful. “To give you
a legitimate answer to your question, I’ve been here since your son’s name was
released in connection with Dawn Bellwether’s arrest.”
Jameson let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “Still a chessmaster, I see. Good,
we’re going to need one.” Ordering a lager from a passing cocktail waitress, he
said, “I need you to do me a favor. I haven’t been in contact with anyone from
those days. Do you think you could possibly gather them all together at my
place?”
Draining his scotch in one go, Andreas asked, “Depends on when you want them
there.” He was already starting to formulate ways to get the old crew back
together.
“Saturday evening, at 2215.” Jameson stated, falling back on his former habit
of using military time. He knew that he was asking for a miracle, but if anyone
could pull it off, he knew it would be Andreas.
Nodding, Andreas said, “They’ll be there. You’ve got my word.” Setting his
glass down, Andreas stood. “Order whatever you like. I’ll tell the bartender
it’s on me. See you, Gravewalker.” With those parting words, Andreas left the
establishment.
Shaking his head at the old cape buffalo’s use of his former moniker, Jameson
requested a menu from the waitress who placed his drink before him. After he
ordered, he surfed the web on his cellular mobile while he waited for his meal.
One particular article popped out at him. Selecting the link, he saw a picture
of Hannibal Hyector with the caption ‘Escaped’. Jameson growled dangerously.
Reading the rest of the article, he wondered,  ‘Who the fucking hell would be
crazy enough to break him out?’
@_ZPD_Precinct_One_HQ
Chief Tobias Bogo stood in his office staring at the evidence board. Over the
past several hours, new developments in the Anti-Predator Movement, now dubbed
‘The Predopurge’ by the media, had been discovered and verified by several of
his officers. A deep sigh left him as he turned to look at the other evidence
board that held all the information regarding Hannibal Hyector’s escape. He
glanced down at his wristwatch. ‘ It’s only 1:00 and I’m already in need of
another cup of coffee. ’ Taking a seat at his desk, Bogo rubbed his eyes. He
had been sleeping at the precinct ever since his officers had discovered a
piece of evidence that indicated an imminent attack. A knock on his office door
had him say, “Enter.”
Leodore Lionheart entered Chief Bogo’s office followed by Spencer Wolvenett.
Spencer had been one of Chief Bogo’s best officers until he decided to transfer
to the Justice Department where he quickly rose to the position of Assistant
District Attorney. Both Lionheart and Wolvenett noticed the cape buffalo’s
distinctly disheveled appearance, but with nothing more than glance at one
another, they mutually agreed to ignore it. Lionheart stayed by the door as
Spencer took a seat.
Bogo looked from one to the other. Standing, he said, “Walk with me. I need
coffee.” He left his office heading towards the Precinct cafeteria with
Lionheart and Wolvenett on his heels. Only after pouring himself his fifth cup
of coffee for the day, did he turn to look at his guests. “What can I do for
you two? Also, please keep in mind that with the current state of affairs, I
cannot spare any officers.”
Lionheart and Wolvenett glanced at each other. Lionheart took the lead. “As you
know, Zootopia has no power base without a mayor. The city council has decided
to hold an impromptu election.”
Wolvenett took over. “The Head of the Justice Department is…frustrated with the
number of mammals being nominated. Therefore, his solution is to require the
city council to put forth no more than four names as nominations.”
Lionheart interrupted, stating, “The council’s decision has created a minor
crisis. The current nominees include two predators and two prey. The prey are
arguing that the predators will go savage if given the chance, even without the
Night-Howler serum, meanwhile, the predators are counterarguing that
Bellwether…”
Bogo shattered the now empty cup of coffee in his iron grip. “The point,
gentlemammals.” he stated, as he retrieved a broom and dustpan from a nearby
broom closet. “Get. To. The. Point.” The buffalo brusquely stated as he began
sweeping up the fragments before disposing of them.
Wolvenett gulped. He had no desire to anger Chief Bogo any further. He
remembered what had happened last time, and had no desire for a repeat
performance. “The Head of the Justice Department has requested that the Council
reselect their nominees and consider me for one of the predator candidates.”
Bogo pursed his lips in thought. Having a former cop as the mayor wasn’t a bad
idea, not to mention one who’s currently an ADA. Bogo looked Spencer up and
down before nodding, “If you’re here for my approval and support, you have it.
Now if there is nothing else…” He was cut off by Lionheart.
“Chief, you need to be aware that Spencer’s supporters consist of equal parts
predator and prey.” Lionheart stated. “He’s got a far better chance than the
others, but the problem is that one of the other nominees is Fatima Ara.”
Bogo’s eye twitched. Fatima Ara was one of, if not the, most outspoken mammals
in the city. She held a vast amount of influence amongst the prey community.
Bogo raised a paw to rub his forehead. Fatima’s involvement made matters a
whole lot more difficult, because she was very much against interspecies
relationships and Bogo was positive that if she won the election, Wilde and
Hopps would both be off the force faster than lightning could strike. “How long
until the election?”
“Two months.” Spencer stated. “The city council wants to give each nominee time
to campaign. It’s not very long, but we have to try to influence as many as we
can.” Spencer knew better than to assume that he could maintain the following
he had constantly. Anyone in politics knew that during elections such as these,
it would be nearly impossible to keep all of the supporters one had. One
moment, the populace would lean one way then minutes later lean another as each
candidate presented their platform. Spencer also knew that if he had
benefactors like Chief Bogo, and Lionheart, amongst several other ‘high value’
city figureheads, then it would go a long ways towards not only placating his
current supporters, but perhaps hopefully garnering even more.
Bogo nodded. “How do you want me to show my support?” There wasn’t a whole lot
he could do thanks to the current political climate and the ongoing
investigations, but he’d do whatever he could to assist. The idea of speaking
to his mother crossed his mind, since she had once been a major political
player in organizing fundraisers and promotional assemblies.
Lionheart stepped forward. “We just need you to show up at a number of
gatherings. Nothing major or time consuming, but very important. The first will
be in three days, when we hold a small assembly in Sahara Square. Early polls
show that it’s the one district where Spencer is trailing behind, though not by
much. As it currently stands, he’s the favorite overall, leading with followers
from both classes. Fatima’s  behind by approximately 5,000 mammals. In a city
like ours though, that’s a small gap.” Spencer nodded in agreement.
Bogo sighed. “I’ll be there. Just promise me that I won’t have to give some
grand speech. I really,  really hate public speaking. It’s the one part of this
job I wish I could paw over to someone else.” A thought occurred to him. “Fuck
it, I’m going to hire a media liaison who’ll do all the press conferences.” He
marched off, leaving Lionheart and Wolvenett behind, to find someone to fill
the new position of Media Liaison.
Unknown_Location_somewhere_in_Zootopia
In an abandoned warehouse located somewhere in Zootopia, a group of twelve
mammals were gathered around a large circular table, illuminated by a single
dim lamp, giving the room an oppressive atmosphere. Present around the table
was an arctic hare, two camels, two elk, a hippopotamus, a platypus, a
reindeer, two sheep, a black ram, and a zebra. Despite the varied species, the
gender divide was even, with one of the camels, both elk, the hippo, one of the
sheep, and the zebra being female. The mammals sat in silent tension, as none
were initially willing to break the silence and begin the discussion.
Eventually, the female Zebra had enough of the tension, and broke the silence.
“We need to discuss our next course of action.” she stated. “The Chancellor may
run our movement, but what exactly has he done? Not only that, but he’s
hypocritical. I mean, a pred trying to eliminate other preds? What the hell is
he trying to achieve?”
“Shut the fuck up Zebrina.” the black-wooled ram stated. “If you’re too
frightened to carry on with the plans already set in motion, then we’ll deal
with you accordingly. No one’s keeping you here, but if you’re going to stay,
then you’ll do as you’re told.”
Zebrina shrank in on herself. “I just don’t like it Andrew, it makes no sense.
Are you seriously telling me that you are still going to follow  him,  despite
what he had done to your sister?
The black-wooled ram, none other than Andrew Bellwether, glowered at the zebra
as he considered what the Chancellor had ordered done to his sister, Dawn.
“Dawn was foolish enough to fail in her mission, she deserved what she got. If
anything, I’m more furious with Woolman. He’s the one who chose Dawn for the
task she was assigned, on account of her position as Assistant mayor. The fool
disregarded her instabilities, and chose her by position alone. It was a
grievous error in judgement, and he suffered for his failure.”
Silence once again reigned around the table, as the group recalled Woolman’s
gruesome punishment for his failure, recalled watching as Woolman was consumed
by none other than the Chancellor himself. Everyone in the group knew that
Andrew was making a valid point, Dawn should never have been selected for that
mission.
The next to break silence was the arctic hare, saying “We need to remain calm.
These internal conflicts cause a loss of focus for us all, and losing focus
leads to making mistakes. Making mistakes will thin our ranks even further,
weakening our group unnecessarily.” The hare glanced around the table at his
comrades before continuing, “For now, our orders are to lay low, and not cause
any disturbances. The Chancellor’s Emissary is on the move, we must wait until
his task has been completed before we strike.”
“But why would the Chancellor choose another pred for this mission Andrew?” The
female hippo asked. “I understand the necessity of freeing Hannibal Hyector for
the overall plan, but to assign him to this particular task is utter madness.
Hannibal’s past actions prove his unpredictability. How can any of us trust him
not to betray us all?”
“Likely for the same reason we all trust the Chancellor.” observed the
reindeer. Addressing the group, he continued, “Hannibal’s greatest desire is to
be killed in action, so that he can see his dearly departed sister once again.
His goals align with ours because he knows that the overall plan will result in
his own demise. That being said, you are entirely correct Patty,” Now
addressing the hippo directly, the reindeer concluded, “We don't have any real
control over Hyector. My major concern his unpredictability. Hannibal could do
just about anything and we’d be powerless to stop him. Trying to control that
godsdamn bloody hyena is similar to trying to control a natural disaster. It
just isn’t feasible. His unpredictability could just as much harm us as aid us.
We don’t have a fucking clue to what he’ll do. We just have to hope that he
doesn’t ruin our plans.”
As the reindeer relaxed back into his chair, the group quietly considered his
words, before the platypus spoke up, “I think that, for now, we must remain
vigilant in regard to Hannibal’s actions.” The group's response was a
collection of silent nods. “I suggest we conclude this meeting then, we all
have things to do in preparation for following through on our own assignments.”
Soon, the table was empty save for the black-wooled ram, Andrew Bellwether, the
arctic hare, Liam Bucksworth, and the platypus, Parker Platyss. After checking
the ensure that everyone else had indeed departed, Liam looked at his remaining
compatriots, before asking them, “Do the two of you feel like everything is
about to go sideways?” The platypus and ram sent him looks that clearly said,
‘Duh!’. Shaking his head, the hare continued, “We need to be prepared in case
one of the others decides to betray us.”
Andrew folded his arms across his chest. “We should begin by determining who
amongst them has the weakest resolve. Once we do, we can start selecting which
of their underlings are worth recruiting for ourselves. If we don’t take
action, we’re going to lose what pawns we have left. In this game, we need as
many as we can get. After that, we’ll make another example out of the weak to
keep the others in line.”
Parker shook his head sadly. “I hate that it has come to this. In the
beginning, we all shared the same goal. Now, we’re on the verge of being torn
apart because the others are fearful of what has, and will, come to pass.”
Taking out a medallion, the platypus placed it between his paws and began to
pray.
Liam joined in Parker’s prayer, but when it was over he said, “I’ll begin
investigating our fellow members. The two of you shouldn’t draw too much
attention to yourselves in the meantime.” With those parting words, the arctic
hare left the building.
Parker and Andrew looked at each other for a single moment before they each
stood up. Making their way to the exit, they each pulled out a joint. The
platypus struck a match lighting his before offering one to Andrew.
Accepting the offer, Andrew took a long drag. “Shit’s starting to get much more
intense.” he observed. “I wonder just how far out the Chancellor has planned. I
wonder if he’s even considered the possibility that he could fail.”
Parker blew the smoke of his joint out before stating, “I doubt it. No one can
plan for every occurrence. The Chancellor is no exception. I do have to wonder
though what his endgame is. There’s no way he’ll succeed, so what is his true
goal?”
Neither said anything else for a while. They finished their joints and ground
them into the ground. Parker sniffed. “I’m going to go get a few hits. Want to
come along?”
Andrew shook his head. “Nah, I need to get home. I think I still have some
alcohol at my place, so you’re more than welcome to come over. Just know that
under no circumstances are we doing anything.” Getting a nod of agreement,
Andrew led Parker to his car and drove them to his place.
Parker walked in to see nothing but bare walls. “Not much of a home if you
don’t got pictures.” he stated. Spotting some bottles of beer on the coffee
table he popped one open and took a swig.
Watching the platypus begin to experience the effects of the alcohol, Andrew
shook his head. Stripping his shirt off, he took a bottle for himself. As the
alcohol took effect, Andrew wondered when his life of drugs, alcohol, and sex
would finally catch up with him. Looking at the clock, which appeared to be
melting, he just barely managed to make out that it was two in the afternoon. A
small part of him wondered what the future held in store.
Hopps_Family_Homestead_–_Bunnyburrow_–_Tri-Burrow_Area_–_Midafternoon
Jaxon and Skye were laying out in one of the Hopps family fields near the
burrow when they heard a loud yell. Bolting into sitting positions reaching for
weapons they didn’t have, they watched, confused, as they saw Nick run out the
side door with the Hopps Warren’s youngest give chase. Jaxon had to fight to
stop himself from laughing so hard that he would reduced to tears at the sight.
Skye watched, cringing, as she remembered her own experience doing the exact
same thing upon her arrival. After a couple of minutes watching Nick’s ordeal,
they laid back down to enjoy the warm sun.
Nick on the other paw, still had a large group of kits chasing after him.
“JUDY!!! HELP ME!!!” he hollered at the top of his lungs, hoping that Judy
could hear his plea for rescue. The kits were gaining on him until they
suddenly stopped. Nick, who had been looking behind him at the kits saw that
they had stopped, but before he could stop himself, he suddenly ran into
something, or someone, and barreled over, skidding across the ground. Groaning,
Nick went to get up only to be forced back to the ground by the hindpaw of what
turned out to be a large, muscular buck. Evidently the buck was known to the
kits, as they turned as one and began running back towards the house.
“Who the fuckin’ blazes are you?” the buck asked in rage. “No, never mind. Mr.
and Mrs. Hopps probably just chased you out after catching ya trying to rob….”
the buck trailed off as he noticed a blur rapidly approaching him, but before
he could react, a set of feet slammed into his side sending him flying a good
couple of meters and skidding across the ground a few more. Struggling to a
sitting position, the buck groaned, “What the bloody hell….?” He stopped as he
saw none other than Judy Hopps helping the fox to his feet.
The buck had no idea what had happened, or why Judy would be helping that fox,
but as he sat in the grass trying to recover his senses, he thought about Judy.
He knew that Judy had always been a strange one, and he'd never liked her in
school, but seeing her now, he couldn’t help but notice how nice she looked.
She wasn’t built like a regular doe, but she never the less struck a nice
figure.
Judy had been back at the house watching as Nick was chased by the kits, but
once Nick had bowled over the buck unlucky enough to be in his path, she rushed
out to help Nick. The stranger had recovered quickly though, and was making his
own way towards her fox. As soon as the stranger forced Nick back down into the
dirt though, Judy saw nothing but red as she picked up her pace, and raced
towards the buck. With a final burst of speed, Judy blindly launched herself at
the stranger, sending him flying, before quickly recovering herself, and
turning her attention to Nick. Once her fox was on his feet, Judy asked, “Are
you alright, Nick?” Receiving a nod, she turned to see the target of her blind
leap of rage, the mammal who had dared to harm her fox. Seeing Billy Leaps
getting to his feet, her blood chilled and she paled. ‘ No, no, no!! Not him.
Why? Why did it have to be him? ’ she thought. She watched as Billy Leaps
approached and stopped right in front of her.
Billy Leaps was your ordinary buck. He had been the heartthrob of Bunnyburrow
High ever since his freshman year. Star jock on the soccer and basketball
teams, Straight A student, Class President, these were only some of the
positions he held during his time in school. As Billy finally recovered from
whatever had slammed into him, he couldn't help but wonder if he could possibly
charm the doe. After all, as far as he knew, she never got anywhere in school
with any of the other bucks, so she was probably quite desperate for what he
could provide. Getting up and approaching the doe, he said, “My, my, Judy
Hopps. Well, don’t you look lovely today. Tell me, what are you doing tonight?
If you ask me, I’d say you’ll be coming home with me to see how well versed we
are in math.”
Judy stuttered, “G-get out o-of h-here, B-Billy.” She was trying hard not to
take off back to the burrow, but every instinct told her to run. Pulling
herself together, she stated, “I have no desire at all to go on a date with
you. So, just leave.”
Billy smiled at her. “Oh, come now, Judy. I could take good care of you.
Just….” The low, threatening growl that erupted throughout the air had his face
pale, ears droop, and nose twitch. He had almost completely forgotten about the
fox from earlier, but that same fox was now standing right behind Judy, giving
him a death glare that shook him to his bones. “W-wha-what do y-you w-wa-want
f-f-fox?”
Judy hadn’t felt terror at Nick’s growl. Instead, she felt peace, knowing that
he was there with her, protecting her. Judy felt Nick come up behind her and
stepped backwards into his chest. When he wrapped his arms around her, she
sighed in relief.
Nick glowered at the buck who tried to hit on his Judy. “She’s not going
anywhere with you, Bucko.” he spat, baring his fangs. Shifting his position so
that he was between Judy and the buck, Nick stated, “She’s already told you to
get lost. So, I suggest you leave now, before I tear you apart, limb from
fuckin’ limb.”
Billy Leaps quivered in fear. Sensing no bluff in the fox’s words, he took off
as fast as his hindpaws could carry him. His only goal being to escape from the
fox behind him. Once he was far enough away, he couldn’t help but wonder what
the fuck had just happened.
Once the buck was out of sight, Nick knelt down in front of Judy. “Hey,” he
whispered softly. “Are you okay?” Judy’s only reaction was to shake her head.
When Nick tried to give her a hug, he was surprised that she stepped back and
took off towards the Hopps’ Burrow. Confounded by what just happened, Nick
rushed back to the burrow to try and find out what was wrong. He met Bonnie in
the doorway. “Mrs. Hopps….”
“Nick, dear, please call me ‘Bonnie’. There are already too many ‘Mrs. Hopps’
in the family and I prefer my own name.” Bonnie told him.
“Okay, Bonnie.” Nick told her. “Did you just see Judy run inside?”
“I did.” Bonnie replied. “It almost looked as if she was crying. That’s kind of
why I was on my way to find you and ask you what happened.”
Nick sighed and began to explain what had taken place. He told her that he had
run over a strange buck as he was trying to escape from her younger kits who
were trying to grab his tail, how Judy had seemed to breakdown at the sight of
the buck, and what he had done to get the buck to leave.
Bonnie listened and when Nick was finished, she sighed. “That was Billy Leaps.”
She explained. “He’s one of the ones who gave Judy such a hard time growing
up.” Seeing the concern on Nick’s face, she beckoned him to follow her inside.
Nick followed Bonnie into a sitting room and sat in the seat she indicated.
“Would you mind telling me what he and the others did to her?” he asked. Nick
knew that he should have been asking Judy, but he didn’t want to cause her more
distress.
Bonnie shook her head. “You stay here until I come and get you, do you
understand?” Getting a nod, she went to ask Judy if she would be willing to
talk to Nick.
Nick sat quietly as he waited for Bonnie’s return. A few minutes rolled by then
Nick stood up and began to walk around the room. It looked like a small office.
There was a chair, a desk, a typewriter (that had made him snort because who
still used typewriters), and a collection of different items like filing
cabinets and a bookcase with ledgers. Nick surmised that this was a smaller
office for the farm. A small oddity at the desk stood out to him. Peeking out
of one of the desk drawers was the corner of a sheet of paper. Carefully
extracting it, Nick took a quick read and his heart nearly stopped. The paper
was a letter dated only a week after the press conference written to him from
Judy. Opening the drawer, Nick found numerous other letters from her, all dated
after the conference. The letters ranged from heartfelt apologies to what could
almost be considered love letters to someone who passed. Nick skimmed over them
quickly. His heart began to pound in his chest with each letter he read. He got
to the last letter and that was when he went numb. Signed at the very bottom
were the words:  Love, Your Dumb Bunny.  Nick dropped the letters and fell to
his knees. His mind was a storm of different thoughts. The sound of someone
approaching the office’s door spurred him into action. He was unsure if it was
Bonnie coming to collect him or if she had convinced Judy to come to him, but
he quickly did his best to stuff the letters back into the desk drawer. Turning
around just in time to see the door open, Nick watched as Bonnie reentered the
room.
Bonnie gave Nick a kind smile. “Come on. She wants to talk to you.” She led
Nick back towards Judy’s room and let him in. She stopped him just before he
entered and whispered, “Be careful with her.”
Nick nodded then stepped inside. He saw Judy curled up into a ball on her bed.
Taking tentative steps over to her, Nick eventually sat down on the edge of the
bed then waited for Judy to speak. He knew that Judy had to be the one to speak
first if this was going to happen properly.
“Billy Leaps was the number one buck in high school.” Judy whispered. She knew
Nick could hear her, but she just continued to speak softly anyway. “You
already know that I’ve had a horrible time growing up. Billy was a major part
of that.” Swallowing, Judy forced herself to keep going. “High school was hell.
I thought I did everything right, but it always ended up wrong. The worst was
on the nights of my junior and senior proms. I got dressed up all fancy
thinking that someone there would finally ask me to dance, but….” Tears were
now streaming down her face again. “I-in the end, n-no o-one d-did. I j-ju-just
s-stoo-stood th-there all b-by m-my-myself. Billy...he made things so much
worse by shouting out ‘That freakish doe from the Hopps warren’s here y’all.
Can’t imagine who would want to dance with her ugly mug’.” Taking a deep
breath, Judy then said, “The senior prom was when it all finally just fell
apart. My mom got me all gussied up, but before I got there I changed into some
other clothes I had hidden near the high school gym earlier that day. I didn’t
even show up there. I called a friend to come get me and we went to a bar. I
arrived home drunk and my parents were furious. I was so drunk that I just
shouted at them yelling every single painful thing that I had endured, stating
how they never once even asked if I was okay or if I needed someone to talk to.
I kept shouting until I just passed out from exhaustion.”
Nick sat there silently and listened to Judy’s story. He felt heartbroken that
she had suffered that way. His mind went back to the letters she had written to
him. A fair number of them had stated that she wished that she had known him
back then. He started to try and formulate a way to give her the prom she
should have had, but for right now, he just continued to listen.
“When I came to, my parents wouldn’t speak to me and I had no clue why.” Judy
said as she wiped her nose on her sleeve. Sitting up, she brought her knees to
her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I eventually learned that one of
my brothers, who had stayed up late, recorded the whole thing. I realized that
my mom and dad wouldn’t talk to me because they were ashamed of themselves,
though they came around eventually, and apologized.” Breathing deeply, she
finished by saying, “After that disaster of a night though, I just stopped
bothering with trying to find someone to love me.” Casting Nick a glance, she
added, “Then the Divine Entities chose to lead us to each other and I found the
one I wanted to be with for as many lifetimes as I could.”
Nick picked Judy up and placed her in his lap. Nuzzling her, he whispered, “I’m
so sorry you went through that, Judy.” He didn’t say anything else, he just
held her. He started humming a sweet little tune for her. Soon, Nick was
awarded the sound of Judy breathing peacefully in slumber. Carefully setting
her down, Nick quietly left the room. He had a prom to organize.
@_the_shared_apartment_of_Harrison_Wolford_and_Zannah_Fangmeyer_–_Zootopia_–
Late_Afternoon
Harrison was washing the dishes from their dinner while Zannah laid on the
couch watching television. Setting the last plate in the dishwasher to make
sure they were properly cleaned, he made his way over to the living room and
sat down in the Barcalounger. “What are we watching?” he asked.
Zannah hadn’t been paying attention as her mind was elsewhere, but Harrison’s
question brought her back to reality. “Uh, I’m not sure.” she answered as she
looked at the television. On the screen was a small documentary on wolf
culture. That is what she had been watching until thoughts about Harrison’s
issue with his ex-girlfriend popped into her head.
Harrison looked from the television to Zannah then back. Sighing, he shifted
from his spot in his chair to kneel before Zannah. “Hey,” he said, softly. “If
you want to talk about it, you just have to tell me.” He saw the emotional
turmoil within her eyes and leaned in to kiss her tenderly. Pulling away, he
asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”
Zannah looked at Harrison for a second before she got off the couch. “I’m going
for a run. I won’t be long. I just need to clear my head.” Laying a kiss to his
cheek, she ran out the door.
Harrison stared at the door to their apartment for the span of a heartbeat.
Closing his eyes, he sighed then went to grab his phone. Looking through his
list of contacts, Harrison selected the one labelled ‘Mom’. Praying she’d
answer, Harrison hoped that she’d know what to do.
Zannah jogged all the way to Precinct One. Waving hello to everyone, she made
her way to her and Harrison’s office. Logging on to her computer, she started
second guessing what she planned to do. Shaking her head, she thought, ‘ No! No
more second guessing. ’ She typed in Harrison’s name and pulled up his old
information which contained everything she needed to find his ex. Jotting it
down on an index card, Zannah then ran a check on the she-wolf. She stared at
the photo and felt her heart stutter. The she-wolf was their usual waitress at
the bar they tended to frequent. Closing the window and logging out, Zannah bid
everyone farewell then hailed a taxicab. Giving him the address of her dad’s
hotel, Zannah shot a text to Harrison saying ‘I’m going to stay with my folks
tonight. I’ll see you in the morning.’
Harrison was walking up and down the living room waiting for Zannah to walk in
when he got her text. He slumped onto the couch, closed his eyes, and placed
the back of a fist to his forehead. He began to hear small whispers in his mind
telling him that he’s losing the one mammal who’s ever made him feel this way.
He called his mother again asking her to come over.
Less than an hour later, Beth Wolford was standing outside her son’s door.
While personally, she couldn’t for the life of her understand why Harrison
wanted to be with a tigress instead of a beautiful she-wolf, she couldn’t
ignore the fact that she had never seen her son happier with anyone else.
Knocking, Beth waited for her son to let her in. When the door opened and she
looked upon him, her heart stopped. Harrison’s whole being looked as if the
life had been drained from him. “Oh, good gracious.”
Harrison gave his mother the weakest smile. “Hey, mom.” The next thing he was
aware of was lying on the couch with his head in his mother’s lap as she
stroked his ears, just like when he was a pup. He cried as he told her
everything. His mother never said a word, merely sat and listened. After a
while, Harrison slowly began to fall asleep. “I don’t want to lose her mom. I
can’t. It’ll kill me.” Harrison whispered before finally succumbing to fatigue.
Beth Wolford continued to stroke Harrison’s head even after he conked out. “I
know, dear. I know.” she whispered. Beth carefully shifted so she could get up
without disturbing Harrison. Covering her son with a blanket, she left, locking
the door. She got into her vehicle and drove to the home of Harrison’s ex-
girlfriend. It wasn’t something she was proud of, but Beth herself had been a
big part of what Harrison was going through. Seeing her son like that though,
that was enough to have her accelerate the plan. ‘ I’m going to fix this,
Harry. I promise you.’
Chapter End Notes
     Important Note: There are two types of bullies. Type One are the ones
     you're aware of. You know the ones of whom I speak. The ones that
     openly make your life hell, kick you when you're down, steal your
     lunch money (if your school does that), so on and so forth. Type Two
     are the ones that you don't even know exist, like Billy. A member of
     the popular crowd, top of the class, famous family, never did
     anything like Type Ones. No, Type Twos are worse, they're subtle,
     covert. They're patient and they wait for the moment that you think
     everything has finally settled down, that everything's not going to
     get any worse, then pull the rug out from under you and bring that
     house of cards he's let you build come crashing down. Billy was a
     Type Two, never did anything to Judy directly until...well, you know.
***** Chapter 8: Murders and Mock Proms *****
Chapter Summary
     A murder takes place in Zootopia, one that is eerily reminiscent of
     one of the most infamous serial killers of their time. Back in
     Bunnyburrow, the Hopps are getting ready to throw a party. Secrets
     are revealed, music is played, lives changed. Allons-y.
Chapter Notes
     Once more, I'd like to thank Fairlane302 for putting up with my
     insanity and helping me edit this chapter. You're a blessing.
     Also, wrecker159753 requested permission to use an idea of mine, to
     which I agreed. His story is just starting out, but I personally
     think it's a fantastic read so far and I can't wait to see how it
     goes.
     On another note, Combat Engineer has resurrected the dead and has
     begun posting an awesome work that vanished without a trace called
     Silver-tongue. Go check it out. A friend of mine over on FF.net is
     currently attempting to revise it a little and continue the story.
     I'm curious to see what his plans are for it.
     Last thing, in the End Notes will be the links to the music featured
     within the chapter. I make only one request: Don't judge. I'm fully
     aware that the songs I've chosen are eclectic, but I don't care. I
     like them. I chose them. If you got a problem with them, boo-hoo.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                     Chapter_Eight:_Murders_and_Mock_Proms
ZPD Precinct One HQ – Zootopia – 9 a.m.
For the first time in a long, long time, Detective Harrison Wolford walked into
Precinct One alone. This drew the attention of his colleagues, but none were
brave enough to approach him and ask the question that was on everyone’s mind.
Harrison slowly made his way to the office he shared with Zannah half-expecting
her to be there. She wasn’t. Finishing off the coffee he had been nursing all
morning, Harrison tossed it in the trash and made his way to the office of
Precinct One’s C.I.D. Head, Gareth Fangerston. It was here that he found
Zannah. “Morning.” Harrison stated gruffly as he took a seat.
Zannah’s heart broke a little when Harrison didn’t even acknowledge her
presence other than that word. She had known that her actions from last night
would create some damage, but this was far worse than she expected. Reaching
out slowly to have just a little contact, she drew her paw back when Harrison
shot a quick glare at her.
Gareth Fangerston, a Bobcat and thirty year veteran of the ZPD, had seen many
partners eventually enter personal relationships. Most ended badly, but never
for a moment did he think that these two would end up behaving like this
towards each other. Thinking of the case file he had before him on his desk,
Gareth debated whether these two could still work together like this. Being a
rehabilitated gambler, Gareth decided to chance it, for old time’s sake. “I’ve
got a difficult case for you two.” Gareth started. “We received an anonymous
tip that there may have been a murder at the address given in this folder. Go
check it out and report back as soon as you can.”
Taking the folder and acknowledging their superior, Harrison and Zannah left
C.I.D. Head Fangerston’s office, heading for the ZPD’s garage. Signing out a
cruiser, they took off towards 314 Penny Lane in Sahara Square’s residential
area. Neither said a word until they reached a red light.
“Harry…” Zannah began, only for Harrison to stop her by glaring at her. Falling
silent, she looked out her window trying not to let her tears fall.
Harrison stared straight ahead, waiting on the light to change. He knew they
needed to talk, but Zannah’s abandonment of him the night before left him
feeling hurt and slightly betrayed. So, he did the same thing most kits, pups,
and cubs did: he gave her the cold shoulder. Pulling up to the address, he got
out and waited for her to do so as well. Looking at the small abode, Harrison
could tell that whoever lived here worked hard labor. It was easy to see that
the homeowner was in the process of doing D.I.Y. repairs, but it was good
quality, precise, and experienced. Making his way to the door, Harrison drew
his tranquilizer and signaled Zannah to open the door.
Zannah barely touched the door when it slowly began to open. Drawing her own
tranquilizer, she entered slowly checking around corners. She and Harrison
walked side by side going room by room to clear the premises. Upon clearing the
first floor, they made their way to the second repeating the process. Soon,
there was only one room left to check.
Harrison aimed his tranquilizer at the door, then nodded to Zannah to open it.
As soon as it opened, his nose was assaulted by the putrid smell of
decomposition. Gagging a little, Harrison entered the room and had to swallow
back vomit at what he found. “Don’t come in here, Zannah. Go call for a full
C.S.T. crew and let Fangerston know we’ll be needing some help.” He heard her
race downstairs to comply as he looked at the scene before him. On the floor at
his feet was the body of a mangalitsa pig, carved up and broken down expertly.
Blood covered the floor around the body. But what caught his attention more
than anything else was what was written on the wall behind it in blood: “I gave
old Wilbur Graham a new design. How do you like it? Cordially yours, Hannibal
Hyector.”
*One hour later*
C.I.D. Head Gareth Fangerston arrived on scene some time after Detectives
Wolford and Fangmeyer, alongside a crew of Crime Scene Techs, had begun combing
the scene in search of evidence. The call that the victim was retired criminal
profiler Wilbur Graham had kicked him into action commandeering a ride over. As
he approached the door, Gareth witnessed Detective Fangmeyer burst out and
vomit onto the ground. Sidestepping her and the mess, Gareth walked in to see
what had caused his detective’s reaction. The refrigerator was filled with
clear Tupperware containers that held meals no doubt made from of Wilbur’s
various internal organs. Making his way upstairs, Gareth found Wolford standing
over what remained of Wilbur Graham. “Christ. Hannibal didn’t hold back, did
he?”
“This isn’t like him though, sir.” Harrison answered. “Hannibal doesn’t waste
any portion of his meals. This? This is way, way too sloppy.”
Gareth looked around the room. There wasn’t much, simply a bed and alarm clock.
“What are you thinking happened?”
Harrison shrugged. “Don’t have a clue. I’m going to take a walk to clear my
head for a bit. I won’t be far. I’m just circling the block.” With that,
Harrison left. Exiting the house, he decided to walk counterclockwise around
the block. He made it to the second corner before he found none other than
Hannibal Hyector sitting at the bus stop bench. “Hannibal.” Harrison stated.
Hannibal smiled at the detective. “Hello, Harry. Have a seat. I’m not going to
bite. I’m sure you have questions because I’ve got answers.”
Cautiously taking a seat at the opposing end of the bench, Harrison said, “Back
when I first started, I was assigned to the detail escorting you from the Moira
Asylum for the Criminally Insane. You wondered what it would have been like if
I had been the one who captured you.” Keeping his eyes focused across the
street, he asked, “Wilbur was the one who caught you last time, wasn’t he?”
“Indeed, he was.” Hannibal replied. Tossing a cellular phone next to Harrison,
he stated, “Most of what you’ll need is on that. I had it recording the entire
conversation Wilbur and I had. I think you’ll find it rather enlightening.”
“What’s your game, Hannibal?” Harrison asked. “What are you playing at?”
“I made a deal with the devil, Detective.” Hannibal answered. “You’ll get the
answers to those two questions soon. I’ve already called for an ambulance.
They’re responding to reports of gunshots.”
Confused, Harrison turned just in time to see Hannibal pull out a gun and fire
it at him. Harrison’s world went black. The last thing he heard was the sound
of the ambulances sirens.
<MEANWHILE – BACK W/ ZANNAH AND GARETH>
The sound of gunshots sent Gareth and Zannah into an adrenaline-fueled frenzy
as they took off in the direction the shots originated. Sirens could be heard
approaching that area. With a burst of speed, they arrived just before the
ambulance to find Harrison bleeding out on the concrete sidewalk. Zannah rushed
over with a loud ‘NO!!’. Gareth was at her side as she dropped down next to
Harrison’s body. As the ambulance came to a stop, the EMT jumped out and rushed
to the downed wolf.
The senior EMT, a mongoose, quickly assessed the situation. “Damn, he’s huge.”
he muttered. “Okay. Multiple GSWs to the torso.” Turning to shout at the
driver, he hollered, “Call Zootopia General. Tell them that we’re bringing a
extralarge wolf in and need an OR stat.” Turning to the other two officers, he
ordered, “Help me get him onto the gurney.” With their assistance, the mongoose
EMT lifted the canid onto the medical gurney and into the ambulance. “He’ll be
fine as long as we get him to a hospital soon, so we don’t got much time.
Remember: Zootopia General Hospital, Trauma Ward.”
Zannah felt a wave of relief rush through her at the EMT mongoose’s words. She
ingrained the info into her memory. She wanted to collapse, but managed to stay
on her feet. Zannah looked at C.I.D. Head Fangerston about to ask permission to
ride, but the look on his face told her that he’d refuse. Willing to chance it,
she attempted to climb inside the ambulance, but was restrained by her
superior. Shooting a glare at him, all she got in return was a headshake and a
much more severe glare.
“I need you here.” Gareth told Fangmeyer. “Harrison would want you here, doing
your job, hunting the bastard who shot him down.”
Zannah didn’t have an argument. He was right after all. She stepped back from
the ambulance, and watched forlornly as it engaged its sirens, and pulled away
from the scene.
With the ambulance’s departure, Zannah turned to find Gareth already starting
to survey the scene looking for any indication of what had occurred. Gareth
looked over at the bench near the pool of blood in which they had discovered
Wolford. As soon as he laid eyes on the bench though, he saw something that
caused his blood to momentarily boil before it iced over and drained from his
face. Sitting on the bench in plain sight was a bonsai tree, well cared for and
in bloom. Gareth swallowed as he looked at it, knowing it's significance. There
was only one explanation for the small tree, Hannibal Hyector. Such a tree had
always been found at the scenes of his atrocities, and it's presence here
eliminated any doubt as to who had shot Wolford.
As Gareth called over one of the C.S.T.'s to recover the tree as evidence, he
noticed three mobile phones sitting on the ground nearby, one of which he
recognized as belonging to Wolford. Gareth quickly realized the potential of
the phones, and he directed the C.S.T. to ensure that all three phones were
rushed to the Cybercrime unit for a full analysis.
While the C.S.T. was working on photographing and recovering the evidence,
Gareth looked in the direction that his wounded detective had been taken.
‘Hannibal must really like you if he didn’t kill you.’ Gareth thought. He
looked at the scene once more and his eyes fell upon Zannah, who stood unmoving
above the pool of blood in which Wolford had been laying in when they found
him.
Zannah could not drag her eyes away from the pool of Harrison’s blood on the
sidewalk. It wasn’t until Gareth walked over to insist on taking her home that
she withdrew from her trancelike state. She didn’t want to go home, but Gareth
refused her request of bringing her to Zootopia Gen. The ride back to her
shared apartment with Harrison seemed to take forever. When she got there,
Zannah slowly walked to her bedroom before altering course for Harrison’s.
Curling up in his bed, much like when she was a young cub, she cried herself to
the point of exhaustion and lost consciousness.
The Flattop Stone – The farthest fringes of Zootopia
The Chancellor laid on his stone looking at the clouds. A small itch in the
back of his mind alerted him to something not being right. Sitting up, he
carefully observed his surroundings until he spotted what it was. Over near the
edge of the clearing, a figure stood watching him. Rising to his feet, he
started to walk over only to find that the closer he got, the more the figure
faded away into nothing. Stopping, the Chancellor realized what was happening.
“No, not now. Not yet.” he whispered. “I’m not done yet.” The sound of someone
approaching from behind him caused the Chancellor to spin around and find
Hannibal Hyector watching him intently.
“Something…wrong?” Hannibal asked the Chancellor. From his body language,
Hannibal could clearly see that there was something amiss with the mammal
before him.
“No.” the Chancellor answered. “Nothing. Just a slight…trick of the mind,
nothing more.” Walking back to his stone, the Chancellor sat down and asked,
“Did you do as I requested?”
Hannibal smirked. “I did. I also discovered something rather fascinating.”
Approaching the stone, Hannibal stopped short of alighting it. “Plus, I took
the liberty of gracing your opposition with some much needed assistance.” he
added, wickedly.
Snarling, the Chancellor shot to his feet. “What the fucking hell did you do,
cretin?” he asked with malice permeating every word.
Hannibal’s smirk widened. “Oh, set you back, I’d say, a quarter of a century.”
Finally stepping atop the stone Hannibal looked directly at the face of the
Chancellor, shrouded in the shadow of his cowl. “I’m here because I’ve found a
new, far greater desire.”
The Chancellor lunged at Hannibal’s throat and a battle ensued. Claws covered
in blood gleamed, dark laughter filled the air, cries of pain echoed across the
clearing, and the sound of flesh being ripped from their bodies could be heard.
Clouds which had been gathering soon broke and a torrential rainstorm poured
down on them, but still they fought, wanting nothing more but to end the other.
Finally, they separated.
Hannibal was in a far more devastated state. His right eye had been clawed out.
His suit, which had been meticulously prepared, was now in tatters soaked in
blood of them both, but mostly his own. Hannibal’s left arm was broken in
multiple places and he honestly didn’t know how he was still standing since he
had bone sticking out of his right leg. Hannibal began to cackle much like his
primitive ancestors at his situation. “Tell me Chancellor,” he shouted over the
raging storm around them. “How does it feel knowing, or more accurately not
knowing, how much damage my choice has done to all your hard work over the
years? To know that an old hyena like myself, who’s been incarcerated for a
majority of that time has essentially fractured your carefully crafted work of
art? To know that your decision to free me to do your work has resulted in this
scenario?”
The Chancellor, covered in blood with most of it now matted into his fur,
heaved in deep breathes as he shot what could only be a death glare at the
hyena before him. His mind racing to figure out a way to contain the damage
Hannibal inflicted to his plans, the Chancellor realized that he had no way of
knowing just how much damage had been done. “I’M GOING TO RIP YOUR GODDAMN
MOTHERFUCKING THROAT OUT!!!!” he snarled in absolute fury. Still more intact
than Hannibal, the Chancellor leapt at the hyena, who didn’t even try to dodge,
avoid, or parry the attack. His paws around Hannibal’s neck, the Chancellor
asked, “I’ll be kind and let you speak your final words.”
Cackling, Hannibal smirked madly. “See you in hell…Jacen.” As soon as the name
left his maw, Hannibal felt Jacen’s claws pierce his throat and rip it to
shreds. Still cackling until he bled out, Hannibal’s last thought was: ‘Thank
you, Harrison for granting my greatest desire. Now, send this mammal to me so I
can have my fun with him.’
The Hopps Family Homestead – Bunnyburrow – Tri-Burrow Area – 2:30 p.m.
Nick closed his eyes and dumped the bucket of water he was holding over
himself. Giving himself a quick shake, Nick opened his eyes to look around him.
He could see Stu, Jaxon, and a whole crew of male Hopps kits working diligently
on the project he had proposed late last night after Judy had fallen asleep.
After her admission yesterday evening and his discovery of the letters, Nick
had begun to plan a mock prom for her. After spending nearly an hour explaining
his plan to the Hopps warren, they had all agreed that it was a marvelous idea
and wanted to help. The group got started by hashing out a theme, before making
some rough plans and designs to use the family’s largest storage building for
the venue. With the plans roughed out, they soon dispersed and went off to bed,
so as to wake up early and get started.
That morning, everyone had risen a lot earlier than normal to begin working on
the prom. Nick had ended up having to slip back inside so that he would be
there for Judy to ‘wake’ him to keep her from getting suspicious. After all, no
one wanted her to figure out what they were up to.
Bonnie’s role was to take Judy dress shopping under the pretense of an upcoming
wedding, which wasn’t entirely a lie as one of the other Hopps daughters was
scheduled to get married next month. Skye had, much to Jaxon’s surprise,
volunteered to accompany them, stating that she’d make sure that each of Judy’s
dress would also be something that would command Nick’s attention. She also
said that this way she and Judy could talk and get to know each other better.
Bonnie had piled them and a few other daughters into a large bus then drove
them over to the actual town of Podunk, which was said to have the best dress
shop in the Tri-Burrows. With the trip being a good two hours away in one
direction, it would give the males time to make sure everything was set before
the females got back. After sending Stu a text that they had arrived, Bonnie
let her daughters loose. She didn’t even bother to try and control them,
knowing from experience it was a futile effort. Besides, they were older and
hopefully wiser than years past. She stuck with Judy and Skye, leading them
from boutiques to dress shops then eventually to the store owned and operated
by an old family friend, who was more than happy to help as well as let them
use her employee discount. Bonnie would make suggestions and give her opinion
on dresses. She found a couple she enjoyed, but every so often she would slip
away to text or call the males, keeping them informed of what they were doing..
Taking one more look around Nick saw that, thanks to the hours of hard work,
the largest of the Hopps’ storage barns was quickly becoming the scene for a
grandiose ball. “Looking great, guys.” Nick said. “All we got to do now is add
the finishing touches and make sure that Judy and the girls don’t come in here
until it’s time for the prom.”
Stu shook his head at Nick’s words with a smile. While he had had reservations
on the whole deal, Stu quickly discovered that Nick’s determination to pull
this off had sparked an inferno in his many, many sons to see this through as
well. With the help of Jaxon, Stu set the final brace to the stage’s legs so it
could sustain the weight of the DJ equipment that his boys would soon retrieve
from their bedrooms. Nick had compiled a list of songs that Michael, his eldest
son, and a couple of others dreaming of producing their own music, were
currently in the process of finding. “Nick, if you don’t stop giving them all
compliments, I’ll lose my entire work force here on the farm when you leave.”
Stu told the red fox tod. “You’re making me look like a slave driver.”
Ewan Hopps shouted. “Maybe if you learn a thing or two from him, we won’t
complain as much.” To which a collective chorus of agreement followed. None of
them ever actually complained, but their father was teasing Nick so they felt
it was okay to tease him back in the fox’s stead.
Stu burst out laughing. “Fair point, but I’m not letting all of you pour water
on yourselves because it’s hot.” Looking over at Ewan, Stu stated, “Especially
you, Ewan. I’ve already got to turn enough does away at the door because of the
last time you ‘accidentally’ lost your speedo that summer trying to impress
that buck you were interested in.”
Ewan blushed as his brothers all snickered at the memory. Ewan’s husband, Lyle,
full on laughed. It had been one of the funniest moments ever. Both of them had
been far too afraid to just tell each other about their feelings for one
another, so they’d always try to impress the other by doing stupid shit. That
particular day, Ewan had decided to beat the swim champ at a race only to lose
his swimwear midway through. He had been so embarrassed he took off running and
almost got arrested before Lyle got there to explain the situation to the
sheriff, going so far as to claim Ewan as his boyfriend for the first time,
which is what jump-started their relationship. Only months later, the two were
married (without the consent of Lyle’s parents) and Lyle ended up moving in
with the Hopps family, though they were now required to pay rent in the form of
manual labor. Their door had a plaque that read: If this door is locked, then
assume Ewan and Lyle Buckland-Hopps are ‘busy’!!
Nick chuckled at their antics. Picking up the broom he had laid down while he
doused himself, Nick got back to sweeping all the sawdust from the other
projects. The final part they would have to complete was the dance floor. The
storage building was set up on a large concrete foundation with a polished
surface. They were going to lay temporary tile down in front of the stage where
the dance floor would be. The tile was actually leftovers from when Gideon had
built his shop and the pastry tod had offered to let them have it only
requesting an invitation as neither he nor Travis had attended prom either.
Nick agreed as long as Gideon also provided dessert to which the pastry tod had
readily agreed.
Jaxon grabbed a bottle of water from the ice chest situated near the large
sliding side door. The door was closed so that no one could see what was going
on inside, but the drawback was that it prevented air from circulating well.
Grabbing the front of his shirt, Jaxon popped a few buttons open to get some
relief. “I’m used to heat, but this is ridiculous.”
Stu huffed in amusement. Turning to everyone, he shouted, “Alright, listen up.
We’re all males here. So, if you need to remove your shirts to cool off for a
moment, don’t be shy.” At that a good portion of them quickly removed their
shirts. Turning to look at Nick, Stu (and everyone else) stared in disbelief at
the sheer number of scars that the tod possessed.
Nick folded his shirt and set it down on a box near the standard door for the
building. He turned to find Stu, Jaxon, Ewan, and another one of the Hopps boys
surprisingly close to him. Nick quickly understood that they were looking at
his scars. “Didn’t exactly have an easy life.” he stated, simply returning to
his task.
Jaxon had yet to take off his shirt, but upon seeing Nick’s collection of
scars, he decided to hurry up and remove it to show the few he himself had. On
his left shoulder was the scar of where a bullet pierced him during a mission.
His waist on his right side had a long one where he had been slashed with a
knife wielded by a chinchilla high on drugs. The most prominent ones though
were the eight down his back that Jaxon felt proud to have. They were from the
first time he and Skye had mated together after the fight where they finally
confessed their love for one another. ‘Confessed? Ha! We basically attacked
each other from all the pent up sexual frustration.’Jaxon thought. Skye’s
reaction after waking up and seeing the wounds had been to break down in tears
and apologize repeatedly, saying that she hadn’t even known that she had hurt
him. Jaxon had spent hours calming her down enough to ask why she was so
freaked out. When she told him the meaning behind the scars foxes made on their
lifemates, he made love to her again. That had caused her to reopen the wounds,
but he hadn’t cared. When they were done with that round, they talked it all
over and that night she had proposed. Jaxon had never been so happy in his
life. That night was tied for number one with finding out about his half-sister
Judy.
Stu saw the eight prominent scars on Jaxon’s back and asked, “Cripes! What the
hell happened to you, son?” Stu had called Jaxon ‘son’ quite a number of times
over the past several days, but neither of them seemed bothered by it. Looking
at the marks on Jaxon’s back had Stu wonder just what the hell the jackrabbit
did for a living.
Nick, having heard Stu’s question, looked over to see Jaxon turned three
quarters of the way around and saw the scars. He had to fight back his grin
once he recognized what they were. Nick, being a fox, knew that during mating
both tods and vixens would claw each other to twice to leave claiming scars.
The first time was to open wounds necessary to infuse their musky secretions
into the wounds during the second time. This made it clear that they were taken
by another and off the market. Curious, Nick walked over and, catching Jaxon by
surprise, lifted the jackrabbit’s chin up to see if he also had mating bites.
Sure enough, on either side of Jaxon’s neck, were two puncture wounds were
Skye’s two sets of front fangs had pierced his skin. “Those are claim
markings.” Nick stated aloud for Stu to hear.
Knocking Nick’s paw away, Jaxon gave the tod a mischievous smile. “Yep. I’m a
claimed jackrabbit.” he said. Casting a quick glance at Stu, he dropped his
voice to a conspiratorial whisper, adding, “If Judy’s anything like me, she’ll
be demanding the same things from you.”
Nick maintained a straight face while internally freaking the fuck out. Forcing
a smirk, he whispered back, “Oh, believe me, I’m looking forward to it.”
Checking his watch, Nick wondered if he could still contact Judy despite the
distance. Quickly finishing up sweeping the floor, Nick set the broom aside and
pressed the commlink button. “Hey, Fluff! Can you read me?” A second later, he
got a response.
“Hey, Slick! What’s up?” Judy replied.
Nick smiled. “Nothing. Just thought I’d check in on you and the rest of the
girls.”
“Well, we’re just about to head home.” Judy informed him. “We should be
arriving in about two hours. I’m telling you, this has been one of the most
bizarre dress shopping experiences ever and I hate dress shopping. Give me
pants and a t-shirt any day.”
Chuckling, Nick said, “Can’t wait for you to get back, Carrots. Be safe, you
hear?”
“I will, Red.” Judy responded. “Don’t cause too much trouble for everybody.
I’ll be there soon.” With that the transmission ended.
Nick quickly gave the crew the update which spurred them all into overdrive.
Nick helped set the tile for the dancefloor, his mind racing at the thought of
what Judy would think of the scars he would inevitably inflict upon her. He
didn’t want to hurt her, but the instinctive drive to leave claim marks on his
mate-to-be was slowly driving him insane. Out of nowhere, Nick remembered the
letters he had discovered. ‘I’ll tell her about my scars tonight. ’ he thought.
‘ I’ll tell her, then ask about the letters.’ An hour and fifteen minutes
later, they were done and started running for the burrow to get dressed for the
evening.
<MEANWHILE w/ THE GIRLS>
Judy sat with Skye in the far back of the bus as her mother drove them back
home from the shopping excursion. Everyone had found dresses for the wedding
and other occasions. Skye had helped Judy find three dresses. One for the
wedding, one for formal events like the ZPD’s annual Donation Gala, and one for
special events such as a potential date night. Judy looked at Skye and said,
“Thanks for the help, Skye.”
Skye smiled. “It’s no problem, Judy. I don’t really like shopping and seeing as
you don’t either, I was curious to find out what it would be like shopping with
someone else like me.”
Judy laughed a bit. “I wonder what the boys have been up to?” she pondered.
“Probably swapping little tidbits about us.” Skye stated. “I’m sure Jaxon’s
showed off the scars I’ve given him.”
Judy looked at Skye in shock. “You gave him scars?” she whispered loudly.
Skye looked at Judy for a moment then rolled her eyes, muttering, “Of course,
he hasn’t told you.” Putting her cellphone away, Skye said, “How much do you
know about vulpine mating practices?” Seeing Judy’s embarrassed expression,
Skye sighed. “Normally, during mating, the tod and vixen use their claws to
leave open scratches then repeat the process without the claws. Foxes tend to
leave trace amounts of our scent on everything we touch due to oily secretions
from our paws. Thanks to the open wounds from scratching we can leave traces of
our musky oil secretions within the wounds which scar. This is just another way
of staking our claim.”
Judy considered what she was just told. She had spent some of her free time
reading The Complete Young Vulpine’s Guide to Maturity. She had read something
about claim marks, but she hadn’t imagined that there were so many variations.
From what she had read, mating marks was an umbrella term for a large range of
things. To think that scars were another version triggered Judy’s heat at the
thought of Nick leaving such a permanent mark of possession on her.
Skye’s nose alerted her to the shift in Judy’s scent. “Wow!” she exclaimed
softly. “That got you really fired up, huh?”
Judy flushed so deep that she probably matched Nick’s fur. “Sorry!” she
replied. “A doe’s first heat isn’t normally this bad, but I’m a lot older than
most.”
Skye waved a paw dismissively. “I’m not complaining. I was just caught off
guard.” A text notification signaled that she had a message from Jaxon.
‘Everything’s ready. Just missing our dates.’ It read. She texted back, ‘ About
forty-five minutes away. Tell Nick that Judy’s EXTREMELY excited at the thought
of him claiming her.’ Silencing her phone, Skye began doing her best to
convince Judy that she should wear the ‘Special Events’ dress to show Nick when
they arrived back home.
When the Hopps females returned, they all quickly made their way to their
rooms. Bonnie and Skye led Judy to the master bedroom. Once they got her into
the dress, they quickly applied a minor amount of makeup. Judy kept struggling
against them until Skye exerted her full strength to hold her still. By the
time it was over, Judy saw that it was 5 p.m. Quickly putting on their own
dresses, Bonnie and Skye moved Judy to the door.
Judy stood uncomfortably in front of the door to the master bedroom. Glaring at
her mother and Skye, she asked, “Mind telling me what this is all about?” A
knock soon sounded against the door. Seeing her mother and Skye motion for her
to open the door, Judy did so slowly. Her breath caught in her chest at the
sight before her.
Nick stared at Judy with wide eyes and maw dropped. She was stunning. Nick
gulped inaudibly as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a floor-length
emerald-green dress with red-orange and black accents with a fuchsia sash
around her waist. It was both backless and strapless with a sweetheart design
and a slit that showed off one of her legs. She also wore a necklace with a
citrine carrot-shaped pendant that matched his fur, a tiny silver brooch in the
shape of a fang, and a flower crown made of purple tulips. Nick had planned a
little speech, but simply looking at her, he found that his tongue didn’t seem
to be working. He also felt like his skin was on fire. “W-wow” was all he could
get out.
Swallowing thickly, Judy whispered, “Y-yeah.” Looking at Nick in the full, five
piece bluish-grey suit that was only one or two shades darker than an exact
match of her own fur color, Judy wondered if it was at all possible that she
had inexplicably opened a portal to the past. The suit itself looked like
something she had seen in her old family albums. The jacket was double-breasted
and had peaked lapels, one of which had the customary boutonniere, and
coattails. The jacket pocket held his red kerchief he always carried. The
sleeves had surgeon’s cuffs, which wasn’t seen much anymore. He even wore a
waistcoat despite the fact he needn’t because of his double-breasted jacket.
The dress pants he wore had a very clear crease in them. He even sported a
classical wide brimmed fedora. Refocusing herself, Judy saw that in Nick’s paws
was a corsage and a small bouquet of flowers just like what a female would
expect of their date to the prom when he would come to collect her and escort
her to the dance.
As Nick and Judy stared at one another, Jaxon popped out from behind Nick and
made his way over to Skye, whose outfit matched well with his own. Taking her
paw, he led her out of the burrow towards where they had set up. “Oh, what a
night~” Jaxon sang, humorously.
Stu sidestepped Nick as well and took Bonnie’s paw. Leading her out, he stopped
next to Nick and Judy, saying, “If I don’t see either of you in ten minutes…”
He left the statement open as he led Bonnie away.
After several moments of drawn out silence, Nick remembered what he was
supposed to do next. “M-may I see your paw, please?” As soon as Judy raised her
paw, he carefully extracted the corsage from its casing and placed it on her
wrist. Offering her the bouquet, he asked, “Judith Laverne Hopps, will you be
my date to the prom?”
Judy’s eyes widened to the max at his question. She felt her heart begin to
beat like a drum at the realization of what was happening. Judy began putting
the evidence together: her mom’s spontaneous desire to go dress shopping,
Nick’s insistence this morning that she go with her, Skye’s choice of dresses,
the fact that Nick was dressed the way a male normally would for such an
occasion. Nick had managed to plan and put together a prom for her, in just a
single day. She finally managed to squeak out a ‘Yes!’ before Nick extended his
elbow for her to latch on to. Accompanying him to the largest of the farm’s
storage buildings, Judy’s jaw dropped at the sight she beheld. There were
twinkling Christmas lights in lieu of what would normally be used, a large
tiled dance floor, a table covered in refreshments and food, a DJ booth and
band equipment on stage, and miniature disco globes suspended from the rafters.
Soft jazzy music filled the air [I’ve Got You Under My Skin]. Judy continued to
look around until her eyes locked onto Nick’s.
Nick gave Judy a sheepish smile. “Your proms sucked and I never really got to
go either of mine. I figured that if we had known each other back then, we’d
have gone together.” He shrugged, adding, “Better late than never.”
Judy couldn’t stop the tears of happiness that spilled from her eyes as she
wrapped her arms around Nick’s midsection. He returned the embrace and slowly
started to sway to the music. Judy just swayed in place with him. Eventually,
she collected herself enough to look up into his grinning face. “You’re a good
tod, Mr. Wilde.” Judy whispered to him.
Nick hummed at her words. “I’ve got to be if I’m going to get your folks to
approve of me. They still don’t know the full scope of our relationship.” he
told her. “I mean, your dad took me aside and asked me what my intentions
were.” Nick recalled the conversation from a few hours ago.
*Flashback*
“Hey, Nick? Can you come see me for a bit and talk?” Stu asked. He had a bottle
of water in each of his paws. Giving one to Nick when the tod sat down, Stu
asked, “You seem like a really good mammal and all, but can you tell me what
your intentions are towards my daughter?”
Nick almost choked on his drink at Stu’s question. Coughing and pounding his
chest, Nick asked, “Sir?” The look on the older buck’s face told Nick he hadn’t
misheard. Clearing his throat, Nick said, “Well, I’m hoping to be her partner
on the force, sir. I’m expected to report to the police academy in five weeks.
Judy specifically requested that I enroll and become her partner.”
“Is that all?” Stu questioned. “You see, when Judy left for the city the first
time, Bonnie and I decided to go through her things in case there was something
she wanted us to send her. While we were, we found some very...suggestible
things.”
Nick swallowed. “Uhm, such as?” he inquired. He had a sinking feeling in his
gut. Were they actually aware of Judy’s erotica? Did they find something else?
These were only two of the questions that bounced around inside of his skull.
Stu shifted rather uncomfortably. Sneaking a glance at his other children, he
whispered, “We found a stash of predator-based pornographic magazines hidden
throughout her room. Bonnie and I confiscated it and burned it all, but…” He
trailed off not knowing what else to say.
Nick felt his racing heart slow in relief. He knew that Judy didn’t collect
porn mags since she told him herself that she preferred smutty novels. Though
it did intrigue him that there had been porn mags in her room. They probably
belonged to her siblings. “I wouldn’t know about that, sir. Besides, how could
you possibly be so sure those magazines were Judy’s.” It wasn’t technically a
lie, but he still felt bad for it.
“Call me Stu, Nick.” Stu stated. “Look, I’m well aware that there is a
possibility the magazines belong to some of my other kids. I have nothing
against you, Nick, but I’m still a tad speciest. I’m making an effort not to
be, but it’s hard to change. You seem to be a swell male. After all, you’re
throwing a prom for my little girl. I’m just…” Shaking his head, Stu sighed. “I
want to see my Jude with a fine buck who’ll be able to give her kits and make
her a mother.” Giving Nick an almost sad smile, Stu put a paw on the tod’s
shoulder. “You know, if you were a buck, I’d probably be on my paws and knees
begging you to marry her right now. I hope that whatever buck does catch her
eye is at least half the male you are. Whatever vixen you end up with is going
to be a very lucky one.” Stu then walked off to finish helping Ewan set up the
tables and chairs. He didn’t see Nick’s ears fold down flush with his head.
*Flashback Ends*
“Your dad confided to me that when you first left for the city, he and your mom
wanted to be prepared in case you needed them to send you anything from home.
While they were going through your room, they found a large assortment of
predator-based pornagraphic magazines stashed in there.” Nick continued. “He
also expressed that he’s hoping that whatever buck you take as your mate is
half the mammal I am, after telling me that if I was a rabbit, he’d be begging
me to marry you already. I think that even though they found that stash of
pred-porn…”
“That wasn’t mine and you know it!” Judy whispered sharply, cutting him off.
Her ears falling to hide the blush that began to appear. “I didn’t even own any
back then. I only recently purchased some magazines that focused primarily on
foxes. All of those had to have belonged to one or more of my siblings. What
better place to hide it than in the room of the one they teased as ‘Jude the
Prude’.” Judy blushed as she suddenly realized what she had just confessed and
hid her face in Nick’s chest.
Nick smirked. “Oh? I thought youdidn’t have any at all, and just the ones with
foxes?” he teased.
Judy couldn’t bring herself to look Nick in the eye. “I...Maybe I managed to
find and special order some limited edition magazines that featured both foxes
and bunnies.” she whispered soft enough to be nothing more than a breath.
Nick however still caught her words. “I see.” he teased. The song changed [Only
You] and Nick wondered if now was an appropriate time to bring up his scars.
“Hey?” he asked Judy softly. “Want to hear the story behind my scars?”
Judy nodded slowly. Perking her ears to hear Nick better as he began to lead
her into another dance, Judy wondered what had Nick willing to share. She heard
him take a breath.
“Well,” Nick started. “It was roughly about a month after I kicked Skye out and
met up with Finn. Finn had gotten arrested on a drunk and disorderly, so I
didn’t have a partner for a while. That meant that I either had to run solo or
find another source of income for a short period until Finn was released. I
heard whispers of an underground fighting circuit, so I tried to find it. After
a while of asking around, I was approached and given an opportunity to prove
myself in the ring. I was given a date, time, and address, told to show up, and
that I better not disappoint if I wanted in. I showed up on time and was
immediately thrown in with a wolf who was apparently a five-year veteran of the
circuit. Believe me, he didn’t go down easy.”
“After the fight, I was given a bundle of cash larger than I had ever seen at
once as my reward for winning. Imagine what I thought at being given such a
large amount of money for winning a fight at roughly twenty years of age. I
asked how to sign up for another fight and the next thing I know, I was part of
a regular rotation. Within six months, I was put into the prestige bouts. Those
are the ones that can make or break a career on the underground fighting
circuit. Within another six months, I retired with a 21-0 winning streak.”
Judy looked at him in amazement. “How much prize money did you accumulate
during that time? And why didn’t you defend us during the case if you’re that
good?” It honestly didn’t make any sense to her at all.
Nick shifted uncomfortably, but never missed a beat. He waited for the song to
end and the next one on the playlist [Your Song (piano cover)] to begin before
answering. “Well, first let me say that it is very different to go into a fight
you know is about to take place than one that you’re not prepared for.” Getting
a nod of understanding, he continued. “As for the financial aspect, I won a
grand total of 22.8 million.”
Judy gawked at the sum of cash Nick had acquired over his run. “Nick! If you
had that much money, why the hell did you continue to hustle? You have enough
money to live comfortably for years.”
“Honestly, I don’t know why.” Nick admitted. Then, he smiled down at her.
“Maybe Fate himself chose to have me continue so that we could meet one
another.”
Judy buried her face in his chest with her ears down her back in an attempt to
hide her fiery blush. They danced to a few more songs and then Judy had to ask.
“Nick? Why did you decide to offer all that up?”
Nick sighed heavily. “When you ran off after the incident with that buck, your
mom had me wait in that tiny office not too far from the front entrance. While
I was in there, I kind of stumbled across something.”
Judy stiffened in Nick’s arms at his confession. She had a very good feeling as
to what it was he found. During the three months they had been apart, she
hadn’t been in the best place either mentally or emotionally. One of her
sisters told her it would be therapeutic to write letters even if she knew she
couldn’t send them. Judy had written to him every single evening after that
starting the second week. “Oh.” Judy whispered. Now, she understood. Nick was
making amends for his invasion of her privacy, but in her mind, Judy saw no
reason for him to. After all, she had told him ‘No secrets’. She waited for the
song to end to guide him to one of the open tables. “Sit down, Slick. I need to
tell you about those letters you found.”
The rest of the Hoppses continued to enjoy themselves. Gideon and Travis danced
for a while until Gideon was tired and sore. Bonnie and Stu performed a four-
step waltz. Jaxon and Skye twirled like a pair of professional dancers seen on
television. During all that, Judy told Nick how she started to write the
letters. Explained how every single evening, before she went to bed, she would
write to him about her day, imagining what his reaction would be to what she’d
written and his response to it. She even stated how, over time, she’d realized
that she had developed feelings, though she hadn’t known she’d fallen in love
with him until that morning she first went into heat. Nick sat silently as he
listened to Judy’s every word.
Michael Hopps, who was DJing with the band, checked his watch. Seeing that it
was 7:30 p.m. he started prepping the karaoke machine for the main event of the
evening. Once everything was set, he announced, “Alright, everybody. Unlike the
actual prom, most of us have a long day of work tomorrow. Therefore, we’re
going to finish this evening up with a bit of karaoke. If you want to astonish
us with your vocal talents, step right up and pick a song from the list.”
Judy smirked at Nick. She was feeling a lot lighter now that she no longer had
to hide the existence of the letters. She jumped to her feet saying, “What
about it, Red? Want to have a sing-off?”
Nick got to his feet and closed the distance between them. “Well, let’s see. We
both know we can play piano. I can also play, guitar, violin, drums, and the
saxophone as well as sing. If we’re going to compete, I want to know what’s at
stake.”
Judy thought about it for a bit. Finally, she got an idea. “If you win, I’ll
tell my parents that we’re seeing each other. As you said, they don’t have any
clue as to the true depth of this connection we’ve got. However, if I win than
you’ll need to do something special for me. I’ll make a request, but how you do
it is totally up to you.”
“Deal.” Nick stated. He walked over to stand in line for the karaoke contest.
He had a very specific song he planned to sing. A part of him wondered what
song Judy would choose to sing, but decided it didn’t matter.
Judy stood right behind Nick as she started to come up with what song she’d
sing. She hadn’t sung since she was a young kit, but she would often try and
run through exercises every now and again. As Nick handed her the track list,
she discovered that a good number of them she recognized. Signing her name next
to her choice, Judy waited for her turn.
As Nick and Judy awaited their turns, they enjoyed watching the performances of
the other many of the Hopps kits who got onto the stage and gave it their all.
Most of them did pretty awesome renditions of the songs they chose. Others
were...not that great, but that didn’t stop them from having a blast. After
each performance everyone would cheer as those up on stage finished and gave a
bow.
When their turns came, Nick indicated for Judy to go first. She smirked and
hopped onto the stage. She grabbed the microphone and nodded to Michael. The
intro started, then Judy began to sing [All the Way Up]. Judy didn’t just sing,
she performed. Dancing to the beat as she sang with a smile.
Nick’s jaw dropped as he listened to Judy sing. He suddenly became slightly
worried that he would lose their bet. Despite that, he couldn’t help but smile
as Judy seemed to have the time of her life performing on stage. When she
finished, Nick smiled at her as he approached her. “Great job, Fluff, but it’s
my turn now.” Ascending the steps onto the stage, Nick looked out at the crowd
of bunnies. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. Nodding to Michael
Hopps, Nick signaled for him to start the song [If].
Judy and the rest felt their jaws hit the floor as Nick sang and performed as
if he had once been a world-renowned recording artist. Judy watched in utter
astonishment as Nick made his way off stage and make his way directly to her as
she realized that the song had looped. Judy felt Nick guide her back to the
dance floor and soon they were dancing together as if they had done it for a
lifetime. Everyone joined in falling into step with seemingly practiced ease.
The party lasted well into the night as Nick and Judy started taking turns
performing more songs. Bonnie and Stu knew that tomorrow would need to be a
mandatory day off for everyone, but they didn’t care. It wasn’t until
approximately five in the morning that they all made their way back to their
rooms in the burrow. Nick and Judy shared a swift, sweet kiss to each other’s
cheeks when no one was looking then wished each other merry dreams with a
promise to see each other first thing in the morning before entering their
respective bedrooms and falling asleep.
Chapter End Notes
     I've got you under my skin: https://www.youtube.com/
     watch?v=AgxGmQmLfaQ
     Only You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzcpl2Yq69o
     Your Song (piano cover): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtr4TLTe4dM
     All the Way Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvkC8Q09xmQ
     If: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFn3BrKb4sE
     Other songs that were cut:
     Something Good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYlCU1-2DdU
     Loving the Sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKkAYqglXA4
     You Get What You Give:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UR_wbeVq-o
     Hold On: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0YtHgBxqTA
***** Chapter Nein: Transitions & Understandings *****
Chapter Summary
     Title pretty much says it. Transitions will occur and understandings
     will take place for many.
Chapter Notes
     First I want to once more apologize for being an a**. I'm not a
     person who deals well with guilt, regret, or remorse and it weighed
     heavily on me. I was actually so stressed I ended up with a migraine
     and got rushed to an emergency clinic due to anxiety attacks. But,
     I'm still here, I survived. I just hope that I still have readers.
     Those of you who posted comments on my original apology post, thank
     you again. They meant a great deal to me. I even saved them on a WPS
     document to preserve them since deleting a chapter also erases
     comments.
     Thanks again to Fairlane302 for sticking with me and editing my mess
     of a chapter.
     Anyway, that's enough rambling. On with the chapter!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                  Chapter_Nein:_Transitions_&_Understandings
===============================================================================
ZPD Cybercrime Unit – Precinct One – Zootopia – Midafternoon
The Cybercrime Unit of the Zootopian Police Department was one of the greatest
in the world. Second only to its primary counterpart in the Zoolympian Empire’s
Imperial Capital of Zookuulantiapolis. Its secondary counterpart in Zootropolis
was often used for things of a more ‘sensitive’ nature. The three cities were
often referred to as the Triumvirate of the Zoolympian Empire.
The Head of ZPD Cybercrimes, an elephant named Ellen Tusker, was sitting at a
workstation listening to the same recording for the tenth time. She really
didn’t need to as she was gifted with an audiographic memory, but she was
triple-checking everything, looking for anything that could have easily been
missed, locating them, and then isolating them for further analysis. It seemed
that every time she thought that she was done something new would pop up and
she’d rerun the recording again. Her computer had already transcribed the
dialogue, but each time she identified another anomaly, she’d add a note to
them. The sound of someone approaching her station had Tusker looking up to
find Chief Bogo and the Police Commissioner, Terry Catlin, an elderly bobcat,
standing before her.
Receiving the gesture to take a seat, Chief Bogo and Commissioner Catlin sat
down and each took a pair of Bluefang Beats that were synced to Tusker’s
workstation. They had read the preliminary report, but they wanted to know
exactly what had been discovered on the mobile phones found at the scene of the
assault of Detective Wolford. The first recording was done in a very police-
like fashion. Hannibal gave the date and time, expressed what would soon take
place, and then confessed that he had been tasked to commit five murders, by
the same mammal who had broken him out The recording then became silent until
the voice of the late Wilbur Graham made its appearance. Both Bogo and Catlin
listened intently to the words that were spoken. They grit their teeth at
Graham’s confession to being a member of the Anti-Predator Movement and his
continued confirmation of Hannibal’s accusations.
Listening as the recording quickly devolved into a physical confrontation, Bogo
closed his eyes as the sound of a gunshot echoed. He surmised that it was
Graham’s off duty revolver to which they had traced the bullets from Harrison
to. It appeared that Hannibal used it to provide more proof to his claims as a
forensic analysis on the bullets had linked the gun to a number of unsolved and
previously unconnected crimes.
The Commissioner though had started to consider the fact that there were a lot
more dirty cops as yet unaccounted for to deal with. As the second recording
began, Comm. Catlin could hear the slight difference in Hannibal’s breathing.
What was said confirmed Det. Wolford’s statement, but that all took place after
Hannibal’s message, which sounded almost as if he were telling them all this
directly. Hannibal’s third recording told them that he had given the compiled
evidence against the five mammals he’d murdered to a young mammal to deliver to
Chief Bogo. It would show the motive behind why his benefactor wanted them
dead. Hannibal also identified his benefactor as a predator known only as ‘the
Chancellor’. He gave a small profile to give them a bit of insight then
explained that after he gave the mobile phones to Detective Wolford, he’d
confront the Chancellor in battle though he doubted he himself would survive.
From there was the conversation between Hannibal and Det. Wolford.
As the recording ended, the Chief and the Commissioner stood and thanked Ellen
then walked out to the hallway elevator. Once inside, Bogo switched it off and
turned to Catlin. “What do you think our next move should be, Commissioner?”
Bogo asked.
Catlin leaned back against the elevator’s back wall. “I hate to say this, but a
full IA investigation. Not just for your precinct either. I’ll also notify the
ZIB of what we learned. I doubt we’re the only ones with sleepers in our
ranks.” Sighing, the Commissioner added, “We also need to keep this under wraps
for as long as we can. I’m not worried about predators, but when it comes to
prey, I think I’m allowed to be properly paranoid.”
Bogo grunted in agreement, not taking any offense to the statement. “How do you
want to do this then? We’ll need to form some kind of task force. That much is
certain.”
The Commissioner covered his eyes with a paw. “I don’t know.” he admitted.
“I’ll get back to you on it. I have to speak with a few mammals before
answering that.” Switching the elevator back on, Catlin stated, “Give me until
Monday. I have your answer by then. That gives you three days to do whatever
you think needs to be done.” When the doors opened, the Commissioner walked out
of the precinct towards Unity Plaza, where he and other officials had their
offices.
Bogo went to his own office and sat down. He considered everything he could
think of. Pulling out his phone, he also extracted the list of contacts he kept
in his desk. Locating the one for Judy L. Hopps, Bogo dialed her number. ‘I
hope this works.’
Zootopia General Hospital – Sahara Square – Zootopia – Late Evening
Zannah Fangmeyer stirred at the feeling of someone stroking her back. Blinking
her eyes open, she remembered where she was. Looking up, she found Harrison
smiling at her. “Hey,” she whispered. “Are you finally awake for real this
time?” Harrison had faded in and out a number of times over the past couple of
hours.
Harrison nodded. “I have to admit, I was a bit surprised to find you here.” he
stated. “Didn’t think you would come after this morning.”
Zannah frowned deeply at him. “Harrison Wolford, if you think for a single
second that I’d leave you, you’re daft.” She placed her head back on his chest
like it had been originally. In a voice as soft as a whisper, she said, “I ran
into your mother and your ex when I arrived. They were here together.”
Harrison growled. He wished he could say he was surprised, but that’d be a lie.
Harrison felt like he should have expected it. “How did that go?” he inquired.
Zannah shuddered at the memory.  “Well,” she began. “there was a ton of
shouting, derogatory slurs thrown around, and a few other things that I won’t
mention. It was just about to get physical when your grandfather showed up.”
“Wait.” Harrison interjected. “My grandfather’s here?” Harrison often wondered
what his grandfather would think of his relationship with Zannah. He was
curious as to his grandfather’s assessment of her.
Zannah shook her head. “He’s not here at the moment. Something about having a
meeting tomorrow he had to prepare for. Promised to swing by as soon as he was
done though.” Looking up into Harrison’s eyes, she whispered, “He’s a really,
really scary mammal.”
Harrison chuckled. “He really is.” he agreed. “His heart’s in the right place
though, I promise. A couple of years before my siblings were kitnapped, when my
parents didn’t know what to do with me, he took custody of me. After they
escaped and I decided to be a cop, he was the one who started prepping me for
the police academy.”
Studying him for a moment, Zannah stated, “You’re a lot like him, you know.
Same look in your eyes, you two carry yourselves in the same manner, and you
both seem to command a certain level of authority.”
Harrison couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. His grandfather
had been his role model growing up. To hear that he was similar was a moment of
pride. Harrison’s grin vanished as felt inclined to ask, “What happened after
my grandfather arrived?”
Zannah sighed. Telling him the answer to this question wasn’t something she
wanted to do, but he needed to hear it. “His presence broke them. He started by
explaining how your father and your uncle Josiah had kept him informed on their
activities.” She looked Harrison in the eyes. “They were slowly attempting to
emotionally, behaviorally, and mentally condition you to prevent us from being
together.”
Harrison was livid. After becoming an officer, he, like every other newly sworn
officer he knew, ran background checks on his friends and family. He had
discovered that his mother was once a founding member of the Purity Party, a
group that was against crossbreeding. It had taken an Imperial Edict by the
Emperor in the Imperial capital to end the damn war on crossbreeders. “She’s
not my mother.” he stated simply. “She’s just the bitch who I was unlucky to
have as my maternal influence.”
Zannah gave him a sad smile. “Well, be as it may, your grandfather not only
defended me, but put them both in their rightful places. Your mother’s been
stripped of the Wolford name and is now a wolf without a pack. As for your ex,
she tried to stand up to him and in return your grandfather slashed at her
face, claws extended, scarring her for life. She ran away crying.”
Harrison huffed in amusement. “She has reason to. Any she-wolf marked in such a
manner is considered ‘shamed’. No one will ever want her for a mate now. The
status is permanent.”
Zannah and Harrison stared into one another’s eyes. Zannah went to speak, but
was stopped by Harrison pressing his lips to hers. She moaned into the kiss,
but didn’t push for more. She wanted to talk about their relationship. When
Harrison pulled away, she said, “Don’t try to distract me.”
Harrison sighed. “It was worth a try.” he mumbled. With a sweet, gentle smile,
he said, “I’m not mad, you know. I thought about it a lot while I was under. I
even had a few…’otherworldly experiences’ let’s say.” Stroking her cheek with a
finger, he whispered, “I can still remember them all. In each and every one of
them, it always turned out shitty. At least until the last one.”
“What was the last one?” Zannah asked. The look in his eyes as he recalled that
one was mesmerizing.
Harrison moved his head to press his cheek against hers. “It was so real,
Zannah. I saw our son. He told me that I needed to get going because you were
waiting for me. So, I took off running to find you. That’s the first time I
came to. After that, I was just fighting to wake up and stay awake, but the
minute traces of anesthesia made it difficult.”
Zannah felt tears in her eyes. “I…I’m sorry, Harry.” she whispered. “I was so
insecure and felt so scared that you’d decide to go back to your ex. I looked
up your last I.C.E. contact and found out it was the waitress from our regular
bar. It made me wonder if you kept insisting that we go there so that you could
see her.”
Harrison shushed her. “I did go there to see her. That way I could show her
that I had found someone else. Someone I loved more than I ever loved her.”
They laid there feeling comfort from one another until the sliding door to the
room opened. Looking up, they saw the terrifyingly imposing figure of
Harrison’s grandfather gracing them with a kind, fatherly smile. They situated
themselves so that they were sitting up, then greeted him.
Fenrir Wolford looked at his grandson and the female he had chosen as his mate.
He recalled how often Harrison would talk about her during their weekly dinners
prior to the two of them moving in together. When he had learned of what Beth
had been doing, he had wanted to shun her immediately. But, over time, he had
seen how Harrison had never strayed from his chosen mate. Fenrir had wanted to
laugh as it soon dawned on him that, though Beth and her bitch had been
manipulating Harrison’s mind and heart, they had failed to dominate his soul.
“It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Ms. Fangmeyer. I’ve heard
quite a lot about you from Harrison. My name’s Fenrir Wolford.”
The three soon fell into comfortable conversation. Harrison would share stories
about him and Zannah on cases. Zannah would add a few things here and there.
Fenrir listened and every once and awhile he’d tell Zannah an embarrassing
story from Harrison’s younger years. They carried on without bothering to check
the time, so when the nurse came to inform them that visiting hours were over,
Fenrir apologized for the inconvenience and bade them farewell, promising to
return after his meeting tomorrow. The nurse informed Zannah that as she was
Harrison’s lifemate that she could remain overnight. Zannah graciously accepted
the visitation permit and thanked the nurse.
Looking at Zannah confused, Harrison asked, “When did we become lifemates?” It
wasn’t that he was complaining, but he was curious. Zannah didn’t seem like the
type to lie about something like that.
Zannah flushed as she answered. “T-the second time you became minimally
conscious, you were asking where I was. When the doctors asked why you were so
concerned about me……” She trailed off as a look of understanding slowly
appeared on Harrison’s face.
“Oh.” Harrison whispered as he flattened his ears to hide his blush. That
wasn’t what he had expected at all. Giving Zannah a shy smile, he asked, “D-do
you want to make that official sometime? Maybe run down to the courthouse?”
Zannah snuggled into Harrison’s chest. “Yeah. We’ll do that. That way there
won’t be too much hassle.” She felt him encircle his arms around her to hold
her close. They laid there enjoying the warmth of the other and soon drifted to
sleep.
Shiregrove – An Abandoned Village Outside Zootopia’s Limits –  Predawn
It hadn’t been long, an hour or two at most, after his fight with Hannibal
Hyector when the Chancellor stumbled into an old house located within the ghost
town of Shiregrove that lies just beyond the limits of Zootopia. Falling to the
floor, he gasped in pain. The wounds that he had sustained during his fight
with Hannibal hadn’t seemed so serious at first, but now he was considering how
badly he was injured. “Fucking scavenger!” the Chancellor cursed. Rolling over
onto his back, he looked at the sky through the large hole in the ceiling. The
stars were fading in the predawn light. “Another day has come.” he whispered.
Closing his eyes, he soon heard ethereal screams just like every other time he
tried to fall asleep within the old house. This time, however, instead of
wordless hollers, he could hear someone screaming for him by his old name.
Opening his eyes, he found himself in a burning house. Jumping to his hindpaws,
he looked around and saw two females crying out for him. Rushing over, he tried
to get to them. Not seeing a way through, he shouted, “Try to get out through
the back. I’ll meet you there.”
“Jacen!! Daddy!!” the elder of the females cried, stopping him. “We won’t make
it! The entire room’s engulfed in flames! Get out while you can!”
The Chancellor looked back at her furiously. “NO!!” he shouted. “I’M NOT GOING
TO LEAVE YOU!! WE’RE GETTING OUT OF THIS…” The house’s roof started to
collapse, cutting off his words. He rushed to try and force away the debris
separating him from the two females, but it was futile. Tears started to stream
down his face as he realized there was no way to get to them. He locked eyes
with them just as the roof finally gave and caved in. “NOOOO!!!!”
The Chancellor’s eyes shot open as he awoke from the nightmare, still
screaming. Breathing heavily, he forced himself into a sitting position with a
pained grunt and looked around the room. He could almost see the ghostly images
of the ones who’d lived here. He blamed Hannibal for the nightmare. The
Chancellor hadn’t experienced one for years. Hearing Hannibal use that name had
come as an unexpected shock. How the damn hyena had even heard of it was beyond
him. ‘No matter. He’s dead now. Both he and Jacen.’ Forcing himself to his
feet, the Chancellor limped out of the burnt-out house. He made his way to the
farthest edge of the village where a mass grave was located. Just beyond it
were two grave markers. One had the name ‘Courtney’ and the other ‘Ana’.
Falling to his knees before the two grave markers, the Chancellor stared at
them. “I’m sorry, but I’m almost finished laying the groundwork. Just wait a
little while longer then I’ll be with you always.”
The Hopps Homestead – Bunnyburrow – The Tri-Burrows – Just after sunrise (5:45
am)
Judy and Nick were packing up their things for their trip back to Zootopia.
After receiving a phone call from the Chief late yesterday afternoon, informing
them that Nick would need to report to the Police Academy earlier than
expected, they had immediately began to gather their things. Bonnie and Stu had
argued at first, but soon relented knowing that there was no way to stop either
of them. Jaxon and Skye informed them that though they were not scheduled to
report to their own superiors until later that week, they had decided that with
the current unrest, it would be best to report in earlier, and so they had
offered to give Nick and Judy a ride into the city as well.
Throwing the last of her things into the luggage case Jameson had given her as
well as another one she was now bringing from home, Judy went and knocked on
the door in between her room and its expansion that Nick was using. “Nick? Are
you almost ready? I want us to leave as soon as possible.”
Nick’s ears perked in the direction of the door the separated the two rooms.
Closing his own luggage case, he opened the door with a smile. “Just now
finished.” he stated. “Are your brother and his vixen ready to go?”
Judy shrugged. “No idea.” She handed him her luggage. “Take that and go to the
front entrance. I’ll check on them and see if they’re ready. If so, we’ll head
out.” Receiving a nod from him, she left the room for Jaxon and Skye’s
guestroom. Knocking on the door, she said, “You two ready?”
Jaxon opened the door without a shirt on. Finding Judy standing on the other
side dressed in a suit similar to those that he and Skye typically wore,
Jaxon’s eyes widened for a moment. Choosing to ignore it, he said, “We’ll be
ready in a minute. Skye’s ironing our shirts.” Turning to look at his fiancée,
who was out of Judy’s view, he said, “For crying out loud, Skye. We’re not
going directly to HQ. We have to stop by our new apartment first. You can do
all this there.”
Judy’s ears swiveled in Skye’s general direction as the vixen groaned out,
“Fine.” Judy then saw Jaxon’s shirt land on his head. Looking at her brother,
she asked, “What exactly do the two of you do?”
Jaxon took his shirt off his head and started to put it on. “I’ll tell you and
Nick once we’re in the car. Now, go grab us a few snacks for the trip. I only
want to make one stop if necessary.” Watching Judy head to the kitchen, he
asked Skye, “Think we should tell her the truth?”
Skye scoffed at the question. “You just found her. Do you want to lose her by
keeping secrets?” She watched Jaxon sigh. “Jack.” she whispered softly. “Don’t
overthink it. Do what feels right. If you feel like you should tell her then
tell her. I personally think you should, but it’s ultimately your decision.”
Jaxon stared at Skye. She only ever called him ‘Jack’ when she wanted him to
really listen to her. He knew every word she said had been carefully selected
and they were all true. “I wonder what her reaction will be.” he murmured under
his breath as he pulled on the rest of his suit. Buttoning up the jacket of his
suit, Jaxon took a deep breath. Letting it out, he gave Skye a smug grin.
“Ready to create some chaos?”
Skye smirked back at her fiancé. “Do you even need to ask?” Wearing her own
suit, she grabbed their luggage and headed to the front entrance where Nick was
currently located as he waited for Judy. Seeing his outfit, Skye’s eyes
widened. “Holy crap!” she exclaimed soft as a whisper. Nick was wearing a
formfitting black suit that accentuated his lithe build perfectly yet hid just
how fit he truly was. Skye couldn’t help but think, ‘He looks like a model for
an action film or a Special Operative like Jack and I.’
Hearing her soft exclamation, Nick looked over at her,  noticed Skye’s attire
and smirked. He went to say something when Judy and Jaxon arrived. Noticing the
similarities between their outfits, Nick immediately made a connection. Pulling
out his phone, he said, “Can I take a quick picture of you two standing side by
side?”
Exchanging glances, Jaxon and Judy shrugged then got into position. Due to the
minor height difference, Judy had her arm around Jaxon’s waist like a sister
would a brother while Jaxon threw his own arm around Judy’s shoulder. Once they
heard the camera click, they separated and picked up their own bags.
Nick looked at the photo then sent it to his father with the caption ‘Something
tells me you’ve got some explaining to do.’ Following the rest out, Nick loaded
his and Judy’s bags into the canine-scaled SUV that looked like it could have
been an ex-military vehicle. With Skye driving, Nick had Judy sit right behind
her. Nick then climbed in behind Jaxon. The text notification he got had him
pull his phone out to see the message from his dad, which said, ‘Looks like I
do. We’ll talk when you get here.’ Nick put his phone away and asked, “We’re
going to stop somewhere and eat, right?”
Skye nodded. “There’s roughly 211 miles between here and Zootopia. This baby
has got a full 8-gallon tank of diesel and gets 43 miles to the gallon highway.
The speed limit is 65 mph. It should take us approximately a little over three
hours. We’ll be stopping for breakfast in a few minutes. Until then, we’ve got
snacks.” Starting the vehicle up, she put it in drive and took off.
Jaxon opened the glove compartment and extracted a Leporidae-sized tablet.
Logging in, he opened a secured communications channel to he and Skye’s
supervisor at the ZIB’s branch office in Zootopia. Sending a short message
stating their impending arrival, Jaxon decided it was time to explain what he
and Skye did to Judy and Nick. Pressing a button on the middle console, Jaxon
made his seat change positions to where it was facing backwards towards their
passengers. “Time for a confession.” he stated. “Skye and I are agents employed
by the Zoolympian Investigative and Intelligence Bureau.”
Nick and Judy blinked. Nick figured it would be something like that from what
he pieced together and wondered how his dad fit in. Judy’s thoughts were along
the lines of ‘looks like we’re more similar than I first thought’. Both seeing
Jaxon’s concerned face, Nick and Judy nodded to show their understanding and
acceptance of his statement.
Jaxon let out a breath of relief seeing the ease at which they accepted his
claim. “I should also tell you why we’ve been sent to Zootopia.” he began.
“Skye and I have been…” he was cut off by Judy.
“Assigned to investigate the Anti-Predator Movement and how deep it probably
runs through the city.” Judy finished for him. She had figured that multiple
government agencies would take an interest in the case, but finding out that
her half-brother had been the one chosen to represent the ZIB was a wonderful
surprise. Not only had she learned that she had a brother she’d never knew
existed, but he was a ZIB agent and he’d been assigned to the same case she
was. In her mind, this could only improve their chances of solving the case.
Skye spoke up, saying, “Correct. Jaxon’s designation is active acting field
agent. He’ll be the one who’ll be directly involved. My role is as his handler.
My job is to make sure he has everything he’ll need in the field, be it
information, gear, reinforcements, the whole nine yards.”
Skye and Jaxon answered the few questions that Judy and Nick asked as they
continued to make their way to the city. At around 7 and only a couple of miles
from Zootopia’s city limits, Skye pulled into a small establishment called
‘Ozwald’s Roadside Diner’. The four climbed out and entered the eatery to find
a silver fox tod conversing with an ebony-furred bunny doe. The doe noticed
them and smile gesturing to a table. The silver fox tod payed them no mind.
Sitting at the booth the doe indicated, Nick, Judy, Jaxon and Skye waited to be
given menus. When the doe walked up, she said, “Hello. I’m Clara Ozwald.”
Smiling pleasantly, Clara pointed at Skye. “Two cherry tarts with a sunny side
up egg.” Pointing to Jaxon, she said, “Onigiri with spring rolls.” To Nick,
Clara stated, “Two blueberry muffins, a tofu frittata, and buttered toast.”
Finally landing on Judy, Clara tilted her head with a sly smile. “Mini carrot
pancakes and…” Clara raised a brow. “…a frittata with pepperoni, provolone, and
kale.” Clara finished by saying, “Two coffees for the vulpines, one with
blueberry flavoring, one with cherry, and two carrot flavored teas for the
Leporidae.” Clara walked away, leaving the four staring after her with stunned
expressions.
Hearing a soft chuckle, the four looked over to see the silver tod now sitting
on a nearby stool tuning a guitar. “You’ll have to forgive her. She’s very
perceptive.” he stated. He struck a few chords. Satisfied, he began to play
[Fare Thee Well]. The soft tune filled the air creating a relaxing environment.
Nick cast a glance at Judy. “A frittata with pepperoni?” he asked, curiously.
Normally, prey mammals didn’t eat those types of food, so Nick was curious as
to why Judy’s order had it.
Judy shrugged. “Try everything.” she answered simply. “I mean, I’ve had pred
food before on a dare that I really enjoyed. Used to sneak out sometimes to go
eat with a buddy who’s a cougar, Bobby Catmull. He’s a recording folk artist
now. He used to give me cricket chips occasionally during recess.”
Nick’s jaw dropped at Judy’s confession. “So, if I made a traditional vulpine
meal for you, would you eat it?” His mind started putting together a special
courting meal at the thought.
“Sure.” Judy confirmed. “Just don’t tell my parents about this. They’d probably
have freakin’ heart attacks if they found out.”
Jaxon and Skye shared a glance at the idea of doing the same. Main problem for
them though was Skye was a horrible cook. The only kitchen appliances she knew
how to use were the toaster, microwave, and coffeemaker. Jaxon reprimanded
himself once again for being far too polite about constantly cooking their
meals. He knew that it was probably time to teach her at least some of the
basics, but he had been putting it off for some time. Still, perhaps it was
finally time to follow through, and actually teach her, that way, he wasn’t the
only one responsible for cooking their meals every night.
Judy felt her mobile buzz twice, signifying that she’d received two messages.
Checking them, she found one from Chief Tobias Bogo stating that she was
assigned to the Temp Instructor position at the police academy until he
specifically told her otherwise. The second one was from Major Barbeara
Friedkin informing her that she’d managed to secure a pair of adjoining rooms
for her and Nick in the academy’s temporary housing complex on campus grounds.
Sending both a thank you text, she put her mobile away as Clara returned with
their meals.
Todd continued to play as the four ate. When Clara jumped up to sit on the
counter next to him, he gave her a kiss which she returned, unseen by their
customers. Pulling away, he finished the song and put the guitar down. “I’ve
got to run. I’ll see you in a bit.” Walking out, he cast a glance at the four
in the diner before sending Clara a wink and exiting the diner.
Finishing their meals, they thanked Clara, who told them not to worry about
payment as it was on the house. Getting back into the SUV, they drove off. As
they drove away, Nick could have sworn that the diner seemed to just fade out
of existence instead of disappearing over the horizon. Casting a peek at Judy,
he saw that she noticed it as well.
It wasn’t long after that that they reached Zootopia’s city limits. Nick asked
that Skye and Jaxon drop the off at the ZPA to which they agreed. Making sure
that they had everything, Nick asked, “So, where will you two be staying?”
Jaxon pulled out a business card with he and Skye’s contact info. Writing the
address of their residence while in the city, he handed it to Nick. “Contact us
if either of you need anything. We’ll keep our phones on paw. We’ll call you
when we’re settled in.” Waving goodbye as Skye drove them away, he wondered
what was in store for them.
Nick and Judy grabbed their luggage and began making their way to the Academy’s
administrative offices. Once inside, Judy asked the receptionist to tell Major
Friedkin they had arrived. The polar bear drill instructor soon appeared with a
smile.
“Nice of you two to come and visit.” Major teased. “Come on. I’ve got
everything prepared for you.” She escorted them to the on campus temporary
housing complex. When they reached the rooms assigned to the bunny and fox,
Major began to explain a few things. “First off, I know Judy remembers the
rules, therefore, I’m going to skip over that part. Secondly, I’ve made sure
that both your rooms have everything you will need. There is a fully stocked
kitchenette, a personal shower, and the usual accommodations you would find in
a studio apartment.” Taking out two keycards, she said, “These are yours. Do
NOT lose them.” Pawing them to the fox and bunny, she finished with, “Tomorrow,
Foxtrot here will need to undergo the normal evaluative process. Be up and
ready by 5:15 a.m.” Walking away, Major Friedkin added, “Enjoy the rest of your
day.”
Nick scanned his keycard, unlocking the door, and walked inside. He cringed at
how utterly bland it was. The walls were taupe with no decorations. There was a
tiny television atop a chest of drawers in front of the bed. A small table with
an ancient PC was in the corner. Entering the bathroom, he found that the
shower was a two in one bath/shower combo, but it wasn’t in the best condition.
All in all, Nick felt like he was back in his first apartment in Happytown.
“I’m getting a sense of Déjà vu.”
Judy chuckled at Nick’s assessment. “I don’t blame you. This place is awful,
but we take what we can get.” Closing the door behind her, she walked to the
connecting doorway between their two rooms. Opening the door, she stepped into
her own room which was almost an exact duplicate except for the fact that she
had more up-to-date versions of everything in Nick’s. Setting her bags down,
Judy asked, “We’ve got all day, Red. Let’s go walk around campus and I’ll give
you a tour.” Nick agreed and soon followed her out the building as she began to
tell him everything he’d need to know once he started training.
@ the apartment of Spencer Wolvenett – Zootopia - Midmorning
Spencer Wolvenett was cooking a small pot of beans when a knock on his door
announced the arrival of a visitor. Checking the clock, he saw that it was 9:
25. Cursing, he quickly took the pot off his stovetop and went to the door.
Before him stood Regulus Wolford, his pack alpha and father of Harrison
Wolford. “Alpha Regulus.” he greeted, stepping aside to allow entry.
Regulus Wolford walked in and gave Spencer a grateful bow. “I apologize for the
intrusion Spencer, but I’m in need of a small favor.” Taking out a photograph
of two wolves, he passed it to the younger wolf. “I’m sure you recognize those
two from the Missing Mammals case. Their positions within their respective
packs are currently in jeopardy. I’ve taken them on as new members, but as of
now, I have nowhere to house them. As you currently live alone here in this
spacious four-bedroom, I was wondering if I could house them here for a short
time until I can find somewhere else.”
Spencer looked at the photo. He did indeed recognize them from the Missing
Mammals case. Lawrence Howling and Gary Timberstein were their names. They had
been indicted for their roles, but were acquitted based on evidence presented
that they were merely hired-paws. From what else he could remember the two were
foster siblings. Lawrence, or Larry, had been adopted by Gary’s folks when they
thought they’d never have their own pups. Gary had been born three years later.
“I don’t see why not Alpha Regulus. I’ll be pleased to aid them. If they don’t
prove difficult, I see no reason they will have to be relocated.”
Regulus Wolford nodded in thanks. “I appreciate that. I must say that there is
a slight issue with this however. Lawrence is from Alpha Remus’s pack and Gary
from Alpha Markus’s. Neither of whom are pleased with this development. It
would appear that both alphas wish to grant asylum for their respective pack
member, but due to Lawrence being of one pack and raised in another it is
making things difficult. Alpha Remus is trying to extradite Lawrence, but Alpha
Markus refuses to comply on the ground that Lawrence has been raised as a
member of his pack due to his adoption.”
Spencer considered everything. “What do their parents say? Are they involved at
all?”
Alpha Regulus shook his head sadly. “Both sets are deceased. That was the
reason for Lawrence’s adoption in the first place. As for the Timbersteins,
they died while both were in college. They’ve been living with one of Gary’s
aunts, but she now refuses to harbor criminals.”
“They weren’t convicted though.” Spencer stated. “They were acquitted. Doesn’t
that mean anything to her? They are family.”
Regulus Wolford sighed. “I wish it did. As far as she’s concerned, she has no
relation to them. Alphas Remus and Markus are on the verge of a pack war over
this. I stepped in to mediate, since a pack war is the last thing this city
needs. All parties were agreeable to the arrangement.” Clapping Spencer’s
shoulder, he said, “You have my thanks. I’ll have them here in two days’ time.”
With a bow of leave, Regulus Wolford departed.
Spencer took another look at the photo as he sat down to eat his beans. The two
in the photo had large smiles on their faces and had their arms thrown over
each other’s shoulders. But Spencer seemed to find something odd about them
that he couldn’t place. ‘Guess we’ll find out soon.’
Chapter End Notes
     The next chapter (yes, the next chapter. I did promise this time
     would be a dual release update) is the transcripts of the recordings
     Hannibal left on the mobile phones at the scene of Harrison's
     shooting. I honestly have no idea how they turned out. I may have
     written them, but that makes me biased.
***** Bonus Content: The Recording Transcripts *****
Chapter Summary
     The promised secondary release.
Chapter Notes
     As I'm sure many wished to know what was spoken during the murder of
     Poor Wilbur Graham, I typed up these transcripts for you all. Having
     no knowledge of how to type these up, I tried my best to emulate
     those seen on television. So, yeah, they're not the best.
     Round of applause for Fairlane302, who helped edit this into a viable
     bonus content chapter.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                   Bonus Content: The Recording Transcripts
 
Test Recording
 
Hannibal Hyector: Testing, testing.
 
Test Recording End
 
Recording One
 
Hannibal: Greetings. This is Hannibal Hyector. Currently, I am sitting in the
home of former criminal profiler Wilbur Graham, awaiting his return. It is mid
to late evening, time unknown as there are no clocks and I don’t know how to
use this newfangled technology other than it’s call and record functions. This
will be a recording of my conversation with Wil for information about his role
in the Anti-Predator Movement. While I wait for Wil to arrive, I’ll quickly go
over the the events of the last day. Approximately 24 hours ago, I was broken
out of the Nocturne Bedlam Maximum Security Penitentiary by a mammal who wished
to retain my services. I was given the task of terminating five mammals whom he
viewed as expendable and I have now completed said task. In the process of
executing my task, I discovered that this mammal who broke me out was the
leader of the Anti-Predator movement, and all of the targets were members of
his group.
 
*silence*
 
H: Ah, right on time, it would appear that Wil is arriving, I’ll have to go
over the targets later.
 
(sound of lock disengaging, door opening then closing followed by the lock
being reengaged. Shuffling of hooves.)
 
Wilbur Graham: I can’t believe he really let you out. What? Was I on the list?
Or are you here for personal business?
 
H: Hello, Wil. How are you?
 
W: Answer my question first, Hannibal. Why are you here?
 
H: Personal Business. Tell me, how’s retirement treating you? I wish I could
say I was surprised to discover you were forced into mandatory retirement, but
that would be a lie.
 
W: State your business, Hannibal or so help me I’ll kill you for real this
time.
 
H: So much anger Wil. Fine. Tell me about your part in the Anti-Predator
Movement. How long you’ve been involved, what your assigned role was,
everything, and I’ll be on my way. Let me warn you though, I’ll know if you’re
lying. *sound of item hitting table* I’ve already compiled a great deal of
information from Piggy Swinton and the other four that the Chancellor tasked me
to murder.
 
*silence*
 
W: I joined the movement roughly twenty five years ago, maybe five years before
I finally managed to capture you. I was given orders to use my skills as a
profiler to identify the mammals on the force that were more likely to
empathize with our cause as well as make sure that law enforcement remained
unaware of our movements within the city. *silence* You killed Piggy Swinton?
Tell me, did you imagine me when you did it?
 
H: No, Wil. I would never want to kill you. Now, tell me more. How did you
misdirect investigations that were linked to this cult of yours?
 
W: First, we’re not a cult. Secondly, when I received word of the crime, I
would be given a name. I then simply redirected the focus of the investigation
towards that mammal.  *silence* Why are you asking all this? What’s your
reason?
 
H: You’re the profiler. You tell me. The chemist I murdered, he was creating
something. What was it?
 
W: I don’t know. Everyone is autonomous. It’s not like we share information
with one another. We simply answer to the Chancellor.
 
H: Tell me about him. I’m curious to know what your thoughts on him are. What
was your evaluation of him?
 
W: In what capacity? He’s intelligent, insanely so. He’s been planning this for
years. Judy Hopps taking down Bellwether was something that he hadn’t planned
for though. He’s hypocritical though, a predator wishing for the extermination
of predators. A psycho-sociopath. I don’t know how old he is, but his behavior
leads me to believe that he’s in his late 30’s to early 40’s. He’s a loner, but
not anti-social. Charismatic. Manipulative when he feels the need to be.
Meticulous, methodical, though unorthodox, and somewhat militaristic. He
commands through fear and respect. Those who fear him, respect him and those
who respect him, fear him. He has no empathy, sympathy, or compassion.
 
H: No mammality. I got the same impression. The Chancellor is insane, but the
difference is that he is aware of it. What about the others? *Sound of a paw
patting something* As I said, I’ve already compiled a great deal of
information, but I could always use more.
 
W: I wouldn’t know. As I told you, we don’t exchange information with each
other. *silence* You’re going to betray us, aren’t you?
 
H: I’m a predator, Wil. While I’m more than ready to die, I don’t ever truly
wish to see innocent predators perish. That was one of the reasons I only ever
targeted guilty mammals. Besides, after what I’ve discovered, are you really
going to tell me that prey aren’t just as capable of savagery?
 
W: I suppose not. Tell me, Hannibal. You learned that I was forced to accept
mandatory retirement. What else did you learn?
 
H: That you’ve been working as a professor of forensic psychology at Zootopia
Center University. Your class was quite fascinating. I was quite flattered when
you named me as ‘the most thrilling chase’ you’ve ever experienced.
 
W: Hmm. Did you by any chance see the two young hyenas in the front row? The
ones who seemed both uncomfortable and proud?
 
H: What about them?
 
W: Would you like to know who they are? I’m sure you’ll find their parentage
interesting.
 
H: Oh? Please, do tell.
 
W: Their mother is Jasiri Hyeckles.   *pause*  That’s right, Hannibal. They’re
your children. They’re all either of them have left in this world.
 
H: You’re playing a very dangerous game, Wil.
 
W: I know I am.  *cocking of a firearm*  I just thought I do the courtesy of
letting you know who and what you’re leaving behind.  (a gunshot, howl of pain,
continuous squeal, furniture breaking, sounds of a struggle, second gunshot,
squeal ends.)
 
H:  (heavy breathing)  That was stupid of you, Wil.  *cough* (heavy breathing
continues. Third gunshot. Sound of body being dragged away. Prolonged silence.
Sound of approach.)
 
Recording One Ends
 
Recording Two
 
H: This is my second recording. It has been a couple of hours since my ill-
fated conversation with Wilbur Graham. I was sloppy in my advanced age. I
should have been expecting it. I called in the murder earlier and am now
waiting to see who responds. (silence). Well, well, well. I seems fortune has
smiled upon me. Harrison Wolford. I’ll just wait for him to finish. He’ll
probably take a walk around the block. There’s a bus stop I can wait for him
at.
 
Recording Two Ends
 
Recording Three
 
H: While I waited for Harry, met a rather pleasant young mammal, and offered
him payment to deliver a number of files to the ZPD. These files contain a
profile on my benefactor, A predator who calls himself the Chancellor., The
files also contain details regarding the targets he had assigned to me,
including why these mammals had been targeted. The young mammal offered to take
pictures of all the documents, in order to back them up on my phone. I have no
idea how it works, or what he did, but I am told that all the documents have
been backed up on the phone's ‘SD’ card, whatever that is. Regardless, I
requested that the files still be delivered to the ZPD, as I originally
requested, with strict orders to ensure that only the Chief of Police receives
the files. I gave the mammal a hundred dollars, to incentivise him to actually
make the delivery, though I doubt he will do so before tomorrow.
 
I don’t know when Harrison will show, so I’m going to take this time to say a
few last words.
 
(Sound of throat being cleared)
 
H: I, Hannibal Hyector, hereby state that this is my last will and testament.
To my children – I wish I could have known about you much sooner. I wonder what
it would have been like to watch you grow up. I find myself feeling remorse and
regret that I missed so much regarding you two. I’m not supposed to be able to
experience either of those feelings yet I am. I bequeath to you my old family
home in Sahara Square, if the city hasn’t demolished it. To Harrison Wolford –
I want to thank you for being the one who was assigned to this case. I know
that it was simply a serendipitous stroke of fortune, but all the same. I wish
we could have had more time. I really found you intriguing and often wondered
what it would have been like if you had been the one to catch me originally.
But you already know that. Anyway, to Harrison Wolford, I bequeath my extensive
private collection located in storage unit 221B Warehouse 13 in the Docks. You
already know the code. It’s the whole reason for how I turned out only in
numerical form. To Judith Hopps – I leave in your care the city of Zootopia.
While I never got the chance to meet you myself, I heard a great deal about you
in the few hours of freedom that I possessed. You truly are extraordinary. You
changed this city. Do not fret over your mistake at the press conference. Often
times it is necessary to tear something down in order to rebuild it better than
before. To Nicholas Wilde, yes, I know who you are, or more specifically, who
you’re related to. You have your father’s eyes and believe me when I say that
he is the only mammal that I truly fear. To you, Nicholas, I request only one
thing – protect Judith. You two are the incarnation of the east wind, bringing
a storm that will change the destiny of Zootopia.
 
Now that that is out of the way, I should call for the ambulance. I wonder if
it would be possible to make the call while still recording. (Incoherent
mumblings) Yes? Hello, I’d like to make a report of shots fired. Location? The
bus stop on the corner of Grazer Lane and...Fangly Street. No, ma’am. Goodbye.
Now, to sit and wait. Shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.
 
(Silence)
 
H: I can hear Harrison approaching. I’ve already called for an ambulance, it
should be here soon. After this, I’ll make my way to where the Chancellor told
me to meet him. I doubt that I’ll manage to do much damage, but I’ll certainly
give it my best.
 
( Silence )
 
Harrison Wolford: Hannibal.
 
Hannibal: Hello, Harry. Have a seat. I’m not going to bite. I’m sure you have
questions because I’ve got answers.”
 
Wolford: Back when I first started, I was assigned to the detail escorting you
from the Moira Asylum for the Criminally Insane. You wondered what it would
have been like if I had been the one who captured you. *silence*  Wilbur was
the one who caught you last time, wasn’t he?
 
H: Indeed, he was. *light thud* Most of what you’ll need is on that. I had it
recording the entire conversation Wilbur and I had. I think you’ll find it
rather enlightening.
 
W: What’s your game, Hannibal? What are you playing at?
 
H: I made a deal with the devil, Detective. You’ll get the answers to those two
questions soon. I’ve already called for an ambulance. They’re responding to
reports of gunshots.
 
*Gunshots*
 
(Pawsteps)
 
Hannibal: I don’t know if you’re still capable of hearing me Harry, but if you
can, I want you to know you won’t die. The city still needs you. Your partner
should be here soon. She’s a lovely tigress, you should be proud. (pause)
Promise me that you’ll find my children and keep them safe. You’re the only one
I trust to do this. (Pawsteps and sirens in the distance) I must take my leave
now, Harry. Be safe.
 
Recording Three Ends
Chapter End Notes
     This will not be the only bonus content chapter. Others are also in
     the works, it's just they're still under construction. As is the
     second story arc.
     I'm going to need some advice: Should I post the bonus chapters as
     their own work? Or should I include them here within the story?
     Also, I may be able to post the prologue & premier chapter of The
     Zootopian Order sooner than I thought. Now for the fun part: Since
     I'm horrible at coming up with story titles, I want your ideas on
     what to retitle my Zootopia/StarWars crossover. Leave your suggestion
     in the comments! Thanks for staying tuned!
***** Chapter 10: Changes *****
Chapter Summary
     Changes take place all the time, but not everyone likes to admit or
     accept them. We'll get to meet some of my OCs this chapter as well as
     meet some special guests stars.
Chapter Notes
     So, here's Chapter 10. I spent the last 3 hours rereading it after
     going over the edits made by Fairlane302 (who I still consider a
     godsend).
     If you all remember, my wife was ill, but we're healthy now. The
     doctors spouted a ton of med jargon at me (most which went over my
     head) and explained their findings from the blood work and panels.
     Her ailment is something I cannot spell, let alone pronounce. I can
     say that it wasn't as bad as we feared. Also, the babies are
     developing well.
     liiwilliams08, here's Fatima Ara. I don't know if you'll find her the
     way you were expecting, but this is how she's pretty much been
     designed. She's only undergone minor changes, but nothing that's "in
     your face" obvious.
     I should warn you all that this chapter, despite undergoing editing,
     is being posted prior to getting final approval from Fairlane302.
     However, if/when I need to make future edits, then I'll do it
     immediately.
     Read the End Notes for further information.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                             Chapter_Ten:_Changes
===============================================================================
                                        
City_Council_Chambers_–_City_Hall_–_Zootopia_–_10:30ish_a.m.
Fatima Ara was alone within the chambers used by Zootopia’s city council as she
looked out the window towards the city. Fatima was an Arabian mare in her 50s
who had been on the city council for three terms equaling 12 years.
Fatima watched as, across the street, mammals took solace in each other’s
company. The sight made her smile. That smile slowly became a frown at the
dawning realizations that some of those mammals were filthy interspecies
couples. She snorted as the term ‘interspecies’ replayed in her head. The term
was used erroneously. The correct term was ‘inter-order’. Interspecies was
simply another term for crossbreeds. Those Fatima could accept. In fact, she
encouraged it. Inter-orders were different atrocities all together.
A strong supporter of crossbreeding, Fatima secretly funded multiple eugenics
programs, including her own son’s, throughout the city’s medical research
specifically for that purpose. It was simple, or at least it was to her.
Crossbreeders passed their unique traits to their offspring. For instance, take
a cheetah and a snow leopard. Their cub had the potential of possessing a
cheetah’s speed and a snow leopard’s resistance to frigid temperatures.
Inter-order pairings, however, were abominations against the Way of Nature.
Seeing such unions utterly disgusted Fatima no end. It wasn’t as if she ever
had a horrible experience with them. It was just something that she could not
rationalize. Was it a viral pathogen? A mental disorder? What was it that
caused mammals to feel sexually attracted to those outside their own order?
Fatima couldn’t understand it at all. Obviously, there was a reason, but it
escaped her.
In truth, Fatima honestly felt conflicted regarding the topic. If arguing that
one can’t change nature, Fatima would counter with the fact that change is
nature. But the real question, for her at least, was where would one draw the
line? Didn’t the progeny of inter-order unions also have traits of both
parents? How was that any different from crossbreeders? Why was she so against
it in the first place? Was it species purity? That couldn’t be it, because
crossbreeders weren’t pure.
Her eyes fell upon a nice young couple at the sidewalk café across the street.
The male was a brown hyena, and a rather large one at that. His ‘date’ as it
were, was a rather attractive female marmot. The sight was something of a
rarity. Few in predator/prey relationships were open about it. Fatima felt a
headache forming as she looked at them interacting with one another intimately.
It was things like that which gave Fatima such mental anguish.
It defied Fatima’s understanding, her comprehension. Why was she so strongly
against things such as that? Despite sifting through decades of memories and
experiences, Fatima had yet to realize the answer. Feeling her headache start
to worsen, she chose to turn her thoughts to something else: her campaign
platform.
The nomination hadn’t actually struck Fatima as a surprise, but it had caught
her somewhat off guard. Years of planning went into effect almost immediately.
Fatima had expected a rather large number of supporters, but reality had been
far less than expected. It hadn’t been until she looked over everything that
Fatima understood why. When she discovered it, Fatima began to heavily berate
herself. During her initial planning for this eventuality, those in cross- or
inter-order relationships were only just starting to reveal themselves. At that
time, there had been loads of controversy on the subject. Fatima had built her
platform on the subject. Some of her promises included, but were not limited
to, making those kinds of matrimonies illegal and relocating those in that type
of pairing into a special area, keeping them segregated from the rest of the
city’s populace. Of course, as they say, hindsight is 20/20. Unable to change
it now, Fatima had no other alternative than to power on with that platform,
despite the difficulties she knew it would cause her.
A knock on the door drew Fatima from her thoughts, notifying her that she had
company. “Enter.” The door opened to reveal a stallion wearing a suit. Fatima
smiled as she looked at her husband, a Ferghana. “Li! What do I owe this
pleasure?”
Li Ara, formerly known as Ma Li prior to his marriage, stood tall before his
wife. “We have business that needs to be attended to. ADA Wolvenett has amassed
many followers in a very short period. It is equal parts predators and prey of
all species.”
Fatima frowned slightly. Her relationship with ADA Wolvenett was tumultuous at
best. When she had been told of his nomination for Mayor, she hadn’t thought
anything of it at the time. He was a predator and with the city’s view of them
at an all-time low, she hadn’t expected him to garner any followers. Only a few
hours after his nomination though, Fatima had discovered that most of the
citizens were conflicted over whether to support her or him. “His lead was
previously a minor inconvenience. What are the new projections?”
“You were trailing behind by approximately 2,000. Now, you are behind by
5,500.” Li informed his wife, matter-of-factly. “He has done this without
making any appearances as of yet. I have not discovered how.”
Fatima sighed. Her opponent was a crafty one, she’d give him that. A small part
of her knew that there was a good chance that her campaign wouldn’t do much to
garner favor with the public. Her image was not one viewed in a good light.
“What do you propose, dear husband?”
Li frowned. “You already know my answer, Fatima. I don’t understand why you
persist in trying to assert your values onto the populace. It is wrong. They
are more than capable of determining their own desires, yet you continuously
try to change their beliefs. Do you wish to alienate every citizen?”
Fatima frowned at her husband. “Li, you must understand. Many of our fellow
mammals within the city have failed to see the problematic issues before them.
Inter-order relationships go against the natural order. Who are we to try and
change Mother Nature herself?”
Li’s frown deepened dramatically. During his many years of marriage to his
wife, he had complied to her many strange desires. After the birth of their son
Bahman, they had learned they wouldn’t be able to conceive again. Fatima had
convinced him to breed other mares to expand their family, but it had always
left him feeling used. Now, she wanted to eradicate all inter-order couples
through legal proceedings and making it punishable by death to ‘cleanse’ the
population. Li chose at this moment to end it. “I’m petitioning for divorce,
Fatima.”
Fatima stared in shock at her husband. “What? Why?” she asked, unable to
comprehend the reasoning behind his decision.
Li shrugged. “I simply choose to.” Turning away from his (to him anyway, now
former) wife, Li stated, “I’m also filing for custody of all my children. Other
than Bahman, none of them are yours and Bahman has even confided that he no
longer sees you as his mother.”
Fatima felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest. Sitting down slowly,
she said, “You can’t do this. We vowed to never part. If you leave me then…”
Fatima trailed off, unable to say the rest.
Li looked over his shoulder at her. “That may be, but I see no other
alternative. Goodbye, Fatima. I wish you well in your endeavors.” Taking his
leave, Li didn’t look back even once as he heard Fatima cry out to him.
Zootopian_Military_Airfield_–_Meadowlands_–_Zootopia_–_High_Noon
Chief Tobias Bogo stood by the armored police cruiser as he waited for the
arrival of Supreme Commander Deego. As far as Bogo knew, the Supreme Commander
had no last name. Bogo hadn’t been aware of Supreme Commander Deego’s impending
arrival until only an hour ago. Bogo had immediately signed out an armored
cruiser to transport the Supreme Commander to his temporary living quarters at
Zootopia’s Armed Forces Command Base located Downtown. Hearing the sound of the
plane on final approach, Bogo checked his dress blues to make sure nothing was
out of place.
Once the plane had landed, the side hatch opened up and Supreme Commander Deego
stepped out. A mixed breed with Pitbull, Boxer, and Great Dane heritage, Deego
stood taller than most. However, in comparison to the cape buffalo, Chief Bogo,
he stood at roughly the same height. “Chief Bogo.” S.C. Deego greeted extending
his paw.
“Supreme Commander Deego.” Bogo replied returning the gesture. “I apologize for
the lack of proper welcome. I was unaware that you were coming until
approximately one hour ago.”
“That was the idea.” S.C. Deego informed. “The fewer that knew about my
arrival, the better. The Emperor has tasked me with aiding you with your mammal
hunt and I fully intend to do just that.” Stepping into the armored transport,
he waited for Chief Bogo to take his own seat before continuing. “The Emperor
also wished to know of the status of Nicholas Piberius Wilde and his mate,
Judith Laverne Hopps.”
Bogo’s eyebrows shot straight up. “May I ask as to the reason behind the
Emperor’s inquiry?” Bogo didn’t know why the Emperor wanted to know about Wilde
and Hopps, but he sure as hell wanted to.
S.C. Deego shook his head. “I’m afraid that even I myself have not been
informed as to the reason behind why the Emperor wishes to know. I simply need
something to tell him. Are they at least safe?”
Bogo nodded. “They are. Unfortunately, I am unable to give you their location.
Due to developments made in the case, I, as well as Commissioner Catlin,
believe that we may have intelligence leaks within the ZPD and other agencies.
Until we are certain that we’ve identified all possible sleepers, all
information is to remain compartmentalized.”
Deego nodded in approval. “I’ll inform the Emperor of their status at a later
time. For now, we should focus on the more pressing issues. What can you tell
me about this mammal known as ‘The Chancellor’?”
Bogo began explaining how they didn’t have much information other than what
Hannibal had managed to provide for them. He even played the recording to
verify his statement. He did however confirm that the five mammals whose names
and addresses Hannibal had given them had all had some connection to one
another. The evidence Hannibal had compiled had generated more leads for them
to follow, but it would take time to run them all down. Finally, Bogo informed
him of the current state of the city’s affairs.
S.C. Deego listened intently to everything he was told. As Chief Bogo finished
filling him in, he said, “Things are a lot worse than I was originally led to
believe.” Folding his arms in front of him, S.C. Deego stated, “We have no way
of knowing how deep this corruption goes or how far out it spreads. This
‘Chancellor’ has apparently spent a great deal of time planning all this. What
concerns me the most is that whoever he is, he’s certainly intelligent,
meticulous, and methodical yet unorthodox in how he operates. As this Hannibal
Hyector stated, this ‘Chancellor’ is a hypocrite if he’s a predator who desires
the extermination of all predators.”
Bogo nodded in agreement. “I’m currently in the process of forming a
specialized task force. As of now, it consists of four officers, all predator.
I do intend to select some prey mammals, but until they can be vetted, I’m
holding off.”
“Wise.” S.C. Deego stated. Looking out the window of the vehicle, he watched
the city pass by. Deego had never traveled this far from the Imperial Capital
before, so the new scenery was a welcome sight. Watching the mass multitude of
mammals going about their daily routines blissfully unaware of what was
happening had him wonder what it would be like to remain here for an extended
period. Knowing the impossibility didn’t mean he couldn’t request a temporary
station at the military base here.
The transport soon arrived at its intended destination and the two disembarked.
Guiding the Supreme Commander inside, Chief Bogo was flabbergasted to find his
father waiting for them. “General.”
General Andreas Bogo nodded in greeting. “Son.” Looking at S.C. Deego, Andreas
stated, “You’ve traveled a great distance to be here. I do hope that everything
within the Capital will be alright in your absence.”
S.C. Deego studied the large cape buffalo. The way he carried himself was that
of a retired war veteran. He also held an air of command. S.C. Deego deemed it
necessary to respond respectfully. “I’m sure it will, Sir. My subordinates are
well versed in maintaining order. I have faith in them.”
General Bogo nodded approvingly. “I merely wished to greet the Emperor’s
military attaché. I’ll take my leave.” Heading out the door, he stopped to say,
“And Tobias, your mother expects you at dinner tonight. No exceptions. She also
wants you to bring that cheetah colleague of yours.” Exiting the building,
Andreas Bogo made his way to meet with Jameson and the rest of the remaining
SDF.
Chief Bogo and S.C. Deego made their way to S.C. Deego’s chambers. Once
everything was settled, Bogo bid farewell leaving S.C. Deego to his own
devices. Deego pulled out his commlink and opened a secure communications
channel to the Imperial Data Centre in the Capital. “This is Supreme Commander
Deego requesting permission to speak to the Minister of Intelligence and
Emperor Dartz Valkorlycanidaeus. Authorization Code: Longardia.”
“ONE MOMENT PLEASE.” an electronic voice responded. “PERMISSION GRANTED.”
“Supreme Commander Deego.” a male voice stated. “I’m glad to learn that you’ve
arrived safely. Tell me, have you learned the status of Nicholas and Judith as
I requested?”
“They are safe your Imperial Excellency.” Deego informed. “I do not have their
location, but Chief Tobias Bogo has informed me that they are indeed safe.”
“With the current state of affairs there, that is all I can ask for.” Emperor
Dartz Valkorlycanidaeus stated. “Keep me apprised of any updates.”
“Supreme Commander Deego.” a female voice stated. “My name is Marion
Mongussolini. I was recently appointed the new Minister of Intelligence shortly
after your departure. I wish to inform you that the information you request is
now in transit to your datapad. Please note that there wasn’t much to begin
with. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Please run a search for all information pertaining to my assignment.” Taking a
seat on the bed, S.C. Deego clarified, “I was only given the basic information
prior to my departure. I’m flying blind.”
“I’ll have it for you within the hour, sir.” Minister Mongussolini promised.
The transmission then ended.
Wilde_Manor_–_Wilde_Familial_Estate_–_Zootopia_–_1:45_pm
Jameson Wilde (née Vulpin), Fenrir Wolford, Josef Wolverton, Carlos Jackael,
and Andreas Bogo all sat around the large dining room table. There was one seat
left open for their fallen comrade Bryan Jonathan ‘BJ’ Lapin, AKA Jonas Savage.
After greeting one another, they all got down to business.
“We’re coming out of retirement.” Jameson announced, gravely. “My son, Nick,
and his mate-to-be, Judy Hopps, are involved in a major investigation that,
according to Andreas, has prompted the Emperor to send Supreme Commander Deego
as an attaché. Whoever this mammal running the Anti-Predator Movement is has
been doing so in the shadows for years. You all know the risk of Deego finding
me, so we need to get this done as soon as possible.”
Fenrir nodded his agreement. “I concur. Whoever this ‘Chancellor’ is has been
manipulating things from the background for far too long. Whatever he hopes to
achieve is still unknown, but I refuse to let him succeed.”
Carlos Jackael growled. “He seems to have infiltrated various governmental
agencies. I hate to think how that will affect our efforts.”
Josef sighed deeply. “I suggest we determine our successors. Jameson and Fenrir
already have theirs lined up.” Looking at the place BJ would have sat, he said,
“Savage has two apparently. A son and a daughter, whom is the future mate of
Jameson’s son. The rest of us don’t.”
Andreas huffed. “My son Tobias would make a fine choice if only he would be
willing to stop being so strict. Though, I assume that’s my fault because of
how I raised him.”
Jameson smirked at the old cape buffalo. “Your son’s a fine mammal, Andreas.
You are correct thought, he wouldn’t fit well with the rest. Nick’s adaptable,
Judy is too. I have no knowledge on BJ’s son, but I’d assume he’s capable.
Fenrir’s grandson, Harrison, would no doubt fill his shoes without much
trouble. Josef and Carlos still need to find suitable replacements. As it
currently stands, we’re simply not ready.”
Carlos scowled. “Finding someone to succeed you is a monumental task. Whoever
is chosen must meet every prerequisite. Very few do.” Josef nodded his
agreement to Carlos’ statement but said nothing.
Fenrir considered the possibilities. “Maybe,” he began. “what we need isn’t to
find successors to train one-on-one, but train them all simultaneously. We
ourselves weren’t chosen by only one mammal. We were trained side by side with
the help of multiple instructors. Harrison’s mate, and soon to be wife if I
read them correctly, would make a fine addition to the team.”
Jameson hummed in thought. “Jaxon, BJ’s son, is engaged to a vixen. She could
make a useful asset as well. I think she’s a former associate of my son from
his time on the streets. That would mean that she already possesses not only
some of the necessary skills we’d teach them, but she’s also an agent for the
ZIB, so she’s already been trained in the basics as well.”
Andreas Bogo tapped a finger on the table as he considered his own
possibilities. “All that could work, but the question is when will we begin.
Jameson, your son is currently undergoing training at the ZPA ahead of
schedule. His mate is there as a temp instructor to help oversee it. Fenrir’s
grandson is recovering from his confrontation with Hannibal and I doubt that
his mate will leave his side. Carlos and Josef still have to find their own
trainees. As for myself, I have someone in mind, but I need to discuss it with
them first.”
Carlos said, “If the rest of you can grant me a week, I can locate a promising
recruit.” He had an idea for who he’d choose, but first he had to track her
down.
Josef cracked his neck and popped a couple of joints. “I know of one myself,
but it will take a little longer to convince him. There’s also the issue of
travel. He lives in the Shadowlands of the Prey Nation’s province to the west.”
Andreas stated, “I’ll secure transportation for you. Just make sure that he is
in no way connected to our immediate adversary.” Getting a nod, he pulled out
his mobile and started messaging a contact.
“I think that we’re finished for now,” Jameson stated. “We’ll reconvene in one
month. Stay vigilant, watch your six, and if something comes up contact one of
the others immediately.” With that said, everyone bade farewell to each other.
Once Jameson was alone, he looked at the light fixture hanging above the table
and asked, “Did you get all that Ian?” The light flickered twice in response.
“Good, you know what to do.”
The_apartment_of_Andrew_Bellwether_–_2:30_pm
Andrew Bellwether opened his eyes slowly as the hangover from his night of
heavy drinking started to set in. Groaning, he sat up. It had been awhile since
he and Parker Platyss, the platypus, had parted ways after Parker left to find
himself intimate company for the evening. Looking around his apartment,
something seemed off, but he could identify what. Rolling out of bed, he looked
down to see he was naked. “When the fuck did that happen?”
“Oh, right before you passed out.” Doug Ramses stated, startling Andrew. “As
soon as I walked in, you stripped down and attacked me.” He informed the black-
wooled ram. Picking up an empty beer bottle, he added. “The company that makes
this brand tends to lace them with aphrodisiacs, you know.”
Andrew groaned. “Is that why my ass is sore?” he questioned. Now that he was no
longer drunk, he could feel the pain radiating from his tailhole.
Doug chuckled. “Hey, mine hurts like a motherfucker, too. You sleptfucked me
and you didn’t go easy.” Tossing the bottle away, he said, “We need to talk
though. Predopurge’s going to come after me since I failed to complete my
mission.”
Douglas Ramses took a seat on the edge of the bed. Immediately following the
events at the Museum of Natural History, the white-wooled ram got rid of almost
everything that tied him to it, including disposing of his mobile phone. One
thing he couldn’t change though was his name. Luckily, the surname Ramses was
very common for his species, and between that and the variations of 'Doug'
there were somewhere around a hundred Doug Ramses living in Zootopia alone. He
figured it would take some time for the police to go through them all. To Doug,
one of his saving graces was, that until all this, the ZPD hadn’t even known
about him. He had no criminal record, no warrants out for his arrest, and
didn’t even have so much as a citation. Still, the biggest issue he now faced
was his own associates. Having failed, Doug was sure they’d do the same thing
to him that they did to Dawn. So, he in turn went to Andrew hoping to talk
about how to proceed. Instead, he wound up having an impromptu rutting session.
Doug didn’t complain. It had been a very long time since the last time he slept
with anyone.
Andrew walked over to his restroom and returned with a small bundle. Unwrapping
it, he took out a syringe and a miniature bottle of morphine. With a practiced
hoof, he quickly filled the syringe, located a vein, and inserted the needle
then pushed the plunger down. Sighing in relief, Andrew said, “No, they won’t.
Your assignment was to extract the essence of the night howlers for us to use.
You did your job.”
Doug looked at Andrew in concern. “Are you sure? You’re not trying to pacify
me, are you?”
Andrew shot Doug an annoyed look. “No, I’m not trying to pacify you.” Disposing
of the needle properly, Andrew got himself a glass of water and downed it. “Did
you complete your second assigned task?”
Doug nodded once. “Prepped and ready. All that’s needed now is the signal.”
“Good.” Andrew stated. “It will be some time before we use them, but at least
they’re ready when the time comes.” Fishing some clothes out of the load in the
dryer, he asked, “Breakfast?” The two then walked out for a much-needed meal.
Bucky_and_Pronk’s_Apartment_–_Grand_Pangolin_Arms_–_Zootopia_–_5:00_pm
Bucky and Pronk were in the middle of cooking a small snack when a knock on
their door told them that they had a visitor. Giving each other confused looks
as they weren’t expecting anyone, Pronk took over finishing the meal so Bucky
could answer the door. He heard quiet chatter and asked, “Who is it, Bucky?”
“It’s me.” Gazelle answered as she followed Bucky into the small kitchen.
“Sorry for dropping in like this, but I was just in the mood to hang out with
you two.”
Pronk rolled his eyes with a small grin. ‘Just like when we were younger.’ He
thought as he plated the steamed and creamed vegetables. “How’re things going,
Gisella?” he asked, using her actual name instead of her stage name.
“Not bad, but I just heard a rumour from a fan that Fatima Ara, the City
Council’s representative, is campaigning on an anti-interspecies platform and
is going through a divorce after nearly thirty years.” Gisella informed him as
she thanked him for the offered meal.
“Pshaw.” Bucky said, hotly. “That old mare’s crazy. If she paid half as much
attention as she says she does, she’d know that her husband advocates for
interspecies relationships. Plus, isn’t her son one of the top five leading
researchers in interspecies eugenics?”
Pronk nodded. “Yep. Dr. Bahman Ara is one of the leading authorities in the
field.” Taking a bite, he grimaced. “Bucky,” he said, “you used way too much
sodium in the creamed spinach.” Coughing, he walked to the fridge and got a
bottle of water.
Bucky raised a brow and took a spoonful himself before nearly gagging. “Shit.”
he coughed. “What a damn waste.” he said as he threw out the creamed spinach.
Opening the cabinets, Bucky took out a can of cream of mushroom soup. “Looks
like we’re having canned soup again.”
Gisella’s eyes widened at the use of ‘again’. “How many times has this
happened?” she asked. Seeing their expressions, she knew it had been too many
times for far too long.
“Seriously, Bucky, how is it you always put too much sodium?” Pronk asked.
Pouring a, now open, can of cream of mushroom soup into a pot, he said, “I
swear, it’s like you’re trying to kill us via high blood pressure.”
Gisella shook her head as the two steadily devolved into a shouting match. She
had really missed doing this. Once the cream of mushroom soup was ready, they
caught up as they ate. After having put the dishes away, the three sat and
watched Comedy Center, enjoying the Beau Burnham marathon. She eventually
pulled a nicotine patch out of her pocket and went to stick it to the underside
of her wrist when Pronk grabbed her arm. Seeing the mixture of anger and
confusion on his face, she decided to be honest with him. “I’m not a smoker,
Pronk. I use the patches for the same reason though.”
Pronk considered it for a minute. Nicotine patches were manufactured to wean
mammals off cigarettes. It was feasible that one could therefore use them for
the same purpose one used cigarettes. Despite that, Pronk took the patch away
and tossed it in the wastebasket. “Still isn’t healthy.” he grumbled.
“I know.” Gisella sighed. “I’m addicted to nicotine patches. The irony.”
Bucky chuckled. Noticing that night would fall soon, he asked, “Should I call
you a cab?” He didn’t like the idea of Gisella walking home at this hour.
Gisella shook her head. “It’s okay. I told one of my backup dancers that I’d be
leaving at around 8:45 anyway.” Standing to her feet, she said, “Sorry again
for randomly dropping by. It was fun.” Pulling them into a group hug, she
gathered her courage and quickly placed a peck on their cheeks before running
out the door.
Bucky and Pronk stood frozen in place at the turn of events. Each place a hoof
over where Gazelle/Gisella had laid a kiss on their cheek. Looking at each
other, a grin slowly spread across their faces. They gave each other a
suggestive look.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Pronk asked his husband. He already knew
the answer, but he wanted to hear Bucky say it. The answer he received though,
was much better.
Bucky took Pronk’s hoof and pressed it to his crotch, where his answer was
obvious. “I don’t know. Am I?” he asked, reaching for Pronk’s crotch and
grabbing the stiff erection there. “Well, it certainly seems like I am.”
The two of them didn’t bother wasting anymore time as they raced to their
bedroom, stripping themselves of their clothing along the way. Later, they
found themselves sitting naked, covered in their semen, with wide-eyes as the
female armadillo property owner shouted their ears off about, ironically, noise
levels.
The_Mess_–_Zootopian_Police_Academy_–_Zootopia_–_10:05_pm
Judy and Nick sat in the Mess eating a small pre-midnight snack. Judy had made
it her mission to provide Nick with a complete tour of the Academy’s grounds.
She hadn’t realized that it would take so long. Feeling that she had shown Nick
the more important areas, Judy had decided to finish with a trip to the Mess.
The Mess was, in fact, the Academy’s food annex/cafeteria. It had been designed
by Theodore Molesby, an architect only really known for three of his projects.
One was the Zootopian Spire in City Central. The second was the Zoolympian
Treasury branch office in Zootopia. The police academy’s Mess was the third.
Constructed out of 70% polished concrete and 30% glass, the Mess was an
architectural wonder. Nick’s reaction to the building’s design had prompted
Judy to tell him everything she knew, courtesy of her brother Rube. She
explained that the glass was based on one-way mirrors. One inside could always
see out, but due to the glass’s transitional properties it was difficult for
someone outside to see in. Polished concrete pillars were set in intervallic
positions between large panes of the glass. The concrete acted as a geothermal
regulator keeping the building in a state of constant homeostasis. The polished
concrete also kept the building warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The
ceiling was also glass, held in place using clear hard plastic framework.
Nick’s amazement at the building was soon overshadowed by the knowledge of the
fact that all the furniture within, the tables and chairs, were made entirely
of pure aluminium [A/N: No, this is not a misspelling]. This information
floored him as he saw an elephant sitting in one of the chairs without it so
much a creaking under the elephant’s weight. He then followed Judy to the DIY
line, where mammals could make quick snacks such as sandwiches for free.
Making their way to one of the open tables, Nick finally said, “This place is
crazy.” He looked up at the glass ceiling to take in the sight of the stars
just making their appearance. “How is it that no one’s made a replica of this
building? It would make an awesome greenhouse for your folks.”
“It’s very expensive.” Judy replied. “Rube told me that it took roughly Z1.26
mil to construct this place. Give or take a few hundred grand, of course.”
Chewing her garden burger, she looked at the few other mammals present. She
recognized Sergeant Leopold, a lioness instructor tasked with teaching cadets
Special Weapons and Tactics procedures, reading a novel in a secluded corner.
Another instructor she recognized was Captain Bullard, the ox instructor who
taught Hostage Negotiations. Seeing them, Judy had a sense of déjà vu. “Feels
weird being here and not being a student.”
“You’re not.” Nick pointed out as he chowed down on one of his three tofu dogs.
“You’re a temporary instructor. Speaking of, have any idea what class you’ll be
teaching?”
Judy shook her head. “I’ll probably be informed while you take your exams. I
honestly don’t know what class I’ll be teaching. It could be anything.” She
started nibbling on a carrot-fry as her mind started to figure out what class
she’d been assigned to teach.
Nick scarfed down his third and final tofu dog then said, “We should head back
to our rooms. I have to be up at 5:15 for my exams.” With a nod of agreement
from Judy, they threw their things in the proper recycling bin and made their
way back to the temporary housing complex. Standing in front of their
respective doors, they quickly scanned the hallway. Seeing no one, they hugged
each other and wished one another pleasant dreams.
Judy entered her room and quickly made for her private bathroom. While she had
enjoyed the hug immensely, it had been a bad idea. Turning on only the cold
water, she sighed in relative relief as she stepped into the path of the
stream. She had taken a hormonal suppressant earlier, but it was starting to
wear off. Her heat had flared from that simple embrace and been on its way to
becoming a raging inferno. The cold water was a welcome relief. Just standing
there, Judy wondered how Nick was faring.
Nick had done the exact same thing. While he was neither a buck nor in mating
season, his brain had told him that a receptive female in heat had been
present. Nick stood in his shower letting the ice-cold water soak his fur,
providing him with mild relief. Resting his head against the wall of the shower
before him, Nick wondered if Judy was alright.
They both still felt the itch despite the cold showers, but they didn’t act on
it. Choosing instead to go to sleep, they climbed into their beds and grabbed
the spare pillows. Nick closed his eyes and the pillow changed into a small
gray form he curled around protectively. Judy’s, having been designed for a
slightly larger mammal, morphed into a big, warm, and fluffy red form that she
cuddled into. Oneiroi, the Divine Entity of the Dreamscape, blessed them with
pleasant dreams of one another.
In_an_alley_within_the_city_of_Zootopia_–_4:30_am
Odafin ‘Finnick’ Fennixon was sitting in his van smoking a blunt for the last
time. In his passenger’s seat was a freshly printed resumé for Kit Services.
Finn had considered it before, but never went through with it, for a variety of
personal reasons. He let out a sigh of smoke. Hopping into the back of his van,
Finn laid down on the mattress he kept back there. Finn stared at the ceiling
of his van, wondering if he should dress up for an interview, but he knew that
there was a possibility they wouldn’t even consider hiring him. Closing his
eyes for but a moment, Finn was awoken by the sound of his mobile’s alarm.
Thirty minutes later, Finn stood in front of the Kit Services building dressed
in a pair of khaki pants and a (reasonably) nice dress shirt. With a deep
breath to steady his nerves, Finn opened the door and walked inside. No one was
seated at the reception desk, but Finn stood there waiting. He had promised
himself that this would be the day he actually went through with this. The
sound of a door opening caught his attention and soon he bore witness to the
entrance of one of the most beautiful mammals he had ever seen.
Stacey Foxworth wasn’t your typical vixen. Her father had been a red fox tod
and her mother had been a cross between an arctic and a fennec. That being
said, her fur coloration and markings were a unique blend of the three. She had
black tipped ears, a white tipped tail, and her paws had a soft brown color due
to a pigment disorder. Her main color was a light beige. A ten-year veteran of
Kit Services, she had been told that a possible new hire would be arriving
around this time, but she hadn’t been told the species as they hadn’t given
one. So, to find a slightly larger than average fennec fox tod carrying what
appeared to be a resumé was something Stacy considered a blessing, considering
that she hadn’t really had much of a dating life in recent years. “Mr.
Fennixon?” she inquired.
Finn nodded vigorously, but didn’t say anything being too afraid to say
something stupid. He didn’t count on doing something stupid. As he offered her
his resume, Finn saw that his paw was trembling. Subtly gulping, he sheepishly
stated, “Sorry. Nerves.”
Stacey smiled. “It’s quite alright. I was nervous when I applied too.” Taking
the offered resume, Stacey quickly scanned it. Noting the two arrests, she
quirked her brow. “Did you really get arrested for drunk and disorderly while
impersonating an infant?” she asked, trying not to laugh.
Finn managed not to blush. “I-I did.” he confessed. “It’s a long story. Short
version is I used to be a hustler and my partner had me wear an elephant onesie
for our scams.” Realizing what he just said, he groaned. “Why did I tell you
that?”
Stacey bit back her laughter at the mental image of this fennec tod in an
elephant onesie. “It’s okay. It isn’t going to affect anything.” Swiftly
reading the rest of the resume, she was pleased to see that he had prior
experience with kits, even if it was only in the form of a teenage kitsitter.
“Okay. Come with me and we’ll head to your interview.” Stacy led Mr. Fennixon
to Director Badgerheim’s office. Once there, she said, “Bit of advice: Don’t
hide anything. Honesty earns you lots of points. Doesn’t matter what it’s
about.”
Finn nodded to show he understood. Walking inside the office, he saw an elderly
female badger diligently doing paperwork. Taking a seat in one of the chairs,
he waited until she was done.
Director Badgerheim finished the document she was on then put it aside. Looking
at the fennec tod sitting before her, she tilted her head. Something about him
was far too familiar to her. Leaning forward, she studied his face. It was when
she noticed the faded scar above his left eye she placed him. “Odafin Fennixon.
Well, I’ll be. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen you.”
Finn cringed. He had thought he recognized her, but had hoped that he was
wrong. “Mrs. Badgerheim.” he replied casually, or as casually as one could
while trying not to shit themselves when facing someone from their past.
“Looking for a job in Kit Services, I see.” Director Badgerheim stated. “Always
said that you’d make a fine employee when you came of age. I can’t believe you
made me wait this long.”
Finn gulped. “Well, I honestly hadn’t planned on it, but I’m in need of a job.
My former line o’ work isn’t cutting it anymore.” He then added, “And I didn’t
think ya’d still be working here.”
Director Badgerheim chuckled. “I’m going to die doing this job.” Standing, she
walked over to a filing cabinet and withdrew a few forms. Pawing the forms to
Finn, she said, “Fill those out and then go see Ms. Foxworth. She’s going to be
training you.”
Finn quickly filled the forms out at hearing that the gorgeous vixen would be
his trainer. All but throwing the forms on Director Badgerheim’s desk, he was
out the door. Running to the door which Ms. Foxworth would be found behind,
Finn slid to a halt in front of it to check his appearance. ‘Odafin,’ he
thought. ‘ You’re acting like a teenager again. Calm the hell down. Who knows,
maybe she’s got a thing for older men. Just have to make sure that your
previous hookups know that they were all just flings. You’ll just have to take
it like a male.’ Prepared as much as he could be, Finn stepped through the door
and into a whole new world.
Chapter End Notes
     So, yeah. That all just happened.
     Supreme Commander Deego is not an OC, but an Easter Egg. The
     challenge is to find out his origin.
     The Emperor's name is also an Easter Egg. Actually, it's two. Can you
     figure out from where?
     We also have a couple of others hidden within. Remember, anyone who
     finds them, leave your answers in the comments and I'll get back to
     you about your reward(s). I still have a ton left undiscovered in the
     previous chapters. Some which I feel are rather obvious, but probably
     aren't.
     I know this was suppose to be a dual release, but with how things are
     going, that may/might be just slightly beyond my ability for right
     now. I do plan to eventually have a double chapter release though.
     It's a goal.
     For those of you who are also reading SWZ (Star Wars: The Zootopian
     Saga), chapters 2 and 3 got written (actually written using a yellow
     legal pad and pencil) during our stay at the hospital, since
     electronics were not allowed. (To use any form of electronic
     equipment that wasn't medical technology one had to stand just past
     the fence approx. 0.8 km from the building.)
     Last, but not least, I have to appear to a court hearing to fully
     claim my godson later today. I originally thought it was next Friday,
     but nope. Today at 2:30 p.m. I'm still unsure as to what happened to
     cause all this, but I should be getting answers at that time. I'll
     update these End Notes once I'm able, so stay tuned and check
     regularly every other hour after 2:30.
***** Chapter 11: Just Getting Started *****
Chapter Summary
     I have no idea how to summarize this chapter.
Chapter Notes
     *RACES ONTO ROOF, JUMPS ONTO LEDGE, RAISES FISTS AND SCREAMS* I'M
     BACK! I'M FINALLY, FUCKING BACK!! WHOO!! *DANCES ON LEDGE UNTIL FOOT
     SLIPS* OH, FUCK!! *FALLS TWO STORIES INTO WIFE'S ROSEBUSHES THEN
     GROANS* Damn that hurts. See End Notes for more info.
     Oh, and please leave a comment. Even if it's just to leave a short,
     little one. I enjoy reading them immensely. Also, yes, I did delete
     the Cultural Bonus Content. I'm almost done typing up the full thing.
     It'll be posted soon.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                     Chapter_Eleven:_Just_Getting_Started
===============================================================================
 
Zootopian_Police_Academy_–_5_am
Judy stood outside Nick’s room anxiously thumping her foot on the ground.
Having been in the familiar environment of the ZPA, she had reverted to her old
routine. Judy had woken up at 4 o’clock, gone for a jog, showered, and had
breakfast already. It was now five and Nick had yet to appear. They hadn’t
agreed on a time to meet, but she was getting worried that Nick would oversleep
and miss his exam. Finally, unable to just stand there, Judy started banging on
the door, shouting, “Slick, wake up or you’ll miss your entrance exams.” A door
down the hall opened and Judy turned to see an ocelot cadet poke his head out.
“If you’re looking for that fox, he’s already headed out.” the ocelot stated
only a slightly bit groggy. “He waited for you, but after I told him you went
on a morning run, he asked me to pass that on when you came to collect him.” He
then shut the door and the sound of something hitting the floor was heard.
Judy blinked as the information she had just received registered in her brain.
She then took off at breakneck speed for the exam hall located in the main
building. Just as she turned the corner for the hall that led to the exam room,
Judy was lifted into the air. Squeaking in surprise, she turned to find herself
face to face with Major Barbeara Friedkin. “H-hey, Major.”
Major Friedkin huffed with a tiny upwards quirk of her lips. “Hey, yourself,
Hopps.” Setting the bunny down, she said, “Let’s go to my office to discuss
your duties during your stay.” They headed to her office and sat down. “First
off, you’ll be in charge of teaching all the small-sized mammals combat due to
the influx of smaller mammals who’ve applied. Lastly, you’ll also be teaching
physical education as Lieutenant Kiara Catlahan will be going on maternity
leave at the start of next month, and therefore, won’t be here when we begin
training the new recruits. Any questions?” Receiving a shake of the head from
Judy, she said, “Good. Now, your fox’s exam should be starting in five minutes.
You can sit and observe, but that’s all.” Major watched as Judy vanished faster
than her eyes could even register the movement.
Judy arrived at the examination classroom to see all sorts of mammals present.
There were a few bunny bucks and does, other foxes (two of whom were vixens), a
capybara, a chinchilla, two otters, and a bunch of larger mammals from lions
and zebras to elephants and wolves. Spotting Nick seated in one of the chairs
in the front, Judy also witnessed one of the vixens trying to flirt with him.
Judy’s world took on a bloody red hue.
Nick’s ears, as well as those of the other mammals, turned angled towards a
most unholy sound. Nick already knew the source and the reason behind it.
Jumping off his chair, he swaggered over to Judy and knelt down in front of
her. “A little jealous, are we?” he asked, teasingly. Yelping as Judy grabbed
his tie and pulled him close, he said, “Hey now, Love. I promise you that I
wasn’t even remotely interested in her or her attempts to seduce me.”
Judy narrowed her eyes. Leaning over slightly to look at the vixen that had
been trying to flirt with her fox, she sent a glare that clearly expressed
‘He’s mine’ at her. Watching the vixen’s ears pin back and her tail tuck itself
between her legs, Judy smiled then gave Nick a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m
surprised that there are so many people here this early.”
Nick, relieved that the situation was now resolved and that Judy had calmed,
said, “The old puma that’s administering the exam stated that this is the
largest group she’s ever had and that there’s still like a dozen more that are
scheduled to show. She also told us that the exam this year is going to be a
lot harder than those previously.”
Snorting, Judy asked, “Does this puma wear pink rimmed spectacles by any
chance?” Getting a nod, she pulled Nick’s ear close and whispered, “That’s what
she always says. It’s her way of mentally torturing you. Relax.”
Pulling away and frowning, Nick said, “That’s cruel and unusual punishment.”
Smiling at Judy’s giggles, Nick said, “Besides, I already knew that.” Getting
to his feet at the sound of the door in the front of the room opening as the
female puma walked in, he whispered, “Wish me luck, Carrots.”
“You won’t need it, Slick. You’ve got this. I know you’ve been staying up late
studying for this exam.” Judy said. “But…” She grabbed his tie again and yanked
him down close enough to hide her act of giving a miniscule lick to his nose.
“Good luck, Nick.” She then ran out of the room, around the corner to the
right, and up the stairs to the galley to watch the examinees.
Nick stood there frozen for a minute until the old puma asked if he was going
to take his seat. Rushing back to his chair, Nick placed a paw on his chest to
feel his rapid heartbeat. Taking a deep, calming breath, Nick waited as the
examiner explained what they needed to know about the test, such as how it
curved and the way it was scored. Listening attentively, Nick was pleased to
find that if a cadet scored high enough he or she was eligible to take advanced
extra training courses. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up and to his left to
see that there was a viewing gallery and that Judy was there watching him. A
small grin spread across his muzzle.
The puma handed out the test packets to each cadet. Instructing them to fill
out all the necessary information, she sat down behind the desk situated at the
front of the room. Telling them that they had thirty minutes to complete the
first section, she told them to begin. Sparing a peek at the galley, the puma
saw what the red fox tod had been looking at. Rolling her eyes, she pulled out
the bookmarked novelette from her bag she had left here the first time she’d
entered the room.
After the thirty minutes were over, the cadets were told that the second
section would take thirty minutes and to begin. Once completed they were
instructed that section three was estimated to take forty-five minutes and that
after that there would be a short snack break. At the end of the third section,
the puma examiner collected the test packets and told them they had fifteen
minutes.
Nick raced out of the room to meet Judy. “How much longer will this take?” he
asked, curiously. It had been almost two hours, but to Nick, it felt like the
exam still had some ways to go.
“This is just the written exam.” Judy answered. “Once it’s over, you’ll have an
hour to relax then you have to report for the fitness exam.” She stood there
for a bit to watch all the new cadets file out of the room. When the two vixens
walked out, she glared at them. She was pleased to see them take off running
down the hall.
The other tod that was taking the entrance exam came up next to them with a
slight smile. “Those two are asking for trouble.” he stated. Extending his paw
out to Judy, he said, “I’m not trying to hit on you or anything like that. I’m
positive your tod there would whup my ass if I tried. Name’s Rey Vulpes.”
“Judy Hopps.” Judy replied without returning the gesture. “What made you want
to apply for the academy?” It was a legitimate question that she felt needed to
be answered.
Rey shrugged. “Didn’t really have a reason. Just wanted to do something
different. That vixen, not the one you gave the death glare to, the other one,
is my girlfriend. She said she wanted to try it out, but she wanted me to come
with. We’ve been courting for a couple of years, but it just isn’t the same
anymore. Maybe I thought that doing this with her would, I don’t know, bring us
closer.”
Nick knew what Rey was talking about. Normally, foxes courted one another to
see how compatible they were. If at any time the two felt like they no longer
complimented each other, they would either immediately part ways or make one
last attempt to work it out. For Nick, it was both much more complicated and
much simpler. Judy was his soulmate, a rarity in fox culture as it was said few
were graced with one. As a result, courting wasn’t exactly necessary, but it
was something he wanted to do. He had spent some free time planning out a
series of dates, but with how things were currently, he had no clue as to when
he’d be able to take her on any of them.
Smiling, Judy told Rey, “I’m sure it’ll get better. Just keep true and it
should all work out.” Turning to Nick, she said, “Come on. We’ll go grab a
quick snack out of one of the vending machines down the hall.” She led Nick to
one of them asking, “What would you like?”
Nick was lost in his own head. He wanted to take Judy on a proper courting
date. A fancy restaurant with sweet music followed by a walk in a park then
escorting her home and to her door where he could kiss the back of her paw
goodnight and until next time. He was brought back to reality by the feeling of
a paw gently laid on his arm. Looking at Judy’s worried expression, he gave her
a sad smile. “Sorry, Love. I was lost in my own mind for a second.” Selecting
his snack of choice, they made their way back to the examination room for the
last two parts of the written portion.
After the written examination was over, Nick and Judy decided to spend their
hour of free time just walking around the grounds. Every so often, they would
stop to look at the other cadets run their drills. Eventually, the hour was up
and they made their way to the Academy’s gymnasium where the fitness exam was
being held.
Major Friedkin stood waiting in the gymnasium for the cadets to assemble. She
wasn’t the one originally scheduled to administer this exam, but with the fact
that Lieutenant Catlahan was now on maternity leave, she was now the one tasked
with overseeing it. Looking up, she saw that out of the 60-something (she
hadn’t bothered counting) cadets that had taken the written portion only 35
showed up, including Hopps and her fox. When the timer for the one-hour break
reached zero, Major Friedkin closed and locked the door to the gymnasium. Any
cadets not present were no longer applicants and would be notified of their
failure at a later time. “Let’s begin.”
Over the next two hours, the cadets performed a series of physically exhausting
exercises so that Major Friedkin could see their level of fitness. They ran an
obstacle course twice, once for practice and the second time to see how fast
they could complete it with the least amount of mistakes. A couple of cadets
stopped and quit, requesting to be allowed to leave. Major Friedkin granted
their request telling them she saw no need for mammals who couldn’t even do
something this simple.
Nick never complained once. He did everything that Major Friedkin had he and
the other cadets do. He watched as the vixen Judy had given a death glare at
whine and complain then quit. ‘Good riddance.’he thought. Nick saw Rey and his
vixen struggle a bit every now and again, but then overcome whatever had caused
it. Nick kept pushing himself to the utmost of his limitations only to discover
that just as he hit it, he would surpass it.
Judy watched in amazement at Nick’s performance. To her, it seemed the longer
Nick went, the more fluid and proficient he became. She felt so proud of him as
he continuously excelled at the obstacles placed before him. ‘GO, NICK! GO! GO!
GO!’She cheered in her mind.
Major Friedkin didn’t know if Judy knew or not, but she saw the doe bouncing up
and down in excitement. Shaking her head, Major Friedkin watched her favorite
(yes, favorite) former cadet’s fox intently. A frown found its way across her
face. ‘Something isn’t right.’ she thought. ‘ Wilde doesn’t seem to be
exhausting like one would expect him to. He’s actually improving as he goes
on.’ Major decided that it was something she’d have to look into soon.
The fitness exam ended at the sound of a buzzer alerting everyone that the two
hours were up. Nick remained on his feet even though the rest of the cadets all
collapsed on the ground, but he was panting from the intense physical exertion.
He saw Judy approach him with a bottle of water that had a label stating its
increased electrolyte content. Quickly draining it, he graciously accepted the
second bottle she offered him. “Thanks, Fluff.” Nick stated after he drained
half of the second bottle, pouring the rest over himself.
“You’re welcome, Red.” Judy replied. She stood by him as he continued to pour
the rest of the water from the bottle over himself. “That’s right. Foxes don’t
sweat, do they.”
Nick nodded then shook the excess water from his fur. “That’s correct. Foxes
don’t sweat, we, and other canids, pant to cool off. I just prefer to avoid
doing so.” Nick accepted the cloth Judy offered next to wipe his face.
“You did good.” Judy told him. “I have no doubt you’ll have one of the higher
scores. There are some things we’ll need to work on though.”
“Such as?” Nick queried as he wrapped the towel around his neck loosely. He
knew there had been some areas that he needed to work on. Getting Judy’s advice
would be a great place to start.
“This course wasn’t built for speed.” Judy pointed out. “She’s not timing you
to see how fast you complete it, but for how long you can endure. Sure,
completing it quickly is impressive, but it’s not the point. Officers tend to
have to brave those types of obstacles for extended periods of time. Therefore,
the longer you last the higher your resulting score.”
Nick nodded as he considered this. “I’ll make sure to remember that for next
time.” He accepted another bottle of water from one of the other recruits with
a grateful smile. “Anything else?”
“A question.” Judy stated. “How many ‘second winds’ did you experience?” It
wasn’t that she lost count, but she was curious to know if Nick was aware of
it.
“Seven.” Nick answered automatically. “I really wasn’t expecting any, to be
honest. Every time I thought I hit my limit, I felt a surge of energy. It was
quite a rush, if i do say so myself.”
“I guess your Izu Genes are beginning to awaken a bit faster now.” Judy told
him. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you started to undergo the adaptive
evolutionary process soon.”
As Judy had been speaking, Major walked towards them, but halted a few feet
away as she heard snippets of their conversation. Certain words stuck out. Upon
hearing the phrase ‘Izu Gene’, Major Friedkin made a mental note to look it up.
She swore she had heard it somewhere before, but couldn’t remember where.
Seeing Hopps and Wilde’s chat end, Major Friedkin walked up to them and said,
“The results should be made available this coming Friday. So, you’ll have to be
patient and wait for the next five days.”
Nick and Judy nodded their understanding. Getting the go-ahead from Major
Friedkin, they headed for their rooms. Nick wondered if he should ask Judy to
join him for a small meal. He had a fully stocked refrigerator and Judy’s
admission that she enjoyed predator foods meant he could make a customary
courting meal. Arriving at their doors, Nick made up his mind. “Hey, Judy?”
Nick asked, catching her attention. “Would you have dinner with me tonight?
I’ll make something special to commemorate today.”
Judy smiled at him. “Absolutely. Just knock on the connecting door when it’s
ready.” Opening the door to her room, she said, “I’ll make something next week.
I’ll give me a chance to try cooking predatory meals.” Closing her door, Judy
started bouncing excitedly at knowing she and Nick would be having dinner
together tonight. She had doubled up on her hormonal suppressants today as a
precaution, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel certain effects. As she hadn’t
done anything last night to take care of herself, Judy felt that fire burn
hotter now. She forced herself to resist, not wanting to end up missing the
rest of the day with Nick.
Meanwhile, Nick was now laying on his bed staring at the ceiling, trying to
decide which courting meal he would make for Judy when she came over. He still
had a pawful of hours before dinnertime, but some of the meals required certain
preparations in advance. Picking up his phone from where he placed it on his
bedside table, Nick dialed his mom’s contact info. The line rang for only a
short time before his mother answered with a ‘Hey, Nicky.”
“Hey, Mom.” Nick replied. “I was wondering if you could forward me some recipes
for a courtship meal. Judy and I are having dinner together tonight and I’m
cooking.”
“Of course, but all of them are more fit for predators so they’re made using
meat. I guess there could be alternative ways of preparing them. Would Judy
even be willing to try them?” Rory responded.
“Oh, yes.” Nick answered plainly. “I happen to know for a fact that she would
be more than willing. She had a tofu frittata for breakfast yesterday, cricket
chips for a snack on multiple occasions, and for dinner last night...” he
paused for dramatic effect. “…she ate a double-decker buggaburger.”
The silence from the other end of the line ended with Rory’s shout of,
“SERIOUSLY?”
Nick chuckled at his mother’s reaction. “Yep. Ate the whole damn thing.”
Rory was quiet for a moment more then said, “I’ll send you some recipes then. I
want to hear what she thinks of them, do you understand me?”
“Yes, Mom.” Nick answered. He smiled as his mom said she loved him then ended
the call. “I love you too, Mom.” he whispered despite the fact she was no
longer on the phone. His cell pinged a minute later, telling him he had
received the recipes. He browsed through the selection his mother had sent him
and chose to go with the almond-crusted fish with saffron sauce. He made a list
of what he would need and hoped that the staff of the Mess would agree to let
him mooch what he’d need off them. Nick got everything that wasn’t food related
ready for later then set his alarm and went to take a short nap. One hour
later, Judy and Nick were sitting in a corner of the Mess just mammal watching
and coming up with random stories about the other cadets.
“Come over at about 7.” Nick said, suddenly. “I should have dinner ready by
then. I’m making a standard courtship meal for you, but I’m not telling you
what it is.”
“Okay.” Judy replied. “I’ll be ready.”
They didn’t do much else for the rest of the day. Just hung out, talked a
little, and enjoyed one another’s company. However, both felt nervously excited
about tonight. There was also a small part of them that wondered what other
developments had been made in the investigation into the Anti-Predator
Movement.
ZPD_Morgue_–_ZPD_Precinct_One_HQ_–_Zootopia
Chief Bogo stood near the wall by the door leading to the morgue of Precinct
One. Dr. Loretta Pouncer stood on the other side of the room. In between them
were the five bodies of the mammal’s the Chancellor had tasked Hannibal Hyector
with killing. Loretta walked over to the first victim and pulled the cover back
to reveal a sow.
“Ms. Piggy Swinton. Age 25. Younger sister of Councilsow Swinton. Out of the
five of them, she’s the one found in the worst shape.” Loretta stated, crossing
her arms in front of her chest. “He was ruthless, Tobias. She was alive and
conscious the whole time Hannibal tortured her.” Walking to the second body,
she revealed the body of a middle-aged, male goat. “William Goatier. Age 38. He
was a chemist at Manesley Pharmaceuticals.” The next body. “Harriette
Squirrelton. Age 33. Mailmammal.” Next body. “Norman Batsley. Age 27.
Accountant.” At the final body, Loretta hesitated. Pulling the cover off, she
revealed the body of a young koala. “This was Jessie Koalé. Age 19. She was a
freshman at the Zootopian Institute of Sociology.” Stepping away from the
autopsy tables, Dr. Loretta put her paws in the pockets of her lab coat.
“Hannibal broke them down systematically as if he were a hunter cleaning his
kills. Apart from Piggy Swinton, none of the others showed any sign of
extensive physical torture, but with Hyector being a former psychologist, I’m
sure the others probably suffered mentally.” Staring at Jessie Koalé’s body,
Dr. Loretta said, “He was kind with Jessie. She didn’t feel a thing. I found
traces of potent sedatives in her system.”
Chief Bogo ran a hoof down his face. Each of the bodies had files that
correlated to them with information that proved their association to the Anti-
Predator Movement. The reveal that one of them was related to Councilsow
Swinton was troubling. The councilsow had always supported equal rights for
both prey and predators. It raised questions, to say the least. “What can you
tell me about his method?” he asked seriously.
Dr. Loretta scanned the bodies for a moment. “He was efficient. Piggy Swinton
was killed slowly, taking his time. You said that he managed to do all this
within 48 hours?” Getting a nod of confirmation, she frowned. “The amount of
torture suggests otherwise. I would have sworn that it occurred over the span
of a week.” Going from one body to the next, she examined each wound carefully.
“His skills hadn’t diminished during his incarceration. They almost look as if
though he has improved.”
Bogo stepped closer to examine the bodies himself. “If Hannibal were still
alive, I’d kill him myself regardless of the consequences.” A group of land
surveyors working on the edge of Zootopia’s boundaries had stumbled across
Hannibal’s corpse while they were surveying a plot of largely undeveloped land
for a recently proposed subdivision. Hannibal’s head still bore the wicked
smirk showing that, despite his death, he had had the last laugh. The surveyors
had called the ZPD upon their discovery.
Dr. Loretta shook her head. “Don’t start that, Tobias. We need you here, not a
prison cell.” She covered up the bodies. “Out in the Marshlands District, we
hardly see things like this. I’ve had zooicides sure, but this? This is a whole
other level of savagery and Hannibal was technically sane.”
Chief Bogo didn’t say anything as he watched Dr. Loretta cover the last body.
He then followed her into and down the hall. “What would you guess about his
methodology? Surely, you have some insight. Hannibal always had a reason for
doing something in a specific way.”
Dr. Loretta stopped to consider her thoughts and words carefully. “I’d look
through the files Hannibal left you. I’ll send you my reports on their
autopsies to compare them to. I’m certain something is there. We just have to
find it. But, to answer your question: He broke each of the victims down
systematically, but used a different system for each. That’s important, but I
have no idea why.”
Sighing, Chief Bogo thanked Dr. Loretta and headed to the elevator. Once
inside, he selected the third floor and upon arriving, made his way to see
Officer Delgato, who had been recently released from the hospital. The lion had
been one of the officers involved and injured in the shootout during what they
had thought was an attempt to rescue Dawn Bellwether. Bogo had sent him to the
precinct’s infirmary to get the medical officer’s approval to return to duty.
As he approached, the Chief could hear a heated discussion taking place. With a
silent groan, he entered the room just as Officer Delgato gave his closing
argument.
“Look, all I’m asking for is DESK DUTY!!!” Delgato shouted at the medical
officer, a red panda. “I know I’m not 100%, but shit! At least approve me for
desk duty. It’s better than sitting on my ass at home doing nothing. Not to
mention, this way I can at least help.”
The medical officer looked at the lion with a bored expression for a moment
then said, “Fine. I’ll approve you for desk duty, but only desk duty. If I hear
even a whisper of you doing anything else, I’ll have you placed under medical
house arrest. Understood?”
Delgato sighed in relief. “Yes, I understand. Thank you.” Standing with the
help of a cane, he turned to leave and spotted the Chief looking at him with a
raised eyebrow. A sheepish smile formed on the lion’s muzzle. “I, uh, I don’t
like the idea of sitting at home all day when other officers are out there
doing something while I could be helping. Even if it’s only desk duty and
paperwork.”
Bogo nodded understandingly. He would do the same thing. “Good. I’ve got
paperwork you can take care of for me. Nothing extravagant, but it needs to be
done. Report to my office in ten. I’ve got to go see Clawhauser for a minute
then I’ll be there.” Stepping aside to let the lion through, he asked his
medical officer, “How’s he really doing?”
The red panda medical officer rolled his eyes. “He should be at home
recuperating. He’s got a good deal of muscular damage to his legs and really
shouldn’t be moving around all that much.” Pulling out the x-rays, he said, “He
should eventually get better, but only if he doesn’t overexert himself. His
legs need to regain their original musculature. The thing that bothers me is
exactly how much muscle damage his legs have. He wasn’t out for even a single
week, but the level of damage he has is extensive, almost bordering on the
beginnings of muscular atrophy.”
Bogo frowned deeply at the news. “Any ideas for the cause and if so what are
they? Also, what do you suggest we do then? I need all the officers I can have
on duty.”
The medical officer shrugged. “There are far too many causes that I can name. I
took some blood samples. Those might give us a glimpse into what the issue is.
If it isn’t anything too disconcerting, we can look into possible treatment
plans that can help him. If it is, then we may have to confine him to a
permanent desk position.”
Grunting, Chief Bogo gave a nod of acknowledgement and exited the infirmary.
Heading down to the main reception area to see Clawhauser, Bogo stopped as he
saw a buff male tiger talking to Ben, laughing and smiling. Bogo’s eye twitched
at the sight. While Bogo had had a few girlfriends in the past, he had always
been more attracted to males. His ‘relationship’ with Clawhauser had always
been something he treasured, but he’d never outright stated that he wanted
more. Walking up to the pair, Bogo forced himself to keep a straight face and
not slam the male tiger’s head through the floor of his precinct. “Officer
Clawhauser? A moment?”
Ben sat up straight, waiting for his next series of commands from his Chief.
“Sir?”
“Please contact Detectives Wolford and Fangmeyer. I have a few things that I
need to discuss with them.” Glancing at the tiger, he gave a minute nod.
Finished with that, He walked upstairs to the second floor where his office was
located to deal with Officer Delgato.
Ben watched the Chief walk away. Hearing chuckling, he turned to look at his
friend, Tito Stripetower, the male tiger he’d been conversing with when the
Chief arrived. “Don’t say a word.” Ben stated in a surprisingly threatening
tone.
Tito grinned teasingly. “You know he was jealous, right? That look in his eye
when he gave me that shallow nod? Irritation, anger, hatred, stop me anytime
here.”
Ben huffed in his own annoyance. “I’m so sure.” Sending Harrison and Zannah a
quick text telling them the Chief wanted to see them asap, he said, “Even if it
was, he won’t do anything and I certainly won’t either. Believe me, it’s not
that I don’t want to, but I don’t want to risk our current relationship. You
know better than anyone why that is.”
Tito gave Ben a sad smile. The two of them had been best buds until they took a
chance and started dating. It was great for a longtime, but soon things started
to fall apart and neither of them knew when or why. Their friendship had simply
become really strained. It was after the two went to audition for a spot as a
backup dancer for Gazelle after one of her tigers fell ill that it finally all
fell apart. Tito had been selected, but he had thought it was due to his dance
skills. It had turned out that Tito had been selected due to his species first,
and skill second. Later he learned that Ben had originally been their first
choice, but when they saw Tito, they chose him over Ben, since Tito was a
tiger, the same as the other three backups. “Yeah,” Tito stated softly. “I
really do.”
Ben just shrugged. “Not like we can do anything about it now.” He put his phone
away. “I’m glad you came to visit me and catch up though. I was starting to
think you forgot about me being up there.”
Tito shook his head strongly. “Never. I just haven’t had too much free time.
Now though, Gazelle’s trying to reconnect with old friends, so I’ve got a bit
more time on my paws. No idea who they are, but they’re really important to
her. I think there may even be something between them.”
Ben’s eyes lit up. “Really? Find out and let me know, will you? I’d love to be
the first to hear about it, before the media catches wind of it.”
Tito nodded once to show his agreement. “You’ll be the first one I call.”
Looking at his watch, he said, “I’ve got to go. The other backups want to
celebrate our first R&R period in six months. I’ll call you later to set up a
meet for coffee.” Waving goodbye, he looked up at the second-floor landing to
see the burly cape buffalo sending him a death glare. Tito gave a salute and
tried to convey the message that Ben was all his. He knew his message was
received when the Chief’s glare dissipated.
Ben, noticing Tito’s out of character actions, looked to see what it was that
the tiger was looking at. Seeing the Chief’s malevolent glower at Tito, Ben
smiled slightly. ‘Maybe, just maybe, the Chief will make the first move. After
all, it seems every time I do, the relationship always ends.’
Home_of_Antonio_de_Medici-Borgia_–_TundraTown_–_Zootopia
Antonio de Medici-Borgia, also known in the underworld of Zootopia as Mr. Big,
was having a small lunch with his daughter Fru-Fru and her daughter Little
Judie. His polar bear bodyguards were positioned around the room, watching over
them. Having chosen instead to use candles in lieu of electric lights, the
dinner almost felt like formal dining. That was until the candles inexplicably
went out.
Mr. Big and his most trusted bodyguard, Bearnard Kozlov, already knew why, but
the others felt a strong sense of dread. No one moved or even breathed. Mr. Big
softly whispered, “Business or Personal?”
Silence, then, “Both.” an eerie disembodied voice echoed softly throughout the
residence.
Mr. Big waited to hear what else would be said, but nothing came. A single
candle soon reignited. This one wasn’t one of theirs. Mr. Big kept white wax
candles, this one was red, the molten wax looking like blood. Underneath was a
file appropriately sized for polar bears. Motioning for Kozlov to grab it, Mr.
Big waited to hear what Kozlov would find inside.
Kozlov set the red wax candle aside to pick up the file only to find a note
that read ‘To: Antonio de Medici-Borgia, From: The Gravewalker’. Turning to
look at his employer, Kozlov told the others, “Take Mistress Fru-Fru and Little
Judie somewhere safer within the mansion.” He watched as the other polar bears
quickly did as he asked.
Mr. Big reassured his daughter that everything would be fine. As soon as they
were alone, he asked, “What is it, Kozlov?” He listened as Kozlov read the
contents of the file out loud. When Kozlov was finished, Mr. Big stated,
“Things are far more dire than I feared, my friend. We must make haste if we
are to ensure that everything is ready. Have Fru-Fru and Little Judie relocated
somewhere that is more secure. I, myself, will remain here. I refuse to run
like a scared youngling. This is my home and my domain. I’ll defend it ‘til my
dying breath.”
“As you say, sir.” Kozlov began to draw up the necessary preparations. He had a
few of the younger bodyguards, including one of his own sons, relocate further
into the district of Tundra Town where it was far colder and fewer would dare
try to brave. He also called in some of the other enforcers throughout the
city. While they were based out of TundraTown, Mr. Big had many employees
spread within the city, many of whom whose families had served them for
generations. Once stage one preparations were complete, Kozlov said, “Now, we
wait.”
“Now, we wait.” Mr. Big repeated. Looking at the file Kozlov had left open near
him, Mr. Big saw a photograph of a kithood Nicholas Wilde sitting atop the
shoulders of the Gravewalker, who was smiling a true, genuine smile. Under the
photo was the caption/order: “Protect my son, Tony. Otherwise, …” Mr. Big
shivered and it wasn’t from the cold. ‘I should have guessed that long ago. ’
he thought. ‘ That’s why Nicky seemed so familiar. Don’t worry, Mr. Vulpin.
He’s special to the godmother of my granddaughter. That makes him my family as
well.’ Mr. Big then added, out loud, “You always do whatever it takes for
family.”
The_Apartment_of_Jaxon_Lapin_and_Skye_Wintory
Jaxon and Skye had reported in for duty an hour after dropping Judy and Nick
off at the ZPA followed by getting their apartment situated. Their new
Supervisory Special Agent, SSA Raoul Mauler, had been pleased by their early
arrival. He told them that, for now, he wanted them to settle into their new
apartment until he called on them. That had been a little over 48 hours ago.
Jaxon blinked as the alarm went off informing him that his hour-long nap had
reached its end. Rolling out of the bed, he walked into the living room to see
Skye performing a workout routine in time with the instructor on the
television. He saw the open DVD case on the coffee table that was pushed off to
the side. Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, he quietly sat
himself on the couch behind her to take in the very pleasing view of her rear.
Skye could smell Jaxon’s arousal behind her. Smirking, she began to accentuate
every motion teasingly. It wasn’t long before she felt Jaxon standing behind
her with his erect cock grinding into her. “You’re already this horny from a
little show?” she asked, flirtatiously. Jaxon’s reply was another grind to her
ass. “Well, this video’s almost done. Think you can wait until then?”
Jaxon groaned loudly. “Fine, but when it is, I’m tearing off with you and this
time I’ll show you how predatory I can be.” He stepped away just enough for her
to have the full range of motion she’d need for the rest of her exercises. His
eye twitched and foot thumped rapidly, each picking up speed as he watched Skye
tease him mercilessly. A loud predator-like growl began to emanate from his
chest as he impatiently waited for the video to reach its end.
Skye felt a thrill at Jaxon’s very convincing growl. If she hadn’t known it was
him, she would have assumed that it was another predator, maybe a wolf, a bear,
or a caracal. Skye felt her body react to the sensation of the obviously
interested male in the vicinity. She could practically feel her womb spasm in
anticipation. She resisted the urge to pant in lust just long enough for the
video to come to an end. Before her brain could register it, Skye found herself
on her back looking into the narrow eyes and devious smirk of her fiancée. ‘Oh,
boy.’ She thought. ‘ This is going to be good.’
Jaxon literally ripped Skye’s workout outfit from her body using his sharpened
claws until she was down to only her panties. When Skye tried to say something,
he cut her off with a fierce kiss. His ears picked up her heartbeat accelerate
as her excitement grew.
Skye returned the kiss with equal force. She gripped his back and ran her claws
down it, leaving behind red claw marks. After the first time they made love,
she had freaked out and panicked. It was following their fifth time that she
finally looked into how to round her claws just enough not to hurt Jaxon, but
leave them sharp enough to use as weapons in the event of paw-to-paw combat.
The two of them soon found themselves desperately attacking each other, needing
more of one another. At some point, Jaxon lost his pajama pants he had been
wearing and Skye no longer had anything on, as Jaxon, somehow, had her panties
on his head like a mask. The smell of her really shouldn’t have sparked the
insane desire to breed her in Jaxon, but that’s exactly what it did. As for
Skye, her mind was waging a war with itself for it sensed a powerful male
predator in the room, but only registered Jaxon, who it identified as her prey.
Nevertheless, both were now primed and ready for the main event. The sudden
chime of both of their phones snapped them from the primal state of mind they
were in.
Jaxon’s eyes, nose, and ears twitched in rage. He was literally vibrating in
barely restrained fury. He did his best to calm himself, but was finding it
increasingly difficult.
Skye whined in displeasure of her own, but reached for her phone on the side
table. Seeing the text from SSA Mauler, she sighed. “We’re being called in.”
She yelped when Jaxon stopped her from getting up and took her phone.
Jaxon hit the call icon on the messaging screen and waited for the line to
connect. Before SSA Mauler was capable of speaking, Jaxon snarled out, “You’re
going to have to wait for us to finish what we started.” Disconnecting the
call, he tossed the mobile across the room to the floor.
In his office, SSA Raoul Mauler sat frozen in fear with his cellphone on the
ground. When he had been assigned a supervisory role to Agent Jaxon Lapin,
codenamed Savage, and Agent Skye Wintory, he had been told not to piss off the
jackrabbit. Based on the call he just received, he now understood why. The
jackrabbit’s voice during that short phone call was more indicative of a larger
predator, one capable of crushing him with ease. SSA Mauler decided that he
would indeed wait for them to finish what they had started as he had no desire
to learn more as to why the jackrabbit had been codenamed Savage.
It was approximately an hour later, at 4:20 p.m., that Jaxon and Skye walked
into the ZIB’s Zootopia Office’s HQ, with pleasant looks on their muzzles. Some
of the wolf agents registered the scent of sex on the two as well as the scent
of the other on them. Both ignored the astounded looks of incredulousness and
made their way to SSA Mauler’s office. Walking in, they noticed that he never
once looked directly at Jaxon, much to their amusement.
“Glad you could make it.” SSA Mauler said, nervously. “I, uh, I was calling you
in because we’ve learned that one of the most wanted mammals has offered to
turn themselves in and help us in our investigation into the Anti-Predator
Movement. However, in return, we must agree to a couple of conditions. One of
them is Agent Savage.”
Jaxon cocked his head to the side in confusion. “I’m not sure I follow. Why
would whoever this criminal is want me? Do they have a history with me?”
Mauler shrugged. “I honestly don’t know, but you are scheduled to meet them at
5 o’clock. So, you’ve got forty minutes to get everything you’ll need ready and
get over to this location.” He pawed them a post-it with an address and watched
the two exit his office then took out the file of the mammal they were
scheduled to meet. The photograph was that of a red fox vixen with the name
‘Scarlett Reddington’. Mauler honestly had no idea why she had requested Agent
Savage, but he knew there had to be a story there. ‘I hope this works.’Mauler
thought.
Temporary_Housing_Complex_–_ZPA_–_Zootopia_–_Midevening
Nick was pacing up and down his room nervously. ‘Calm down, Nick.’ he thought
to himself. Checking on the food, Nick made sure that the presentation was
still perfect, and that it had not cooled. Nick walked over to his bathroom to
check his appearance in the mirror again and, like the last fifteen times,
sighed as he saw that he didn’t even have a single strand of fur out of place.
He went and sat on his bed and tried to calm himself down. “Okay, Nick. Focus.
You’re having a nice meal with Judy, your future mate. That part’s already been
agreed upon. All this is simply to get to know one another better. There are
still things you need to tell her and she’ll tell you the things she’s ready to
tell you. Just relax before you make a complete fool of yourself.”
Little did Nick know that Judy was in a similar state. She wasn’t sitting on
her bed, she was at her desk reading The Complete Young Vulpine’s Guide to
Maturity. After they returned from walking the grounds, Judy had decided to
spend some time reading the text. She was fascinated by what she was reading.
It was surprising to her that foxes were only ever physically affectionate with
their mates and kits. There was also a whole other level to how their culture
worked. A knock on the door connecting her room to Nick’s had her look at the
clock. It was 6:55, a little early, but not by much.
Nick opened the door connecting their rooms to spy Judy closing a drawer in her
desk. “Y-you ready, Judy?” he asked, pensively. His heartrate slowed as she
walked over dressed in laid back attire of pajama bottoms and a loose-fitting
tee. “I made fish.” Nick stated as he closed the door. “I, uh, never really
made it before so…” he trailed off a little embarrassed that he wasn’t sure how
well his attempt at a proper courtship meal would be received.
Judy smiled at Nick upon seeing his ears tinge pink. “I’m sure it will be
great, Nick.” She walked over to the table to see the two covered dishes and
two small portions of crème brûlée. Sitting in one of the chairs, she leaned in
to smell the fish. “Mm. It smells good.” Judy said, softly.
Nick grinned a tiny bit at Judy’s words. “A-as I said, I’ve never made this
dish before, so I don’t know how good it will taste.” He pushed Judy’s chair in
then with a small flourish took the cover off her dish to reveal the meal he
had prepared. “I hope you like it.” Nick stated with a sheepish smile.
Judy picked up her fork and took a bite. The moment it hit her tongue, she
moaned. “It’s so good.” Judy stated, happily. She gestured for Nick to sit down
and partake in his own fish. “Don’t just stand there, Slick, eat.”
Nick sat down in his own seat and began to dig in himself. He was quite pleased
with how well it had turned out. They ate in companionable silence for a little
while until Nick asked, “Ready to hear a little more about my past?”
Judy stopped mid-chew and thought about it. Swallowing, she said, “Sure, but at
some point I’m going to have to start telling you more about my own past, you
know.” She finished her fish and slid the plate aside as she grabbed the crème
brûlée, waiting for Nick to begin.
Clearing his throat, Nick said, “Shortly after my 23rd birthday is when I
started working for Mr. Big. Nothing illegal mind you. He was in the process of
trying to go legit at the time. My role was simply to provide what info I
learned directly to either him or Kozlov.” Taking Judy’s plate along with his
own to the sink, Nick started eating his own crème brûlée as he continued.
“Only very rarely did he ask me to perform other jobs such as act as a courier.
I was doing good until the skunk butt rug incident. Funnily enough, Finn was
the one who acquired the rug in a card game with a couple of his other buddies.
I merely took it to Mr. Big in hopes of remaining in his good graces. You know
how that turned out.”
Judy surprised herself by keeping a straight face the entire time as Nick
continued to tell her everything about his time in Mr. Big’s employment. As his
tale came to an end, Judy found that she didn’t have any questions. Taking the
cup of water that Nick offered her, she decided now was the time to make a
confession of her own. “You are the first mammal that I’ve ever felt this way
towards.”
Nick’s eyes widened a bit. He had known that Judy had had a rough time growing
up, but this was something different. Nick had assumed that Judy would have at
least had crushes while she was younger. To hear her say that he was the first
overall wasn’t what he expected at all. Hoping for clarification, he asked,
“First mammal you’ve ever fallen in love with?”
Judy gave him a small, sheepish smile. “That and more.” she whispered. “I was
never popular when I was younger. Most steered clear of me so I didn’t have
many friends. Lots of bucks preferred one, or more, of my sisters, like Missy,
who had dates with someone different every night. I was a, if not the, pariah.
Most of my siblings would gossip about what they would do with their ‘Crush of
the Week’ if they ever got their paws on them, but I never had that. I was
viewed as a freak because what kind of doe doesn’t find anyone worth chasing
after? So, I stuck to focusing on training for the ZPA.”
Nick was beside himself with a mixture of joy and disbelief. He was her first
everything. Standing to his feet, he said, “Can you give me a minute? I’m going
to get us some more drinks.” Receiving a nod, he made his way to the
refrigerator and hid behind the door once he opened it. He placed a paw over
his heart and felt how hard it was pounding. Selecting two mineral waters, he
walked back to Judy, who now was messing with the small radio on the desk next
to the fossilized PC. As he got closer, he heard music begin to play. The song
[La vie en Rose] made him smile warmly. Setting the bottles down, he crept up
behind her and swept her off her feet as he led her into a slow dance.
Judy giggled as Nick led her in a gently sway. She smiled up at him. “I like
this.” Judy whispered to him.
Nick grinned at her adoringly. “That’s a good thing, Love. But, you should know
that we’re just getting started.” With that he leaned down and kissed her on
the lips for the first time.
Chapter End Notes
     *Popping Excedrin like TicTacs* Hey, guys so this has taken so long
     to release, but life got in the way. Anyway, got my godson/nephew all
     set up to stay with us, wife's still got a month of antivirals,
     antibiotics, and other medications to go, kids all hyped up on sugar,
     driving me crazy, and I'm having to slowly return to dealing with
     clients since my wife can't go back to work just yet. Plus, the
     holidays.
     Unfortunately, with the inclusion of my godson/nephew and my wife's
     inability to return to work, I'm the sole breadwinner right now. So,
     the original plans of updating and releasing a chapter every two to
     three weeks ain't gonna be entirely feasible. Technically, it's the
     same as updating once a month, BUT it's taken differently. Therefore,
     I'm going to say I'm probably only going to be able to update this
     story once a month. My wife should be returning to work at the
     beginning of next year, but no real telling. Preparing for the worst
     case scenario here. She's due by end of January, beginning of
     February, for birth. That could throw a left-handed monkey wrench
     into things, like have her laid off for taking to much time, even if
     there's a good reason for it. I really hate 'At Will' states where
     anyone can be terminated without need of explanation.
     This was not my plan when starting this story, but there's not a lot
     I can do about it. I hate that it's come to this. I'm not dropping
     the story, but I'm having to slow it down considerably, which REALLY
     pisses me the fuck off. Again, I'm not going to apologize for any of
     this. It's out of my control, so anyone who has a problem with it and
     wants an apology you'd better be glad I can't reach you from here.
     Otherwise, you'd see why I'm still standing after years of having to
     defend myself from idiots who thought just cause I'm different
     looking that I'm an easy target. I don't necessarily have a rap
     sheet, but if I did, it probably be a few miles long and filled with
     charges of use of excessive force and use of a deadly weapon (my
     hands. why would I need a weapon when I have these? I still don't
     understand why people resort to anything else.) So, any of you who
     want to give me grief, I'm going to simply ignore your piddly ass
     whining to the best of my ability. I didn't ask for this situation
     and like it a lot less than you.
     On a happier note, I'll also be releasing a chapter for Star Wars:
     The Zootopian Saga (SWZ) today. Yay! The first art contest for it is
     still open for participation, but, of course, it's not mandatory.
     There haven't been any entries yet; however, my godson, son, and I
     aren't expecting any. (Hard to be disappointed if you have no
     expectations). If any of you do chose to participate, see the
     corresponding chapter entry of SWZ.
***** Bonus Content & Update *****
Chapter Summary
     A slightly revised breakdown of the infrastructure of my 'verse.
     Plus, a bit of an update on how my family and I are doing.
Chapter Notes
     So, I'm alive, if only just. The holidays are usually hectic, but
     this year it was taken up to eleven. If you don't get that reference,
     I suggest you go watch Spinal Tap (the Motion Picture, not the
     medical procedure).
     Anyway, this year my kids asked me about the circuit, which is an old
     family term for the road trip I used to make during the holiday
     season to visit all my relatives in one go. Needless to say, we
     decided to give it a try. I haven't made the Circuit in nearly a
     decade, so it was a challenge. We made it all the way to the final
     stop (my mother's), before it came to a cataclysmic halt.
     Physically, I haven't always been in the best of health. Overexertion
     combined with my intermittent bronchitis and other health issues has
     left me in a sad, sorry state right now. Currently, my wife, kids, my
     godson/nephew, and I are still at my mother's house, awaiting her on-
     call physician to clear me. I'll be honest, I look like either a
     human pincushion or Hellraiser with all the needles going into me.
     I've got IVs feeding me intravenous nutritional supplements,
     antibiotics, antivirals, antiretrovirals, and a long, long list of
     other things I'm still trying to figure out.
     I decided to post this to let you know I'm still alive. With all the
     meds being pumped into me, today is the first day I'm fully coherent
     since right before New Year's Eve. By that, I mean though I've been
     awake my mental clarity had been noticeably impaired (much to the
     amusement of my wife and children).
See the end of the chapter for more notes
  Bonus Content: Societal, Cultural, and Governmental Structure of my ‘verse.
===============================================================================
                                        
First, we’ll begin with stating that the infrastructure of the city is quite
diversified. With so many different species and each having their own cultural
norms, one shouldn’t be surprised to find overlap. For instance, family will
always play a major role, no matter the species. Lions have prides, wolves have
packs, hippos have bloats, foxes have skulks, lagomorphs have warrens, hyenas
have a clan (or cackle), etcetera. The dynamics found within each may vary, yet
are, overall, relatively the same. As Harrison plays a key role, we’ll focus a
bit on the dynamics of wolf packs, ‘pack mentality’, and their social norms.
The size of a wolf pack can range from few in number to a couple of dozen
familial units all under one reigning family. The name of one’s pack is decided
by the reigning ‘Alpha’, who usually uses his own family name, example being
Pack Wolford. It must be noted that while all wolves with the surname Wolford
will belong to Pack Wolford, not all wolves in the pack will actually have the
surname of Wolford, such as Larry and Gary. Also, the use of the term ‘Alpha’
signifies who is the current head of the reigning family. In reference to
Fenrir, while he is the eldest of the Wolford family, he is not the Alpha of
Pack Wolford, but the Elder, a very different position. A pack’s Elder is
either a former Alpha above a certain age or a wolf that is the last of his
generation within the pack. All species group dynamics have a similar setup to
wolf packs.
Ranking orders within species groupings vary, but they can all equivalate to
similar ranks of other groups, such as an Alpha Wolf and a Hyena Cackle’s
Matriarch. We’ll stick to using wolf packs, since their easier to follow. The
two highest positions of power are the Alpha (male) and his mate, the Luna
(female). I’m sure some of you are confused by this, so let me explain: my wife
read a lot of werewolf fiction, this one is on her. Betas act as the Alpha’s
enforcers and are chosen by the Alpha himself. The Beta’s family is often
viewed as the Second, or Branch, Family as they are often a sibling of the
Alpha. Omega’s are everybody else and, though the term is viewed as demeaning
in real life, is rarely used as a slur, such as dog or bitch.
Every species has a set of social conventions they follow on a daily basis.
Also, each have punishments that are either universal or unique to their
species. One of the universal punishments has already been touched upon:
Shaming. As implied, a she-wolf, or even a male, who has been marked as shamed
is essentially no longer eligible for lupine courtship, although other canine
species can still make attempts. As Harrison explained to Zannah, the status is
permanent, since the mark of a ‘Shamed One’ usually tends to be scars or a
special brand. Shame marks are used by all species, and are given for all
varieties of reasons.
Second focus point is the city of Zootopia itself. A shining beacon with the
message ‘anyone can be anything’, Zootopia was built as the city in which
everybody was meant to achieve their dreams. Unfortunately, as we all know, it
has failed in this regard. The myriad of species that inhabit its limits,
despite their prejudice towards others for whatever reason, work in a bizarre
symbiosis. Through, typically indirect, interactions, the mammals that live
within Zootopia all work together to make the city the way it is. Some would
call this Chaos Theory, or the Butterfly Effect. Somehow, the actions of one
mammal will always affect the populace. This can be done is so many ways that
there are literally too many to list.
The city’s government is surprisingly simple. The head of government is the
mayor, who within my ‘verse is more equivalent to the position of Governor. The
mayor’s role is the executive branch of the city’s government. The city
council, which is made of elected officials from every district, takes up the
role of the legislative branch. The role of the judicial branch is played by
the Attorney General, the only mammal with direct ties to the Imperial Capitol,
Zookuulantiapolis, the seat of the Zoolympian Empire.
Zootopia itself, while a voluntary vassal of the Zoolympian Empire, is a city-
state. Therefore, Zootopia is technically its own sovereign nation. Although
subservient, Zootopia behaves much like any real-life country. Interestingly,
Zootopia has a sister city: Zootropolis. The two cities reflect each other in a
few different ways, both being city-states and voluntary vassals to the
Zoolympian Empire, among other things.
The type of government utilized by the Zoolympian Empire, and by extension
Zootopia and Zootropolis, is a Democratic Republic. Historically, in the real
world, the Roman Empire was a democratic republic; therefore, it wouldn’t be
the first time an empire had this type of government. Further breakdown of the
government official positions for the Zoolympian Empire will take place when we
head towards the Imperial Capitol of Zookuulantiapolis.
The third point of focus is Zootopia’s cultural structure. How is this
different from societal you ask? Well, how is your culture different from, say,
Che Guevara’s? Each species has their own culture, although there is slight
overlap for some. All canids share certain customs, but in rare occurrences,
there are other species that also share them. One example would be the moon,
which has importance to lupines and lapines.
Cultural customs per species are often not allowed to be observed by outsiders,
as many are considered sacred. The only universal custom shared by all species
is the Divine Entities, though worship to them has largely fallen out of
practice. The entity Fate is the Head of the Pantheon. The exact species of
each of the Divine Entities is always a question of debate. Fate, however, is
the only one among the Pantheon that everyone agrees transcends species and has
no real form, being viewed instead as something more as The Force from Star
Wars.
Fourth topic of discussion: the ‘verse’s world. The Zoolympian Empire is one of
eight nations. Another is Animammalia, which is a sworn ally of the Zoolympian
Empire. Of the eight nations, there are five major powers and three minor. The
relationship between the five major powers is tumultuous at best. The
Zoolympian Empire has held its power base since its inception, and has born
witness to the rise and fall of countless other nations. Animammalia is the
second longest surviving after it. The three minor nations behave much like
Switzerland. The other three major powers are constantly at odds with one
another, with the Zoolympian Empire and Animammalia remaining observant
spectators. More information about each nation will be revealed as each comes
into play later.
Finally, a few last words as to the quality of this entry. Admittedly, this
version of the Bonus Content lacks something the original had. The reason for
this is that after discussing it over with a relative during the holidays, it
was brought to my attention that incorporating this information into the story
would be more ideal if I could make it less…info-dumpy. Thankfully, my relative
agreed to assist in further, in-depth research for the next inclusion.
Regardless, this Bonus Content entry, to me, feels subpar and in need of more
work. With the holiday season being so hectic, I was unable to fully flesh it
out the way that I had hoped. Doing the family holiday circuit for the first
time in nearly a decade hit me harder than I had anticipated. On top of that,
with my health the way it currently is, the fact I managed to post this is an
impressive achievement in my eyes. I will eventually revise this entry, but I
won’t take it down. This one is here to stay.
Chapter End Notes
     I'm fully aware that it leaves much to be desired, but at the moment,
     that's the best I can do. I've rewritten it twice during the
     holidays, while trying to deal with the holiday hullabaloo and my
     condition. The cocktail of meds is still affecting me, although not
     quite as strongly as before today.
     Though I'm more coherent, a major side effect from the meds is
     drowsiness. I consider it luck that I'm awake right now. I had
     planned to start bearing down on editing and revising the next couple
     of chapters in hopes of releasing them, but...
     Hopefully, I'll recover sooner rather than later. My kids are having
     a blast with me in my 'blasted' state. The best part is that my wife
     and I are sharing a bed. We've got approximately five to six weeks
     until the next set of twins is due. My original plan was that I'd
     take on some more clients before they were born, since she can't work
     right now. Life seems to have a way of saying 'F*** everybody,
     especially that sad little guy right...there. Yeah, him. Make his
     life hell'.
     On the bright side, my parents and remaining siblings, who I've been
     at odds with for longer than I can recall (I don't even remember what
     the hell the argument we fell out over concerned), have decided to
     help us out. Christmas miracle indeed.
     Also, I want to wish you all the best of fortune in your future
     endeavours this year. While I'm sure some of you are looking forward
     to seeing what this year has instore, for someone my age, we simply
     made another trip around the sun. I know that those two sentences
     sound oxymoronic, but that's just me saying its another year for me
     and that I hope this year is better for you all than last.
     I'm losing the battle with the meds, so I'll cya later. Ciao.
***** Chapter Twelve: The Encounter *****
Chapter Summary
     A series of seemingly unrelated encounters that will all eventually
     interconnect and make sense.
Chapter Notes
     So, uh, hi. I was told by my uncle not to give my real name, so uh,
     call me Ian Moone. (I kinda stole that from a CSI episode. It's an
     anagram.)
     Anyway, my uncle/godfather 0P3RaGh05T and my aunt have decided to
     sleep the day away to try and recuperate quicker. So, he had me
     tasked with posting this chapter for him.
     I hope you enjoy!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                         Chapter_Twelve:_The_Encounter
===============================================================================
                                        
Office_of_the_Attorney_General_of_Zootopia_–_City_Central_–_Zootopia_–_5:45_am
Spencer Wolvenett, Leodore Lionheart, Tobias Bogo, Fatima Ara, Li Ara, and
Supreme Commander Deego all stood waiting to enter the chambers of the Attorney
General of Zootopia. They didn’t know why the six of them had been called to
meet with the Head of the Justice Department, but they all knew that whatever
it was mandated their presence. Hearing the lock of the office door disengage,
they all filed in one after another.
In all his years, Attorney General Hoover, an elderly Chinkara, had never had
to deal with as much mayhem as he did within the last week or so. Glaring at
everyone who entered with smoldering ire, he said, “We have much to discuss.”
Looking directly at Fatima, he said, “I will not tolerate any interruptions. If
I require your input, I will ask for it. Otherwise, DO NOT SPEAK!!!”
Spencer, Tobias, and Deego were largely unfazed by A.G. Hoover's outburst,
however, Fatima, Lionheart, and Li had all flinched back at the power of
Hoover's shout. They all remained silent as they waited for him to begin the
meeting.
A.G. Hoover sighed heavily. “First order of business: Polls for the election.
We haven't even had our first official campaign debate, and already there has
been a drastic shift in the polls since the initial announcement of candidates.
Mrs Ara's base of support has rapidly shifted their loyalties over to Mr
Wolvenett at a nearly unprecedented rate. This has happened before, but the
occurrence is so rare that I tasked a private investigator to look into the
situation, to try and find a potential cause.” Turning his computer monitor
around, he showed them an article that had been released on the web page of a
well-known news outlet.
Spencer, Lionheart, and Fatima all leaned in to read the article. It wasn’t
much, but it was damning. The article revealed a large amount of information
that painted Fatima in a horrendous light. It detailed most of her most guarded
secrets, such as her disdain for inter-order relationships. It also had a video
of a short interview of Spencer’s from when his candidacy was announced.
{1 st  Reporter on video: ADA Wolvenett! What do you think of your nomination
for the Mayor’s office?}
{Spencer: I’m honored. I don’t know who nominated me nor why they chose me as
their nominee, but I’m grateful. Hopefully, I’ll live up to their expectations
as well as those of Zootopia’s citizens.}
{2 nd  Reporter: ADA Wolvenett! What will you do about inter-order
relationships if you are elected mayor?}
{Spencer: Doesn’t matter what I think. Inter-order relationships aren’t going
to go away. I personally see no issue with them. It isn’t some virus or disease
that we need to eradicate, but simply two or more mammals that found love where
they least expected it. If I become mayor, I’ll do my best to provide my
support for those openly in Inter-order relationships and grant them the right
to marry without having to hide it.}
{3 rd  Reporter: ADA Wolvenett! What do you think of Fatima Ara, the city
councilmare who’s one of the other three candidates?}
{Spencer: From what I know of her, she’s a strong mare. Fought a ton of
opposition to get to where she is today. I bear her no ill will as we’ve never
had any prior interactions. I don’t know much else. As for the other two, I’ve
never heard of them, so I can’t say.}
{1 st  reporter: You were formerly a cop and are currently an ADA. How will
that affect your position as Mayor if you are elected?}
{Spencer: … The cops of this city are often taken for granted, taken advantage
of, belittled, defamed, or even insulted to their faces. If I am elected mayor,
I guarantee that will come to an end. The inhabitants seem to forget that
without the police force they would suffer far more than they do currently. The
ZPD has protected more citizens than any of them care to admit. You, the media,
are parasites that make it so. You spin stories of all the victims, give biased
reports of cases, and influence the populace against them. As mayor, I fully
intend to rectify that. Now, if you’ll excuse me.}
As the video ended, everyone sat in utter silence. A.G. Hoover pulled up
another window showing the number of times that video was viewed on VidTube.
The site showed that it had been viewed well over ten million times since its
posting, and counting. Fatima’s face drained of blood. Li fought to keep a
straight face, but the corners of his lips had the slightest upward quirk.
A.G. Hoover said, “I’ve taken a look at the projection for the final vote. As
of the moment that this video hit 10.8 million views, nearly all of Fatima’s
followers willingly ended up siding with Spencer. As it stands, 83% of the
city’s inhabitants have settled in his camp, which is still gaining
supporters.”
Lionheart’s heart swelled in pride. They had yet to officially make a public
appearance and the number of Spencer’s supporters were growing exponentially.
Lionheart wanted to run up to the roof and let loose a roar, but kept himself
stockstill as they had yet to be dismissed.
A.G. Hoover then pulled out an early released copy of the Zootopian Times. He
slammed it down on his desk with enough force that the desk bounced. “This also
doesn’t help your cause, Fatima.”
Fatima picked up the paper and read the headline.  ‘ Fatima Ara: Her Secrets
Revealed ’  The newspaper hammered the final proverbial nail in her political
coffin. It outlined everything she had worked so hard to keep hidden. From her
insistence that her husband breed other mares to her financing Anti-Inter-order
rallies throughout the city. At the very end of the article was the name of the
author: Ma Li. Whirling on her husband, she went to scream at him only for her
words to die in her throat at what he was doing.
Li had expected this reaction, so he had everything prepared. As soon as Fatima
had turned around, Li had a legal envelope held out to her with the words
‘Divorce Papers’ printed on the front. He also had wedding band sitting on top
of it, in full view of everyone. This was where he finally put his hoof down.
“I own the controlling stocks for over half the city’s newspapers. Did you
really think that I wasn’t prepared to do this if it came to it?”
Fatima felt the entire carefully built world she had constructed collapse and
shatter around her. She was no longer capable of hiding behind denial. Slumping
back into her seat, Fatima stared at the envelope. She still couldn’t believe
this was actually happening. Fatima thought she had had everything planned out
to the tiniest detail, but she had never anticipated that her mate would
actually follow through on his statements from yesterday. Looking up at her
husband, or more accurately, her soon-to-be former husband, Fatima asked, “W-
what about the kids?”
“They’ll be coming with me.” Li stated bluntly. “After all, they are my colts
and fillies. Only Bahman is yours and he is already old enough to make his own
informed choices.”
A.G. Hoover, tired of the drama, shouted, “TAKE THIS INTO THE HALL!!  OUT !!
OUT !!” Once Li and Fatima left the room, A.G. Hoover looked at the others.
“Now that that has been dealt with and out of the way. I want to know the
progress of the investigation for this mammal known as ‘the Chancellor’.”
Chief Bogo stepped forward. “We’ve delved further into the backgrounds of the
five mammals killed by Hannibal Hyector. Each of them were highly involved
within the Anti-Predator Movement, which has been dubbed by the media as
‘Predopurge’. Ms. Piggy Swinton used her relation to Councilsow Swinton to open
doors, figuratively. The chemist was being paid to manufacture some type of
bioweapon, but from what we could discover upon searching his office, it was
relocated. Ms. Koalé, the college freshmammal, used her knowledge of Social
Psychology to subliminally manipulate others into joining their cause. The
other two were expendables, nothing more than low ranking minions. They were
responsible for identifying locations to incite riots.”
A.G. Hoover ran his hooves over his face. “Anything else I should know?” he
asked seriously. Not getting a response, he leaned back in his seat. Looking
out one of his office windows, he said, “My concern is what the hell we should
expect now.”
Supreme Commander Deego cleared his throat. “If I may,” he began. “My role here
is to coordinate with Zootopia’s military forces. If I could have your
permission, as the current highest-ranking government official, to assemble
them, I could begin my assigned duties ahead of schedule. Once I have
everything in order, I can begin organizing a search for this ‘Chancellor’.”
A.G. Hoover looked at Supreme Commander Deego with appraising eyes. “How long
would you need?” he asked. He had a bad feeling about this, but as it stood at
that moment, he’d authorize almost anything. Almost.
“12 hours, maybe 18 at the most.” S.C. Deego answered. “Honestly, I wouldn’t
know. I’ve yet to see any of your military personnel. I’ve been told that
Firebase White houses some of the Zoolympian Empire’s best. I've never been to
the base, so I'll need an escort so that I can oversee the mobilization of your
forces.”
A.G. Hoover snorted. “Of course, you are aware of the bases' ... unique nature
though?” Seeing a blank look on the S.C.’s face, Hoover continued, “When it was
originally being constructed, they chose a location that was a strategic
anomaly. They built it in the middle of the most remote area of Tundratown,
near Peak 15, in the Aleutsk Valley. The Valley contains a nigh-perpetual
blizzard.” Sighing, he picked up his desk phone and dialed a number. “General?
I need you to send a copter to pick up someone. … That is correct. … Yes. … I’m
more than well aware, General. … Understood.” Hanging up, he said, “A copter
will pick you up in approximately one hour on the roof of City Hall. Do NOT
miss it.”
Saluting, S.C. Deego took his leave followed by Chief Bogo, who decided to
escort him. Deego used this time to inquire once more on the status of Nicholas
Piberius Wilde and Judith Laverne Hopps. Getting the same answer as before,
S.C. Deego decided to drop the matter entirely, choosing to tell the Emperor to
trust the cape buffalo.
Spencer and Lionheart waited for A.G. Hoover to address them. They were
surprised to see him give them a shooing motion. Leaving the A.G. Hoover’s
office, they looked at each other for a moment before agreeing to meet around 4
in the afternoon to discuss their next move and parting ways.
ZIB_safehouse_–_Unknown_Location_–_Zootopia_–_7:30_am
Skye sat on the sofa directly across from the red fox vixen, Scarlett
Reddington, glaring daggers at her. Skye hadn’t been pleased to discover that
she was the one they were scheduled to meet. Scarlett’s bored expression was
pissing Skye off to the point of wanting to shoot her. However, her job was to
protect Scarlett. Sparing a quick glance at the door Jaxon had disappeared
through. Skye wondered what he was doing. She recentered her glare on Scarlett
when the red fox vixen spoke.
“I’m pleased to know he has such a protective mate.” Scarlett stated. “True, I
never thought he would take a vixen as a mate, but I can’t say I’m disappointed
in his choice.” Checking her claws, she added, “I’m actually quite glad that
he’s found someone like you.”
Skye felt an odd mix of emotions. Pride that this vixen knew that Jaxon was
hers and seemed to have no intention of trying to take him from her. Confusion
as for why she was pleased. Finally, she felt intrigued by her words. “What do
you mean by that?” she asked.
Scarlett smiled pleasantly. “I never saw Jaxon as the type of mammal to settle
down with someone. I saw what happened to his father when he couldn’t find his
long-lost love. I expected him to avoid having any kind of serious relationship
after going through all that.” Stretching, she finished with, “You’re truly
special.”
Skye felt warmth spread through her. “May I ask how you knew him and his
father?” She was curious as to what history there was between the three of
them.
Scarlett’s face took on a sad smile. “His father and I, we used to play a game
of ‘catch me if you can’. It was so funny how easy he seemed to make it. Of all
the mammals that would come after me, Savage Sr. was the only one that could
catch me without much difficulty. Jaxon, on the other paw, never knew who I
was. His father asked me to look after him shortly before he passed away, but
things came up that stalled my return for longer than I wanted.” Locking eyes
with Skye, she stated, “I’ll readily admit to committing multiple heinous
crimes, ranging from first degree murder to arms dealing and racketeering, but
I always keep my promises.”
Nodding, Skye’s ear twerked in the direction of the door as she registered
Jaxon re-enter the room. Looking over at him, she saw how tired he now
appeared. “What is it, Jaxon?”
Jaxon shook his head then sighed, before gesturing for Skye to come closer.
Whispering in Skye’s ear, he relayed his news, “SSA Mauler instructed us to go
dark. There is a leak within the ZIB. They don’t know how many agents have been
compromised, but as we only just reported in, our files haven’t been
transferred yet. Therefore, as of approximately twenty minutes ago, you and I
are on our own for the foreseeable future.” Shifting his gaze to Scarlett
Reddington and speaking normally, he said, “How about you start explaining what
you know about what is going on.”
Scarlett nodded and sat up straight. “You should take a seat. This will take a
while.” Waiting for the pair to take a seat, she motioned for one of her wolf
guards to bring her case over. Opening the briefcase, she pawed over a stack of
files. “Those files are for a large number of compromised agents within the ZIB
as well as other government agencies within Zootopia in general.” Closing the
briefcase, she stated, “It’s not all of them, but those are the one for the
more influential agents, including the Assistant Director for Counter-
Terrorism.”
Skye’s jaw dropped as she looked through the files. She couldn’t believe what
she was looking at. “All of these agents are conspiring with the Anti-Predator
Movement?” Receiving a single nod from Scarlett, she gulped in fear. The number
of agents compromised was roughly a third of the overall total, meaning the
entirety of the prey agents.
Looking at the files intently, Jaxon grit his teeth. They were fighting
overwhelming odds. “Okay, so, ZIB, ZSI, ZDD, and various other agencies have
all been compromised with embedded sleepers. Is there any way of finding out
how who we can trust?”
Scarlett grinned mischievously. “That’s why I’m here. Believe what you like,
but most of the criminals that operate in and/or around the city consider
themselves patriots. This wacko is threatening not only the lives of everyone
in the city, but has managed to plaster a big ass target on himself that most
other mammals like me are aiming for. I’ve been chosen as the representative
for Zootopia’s criminal underworld to propose a temporary truce.”
Skye and Jaxon looked at Scarlett for a single heartbeat. “What do you and the
others want in return?” they asked simultaneously. Neither one believed that
the criminal elements of the city would do this entirely out of the goodness of
their hearts.
Scarlett’s face took on a deathly serious expression. “We want the fucker dead.
Not captured, dead. Six feet under, more if possible. After that, business as
usual. I, personally, don’t have much time left. I’m dying. I’ve got access to
the best doctors in their fields and they can’t do anything. This is my
redemption and my last chance to keep my promises.”
Jaxon and Skye shared a look. “Okay, then. What do you require?”
The_Zootopian_Skytree_–_City_Center_–_Zootopia_–_11:53_am
Jameson, Fenrir, Josef, Carlos, and Andreas were all seated at a table in the
restaurant of the Zootopian Sky Tree. Jameson had called an emergency meeting
after Ian had forwarded his findings of corruption within various government
agencies and Scarlett Reddington’s involvement. They were seated in a private,
secluded section of the restaurant so that there would be no one could
eavesdrop on their conversation, electronically or otherwise.
“The criminal underworld is mobilizing.” Andreas stated. “The Undercity and its
inhabitants are gearing up. I find it mildly amusing that now we trust them
when we can no longer trust our government.”
Fenrir snorted. “I’m not surprised in the least. All of us here, at one time or
another, lived that life. We aren’t any better, we’re just far more
proficient.”
“Be as it may, I now think that it is time to implement our plan.” Josef
stated. “We’re lucky that it didn’t take Carlos or I as long as we expected to
locate our successors. My successor will be in the city within the next 12
hours. Carlos’ will arrive tomorrow. We have no time to waste.”
Jameson shook his head. “As much as I agree, Nick and Judy are currently
training at the ZPA. I have no intention of extracting them for this. The
Chancellor, whomever he is, hasn’t actually acted yet. Until he does, we can do
nothing. He’s obviously biding his time for something, but what is the real
question.”
Andreas cleared his throat. “I may have a solution.” Seeing he had everyone’s
attention, he began laying out his idea. “The ZPA has a specialized program
that allows their cadets to undergo military training. Now, this will put Nick
and Judy in the sights of Supreme Commander Deego, but it will also allow us to
get them acquainted with our own recruits. The military's level of training
makes that of the ZPA look like kit’s play. If we have them transferred into
the program, we can accelerate our plans and have all of them prepared ahead of
schedule. This will also allow Nick to graduate earlier.”
Everyone considered Andreas’ words. They could all agree that it was a high
risk, high reward plan. But, did the reward outweigh the risk? After a brief
moment of deliberation, they all collectively decided that yes, it did.
“Have them transferred.” Jameson stated. “I’ll handle the issue with Supreme
Commander Deego myself. Maybe I can keep him occupied enough that he won’t
notice them.” At that, everyone stood and made their way out of the
establishment except Jameson and Fenrir.
“You’re really going to go through with this, Jameson?” Fenrir asked. “You know
as well as I do that the Emperor and S.C. Deego are more than likely going to
have you exfiltrated back to the Imperial Capital.”
Jameson nodded, but said nothing for a few minutes. When he did finally speak,
he said, “A long time has passed since that incident, Fenrir. Other than the
Emperor, S.C. Deego, the former Minister of Intelligence, and myself, you are
the only one who knows the story. With as much time that has past, I wonder if
the Emperor has come to realize what I once tried to tell him.”
“Maybe.” Fenrir whispered. “You need to tell Vanessa, Jameson. If you’re set on
doing this then it’s time.”
Jameson nodded. “I’ll do that when I get home. I also need to tell Nick. If
S.C. Deego grants me temporary reprieve then I’ll tell him, but if not…”
Jameson locked eyes with Fenrir. “You are the one that will have to tell him.
You, and you alone, are the only other mammal I trust to tell my son the
truth.”
Fenrir stared at Jameson in shock. “Are…are you sure?” he asked,
apprehensively. Receiving a nod, Fenrir stated, “As you wish. If, in the event
that S.C. Deego has you extracted directly to the Capital, I will explain
everything to your son.”
“Thank you, Fenrir.” Jameson stated with a grateful smile. Standing to his
hindpaws, Jameson said, “Okay, time to face the music. I’ll see you whenever.”
Leaving, he looked out the large window out into the city. Jameson couldn’t
help but think how much he saw this place as his home instead of
Zookuulantiapolis. ‘ I’ll do whatever it takes to keep this city safe. I’ll
even face off with the Emperor if I must. ’
ZPA_–_Zootopia_–_1:15_pm
Nick’s alarm went off waking him with a long groan. Hitting the dismiss option,
Nick rolled over away from the wall to check his surroundings. The candle from
last night was still burning and was now much shorter than originally. Looking
at it, the memories of the previous night began to replay in Nick’s mind,
causing him to smile. Getting up, Nick walked to his bathroom to go through his
usual morning routine. Once he finished pissing, he turned on the shower and
waited for the water to warm up. During the wait, Nick closed his eyes and
relived the moment he and Judy finally shared a real kiss. He felt his sheath
twitch and his cock begin to harden. Sighing, he opened his eyes to look down
at himself. It really didn’t take much to get him this way when he thought of
Judy. Testing the water in the shower, he was both happy and annoyed that the
water was still cold. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he
stepped into the path of the freezing water. Nick quickly pawed himself off so
that he could get ready for the day, but the images and memories of last night
made it difficult. Eventually, he hit his climax, shooting thick spurts of fox
seed down the drain. After quickly, yet thoroughly, washing himself, Nick
exited the shower. Drying himself with the furdryer, Nick wondered what Judy
had planned for them today.
In her own room, Judy was freaking out. Her hormonal suppressants were becoming
less and less effective. After returning to her room last night, she had
suffered a strong heat spell even though she still had a couple of hours before
having to take another pill. Judy had heard, that on rare occasions, the body
could build up a resistance to the hormonal suppressants, but she hadn’t
thought that she would so soon. Currently, Judy was trying to build up the
courage to call Nick’s mom to see if she could do anything to help. The wall
between her room and Nick’s wasn’t exactly thin, but she could hear him humming
to himself as he wandered around his room. Knowing that she needed the help,
she hit Rory’s contact info.
“Hello? Judy, are you there?” Dr. Vanessa ‘Rory’ Wilde asked over the line.
“Judy, dear, are you okay?”
“I…I need your help.” Judy whispered. “My hormonal suppressants aren’t
working.” She hoped that Rory would be able to help her.
“What?” Rory asked. “Your suppressants are no longer effective? Didn’t you just
start them?” You could clearly hear the confusion in her voice.
“Yes, but last night…” Judy hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Last
night, Nick and I had a date night. It was truly wonderful, but when I got back
to my room, I started feeling hot despite the fact I had just taken a
suppressant an hour prior to the date.”
Rory was silent for a brief moment. “I’ll run by the hospital and pick up a
couple of injections then head your way. Don’t worry, dear, you’ll be fine.
Just give me an hour or two so that I can run to the hospital. I’ll grab a few
things then I’ll head that direction as soon as I’ve got everything. Also,
while I’m at MTHZ, I’ll fax a prescription to the ZPA’s clinic, that way you’ll
have access to the proper meds later.” The line then disconnected.
Judy laid there listening to Nick as he wandered around his room singing. She
couldn’t make out what the lyrics were, but just from how gentle and soothing
the tune was, Judy knew that it was a love song. Judy laughed softly as soon as
she recognized what song it was [You Are So Beautiful]. She started singing
along until it ended. Judy smiled as she lost herself in the sounds of Nick’s
continued singing. Eventually getting out of bed, she walked into her bathroom
to freshen herself up for the day. It was while she was putting on a change of
clothes that there was a knock on the door to the hallway. Opening it, Judy
found herself looking at Rory. “Come on in.” Judy told her.
Rory entered the room and looked around. To her, it almost looked like a
collegiate dorm room, which it was, but…well, more. Watching Judy sit on the
bed, Rory walked over and deposited her bag next to the bunny before pulling
out an injection. “Okay. This is Ahendophol.” Rory explained. “It’s a potent
hormonal suppressant that typically lasts up to one month.”
Judy didn’t stop the vixen from giving her the injection. She was mildly
surprised that it didn’t hurt. When Rory was finished, Judy asked, “Are there
any major side effects I should be aware of?”
Rory shook her head. “Not really. The only thing you might notice is a major
thirst for water.” Putting the syringe away, she sat down next to Judy upon the
bed. “Do you mind going to the ZPA’s clinic at some point and have them send me
a blood sample? I want to check something.”
“Not at all.” Judy answered. She held out the arm Rory had used to inject the
hormone suppressant to put pressure on the cotton swab. Pressing down on it,
Judy asked, “What are you going to be testing for, if I may ask?”
“The Izu Gene.” Rory replied. Looking at Judy, she explained, “I know Jameson
told you a little about it, but you need to know a few more things. The Izu
Gene is highly adaptable. That may be why your hormonal suppressants stopped
working.”
“Just how adaptable is it?” Judy inquired. She knew from what Jameson had told
her that mammals that possessed the Izu Gene often had much higher
constitution, strength, dexterity, dexterity, and longevity. But now, Judy
wondered what other traits the Izu Gene improved.
“Extremely.” Rory stated, matter-of-factly. “From what Jameson’s told me, those
with the Izu Gene gain adaptive metabolisms, regenerative durability, and a few
other abilities. Basically, mammals with the Izu Gene possess a hypernatural
physiology. They don’t have ‘superpowers’ or anything. It’s just that their
natural abilities are far superior than normal.” She then added, “Of course,
the mammal must possess awakened Izu Genes in order to have these traits.”
“You think that I have the Izu Gene and that they are starting to awaken?” Judy
asked in amazement. If it was true, then what was the catalyst. Jameson had
told her that in order for the Izu Gene to awaken, it needed a trigger. What
catalyst had triggered her own Izu Genes to awaken if she did indeed possess
the gene?
“I think that it is highly possible.” Rory explained. “I’m not 100% certain, of
course, but I do believe that there is a high possibility that you possess the
gene.” Giving Judy a label for the clinic’s staff member to use on the vial of
Judy’s blood, Rory told her. “I’ll have your blood samples tested for it when I
get them.” She stood, checked to make sure she wasn’t leaving anything behind,
and grabbed her bag. “I’m going to head out. Remember to always have a bottle
of water on paw.” Kissing Judy’s forehead, Rory got up and departed.
Judy put a paw to her forehead with a smile. Jumping off the bed, she walked to
her refrigerator and took out a bottle of mineral water with a high electrolyte
content. Taking a sip, she took out another bottle, just in case. Walking out
of her room, she went next door and knocked. The moment Nick opened the door,
Judy smiled. “Ready to start training, Red?”
Nick leaned against the door jamb and looked at Judy, taking in her attire. She
was an all-black workout outfit consisting of a weighted compression crop top,
compression flex leggings, weighted gloves, ankle and wrist weights, and a
towel draped over her shoulder. If someone were to ask Nick to describe her in
one word, it would be… ”Ravishing.” Nick said aloud.
Judy smiled at Nick in response to his compliment. “Thanks, Slick. Now answer
my question. Are you ready to start training?” Judy watched as he turned around
and grabbed his duffel bag. “You going to change when we get to the gym?” she
asked as Nick closed and locked the door to his room.
“Yep.” Nick answered. “Why? Is that going to be a problem?” he asked while
following her out of the building. When they stepped outside, Nick pulled out
his smartshades and put them on. He didn’t activate them, but with how bright
it was outside, his eyes needed protection. As a naturally nocturnal mammal,
his eyes weren’t really suited for daylight.
Judy shrugged with a teasing smile. “Maybe, maybe not. You’re going to find out
soon though.” She led him to the ZPA’s multipurpose complex where the more
extensive array of workout equipment was located. Once inside, Judy looked
around to see who else was present and saw Rey. “Looks like you're not the only
fox here today, Red.” she told Nick, pointing to Rey.
Nick’s eyes followed the trajectory of Judy’s finger to see Rey lifting
weights. “It sure looks that way.” Nick looked around for the changing area.
Seeing the sign he was looking for, he walked towards the changing room. When
he entered, Nick saw that the accommodations included a set of showers,
bathroom stalls, lockers, sinks, and benches. Finding an available locker, Nick
began changing into his workout outfit. It was just a tank top and jogging
pants, nothing special, but it would do. Storing his duffel away, he grabbed a
free towel and head back to the main area.
Once Nick had entered the changing area, Judy had wandered over to Rey as he
did weight training. “Hey, Rey.” Judy greeted as she got closer. She watched as
Rey dropped the weights and bent forward, paws on his knees, panting. “You
okay?” she asked, concerned. Rey nodded, but didn’t answer. Judy was going to
ask if he was sure, but then she heard Nick.
“Don’t you remember, Fluff? Foxes don’t normally sweat. Rey here has overheated
himself.” Nick explained as he tossed a bottle of water he grabbed from one of
the attendants of multipurpose complex to Rey, who accepted it gratefully. Nick
looked at Judy and carried on his explanation. “If a fox overheats, it can lead
to a ton of health issues. So, we normally try and remain within a specific
temperature range. Excessive and strenuous workouts need to be done somewhere
it’s cool.”
Judy tilted her head a bit as she considered Nick’s words. “But what about
during…?” Judy stopped herself from finishing her question as it wasn’t
something that they had talked about yet. But, of course, Nick knew exactly
what her question was referring to.
Nick leaned in close to Judy’s ear and whispered, “It’s one of the main reasons
canids have our mating season in winter, so that we don’t overheat.” Pulling
away, he said, a little louder, “We’ll just lower the thermostat to the coldest
setting.” As he started walking over to the mirrored wall, he called out, “I’ll
be shadowboxing for a bit.”
Judy watched Nick walk away for a second before turning back to Rey, who was
now breathing more normally. “Must be rough.” she voiced. Rey shrugged and
started to resume his weight exercises again. Noting that Rey wasn’t as
talkative as he was during their last meeting, Judy asked, “Is everything
alright?”
Rey paused mid-motion for a moment then threw the weights to the ground. “No.”
he ground out. “No, everything’s not alright.” Sitting on the ground. Rey put
his face in his paws. “My girlfriend and I broke things off the morning. Or,
more accurately, I did after I found her in bed with the other vixen that had
enrolled with us. Learned that they had been using me as her beard the entire
time.”
Judy’s ears drooped. “Th-that’s just not right. How could they do that to you?
Stringing you along like that…” She shook her head vigorously. “She’d have to
be a true  vixen  to do something like that.” Judy stated, angrily.
Rey started chuckling. “Yeah, she’d have to be.” Running a paw through his
headfur, Rey said, “I really should have seen the signs though.” Sighing, he
then said, “Maybe I’m just destined to be alone.”
Stunned by Rey’s words, Judy stared at him. She hated the thought that such a
nice mammal would end up alone for life. She placed a comforting paw on the
tod’s shoulder and asked, “Have you considered the possibility that you’re
looking in the wrong place?” Taking a risk, she added, “Or species?”
Rey looked at Judy and studying her for a moment. Turning to look off into the
distance, he thought about it. He’d never considered the possibility of having
a mate that wasn’t a vulpine. As a kit, his parents had instilled in him that
it was fine to experiment outside the species, but when it came to selecting a
mate, you  always  stayed within your own species. “Maybe…maybe you’re right.”
Rey murmured as his eyes settled upon a female wolf, who was performing
stretches.
Judy smiled as she clapped his shoulder. “That’s the spirit.” Getting up, she
said, “I’m going to go exercise with my fox. See you around, Rey.” Walking over
to Nick, who was in the middle of performing some kind of martial arts routine,
Judy asked him, “Why do mammals do that?”
Nick stopped mid-routine and dispelled the mental image of his father he’d been
shadowboxing. Focusing his attention on Judy, he asked, “Do what, Cottontail?”
He watched as Judy got into position across from him and fell into his own
ready stance. “I’m still a tad rusty, just so you know, but don’t think I’m
going to hold back.”
“I wouldn’t want you to, Red. Perps won’t.” Judy replied. “As for my question,
tell me why mammals are so cruel to each other.” She shot forward with a right
cross, which Nick promptly blocked with his left paw then countered with one of
his own causing Judy to jump back. “Rey’s girlfriend was just using him. She
and that other vixen that was here were using him as a beard. He was
emotionally invested, hoping to make it work, and he walked in on them fooling
around in the same bed.” She jumped kicked at Nick’s head, which he ducked and
the moment she landed he swept her legs out from under her. Kipping up the
instant her back hits the ground, Judy jumped a reasonable distance away. “Why,
Nick?”
“I don’t know, Love.” Nick told her. “I really, honestly don’t. The world’s
just a cruel place. It’s paradoxical because the only way that it’s fair is
that it’s equally unfair.” Lunging forward, open pawlmed, Nick would have hit
Judy square in the chest if she hadn’t crossed her arms in front of herself.
Even so, the strike sent Judy sliding back a good couple of feet from the power
behind it. “You just have to believe that, in the end, everything will balance
out.”
Judy grunted in response. “I know this world is broken. That’s why I became a
cop. To make the world a better place.” Rushing forward, Judy sent a barrage of
punches, all of which Nick blocked before grabbing her wrists. The instant
their eyes locked, Judy saw the sadness in Nick’s. Tearing up, Judy choked out,
“N-Nick.” Breaking down into sobs, she felt Nick pull her into a strong
embrace.
Nick held her as she cried into his chest. “I know, Love. I know.” He continued
to hold her tight as she sobbed her little heart out. He knew from experience
the world was full of sorrow, pain, and hate. “Echoes, Love.” Nick told her.
“W-what?” Judy choked out questioningly. Leaning back to look at him, she
asked, “What did you say?” She didn’t understand what Nick meant. What was the
importance of echoes?
“Echoes.” Nick repeated before explaining. “Every decision we make, no matter
how big or how small, leaves some kind of lasting impression. Take the press
conference from three months ago. The city will continue to experience the
fallout from that in the future.” Feeling Judy shudder in his arms, he said,
“Don’t you dare blame yourself. You were manipulated. It isn’t your fault. If
you hadn’t done it, they would have gotten someone else. It was going to happen
regardless.” He kept holding her until she calmed down.
Finally managing to pull herself together, Judy pulled away and got back into a
ready position. “Come on, Slick. We’ve got to get you ready. I’ll need my
partner by my side if I’m going to rectify my mistake.” Once Nick fell into a
ready position, Judy started bouncing from the pad of one hindpaw to the other
then back, “Ready? Go!”
Zootopia_General_Hospital
Dr. Vanessa ‘Rory’ Wilde hadn’t walked the halls of Zootopia General Hospital
in years. She was pleased to find not much had changed during that time, but
she was a vixen on a mission. Jameson had requested that she make a visit to
examine Harrison Wolford, who had been gunned down by Hannibal Hyector. Of
course, after learning that he was the grandson of one of Jameson’s old
friends, Rory had wasted no time in contacting his current physician to discuss
the wolf’s transfer to Metropolitan Teaching Hospital of Zootopia. Now, all she
had to do was collect him.
Arriving at the recovery room, Rory walked inside to find the wolf and a
tigress having a hushed conversation. Clearing her throat to get their
attention, she said, “Hello. I’m Dr. Rory Wilde.” She watched as both of them
nodded and waved in greeting. Looking at the copy of Harrison’s medical file
she had received upon her arrival, Rory said, “Shot five times in the chest.
You’re either really lucky or…no, you’ve just got to be really lucky.” Setting
the file down, she walked over and climbed up onto Harrison’s hospital bed.
“Let’s take a looksie. Please reveal your chest to me.”
Harrison lifted his shirt. “You’re Nick’s mother.” It wasn’t a question.
Harrison had all but memorized Nick information when getting ready to escort
them to Bunnyburrow. “I thought you worked at MTHZ.”
Rory smiled. “I do. I’m the head of their Department of Diagnostic Medicine.”
she explained as she examined his chest wounds. “Your grandfather, Fenrir, is a
friend of my husband and he requested that I have you transferred into my
care.” She carefully removed the bandage of one of the gunshot wounds that
appeared to be bleeding a bit. “This one has reopened. You haven’t done any
strenuous physical activity, have you?” she asked, with a stern expression.
Zannah watched as Harrison looked at her and smiled sheepishly. Rolling her
eyes, she said, “Oh for the love of…, we mated last night.” Seeing Dr. Wilde
turn to her, Zannah continued. “It just…happened. We hadn’t planned on it, but
it happened.”
Smirking, Rory chuckled. “I see. Well, in that case…” Rory ripped off the
bandage entirely, causing Harrison to yelp in pain. “I need to clean it and
redress it before an infection sets in.” she explained, taking out antiseptic,
a couple of sutures, and gauze. Quickly cleansing the wound, she performed a
‘Buried Suture’ then dressed it with the gauze. “There we go. All set.” Taking
Harrison’s medical file in paw once more, Rory asked, “Did they talk to you
about your surgery?”
Zannah shook her head, answering, “No. He was extremely difficult to wake from
the anesthesia. We haven’t heard anything about it.” She shifted rather
uncomfortably, worried that something was wrong.
Rory nodded in understanding. After all, there were lots of mammals that had a
hard time waking from anesthetics. “Okay. First of all, none of the bullets
were meant to kill you. After the first shot, which incapacitated you, you were
shot in areas that would make you bleed out at a calculated rate. Secondly, the
bullets fired into you are old. Like really, really old. They don’t even make
them anymore. While you were under and the surgeon was removing them, they
discovered a few things that had them worried. One was that you seem to have a
dual-cardiopulmonary system.” Seeing the confusion on their faces, she pulled
out the Nuclear Heart Scan in Harrison’s file and pawed it over to them.
Harrison had been in and out of hospital enough times to learn how to read
these things. Taking a look at the image by holding it up to the light, he saw
something that astounded him. The image showed he had not one, but TWO hearts.
“Okay, that’s not normal.” Focusing his attention on Dr. Wilde, he asked, “Mind
telling why the hell I got two hearts?”
Rory folded her arms in front of her chest. “You’ve got Izu Genes.” she
explained. “My husband, Jameson, has them and he’s got two hearts as well. All
mammals have the gene, but very few actually awaken them. The gene has three
stages: Dormant, Passive, and Awakened. Dormant is the normal version that most
mammals have. Think of Passive as a pre-awakened state. Awakened Izu Genes tend
to be rare and grant those with them enhanced traits such as higher
constitution, dexterity, and the like. Mammals born with Passive Izu Genes,
like you, tend to awaken their genes after coming into contact with a catalyst.
Your Passive Izu Genes is one of the reasons you’re the way you are.”
“What exactly does that entail?” Zannah inquired. “I mean, forgive me for being
skeptical, but it really sounds farfetched. If he’s got these ‘Izu Genes’, then
shouldn’t they be doing something? And what does the second heart have to do
with it?” It all sounded something like something from a sci-fi cinematic film.
It just was too out there to be true.
“Well,” Rory began. “Answer me this: ever wondered why you’re so much larger
than the average male wolf? Or why you tend to recover more quickly than
others? Or how you possess far superior attributes as compared to others of
your own species?” She waited for them to consider her questions and Rory could
see them start to connect the dots. “The Izu Genes are responsible for all of
those things. He’s evolved beyond the norm because of his Izu Genes.”
Zannah and Harrison exchanged a look for a moment. While it still seemed too
fantastical to believe, it made a ton of sense. Harrison passed the nuclear
images to Zannah so she could take a good look at them. While she did that,
Harrison thought back on all the times he’d been hospitalized previously. As a
pup, he had never really fallen ill nor had he ever suffered any long-lasting
injuries. He had also always recovered far faster than one of his kind normally
would.
“As for the significance of his two hearts, I don’t know. Jameson, my husband,
never told me the reason for it.” Rory stated. Not that she hadn’t asked.
Jameson didn’t seem to know its purpose either except that it was essential for
the survival of those with the gene. “Look, very little is actually known about
the Izu Gene. Most of what I just told you, I learned from my husband.”
Checking her watch, Rory saw that it was now almost 3:45. “I’ve got to go, but
please consider letting me transfer you to MTHZ. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Leaving the room, Rory set forth for home.
Home_of_Fatima_Ara
Fatima sat at her dinner table looking at the divorce papers that Li had given
her earlier this morning. She couldn’t sign them. Despite everything, she still
loved him. Hearing someone approach the table, she looked up to see Bahman
taking a seat across from her having a bowl of Wheatley’s cereal. Fatima smiled
sadly at the sight. All grown and he still enjoyed cereal. “So, your father
served me divorce papers this morning.” Fatima told Bahman in effort to
initiate conversation.
“Did he now?” Bahman replied. “I was wondering when he would get around to it.
He’s been considering it for some time.” Continuing to eat his Wheatley’s,
Bahman looked up and studied his mother. He could see the devastation in her
eyes. “He told you, didn’t he?”
“That you no longer consider me your mother? Yes, he did.” Fatima answered.
“May I ask why? What was it I did that resulted in this decision?”
Bahman stood and brought his bowl to the sink. “You really don’t know? Are you
really that conceited?” Turning to glare at his mother, he said, “You think
that everyone who doesn’t believe what you believe to be beneath you or that
they are ignorant, incompetent, and misguided. You’re not perfect. You’re far
from it. Trying to impose your will on the mammals of Zootopia? That make you
no different from a dictator.” Walking past her to leave, he finished with,
“You’re no better than Bellwether.”
As the front door was slammed shut, Fatima felt the tears fall from her eyes.
Looking down at the divorce papers, she shakily raised her hoof, took a pen out
of her breast pocket, and signed her name. Fatima’s world had crumbled around
her, the price of her ambition. Putting the papers back in their envelope, she
set it down on the dinner table then stood and grabbed a bottle of rum from the
cabinet. Pouring herself a glass, she heard the front door open. Turning, she
found herself staring at a mammal cloaked entirely in black whose face was
hidden in the shadow of his cowl. “Who are you?” she questioned.
“The Chancellor.” the mammal stated as he pulled out a wakizashi. “I’m here to
send a message to the mammals of Zootopia.” Lunging forward and impaling Fatima
through her abdomen and twisting it, the Chancellor waited until she fell to
her knees before severing her vocal cords so that she couldn’t scream. Gripping
her muzzle tightly with his left paw, digging his claws in, the Chancellor made
her look at him. “Tell them if they want to stop me they’ll have to kill me.
Hannibal Hyector tried and failed. Send everything you’ve got at me, I’ll take
it head on.” The Chancellor drew his right paw back. extending his claws, to
drive it into her chest when the sound of glass shattering and the echo of back
to back gunshots rang out. The first struck him in his lower back and the
second blew out his right shoulder. Howling in excruciating pain, the
Chancellor separated from Councilmare Ara and made a quick retreat.
Fatima slumped to the floor, bleeding out. She laid there, incapable of moving
with a wakizashi in her gut, her vocal cords severed, and the bullet that blew
out her attacker’s shoulder had been a through and through that entered her own
body. As she just continued to lay there, Fatima saw someone approach and kneel
before her. It was a fox with black fur and emerald green eyes that appeared to
glow wearing full military battle armor. Across his back was a high-power
sniper rifle. Fatima realized that this was the one who had shot her attacker.
With her eyes, she pleaded for him to help her.
Jameson placed a comforting paw on Fatima’s head. “You’re going to be okay.
Help’s on the way. Let’s see if I can’t perform some preliminary first aid
before they get here.” It only took about eight minutes before the police and
emergency medical mammals arrived. By that time Jameson had staunched the
bleeding and departed. Taking up position on the rooftop of the building across
the street, Jameson observed their movements. Using his earpiece, Jameson
contacted his unit. “Target has been located and marked with a tracker.
Andreas, read your boy in. Fenrir, until Josef and Carlos get back, it’s just
you and me. You know what to do. Now, let’s get moving.” Closing the comm-
channel, Jameson quickly withdrew from the area virtually undetected. As
Jameson made his way home, he thought, “ You had better hope I’m the one who
catches you, kit. Because if my son gets to you first, you’re going to wish I
did. If Nick gets to you, there is absolutely no way you’ll survive that
encounter. ”
Chapter End Notes
     So the song featured in this chapter is as follows:
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGsQG7fOpU8
     Also, the drug Ahendophol is, as far as I know, not a legitimate
     drug. Uncle took the term Ahendonism and attached 'phol' to make it
     seem legit.
     From what I understand, it looks like we'll be free to head home on
     Saturday. My uncle told me that when we get home, he's taking
     Saturday and Sunday to finish fully recovering then diving back into
     it. I'm also pleased to announce that I will now be in charge of
     helping with the SWZ story. If any of you are also reading that, I
     hope I meet your expectation.
     Cya later.
***** Chapter 13: The Chancellor's Broadcast *****
Chapter Summary
     Things get interesting. Nick and Judy met a rather surprising mammal.
     The Chancellor broadcasts his first message. We get a bit of
     background on L & G. Oh, and a rather badly written explicit scene at
     the end!
Chapter Notes
     *Fireworks going off* I, no, we've done it! Heyo everybody, I wanna
     thank Fairlane302 for making this possible. We're releasing two
     chapters today. This is the first.
     I don't want to bore you before reading the chapter, so I'll make
     this short. The only thing that y'all need to know is that the family
     has only got 1 month, 1 week, and 5 days until we're graced with two
     new members!
     Okay, on to the chapter.
     Edited 1/26/18:
     Hey, It's the editor here, I also want to note that there have been a
     few small changes made to Chapters 10 & 12 (AO3 Chapters 12 & 15)
     In Chapter 10, (AO3 12) the scene at Andrew Bellwether's apartment
     was expanded somewhat, so as to explain what Doug has been up to
     prior to this scene (which is the first we see him)
     In Chapter 12, (AO3 15) the name of the military base in Tundratown
     has been changed at my request. The old name was, frankly, silly; and
     I could no longer stand to look at it.
     -Fairlane302
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                        Chapter_Thirteen:_The_Broadcast
===============================================================================
 
Shooting_Gallery_-_Zootopian_Police_Academy_-_Evening
Nick set the firearm down as Judy pressed the button that brought the paper
target closer. Once it was closer, Nick and Judy leaned over to inspect it.
Nick had taken out the entire 5X portion in the center of the paper target.
Judy took a pair of binoculars to examine the metal plate that had been
positioned behind the target. She saw that every round was in an extremely
tight grouping. Lowering the binoculars, she turned to Nick and said, “Good
shooting, Red.”
“Thanks, Cottontail.” Nick replied as he looked at the paper target. “Glad to
see that I still got it.” Folding the paper target, he set it down beside the
pistol he had used. “Don’t know if I’m happy about that or not.” Nick
disassembled the gun with expert efficiency and put the pieces back inside
their container to turn back in. “Well, let’s go.”
Judy halted Nick and picked up the paper target. Pawing it to him, she said,
“You need to sign it for the academy archives. They always keep very meticulous
records.” Once Nick had signed it, they walked back to the front desk. Nick
gave the box back to the faculty member, a female rhinoceros, while Judy turned
in the paper target, saying, “Thanks, Steph.”
They exited the shooting gallery and made their way over to the Mess. The
minute they stepped inside, Nick asked Judy, “What’re we doing next?” They had
slept in until the afternoon, so to him it didn’t feel like they had really
done much. The sun was just above the horizon and nightfall wasn’t far off.
Despite their late start, Judy had managed to run him through a normal day at
the academy from start to finish.
“Well,” Judy began. “There’s not really anything else. We finished doing
everything that you’d normally do throughout a standard day here.” She sat down
at the first open table and waited for him to join her. Judy watched as Nick
wandered over to stand in line for food. She found herself wondering if Nick
would share if she asked. When he made his way back to her, she saw that Nick
had two plates of food.
Before sitting down, Nick placed the second plate of food before his bunny. For
Judy, Nick had gotten a small salad, oven roasted beetles, and a bowl of mixed
berries. For himself, he’d selected tuna tartare, a small bowl of blueberries,
and scrambled eggs. Giving Judy a small grin, Nick said, “If you want some of
my food, just let me know. Okay?”
“Then can we switch?” Judy asked. She smiled as Nick swapped their plates.
Digging into the tuna tartare with gusto, Judy ignored Nick’s chuckles. It all
tasted so good. She finished off the scrambled eggs and half the tartare before
sending the rest Nick’s way, taking the salad and mixed berries in exchange.
When she finished that, Judy let out a contented sigh. “So good.” she
whispered.
Nick finished off the rest of the meal, picked up their plates and brought them
to the window for dirty dishes. Returning to the table, Nick asked, “Since
we’re done for the day, how about we head back to our rooms? You can give me a
rundown of everything I’ll need to study.”
Judy nods, saying, “Sounds like a plan.” Sliding off her chair, Judy turns to
head that way when she sees Major Friedkin walk in heading straight for her.
“Something up, Major?” she inquired.
Nodding, Major Friedkin said, “I had your fox’s results fast-tracked. Take a
seat and we can go over them.” Sitting across from Hopps and Cadet Wilde, Major
said, “Normally, I would do this in my office, but…” She shrugged then opened
the envelope containing Nick’s results. “Cadet Wilde, your scores show that you
qualify for additional advanced training courses. Even without the results of
the other applicants, I can tell that you’re in the top percentile.”
Judy had to restrain her excitement at the news. She boxed Nick’s shoulder,
which made him look at her. Outwardly, Nick wasn’t expressing anything, but
Judy could tell that he was excited by the look in his eyes. She gave him a
brilliant smile, saying, “I knew you’d do it.”
Nick kept a straight face, but felt the corners of his mouth quirk up minutely.
He focused his attention on Major Friedkin as she began to give him a
comprehensive explanation of his results, her tone clearly impressed. Once she
finished, she passed him the results sheet for him to look at. Nick looked at
the results, fighting a smile. “Thank you, Major Friedkin.” Nick told the polar
bear.
“You’re welcome.” Major stated. “Now, for the other reason that I’m here. Bogo
wants to see you ASAP. He’s in the lecture hall. Get going.”
Judy and Nick raced out of the Mess at breakneck speed. Nick trailed just
behind Judy as the lecture hall was one of the few places on the Academy’s
grounds that they hadn’t been to yet. When they arrived at the door, the two of
them suddenly felt nervous. Taking ahold of each other’s paw for support, they
walked inside. What they found upon entering the room wasn’t what they expected
to find. Without either of them knowing it, Nick and Judy shared the same
thought, “Fuck!”
Center_for_Contagious_Pathogen_Management_–_Zootopia_-_Evening
Doug Ramses and Andrew Bellwether walked into the CCPM without any difficulty.
Andrew scanned in his badge granting access to the upper floors. Doug scanned
in his granting access to those underground. Making their way to their
respective offices, they waved to their colleagues to maintain the illusion of
normalcy. Once inside their offices, they opened a secured video call with one
another.
“Andrew, I honestly think we should consider what we’re going to do if we’re
caught.” Doug stated. Pulling on his lab coat, he started preparing the
chemicals the company had given him for the project they had assigned him.
Andrew hummed in thought. “Liam is currently investigating the other members of
the Twelve.” he explained. “If we start preparing an escape plan now, we would
become targets. Just remain calm. Like I told you, you did your job. You aren’t
in any danger.”
Doug sighed, exasperatedly. “I know, I know. I’m just concerned. What if the
ZPD manage to piece whatever fragments of information they have just right,
though?” It honestly wouldn’t take a genius to put the clues together. Doug
hadn’t even attempted to use a false name during his assigned mission.
“You worry too much.” Andrew stated as he got his own chemicals ready. While he
was higher on the corporate ladder and didn’t actually have to perform any
experiments, Andrew was finishing the work started by William Goatier at
Manesley Pharmaceuticals. William’s work for the cause had been to create a
bioweapon with no known antidote. The Chancellor had ordered the project
transferred to Andrew as he felt William a liability and had him killed. Andrew
hadn’t questioned it until he read over William’s notes. Now, however, Andrew
knew exactly how dangerous the weapon was. When released, the biological
material would spread over the entire city similar to nuclear fallout.
Predators were the intended target, but prey would also be affected by it.
Andrew had spent the last three months trying to find a way to limit the
effects to predators without avail, but he had managed to formulate a proto-
cure. William had only recently been killed, but thanks to Andrew’s position,
he had been able to access his digital records prior to the old Billy goat’s
demise.
“Do I? Or am I properly paranoid?” Doug asked. His current project wasn’t
something specifically for the Anti-Predator Movement, but it did have several
applications that could be of use later. Mixing the chemicals together before
he tentatively began to speak. “I also choose to see it as planning for the
worst-case scenario.”
Andrew stopped working as Doug’s last few words registered. After everything
that had happened, why wasn’t he himself being properly paranoid? Andrew
started to wonder if it was due to prolonged exposure to the Chancellor’s
madness. Taking a moment to reexamine everything that had happened over the
last few months, Andrew suddenly let loose a shaky breath. “Oh, curds and
whey!” he whispered, mildly panicked. “What the hell have we done?”
Doug, having heard Andrew’s words, looked at his monitor in concern. “Just now
realizing it all, huh?” he asked. Doug had had his own moment of realization
after managing to evade capture in the aftermath of the museum. “What are we
going to do, Andrew? It isn’t like we can just vanish without a trace. We have
no way out.”
Andrew ran his hooves over his face. “We’ll think of something. Right now,
focus on what we can do. I may be able to talk to Parker, but Liam’s going to
be much harder to deal with.” A variety of mental simulations ran through
Andrew’s mind. Not even one of them seemed to end well. “I’ll run by Parker’s
after work and see how we can do this.” Little did either of them know that it
would be a lot harder than they hoped.
@_the_apartment_of_Parker_Platyss_-_Predawn
Parker rolled over feeling sore. Letting out a groan, he attempted to get out
of bed only to find himself tangled in his sheets and hit the floor with a
resounding thud. He let out a louder groan then heard the sound of someone
approaching. Cracking open an eye, Parker found Liam looking at him with a smug
smile and a cocked eyebrow. “Stop it before I somehow manage to drag you down
here with me and have an encore of last night’s performance.”
Liam laughed merrily. “It truly was a wonderful experience if I do say so
myself.” Laying on the floor next to Parker, Liam gave the platypus a deep
kiss, drawing an aroused moan for him. Pulling away just a bit, Liam said, “I’d
love an encore, if you’re up for it.”
Parker hauled him in for another passionate kiss, silencing his partner. He
still couldn’t believe that this arctic hare was his. Parker had never thought
of himself as an inter, but ever since that first night he had realized that
the arctic hare was the only mammal outside his own species that he wanted to
fuck. Parker knew that whatever this was wasn’t destined to last long, but he’d
enjoy it for as long as he could.
Liam managed to help the platypus untangle himself from the bedsheets and was
then thrown onto the bed laughing. Parker’s appearance over him had Liam smile
pleasantly before tugging him close enough to start kissing him deeply once
more. Liam could feel Parker’s erect prick poking at his tailhole. Moaning, he
wrapped his legs around Parker’s hips and proceeded to line it up just right to
force it inside himself.
Parker felt his tip of his dick hit Liam’s tight pucker and without waiting
thrust himself deep inside, all the way to the hilt. He felt Liam’s own cock
twitch in pleasure from the action. Thinking about it, Parker was moderately
surprised that this was their dynamic. One would almost expect Liam, who was
always so cold and collected, to be the one in Parker’s current position, but
it wasn’t so. Pounding into Liam, Parker could feel him squeezing around his
cock tightly.
Liam’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as Parker just slammed himself
into his ass without mercy. In what was left of his logistical mind, Liam could
recall their first night together. It hadn’t been planned, but it had been fun.
Liam and Parker had run into each other randomly in a bar in Sahara Square.
They had started by taking about their careers and home lives while they drank.
By maybe their sixth drinks, both were inebriated to the point of lunacy. In
response to a challenge by Parker, Liam had kissed him and it had ignited
something between them.
Over the next couple of weeks, the two had met up multiple times to explore
what had formed between them. They had fucked while high, drunk, and even
called in prostitutes to enhance the experience. They had roleplayed various
scenarios, tortured one another sexually to the point that they almost broke
each other’s minds. The things they did were things that neither of them ever
thought they would do with someone else.
Liam gasped as he felt Parker fill him and slowly leak out. Panting, Liam’s
mind slowly roused itself from its hazy state. He felt something within himself
wake. He had felt it before, but it was now that his brain finally registered
what it was: Love. The epiphany had him use his hindpaws to send Parker
hurtling through the air into the far wall. Hearing the loud slam and
subsequent groan, Liam muttered, “No, no, no, no, no!” Tugging at his ears,
Liam cursed himself.
Parker stood to his hindpaws a little disoriented from the impact of being
slammed into the wall. “Dude, what the fuckin’…” Parker stopped midway through
his question at the sight he beheld before him. To see Liam in the state he was
in wasn’t something Parker ever thought he would witness. “Liam, what’s wrong?”
Liam looked at Parker with eyes filled with fear. It wasn’t an emotion that he
was used to feeling, which only made it worse. “I-it’s complicated.” Liam
mumbled. Swallowing, he said, “Lapines can get pretty attached . At some point
during our…experiments, I started getting attached to you.”
Parker frowned for a moment as he processed Liam’s words. As realization dawned
on him, Parker asked in a whisper, “Are you saying you’ve fallen in love with
me?” Seeing Liam nod, Parker blinked. After staring for a few seconds, Parker
walked into the living room and started pacing. He heard Liam come to watch
him. “How? When? Weren’t we just…”
“I don’t know the answers to those questions.” Liam replied honestly. “I truly
don’t, but it’s far too late to change things. I’ve fallen in love with you,
whether you like it or not.”
“THAT’S NOT THE PROBLEM, LIAM!!!” Parker shouted. Taking a deep breath to calm
himself, Parker said, “I…I love what we have, but what will happen to you if I
find someone else? What will happen to me if you meet someone else?”
Liam put himself in front of Parker to stop him from pacing. “If you find
someone else, then I hope they’re open-minded enough to accept that you and I
are a package deal. As for me meeting someone, I’m not exactly what you would
call a sociable mammal. The odds of me finding someone new are far less likely
than either of us winning the lottery.” Placing his paws on Parker’s shoulders,
Liam stated, “I won’t leave you, no matter what.”
Parker deflated as the tension left him. “I feel like I should be proposing.”
he confessed. “We’ve been together for who knows how long and we practically
know everything about one another, so why shouldn’t I?”
“Because it isn’t the right time.” Liam answered. Stepping away, he said,
“After I clean house, we can talk about it. Until then, we’ll keep this to
ourselves.”
Watching as Liam got ready to finish his self-assigned task, Parker wondered if
they would really talk about it later. “So, I’m guessing you’ve found out who
among the other of the Twelve are more likely to turn on us?” he asked. He
stood to straighten Liam’s jacket and dust of his shoulders.
“I have, but…” Liam hesitated for the span of a heartbeat. “Can I be totally
honest with you? I know it’s a stupid question, but humor me.” Receiving a nod
from Parker, Liam said, “I’m not sure if I can continue to follow the
Chancellor much further.”
Parker paused in his actions for a split second before resuming. “I’ve been
thinking the same thing myself, but I’m not sure what to do.” Finished with
what he was doing, Parker said, “What are you thinking we should do?”
Liam pulled Parker in for another kiss. Parting, he whispered, “I don’t know,
but we’ll think of something.” Walking to the door, Liam stopped before exiting
the apartment and turned to look at Parker. “Get some rest because when I get
back, we’re going to fuck like crazy.” Shutting the door, he listened until he
heard a loud ‘FFFUUUCCCKKK!!!’ come from inside. Chuckling, Liam left the
vicinity.
A_Housing_Unit_of_the_Wolford_Pack_-_Wolford_Pack_Compound_-_Predawn
Gary Timberstein and Lawrence Howling sat down on the floor in the main hallway
of Alpha Regulus Wolford’s Pack House. After all the shit that had befallen
them, they had hoped beyond hope that it was over. As luck would have it, it
turned out that it was only getting worse. As they sat there, each wondered
what they should expect in the future, but they both knew that no matter what
they wouldn’t leave one another.
The two of them had been inseparable growing up, treating one another like
blood brothers. Larry and Gary had always watched each other’s backs. It had
been strange in the beginning when Gary first confessed to Larry his love for
him. Larry had been a bit taken aback, stating that they were brothers until
Gary reminded him that they weren’t related by blood and that he was adopted.
Their relationship had slowly, but surely, begun to change from that point
onward.
It had started out rather innocent at first. Gary sneaking peeks at Larry in
the shared showers or Larry pretending to be asleep in the bed next to Gary as
Gary masturbated using some of Larry’s underwear. As time went on, they both
got a little more confident in how they approached the other. Slapping each
other on the ass or stealthily fondling the other’s sheath and balls, but never
going any further without getting some sign that it was okay to go further.
Their first time had been carefully planned. It hadn’t gone off without a
hitch, but they had managed to keep it a secret. Neither of them had been ‘of
age’ at the time, both younger than 18. Larry had been 17 and Gary himself a
few days away from his 16th birthday. Gary’s parents, who were Larry’s foster
parents, had explained that they were going to travel out of Zootopia to visit
some distant relatives for a while, leaving them alone in the house until their
return. Larry, as the eldest, had been put in charge. The Timbersteins had
departed that Thursday evening as planned and Larry and Gary had immediately
put their plan into action.
Gary had snuck out one night and managed to purchase a collection of porn
videos from an old weasel who called himself the ‘Duke of Bootleg’. Larry had
taken care of setting up their parents’ bedroom just like they’d planned. They
had stripped nude and sat down to watch the first film titled, ‘Wolf Pile’. It
really hadn’t taken long for them to feel aroused as they watched the movie.
Every so often, they would peek at one another’s sheath then look away as they
saw the erection grow.
The two of them watched movie after movie getting hotter and hornier with each
one. Larry had ended up raiding their dad’s booze stash and they had bought a
couple of joints from a packmate at school earlier in the week to help take the
edge off for that night. Soon, they felt looser and freer. It hadn’t taken long
before they shared their first kiss and for that to lead to sharing their first
time with each other.
Despite the weed and the alcohol, when they came to the next morning, they
could remember the events of the previous night in vivid detail. Gary had woken
up first, looking at Larry to find him still asleep with a contented smile on
his muzzle, making Gary smile too. That was until Gary realized that he was
still knotted to his lover/mate. Not willing to try and pull it out, possibly
hurting Larry, Gary just laid back down and waited for Larry to wake up.
Larry’s awakening had been rather endearing. He had gone to yawn and smack his
lips only to still taste Gary’s cum in his mouth. Feeling the pressure in his
ass, he had wriggled it causing Gary to grunt as he let out another load. The
feeling of being filled had Larry moan in bliss. When Gary’s knot had finally
gone down enough to remove it. Larry launched a surprise attack and kissed him
saying it was his turn now. An hour later their positions were reversed with
Larry’s knot locked inside Gary’s ass and Gary enjoying the lingering taste of
Larry’s cum in his throat.
Over the next couple of days prior to their parents’ return, Larry and Gary
experienced their first mating frenzy. They fucked everywhere in the house,
whether it was in the kitchen, on the dining room table, in the shower, or
their parents’ bed again. They had even fucked each other outside on the
upstairs balcony. When their parents had come back from their trip, Larry and
Gary became more careful with their activities. It had been when prime mating
season hit that things became much more difficult.
The season had an effect on them that they never anticipated. They had
difficulties keeping their paws off each other. Their overwhelming desire for
one another nearly resulted in them getting caught having sex in public on
multiple occasions. Well, they actually hadgotten caught, but just the one
time. It was by a young Doberman, who, much to their relief, hadn’t called the
cops. Instead, he had paid them to let him watch. That had sparked a whole new
kink for them and they started making amateur, at-home porn videos.
After Larry’s graduation from high school, their parents had him apply for dorm
housing at the university he was going to attend. He hadn’t wanted to leave
home, but hadn’t been given any alternatives. Gary didn’t take the news well at
all. Their parents had teased them saying it was as if they were mates, not
realizing just how on the nose they actually were. Larry promised to visit as
often as he could and Gary promised the same and that he would do his best to
get a scholarship to the same university as Larry. Gary had driven Larry to the
ZTA monorail station to bid a final farewell. They had kissed in full view of
the public, but they didn’t care as there was hardly a chance in hell that
someone they knew was there.
A year later, Gary had gotten his acceptance letter to the same university as
Larry and called him up, excitedly telling him the news. Larry had cheered and
jumped up and down on the couch in his dorm room, surprising his two roommates.
A week later, Larry had rushed to meet Gary at the ZTA monorail station, both
excited and frightened. Gary was going to be there soon, but Larry had a
confession he had to make. Running right to each other out of baser instincts,
they kissed passionately and almost made out right in front of everyone there.
Larry then led Gary to an on-campus deli not too far from the station to make
his confession. Larry explained how he had engaged in a one-time affair, to
which Gary felt slightly betrayed. Gary had almost walked away until he saw the
utter pain in Larry’s eyes. When Gary had asked Larry if he had knotted the
other wolf or taken the other wolf’s knot, Larry’s reaction put Gary at ease as
Larry had slammed the table so hard its glass top shattered, growling out that
the only mammal he’d ever done either of those things with was him.
Their lives as collegiate academics were filled with fun, laughter, lots of
studying, and tons of making up for lost time and intimacy. They had kept their
relation under wraps, but eventually it somehow came out. Many of their friends
found it slightly strange but didn’t see any problem with it as they weren’t
blood relatives. Others were disgusted and broke ties with them saying how they
would burn in the deepest pit of the Underworld for their sins. Of course, the
news eventually made its way to the ears of their parents. Their first reaction
had been shock, then denial, then they finally settled on acceptance. That had
been the end of it for a long while.
After some time had passed, Larry and Gary both enrolled in the university’s
military programs. They quickly climbed through the ranks and found themselves
in charge of their own squads. They were approached by a scout for a
paramilitary firm during their final year. Gary had topped out of a few classes
and as a result the institution viewed him as the same year as Larry, meaning
they would be graduating together. Following their graduation, Larry and Gary
purchased a small single bedroom house of their own and began working for the
paramilitary firm. Three years into their contracts with only two more to go,
they were hired by the then Mayor Leodore Lionheart. Soon after, however, is
when everything spiraled down the shitter.
All that led to their current predicament. The alpha of Larry’s original pack
was trying to extradite him back to their pack to face multiple charges. The
alpha of Gary’s pack, also Larry’s current one, refused on the grounds that
Larry and Gary were a mated pair. Tensions had been on the verge of breaking
when Alpha Regulus stepped in and took total custody of them. Neither Alpha
Remus nor Alpha Markus were crazy enough to defy Alpha Regulus. Alpha Regulus
adopted them into his pack without delay, granting them far more protection
than they ever had. With their parents gone, having been killed in a botched
home invasion, Larry and Gary were thankful to have a sense of family again
beyond each other. The only issue had been living arrangements.
“We’ve got roughly half an hour left.” Gary stated, breaking the silence,
looking at the timepiece their father had given him for his thirteenth
birthday. “Don’t you think we should start making our way to Alpha Regulus’
residence? I mean, it is clear across the compound. Not to mention it would
look proper for us to arrive slightly early.”
Larry scratched his head. “Yeah, let’s do that. I’ll go grab our luggage.”
Standing to his feet, he helped Gary up then gave him a deep kiss ending with a
lick to Gary’s nose and both cheeks. “You go on ahead. I’ll meet you there.”
Watching Gary nod and walk off, Larry pulled out a piece of paper from his
pocket. It was an adoption form. He and Gary had talked about it previously,
but Larry had struggled with the idea until recently. He had picked up the form
yesterday to see what would be required, but hadn’t filled any of it out as he
felt Gary should be there doing that together with him, not that they would be
ready for it anytime soon. Sighing, Larry put the form in his pocket and ran
back to the room they were currently staying in to grab their luggage. As he
exited, he found Marigold Wolford, Alpha Regulus’ eldest daughter, waiting for
him out in the hall. Bowing, Larry said, “Lady Marigold.”
“How many times have I told you to just call me ‘Mary’?” Marigold Wolford
asked, hotly. “You know what? Never mind. I was just coming to see you and your
mate off, but looks like I missed him.”
Larry gave her a fond smile. “Aye, you did. Not more than five minutes ago,
too.” When they were pups, he had often played with Marigold, and due to the
type of personality the she-wolf had, he’d always seen her as something of a
little sister, despite being six months her junior. “It’s the thought that
counts though, so thank you.”
Marigold smiled kindly at Larry. “It’s not going to be as much fun without you
two around here.” she said. “Promise me you won’t drive Spencer noots. Do you
understand?”
Larry laughed at Marigold’s use of the word ‘noots’. The word ‘nuts’ was
something she honestly couldn’t pronounce correctly for the life of her no
matter how hard she tried. “I’ll do my best, but you know Gary and me.”
Marigold rolled her eyes then gave him a stern look. “I mean it, Larry.
Spencer’s got a lot on his plate right now. Running for mayor, his job as an
ADA isn’t being put on hold for it, and then there’s everything that’s going on
in the city as well. You two need to behave yourselves and find a way to help
him.”
Larry nodded. “I promise, Gary and I will do whatever we can to assist him.”
Turning away, he stopped and looked back at her. “You’re not in love with
Spencer, are you?”
Marigold snorted. “Not exactly. Spencer’s…how do I put this? His father was one
of my father’s best friends who married one of my aunts. My aunt was sterile
and therefore she couldn’t have children of her own. So, when Spencer was born,
my father gave him to his sister and her mate. My aunt then died and Mr.
Wolvenett raised him all on his own. So, Spencer’s my brother/step-cousin.”
Larry cocked a brow. “Well, then that explains…nothing. But, that doesn’t
matter.” With one more bow, Larry said, “I’ll be seeing you around Mary. Take
care of yourself.” Larry then bolted out the pack house towards the main house.
The entire way, he wondered how Spencer would react upon learning of he and
Gary’s relationship.
Metropolitan_Teaching_Hospital_of_Zootopia_-_Around_Noon
Harrison was sprinting on a treadmill in the Physical Therapy room of MTHZ.
He’d gotten himself transferred only a pawful of hours ago. It hadn’t taken
long for him to accept Dr. Wilde’s offer. After thinking about it, Harrison
chose to since she was caring for the officers that had been wounded during the
extraction of Dawn Bellwether. Zannah had agreed that was a good point and
cosigned the documents needed to get him transferred. It hadn’t even been half
of an hour before Harrison ended up in the Physical Therapy room.
Reaching the end of the treadmill’s program, Harrison got off and grabbed the
bottle of water he had brought with him. Guzzling it down, he wiped his maw.
Hearing the sound of pawsteps approaching him from behind, Harrison looked over
his shoulder to see Officer Cheetara. “Well look at you. How’re you feeling,
Lillian?”
Lillian Cheetara huffed in annoyance. “I wish I could get out of here.” Looking
down at her right leg, she let out a growl of frustration. The GSW had been
worse than the doctors and surgeons had thought. The impact hadn’t just
shattered her femur, but it had inflicted a ton of muscular and nerve damage.
She was still expected to make a full recovery, but she was limited to how much
she could do for the time being. “I hate this. I really, really hate this.
Delgato managed to get approved for desk duty. Me? ‘Not until your leg is fully
healed’ the medical officer said.”
Harrison shook his head hearing her complaints. Lillian was known for being one
of the more outspoken officers on the force. She was one of the officers that
had openly been against Judy being assigned to Precinct One let alone being
allowed to be an officer. It had been during a temp stint at the Academy, when
she’d been assisting Major Friedkin teach the combat course, that Lillian saw a
video Major recorded of Judy KO’ing a rhino that she changed her tune. “You’ll
get there. Remember, Patience is the key to any battle.”
“Don’t give me that philosophical shit, Harrison. I’m not in the mood.” Lillian
retorted, making her way to one of the treadclimbers. Switching on the machine
she started off at a normal ‘stroll through the park’ pace. “Why are you here
anyway? You get shot or something?”
“Yes, actually.” Harrison replied, nonchalantly, making Lillian stumble in
surprise. Laughing, Harrison walked over to steady her. “No, seriously though.
I was shot five times, point blank in the chest.”
“How in the hell are you already recovered?” Lillian all but shouted, drawing
the attention of everyone in the vicinity. Seeing this, she said, “Sorry.”
Turning back to Harrison, she asked, “How are you already recovered?”
Harrison saw no reason to tell her about the fact he possessed the Izu Gene, so
he shrugged, saying, “I’ve always recovered at an abnormal rate. It really
isn’t anything new. Most of those at the precinct know it already. It once took
me only an hour to recover from a bullet to my shoulder.” He stepped up on the
treadclimber next to her and started it up to match her pace. “You’ve been at
the precinct for a while. Surely you’ve heard about my inmammal recovery rate.”
“I always thought it was an exaggeration.” Lillian stated, dumbfounded that the
wolf next to her had not only recovered from being shot five times in the
chest, but simply survived. “You’re a godsdamn monster, Harrison.” she
muttered. She maintained a steady gait for a couple of minutes before she
pulled out her earbuds and hooked them up to her phone. “You want to see
something cool?” she asked.
Harrison glanced at her. Seeing her select a track on her phone [I’m So
Excited], he watched as she started dancing on the still functioning
treadclimber. He wouldn’t have thought it possible until at that very moment.
Chuckling, Harrison deftly swiped one of her Bluefang earbuds and put it in his
own ear. Getting the rhythm, he started dancing on his own treadclimber.
Neither were aware that both Dr. Wilde and Zannah walked in and began videoing
their antics on their phones. Zannah had to fight hard to suppress a laugh. Dr.
Wilde smirked and silently circled the two, videoing the whole time. When
Harrison and Lillian were finished, they blanched then blushed as Dr. Wilde and
Zannah clapped and whistled.
“Nice moves, Harry.” Zannah teased. “Didn’t know you knew any dance moves
besides those for our horizontal dance.” Yeah, she knew that she just revealed
to Lillian that she and Harry were together, but she didn’t care. Lillian may
be the most outspoken mammal at the precinct, but she wasn’t the most sociable.
Zannah saw Lillian’s eyes shoot wide open at her words. “Yeah, that’s right.
Harrison’s mine.”
Lillian pinned her ears back. She hadn’t been aware of Zannah and Harrison’s
relationship. Lillian wouldn’t admit it, but she had often tried to gather the
courage to approach Harrison to ask him out on a date. “Sorry.” she mumbled.
‘Swell. There go my chances of experiencing knotting.’ Lillian thought to
herself. She wasn’t an inter, but her sister was and was mated to a canid.
Lillian often had to listen to her sister go on and on and on about how utterly
mind-blowing it was to get knotted to her freaking golden jackal mate. It had
gotten to the point that Lillian found herself wondering what if it really was
that amazing. Although most canid species would mate for life, Lillian had
actually met a couple that took on multiple partners and knotted them.
Dr. Wilde decided that it was time to get down to business. “Harrison. Zannah.
I’m sure you wish to check on your brothers and sisters in blue. If you’d
follow me. Lillian, please continue your physical therapy. I’ll have Dr.
Wolfstein come and check on you in a few. Okay?” Getting a nod, she led
Harrison and Zannah first to the room Harrison would be staying in for the rest
of the week so that he knew where it was located. Then, she led them to the
common area where Officers Grizzoli, McHorn, Snarlov, and Pennington were
watching an episode of Criminal Psyche. “You’ve got a visitor and a new
addition.” Dr. Wilde announced.
Everyone turned to see Dr. Wilde escorting Zannah dressed in casual clothing
and Harrison wearing hospital scrubs. “Why does Harrison get scrubs and we get
stuck wearing these fricking gowns?” Grizzoli asked, playfully. Personally,
Grizzoli didn’t mind the gowns as he lived a naturalist style at home. Francine
Pennington smacked him upside the back of his head causing everyone to laugh
before waving. Snarlov shook her head with an eye-roll muttering ‘I swear,
they’re kits’ and returning her attention to the tele. McHorn gave them a nod
then went back to watching television as well.
Harrison sat down next to Henry Grizzoli, the arctic wolf. Zannah took a seat
on Henry’s other side, which was the last available seat. They all watched the
television until the Criminal Psyche marathon was interrupted. On the screen
was the silhouette of an unknown mammal. Everyone leaned forward with serious
expressions.
“Citizens of Zootopia.” the silhouette stated. “The Zootopian Police Department
has been keeping a secret from you. Not too long ago, Fatima Ara was assaulted
and killed in her home by a savage predator.”
Everyone stared at the television in shock. Dr. Wilde snorted drawing their
attention away. Seeing the vixen shake her head, Harrison asked, “What? Do you
know something?”
Dr. Wilde shook her head. “I can’t tell you.” Noting their expressions, she
rolled her eyes. “I can’t tell you.” she repeated, emphasizing the word
‘can’t’. This time the hidden meaning seemed to register. The officers turned
their attentions back to the screen.
“This assault was my doing.” the silhouette informed. “You may call me the
Chancellor. Many of you are asking why I attacked Fatima Ara. Well, simply put,
it was to send a message to you all, civilian and law enforcement alike. I want
predators out of my city.” the tone of the silhouette was icy, grave. “I will
give you adequate time to force them out before I do it for you. I have more
than enough Night Howler at my disposal to remind prey exactly why predators
are nothing more than savage beasts masquerading as civil mammals.”
The screen changed to black, showing a date and time in white. “This is your
deadline. If by that time the countdown reaches zero predators still remain
within the city of Zootopia, I will consider it an act of war and respond
accordingly. To those of you who are prey, I wish you to remember this:
predators, in the olden days, massacred hundreds of thousands of innocents.
They used their claws, their fangs, whatever they had to tear apart whoever
they chose as their next meal. They cared not for your lives nor the lives of
those close to you. A city full of predators, exposed to the extracted essence
of Night Howler? It’ll be a bloodbath unlike any you have ever seen.”
The screen returned to its previous state, with the only difference being that
one corner had the date and time at which all predators were to leave Zootopia.
The silhouette said, “I won’t hesitate to expose every single predator to Night
Howler to ensure that my city will be predator-free. Voice changing to a
clearly threatening tone, the Chancellor ordered, “Rid my city of predators, or
suffer the consequences.” The screen then switched back to the previously
scheduled programming.
By the time the broadcast was over, they all knew that the city was going to
experience riots. Harrison and Zannah exchanged a look of concern. The ZPD
wasn’t back to full strength. Even if it was, there wasn’t enough officers to
take on the entire city. The sounds of heavy hoofsteps alerted them to the
arrival of Chief Bogo.
Chief Bogo entered the common area to find not only the officers involved in
the firefight of Bellwether’s escape, but Harrison and Zannah as well. “I’m
going to assume you all are aware of the situation.” It wasn’t a question, but
he still got nods of confirmation. “Good. I’m here for two reasons. First,
we’ve got the support of Supreme Commander Deego, the Leader of the Empire’s
Imperial Guard. He’s currently coordinating with the commander at Firebase
White. They’ll be assisting us once everything has been approved. Second,
Fatima Ara is not dead. She’s alive and undergoing surgery. Her estranged
husband, Ma Li, has asked that I provide some protection. Officers Snarlov,
Grizzoli, Pennington, I’m assigning you three to protective detail. Fatima Ara
and Ma Li are on the sixth floor. Get moving.”
Once the three officers had left, Dr. Wilde looked at Chief Bogo. “Officer
Cheetara will be able to return to light duty in a week. Officer McHorn can
return to full duty tomorrow after getting a physical exam.” She then looked at
Harrison, stating, “Officer Wolford needs an extensive examination before I can
sign off on his release, but otherwise he’ll be fit for full duty as well.”
Nodding, Bogo said, “Good. Officer Fangmeyer, I need you to follow me please.”
Exiting the room with Zannah in tow, he didn’t stop until they were at the
window at the end of the hallway. “Officer Fangmeyer, I’ve reviewed your
statement concerning the events of Officer Wolford’s assault. You did good
work. I also forgot to mention that Hannibal Hyector’s mangled carcass was
found just outside the city limits yesterday. I felt that he should hear it
from you.”
Shock, rage, and relief battled within Zannah’s mind. She hadn’t expected
Hannibal’s death, but was enraged that she wasn’t able to kill him herself. The
relief she felt though was from knowing that he was no longer a danger to
anyone. “Thank you, sir. I’ll let Harrison know. Is there anything else?”
“There is actually.” Bogo stated, pulling out a cassette player. “This is a
duplicate of the recordings from the cellphones discovered at the scene. Both
you and Harrison need to listen to it. Please bear in mind that everything on
this cassette is the final words of a dying mammal.” Giving her the tape
player, he walked away.
Zannah stared at the Chief’s retreating form then down at the cassette player.
She tried to understand the reason behind his words. Pressing the play button,
she listened to the recording. Her eyes widened as the tape played. Zannah
found herself wanting to vomit as she listened to one of the most respected
members of the ZPD confirm his involvement with Predopurge, the Anti-Predator
Movement. At the mention of Hannibal’s children, she froze. Hannibal’s request
that Harrison care for them felt like a blow to the stomach, but at the same
time, Zannah knew that she couldn’t judge them based on their father.
Ultimately, she knew that Harrison would do everything he could to care for
them. That was who he was and she loved him for it. Rewinding the tape, she
made her way back to Harrison. ‘Looks like you’re going to end up a father
earlier than we expected Harry.’
Home_of_Ian_and_the_late_Walter_Wilde
Ian was staring at his multiple computer screens. Approximately an hour ago,
he’d gotten a notification that someone outside the system was attempting to
gain access to the files for both Judy and Nick. The extra security he had put
in place was doing its job and giving the other hacker hell. Ian sat back and
gauged their progress. A chirp from his phone pulled his eyes from the screens
to see who was texting him.
Uncle J: You tried to get ahold of me?
Ian: Someone’s attempting to access Nick and Judy’s files. The extra security I
installed is trying to trace their location.
Uncle J: Okay. Do you have an estimate for how long that will be?
Ian: Not really. It depends on their level of cybersecurity. Could be 15
minutes to 1 hour. Once I find out, I’ll shoot you the location.
Ian’s computer beeped returning his attention to his screen. He blinked when he
saw that his software program had already gotten a location. He sent it to his
Uncle Jameson, ignoring the ‘Okay’ text. He then ran a search of what could be
found at that location. He growled once he saw the result: The Yliaster Group.
He shot a text to his uncle.
Ian: It’s coming from The Yliaster Group. What do you want me to do?
Uncle J: Find out who specifically. Once you’ve identified them, send me the
information. Other than that, can you spike their system?
Ian: It’ll take some time, but yeah. It may take a while to navigate their
system to locate who’s trying to access Nick and Judy’s file. You’ll know the
moment I know.
Putting his phone down, Ian cracked his knuckles. ‘They just couldn’t leave
well enough alone, could they?’ Ian thought to himself. Wasting no time,
knowing the time sensitivity of the situation, Ian began to type at high-speed
acquired from years of practice.
The_Oryx-Antlerson_Apartment_-_Late_Evening
Pronk hurt all over. He had woken up feeling sluggish, sore, and warm. It
hadn’t taken him long to know that he had fallen ill. Glancing at the clock, he
groaned. It was late and he was scheduled to work tomorrow, but he still felt
like shit. In a hoarse voice, he hollered, “BUCKY!”
Bucky looked over at Pronk through the bedroom doorway from where he sat on the
small couch. “Hmm?” he hummed questioningly. Since this morning, Bucky had had
to listen to Pronk complain about how awful he felt. It wasn’t anything new,
but Bucky wasn’t the medically inclined one, so he didn’t have any idea of what
to do.
“Can you call Dr. Wilde and tell her that I’m unwell?” Pronk asked, raspingly.
“I’m supposed to go back to work tomorrow, but I don’t see that happening.” He
felt wretched and was sure he looked worse.
“Sure.” Bucky answered, getting up to use their landline. “Anything else? Soup,
maybe?”
“No.” Pronk coughed. “Just call Dr. Wilde and explain. I’m going to try and go
back to sleep.” The second he spoke the words, he was out like a light.
Bucky shook his head. Dialing the number for Dr. Wilde, which was written next
to the phone, Bucky waited for the call to go through. Once it picked up, he
explained the situation. Bucky was grateful for how understanding Dr. Wilde was
and thanked her. Ending the call, Bucky got an idea. Dialing Gazelle’s number,
Bucky spoke quickly when the call connected, telling her his idea. Coming to an
agreement, Bucky and Gazelle hung up and got ready.
An hour or so later, Gazelle quietly knocked on the door to let Bucky know of
her arrival. In the crook of one elbow, she held a container of the same soup
that their parents would so often make for them when they fell ill. Only
difference was that she had made this batch herself. Her thoughts flashed
through memories of when they were younger. Pronk had always been more
susceptible to illness than they had been, but after he started studying
medicine, he hadn’t fallen ill as often.
Bucky opened the door to find an unusual sight. Standing before his doorway was
a mammal wearing sunglasses, a tall top hat, baggy jeans, and a hoodie. Cocking
his head to the side, Bucky asked, “Can I help you?”
“It’s me, Bucky.” Gazelle whispered. “This was the only way to avoid the media.
Now let me in or it’ll all be for naught.”
Acting on impulse, Bucky’s hoof shot to Gazelle’s wrist and pulled her inside.
“Geez, Gisella. Send a photo ahead next time.” Bucky whispered. Closing and
locking the door, he motioned to the small kitchenette. “Go ahead and do
whatever you need to do. I’m gonna go wake Pronk up.”
Gazelle set the container of soup down and opened it. There were a few last-
minute things that needed to go in that couldn’t be put in earlier. One of
those things was a small dollop of herb butter to enhance the flavor. Putting
the herb butter in, she poured some soup into a small bowl then put it in the
microwave. She heard Pronk complaining that he didn’t want to get up and Bucky
telling him to stop being such a whiny-ass. Gazelle was just pulling the soup
out of the microwave when Bucky finally dragged Pronk from the small bedroom.
“Gisella?” Pronk coughed out. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be
getting ready for a performance or something?”
Gazelle snorted. “Neither of you saw the news broadcast, did you? The city is
on the verge of panic. While I would love to be out there doing something, it’s
far too dangerous right now. Besides, Bucky called and told me you weren’t
feeling well, so I made you soup.” Placing the soup down in front of him as he
sat at the small table, she poured a glass of ice water to counterbalance the
soup’s heat.
Pronk tentatively ate a spoonful of soup then let out an appreciative moan.
“It’s the soup our parents would make when we were sick.” he mumbled, happily.
Now shoveling the soup into his mouth, Pronk found himself full of energy. The
‘CLICK’ of the spoon hitting the bottom of the bowl told them when he had eaten
it all. “That was so good.”
Placing more into Pronk’s bowl, Gazelle asked, “Do you mind if I stay here for
the night? Just until daybreak, at least. I don’t feel safe walking through the
city at night while it’s on the verge of rioting.” She watched as Bucky pulled
out the convertible sofa into its bed form in lieu of answering. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Stay as long as you want.” Bucky said with a smile. The sound of
snoring brought both his attention and Gazelle’s to Pronk’s passed out figure.
Shaking his head, Bucky carried Pronk to the bed and tucked him in. Placing a
kiss to his husband’s forehead, he went and joined Gazelle on the sofa-bed. “By
the way,I’m going to hafta sleep with you. That way I don’t get sick as well.”
“That’s fine.” Gazelle replied with a blush. She watched as Bucky placed some
spare pillows in-between them then walk to the door. “Where are you going?”
“We don’t have our own bathroom.” Bucky explained. “We share a communal one
down the hall. I’m just running to take a piss then I’ll be right back. You
just get comfortable.” With that he left the apartment.
Gazelle stripped off all her clothes with the exception of her panties, as she
hadn’t brought any pajamas or spare clothing. Slipping under the covers, she
prayed that Bucky didn’t notice. A darker, more perverted part of her mind
hoped he did though. She closed her eyes and let herself slowly drift to sleep.
When Bucky returned, the first thing he noticed was that Pronk’s snoring had
gotten louder. So loud in fact, that if he were to slam the door, it probably
would have been drowned out by the sound of Pronk’s snoring. Locking the door,
he carefully made his way to the convertible sofa. Bucky looked at Gisella’s
sleeping face. Back when they were younger, Gisella had always been the
heaviest sleeper. He and Pronk used to tease her by saying that she could sleep
through a tornado unfazed. Stripping down to his boxers, he circled around to
the other side of the mattress and slipped underneath the covers. He had closed
his eyes and was comfortably relaxing when Gisella shifted, jostling the
sleeper, and skewing the sheets, revealing her naked form.
Bucky stared at the nude form of Gisella in wonder. He felt himself slowly
begin to harden at the sight. Dark, perverse thoughts invaded his mind, and he
couldn’t help but wonder it this was a dream. As silently as he could he leaned
down next to her ear and, in a voice just slightly louder than normal, asked.
“Gisella? Are you awake?” Not receiving an answer, he watched as she rolled
over onto her stomach. With Gisella’s ass in full view, Bucky couldn’t fight it
anymore. Knowing from when they were younger that Gisella was a heavy and deep
a sleeper, Bucky carefully positioned himself on his knees behind her.
Stroking himself to full hardness, Bucky slipped his other hoof between
Gisella’s legs to play with her pussy, gathering some wetness. Switching hoofs,
Bucky used his newly dampened hoof to stroke himself while he slowly inserted
his middle finger into Gisella’s puckered asshole. He pushed it in and pulled
it out in a steady rhythm, working it in as deep as he could. Bucky kept a
constant ear out for any sign that she was waking up. Inserting a second
finger, he repeated the motion until he could insert a third. Soon, Bucky was
fisting her deep.
Pulling his arm out of Gisella’s, now gaping, ass, Bucky collected some more of
her pussy juices to slick his stiff erection. Thinking he was slick enough,
Bucky lined himself up and slowly pushed himself into Gisella’s ass. He had to
hold back a moan at the feeling. He worked his way in slowly until his hips met
hers. Letting out a long, slow breath, Bucky began to pull himself out until
just his tip was inside and started all over again. He picked up speed at a
sloth’s pace to make sure she didn’t wake up. He heard her moan his name and
froze. When she didn’t say anything more, he sighed knowing that she had spoken
in her sleep. He got back into rhythm quickly feeling himself ready to pump his
jizz deep into her ass.
The moment that he hit his peak, Bucky thrust forward as deep into her ass as
he could and let it out. He heard Gisella let out a moan of ecstasy as she hit
her own climax. With her legs spread wide and his knees directly in line with
her pussy, Bucky felt her squirt onto him. Pulling out, Bucky watched with
childish glee as his spunk oozed out of Giselle’s asshole. He repositioned
himself and started to clean her up by eating her ass out. It tasted
wonderfully divine to him. Once he was sure she was clean, Bucky covered her up
and got on his side of the convertible sofa. He closed his eyes and wondered
how Gisella would react if she ever found out what he’d just done. He also
wondered if next time he and Pronk could double team her. ‘Oh, we are going to
have so much fun.’Bucky thought wickedly as he drifted to sleep.
Chapter End Notes
     Before anyone freaks out, that last scene (Gazelle/Bucky) is a dream
     sequence. There are a few subtle clues meant to clue you in:
     Gazelle's panties are still on prior to the sheets going askew is one
     clue that what's happening isn't really happening. Transitioning into
     dream sequences isn't one of my best writing skills.
***** Chapter 14: A Hailstorm of Bullets *****
Chapter Summary
     I'm curious to see
     Who can come up with a summary
     No, seriously
     Make one up and send it to me
Chapter Notes
     *Fireworks start dying down* Thanks again to Fairlane302 for making
     this possible. Somehow we've managed to go one step beyond my hopes.
     We pushed out THREE chapters this month. One right after New Year's
     and two today. Wowza!
     Edited 1/26/18:
     Hey, It's the editor here, I also want to note that there have been a
     few small changes made to Chapters 10 & 12 (AO3 Chapters 12 & 15)
     In Chapter 10, (AO3 12) the scene at Andrew Bellwether's apartment
     was expanded somewhat, so as to explain what Doug has been up to
     prior to this scene (which is the first we see him)
     In Chapter 12, (AO3 15) the name of the military base in Tundratown
     has been changed at my request. The old name was, frankly, silly; and
     I could no longer stand to look at it.
     -Fairlane302
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                      Chapter_14:_A_Hailstorm_of_Bullets
===============================================================================
                                        
Zootopian_Police_Academy_-_Evening
Nick and Judy entered the lecture hall expecting to meet Chief Bogo, only to
find a much more intimidating cape buffalo wearing full military honors. While
Chief Bogo was by no means a small mammal, the one before them put him to
shame. The amount of muscle on this one was easily 120% more than that of the
Chief. Neither Nick nor Judy felt comfortable speaking first and as such
remained silent until the cape buffalo spoke.
“Nicholas Piberius Wilde. Age 25. High school dropout. No collegiate education.
No criminal record. Notable skills include, but are not limited to: keen
observation, ambidexterity, fluency in several languages, pickpocketing, and
competency in various forms of martial arts.” Andreas Bogo listed. “Also, it
says here that during your freshman year of high school, your guidance
counselor had you take the Mensa Exam, on which you scored an IQ of 230.
There’s also documentation that shows you have a condition known as panmnesia.
There’s paperwork showing that you possess a concealed weapon permit as well.”
He never once looked up while reciting this information. Setting Nick’s dossier
down, Andreas picked up Judy’s and started anew.
“Judith Laverne Hopps. Age 24. Bunnyburrow High School Alumnus. Valedictorian
of your graduating class. Spent one semester at Bunnyburrow Community College
before transferring to the Tri-Burrow Area University. Thanks to dual
enrollment classes you took in high school, you graduated with a Master’s
degree in Criminalistics and a Bachelor’s degree in Paralegal Studies within
less than five years. Graduated Summa Cum Laude on top of Valedictorian. No
criminal record. You were also given an IQ Test, though not the Mensa Exam, and
scored 197, the highest recorded in the Tri-Burrow Area. There’s also
documentation that indicates you hold a blackbelt in two martial arts styles,
specifically Karate and Baritsu.” Setting down Judy’s dossier, Andreas picked
up another. This time he pulled out two appropriately sized forms, attached
them to a clipboards, then gave one to the fox and the other to the bunny.
“Read those over and, if you find them agreeable, sign them.”
Nick and Judy looked over the documentation on the clipboards carefully. There
were three forms in total. The first was a fairly standard military application
form and the second a basic questionnaire, but it was the third that drew their
attention. It was incredibly light on details, but it was clearly a non-
disclosure agreement regarding something titled 'Project Vanguardian'.
Unsure about where this was heading, the pair shared a glance with one another,
before giving a subtle nod, then began to fill out and complete the forms. Once
finished, they gave the forms back to the enormous cape buffalo and, at his
nonverbal indication, took their seats.
After scrutinizing over the documents to ensure that all the forms were indeed
completed and signed, the cape buffalo placed the forms into a folder, and set
them on the desk. Clasping his hooves before him, he said, “Now, for
pleasantries. I’m sure that you two have a fairly good assumption of who I am,
but I’m going to introduce myself anyway. My name is General Andreas Bogo,
Chief Tobias Bogo is my son and your future boss. I’m also well acquainted with
both your fathers. In your case, Ms. Hopps, I speak of your biological father,
Bryan Jonathan Lapins, or, as I knew him, Jonas Savage. I, along with those two
and three others, were a unit of elite, highly trained mammals known as the
Special Defense Force, or SDF. Unofficially, each of us were designated as
cipher agents, meaning that, as far as the government was concerned, we did not
exist. We did everything from assassination to exfiltration and even deep cover
espionage. We possess top secret clearance that even the Director of the
Zootopian Defense Department did not have.”
Nick and Judy stared wide eyed at General Bogo’s words. It all made sense.
Nick’s father having the massive stockpile of weapons, gear, and equipment
didn’t seem so bizarre anymore. It also addressed the sudden disappearance of
Judy’s biological father and to an extent, Jaxon. They had a multitude of
questions they wanted to ask, but held off until the General was finished.
“At the end of the last government crisis, thirty odd years ago, we received
orders to deactivate. We went our own separate ways, starting new lives, taking
care to keep low-profiles. I rejoined the military, BJ Lapins joined the ZIB,
Carlos Jackael retired and started a gunsmith shop, Josef Wolverin runs a
mechanic shop over in Tundra Town, and Fenrir Wolford does freelance private
security. Jameson … he became the most feared mammal in the criminal
underworld, under the alias of Gravewalker. The first time I heard from him
after we disbanded was when I received this.” Andreas pulled out his wallet and
extracted a small folded piece of paper which he pawed to them.
Nick looked at the piece of paper and realized it was a wedding invitation. His
heart nearly stopped as he read the contents out loud. “It is our pleasure to
inform you that you’re invited to celebrate the marital union of Vanessa Aurora
Wilde and Jameson Dorgengoa Vulpin on November 30th at 5 pm. We hope to see you
there.” Nick’s paws were shaking as he reread his father’s name repeatedly. He
tensed at the feeling of a paw on his leg. Looking to see Judy staring at him
worriedly, he swallowed. “I…I’ll tell you tonight. I promise. It’s just that
I’ve learned something I never imagined in my wildest fantasies.”
Judy gave him a soft, warm smile and nodded. Judy then scooted closer to Nick
until she was pressed up to his side. She felt his tail wrap itself around her
waist. Tapping his shoulder, she pulled him in for a tender kiss. Pulling away,
she whispered, “You don’t have to tell me anything until you’re ready. Maybe
this way I can catch up and tell you a couple of things.”
Nick gave her a swift kiss then returned the wedding invitation to the General.
“You realize you just kissed me in front of an audience, right?” he asked. Not
that he minded, but Judy’s action had surprised him.
Judy nodded with a grin. The two then refocused their attention on the General,
who had a bored expression on his face. “If you two are done, I’d like to get
to the point of this meeting.” the General stated. Getting nods of confirmation
from the two, he said, “With the current threat we’re facing, I, along with
Jameson and the others, have decided it’s time to come out of retirement and
reactivate ourselves. The problem is that Josef, Carlos, and I aren’t as young
as we used to be. Jameson, Fenrir, and the late BJ Lapins were the only ones in
our unit that possessed awakened Izu Genes, therefore they’re still in their
prime.”
“Not to seem rude, sir,” Judy interrupted. “But what exactly does that have to
do with Nick and I?” She didn’t like interrupting those in a higher position of
power, but sometimes it was necessary. The glower sent her way didn’t affect
her the way she thought it would.
“Jameson wants to train you two, as well as a few select others.” Andreas
replied. “Basically, you and the others selected will become the new members of
Cipher Squad. Your training will take place during your stay here at the
Academy under the guise of extracurricular classes. The forms I just had you
sign were for consent. Your fellow initiates will be arriving in due time.
Their sponsors, Josef and Carlos, are picking them up. Fenrir is collecting his
grandson, Harrison and his partner, Zannah, as his recruits. Jameson is doing
the same with your half-brother, Jaxon, and his mate-to-be, Skye. The two of
them have gone dark due to intelligence leaks within the ZIB, but Jameson will
find them and bring both them and the mammal in their custody, one Ms. Scarlett
Reddington, here for training as well.”
“Who will be our instructor?” Nick inquired. “I somewhat doubt that anyone
besides any of you all are capable of teaching us the necessary skills we’ll
need.” Even as he said this, Nick was quite aware that there was a distinct
possibility that someone else was qualified to instruct them.
Andreas’s face took on a rather nefarious grin. “Oh, you’re going to enjoy
this.” he told them as he stood up and walked to the door. “You can come in
now.” He then turned to enjoy the looks of dread that passed over their faces.
Nick and Judy watched as Jameson walked in. Jameson was wearing casual
clothing, which was a first for Nick as he’d never seen his father wear casual
clothes. Nick gulped and Judy’s nose twitched nervously. They watched as
Jameson approached them slowly, the pressure of his mere presence bearing down
on them heavily. Neither of them said anything as Jameson stopped directly in
front of them, saying, “Well, then. Let’s get started, shall we?”
The_Oryx-Antlerson_Apartment_–_Break_of_Dawn
Gazelle slowly cracked her eyes open. Blinking a couple of times to get her
eyes to adjust, Gazelle stared at the ceiling. The erotic dream from last night
was still fresh in her mind. She brought her hoof down to her crotch underneath
the sheets. Gazelle let out a soft sigh at feeling her panties still in place,
albeit a little damp. She closed her eyes and let her head list to the side to
get a few more minutes of sleep. Not a hoofful of seconds later, the sound of a
preset alarm rang throughout the apartment.
Bucky opened his eyes at the sound of the alarm blaring. Groaning, he shifted
to find himself within mere inches of Gisella. In his panic, Bucky fell off the
convertible sofa with a rather loud ‘THUD’. “Ow!” he cried. Apparently, this
was all it took to fully wake Gisella from her slumber.
“You okay, Bucky?” Gazelle asked, looking at him over the edge of the mattress.
She found herself looking at his nude form. which was sporting a stiff erection
pointed skyward. She had seen it before when they were younger, but never like
this. Gazelle pushed her thoughts on how it would feel away and she asked him,
“Did you hurt yourself?” She noticed his stare and asked, “What?”
Bucky slowly got himself into a sitting position and took a careful look at
Gisella. He noticed that she was wearing panties and let himself fall back with
a sigh of relief. “Nothing. I’m fine. I just had a … nightmare.” It was a lie,
but Bucky didn’t want to tell her that he’d had an erotic dream about fucking
her in her ass while she was sleeping.
Gazelle looked skeptical, but shrugged, saying, “Alright.” Getting off the
sleeper sofa, Gazelle stretched, letting out appreciative moans. “That things
not comfortable at all. I’m surprised I even fell asleep on it.”
‘Well, you’re such a deep and heavy sleeper you didn’t even wake up when I
fucked your ass on it last night. ’ Bucky thought before slapping himself in
the forehead. “Yeah, it’s really bad. Pronk and I have talked about buying a
new one when we have enough cash to splurge.” He went to sit up again only to
find … he didn’t have anything on and his member looked like a flagpole. He
blushed realizing that Gisella had just seen him buck naked. “Uh, Gisella?” he
asked. Hearing her questioning hum, he asked, “Did you, by any chance, not see
me au naturel?” He watched her look at him over her shoulder and wink.
Groaning, he let himself fall back onto the floor. “So embarrassing.”
Gazelle laughed. “What? It’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked before.”
she explained, as she continued to walk the small apartment wearing nothing but
her panties. She opened the fridge to reheat some more soup. Gazelle had made
enough for the three of them to last a couple of days.
“Yeah. When we were younger, Gisella.” Bucky stated, getting up himself. “Back
then none of us were interested in…” he didn’t finish, simply trailing off. He
didn’t hear Gisella approach, but felt her kiss his cheek. His cheeks burned in
response.
Gisella walked into Pronk and Bucky’s bedroom to wake Pronk up. “Pronk, get up.
I’m warming up some more soup.”
As if she had spoken the magic words, Pronk shot into a sitting position only
for his eyes to widen at her attire. “Uh, G? Where are the rest of your
clothes? You and Bucky didn’t do anything without me, did you?”
“NO!!” Bucky hollered. “SHUT UP, YOU MORON!!”
“NO!! YOU SHUT UP!! IT’S A LEGITIMATE QUESTION CONSIDERING WHAT I JUST WOKE UP
TO!!!”
“SHUT UP, PRONK!! WE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!!! WE JUST SLEPT TOGETHER!!!”
“SO, YOU DID DO SOMETHING WITHOUT ME!!!”
“NO!!! ALL WE DID WAS SLEEP ON THE DAMN SLEEPER SOFA!!! I DIDN’T WANT TO GET
SICK, SO I SLEPT NEXT TO HER!!”
“ENOUGH!!! BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!!!” Gazelle shouted, effectively silencing them,
ending their little spat. Grabbing Pronk by his antlers, she led him to the
table and shoved him into a chair then did the same with Bucky. Pushing their
chairs together, she grabbed onto an antler on each of them. “Let me make this
clear. Last night, after Bucky put you in bed, he and I fell asleep on the
sleeper sofa next to one another. That is all that happened. Although, judging
from Bucky’s reaction earlier, he may have had an erotic dream about us.” She
said that last bit with a glare causing Bucky to blush, though she blushed as
she recalled her own. “Now, while I’ll admit I’d very much like to have my way
with you two, it isn’t the right time for that.” Letting go of their antlers,
she straightened up. “I’m reheating some soup. You apologize to each other
right now, or no soup for either of you.”
“Sorry.” “I’m sorry.” Bucky and Pronk said to one another. They then leaned in
for a tender kiss and heard the tell-tale ‘THUNK’ of a soup bowls being placed
before them. The two immediately started shoveling soup into their mouths.
Gazelle rolled her eyes. The two of them really hadn’t changed at all in her
opinion. Setting down her own bowl of soup, she started eating as she watched
them start trying to steal spoonful after spoonful from each other’s bowls.
“Slow down, you two. You only get a bowl for breakfast and dinner remember.”
Gazelle told them, reciting the same words their parents had given them when
they were younger. She could still recall how often they stayed at one
another’s houses when they were little. It had gotten to the point that they
referred to each other’s parents as their own.
Pronk and Bucky sighed then simultaneously said, “Yes, ma’am.” They slowed down
how fast they ate to savor the taste until dinner. When they were done, Gazelle
switched on the television to get a news update. So far, nothing had really
changed except for a few protests throughout the city. Gazelle shook her head
at some of the interviews. “They don’t get it. This mammal’s using fear the
same way Bellwether did. He’s going to tear the city apart.”
Bucky and Pronk didn’t say a word as they watched the television. They both
knew Gisella was right. After a while, a thought struck Bucky. “What do you two
say about starting a rally?” Bucky asked them. “We could show our support for
the ZPD and maybe even help. Plus, having ‘Gazelle’ with us would go a long way
towards garnering a ton of followers.”
Gazelle and Pronk looked at each other for a brief moment then smiled. “Let’s
do it.” They started making phone calls to whoever they could think of, hoping
to get them to join. Gazelle called her agent to set up an impromptu mini-
concert to promote their new group. Pronk, still not feeling 100%, but
determined to do something, called the hospital to see if they could arrange
for a single ambulance to be present at Gazelle’s show. Bucky was talking to
his buddy at the comic book store to see about fliers and signs. Within an
hour, everything was set in motion. “Alright, let’s get ourselves moving.”
Gazelle stated.
Firebase_White_-_Peak_15,_Aleutsk_Valley,_Tundratown_-_Mid-afternoon
Supreme Commander Deego had never, in his 60+ years of life, ever had to deal
with such a stubborn excuse for a base commander. Base Commanders Colonel
Willow, a bunny, and Lt. Colonel Oxford, a musk-ox, in turn could say the same.
Neither party were willing to give quarter or compromise. That was until the
broadcast. The instant Willow and Oxford caught wind of the broadcast, they
turned over command of their forces to Deego, who named them both his seconds
in command.
Ordering immediate mobilization, Deego began making rounds to inspect the
troops. “These mammals are impressive, Base Commanders.” Deego stated as he
watched the troops begin gearing up. “I’ve seen some impressive troops in my
time, but I’m pleased to see that the rumors aren’t just rumors.”
“Thank you, sir.” Willow replied. “We try our best.” He watched as one of his
polar bear troops assisted a timber wolf get his gear on. “Our mammals are
trained to withstand any environment regardless of what they’re used to. We’ve
had polar bear troops stay in Sahara Square for weeks just to make sure that
they’re tough enough.”
Deego gave an approving grunt. “How long until we’re ready to move out? I want
us to be prepared for the worst. If riots breakout across the city then I want
us there when it happens.”
“Not much longer now.” Oxford answered. “I estimate approximately one hour at
the most. This ‘Chancellor’ mammal made the mistake of attacking our company’s
home. As a result, he’s ’really pissed them off. It is never a good thing when
you piss off trained killers.”
Deego, Willow, and Oxford made their way to the base’s Communications Room.
Upon entering, Deego requested, “Open a channel to Chief Tobias Bogo and one to
A.G. Hoover, please.” He watched as the Comm Officer rushed to complete the
actions. A short while later a still shot of both parties was on screen with a
sound wave bar underneath. “Chief Bogo? A.G. Hoover? This is Supreme Commander
Deego. Expect full military presence within the hour.”
“Acknowledged.” Chief Bogo stated. “I’ll inform my officers of your impending
arrival. When you return, there is something that I must discuss with you.”
“I would like to once again reiterate our thanks for your assistance, Supreme
Commander.” A.G. Hoover added. “Col. Willow and Lt. Col. Oxford, as the Base’s
Commanders, what are your evaluations of your troops? I want an honest opinion,
not one that’s biased.”
Willow and Oxford both shifted uncomfortably before Willow answered. “Sir, with
all due respect, it has been years since my troops last saw battle. The newest
of recruits have never seen battle. While I’m well aware that we have yet to
begin war, I cannot, in good faith, say that our men are ready for that.”
Supreme Commander Deego huffed silently with an almost imperceptible shake of
his head. He knew what was happening, and he understood why. Willow was letting
his fears cloud his judgement. There’s a very real difference between military
drills and live combat. Not many of the 'Old Guard' who were responsible for
the fearsome reputation of these troops were left, and most of the current
troops are untested in actual battle. The commanders knew this and were
concerned about the risk to the younger troops. As a result, while they were
confident that their troops would be successful, Willow and Oxford couldn’t
bring themselves to admit they were ready. Deego on the other paw, had the
advantage of an outside eye. He was sure that the troops were not only ready
but that the troops wanted to prove themselves to their commanders.
Oxford then spoke up. “Sirs, We’re more than willing to do whatever it takes,
but there is a clear difference between knowing how to do something and
actually doing that something. Everyone stationed at our base knows that unless
this madmammal is captured and/or killed, then a war is an inevitability.”
There was silence for the span of almost a full five minutes as everyone
present considered the words of both Col. Willow and Lt. Col. Oxford. The words
did ring true. Most of the troops outside had joined to serve and protect
Zootopia, but, although trained, they would be considered greenhorns compared
to those left over from the ‘Old Guard’. It wouldn’t be that much of a stretch
to imagine they wouldn’t survive if they did end up going to war.
Supreme Commander Deego broke the quiet by saying, “That just means we’ll have
to do everything within our abilities to capture or kill the mammal known as
‘the Chancellor’ before that can happen.” He looked at the two base commanders
with an expression of understanding. He knew quite well from his own experience
what the bunny and musk-ox were probably thinking. Returning his attention to
the screen, S.C. Deego stated, “Again, we’ll be arriving within the hour.”
Deego gave the Comm Officer an across the neck gesture indicating to close the
channel then he, Col. Willow, and Lt. Col. Oxford marched out to begin their
departure.
Sahara_Square_Branch_Office_of_Kit_Services_-_Approximately_6:53_A.M.
Odafin Fennixon entered the building with a thermos of black coffee and bags
under his eyes. He had stayed up late last night studying the Policies &
Procedures Handbook Ms. Foxworth had given him before leaving yesterday. When
he had managed to fall asleep, Finn had found himself dreaming of plowing the
vixen so hard that the orgasm he experienced actually woke him up. Shuffling to
the desk he’d been assigned, Finn set his thermos down and climbed into his
chair before resting his head on the desk.
Stacey Foxworth arrived a bit later than normal. In one paw was a cup of tea
while the other held a box of assorted donuts. She was having a difficult time
ridding her mind of the dream she had last night. While she wasn’t a stranger
to erotic dreams, this one had been different because it involved a much older
male, specifically her new coworker Odafin Fennixon. Seeing him resting his
head against his desk, Stacey approached cautiously and set the box of donuts
down. “Morning, Odafin.” she greeted him.
“Call me ‘Finn’, Stacey.” Finn mumbled, head still flat against his new desk.
“I prefer that over my actual name.” Raising his head, Finn had to blink. At
first, he didn’t register any clothing on her, due to his dreams last night.
After he had, Finn could see that she was wearing a nice flowing floral dress.
“Morning, by the way.” He gratefully accepted a donut and took a large bite.
“You look tired. Did you not sleep well last night?” Stacey was a tad
concerned. She could see the bags under Finn’s eyes.
Finn didn’t show it, but he felt uncomfortable. He didn’t like the idea of
telling her that she was the reason he hadn’t really slept last night. “Stayed
up too late reviewing the Policies & Procedures Handbook.” Finn answered. It
was technically the truth, if only half of it.
“Oh, I see.” Stacey replied with a smile. A part of her felt that he was hiding
something, but she knew it was not her place to pry. “Well, I’m glad. You and I
have rounds to make. We’ll be leaving in ten minutes. So, eat up, finish your
coffee, use the restroom, and meet me at the car.” She headed to get the
clipboard with the list of places they were to check then made her way to the
car. While she was waiting for Finn, Stacey went over the list. The name at the
top had her pause: Harold Fennixon. She checked the car’s clock and saw she
still had a bit of time. Pulling out her mobile, she ran a search on Harold
Fennixon. There wasn’t much, but she did find an image of Harold, his wife, and
a daughter, who was holding a newborn kit. She closed the browser at the sound
of the passenger door opening.
Finn climbed into the car and buckled up. “Where’s our first stop?” he asked.
Not getting an immediate answer, he cast a glance Stacey’s way. “Stace? Stace?”
Shaking her head, Stacey said, “Sorry. Uh, our first stop is at 129 Desert
Parkway here in Sahara Square.” She started the car, put it in drive, and drove
towards the destination. Stacey didn’t hear a thing from Finn the entire ride
and kept taking peeks in his direction to see his expression set as hard as
stone. Stacey suddenly worried what was going to happen when they arrived.
The moment they arrived, Finn grumbled, “I picked a hell of a time to stop
smoking weed.” Looking at the old place, Finn started getting flashbacks of all
the horrible things that had happened to him here. “I’m definitely going to
need a drink tonight.” He started walking up to the door with Stacey not far
behind. Finn didn’t knock, he beat the door, shouting, “Kit Services! Open the
hell up, ya old bastard!”
Stacey gulped as she heard the sound of pawsteps approaching with the aid of a
cane. When the door opened, she saw the old fennec fox tod from the photo she
found. He was older obviously with a lot more gray in his fur as a result. He
had his cane in his left paw and a bottle of beer in the other. His face took
on a malicious grin as he took notice of Finn causing a shiver of dread to
travel through Stacey’s spine.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my little grandson, Odafin.” Harold Fennixon
said with an almost unnoticeable slur. “What’re you doing here? Did you come
back because you finally missed the feeling of my big, fat cock shoved up your
ass?” Harold didn’t even see the punch coming. He only found himself flat on
his back staring up at the ceiling. Standing himself back up on shaky legs,
Harold spit out some blood. “Heh. You’ve got a better punch then your mother
does. Do you want to see her? I can go untie her from the bed. You interrupted
me just as I was about to fuck her like the whore she is.” This time the punch
sent him flying.
Finn let out a threatening growl. “Stacey, call the cops. After I check to see
if he’s telling the truth, I’m going to fuckin’ kill the old bastard.” He then
ran upstairs, leaving Stacey alone with his unconscious (grand)father.
Stacey had to fight hard to hold back the tears and vomit that threatened to
spill. She had had a good idea of who the kit in the photo was, but now she had
confirmation. Stacey dialed 911 and reported what took place. As soon as she
hung up, she heard the sobs coming from upstairs. Checking to see if Harold was
still knocked out, Stacey went upstairs to see Finn cradling an older fennec
vixen who was in tears, shushing her. “T-the police are on their way. Harold’s
still out like a lightbulb.” She listened as the older fennec vixen repeatedly
whispered, ‘thank you’.
Finn looked at Stacey with a murderous expression and said, “Watch her for a
bit.” He raced out of the room just in time to see Harold regaining
consciousness. Grabbing him by his shirt, Finn stated, “You’d better hope the
cops get here soon or I’m gonna fuckin’ beat you to death.” Tossing him into
the wall with such force that the decorations fell to the floor, Finn picked up
Harold’s cane. “This has been a long time coming, you shitty old muthafuckin’
bastard.” Raising the cane up, Finn brought it down onto Harold with so much
force that upon contact there was a sickening crack. Finn began to beat Harold
viciously with his own cane. Losing track of time, he only stopped when a paw
grabbed his wrist. Whirling to attack, Finn froze as his eyes locked with
Stacey’s own. Finn dropped the cane then spit on Harold’s blood covered body.
Minutes later, Stacey, Finn, and Finn’s mom were all seated in the back of an
ambulance as Ms. Fennixon got checked out. She kept fussing that she only
needed to be with her son for a while and she’d be okay only for Finn to tell
her to shut up and let the EMT do her job. After that was taken care of, Finn
was pulled away by an officer and Stacey watched as two other officers carried
a body bag out of the home. Harold had died shortly after she’d stopped Finn
from continuing to assault him.
“My father was a bastard.” a feminine voice said from beside Stacey forcing her
to turn and find Ms. Fennixon standing there. “He deserved a lot worse than
what he got.” Looking at Stacey, Ms. Fennixon gave her a tiny, sad smile. “The
first time he raped me, I had just entered my first mating cycle. I was so …
traumatized that I didn’t bother going out of the house. That was when things
got worse and he started getting his buddies involved. I was repeatedly raped
for years. When I found out I was pregnant, I, of course, told my mother, but
she didn’t believe me. When I finally did convince her to bring me to the
hospital and learned that I was, she became distraught. She began interrogating
me about who the father was. The sad part was I honestly didn’t know. After I
gave birth, there was a paternity test. The results showed that the child was
born of an incestual union. We hadn’t done the test at a hospital or clinic, so
the authorities weren’t ever informed. My father waited until Odafin was just
old enough for his liking then started using him as his own personal fuck-toy.
Odafin eventually managed to escape. I was left there, but I was happy knowing
that as long as my father was using me, he wasn’t chasing Odafin. I never
expected for this to happen, but I’m grateful it did.”
Stacey stared at Ms. Fennixon in bewilderment. This fennec vixen had survived
such a horrible life of repeated sexual abuse and didn’t show any of the
standard signs of PTSD. In fact, she seemed almost more alive than only a short
while ago. “I already know the answer, but would you like me to give you a
number you can call for counseling?”
Ms. Fennixon laughed, shaking her head. “No. I’m good.” she stated. “Believe it
or not, I’m better just knowing the fucker’s dead and that my son’s okay. I
promise that I’ll talk to someone though if it’ll make you feel better.”
Patting Stacey’s arm, Ms. Fennixon walked over to where her son was now in
pawcuffs.
Stacey watched the older fennec vixen walk off. Turning to look back at the
body bag, she saw Chief Bogo staring at her. Swallowing, she made her way over
to the cape buffalo. “Chief Bogo.”
The cape buffalo looked down at Ms. Foxworth. They had had a number of
encounters over the years, under somewhat similar circumstances. “Ms. Foxworth.
Care to explain what happened here?” He listened and wrote down her statement,
but stopped when she told him the history behind it all. “I see.” Bogo stated,
gravely. This was the first time that he was aware of such a thing occurring.
Considering everything, Bogo knew that no judge in the city would be willing to
even try the case. In the eyes of the city, Odafin Fennixon’s actions were
justifiable. While the law was clear on this, it wouldn’t stop any judge from
acquitting him. With a deep sigh, Bogo said, “What a mess.” Rubbing his right
temple, Bogo stated, “We’ll hold Mr. Odafin Fennixon for the max of 48 hours.
During that time, my officers will perform a thorough investigation. We’ll then
turn in all the evidence to the courts. Hopefully, that’ll be all it takes to
have the charges against him dropped.”
“Thank you.” Stacey whispered. Receiving a nod from Chief Bogo, they walked
away. She went straight to Finn to check on him. “The charges against you may
be dropped, but they still need to hold you for 48 hours.” Getting a grunt in
response, Stacey added, “I’m going to call Director Badgerheim. Let her know
what happened.”
Finn didn’t say a single word. He just kept looking forward, ignoring
everything around him. He felt neither guilt, regret, nor remorse about his
actions. The pawcuffs on his wrists simply reminded him that the old fucker was
finally dead. His conscience was clear. When he heard the door close, cutting
him off from his mother and Stacey, Finn looked at the cop in the driver’s seat
through the rearview mirror. “If you got something to say, then fuckin’ say
it.” The cop however didn’t say anything, simply started driving to the
precinct. ‘Only your second day on the job and you’ve already fucked up, Finn.
That’s a new record.’ His thoughts drifted to Stacey and he wondered what she
thought of him now. He hoped beyond all hope that she would still give him a
chance. For the first time in as long as he could remember, Odafin Fennixon let
a single tear escape and fall.
The_Yliaster_Group_-_Early_Afternoon
Slamming his hooves down in frustration, Christopher Deering stared at his
computer screen. After hours of trying to gain access to the files for Nicholas
P. Wilde and Judith L. Hopps, he still hadn’t gotten anywhere. Letting out a
shout of aggravation, Christopher gripped his antlers. ‘Why the hell are these
files so hard to access? ’ he thought to himself. Never before had Christopher
had such a difficult time getting access to any digital file. A ‘BLEEP’ brought
his focus back to his computer screen to find a message box that read: I found
you.
Christopher froze. Then he watched as the sender began to remotely control his
computer. Rushing to try and halt whoever it was, Christopher Deering began to
rapidly type computer code in what he quickly realized was a futile attempt. He
watched helplessly as the cyberattack made quick work of their firewall and
cybersecurity. “NO!! NO!! NO!! NOO!!” He shouted, but it was too late. His
attacker had attained full access and remote control of The Yliaster Groups’
secure network.
Christopher Deering stared at his screen in abject horror. He couldn’t believe
what had just happened. It seemed utterly inconceivable to him that he had been
beaten. The message box popped up again with a new message: Hello, Mr. Deering.
You seem a little…perplexed.
Deering: Who the fucking hell are you? Why are you protecting that filth?
What’re you planning?
?: So many questions, Mr. Deering. It’ll take me some time to answer them in
their entirety. As for who I am, you can call me ‘the Red Baron’. Why am I
protecting these two? It’s simple. I want to. What am I planning? Don’t know
yet. Maybe I’ll bring The Yliaster Group to their knees. I have yet to decide.
Deering: You want to protect them? Do you have any idea who Nicholas P. Wilde
is? Do you have any clue what he’s done?
The Red Baron: Of course, I do. I know who he is and what he’s done quite well.
I’m curious. Do you?
Deering: What’s that supposed to mean. Of course, I do. That’s why I’m trying
to gain access to his file. So that I can release it to the public.
The Red Baron: You stupid little prick. You have no idea. If you knew anything
about him, you’d leave him well enough alone. Let me give you some advice:
Leave Nicholas Wilde alone if you want to live.
Deering: Is that a threat? I’m a member of the fuckin’ Yliaster Group, you
moron. I’m not scared of anything.
The security alarms in the building went off. Christopher Deering’s eyes
widened as The Red Baron showed him a security feed showing his fellow members
being gunned down from somewhere out of sight of the camera. Once the gunfire
ended, he saw as a team of polar bears appeared on screen led by the infamous
Bearnard Kozlov. The Red Baron sent another message: How about now?
The door behind Christopher flew off its hinges revealing Bearnard Kozlov
carrying Antoine de Medici-Borgia. Christopher gulped thickly as they ominously
approached. “M-Mr. B-Bi-Big, s-sir.” he stuttered.
Mr. Big glowered down from where he sat in Kozlov’s paw. “You are Christopher
Deering, yes?” he asked the reindeer. Once he received a nod, Mr. Big said,
“You’ve made a grave error, Mr. Deering. You’ve threatened the safety of the
godfather of my granddaughter and his mate, who is also my granddaughter’s
godmother. You’ve also angered someone far more terrifying than I.” Narrowing
his eyes even more than they already were, he spoke in a much graver voice.
“For threatening his son, the Gravewalker has issued an order for your
termination. Kozlov.”
Bearnard Kozlov drew his firearm and with practiced ease shot Mr. Deering
between his eyes, creating a very pretty pink mist. Setting Mr. Big’s chair
down, he tossed Mr. Deering’s corpse to the others for disposal. Opening a
message box, Kozlov contacted the Red Baron, saying:Greetings, Ian. Now,
instruct me in what to do.
Ian: Greetings, Kozlov. Here’s what I need you to do. Take the USB I had sent
to you and connect it to the port. I’ll need you to copy everything on the main
terminal’s hard drive, as I can’t perform the task remotely using mine.
Kozlov: Understood. Step complete.
Ian: Is the blue light flashing on it? If not, we can’t go any further until
then.
Kozlov: It is.
Ian: Good. Select the icon at the bottom of the screen in the shape of a file.
Click on it. Once it has opened, right-click on the USB drive icon and open a
second window.
Kozlov: I have done so.
Ian: Go to the first window and right-click the C Drive. That contains all
information that I will require. Copy the drive and paste it into the USB’s
window. Then eject the drive.
Kozlov: I’ve got a password request.
Ian: One moment.
A series of dots appeared in the text box, then promptly disappeared. This
repeated a couple of times before the password request disappeared.
Ian: There. Now try again.
Kozlov: Tasks complete. I will have it sent to you shortly.
Ian: Thank you, Kozlov.
Ian has signed out.
Kozlov placed the USB Drive inside the breast pocket of his shirt. Picking up
Mr. Big, Kozlov said, “The Yliaster Group will retaliate. We must be ready.”
Mr. Big hummed in thought. “Kozlov? Mr. Deering workstation was their
mainframe, was it not?” Getting an affirmative hum, Mr. Big said, “In that
case, prime it.”
Kozlov order his men to prep the room for detonation. As he carried Mr. Big
outside, he asked, “Back to the mansion, sir?” Not getting a response, he
looked at his arctic shrew employer. “Sir?”
“Sorry, Kozlov.” Mr. Big answered. “I was lost in thought. Take me to the ZPD.
It’s time to negotiate.”
Serengeti_Plaza_–_Savannah_Central_–_Zootopia_-_Just_before_Noon
Spencer Wolvenett stood off to the side and just behind the stage that had been
set up at the rally. Larry and Gary were standing beside him, acting as his
bodyguards. Sighing, Spencer thought back to late yesterday evening, when they
met each other for the first time outside the courtroom.
Alpha Wolford had shown up at the courthouse with the pair in tow just as
Spencer had been finishing up the days affairs. After the introductions were
made, Alpha Wolford had departed, leaving Spencer with Larry and Gary. Heading
back to his own residence, Spencer had helped them get situated within the
guest bedroom. The three then sat at the table to discuss separation of
household chores, even going so far as to make a chart.
Within an hour, the three of them had gone to bed. It was when Spencer woke up
that he entered his kitchen to find Larry and Gary fully dressed in
paramilitary tactical armour. Larry had then informed him that he and Gary
would be his bodyguards. Spencer had tried to argue against it, but both Larry
and Gary were adamant.
Throughout the morning, they went about their usual routines. Despite having
just settled in the night before, Larry and Gary didn’t miss a beat. Moving in
sync with each other, the only adjustment they had to make was Spencer’s
involvement.
By the time they had to leave for the rally, Larry and Gary had outfitted
Spencer with a bulletproof vest that was easily hidden under his shirt and
jacket. Spencer didn’t even bother trying to stop them, knowing it wouldn’t do
any good. It had been right before they left that word reached them about the
assault of Fatima Ara and the Chancellor’s broadcast.
With news of the attack on Fatima Ara, as well as the threats made by the
Chancellor and the chaos that had ensued, both Larry and Gary made it even more
clear that he was under their protection, not that he was going to turn it down
now. A tinge of paranoia had entered Spencer’s mind after learning of what had
happened. He was suddenly thankful that he had Larry and Gary watching his six.
The rally they were at had been put together by Lionheart in an effort to
pacify Zootopia’s populace. There was a strong police presence, and Spencer had
been informed only moments ago that there would soon be a strong military
presence as well.
Sighing, Spencer peeked passed the curtain separating them from the crowd.
“Geez.” he whispered. “There’s more than I thought there would be in
attendance.” He felt a paw on each shoulder and turned to see Larry and Gary
giving him tiny smiles of comfort. “I’m so nervous. I’m used to public speaking
in a courtroom, but this…” He shook his head. “This is much different.”
“Don’t worry, Spence. We’re right here with you.” Larry promised. “Isn’t that
right, Gary?”
“Yep.” Gary confirmed, checking his weapon. “We’ve got your back.” Holstering
his gun, Gary took his own peek passed the curtain. “We’ll protect you. You
just focus on your part.”
Spencer took a calming breath. “Right. Just have to focus on my part.” His ear
twitched as he heard someone else approach. Turning to see who it was, his jaw
dropped as he saw Gazelle walking toward him. “Uhm, hello.”
Gazelle smiled. “Hello, Mr. Wolvenett. I’m here to show my support. I’ve also
got a few friends here as well. You’ll find them easily by their signs
promoting you and supporting the ZPD.”
Spencer stared, stunned, at Gazelle. When Lionheart poked his head out, Spencer
looked at him and saw that it was his turn on stage. Feeling flustered, he
walked out on stage. He looked out across the large crowd and saw the signs
Gazelle spoke about. Seeing those gave him the strength to begin. “Mammals of
Zootopia, our home is under siege. I know you’re all frightened. Honestly, I am
as well. But, we will not let this madmammal, whoever he is, to terrify us into
submission. We will not bow down to his whim. The attack on Fatima Ara, and the
threats against our society will not go unpunished. Whatever happens now, we
must stand united against this menace.” The crowd clapped thunderously.
Lionheart nodded his approval. By all appearances, the rally was going well.
Naturally then, that is when the attack was initiated.
When the first shot rang out, no one thought anything of it, perhaps believing
it to be a peal of thunder, or some other natural phenomenon. The second shot,
a few moments later, was nearly universally disregarded as well. However, the
staccato report of an assault rifle that followed, echoing across the plaza,
could not be ignored, nor could the screams of pain and panic that ensued. The
crowd reacted, and mass panic erupted as civilians began to rush away from the
scene as quickly as their legs could carry them.
As the rifle began to fire, Larry and Gary, realizing what was happening,
rushed out, tackling Spencer to the ground. Lionheart raced to pull Gazelle
under the stage for cover. Bucky and Pronk, who were in the crowd, took off in
the direction of an open store. The rapid, but unsteady gunfire continued for
several minutes before eventually dying out.
As silence slowly fell over the plaza, Spencer raised his head from underneath
Larry and Gary to survey the scene. His heart broke at the sight before him.
There were multiple wounded mammals, their moans the only sound to be heard. A
number of mammals were also clearly dead. Spencer felt his eyes filling with
tears, but dashed them away. Tapping Larry and Gary, he stated, “Off! Now!”
Getting up once they had done so, Spencer let out a deep growl of fury. “Now
it’s personal.”
Larry and Gary watched as Spencer stripped his jacket off and jump down from
the stage. They jumped down after him and waited to see what his next action
would be. When he turned around, they knew what he was about to do just by the
look in his eyes. They readied themselves then let out a long powerful war howl
signaling to the other wolves to prepare for battle.
Shiregrove_-_Immediately_following_the_shooting_at_Serengeti_Plaza
The Chancellor opened his eyes as the sound of a war howl reached his ears. A
grim smile took over his face. Standing to his hindpaws, he released a maniacal
laugh. He bolted towards his vantage point that overlooked the city. His eyes
gleamed viciously as he looked at the city. “Not much longer now.”
“Oh? Is that so, Jacen.” the ethereal voice of Hannibal stated within the
Chancellor’s mind.
Whirling around, the Chancellor found himself muzzle-to-muzzle with the ghostly
apparition of Hannibal Hyector. “What the hell?” he muttered. “How?”
Vanishing then reappearing beside the Chancellor, the specter of Hannibal
asked, “What’s the matter Jacen? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
Disappearing as the Chancellor lashed out, Hannibal then reappeared behind him.
“You can’t kill me, Jacen. I’m in your head, a figment of your imagination.”
The Chancellor turned to face the apparition slowly. “I’m not Jacen Carno
anymore.” he stated, angrily. “Jacen Carno is dead! He died when Shiregrove was
destroyed and his daughters were burned to death before his eyes.” He stood
directly in front of mental image of Hannibal his mind had created. “I. AM. THE
CHANCELLOR!!”
Hannibal disappeared, but an ethereal voice whispered, “For now.” It was then
that memories of the Chancellor’s time as Jacen Carno bombarded his mind.
“Remember, remember.” the voice whispered repeatedly as the memories flooded
the Chancellor’s mind.
Screaming in mental anguish, the Chancellor began to claw at his own head as if
to rip the memories out by force. He didn’t want to remember the pain, the
agony, or even remember any of it to even the slightest degree. Letting out a
savage cry, the Chancellor yelled, “ENOUGH!!” With that, the memories faded
away. Heaving, the Chancellor made his way back to Shiregrove. He could still
hear Hannibal’s voice whispering in his ear within the confines of his mind.
‘Even dead he’s screwing with me. Godsdamned scavenger.’The Chancellor then
disappeared back into the woods.
MTHZ_-_Midafternoon
Fatima Ara’s eyes fluttered open. Despite not having a clue where she was,
Fatima thought that the constant beeping indicated that she was in a hospital.
Slowly shifting her head to take in her surroundings, Fatima was surprised to
find Li passed out on the couch. “L-Li?” she asked, hoarsely.
Ma Li’s eyes snapped open upon hearing Fatima’s voice. He sat up and looked at
her. “Hey,” he said, softly. “How are you feeling? Do you want me to get a
doctor?”
“No.” Fatima croaked. “Water.” She watched as Li got a cup of water with a
straw and brought it over to her. Taking slow, tentative sips, Fatima drained
the cup. When she was done, Fatima whispered, “Why are you here?”
Li frowned and pulled a chair bedside to sit down. “Whether you believe it or
not, I still love you.” he told her. “That and I’m still your Emergency
contact. When they called me, I thought my heart stopped and rushed here as
fast as I could.” He placed his hoof on hers. “You gave me a scare, Fatima. I
thought you’d died. The police even issued a statement to that effect, though
now, I’m sure that it’s a ploy to make the bastard who did this think he
succeeded.”
“What…?” Fatima coughed a couple times then continued. “What about the mammal
that saved me? The black-furred fox tod.” She could vividly remember the black-
furred fox that stopped her from bleeding out before medics arrived. “Where is
he? I need to thank him.”
Li looked at Fatima in confusion. “What are you talking about, Fatima?” He
hadn’t been told anything about a fox tod with black fur being present when
they arrived.
Fatima’s brows furrowed in thought. ‘He left before the medical technicians
arrived then.’ she thought. “B-before my assailant could kill me, he was shot
twice in the back. After he ran off, a fox with black fur came and stopped me
from bleeding out long enough for the medical technicians to get there. I guess
that he left before they arrived.”
Stunned, Li decided to ask about that later. “I’ll ask, but no promises.” he
told her. “I’m going to go find a doctor to come check on you. I’ll be right
back.” Getting up, he walked out of the room to see the three officers that
were assigned to their protective detail. “Can one of you find a doctor,
please. Fatima’s awake.” The arctic wolf, Henri Grizzoli, if he wasn’t
mistaken, went to find one. Turning to the others, he asked, “Do either of you
know the details about how she was found?”
Officers Francine Pennington and Oksana Snarlov shook their heads in reply.
They hadn’t been told the circumstances of how Fatima Ara had been discovered.
Francine didn’t like the sad expression that passed over Ma Li’s face, so she
said, “As her husband, you could request a copy of the report.”
Li blinked. ‘That’s right. Our divorce hasn’t been finalized yet. Even if she’s
signed the documents, they won’t go into effect until we appear before a
judge.’ Thanking Officer Pennington, Li reentered Fatima’s patient room. “I’ve
sent one of the officers assigned to your protection detail to find a doctor.
Just rest for a while.”
Fatima closed her eyes and nodded slowly. She soon fell asleep. Fatima didn’t
know why, but for the first time in a long while, she slept more soundly than
ever.
Chapter End Notes
     So, the a hailstorm of bullets have rained down upon a rally,
     innocent mammals have died, and we're just getting started.
     What follows is an excerpt that got cut from the final draft:
     After the first shot, no one moves. Mammals are puzzled. Everyone's
     reaction is to look for a source of the sound. After the second shot,
     it takes the average mammal one and a half seconds to cognitively
     process that they're in a potentially life-threatening situation. It
     takes another .7 seconds for a physical response to kick in. By which
     time the third shot has already been fired.
     Originally, this was in an autobiography of a former military police
     officer-turned-civilian cop. The Criminal Minds episode 'Final Shot'
     took the original phrasing and rewrote it for the episode. I swapped
     a few words for the chapter, but cut it since the chances of anyone
     wanting to read something so technical was minimal.
***** Chapter XV: Learnings *****
Chapter Summary
     Learnings. Every character will be learning something, though it
     might not be clear what it is they learn.
Chapter Notes
     And here we are! The next chapter. Thanks again to Fairlane302 for
     editing and assisting me in maintaining some semblance of sanity (for
     the time being).
     A few things to say before we get into the chapter:
     1. Yes, I know this is all kind of moving fast pace. This is
     partially due to The Chancellor being a control freak losing control,
     and partially my fault due to having no real sense of time either in
     real life or in story.
     2. There is a scene where the relationship between Finn and Stacey
     seems like they're moving fast. There is a reason for this. Reason
     being it's sorta loosely based on a real life moment of mine
     concerning my second fiancee. This will be dealt with and explained
     later.
     3. I've had a couple of comments on my writing style (thx by the way,
     I'm glad y'all enjoy it, despite how bad it is). As I stated a while
     ago, I've been out of the penmanship game for approximately 15 years.
     What you're reading is a newer style that I now possess as I try my
     hardest to regain as close to my former one as possible.
     4. HOLY FUCKING HELL! So, we're a little more than a week away from
     two new family members joining our ranks. All my attempts to remain
     calm have been thrown out the window. I'm posting this chapter now
     for two reasons. One, my wife has convinced her obgyn to let her
     remain in a inpatient room until it is time, so no outside computers
     allowed. Two, I don't know when the next time I'll have access to the
     internet besides my mobile (yes, I actually use the term mobile in
     real life, sue me if you think you can) and all the chapters are
     saved to my laptop's HardDrive. We're leaving for the hospital around
     2:15, so yeah. I don't care which Supreme Deity you pray to, but
     prayers be needed. I'm not religious, but my in-laws are, so I'm
     grovelling for it.
     Read End Notes for more.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                             Chapter XV: Learnings
===============================================================================
                                        
Zootopian_Police_Academy_-_Prior_to_Midnight
Nick and Judy laid side by side gasping for breath. Neither of them could
recall a time when they felt so worn out. Catching his breath, Nick sat up to
look at the others. They were all in a similar state. He sensed Judy shifting
beside him and glanced at her. “How’re you holding up, Cottontail?” he asked.
“Other than being worn out, I’m fine.” Judy answered as she observed the
others. “How about you? You alright?”
“Tired, but otherwise, I’m good too.” Nick replied. Standing up, he helped Judy
to her hindpaws. “Let’s go check on them.” They walked paw-in-paw over to the
others, who were all laying down spread-eagled. They went from one of their
fellow initiates to another to see how they were faring. None seemed to be
recovering as quickly as they had.
Jameson was watching them all from the observation booth overhead. He took note
that Nick and Judy had bounced back far quicker than expected. Looking at the
others, Jameson thought about what he’d been told about them. He already knew a
good deal about Harrison Wolford and Zannah Fangmeyer, but the others were a
bit of a mystery.
Jaxon Lapins, Jameson knew, was the son of his old associate Bryan Jonathan
‘BJ’ Lapins, aka Jonas Savage. Just from observation, Jameson could see a lot
of BJ in Jaxon. Same personality, same way of thinking, and same fighting
style. The only discernible difference was Jaxon didn’t have his father’s lack
of fear. Of course, it was understandable seeing as he’d basically grown up
without a family. The fact that he had one now frightened him because there was
no guarantee he’d survive.
Skye Wintory was a puzzle. Jameson hadn’t been able to find much on her. He had
managed to find her parents, but neither of them shared any of her more
dominant traits, leading him to believe that there was a possibility she was
adopted. Skye was intelligent, capable of figuring out the solution to complex
problems rather quickly. She also showed great skill when it came to mechanics.
After having spoken with her parents, Jameson was aware that she was self-
sufficient, but also became attached easily. Her relationship with Jaxon could
be viewed as a blessing and a curse. While she worked well with him, she had a
difficult time functioning without some form of contact, whether directly or
indirectly.
Jameson brought his focus to Shay Morrigan, the painted wolf who was Josef
Wolverin’s chosen successor. Shay was young, roughly 29 years of age, but he’d
been trained to be an assassin practically since birth. Events had led him to
betraying his comrades leaving him without a single connection to his former
life. Now, Shay was a wayward wanderer without a home. Compared to the others,
Shay was far more experienced. The only drawback the painted wolf had was the
dark personality born of his equally dark past.
Madge ‘Honey’ Badger, Carlos’ successor, was…bizarre to say the least, and that
was putting it kindly. Honey was, in fact, a honey badger and a rather odd one
at that. She easily lost track of time, tended to tinker constantly, and held
the belief that sheep were conspiring to conquer the world by having everyone
join ‘The Flock’ as she called it. When asked to display her ingenuity, Honey
had made a bomb out of a stick of chewing gum. Jameson had to admit he was
rather impressed by that.
Overall, Jameson found himself intrigued by the fact that the eight of them had
nigh-instantly taken to each other. They meshed well and had no issues working
together. Shay had challenged Nick immediately, but Nick clearly outclassed the
painted wolf, and he had lost the match almost as soon as it had started. His
swift defeat at Nick’s paws had prompted him to swear fealty to Nick, saying
that he’d be honored to serve him. Shay had even taken to instructing Nick in
some of his custom designed techniques. Honey and Skye had bonded over the
chewing gum bomb, becoming fast friends. Jaxon, Harrison, and Zannah had
clicked thanks to their similar perspectives. Judy, interestingly, was really
only close to Nick, Jaxon and Skye, likely because they had her full trust. She
was also clearly keeping a close eye on Shay; with his prior profession, that
was no surprise. Judy was mostly just being professional with Harrison, Zannah,
and Honey. Her attitude towards the wolf and tigress could easily be explained
as a form of trust that they could handle themselves, and being police
officers, were no threat to Judy. Honey the Honey Badger was the exception;
Judy's professional, no-nonsense attitude towards Honey was a mystery to
Jameson.
Jameson’s ear twitched at the sound of hoofsteps approaching him from behind.
“It’s only been a couple of hours and they already function well as a team.”
Turning to look at Andreas Bogo, he added, “I’m looking forward to see how well
they do later down the line. Aren’t you?”
Andreas grunted, then said, “We have a problem. There was a shooting at a rally
in Serengeti Plaza a short while ago. Mass casualties, though mostly wounded
with only a few dead.” He looked out to observe the initiates. “Things are
progressing faster than anticipated.”
Jameson sighed and ran a paw down his muzzle. Indicating to the group below
them, he said, “We need to let them rest. They’ve been up for far longer than
they should’ve been. If we push them now, they’ll crash and burn.”
“I agree wholeheartedly.” Andreas replied. “Send them to bed, but inform them
that in 24 hours they are to report back for additional night training.” He
started to walk out of the observation booth then stopped in the doorway.
“They’ll be fine Jameson. After all, you’re the one training them. Do whatever
you think is necessary.” With that, Andreas left.
Jameson looked at Nick, Judy, and the others. ‘Whatever I think is necessary,
huh?’ he thought to himself. ‘In that case, looks like it’s time to go back to
the beginning.’ He pulled out his mobile phone and dialed a number he never
thought he’d call again. When the line connected, he said, “Hey, it’s me. I
need a favor.”
@_the_apartment_of_Andrew_Bellwether_-_Before_Daybreak
Andrew and Doug sat on the couch in the living room on their laptops combing
through the research of William Goatier. After Andrew’s epiphany, he had
started to work on trying to figure a way to counteract the biological material
that would be used in the bio-bombs that were to be planted around the city.
Both he and Doug had been at this since they returned to his apartment after
work. That had been approximately nine hours ago.
“Anything?” Andrew asked. He was starting to become more concerned that they
wouldn’t find a means to neutralize the biomaterial. Despite waiting for an
answer, Andrew never took his eyes off his screen nor did he halt in his
typing.
“Not yet.” Doug answered. “The biomaterial is a mutated strain of something,
yet I can’t determine what. I’m running a search through our database remotely
to see if I can identify it. Hopefully, that will provide us a starting point.”
He didn’t think it wise to add that the search had been running for the past
two hours.
“Great.” Andrew replied, sarcastically. “That’s just great. Over a hundred
thousand samples plus each of their derivatives. That’ll take no time at all.”
He was about to say more when a knock on his door alerted them that Liam and
Parker had arrived. “ENTER!’ he shouted.
Liam and Parker walked in and took in the sight of the mess before them. They
both knew that Andrew like to keep his apartment clean so this was a shock.
Liam walked toward the kitchen to grab a drink while Parker carefully made his
way to the other sofa. Parker exchanged a brief glance with Doug to which the
white-wooled ram shrugged. Parker then looked at Andrew and asked, “Mind
filling us in on why you called us here?”
Without stopping what he was doing, Andrew answered, “Trying to rectify my
mistake. Think about what we’ve done, what we’re trying to accomplish. Can you
really tell me that we couldn’t have reached our goal without having to resort
to taking the measures we have? We haven’t just killed predators, we’ve killed
innocent prey as well.” Images from the news broadcast on the rally in
Serengeti Plaza flashed through his mind. All the dead prey wiped out from the
shooting.
Liam realized that Andrew was having an emotional and mental crisis. “Andrew,”
he began softly. “Listen to me. I agree with you. We needn’t achieve our goal
in this manner, but it’s too late to stop it now. If we are to try and stop the
Chancellor, we need to do it intelligently, through subterfuge. Parker and I
are already in the process of planning how to do this. We’ve even identified
those who’d side with us among the Twelve. Now, we must be patient and bide our
time.”
Parker added, “Besides, I think we can all agree that not every single predator
deserves to die. Yes, some do, but there are plenty of them that haven’t done a
single thing against prey. Predators are necessary to maintain balance.”
Andrew kept tapping away at his laptop keyboard. “You’re right, but if we don’t
find a way to nullify the effects of the biomaterial that’s being used in the
bio-bombs throughout the city, there won’t be any predators left.” He was no
longer panicking as badly as earlier for their words had soothed him. However,
there was still the issue of finding a way to counteract the biomaterial.
The blood drained from Parker and Liam’s faces. They had not been aware that
bioweapons were to be used. Parker struggled to maintain his composure, but
Liam kept a level head and asked, “These bio-weapons, are they limited
specifically to predators? Or are prey in danger as well?”
“Everyone is in danger.” Andrew answered, gravely. Even after building upon the
months of research compiled between the two, neither William Goatier nor
himself had managed to find a way to limit the bio-weapon to exclusively target
predators. It was a sickening feeling to know that all your hard work could
possibly wipe out generations of innocent mammals simply because you were too
stupid to consider the consequences of your actions.
“I see.” Liam stated. After a bit of thought, an idea formed in his mind, but
it was risky, very risky. “Andrew. Doug. We’re going to fake your deaths.” This
finally did cause Andrew to stop what he was doing to look at Liam in shock.
“Hear me out.” Liam said before Andrew could say anything. “We fake your death
so that you can turn yourself in. That way, the ZPD and its allies can get a
handle on the situation and plan accordingly. Later, we’ll ‘resurrect’ you and
provide the Chancellor with false information. We’ll tell him that the ZPD
managed to find evidence that connected you to Predopurge and pulled you in for
questioning. You’ll say you gave them false information, when in reality you’ll
have told them the truth. That should lure the Chancellor into a false sense of
security. Meanwhile, the ZPD and their allies will begin preparing the
necessary countermeasures.”
It was a good plan, risky as hell, but a good plan that yielded good rewards.
It only took a hoofful of seconds for Andrew to consider the implications and
consequences of the plan. Andrew stared at Liam and asked, “Well then, what are
we waiting for? When do we get started?”
Holding_Cells_–_ZPD_Precinct_One_-_Dawn
Odafin ‘Finnick’ Fennixon laid on the bottom bunk in the holding cell of
Precinct One. It had been little more than 36 hours since his arrest and he
still had 12 to go. The officers had all trodden carefully around him, as if
walking on eggshells, since they learned of the motive behind his assault of
Harold Fennixon, who was both his father and grandfather. The sound of the cell
door opening caused his ear to twitch and for him to turn his head to see who
his visitor was. Finn honestly felt shocked to see Stacey enter the cell
without an officer with her. “What’re you doing here?” he asked, harshly.
The tan vixen glared at Finn, which caused him to flinch. “I’m here to make
sure that you’re okay.” she stated. Stacey deflated a little at the sight of
him. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced now. “I can tell you’re
having trouble sleeping. Will you please just talk to me, Finn? I want to help
you.” When he didn’t answer, she sighed. “Your mom’s been staying at my place.”
Stacey said, in an attempt to get him to talk.
Finn sat up and looked at Stacey as if she’d grown another head. “My mom’s been
staying with you? What? That doesn’t make any sense. Why the hell is she
staying with you?” It really didn’t make any sense to him why his mother was
staying with Stacey at her place.
Fighting back the smile that threatened to appear on her face, Stacey walked
over and sat down next to Finn. “I offered. She didn’t have any other place to
go and I sure as hell wasn’t going to have her live out of your van.” Seeing
the distraught expression on Finn’s muzzle, Stacey said, “Yeah, I know that
you’re living out of that old rust-bucket of a van you own. I didn’t think
you’d want your mother to know so I told her you and I were roommates. She
expects you to tell her how you hooked up with me when you get released. Also,
Director Badgerheim told me to tell you that she expects you back to work the
day after tomorrow. She doesn’t care what the regulations say about criminal
records, your ass belongs to her now.”
Finn bust out laughing for the first time since that bunny cop pulled one over
on Nick. It wasn’t a normal laugh either, but a deep, throaty belly laugh that
echoed off the walls of Finn’s holding cell. He actually laughed so hard that
tears began to fall from his eyes. Wiping them away, Finn said, “That old
badger’s crazy.” His laughter dying down, he looked at Stacey and said,
“Thanks. Means a lot.”
“Don’t mention it.” Stacey told him with a smile. “I heard from that bubbly
cheetah at the reception desk that the case against you seems to be unravelling
quickly. The prosecutor doesn’t even want to bring you to court, but the system
demands it. They’re scheduled to bring you to the courthouse in half an hour.”
Grunting, Finn said, “Well at least I won’t be staring at the bottom of the top
bunk anymore.” He shifted to sit facing the door. “Do we know who the presiding
judge will be?” he asked.
“The honorable Judge Charles L. Buller.” Stacey answered. “He’s an elephant.
Apparently, he took the case because your good friends with his daughter,
Nangi.” She heard Finn let out a long groan. “What?”
Finn shook his head, answering, “Nangi is this yoga instructor at Mystic Spring
Oasis. We…dated…for a while.” He felt sick to his stomach. Yes, he and Nangi
had dated way back when, but that wasn’t all they did. They had mated as well,
but Finn never knotted the female elephant, preferring not to get tied down.
Stacey wilted a bit upon catching his double meaning. “Oh. I…I see.” she said,
softly. “She must have been quite something for you to knot her, huh?” The next
thing she knew, she was on her back with Finn staring down at her with fire in
his eyes.
“I. Have. Never. Knotted. Anyone.” Finn snarled out. Slowly releasing his grip
from Stacey’s blouse, Finn sat back down on the edge of the prison cot. “I’ve
been around, but I’ve  never  knotted anyone. Never wanted to be tied down to
someone.” He turned his head to look at Stacey before adding, “Until now
anyway.” Finn refocused his attention on the door. “Nangi was my last fling.
Broke up, oh, a little over a month ago. It ended because she lost interest.
Good thing, because I was ‘bout to dump her sorry ass for the same reason. She
just beat me to the punch.”
Stacey sat back up. “How many?” she asked. “I won’t judge. It’s just that,
well…” She couldn’t finish because it would require explaining that despite
being in her mid-20’s, she was still a virgin.
“You want the total of male lovers or female?” Finn asked in return. He was
ashamed to admit it, but he wasn’t exactly sure of how many mammals he had
rutted. There were even fewer that he could put names to.
Stacey’s heart faltered. Her ears folded down as she considered what her next
words should be. “Uh, ballpark it?” It came out as a question, but it was meant
as a suggestion.
“Definitely more than a ballpark.” Finn answered without humor. He felt his own
heart breaking at the sound of Stacey’s sharp intake of air. “As I said, I’ve
been around.” The sound of mammals approaching reached his ears. “Looks like
their collecting me early.” He went to slide off the bed when Stacey’s paw
grabbed his arm. Turning his head to look at her, Finn found himself silenced
by her lips on his own.
Stacey held the kiss for as long as she could. Pulling away, she whispered,
“I…I still want to try.” Stacey stared into Finn’s wide eyes, pleadingly. “I…I
may not be as…as experienced, but I’d like to give us a try.” Her voice was so
quiet, even to her, that she couldn’t be certain that Finn heard her.
Finn pulled Stacey close and kissed her again, surprising her. They melted into
the kiss, enjoyed the taste of one another. At the sound of the door opening,
the two separated. “Wait for me?” Finn asked.
Stacey nodded then watched as the two officers walked Finn out of the cell. She
followed until she was stopped by the bubbly cheetah. “I hate this.” Stacey
whispered to herself.
“He’ll be fine.” Clawhauser told Stacey. “No judge would find him guilty after
the defense attorney presents the evidence. He’ll walk out of there with a
heartfelt apology that no one did anything sooner. Which reminds me, why were
you two there in the first place?”
Gulping, Stacey pulled out the paperwork that had been turned in to Kit
Services responsible for their presence there. The paperwork was an application
to turn the house into a registered foster home. Signed by one Harold Fennixon.
“That…that sick motherfucker wanted to register himself as a foster.” Stacey
found herself filled with rage, loathing, and malice as she reread the form,
which led to her use of profanity. Everything about the form checked out. If
not for she and Finn, some poor kit would have suffered the same fate.
Benjamin Clawhauser gasped in shock at what Stacey said. Ben came around his
desk and pulled the vixen into a hug. He just held her as she began to bawl her
eyes out. “There, there. It’s okay now. He won’t ever hurt another kit again.
It’s all okay. Hush now.” They stated like that until Stacey cried herself to
sleep. Ben then picked her up and brought her to the nap room, leaving a note
not to disturb her. ‘ Rest now. I’ll have your tod come and get you when he’s
through. ’
Metropolitan_Teaching_Hospital_of_Zootopia_-_Mid-morning
Dr. Vanessa ‘Rory’ Wilde stood looking at Officer Lillian Cheetara the same way
a mother would their misbehaving kit. “Do you mind explaining to me  why  you
did the one thing I told you not to do and stress your leg?” Rory asked
disapprovingly. She watched as Officer Cheetara squirmed uncomfortably under
her glare.
Lillian folded her ears down in shame. “I…I just wanted to get discharged
sooner. I want to be out there helping them investigate.” the female cheetah
answered meekly. She knew she had screwed up. By pushing herself beyond her
current limitations, Lillian had set back her recovery time by at least a
month. The surgeons had had to go back in to reset the breaks and now she was
on strict bed rest. The doctors had even strapped her down like she was a
nutcase. “I hate being so…so…useless.”
Rory sighed as she looked at the remorseful expression on the cheetah’s muzzle.
“I told you to take it easy, to let your body mend on its own. I told you the
risks of forcing it, but you didn’t listen and now you’re stuck here for a lot
longer than either of us wanted. I hope your proud of yourself.” Without saying
anything more, Rory exited the room to leave Officer Cheetara alone with her
thoughts.
Officers Grizzoli and Snarlov saw as Dr. Wilde approached Fatima Ara’s room.
The vixen veterinarian was one of only three doctors allowed into the Arabian
mare’s room. They stepped aside to let her enter. When they got a smile from
her, they smiled back because the vixen had taken good care of them. She had
their gratitude.
Entering Fatima Ara’s room, Rory saw Ma Li sitting in the same spot she always
found him, right next to Fatima’s bedside. “Good afternoon, you two. How are we
feeling today?” She walked up the small set of steps that had been brought in
for her to reach bed level to look Fatima in the eye. “Are we doing well?”
“S…Still a…little…hoarse.” Fatima whispered out, “O-Otherwise…I’m…fine.” Her
voice was rougher than when she first regained consciousness. Having nothing
else to do, Fatima had practiced speeches. This had, in turn, exacerbated the
condition of her vocal cords. The damage done to them now was severe enough
that Fatima had been informed there was a very distinct possibility she’d never
get full use back, especially if she didn’t let them rest. Not that she cared.
Not being able to talk had taught her to listen to those around her better.
“Good.” Rory said smiling. “I come bearing good news. There’s an experimental
procedure that could repair your vocal cords, but the drawback is that the
success rate is only 35% as well as the usual possibility of death during
surgery.” Frowning, she added, “I also come bearing interesting news.” Pulling
out an x-ray of Fatima’s abdomen, she held it up in between Fatima’s face and
the overhead light. “You see that malformation in the center?” she asked,
getting a nod from Fatima. “Well, we wondered what it was. So, when we
administered a potent sedative to help you sleep through the worst of the pain,
we asked your son Bahman to come and take a biopsy. You see, it was directly in
the path of the wakizashi that your assailant impaled you with. Bahman came and
ran some tests.” Rory’s face took on a very serious expression. “Were you aware
that you are pregnant?”
Ma Li’s heart stopped. “W…wha-what?” he choked out. He couldn’t have heard
right. It was impossible. They had been told that it was nearly impossible to
have another foal. ‘ Nearly impossible means there’s still the tiniest of
chances. ’ a small voice in his head expressed. Tears began to fall from his
eyes as he recalled the last time they had made love.
Fatima stared at the image expressionless. “No.” she whispered. It took a few
impossibly long seconds, but Fatima’s mind ground to a halt as it registered
that Dr. Wilde had spoken using the present tense. Staring at the vixen, Fatima
asked, “Are? Not was?”
This was where Rory smiled. “Are.” she confirmed. “The wakizashi didn’t harm
them in the slightest. It passed clean between the two fetuses. The surgeons
managed to save them. They’re fine.” The loud ‘THUD’ drew both her attentions
and Fatima’s to Li, who had passed out. Chuckling, Rory said, “I’ll go request
one of the authorized nurses to come help him.” Pulling out a clearer copy of
the image, she added, “This is for you until we can get a sonogram. I’ve got to
go check on my other patients, but I’ll be back later.” Rory left the room
thinking, ‘ I love delivering good news. Now, if we could only end this crazy
madmammal we’ll be set. ’
Office_of_the_Attorney_General_of_Zootopia_-_After_lunch
Attorney General Hoover was sitting at his desk looking at the incident report
from the rally shooting. Setting it down, he rubbed his eyes then looked at
Chief Bogo, Supreme Commander Deego, Former Mayor Lionheart, and ADA Wolvenett.
“Do any of you have anything to add to the report that wasn’t put in it?”
Chief Bogo exchanged a glance with Lionheart before saying, “Sir, with all due
respect, I think we should wait until the mammal I’m waiting on arrives. He was
currently in the middle of his own investigation when I called, but his
investigation was connected to ours.” Bogo was not a mammal that was easily
intimidated, but the glare sent his way by the A.G. had his ear twitch.
Thankfully, the door opened to reveal SSA Mauler.
“So sorry I’m late.” SSA Mauler stated as he rushed into the room. “Things got
out of paw rather quickly.” Straightening his suit, he said, “Name’s Raoul
Mauler, Supervisory Special Agent with the Zootopia branch office of the
Zoolympian Intelligence and Investigation Bureau. Pleasure to make your
acquaintances.”
A.G. Hoover glared at the grizzly bear forcing him to take a step back.
“Sitrep. Now.” He didn’t feel like waiting any longer for an answer to his
question. When SSA Mauler didn’t begin, he hollered, “NOW, DAMNIT!”
Mauler jumped then flew into action. “Right. Sorry.” Pulling out a set of
files, he passed them to the chinkara. “These files were given to us by a
trustworthy source, whose name I cannot divulge due to the agreement required
to get them. They contain the names of sleepers within both the ZIB and the ZPD
as well as other governmental agencies. I managed to identify the shooters of
the rally as Agents Ramos and Senner. They’re both on the run, but we’re
tracking them down.”
A.G. Hoover looked at the stack of files in his hooves then appeared to weigh
them. “There has to be more than fifty files here.” he observed. “Are you
telling me that we’ve had fifty sleepers hiding in plain sight all this time?”
Looking at the grizzly, A.G. Hoover noted the hesitant expression on his
muzzle. “What are you leaving out?” he asked, coldly.
Licking his lips nervously, Mauler cleared his throat. “That’s not…all…of the
files, sir. There’s more. Our source provided those to prove the legitimacy of
her claim. The ZIB agents that we managed to capture didn’t deny the
accusations against them. One even admitted that they’ve been embedded for
years.”
Setting the files down, A.G. Hoover leaned back in his chair. “Years.” he
repeated. Closing his eyes, he muttered, “What in the name of all the Divine
Entities are we dealing with?” It was quiet for a while as they all tried to
come to terms with the fact that the Chancellor had been planning this for so
long. Opening his eyes, A.G. Hoover said, “I’m initiating Directive 66.”
Chief Bogo and Supreme Commander Deego stood to their hindlimbs immediately and
headed out the door. SSA Mauler sat in one of the newly available chairs.
Lionheart and Wolvenett looked confused.
“Sir?” Wolvenett asked apprehensively. “If I may inquire, what is Directive
66?”
A.G. Hoover leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk. “Simply put,
Directive 66 is an emergency order. Once in effect, the city is put on complete
lockdown. Emergency Evacuation Services will assist getting the citizens to
safe havens as far away from the city as possible. The city will be placed
under quarantine. No one, with exception of military troops, will be allowed in
or out. Those who want to remain can, but otherwise it is imperative that we
get as many out as possible before we must shut down all modes of transport.
That means all railways, airports, major highways, everything.”
Lionheart could feel his heart begin to race in terror. “You mean that we’ll be
isolated.” he whispered, horrified. “How long do we have to get out of the
city?” He started trying to plan what he’d need to bring with him.
“Approximately one week.” Hoover stated. “After that, anyone still within the
city is stuck here. The military will be responsible for food, water, and other
supplies as well as increased security throughout the city. The ZPD will
continue to focus on the investigation.” Phone starting to ring, he answered,
“Hello?”
Lionheart stood quickly and bade a quick farewell to Spencer and the Attorney
General then raced out of the room. Spencer studied A.G. Hoover’s face as the
chinkara listened to whoever was speaking on the other end of the phone call.
The moment A.G. Hoover hung up, Spencer knew that things got a whole lot worse.
A.G. Hoover licked his lips then said, “Spencer, I suggest you go prepare
yourself and your brethren for war. That was Commissioner Catlin. He’s just
received word that one of the Chancellor’s collaborators surrendered. The
conspirator, Andrew Bellwether, older brother of Dawn Bellwether, just revealed
that there are bioweapons hidden throughout the city. I’m raising the terror
alert to EMERGCON.” Seeing Spencer still sitting there, he shouted, “GET
MOVING!!” Once Spencer bolted from the room at full sprint, A.G. Hoover looked
up and whispered, “Fate? If you can hear me, I know it’s been a long ass time,
but please protect us all in this time of need.”
The_Mess_–_Zootopia_Police_Academy_-_Early_Afternoon
Harrison, Zannah, and Honey stared in wide-eyed, open-mawed befuddlement as
they witnessed Judy ravenously devour an entire turkey leg. Nick, Jaxon, and
Skye paid it no mind having watched her scarf down the frittata with pepperoni
on their way back from Bunnyburrow. Shay didn’t see anything bizarre about it,
saying, “Meh.”
Judy tossed the bone of the turkey leg she had been eating and grab another
one. Taking a bite, she grabbed her water bottle and chugged it down before
returning to the leg. As much as she wanted to blame the hormonal suppressant
injection Rory had given her, Judy knew it wasn’t the case. She chose to ignore
the incredulous stares she was receiving from those around her and focus on her
meal.
Nick smiled as he watched Judy eat. “Slow down, Fluff. It ain’t going
anywhere.” he told her. Picking up one of his blueberries, he tossed it in the
air and caught it in his maw. He noticed the looks of disbelief Judy was
getting. He didn’t like it at all. “I know my dad gave us the rest of the day
off, but I doubt you want to spend it on an empty stomach.” Nick was pleased
that his words caused them to resume eating their own meals.
“Hey, Nick?” Jaxon asked. “I think we need to discuss sleeping arrangements.”
Jameson had informed he, Nick, Judy, and Skye that they’d be bunking up
together during their stay here. Scarlett Reddington was being detained in
another room down the hall from their own. The red fox vixen hadn’t even tried
to escape so Jaxon didn’t bother asking for armed guards to watch her.
Skye spoke up. “I’m going to suggest that Judy and I stay together in her room.
That leaves you and Nick to share his.” From her position next to Nick, she
leaned close to his ear and whispered, “I know you’ve got questions you’re
dying to ask.”
Nick was thankful that his fur was already a rich crimson so that his blush
wasn’t nearly as visible as it could be. Nodding, he said, “I can accept that.”
He looked at the others then asked, “Where are you all staying?” He knew they
were staying at the academy, but not where. Nick was curious because, though he
had just met them, he felt as if they were his pack.
Surprisingly to everyone, Shay was the one who answered. “The same temp housing
complex as you. We’re just one floor up. We’ve already been assigned who we’re
roomed with. Harrison and I are in room 12B, Honey and Zannah are in 11B.”
Finishing his bug-steak, Shay picked up his plate and deposited it through the
opening to the washroom then headed out.
Honey followed Shay with her eyes. “That’s the most I’ve ever heard him speak
since meeting him.” she murmured. Finishing her own meal, she picked up her
plate and deposited it through the washeteria window. “I’m heading to the room.
I need sleep. I’ll catch up with y’all later.”
Watching as Honey left, Harrison and Zannah both stood and repeated the
actions, saying they would see them later before departing towards the
academy’s multipurpose complex. Now alone with one another, Jaxon, Skye, Nick,
and Judy exchanged glances. Judy finished the last of her turkey legs and
polished off her mixed berry salad then said, “Well, since everyone’s going to
rest, we might as well do the same.”
Nick nodded then grabbed Judy’s dishes to take them to the washeteria window.
Jaxon did the same for Skye’s. Once that was done, the four of them walked back
to their rooms. Nick gave Judy a brief kiss before he and Jaxon entered their
room. Closing the door behind Jaxon, Nick locked both it and the door
connecting theirs to Skye and Judy’s. His ear twitched as he heard bedsprings
compress. Turning, he found Jaxon pulling out the sofa-bed hidden within the
couch.
Jaxon stripped down to his boxer briefs then hopped up on the mattress of the
sleeper sofa. Seeing Nick’s expression, he asked, “Something up?” Jaxon watched
as Nick approached and sat on the edge. It seemed that Nick was trying to work
himself up for something. “You know, you can ask me anything, right? You’re
going to be my brother-in-law at some point.”
Nick let out a strained chuckle. “I, uh, I wanted to ask you for advice.” he
replied. “I mean, I want to abide by both vulpine and lagomorph courtship laws,
but I have no knowledge of how bunnies court one another.” Nick had tried
researching it. He had even tried asking one of Judy’s other brothers while at
the farm. Ewan and Michael both did their best to explain, but Nick only ended
up with more questions than answers.
Scratching his head, Jaxon said, “Well, I can tell you a few things. First
thing you need to know is that does often box their prospective mates. I’ve
seen Judy do that numerous times to you, so you’re good there. When it comes to
bucks, we normally try and impress the doe of our fancy by gifting things like
flowers, produce, or even clothing.”
“Tods often gift puzzles to the vixen they’re courting.” Nick told Jaxon. “I
could gift her some puzzles. Flowers, too. Are there specific flowers that
bucks gift?” Nick started trying to come up with a list of flowers he thought
Judy would like.
“Hold on now, Nick.” Jaxon ordered. Once Nick looked at him again, Jaxon said,
“Flowers hold a very important place in Leporidae culture. There’s a whole
language based on them. Yes, roses mean love, but so do other flowers.” Jaxon
frowned in thought. “You have melianthus, primrose, myrtles, tulips, lilacs,
forget-me-nots, and plenty of others that all mean ‘love’ or some variation of
it. There are flowers that say ‘friendship’, ‘trust’, ‘faithfulness’, and many,
many other meanings as well.”
Nick was floored by the information. “Is…is there a book or something that I
could read so I can memorize all of it?” he asked. He wanted to make sure that
the bouquet that he gave Judy always said exactly what he wanted it to say. He
felt a small grin appear on his face as he watched Jaxon’s light up.
“There is actually.” Jaxon confirmed. “I’ll get you a copy. Also, you need to
understand that does will eat the bouquet given to them by a buck. This shows
that they accept them as their suitor. There are a ton of special flowers that
can only be used at a specific time, but we’ll cross that bridge when the time
comes.”
Nick’s thoughts suddenly went to Emmitt Otterton, Mr. Big’s florist. He felt it
was safe to assume that the otter would know what flowers would make the best
bouquet for what he wanted to tell Judy. He continued to listen as Jaxon
explained the various steps to lagomorph courtship while at the same time
wondering what Judy and Skye were doing.
<MEANWHILE W/ JUDY AND SKYE>
The moment Nick and Jaxon entered their room and closed the door, Judy and Skye
entered their own, repeating the process. Judy went to use the restroom,
letting Skye get comfortable. Skye looked around the room, slightly saddened
that Judy hadn’t done anything with it. At the same time the vixen understood
why Judy hadn’t. They wouldn’t be here for but a few months at the most.
Skye moved over to the desk and sat down. She noticed a drawer was ajar by an
almost imperceptible amount. Opening the drawer, her eyes widened by what she
discovered. Flipping through the text, Skye saw that small notes had been
placed in the margins. Her ear twitched at the sound of the toilet flushing.
Peering in that direction, she saw Judy walk out.
“So, what do you want to…” Judy froze as she saw what Skye was looking at. They
locked gazes in a silent standstill. Without warning, Judy lunged at the vixen,
knocking them to the ground. “Give me that!” Judy whisper-shouted. She
continued to struggle, trying to get the book away from Skye. “Seriously, Skye.
Give.”
Skye yelped in surprise at Judy’s strength. She tossed the book towards the bed
which caused Judy to leap for it. However, Skye quickly grabbed one of Judy’s
hindpaws, pulling the doe to her chest. “Hold on, Judy.” Skye was attempting to
apologize for invading her privacy, but Judy was in a state of panic. “Judy.
Stop for a sec.”
Judy’s anxiety triggered an instinctive response causing her to kick. The
action sent Skye flying as Judy rushed to the book and held it tightly to her
chest, whimpering. She felt so utterly embarrassed and humiliated that Skye had
found it. Judy wanted to crawl into a pit and stay there for the rest of her
life. As much as she hated the nickname of ‘Jude the Prude’, Judy knew that
there was truth in it.
Skye managed to crawl over to Judy and wrap her in a hug. “Hey. Hush now.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to hide something like that.” Skye continued
to whisper soothing words to the doe until Judy calmed down.
“I…I’m sorry, S-Skye.” Judy stuttered out. Wiping away the beginnings of the
tears that had threatened to fall, Judy took a deep calming breath. “I was just
embarrassed.” She lowered her ears over her eyes as if to hide herself.
Chuckling softly, Skye said, “You’ve got no reason to apologize. I’m the one at
fault. I shouldn’t have been digging.” She patted Judy’s back comfortingly. “Do
you want to talk about it? After all, I do know a thing or two.” Skye had no
issue talking about her life before Jaxon, it was her private time with him
that was off limits.
Judy sniffled a little. “Y-you’d really do that for me?” she asked. The sound
of Skye’s confirming hum relaxed her. Moving her ears around so that they went
down her back, Judy whispered, “I’d like that. Thank you.”
“No problem, Judy.” Skye told her. Getting up and moving to the bed, she patted
the spot next to her to indicate to Judy were to sit. Once Judy was seated next
to her, Skye asked, “Alright, where would you like to start?”
Opening the book to the chapter on fox courtship, Judy said, “Tell me what’s
expected of the vixen during courtship. This book has a lot of terminology I
don’t really understand.” She passed the book to the vixen, opened to the spot
that she’d dogeared.
Taking the book, Skye said, “Well, how about this? You tell me what you know
then I’ll fill in anything you missed.” To her great amusement, Skye actually
found herself with a pen and a pad of paper, taking notes. “Slow down a bit
please. I can only write so fast.” Skye said with a laugh.
“Sorry.” Judy replied sheepishly. She’d all but memorized  The Complete Young
Vulpine’s Guide to Maturity  within the few days home in Bunnyburrow. Judy gave
her a sad smile. “I…I just want to do this right, Skye. I’ve never done any of
this before. It’s all new to me.”
Skye studied Judy for a second. She saw no deception in Judy’s words or body
language. Skye pulled Judy close. “It’ll be okay.” she whispered. She found
herself feeling protective of the doe. It pained her to see Judy like this.
Skye promised herself that she’d do everything she could to help Judy with
this.
Judy sighed. “I know it will.” She relaxed in Skye’s embrace. “Skye? Can I ask
you something?” Judy asked, quietly. She felt the vixen nod. “Can…can you tell
me what you know about soulmates?” Judy felt Skye tense up next to her.
Swallowing thickly, Skye asked, “Are you telling me that Nick’s told you that
you and he are soulmates?” For foxes, soulmates weren’t something you spoke of
lightly. “Judy? Did Nick tell you that you’re his soulmate?”
“Not exactly.” Judy confessed. “Nick’s father only mentioned their importance.”
She could still recall what Jameson had told her back then. Knowing that, Judy
had asked Jameson for the book to help her court Nick properly. She wanted to
do this to prove to herself that she could do it.
“Well,” Skye began. “Soulmates are rare, and we only ever get one. It’s said
that when a fox finds their soulmate, they won’t know it at first. There isn’t
anything we wouldn’t do, nothing we wouldn’t be for them, no lengths we
wouldn’t go. They are our everything, our whole reason for living.” Skye’s
thoughts drifted to Jaxon as she continued to relay what she’d grown up being
told about soulmates. She wholeheartedly believed that Jaxon was her soulmate,
there was no doubt in her mind of that fact.
Judy chuckled softly. “Jameson said almost the exact same thing.” she
whispered. Judy felt fatigue start to take over. She hadn’t slept since the
night before last. “Skye?” Judy heard the vixen hum questioningly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Judy.” Skye whispered. “Rest now. You need it.” It didn’t take
long for the sound of Judy’s soft snoring to reach Skye’s ears. She picked Judy
up the same way one would a kit and set her down on the bed, tucking her in.
“Sleep tight.”
<MEANWHILE W/ JAMESON>
Jameson walked into the auxiliary office Andreas was using at the ZPA. He found
the gigantic cape buffalo leaning forward with his right fist pressed to his
forehead, right elbow resting on the desk acting as a brace. “I guess you’ve
been informed then.” Jameson stated in a serious tone. The only response he got
in return was a single grunt. Taking a glance at the clock just behind and to
the right of Andreas, Jameson saw that it was only a couple of seconds past
midnight. “I’ve texted everyone to tell them they have until the day after
tomorrow off. After that, an old friend of mine will be here to exfil us to a
more remote and secure location to train them.”
Andreas leaned back to study Jameson. “I see. What of Fenrir, Josef, and
Carlos?” They had agreed that they would all assist in teaching the new
initiates. “Will you be having them extracted as well to wherever you’re having
the initiates taken?”
“I am.” Jameson answered with a nod. “I’m here to tell you that where they are
going isn’t someplace you’ll find on any map. It’s a privately owned black site
outside Zootopia in an area most wouldn’t dare adventure. It’s a dead zone.” He
lobbed a communicator at the General. “That’s the only way you’ll be able to
contact them. Do NOT lose it.”
Andreas Bogo examined the communicator. It seemed far more advanced than those
he’d seen before. Carefully putting it in the breast pocket of his uniform, he
said, “I won’t.” He and Jameson locked eyes. Neither wanted to say what had to
be said, but thankfully they both already knew. ‘ Be careful, watch your six,
and don’t you dare die. ’ Andreas watched as Jameson made to leave, but before
the fox could, Andreas asked, “Did you talk to Deego?”
Jameson froze, tail bristled. “No, and I don’t plan to anytime soon.” Jameson
looked at Andreas over his shoulder. “I know I must at some point, but now is
not the time.”
Andreas continued to study the black-furred tod for a minute before saying,
“You can’t keep running away from this Jameson. You’ll have to face it
eventually. After all, Nick deserves to know the truth.”
Returning the focus of his gaze in front of him, Jameson walked out of the
office, whispering, “I know. I just don’t know how the fuck to tell him
something of such magnitude. How do you tell your only kit they aren’t even
supposed to exist.”
Chapter End Notes
     So, last time we had kids, my wife proved that human beings can go
     savage as well. I've still got the faint scar marks where she bit my
     forearm from back then.
     Why do I tell you this? Simple. This is a warning for all the male
     readers. If you're married and your wife is about to have y'alls
     first child naturally, be prepared. They will revert to savages. Pain
     triggers something far scarier in them than death.
     'Ian' is holding off posting the next chapter of SWZ until we return
     home. So, two or three weeks. He claims there are a couple of things
     that he needs to fix first. Also, he's excited about the results of
     the Lightsaber Colour Poll. There've been a lot of in-depth
     submissions. Some colours have been decided, but we still have a few
     that need TBD.
     Lastly, a belated Valentine's Day to you all. My family did a small
     gift exchange similarly to Christmas. I'll admit I squealed in
     jubilation when I got Dynasty Warriors 9 for PS4 from my wife. I
     hadn't even known they were making it. Plus it got released the day
     before (2/13). I spent a ton of time playing it with my kids (godson/
     nephew included) we had a ball. I got my wife the book series she's
     been wanting for forever (Legend of Drizzt). I wonder why we never by
     anything for ourselves in my family? I mean, we make enough for it,
     but we never do.
     Anyway, I'm signing off. Until next chapter release. Do svidaniya!
***** Chapter Sixteen: Awakenings *****
Chapter Summary
     Wakey-wakey.
Chapter Notes
     Setting: An old graveyard in the dead of night. Distant thunder
     rumbling.
     Out of one grave a fist breaks through the surface followed by its
     counterpart.
     Pulling itself out of the grave, the creature releases an echoing
     wail as its body begins to reconstitute itself.
     After it's over, the cryptid stares at the observer, and grins
     maniacally.
     "I'M BACK!!!"
     See End Notes for the continuation.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                          Chapter Sixteen: Awakenings
===============================================================================
                                        
Temporary_Housing_Complex_–_ZPA_-_Early_Morning_-_Prior_to_Evacuation
Announcement
Nick shot up with a gasp. Breathing heavily, he rolled out of bed and stumbled
into the bathroom. Gripping the counter tightly to help himself remain upright,
Nick closed his eyes. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Nick raised his head
level to the mirror and opened his eyes. He found himself staring into the eyes
of a wild, primitive fox. Nick examined his eyes carefully. They really
appeared to be those of a primeval vulpine, slit pupils and all. Stepping away
from the counter, he looked down to see that he was instinctively standing only
on the pads of his hindpaws, also reminiscent of a feral vulpine. When he tried
to set the rest of his hindpaws back on the ground, Nick found that it didn’t
feel normal anymore. He resigned himself to this new natural stance. Looking at
the mirror once more, Nick saw his eyes hadn’t reverted back. His ear twitched
as a sound reached his ears. Placing his paw on his chest, from where the sound
emanated. Closing his eyes, Nick counted the beats. 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4.
Jaxon woke as his subconscious mind registered a disturbance in his physical
surroundings. Cracking opening an eye slightly, he saw dim light radiate from
the bathroom door. Getting off the sleeper sofa’s mattress, he approached and
peered inside to find Nick with a paw on his chest. Jaxon’s ears honed in to
try and listen to Nick’s heartbeat. The last remnants of sleep evaporated as he
realized what it was that woke him. As a Leporidae, Jaxon had a heightened
sense of hearing. He had, on rare occasions, been able to hear the heartbeats
of mammals and knew that it was normally stylized like a four-step waltz: ba-
dum, ba-dum, repeat. Nick’s right now was: ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum,
repeat. To Jaxon, it almost sounded as if Nick had two hearts.
Nick opened his eyes to look at Jaxon, who he had heard enter the bathroom.
Nick saw Jaxon flinch when he saw his eyes, but relaxed immediately afterwards.
Nick tentatively approached Jaxon saying, “I think...my Izu Genes are
awakening.” Jameson had tested them all for the gene within minutes of
everyone’s arrival. He hadn’t tested Nick due to having him tested at birth, so
he had spent the time further explaining the gene to him. Nick had paid rapt
attention to his father’s explanation.
A small smile spread across Jaxon’s face at the news. He recalled what they’d
been told after getting tested for the gene. “That’s great, Nick.” Jaxon
stated. An expression of curiosity soon replaced his smile. “I wonder how it
will affect the rest of us.” Jameson had told them that those with the gene’s
non-awakened form had a higher chance of beginning to awaken their own when
those around them did.
“I have no idea.” Nick replied. “We’ll just have to wait and see.” Glancing at
the clock, Nick saw that it was almost 5 in the morning. He walked to his
bedside table and picked up his phone, selecting his mom’s contact info. His
mom was always up and moving by 4:30, so Nick hoped that she’d answer.
Thankfully, she did. “Morning, Mom. I know it’s early, but I needed to ask you
a question.”
“Morning to you too, Nicky.” Rory answered. “How can I help? I’m getting ready
to go to work, so you’ll need to be quick.”
“I was wondering if you were privy to the status of Emmitt Otterton.” Nick
explained. “You know, the otter that sparked the Missing Mammals case Judy and
I solved. I need his assistance with something, but I don’t know if he’s been
cured yet.”
“I know exactly who you’re talking about.” Rory told her son. “He’s due to be
released today. I’m actually on my way there to perform the final examination
prior to letting him sign out.”
“Awesome.” Nick exclaimed, making him mom chuckle. “Look, I wanted to know
because I would like to place an order for a bouquet of flowers for Judy. I was
going to call his shop, but if he wasn’t there, I didn’t want to impose.”
“Don’t worry, Nicky. When I get there I’ll tell him about how you and Judy
saved him. You just call his shop if you have the number and place your order.”
Rory replied in a soft, sweet voice. “Okay, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you
later, ‘kay?” She didn’t wait for an answer before hanging up.
Nick quirked his ear towards the bathroom. Hearing the shower running, he
dialed the number for Otterton’s shop. He was expecting to get an answering
machine. Instead, the line connected, and a feminine voice said, “Otterton’s
Floral Emporium, where you can purchase any sample of the world’s flora. This
is Kris Otterton, how can I help you?”
“Uh,” Nick answered. “Sorry, I…I was kind of expecting to leave a message on
the answering machine.”
Kris giggled a bit. “It’s okay. No one’s normally up around this time anyway,
so I thought it would be funny to freak you out. My bad.” She giggled a little
more before asking, “So, how can I help you? Are you looking to place an
order?”
“I am, actually.” Nick responded. “I’m looking for just the right combination
of flowers that will tell my girlfriend what she means to me. I’ve been told
that there’s an entire language based on flowers and I want to make sure that I
the bouquet conveys the message just the right way.”
“Aw, you’re so sweet.” Kris gushed. “I’m not that well versed in floriography,
but my dad’s getting released from the hospital today and he’s a genius in it.
Tell me what you’re wanting to tell her, so I can write it down for him.”
“I want it to say…” Nick didn’t know what words to use. “I don’t know. There’s
so much and I honestly have no idea what words would be best. I want it to say
I love her, that she’s my heart and soul, that no one could possibly replace
her.” Nick sat on the edge of his bed. “I really don’t know how to describe
what she means to me.”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a good bit. Finally, Kris
asked, in a soft voice, “Can you trust me? I have a concept of what you’re
trying to say, but can you trust me enough to let me try?”
“Heh, I’ll trust you. But, please, don’t mess this up.” Nick told her. “My gal,
she’s more special than you could possibly ever imagine.”
“I got it. Believe me, I got it.” Kris said softly. “I’ll get the order form
ready. Do you want us to deliver? Or do you want to pick it up?”
“I’ll have my mom pick it up. If you don’t mind, that is.” Nick replied. “Thank
you, Kris.”
“No prob. I’ll get your order processed. It shouldn’t take too long. Once my
dad gets back, I’ll make sure yours is first. Have a nice day. OH! Name! I, uh,
need a name for your order.”
Nick thought about it. He didn’t want to draw unwanted attention, so he chose
an old alias. “Nicholas Redd Hood.” Nicholas because it was his actual name.
Redd because it was one of Judy’s nicknames for him. Hood? Well, when Nick was
a kit, his parents always told him that they were direct descendants of the
legendary Robin Hood. “My mother, Marion Hood, will be the one picking up the
bouquet.”
“Alright. I’ll make a note. Have a nice day.” Kris then hung up.
Nick shot a quick text to his mother to let her know the arrangement. The
instant the message was sent, Nick convulsed and collapsed. He felt as if his
nerves were overloaded live wires. He suppressed his screams and whines,
enduring the pain. Unable to completely suppress making any noise, Nick let out
a hiss of pain.
Judy woke with a gasp. She bolted for the door connecting her rooms to Nick’s
and kicked it in. Her heart clenched at the sight she beheld. Rushing to Nick’s
side, she whispered, “I’m here, Nick. I’m right here.” She held Nick’s head to
her chest as he continued to convulse.
Jaxon walked out of the bathroom to find Judy holding Nick tight as the tod
convulsed on the floor. “What the hell?” he exclaimed. Seeing Judy’s
expression, Jaxon said, “I’ll go get Jameson.” He sprinted out of the room.
“Nick?” Judy whimpered. Tears began to spill from her eyes. Seeing Nick like
this tore her apart. Unable to stop herself, Judy leaned in and gave Nick a
kiss on the forehead in between his eyes. The moment her lips made contact,
Judy felt Nick’s convulsions lessen then cease. Pulling away, she whispered,
“Nick?”
Nick’s eyes shot open revealing that his eyes were still those of a primal fox.
Sitting up, he looked at Judy and locked eyes. Leaning down, he captured her
lips in a kiss, which he growled into. He separated after only a few seconds to
whisper, “Sorry for worrying you, Love.”
“You…you’re okay?” Judy asked, worriedly. She studied Nick’s face, looking for
any micro-expressions of deception. She saw none however as Nick nodded.
“You’re sure?” Judy had to make sure.
Leaning in to kiss her once more, Nick whispered, “I’m fine. I promise.” The
kiss starting tender and loving, but soon devolved into one of passion. Nick
pulled away, licking Judy’s nose as he heard his father and Jaxon approach. He
pulled Judy into his lap, wrapping her in his tail. When his father and Jaxon
entered the room, Nick looked at them with a grin. “Hey. How’re you doing?”
Seeing Nick’s eyes, Jameson smiled then shifted his own to match. “Looks like
you’re finally awakened, Kit.” Letting his eyes revert to normal, Jameson
stated, “Since you’ve awakened, Judy and the others shouldn’t be too far
behind.” As he began to leave, Jameson paused. “You two should go visit Rory at
MTHZ. If I’m not mistaken, Rory still wants a sample of Judy’s blood. Now would
be the best time to do it. You already have today off, but take tomorrow off as
well. Make sure you two get enough rest, because we’ll be hitting the ground
running once the real training starts.”
Jaxon watched as Jameson left the room. Turning to look at Nick and Judy, he
said, “Well, if you two are going to stay in here, I’m going to join Skye in
the other room.” He didn’t wait for a reply. Wandering into Judy and Skye’s
room, Jaxon joined Skye on the pull-out couch. Cuddling up, he sighed
contentedly. He heard Skye murmur ‘I love you, Jack’ in her sleep, kissed her,
then joined her in dream land.
Nick and Judy continued to sit there gazing at each other. Judy reached up to
stroke his muzzle. “Your eyes,” she murmured. “They look sexy.” She blushed
realizing that she had said that aloud. Judy watched as Nick smirked,
displaying his fangs. She shivered in arousal at the sight and the sensation of
his claws combing through her fur. “N-Nick.” she whimpered.
Nick’s smirk became a soft, tender smile. “Sorry, Love. Didn’t mean to make you
uncomfortable.” He held her tight to his chest and stood. Walking over to the
bed, he laid her down then did the same, curling around her.
“It’s okay.” Judy told him cuddling into his chest. “Besides, I…I like it.” she
admitted, quietly. Judy both heard and felt Nick rumble, causing her to grin.
She snuggled deeper, enjoying the moment. After a while, she pondered, “I
wonder when I’ll awaken. Your dad said the rest of us shouldn’t be too far
behind.”
“Don’t know, but I hope I get to take you on a date before you do.” Nick
replied. With the knowledge that they had roughly two days off, Nick had begun
planning a nice evening for them. “Rest a little longer, Love. I’ve got plans
for us later today.” It didn’t take long for Judy to fall back asleep. Nick
curled tighter around her protectively before he too fell back asleep.
The_Cage_–_Zootopia_-_Just_prior_to_noon
Andrew Bellwether sat in his cell awaiting the arrival of the prison guard that
was to escort him to the warden’s office. After faking his death with the
assistance of Liam, Parker, and Doug, Andrew had surrendered himself to the
ZPD. They read him the Patriot Act, effectively labelling him as a terrorist.
He hadn’t argued. Hearing the prison guard open the slot in his cell door,
Andrew turned his back and stuck his hooves through so that the guard could
cuff him. Once that was done and the door opened, Andrew followed the guard to
his destination.
Police Chief Tobias Bogo sat in the visiting area waiting for the guard to
secure Andrew to the table. Looking down at the file in his hooves, Bogo read,
“Andrew Bellwether. Older brother of Dawn Bellwether. Biochemical engineer.”
Peering up at the black-wooled ram before him, Bogo said nothing as he waited
to see what Andrew would say.
“I don’t know where the bio-bombs are located.” Andrew stated. “I only helped
create the biomaterial being used in them.” He had turned over all his research
at the time of his surrender. “Look, I would work on one payload at a time.
After finishing one, I would leave it out so that another member of Predopurge
could collect it.”
Bogo frowned deeply. Reading through the file, he said, “When you surrendered,
you agreed to serve a life sentence without parole. In exchange, you’re going
to provide us with all the information you know.” Setting the folder down, Bogo
crossed his arms. “Anything you want to add before I get up and leave?”
Shaking his head, Andrew said, “Not at this time.” He watched as Bogo waved the
guard back inside. Before following the guard out of the room, Andrew asked,
“By the way, did you receive my note?” He got a nod in response, “Well?” he
inquired. He received another nod in response. Nodding back, Andrew followed
the guard back to his cell. Once inside, he moved to his prison cot. All he
could do now was wait for Liam, Doug, and Parker to do take care of their
parts. Laying down, Andrew closed his eyes and took a nap.
Metropolitan_Teaching_Hospital_of_Zootopia_-_Just_before_noon
Pronk power-walked down the various hallways of MTHZ. After the shooting at the
rally, Pronk had raced to the hospital so that he could help. Although he still
wasn’t feeling 100%, Pronk knew that he was no longer contagious. That didn’t
mean he didn’t take precautions though. Quickly making rounds, he checked those
wounded during the shooting. Once he was finished, Pronk made his way to the
office where he met up with the rest of Dr. Wilde’s team.
Dr. Viktor Wolfenstein, Olly Clawfrey, and a new member, Douglas Howlser, who
liked to be called ‘Doogie’. Doogie was a 15-year-old coywolf wunderkind who
had scored top marks on his MCAT. He had been assigned to Dr. Wilde’s team due
to his young age and his personality issues. Though young, Doogie didn’t show
any of the typical behavioral traits associated with those his age, often
acting like a much older adult instead. Pronk took a seat next to Doogie with a
polite nod.
The team had been running around the hospital aiding other teams as well as
treating their own patients. The shooting had thrown the hospital into near
chaos with the large influx of wounded. They had been informed of the
activation of Directive 66 earlier that day and, as medical professionals, that
meant that they were to remain in the city to care for the impending
casualties. Due to the temporary relocations as a result of the impending
evacuations, the team had decided to reside within the hospital. Each had
already contacted their families to make them aware of this decision, and give
them some peace of mind.
Doogie didn’t mind in the slightest. He had a job to do and. by the will of the
Divine Entities. he was going to do it. The file he held in his paws, however,
had him worried. The name of the patient was the same as one he’d heard in
passing from Dr. Wilde when talking of her son and his future mate. Doogie was
waiting for Dr. Wilde’s arrival to discuss the case. The moment she walked
through the door, Doogie approached, asking, “May I speak to you in private for
a minute?”
Rory hadn’t anticipated Doogie’s serious tone that accompanied his question.
She did however nod, lead him into her office the next room over, and close the
door, locking it behind them. “What is it?” she inquired. Taking the file that
Doogie offered, she studied it for a second before looking at the name
attached. Rory stared at it for a bit in thought before speaking. “Okay,” she
whispered, quietly. “Do me a favor. Let me handle this. You can assist, since
it’s unethical to treat one’s family as a patient.”
Sitting on the examination table, Judy wondered if she’d be lucky enough to get
Rory. She watched as Nick studied the different images that adorned the wall of
the examination room. Judy had gotten top scores in all her classes, both high
school and collegiate. However, the detail on these put those in her old books
to shame.
‘I hate hospitals.’  Nick thought to himself as he pretended to study one of
the images on the wall of the examination room, having seen such things
countless times in his mother’s various textbooks she kept at home. However,
Nick understood why Judy had insisted they visit his mother. After all, Judy
had confirmed what his father said about his mother having requested a sample
of her blood. Still, Nick had never, ever, been a fan of hospitals. Hospitals
were always far too clean in his mind.  With how sterile the janitorial staff
kept them, hospitals were constantly left smelling of nothing but chemicals .
Still, better to be too clean than unsanitary Nick supposed, especially in
places such as hospitals.
“So, after this, what’re we going to do?” Nick asked as he turned to Judy. The
doe had an expression that told him she was thinking it over carefully. “We
could go grab something to eat real quick and go on a short tour of the city.”
he offered after a minute or two.
Grinning, Judy looked at Nick. “Yeah. We could do that.” Seeing him in the
outfit he was wearing, Judy had to admit he looked really good, like,  really
good.
Nick’s outfit consisted of black jeans, a vintage t-shirt with the logo of an
old video-game she didn’t know, a biker jacket similar to that movie about the
Spectre of Retribution, complete with those metal spikes. Nick was also wearing
the smartshades his father had given them to hide his eyes, which hadn’t yet
reverted to their normal state. He looked like one of the models in her Knotty
Tod magazines.
“You are on a hormonal suppressant, right?” Nick inquired when the scent of
Judy’s arousal struck his nose. He saw Judy squeeze her thighs together, and
released a huff of amusement. “It’s alright, Cottontail. I rather like your
scent. I just don’t want anyone else with a sensitive nose getting a whiff of
something that is meant for me alone.”
Closing her eyes, Judy prayed that the veterinarian would hurry up and arrive.
She felt relief when the door opened to reveal Rory and a young coywolf enter.
“Hey, Rory. Nick and I decided to come by so that you could draw that blood
sample you wanted.”
Giving Judy a knowing look, Rory said, “So I see. Doogie, be a dear and close
the door please.” Taking a seat in front of Judy, the vixen asked, “So, judging
on that smell of arousal the Ahendophol isn’t working.” Crossing her arms and
drumming the claws of her right paw on the upper arm of her left, Rory pondered
aloud, “I don’t…” Her eyes shot wide when the realization of why it wasn’t
working anymore hit her.
The same moment Rory figured it out, Judy began to feel weird. Suddenly, the
most agonizing pain she could imagine ran rampant through her body. Beginning
to convulse, she slipped off the examination table towards the ground. Before
she made impact, something caught her. Judy knew that it was Nick, because his
scent was suddenly all around and enveloping her.
Nick had noticed it the instant it happened, that subtle shift in Judy’s scent.
It clearly hadn’t been the scent of her arousal, that much he knew. He had come
to know that scent after identifying it the first morning at his parents’
place, though he hadn’t known what it was at that time. That had a light floral
and earthy smell with an underlying hint of spice. This scent was something
totally different, and he didn’t know how to describe it. Instinctively, Nick
bolted to Judy’s side catching her before she hit the ground and held her
tightly to his chest. Judy’s convulsions intensified forcing him to hold onto
her tighter. Having gone through the same experience himself just that same
morning, Nick knew Judy had started to undergo her own awakening. He kept her
in his powerful embrace, nose positioned in between her ears.
As for Judy, she felt as if her whole body was on fire and had molten lava
coursing through her veins instead of blood. She wondered if this was what Nick
had felt earlier that morning. Judy could hear Nick whispering softly into her
ears, telling her things like ‘I’m here’, ‘You’re okay’, ‘Everything’s going to
be alright’, and ‘Just let it happen, Love’. Judy trusted him and endured it.
She never once screamed throughout the process, not wanting others to think
that something terrible was happening to her. She didn’t know how much time had
passed, but Judy knew it was taking longer than it had for Nick, as he had been
slowly awakening for months or years. Finally, Judy felt relief as the
sensations faded away. Fatigue set in as the process had drained all her
energy. She fell asleep in Nick’s embrace.
Rory watched as Nick switched the way he held Judy to a bridal carry. After
quickly collecting the blood sample from Judy, which was the reason for their
visit, Rory ordered, “Take her back, Nicky. She’ll need to rest and recuperate.
I’ll check on her when I drop off that stuff you requested.” She stepped close
and laid a peck on Judy’s exposed cheek. “Sleep well, Judy.” Rory then ordered
Doogie to deliver Judy’s blood vial to the lab while she walked Nick to the
hospital entrance.
Nick bade his mother farewell, laid Judy in the passenger’s seat of the vehicle
they were allowed to borrow from the ZPA, then got into the driver’s seat and
took off back towards the Temp Housing Complex. When he pulled up, Nick saw his
father was waiting for them, figuring his mother had informed him of the
situation. For reasons unknown to Nick, Shay was also there, wearing nothing
more than a pair of workout pants. Nick stepped out of the vehicle and walked
around to collect Judy. Carrying her bridal style, Nick approached his father.
Jameson watched as Nick closed the distance between them as he carried Judy. “I
must admit, this is quite a bit sooner than I expected.” Jameson told his son.
He placed a paw on Judy’s head. “She’s going to be fine, Nick. She just needs
plenty of rest.” Turning to Shay, Jameson said, “Collect the others. You all
may have the day off from training, but there are things that need to be done.”
As Shay nodded and left, Jameson told Nick, “Bring her to your room and stay
with her. I’ll come and check on you two later.” Once Nick departed for his
room, Jameson pulled out his phone and dialed the number for his contact who
was supposed to extract them. “Hey. I need you to wait one more day. … No, my
son’s mate has just awakened. … Great. Thanks, M.”
<MEANWHILE>
Scarlett Reddington sat in her room at the ZPA’s Temp Housing Complex reading a
romance novel that she had loved since she was young. Skye Wintory was seated
on the other end of the couch staring at her. Scarlett wanted to roll her eyes
at the intensity of Skye’s stare, but refrained. Looking at her, Scarlett said,
“Whatever it is that’s bothering you, could you please just voice it already.”
Skye frowned. “I’m just trying to figure out why you seem so familiar to me.”
she explained, tersely. “I feel like I know you from somewhere, but I can’t
remember. I don’t recall ever meeting you before you turned yourself in.”
An unusual mixture of fear and excitement filled Scarlett at Skye’s words, but
she kept a straight face. “I don’t know what to tell you, Agent Skye.” Scarlett
lied. “Maybe I’m just one of those mammals.” In truth, Scarlett knew exactly
why Skye felt that way. Returning her gaze to her book, Scarlett’s right paw
repositioned itself onto her chest, over the locket she kept hidden under her
suit. Inside it was a picture of her daughter the day she took her home. Due to
her dangerous lifestyle, Scarlett had entrusted the safety of her daughter to
her best friend and confidant, an arctic tod named Gabriel, who was also her
daughter’s paternal uncle.
Scarlett and her daughter’s father had never meant for it to happen, but the
moment it had, they both knew that they didn’t want anyone else. They hadn’t
knotted that first time, but every subsequent time they had. It had been after
their sixth that Scarlett had realized she was pregnant. Fear had gripped her
heart then, for if her adversaries became aware of the existence of her
offspring, her daughter would be in grave danger. It hadn’t been long after
that that her mate had been murdered before her eyes. Vengeance had stopped her
from dying of her broken heart, along with knowing that she still carried a
piece of him inside her. After birthing her daughter, Scarlett gave her to
Gabriel for protection and embarked on a warpath. It took more than a decade to
exterminate those who took her mate from her. By the time she finished,
Scarlett learned that Gabriel and his family, including her daughter, had
disappeared. It had taken another three years for her to track them down and by
then, her daughter was nearly grown. Scarlett remained out of sight, but kept a
close eye on her daughter, observing as she completed her transition into full
adulthood, eventually gaining employment with the ZIB. When the Savage Mammals
Case started, Scarlett contacted her mammals in the city to get as much info as
possible, knowing that her daughter would more than likely be assigned to the
case, and she had been right.
“Maybe,” Skye mumbled. “But I don’t think that’s it.” She got up off the couch
and walked to the window. Growing up, Skye had always had a difficult time. It
had been on her fifteenth birthday that one of her older brothers had gotten
drunk and let slip that she was adopted. Learning that had broken her heart.
Her father had beaten Austin in a righteous, and justified, fury for revealing
the information. He then took her aside, explaining that it was more
complicated than that. Her father had told her he was, in reality, her paternal
uncle and that her father had been murdered while trying to protect her mother.
After Skye was born, her mother had entrusted the safety of her daughter to him
while she got revenge.
Skye often sat at the window, anxiously awaiting the day her mom would come and
get her; but that day never came. Eventually, Skye ran away, ending up in
Happytown and falling into drugs, booze, and prostitution. Later down the line,
she met Nicholas Wilde, who came along, got her clean, and turned her life
around, if only a bit. While they were roommates, Skye made a fool of herself
by taking his kindness as more than what it was. She knew now that what she
felt back then wasn’t love, but a form of hero-worship. After he kicked her
out, she moved to Foxhollow, where her uncle had relocated and met Jaxon.
Now, she had a family of her own, but it always felt like it was missing
something: her mother. Skye’s sole dream was to one day meet her mother, to
listen to her explain why she never came back. There was only three things Skye
knew about her mother. First:  she was a red fox vixen, not an arctic vixen.
Second: she had a scar from the caesarean section. Third: her mother possessed
a small locket that held a picture of her as a newborn kit..
A knock on the door drew the attention of the two vixens. The door opened to
reveal a young fox tod wearing a cadet outfit. He walked up to Scarlett and
pawed her an envelope before leaving the room. Both vixens looked at one
another and quirked a brow in response to the tod’s actions.
Scarlett opened the envelope and read the letter. Sighing, she tossed it aside.
“My mammals here in Zootopia have been wiped out thanks to personal prejudice.
Wonderful.” she grumbled. Scarlett got off the couch and started to pace,
thinking.
Skye picked up the letter, reading the contents. The letter was signed
‘Cordially yours, B’. It was short, to the point, and written in calligraphy.
The letter explained that The Yliaster Group had been wiped out and their base
of operations had been destroyed in an explosion. Skye had heard about The
Yliaster Group, the ZIB had often requested information from them when needed,
but she hadn’t been aware that Scarlett Reddington was the mammal who ran them.
Their elimination was both a blessing and a curse. Skye heard Scarlett mumbling
to herself and simply waited to see what would happen next.
Scarlett stopped pacing and sighed deeply. Things were going to be a  lot
harder now. She turned to look at Skye for a moment before heading towards the
bed saying, “I’m going to get some sleep. You can stay if you want, but please
don’t disturb my slumber. I’ll need to be well rested if I’m going to find a
solution to this new complication.” Scarlett divested herself of her suit
jacket, dress shirt, and pants, leaving only her bra, panties, and locket on
before crawling into her bed.
Watching as the red fox vixen undressed herself, Skye noticed a large number of
crisscross scars on her back. She couldn’t understand what kind of tod would
fall for a vixen like Scarlett Reddington, but then again, she didn’t know what
type of mammal Scarlett was prior to her ascension to Crime Lady.
As soon as Scarlett was encased in the covers of her bedding, Skye exited the
room, locking the door behind her. Swiftly making her way to her own room, Skye
pondered if she should dig into the vixen’s background for clues. Ultimately,
she decided against it. When Skye reached her room, she found Jaxon trying to
solve a Rubik’s Cube. She leaned against the door jamb, watching as he
struggled and eventually tossing it aside with an irritated huff. “What’re you
doing, Tiger?” she asked with a teasing smirk across her muzzle.
Jaxon rolled his head along with his eyes. “Nick had me go purchase a shitload
of puzzle games like that bloody cube for Judy. I thought to give it a try, but
I’ve been sitting here for almost a full hour without coming close to solving
the bugger.” Folding his arms, he grumbled, “I swear, I’m gonna have a bloody
migraine in the morning thanks to damn thing.”
Skye chuckled as she picked up the Rubik’s Cube and sat down next to her buck.
“Well,” she drawled, quickly solving it with ease before pawing it over to him.
“Guess it just goes to show which of us has the brains, doesn’t it?” She
guffawed at the incredulous face Jaxon had as he stared at the solved cube. She
heard Jaxon grumble some more then suddenly Skye found herself on her back
staring up into his eyes as he smirked down at her.
“You may be the smarter one out of the two of us, but I know something that I’m
far better at than you.” Jaxon told her in an amorous voice. He felt Skye
shiver underneath him then leaned down and kissed her passionately. Even after
the countless hours of sex they had had over the past couple of years, Jaxon
could never get over just how wonderful it was to kiss her like this. His ears
heard her heartrate pick up tremendously, making him smirk into the kiss.
Squirming underneath Jaxon, Skye could feel her pussy begin to leak. She moaned
as Jaxon began to grind his erect cock into her. Skye swiftly removed both her
pants and Jaxon’s, leaving his shirt on. She could feel Jaxon making quick work
of unbuttoning her shirt before he used his blunt claws to rake through her
chest fur.
This was like a dance between the two. Sometimes, Jaxon would lead, other times
it would be Skye. When it was Jaxon, he always made her feel as if she was the
queen of the animal kingdom. He’d take his time, lavishing her with affection,
but always following her subtle direction and never dragging things out any
longer than she wished him to. When Skye was in control, she would tease him
mercilessly and, being a lagomorph, Jaxon often didn’t stand a chance. This
time, however, the jackrabbit wasn’t taking his time being affectionate. He was
simply toying with her, making her shudder with anxious anticipation. He was
savagely teasing her, something he didn’t do often, but when he did, he did it
well.
Jaxon pulled away from the overheated kiss, lowering himself to her chest and
suckling her right nipple. Skye’s back arched at the pleasurable sensation. She
encircled him with her paws, pulling him closer. Jaxon dragged his dull claws
down her sides until they hooked her panties and slowly dragged them down. He
gave a powerful suck then, with an audible pop, withdrew his mouth from her
nipple. Skye’s autonomous response was to spread her inner thighs at the
action, giving Jaxon the opening he needed. Jaxon slowly inserted a finger into
Skye’s moist cavern, swirling it around inside, making Skye shudder. Jaxon
fought back the lewd smirk that threatened to overtake his muzzle at how wet
she was.
Skye hated Jaxon right now. Teasing  him  like  this  was  her  job. It was she
who was supposed to tease him until he reached his limit. He was supposed to be
slow, sensual. To have him act like this, to tease her in this manner, was
maddening in oh so many ways. She was so wet that she could hear the sound of
Jaxon’s paw moving in and out of her. Her brain was screaming at her to tell
him to get on with it, but the kittish face Jaxon was making had her biting her
tongue. However, Skye did use her hindpaws to lower his boxers, freeing his
hardened member. The sight of it so close to her gaping, sopping cunt was
almost too much. Her mind went on autopilot, thinking of all the lewd, perverse
things she could do with that, by bunny standards, thick rod of meat. Skye’s
head fell back onto the mattress as Jaxon gave a tiny thrust, just grazing his
tip across the lips of her pussy. A whine escaped her throat before she could
stop it.
The whine caused Jaxon to smirk wickedly and repeat the motion again and again.
Each time he did it, Skye’s body would spasm deliciously. He licked his lips
similarly to how Skye would when she was in his position. Jaxon pulled his dick
away, lowering it to her anus and poking its entrance lightly. He watched as
Skye arched her back more than he’d ever seen her do it before. Anal sex was
the only kind they hadn’t yet tried. The instant Skye’s back fell flush once
again with the mattress, Jaxon pulled away entirely to let Skye catch her
breath.
Skye felt so flustered. She could literally feel the juices of her pussy leak
out, down, and over her tailhole, preparing it for what Jaxon was about to do.
Shivering as Jaxon collected some of the juices onto his paw to lube up his
cock, Skye somehow managed to roll over onto her stomach. With her head down,
ass up, and tail swishing from side to side in anticipation, Skye lustfully
whispered, “Well, you going to keep me waiting? Or are you gonna remind me why
you’re called savage by rutting my virgin asshole?” Though, she had been a
prostitute when she was younger, she’d only ever done oral and PIV. This? This
was special, for Jaxon was the first and only mammal that would ever get to
ravage her ass.
Jaxon hummed for a second as if in thought. He leaned in close to her ass and
took a whiff. He caught the scent of her body wash shower gel, ‘Winter’s
Chill’. He smirked, knowing how thorough Skye would always wash herself, as if
to get the grime of her past out of her fur. Jaxon pressed his nose to Skye’s
quivering pucker and took an even deeper sniff. ‘She really is thorough.’ Jaxon
thought to himself. Extending his tongue, Jaxon rimmed her puckered tailhole,
smacking his lips every time. The taste wasn’t bad, in fact, he found that he
enjoyed it greatly.
Skye’s eyes rolled back in her head and her tongue lolled out of her mouth as
she drooled from pure hedonistic pleasure. When Jaxon thrust his tongue into
her tailhole, her muscles clenched like a vice and she climaxed, squirting all
over Jaxon and the mattress. Because of how she was positioned, Skye didn’t
move with the exception of her tail wrapping itself around Jaxon’s head to pull
him closer. She whimpered and whined in desperate need.
Despite being a lagomorph, Jaxon hadn’t hit his peak yet. All his intense
mating sessions with his vixen had trained him on how to cum when he chose. Of
course, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t leaking copious amounts of precum like
crazy. The smell of their combined pheromones was driving the two insane with
lust and desire. Jaxon, unable to reason with himself anymore, repositioned
himself so that he was standing on Skye’s calves, prick perfectly lined up with
her anus. He carefully inserted one, two, three fingers and began to make
piano-like movements with his fingers to stretch her out.
Skye was panting madly by this point. She had been panting for a good length of
time, but now it was almost like she was hyperventilating or had just ran an
ultramarathon. She need him to put it in already. She needed to feel him inside
her, pounding her senseless. Just as she was about to tell him that, it
happened. Skye felt Jaxon plunge his cock into her ass all the way to the point
their hips met. The sensation had her release a mating shriek that echoed off
the walls of the room.
Taking that as his go signal, Jaxon began to thrust himself in and out of
Skye’s ass like a jackhammer. He let loose a short spurt of cum to act as more
lube, better smoothing things along. He felt her ass clench again as she hit
her peak once more. It always surprised him how amorous Skye could be outside
of winter, her natural mating season. Of course, during that time, she was
nearly insatiable, making them stay in bed for hours on end for days. There had
been one or two times they had stayed in bed for an entire week, just rutting
each other’s brains out. He’d never get used to it, but then again, he didn’t
want to. It wasn’t long before his body told him that it could no longer hold
back its impending climax. Jaxon thrust forward with such ferocity that the
smack nearly drowned out the knock on the door.
Skye let out another mating shriek as Jaxon poured what she could only imagine
was a gallon of cum into her ass. It, in turn, forced her to hit her third
climax, completely drenching both of them and the bed in her cum. Her legs,
which had been holding her up the entire time, finally gave out and she fell
into the mattress with a wet smack. Jaxon fell onto her back as he continued to
pump even more cum up her tailhole. There were a few seconds of silence before
there was another knock on the door. Brain still fritzing out, Skye said,
“Enter.”
Shay opened the door to find Jaxon and Skye in what one would normally call a
compromising position. Luckily for them, the painted wolf didn’t give a fuck.
“You have ten minutes to make yourselves presentable. Jameson wants to see us.”
Before he closed the door, he added, “Make sure you take a shower. Otherwise,
you’re liable to freak the less sensible mammals around here out.” Closing the
door, Shay made his way out as he had already informed Harrison, Zannah, and
Honey.
Jaxon gently rolled Skye over onto her back while still lodged inside her
spasming, puckered tailhole. They shared a tender kiss then Skye propped
herself up on her elbows as Jaxon withdrew himself. There was a loud sound of
suction as Jaxon popped out. They watched in dumbstruck fascination as a
torrent of cum came gushing out of her gaping tailhole. Skye collected some,
then, in full view of Jaxon, poured it into her open maw and swallowed,
savoring the flavor. She winked at him then the two of them headed for the
shower.
ZPD_Precinct_One_HQ_-_Early_Afternoon
Officer Leon Delgato was both elated and disheartened as he sat in Chief Bogo’s
office.  Elated because the Chief had just finished commending him for his
exceptional service in spite of his injuries. Disheartening due to the deathly
grave expression that fell over the Chief’s face when he finished with the
commendations. Delgato felt terrified of what the Chief would soon tell him.
Tobias Bogo was many things: A hard-ass, a stickler for the rules, a no-
nonsense mammal on the job, and a reasonable authority figure overall. There
was one thing, however, that no one would or could ever accuse Bogo of being:
heartless. Chief Bogo looked at his lion officer with eyes that held both great
sadness and fiery anger as he held the file containing the results of the blood
analysis the precinct’s medical officer had delivered to him. “Leon,” Bogo
began slowly, causing the lion’s ears to perk attentively. “I need you to
understand that as hard as this will be to hear, it’ll be just as hard for me
to tell you.” He pulled out the sheet of paper with the results from the file
and hooved it over to his officer. “You have feline leukemia.”
Delgato’s brain stopped, trying to work out the punchline for the joke.
Laughing nervously, the lion said, “That’s, uh, I’m not sure I get the joke,
sir.” He smiled, but it was forced. Leon had known that his chances for the
virus had always been high. His father and both grandfathers had had it, and
managed to survive, but his mum’s mum had died from it. Taking the offered
sheet of paper, Leon read over it. The nervous smile faded, and tears began to
spill from his eyes as his paws shook. There in big, bold red letters were the
words:  Subject Tested Positive for Feline Leukemia .
Watching as one of his toughest officers broke down in tears, Bogo suppressed
the urge to shed a tear of his own. He remembered when the lion first came to
Precinct One. Delgato hadn’t had the mane he did now, it had just been a tuff
at the time. Delgato’s work ethic had been a bit questionable, but soon Bogo
had learned that the lion chose to be a bit of a prankster to lighten the
dreary mood that often fell over the department. Bogo’s first impression of him
had been marginally erroneous. He had viewed the lion as an attention whore,
but it soon became clear that Delgato merely wanted nothing more than to ease
mammals through wit. Not that it always worked, of course, but he did it
regardless. Managing to keep his voice even, Bogo said, “I’m sorry.”
Leon Delgato nodded in thanks then promptly ripped the results sheet into
confetti. He looked Chief Bogo in the eye and said, “I won’t accept mandatory
retirement. If I’m going to die, it’s going to be while I’m on duty. I’ll fight
you if necessary.” He didn’t know what his expression was, but Bogo’s was a
poker face. Delgato waited to hear what the Chief had to say.
“Officer Delgato, I’ve been made aware that you often did well with public
speaking in both high school and college.” Bogo stated. “I’m in need of a media
liaison. If it is agreeable to you, I’d like you to take up the position.
You’ll get a raise as well as better benefits. I only ask that you please visit
an oncologist in return.”
Delgato didn’t even have to waste any time considering the offer. “I accept,
but I’d like to have the rest of the day off. I need to visit my folks and
inform them of the news.” Getting the go ahead from Chief Bogo, Delgato walked
out of the Chief’s office. Making his way to reception, Delgato found
Clawhauser talking to that tiger that had visited previously. His ears caught
words and phrases like ‘You and Toby’, ‘tomorrow night’, and ‘dinner plans’
being thrown between the two. Ignoring it, he headed to the underground parking
garage for his motorcycle. Once geared up and out of the parking garage, he
gunned it, speeding out towards his cubhood home where his parents still lived.
Mr. Delgato was sitting on the front porch when he saw the only son amongst his
progeny of five cubs pull up on his bike. His father and father-in-law were
seated with him, drinking unsweetened iced tea. The three watched as Leon
approached them cautiously and joined them, sitting in one of the open
deckchairs. The senior Delgato males exchanged concerned looks at Leon’s dire
expression, hoping that he wasn’t there to tell them what they feared to hear.
Leon sucked in a deep lungful of breath. “I’ve got Feline Leukemia.” He heard
as his elders dropped their beverages onto the ground. It was deathly silent
until the door opened to reveal his mother exiting the house to see what had
caused the noise. Leon couldn’t bring himself to look at his mother. He
listened as she asked them what was going on. When she didn’t get an answer
from the others, he heard her pawsteps closing in on him. He avoided making eye
contact with her for as long as he could before she forced him to. The moment
it happened, his resolved shattered and he broke down in tears again. “I…Mom,
I’ve got Feline Leukemia.”
Mrs. Delgato, for her part, kept her composure. Her heart broke hearing her son
tell her the words that had haunted her as nightmares for years. She pulled her
only son into a tender, motherly embrace, letting him cry in the secured
comfort of her arms. Out of all her cubs, Leon had always been the one that
they treasured the most. He was their youngest, their only boy, as well as the
last she and her husband would ever have. They had always known that the
chances of him getting the same affliction was higher than their daughters.
Leon’s sisters came outside, having heard the sobs, to find Leon crying in
their mother’s arms. They looked at their father and grandparents. The
expressions told them all they needed to know. They took Leon from their mother
and held him tight, crying with him. All of them went inside. Mr. Delgato
called his oncologist, who graciously accepted Leon as a patient, saying he’d
do everything within his ability to increase Leon’s chances. The two older
Delgato males started calling friends for financial support, getting nearly a
quarter of a million right off the bat from the members of their pride.
Leon Delgato was thankful for all the support, but was too emotionally drained
to verbally express this and fell asleep on the couch. His family left him
alone, not wanting to cause any undue stress. Leon continued to sleep, reliving
the highs and lows of his life in his dreams. He hoped that he, like his father
and grandfathers, would manage to survive this ordeal.
Home_of_Doug_Ramses_-_Midafternoon
It wasn’t really a home. Not to Doug anyway. It was just a four-walled building
that served as a place of temporary residence for him. Still, it was serving a
purpose. Doug, Liam, and Parker were sifting through all of the paperwork they
had managed to gather on the biomaterials the Chancellor had chosen to use for
the bioweapons scattered throughout Zootopia. Liam had contacted Randolf
Reines, A fellow member of the Twelve, for assistance. At first, Randolf was on
the verge of refusing, but the moment bioweapons had been mentioned he fell in
line.
Currently housed within Doug’s so-called home were Doug, Liam, Parker, Randolf,
and Zebrina. Randolf and Zebrina were in the middle of conversing with their
contacts over the phone. The five of them had to be very careful with their
activities to make certain that what they were doing didn’t reach the
Chancellor. If he got wind of what they were up to, it was curtains for them.
“AH-HA!!” Liam shouted, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “I’ve found it!”
He waved the sheet of paper that held the info that held the closest match to
the biological materials being weaponized. “Now, there have been a few
differences from what the Chancellor’s weapons have, but this is it.” The buck
began to read aloud, “Pneumonic Yersinia Pestis. Damn, the Chancellor isn’t
holding anything back.” He pawed it over to Doug.
Doug took the sheet and looked it over. “Fucking hell. Let me see the paperwork
for the one being used.” Parker passed it over to him. Comparing the two, Doug
began marking the dissimilarities. Upon finishing, Doug researched the points
of interest. When he was done, the ram dragged a hoof over his snout. “We’re in
trouble. Like ‘up shit creek without a paddle’ trouble. He’s had this
genetically altered to be far more virulent. It’s also been redesigned to be
resistant to antivirals.”
“I thought Yersinia Pestis was a bacterium.” Parker replied, a tad bit
confused. “Doesn’t Yersinia Pestis mean plague? Plagues  are  bacterial, aren’t
they? Not viruses. It’s why they’re easier to transmit, isn’t it?”
Nodding in confirmation, Doug said, “Normally, that’s true. However, viral
plagues do exist. They’re just extremely rare. This?” He gestured to the info
sheet. “This is a synthetically created mammalmade viral plague designed to
emulate the natural occurring Pneumonic Yersinia Pestis, only more lethal.
That’s why we had such a difficult time identifying it. Viruses are also easier
to mutate. This one has been, making it easier to transmit and allowing it to
ignore the species barrier.”
As the severity of this information sank in, the others began to understand
just how deranged the Chancellor truly was. Randolf’s attention was brought
back to his phone as his contact called his name. “Yes, I’m still here. … Uh-
huh. … I see, thank you.” Hanging up, the reindeer turned to those with him.
“We’ve got a problem. Attorney General Hoover has put the entire city under
EMERGCON. They’ll be evacuating the city within the week. There’s going to be
an increase in both police and military presence. If we’re going to do
anything, it has to be soon or never.”
Zebrina let out a loud drawn-out groan. “We’ve been working towards the end of
Zootopia without ever realizing it.” she grumbled. Picking up her phone, she
dialed the number to one of her contacts. When the call connected, the zebra
wasted no time in issuing a series of commands. The exact instant she was done
listing her orders, Zebrina disconnected the call. “That should buy us a little
bit of time, but no guarantees. Doug, can you synthesize a cure? Or at least a
treatment?”
Doug nodded. “I can. I just need the proper equipment. As far as I know, there
is only one place in Zootopia that definitely has what I’d need: the Institute
of Disease Research. Now, theoretically, the Center for Contagious Pathogen
Management should probably also have the necessary equipment needed. but the
chances are minimal. Even if they do, I don't know if I even possess a high
enough security clearance required to be granted permission to use any of it.
At any rate, I highly doubt that either facility would allow me access to the
materials, or the additional equipment I would need to keep it viable.”
Parker huffed in annoyance. “How’re we going to get this done then?” the
platypus asked, irritably. “We need to manufacture a cure or treatment as soon
as mammally possible. If we don’t, tons of innocents are going to die.” A
lightbulb went off in his mind. “Wait, I’ve got an idea. Doug, you said there's
a chance the CCPM has some of the equipment, right? And, that you might have
the security clearance needed to use it?” Getting a nod from the ram, Parker
grinned. “Then all we need to do is get you the materials you’d need, as well
as that extra equipment. Liam, can you fabricate a court order to have the
materials delivered to his office from the I.D.R.?”
Liam cackled. “Parker, old boy, have you forgotten who I am? I’m Liam
Bucksworth. Besides being the one of the most successful lawyers in the
Meadowlands District. I’m also, in certain circles, its most notorious forger.
It’ll be easy-peasy.” The buck started the process of getting the necessary
materials to forge the court order.
“Let’s not forget Andrew, shall we?” Randolf reminded them. “According to his
last phone call from prison, everything on his end is set up. All we need now
is the signal.” The reindeer had his mammals on standby for the moment they got
Andrew’s ‘go’ signal. His mammals would ‘break’ Andrew out of prison then
deliver the black-wooled ram to the Chancellor’s meeting spot upon the flattop
stone for phase two. The other six of the Twelve were being kept in the dark
because the six of them didn’t know who they could trust. There was also the
fact that Sahar Humpback was an officer for Precinct Two in Sahara Square. The
camel was a firm believer in the Chancellor and would follow him anywhere, even
Hell itself. Everyone present was thankful that Sahar wasn’t involved with the
investigation into Predopurge.
“We won’t.” Doug stated strongly. “Also, I have a plan to get rid of Sahar and
the other six of the Twelve, or at least make sure they don’t interfere. Liam?
You ready?” The ram received a nod from the arctic hare in response. “Alright
then, you all know what to do. Let’s roll.”
ZPA_-_Shortly_after_nightfall
Nick sat on the floor beside Judy’s bed, waiting for her to wake up. It had
been a pawful of hours since Judy’s Izu Genes had awakened, and she had yet to
regain consciousness. Nick hadn’t moved from her bedside since then. A knock on
the door drew his attention away from his doe. Standing, he slowly approached.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“It’s me, Nicky.” answered the voice of his mom. “I’ve got the stuff you
requested. Care to let me in?”
Nick opened the door slowly, revealing his mother standing there with the
bouquet he had ordered as well as the puzzles he had asked Jaxon to purchase.
Smiling, he let his mom enter the room, closing the door behind her. Gesturing
to Judy’s unconscious form on the bed, he whispered, “She…hasn’t woken up yet.”
Rory set the bouquet of flowers down on the desk and the bag of puzzles on the
ground next to it. “Do you want me to examine her?” she inquired. At Nick’s
nod, Rory walked over to the bed to check on Judy. After only a couple of
moments, Rory said, “She’s fine. It simply took more energy than expected. She
should awake relatively soon though.” She made her way to Nick and gave him a
peck on the cheek. “Stay close to her. I’m sure she’ll love seeing your muzzle
as the first thing she sees when she wakes.”
Watching as his mom departed, Nick returned to his position at Judy’s bedside.
He tenderly caressed her cheek, gazing at her lovingly. When she stirred, Nick
grinned. “You waking up, Love?” he asked in a hushed whisper. Her answer was a
fluttering of the eyes before she opened them fully to gaze back into his own.
Smiling at her, Nick softly said, “There’s my two precious gemstones.”
“Mm.” Judy hummed. “You charmer.” They gazed at each other for a short while
before Nick crawled up and curled himself around her. Judy sighed in
contentment at the action. “How long was I out?” she asked.
“You’ve been unconscious for a pawful of hours.” Nick answered. “Mom did
collect a blood sample while you were unconscious. Afterwards, I brought you
back to our quarters at her orders. She said you’d need plenty of rest to
replenish the energy expended during your awakening.” Being this close to Judy,
Nick encircled her with his arms, drawing her close to him. He started to groom
her with his tongue, seemingly on instinct.
Judy relished Nick’s ministration, enjoying the intimate display of affection.
She went to breath in to sigh happily when a scent reached her nose. Opening
her eyes to survey the room, Judy saw the bouquet on the desk. “Oh, Nick. Those
flowers are beautiful.” Her words had him pull away and climb off the bed to
grab them and present them to her.
“I’m glad you like them. They’re for you, after all.” Nick told her with a
smile. In truth, he didn’t have a clue what any of the flowers were, but that
didn’t matter right now. It was the message they were meant to express that was
important. “I’ll be honest. I had the florist select the flowers for me. I
didn’t know which flowers to pick to make sure you understood what I wanted
them to tell you.”
Judy took the bouquet in wonder as she identified the various flowers. There
were purple tulips, alstroemeria, white carnations, dodecatheon, honeysuckle,
ivy, justicia, and peach blossoms. Judy had grown up having to learn the
language of flowers, but to see the bouquet Nick had requested for her, knowing
what the message was, Judy teared up. “O-oh, Nick.” she whispered. Judy found
herself conflicted. The custom was for the doe to eat the presented bouquet,
but Nick’s was so lovely, Judy didn’t want to.
Seeing the conflicting emotions within Judy’s pretty eyes, Nick said, “You can
eat them if you wish. I’ll simply buy you another one. I’ll buy as many as you
want, whenever you want. I’ll even build you a greenhouse to grow them in when
I construct our den.” His words made Judy smile which, in turn, made him smile.
Nick watched as Judy devoured the bouquet with fervor, his smile never fading.
When Judy was finished, Nick extracted one of the puzzles from the bag. “This
is part of fox courtship.” Nick explained. “Tods normally gift puzzles to the
vixen they are interested in courting.” He then gave her a hanayama labyrinth
puzzle. “This is just the first one.”
Taking the puzzle, Judy asked, “Are they all going to be like this? Or will I
get puzzle books as well?” She quickly solved the puzzle and pawed it back to
him. Judy smiled as Nick expressed his shock then giggled. She solved every
puzzle he gave her in little to no time at all. Eventually, Nick ran out of
puzzles for her. “That’s all?” she asked, mildly disappointed.
“Sorry, Love. I’ll get you some more later.” Nick crawled back up onto the bed
and curled himself around her. “I have plans for us tomorrow. You and I are
going to go on our first date.” He laid a kiss on her cheek then whispered, “Go
to sleep, Love. You’ll need to be well rested for tomorrow.” He purred as Judy
snuggled into his chest and lay a kiss on it. Soon, the two were fast asleep,
embraced in each other’s arms.
Chapter End Notes
     0P3RaGh05T dusts himself off and waves at the readers.
     "Hey! How y'all doing? Good? Good." (Pops joints) "Well, in the last
     few days, I've endured another trip around the sun with my wife. Our
     anniversary was last Saturday. Five years. We now have five kids,
     Including 'Ian'." (Takes a seat on headstone) "My wife has fully
     recovered and has resumed her reign. So, I've been granted a little
     more freedom. However, a dark cloud is on the horizon." (Peal of
     distant thunder is heard and 0P3RaGh05T waves it off) "I don't know
     when, but the agreement binding me and my editor, Fairlane302, is
     reaching its end. We still have a short bit of time, but at some
     point in the future, I'll be issuing an advertisement for another."
     (Crackling of lightning)
     Rolling eyes, 0P3RaGh05T says, "Oh, do shut up already." (Lightning
     bolt strikes right next to 0P3RaGh05T) "For someone whose supposedly
     omnipotent, you sure have horrendous aim." Returns focus to reader.
     "Anyway, there'll be a few changes coming at a later, yet
     undetermined, date."
     (Angels suddenly surround 0P3RaGh05T)
     Eye twitching, 0P3RaGh05T states, "Oh, for the love of..." Snaps
     fingers, summoning shades. "How many times have we been over this?"
     Sighing, 0P3RaGh05T looks directly at reader. "I've got to go. It
     would appear my elders have deemed it necessary to give me grief. I
     hope you enjoyed the chapter, even if it's a tad unorthodox in
     design. Until next we meet."
***** Chapter Se7enteen: Their First Date *****
Chapter Summary
     Make sure to read both Author's Notes. The information they contain
     is extremely important.
Chapter Notes
     What's this? A new chapter released on a Saturday? One week from the
     last time?
     Actually, I had every intention of releasing this chapter yesterday,
     but real life got in the way. Speaking of which, I have good news and
     bad news.
     Bad news: either due to poor cooperative planning or lack of
     knowledge about how the program's application worked last time, joint
     editing with my (former) editor, Fairlane302, has discontinued. I
     don't know exactly what happened to cause it, but that's the gist of
     it. It would appear after transferring ownership of the Google Drive
     file to me, the program disconnected us once the docs were closed.
     So, this chapter isn't edited all that well, and I'm in need of a new
     editor. My advertisement is in the End Notes.
     Good news: If anyone remembers, I previously had an Original Work I
     was forced to put on indefinite hiatus due to the inspiration (my
     grandfather) passing away. There's a saying about how inspiration
     comes in many forms. Well, a new inspiration revealed itself, and the
     story has been resurrected.
     Which brings me to some more bad news [sorry]. Ian will still release
     one chapter a month on Thursdays. Which Thursday is up to him.
     However, I will be alternating between this story and my Original
     Work, which will have it's prologue posted in three weeks’ time.
     Enough of that though. You're here to read about my version of Nick
     and Judy's first date. Let's get on with it already. Also, see the
     track list in the end notes for urls.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                         Chapter_17:_Their_First_Date
 
===============================================================================
Zootopia_Police_Academy
Judy felt so safe and warm that she didn’t want to get up. However, Nick’s
words last night about taking her on their first date today had Judy rouse
herself, fully refreshed, from her slumber. The first thing she noticed was
that Nick’s arms were still wrapped around her, securing her to his chest, and
his tail draped over her like a blanket. She carefully extracted herself from
Nick’s arms and headed to the bathroom. Upon glancing at herself in the mirror,
Judy paused to examine her reflection closely. She noticed that, like Nick, she
had undergone a few changes. For one, she was taller now and her musculature
was leaner. Judy turned to examine her back in the mirror as well. There wasn’t
much difference, but as her cousin Bob used to say, ‘pays to be thorough’.
Turning on the shower, Judy waited for the water to heat up. Remembering those
old films her dad used to watch, Judy struck a couple of muscle poses in the
mirror, stifling her laughter. When the shower started to steam, she stepped
inside. Judy sighed as the heat of the water relaxed her muscles, which were
tense from the physical alterations she underwent due to the awakening of her
Izu Genes. Being that this was Nick’s room’s bathroom shower, Judy didn’t have
any of her usual body wash or fur conditioner. She hoped Nick didn’t mind if
she used his.
Nick slowly woke from his slumber as he heard the sound of his shower running.
He could still smell Judy’s scent coming from where she had slept next to him.
A smile stretched across his muzzle as he inhaled it deeply. Rolling out of
bed, Nick walked over to the kitchenette so he could start preparing the two of
them breakfast. He opened the refrigerator to scan the contents. As Nick looked
inside, he also started wondering what he should make for dinner as well. He
did plan on taking Judy on a true courtship date today, but certain things
would require minor alterations in order to fit the lapine version. Namely, the
duration of the date. Vulpines often only spent one or two hours per date.
Bunnies, on the other paw, according to what Jaxon had explained to him, ranged
from anywhere between five hours to an entire day and ended with a nice meal,
whether at a restaurant or a home-cooked one.
Home-cooked meals were an essential part of vulpine courtship. Tods were
supposed to provide for their vixen, be it food, clothing, shelter. It was the
thought of that last one had Nick pause, paw halfway through the action of
reaching out for the Pacific Saury he intended to use for the courtship meal
tonight. Nick still needed to start drawing designs for he and Judy’s future
den. Grabbing the Pacific Saury, Nick got the rest of the ingredients that he
had on paw and would need for tonight then started prepping. The meal he had
chosen needed to be prepped well in advance, so now was the perfect
opportunity. He’d have to see if the kitchen staff at the Mess would grace him
with the rest of what he needed. Once the initial preparations were completed,
he called his mom, asking her to bring a few puzzle books and some draft paper.
As Nick finally started cooking breakfast, just some simple breakfast tacos
with egg and cheese filling, he heard the shower shut off. Nick turned to watch
as Judy stepped out from the bathroom and was astonished to see the difference.
Quickly plating the breakfast tacos, he walked over to Judy. Originally, her
head had been equal to just below the center of his chest. Now, Judy’s head
came up to the point that he could easily rest his muzzle between her ears
without having to bend down. Nick also noticed that Judy hadn’t just grown
taller, but everything about her body had adjusted appropriately to her new
size.
Judy smiled pleasantly at Nick’s stunned expression. Very carefully, she
brought her paw up under his maw and closed it then began to scratch. She
watched as his eyelids fluttered in bliss and a dopey grin stretch across his
muzzle. Judy continued as she waited to see in Nick would figure out the other
difference she had discovered while in the shower. As she expected, it didn’t
take long at all.
Nick pulled his head away from Judy’s ministration and grabbed her paw to
inspect it closely. Upon closer examination, Nick saw that her claws, normally
blunt, were now much sharper. He looked at her and smiled tenderly. “You were
dangerous before, but now you’re down right deadly.” he teased.
Snorting, Judy shook her head and walked to the small little dining table where
Nick had placed their breakfast. “What do you have planned for us today,
Slick?” she asked, taking a bite of her breakfast taco. She let out an
appreciative groan as the flavor of butter, eggs, and cheese hit her tongue.
Nick picked up his own breakfast taco and took a bite. “Well, we’ll have to go
shopping, since I doubt that your wardrobe barely fits you anymore. Other than
that, I thought a full tour of the city’s more spectacular sights would be a
nice start. I’m thinking Melody Hall in City Center would be a good place for
us to begin. After the Great Megamall of Zootopia, of course.”
Judy cocked her head to the side. “Isn’t Melody Hall where the that author got
the inspiration for his novel The Phantasm of the Opera?” Nick’s nod of
confirmation got her excited. “Oh, I can’t wait to go see it. I read the book
in high school. I thought it was so romantic.” The story, though admittedly a
bit dark, wasn’t normally what one would typically consider a romance novel,
but Judy herself considered it one of the best.
“Alrighty, Melody Hall followed by the Zootopia Skytree. After that, we can go
grab some lunch at this little bistro downtown near Precinct Two in Sahara
Square. Then, we can go visit the Zootopian Institute of Fine Arts.” Nick told
Judy, laying out their itinerary. He had to fight the goofy grin that
threatened to split his face as each location caused Judy to bounce with
excitement.
“Ooh, I’m so excited.” Judy all but shouted. She quickly finished her breakfast
taco then bounded to her small assortment of clothing. Nick had been right when
he said that she barely fit into any of it anymore. ‘Thank goodness we’re going
shopping first.’ Judy thought to herself as she dressed in the only shirt and
jeans that still semi-fit.
As for Nick, he had a plan to tease Judy with his own outfit. Prior to their
departure from Bunnyburrow, Nick had managed to find some of Judy’s fox porn
magazines and smuggled a couple out. One of the mags had a few dogeared pages
to which he took special note and paid careful attention. Now, Nick planned to
dress up in similar attire to some of the foxes from those photos. They took
turns dressing and getting ready in the bathroom. When Judy came out, Nick
stepped inside and double-checked that he had everything.
Stripping out of the clothes he had slept in, Nick picked up the black
jockstrap, putting them on. He had never worn a jockstrap before, but a quick
glance in the mirror had him seriously consider making a permanent switch.
Next, Nick picked up the black jeans, tugging them on as well. Third was the
sleeveless black t-shirt. Nick checked himself in the mirror, admiring the
outfit.
The image hadn’t been the most ‘provocative’ one, but it had been the most
teasing, which is why Nick chose it in the first place. The clothes he was
wearing were a tad tighter fitting than normal. His pants gave a subtle hint of
exactly what, and how much, he was packing. The sleeveless t-shirt was
basically skin tight, showing his lean musculature. The fact it didn’t have
sleeves only gave more to the image as well as the fact that it was a V-neck
which exposed the top of his chest ruff.
Nick put on the smartshades and gave himself two thumbs up. There were only two
things missing necessary to complete the image: a motorcycle and the full-
length riding jacket. While Nick did own a bike, it was currently in storage at
a long-term storage facility in Tundra Town. ‘I need to see if Mr. Big will
have it delivered here.’ Nick thought to himself as he exited the bathroom.
Judy’s ears swiveled in the direction of the bathroom as she heard Nick come
out. Turning her head to look at him, Judy’s eyes bulged. Her heartrate
skyrocketed, and she felt herself become very, very aroused as she took in the
sight of Nick’s attire. Judy could see, quite clearly, the bulge of his huge
sheath and balls through his tight pants. The contours of his lithe yet
muscular frame was also visible thanks to the tightness of his shirt. Judy,
through pure willpower alone, managed to refocus her attention on Nick’s face.
Swallowing, she asked, “You ready to go?”
Fighting a smirk, Nick said, “Yep. Let’s head out.” He stepped out of the room
first holding the door open for Judy, then closed and locked it behind her. He
let Judy lead from there as he had no knowledge of how to get to the ZPA’s bus
terminal. As soon as they stepped outside, however, they ran into Major
Friedkin. “Major.” the two greeted.
The corner of her maw twitched upward as Major took in their clothing.
“Morning. I’m glad I caught you two. I have a couple of things that need to be
dealt with.” Giving both envelopes, she continued. “We recently learned that
we’re getting three new instructors. That means that Hopps won’t have to deal
with teaching any of the new recruits, but she still needs to teach a class to
remain a temp instructor. Hopps, that envelope contain the information of the
class you’re to teach starting next month, when the term starts. Wilde, your
envelope contains your schedule as well as the syllabi for your classes and a
list of things you’ll need.” Walking away, she said, “Hope you enjoy your day.”
Judy stuffed her envelope into her back pocket. Nick did the same. They made
their way to the front entrance to the ZPA to wait for the bus. After a couple
of minutes, Nick had to ask, “If the Academy doesn’t start until next month,
why are there so many mammals here?” The large number of mammals present, even
though the term hadn’t begun, was odd to him.
Shrugging, Judy answered, saying, “According to Major, they normally let a
number of recruits stay here after they take their entrance exams if they
choose to remain here until term starts. They hold entrance exams twice a
month, even if it’s in the middle of term.” Her ears rotated to the side as she
heard the bus approach. “Also, you remember all those mammals that took the
exam with you?” Getting a nod from Nick, she continued. “Those are only a few
of the mammals that you’ll be training with.”
Nick conceded to that as those statements made good sense. As the bus pulled
up, he let Judy climb in first. Their trip to the Great Megamall of Zootopia
required them to switch bus routes three times before they were within walking
distance. Along the way, Nick would point out minor landmarks, such as the
statue of Sir Ignotus, one of the three founders of the city, and the Church of
the Divines, where Sir Ignotus and his brothers, the city’s other founders,
were said to be buried.
Finally reaching their destination, Judy’s eyes widened as Nick presented the
ginormous, multistory building to her with the words, ‘Welcome to the Great
Megamall of Zootopia, the city’s premier one-stop shopping center’. ‘This place
is huge!’she thought to herself as she looked at the building. Judy followed
closely behind Nick as they entered.
The interior seemed a lot larger than it appeared on the outside. Various
shops, kiosks, and vendors could be seen up, down, and all around the inside of
the building. All varieties of mammals were going from one store to another,
shopping for clothing, electronics, and all sorts of items available for
purchase on premises. The smell of food saturated the air since they had
entered near the food court.
Nick led Judy around the mall, taking her from one clothing store to another,
purchasing whatever clothes she wanted. He wasn’t concerned about keeping to a
budget. He had more than enough money to spend on whatever Judy wanted,
regardless of cost. He hadn’t told her yet, but, in truth, his finances were
far more lucrative than the Z22.8 mil from his prestige bouts. Nick was a
member of Zootopia’s 0.1%ers, thanks not only to high interest rates from the
multiple bank accounts he possessed, but also the trust fund that his parents
had set up for him at a young age.
As they wandered the mall shopping, Judy would look into the different stores
to see what they sold. One particular store caught her eye, a small little
boutique. “Hey, Red? If you want to go buy yourself a few things, we can meet
back up at the food court in ten.” Judy was thankful when Nick agreed then made
her way to the store. Walking in, embarrassment nearly overwhelmed her until
she saw that there were a bunch of other mammals examining the products. Judy
almost jumped right out of her pelt when she heard a voice come from behind
her.
“Can I help you, dearie?” the dress-clad lion asked in a sultry tone. “Oh,
dearie. I’m so sorry if I frightened you. First time in one of these shops, I
reckon.” Smiling brightly, he said, “Well, don’t you worry ‘bout a thing. I’ll
make sure you’re well provided with whatever it is you desire. Take your time
looking around and, when you’re ready, tell me about that male, or female, that
gets your motor running hot.”
Judy stared wide-eyed at the, clearly, very effeminate male lion with a voice
that sounded like the character right out of the motion picture ‘Sordid Lives’.
“Uh, I, um, I’m j-just browsing. I’ve only got 10 mins before I’m meeting my
fox at the food court.” The instant she finished, Judy slapped a paw over her
maw as she watched the lion’s muzzle split into an almost maniacal grin over
her use of the phrase ‘my fox’.
“Oh, I’ve got a ton of items you are just gonna love.” the lion stated. Like an
unstoppable whirlwind, the lion went around leading Judy through the shop,
collecting items, and throwing them in a basket. Once finished, he presented
the selection to the bunny doe. “Don’t you worry, doll. I didn’t grab anything
that’ll really embarrass you. Take a look.”
At the end of her allotted ten minutes, Judy walked out with a pair of small
tote bags containing a few items that the lion had, somehow, talked her into
purchasing. She felt embarrassed, but for a different reason than before.
Making her way to the food court, Judy wondered what Nick would think if he
knew the contents of her two bags. She found him sitting down reading a book.
Judy couldn’t tell what it was as the dust jacket cover was missing, but
something was telling her that she knew what it was.
Hearing the chair across from him, Nick looked up and smiled as Judy sat down.
“You find whatever it was you wanted from Vixie’s, Fluff?” he asked, with a
teasing smirk. His smirk faded as an expression of embarrassed fury came over
her face. Gulping, he set the book he’d been reading down then slide it across
to her.
Judy looked down at the book’s front cover and her rage died immediately. The
book that Nick had been reading was ‘The Leporidae Cultural Guidebook’. It was
basically the bunny version of The Young Vulpine’s Guide to Maturity . Raising
her head to lock eyes with him, she could see in her peripheral that his ears
were burning, and his smile was sheepish. “I’ll let you slide this time, Fox.
Don’t do it again.”
“Yes’m.” was Nick’s immediate response as he retook possession of his book. He
still felt like a bloody prick though. A waitress came to their table to take
their order. Nick simply ordered a peanut butter sandwich and an herbal tea.
Judy’s was for a V8 V-Fusion with a garden salad. Once the waitress walked
away, Nick said, “I’m sorry. That…that was inappropriate of me.”
Sighing, Judy said, “It’s okay, Nick. It’s…it’s just embarrassing. I mean, I’m
a bunny. We’re supposed to be very…open…about sex, and mating, but I’m not.”
She started to wring one of her ears nervously. “I’m the eldest out of almost
300 kits. I’ve help some of my sisters get boyfriends when we were all younger,
but I’ve never…” Judy trailed off.
Nick had a pretty good idea what she was going to say, and he didn’t want her
to force herself. “It’s okay. You don’t have to continue.” He reached across
and offered her his paw to hold, which she readily accepted. Nick gave her an
affectionate squeeze accompanied by a warm smile. The sound of a disgusted
scoff had them both glance over at a nearby table, where an aardwolf was
looking at them in abhorrence. “Do you have a problem, buddy?” Nick asked,
hotly.
The aardwolf sneered at them. “As a matter of fact, I do. Why is it that freaks
like you can’t just do us a favor and kill yourselves? We don’t need fuckers
like you polluting the world.” Of course, he said all this loud enough to draw
attention to the situation, attracting a crowd. Standing up, the aardwolf
cracked his neck, popped his knuckles, and readied himself for a fight. “I
guess I’ll just do us all a favor by doing it myself.”
The crowd broke into two groups, either siding with the aardwolf or with Nick
and Judy by standing behind their party of choice. One of the mall’s security
officers called the ZPD, after seeing who those involved were. The crowd on the
aardwolf’s side was chanting ‘Fight! Fight! Fight!’ repeatedly, but those on
Nick and Judy’s side remained silent, which was far more impactful.
Nick exchanged a glance with Judy, wanting to know her thoughts on the
situation in which they now found themselves. Getting a shrug, he let out a
breath then stood up cracking his own neck and popping his joints. The aardwolf
wasn’t that much larger than him, maybe 2 lbs heavier at most. Casting another
glance at Judy, Nick pulled off his shirt tossing it to her before facing his
opponent.
The aardwolf got into a fighting stance that was reminiscent to that of a
boxer. He could see individuals in the crowd making bets. Returning his focus
to the fox in front of him, the aardwolf could see multitude of scars that
covered the fox’s torso. A tiny voice in the back of his mind was screaming at
him to run like hell, but he chose to ignore it. He didn’t bother waiting for
the fox to get himself ready, and lunged.
Instead of taking a step back, like most other mammals would, Nick stepped
directly into the aardwolf’s attack range. Now much closer, Nick countered with
a palm strike to the aardwolf’s solar plexus, effectively knocking the wind out
of him, sending him to his knees. Nick watched as the aardwolf doubled over in
pain and released a long, high whine, before walking away, back towards Judy.
Reclaiming his shirt, Nick put it on and sat down. “We might as well wait for
the police to arrive.”
Seeing as it was already over, the crowd dispersed, leaving Nick and Judy
alone. Their waitress walked up, placing their orders in front of them. Looking
over at the aardwolf, who was still whimpering in pain, she rolled her eyes,
“Ya just had to say something, didn’t ya, Carl? Ya stupid, stupid bastard.” She
placed their drinks down, saying, “Sorry about Carl. Don’t bother denying that
he did anything. I ain’t no idiot. Carl always gives my interspecies customers
hell.” Judy and Nick gave each other a look then thanked their waitress. They
then watched her drag the aardwolf’s ass to a table by his tail and berate him.
Judy stifled a giggle. She dug into her food, wondering if an officer would
indeed show up and, if one did, who it would be. They didn’t have that long of
a wait to find out the answer. For almost eight minutes later, Officer Beshte
Higgins lumbered up to them. They were made aware of the fact by his heavy
steps, as well as their waitress, who screamed, “Dammit, Carl!”
Higgins looked over the scene, a bit confused, then asked, “I was told there
was an altercation. Am I missing something?” He received an answer when the
waitress threw Carl the aardwolf directly at him saying ‘keep that no-good,
sack-of-shit in prison this time’. Getting shrugs from both Nick and Judy,
Higgins requested a rundown of what had happened. After hearing their report,
Higgins walked off carrying the whimpering aardwolf back to his cruisers and
promising both he’d explain it all to Chief Bogo.
Leaving a rather generous tip for their waitress, who was still grumbling about
Carl, Nick and Judy started wandering around the mall for a little while
longer. Nick’s phone vibrated which had him pull it out to check his messages.
It was a confirmation text notification of a delivery set for later tonight.
Nick grinned as he put his phone away, looking forward to the evening. An hour
later, the two of them left the Great Megamall of Zootopia, each carrying three
bags per paw, plus Judy’s new rucksack on her back.
“That was fun.” Judy stated with a smile and a slight bounce in her step.
“However, I don’t think we should do that too often. It was nice to see Higgins
though. I just hope that he doesn’t put anything that could cause problems for
anyone in his report.”
“I doubt it, Sweetheart. I think he’s a good mammal.” Nick told her. Looking at
his watch, he said, “It’s almost high noon, Carrots. If we’re going to visit
Melody Hall, we’ll need to hurry.” They hailed a taxi to their destination and,
while en route, Nick started to text Finn to see how he was doing. What he got
in response was a rather lengthy explanation of the fennec tod’s most recent
run-in with the law.
Nick sighed sadly as he read the text. He had probably been the only mammal,
that he knew of anyway, in which Finn had confided about his past. Knowing that
that particular part of Finn’s past had come to a close was...wonderfully
liberating, for both of he and Finn. Nick congratulated Finn, telling him to
enjoy his newfound freedom. He put his phone away as they reached Melody Hall.
Getting out, Nick helped Judy down then grabbed their items and guided her
inside.
Melody Hall was an age-old, historical landmark for the city. It could be found
used in many works, such as Gaston Leloup’s ‘ The Phantasm of the Opera ’ and
the theatre performance of ‘Korvus the Trickster’.The ownership of Melody Hall
had changed paws many, many times over the decades until it finally settled
into the paws of one ‘Sir Titus’, a descendant of Ignotus, and as far as Nick
knew, one of his own ancestors. It was now owned by the city and funded by the
Artists for the Arts Foundation of Zootopia.
“Here we are. Melody Hall, in all its glory.” Nick announced. “Still holds
shows to this day. Everything from operas to theatre performances and even
magic shows.” He set his bags down, putting his paws in his pockets. “I used to
come here when I could spare the time. I did a couple of magic shows, sang a
few songs for charity events held here. Never under my own name though.” Nick’s
began to relive the memories then clicked his tongue. “Good times. Not the
best, but good.”
Judy looked at the building in wonder as she listened to Nick. It was a lovely.
A mixture of various architectural styles that one would never imagine worked
so well together. Vintage posters lined the outer walls, showing the history.
The mixtures of tans, browns, and creams gave it a wonderful warmth and a
natural feel. There were a couple of reds mixed in, but only for aesthetics.
“Sweet Cheese and Crackers, Nick. It’s gorgeous.”
Nick turned to look at Judy to find her eyes glimmering like stars and smiled
at her. “Not as gorgeous as you, Love.” His words caused his ears to flush,
droop forward, and cover her eyes in embarrassment. “Hey,” he whispered. “Don’t
do that. Don’t hide yourself from me.” Nick smiled warmly as Judy peeked at him
through her ears. “Now you’re just being cute.” His smile grew when she giggled
and boxed his arm. Catching her wrist before she could pull it back, Nick
tugged her close and placed a tender kiss onto her lips.
When they separated, Judy teasingly told him, “Aren’t you a bold one? Kissing
me in broad daylight where others could see the fox passionately attacking the
bunny.” Having said that, she looked around to find that the area didn’t have
much pedestrian traffic. “Where is everyone? Shouldn’t there be more mammals
here?”
Shrugging, Nick stood, keeping hold of Judy’s paw in his own. “Melody Hall
doesn’t have a performance scheduled today, so this is about right.” He grabbed
his bags and led her inside. As they got further inside, the sound of voices
became clearer. Nick recognized a few, including Tori, Lexi, and Kaci Vulpa,
Melody Hall’s star vixen songstresses and his old friends. Coming around the
corner, Nick led Judy to the stage, calling out, “Oh, ladies.”
Tori Vulpa spun around to look at who had called out to them and her eyes
landed on the one and only Nick P. Wilde. Smiling, she noticed that he wasn’t
alone, holding paws with a bunny doe. This had her smile shrink somewhat for a
moment, but after seeing his tail wrapping itself around the doe’s ankles, it
grew again. “Nick Wilde. Look at you. It’s been a while. Who’s this?”
Repositioning Judy in front of him, Nick said, “This is Judy, my courtee. Judy,
these are Tori, Lexi, and Kaci Vulpa. They’re known as the Vulpa Triplets.” He
picked Judy up, setting her on the stage, then climbed up behind her. “We’re on
our first date. Melody Hall seemed like a nice starting point.” Seeing the
various instruments prepped, Nick went over and sat at the piano. Tuning it, he
began to play [Listen to Your Heart].
Judy slowly began swaying to the tune Nick was playing. She heard humming from
close by and turned just as Tori, Lexi, and Kaci began to sing. Judy felt her
breath leave her at the level of mastery, control, and finesse the vixens
possessed. Judy felt as if she were listening to the Angels of Music
accompanied by an ethereal choir. She could almost hear the backup singers even
though they were the only three present. As the song came to its finale, Judy
whispered, “Wow.”
Lexi grinned and bowed, saying, “Thank you.” Straightening herself, she asked,
“Do you want to sing a song? I’m sure Nick would be glad to play for you. How
about it?”
The vixens watched as Judy picked up the guitar and brought it over to Nick
before sitting down next to him on the piano bench. They were curious when Judy
whispered into Nick’s ear, but let it go as Nick’s tail started to wag. When
Nick began strumming the guitar chords, they knew which song would soon fill
their ears.
As Nick began to play [Moon River: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uirBWk-qd9A]
for her, Judy began to sing. Having closed her eyes, the doe wasn’t aware of
the expressions of complete disbelief which came over the muzzles of the three
vixens, nor Nick’s proud grin that he directed at her. When Nick finished, Judy
reopened eyes to see their expressions. Giving them a sheepish grin, Judy
shrugged, saying, “I’m an old soul.”
Nick wrapped an arm around Judy’s shoulders, pulling her close. “You and me
both, Darling.” He kissed her cheek, which was now easier to reach thanks due
to her growth, and smiled as she boxed him in his side. “Well, since you four
each had your shot, I’d say it’s my turn now.” Shifting back into position to
play the piano, he tapped a few buttons, changing it to a synthesized version.
Testing a few keys to make sure it was tuned correctly, he started to play and
sing [I Feel for You].
Judy and the vixens had each heard Nick sing before, but this time was
different. He put all his past performances to shame. Tori, Lexi, and Kaci knew
that this performance was meant only for Judy, but it hurt as the three of them
had always felt something special for him. Judy, on the other paw, was
entranced by the fact that kept his eyes remained locked onto hers the entire
time he performed, causing her to smile at him. The four applauded when Nick
finished, and Judy gave him a kiss, which he purred into.
“You’ve improved since last time I saw you.” Tori said. She prayed that no one
saw the pain in her eyes. “I’m impressed. I kinda wish you hadn’t disappeared
on us way back when. We could have used you a couple of times.” She took the
guitar back and placed it on its stand. “There were a few times we didn’t know
if we’d make our quota.”
“Sorry, gals. I, uh, fell into a bad crowd, and a bad way of life. Didn’t want
to drag you all down with me.” Nick apologized. “How did you manage it, if I
may ask?”
“Your parents.” Lexi answered, bluntly. “Your mom and dad always deposited
money into our funds whenever we needed it. All they asked for in return was
free admission to shows.” It had been a blessing. There had really been far too
many close calls. Too many for her comfort. “I always sent them Christmas cards
as my way of saying ‘Thank You’.”
The five of them continued to converse for almost two hours before Nick and
Judy bid the Vega Triplets farewell, promising to return sometime soon. It was
nearly three by the time they reached the Zootopia Skytree. They didn’t stay
long as there were too many mammals going in and out. Plus, it was lunchtime,
and the meals they ate at the mall had been small. They hailed a cab to the
Giza Bistro, where they were awarded the sight of seeing Clawhauser and Bogo
together on a shared break.
“Hey, Chief! What are you doing this far from Precinct One?” Judy inquired as
she bounded over to them, saluting. To run into Chief Bogo was, in Judy’s
opinion, a stroke of luck. This was her chance to learn if there were any
further developments within the investigation.
Bogo was a bit surprised to see Hopps and Wilde at the Giza Bistro. Setting
down his Garden Burger, Bogo wiped his maw. “I was visiting Precinct Two to
make sure they were getting prepared. With the new developments, the entire ZPD
will more than likely have to mobilize soon. We’ve also received military
assistance, though they’re being discreet.”
“What new developments?” Nick asked. Neither he nor Judy had been informed of
anything new in the investigation, so they had no knowledge of what was
occurring. “We haven’t heard anything from anyone.”
Bogo looked as Clawhauser with a frown, as it was the cheetah who he had
assigned with the duty of keeping them informed. Ben visibly cringed making him
sigh. Looking around to make certain that no one was eavesdropping on their
conversation, he lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’ll fax everything we know
to Major Friedkin for you later. But, you should be made aware that the city’s
going to undergo emergency evacuation procedures starting next week.”
Judy stood in stunned silence as her brained processed Chief Bogo’s words. “S-
Sir?” she stuttered out weakly. For the entire city to undergo full evacuation,
whatever they had learned had to be big.
“As I told you, I’ll send you the information.” Bogo stated. Taking a swig of
his coffee, he mumbled, “I need you two to be careful. You were heavily
involved in bringing this case to light. The targets on your backs aren’t going
away until we find Jacen Carno, the mammal behind this whole thing.”
Nick’s ears perked up at the mention of Jacen Carno. His mind went into
overdrive as it started sifting through his memory archive catalog. When it
came across when, where, and how he knew the name, Nick said, “Isn’t Jacen
Carno supposed to be dead? If I’m not mistaking, Shiregrove was burnt to ashes
years ago, leaving no survivors.”
A little caught off guard by Wilde’s knowledge, Bogo said, in a low voice,
“Yes. However, we’ve received viable information that Mr. Carno is not only
alive and well, but the mammal behind Predopurge. He’s supposedly even has
sleepers within the ZPD, ZIB, and various other governmental agencies. As of a
few hours ago, the ZIB is no longer a functioning organization. We’re also
waiting to hear from liaisons from other agencies about their statuses.” Taking
on a grave tone, he added, “Be careful. We don’t know how far this corruption
goes.”
A waiter came by to see if Bogo and Clawhauser needed refills and upon seeing
Nick and Judy asked if they wished to order anything. Jotting down their order,
he made his way to the kitchen. Once he was out of sight, he shot a text to his
boss, Camela Sandifur, of the news. He had been excited to see two of the
city’s heroes present. The text he received in return had his blood freeze. It
was an order to poison their food.
Judy, Nick, Ben, and Tobias were all in the middle of a discussion when the
waiter came back to deliver their drinks. He saved Nick’s for last, but the
instant he placed it down, he held that position for a discernible moment
longer than necessary before leaving to deal with other customers. The four of
them stared at Nick’s glass and noticed that, unlike their own, it had a
coaster.
Nick slid his glass and peered into the glass. The water acted as a magnifying
glass, bringing into focus the words written on the makeshift coaster: Staff
has been ordered by the owner to poison you and Officer Hopps. You must leave
now .Looking up at Bogo, Nick whispered, “Stop eating. There’s a possibility
that your food has been tampered with some type of poison. We need to leave
immediately and organize a raid.”
Clawhauser and Bogo both slowly lowered their meals. The four slowly got up and
headed to exit, stopping to pay for their meals. Their waiter was the one at
the register and waved them off. Nick, however, gave him a Z100 to keep
appearances. The bill also had a short note telling him to get out ASAP. When
they stepped outside, the four walked a good distance away before Bogo called
into Precinct Two for backup. “Hopps. Wilde. I suggest you head back to the ZPA
as soon as you possibly can. I apologize if this was supposed to be a date, but
with the way things are going…” Bogo trailed off, not know how to continue.
“I’ll drive them, Chief.” Clawhauser stated. He escorted Nick and Judy to the
cruiser he and the chief had used. Opening the front door, Ben said, “In you
go.” Closing the door behind them, walking around the vehicle, and getting into
the driver’s seat, Ben sighed. Resting his head against the headrest, Ben
muttered, “So much for that.” Starting the cruiser, Ben began to drive towards
the ZPA. “By the way, sorry for not keeping you two up-to-date. Things have
been a little more hectic than we anticipated.”
“It’s fine, Ben. We aren’t upset.” Nick stated. “Can you tell us what’s
happening though? I mean, yeah, we’ll be getting the info from Bogo later via
fax machine, but I’d still like to hear it.” Judy nodded in agreement to his
statement.
“Well, first off, I’ll start by explaining that one of the conspirators, Andrew
Bellwether, surrendered.” Clawhauser began. “Before you ask, yes. He is the
older brother of Dawn Bellwether. He’s a biochemical engineer for the CCPM.
Andrew came in and informed us that there are bio-bombs placed strategically
throughout the city. When he turned himself in, he requested a deal that’s
rather well-thought out. In return for assisting us, he gets life in prison
instead of the death penalty.”
“With biological weapons involved, I’m no longer surprised that we’re
evacuating the city.” Judy replied. Bioweapons had been outlawed since the
Third Great Schism, which took place over two centuries ago. “What else did we
learn?”
“I was getting to that.” Ben answered. “Secondly, there was the attack on
Fatima Ara. Officially, the ZPD has issued a statement saying that she died as
a direct result of the injuries she sustained. Unofficially, she’s being
treated and cared for at MTHZ. Thirdly, the ZIB, ZDD, ZPD, and ZSI are all
under internal investigations. Last I heard from Bogo, over 129 sleeper agents
have been identified, arrested, and shipped to the Office of Internal Affairs
for advanced interrogation sessions. OIA is rather unique because they’re an
all predator agency, which means there is no chance that they’ve been
infiltrated. Finally, and this is important, Mr. Big has offered a temporary
truce plus assistance. Jacen Carno has made some scarily powerful and
influential enemies.”
Nick and Judy quickly exchanged a quick glance with one another. Mr. Big’s
involvement made things a little more…interesting, to say the least. Judy was
about to say something when her phone started to ring. She answered it while
Nick and Ben continued to discuss all the new developments. “Hello?”
“Judy! Oh, thank the Divine Entities!” Bonnie exclaimed. “We heard that
Zootopia’s going to be undergoing evacuation soon. Your father and I were
afraid something horrible had happened. Tell me you and Nick safe and that
everything is okay.”
Cringing, Judy said, “Yes. I’m fine and so is Nick. There’s simply a few things
happening which have led to announcing an evacuation. Just to be clear, the
evacuation is strictly a precaution given the current set of circumstances. I
can’t tell you any more than that right now. I’ll have someone who’s permitted
to discuss it with you call later. Okay?”
An audible sigh came over the line. “Yes, that’s fine. I was just worried.
Gideon’s been in a fit over the whole thing. Apparently, he was due to visit
Zootopia the day after tomorrow so he could look into locations for a new
bakery. He’s how we learned about the evacuation.”
Nick plucked Judy’s phone from her paw, much to his doe’s surprise, and started
speaking to Bonnie. “Mrs. Hopps, everything is fine. Like Judy told you, the
evacuation is merely a precaution. You don’t need to fret. Judy and I are on
our way back to the ZPA right now to see what we can do to help. We’ll call you
and keep you updated when we can.” He then hung up, passing Judy’s phone back
to her. “Spots, I need you to drive us to the residence of Mr. Big as fast as
you can.” He and Judy were then smooshed back against their seat as Ben shot
forward.
It was little less than an hour later when they arrived at Mr. Big’s home,
where they were greeted by the polar bears Raymond and Kevin, who escorted them
to Mr. Big’s inner sanctum office. Ben was clearly nervous, but Judy and Nick
were eerily calm. As they entered, they were surprised to see a red fox tod
sitting in a wheelchair with a laptop on his legs. Nick had a grim smile as he
called out, “Hello, cousin.”
Ian Wilde looked up to see Nick approaching. “Hello yourself.” Ian stated.
Turning to Mr. Big, Ian bade farewell then proceeded to roll himself out of the
room towards the exit. He had work to do.
Antonio de Medici-Borgia, who went by the alias Mr. Big, gave his newly arrived
guests a tiny smile as they came closer. “Judith. Nicholas. How do you fare? Is
there something I can do for you?” He had been wondering when the two would
visit him. There were things that needed to be discussed.
“We’re fine, Mr. Big.” Judy answered. “Is Fru-Fru around? What about Little
Judie? I had heard that she went into labor not long after we left following
Duke Weaselton’s near icing.”
“They have been relocated somewhere much safer than here.” Mr. Big answered,
politely. “After certain…discoveries were made, it was imperative to do so for
their protection. Now, I assume that you’re here for business, yes?”
“Correct.” Nick replied. “I would like to have my bike be delivered by Kozlov
to the ZPA. Judy and I will need transportation sooner rather than later. Also,
may I ask what my cousin was doing here?”
“Paying me for services rendered.” Mr. Big had been instructed by Ian not to
inform Nick of the truth. But, while Ian was a client, Nicholas was family.
“The Yliaster Group was attempting to access both you and Judith’s files on the
ZPD’s secure network. Ian’s security software allowed him to halt their
attempts and locate the one responsible. The culprit was one Christopher
Dearing. Once he was out of the way, Ian had us download everything from their
mainframe for him to sift through.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed, and his ears lowered. The Yliaster Group had been one of
his former employers back when he was younger. The Yliaster Group had hired him
as a knowledge broker, since his panmnesia basically equivalated him as the
‘analog’ form of their database. Nick had no idea who Christopher Dearing was,
but knew that it had to either do with his time in their employ, or the death
of Ian’s father, Nick’s Uncle Walter. “Any idea what he’s searching for with
it?”
“None.” Mr. Big answered. “However, I did have a secondary copy made and
delivered to Chief Bogo as a show of good faith. Some of that information goes
back well over half a millennium. I have no clue what it is that your cousin is
looking for,, nor do I think I want to know.” Snapping his fingers to summon
some other guards, he told them, “Please help Kozlov deliver Nicky’s motorcycle
to the ZPA. Oh, and have someone contact Medved. We’re going to need his help.”
Judy and Nick thanked Mr. Big for his hospitality then Nick got serious. “Mr.
Big, I know you and I have had our issues, but I need to ask a favor. Please
don’t let yourself get killed. I don’t fancy having to try and establish a
relationship with another mafia don. Plus, you’ve been like a second father to
me. Besides, I also don’t think Fru-Fru could withstand the emotional trauma of
your untimely demise.”
Mr. Big pursed his lips as if in thought, but it was simply a playful trick.
“Hmm.” Mr. Big hummed. He could see Nick fighting the urge to squirm. Having
had his fun, Mr. Big answered, “You needn’t worry, Nicholas. The reason I’ve
survived and remained in my position of power this long is due to always
staying a step ahead of my opposition.” Watching Nick sigh in relief, Mr. Big
said, “Nick, I want you to know that I’ve forgiven you for your past
transgressions. Now, both of you get out of here and take care of each other.”
Nick and Judy regrouped with Clawhauser, who been brought to the kitchen and
was currently eating ice cream, courtesy of the snow leopard employed as the
chef. They told Clawhauser it was time to go then the three went back to the
cruiser. As they pulled away from the property towards the ZPA, Nick got a text
from the staff at the Mess saying that everything was ready for when he
returned. ‘At least dinner isn’t being cancelled.’ he thought. ‘Every date
should always end with a nice dinner.’
Ben dropped them off at the front entrance of the Temp Housing Complex a little
over an hour later. Nick hadn’t considered until right then how ironic it was
that the ZPA was within an hour or so drive from the residence of one of
Zootopia’s most powerful mafia dons. Instead of entering the building, Nick led
her to the Mess, where everything he need for tonight was waiting. Upon
entering the Mess, Nick was impressed with how well they managed to decorate
the table he had selected in the corner. “Wait here, I have to get something
then we can go back to our rooms.” he told Judy.
Judy watched as Nick disappeared into the kitchen area and waited for his
return. The table Nick had her wait at was lovely, which caused her to wonder
why they were going to go back to their rooms to eat. She looked up to see Nick
rolling out a food cart. “Slick? What’re you doing?” She wasn’t awarded with an
answer. Instead what she got was a ‘shushing’ gesture as he placed two of the
four covered dishes on the cart onto the table.
“This is my thank you to your brother for helping me.” Nick explained. He then
added, “It’s also a traditional vulpine dish to kick Skye’s ass into gear to
learn how to cook. Apparently, she’s horrible at it.” This drew a chuckle from
Judy, making him smile. “Come on. It wouldn’t be romantic for them if they find
us here.” He led her out of the Mess then back to their rooms, passing Jaxon on
the way there, who told them Skye was visiting their detainee before joining
him, and thanking Nick for his services. Telling Jaxon not to mention it, Nick
opened the door to his room for Judy followed by guiding the food cart inside.
Nick relit the candles from last time for mood lighting and hooked his phone up
to the speaker, selecting a magical melody [So Close].
Judy, however, caught sight of three notebooks on Nick’s bed. Walking over, she
jumped up and sat down, opening one to find it full of paw-written notes. There
was a small note from Jameson stating, ‘I’ve filled these with a few exercises
for you and Judy. They’ll help you obtain greater command and control of your
Izu Genes. The exercises can be done within the privacy of your rooms. J.’ Judy
flipped through a couple of pages as Nick began to cook. The first exercise was
labelled ‘Inner Sense’. Reading the instructions, Judy saw that the exercise
was meant to strengthen things such as a mammal’s self-preservation. The ‘Inner
Sense’ mentioned was essentially a combination of one’s intuition and
instincts.
Nick was too focused on preparing their meals to pay attention to what Judy was
doing. The preliminary prep had thankfully been done by him prior to their
departure that morning, and the followup prep by the Mess’s staff as it had to
be done at least 1 to 2 hours prior to cooking. The dish that Nick was going to
prepare was called ‘Ojiya-Style Pacific Saury Takikomi Gohan’. The dish was one
of the more difficult courtship meals to prepare. Nick had to pay close
attention to its preparation, for if even a single mistake was made it would
ruin the whole dish. Nick felt that he was fortunate for he managed to prepare
the dish without incident. Setting the plates down on the table, Nick turned
his attention to Judy, who nose was buried into a notebook. “Fluff? Dinner’s
ready.”
“Give me a second, Slick.” Judy told him. “I’m reading these notes your dad
left us.” She didn’t raise her head to look at him until she was finished. “We
need to look over all of this when we’re done eating. These exercises are
designed to help us gain greater mastery over our Izu Genes.” Judy passed a
notebook over to Nick so that he could read over a snippet. “I just finished
reading up on how to improve our ‘Inner Sense’. I believe that it would be in
our best interest to do these exercises during our free time. Thankfully, we
can do them alone in our rooms, away from any prying eyes.”
Skimming through some of the text, Nick find himself agreeing to Judy’s
assessment. His father did an excellent job of explaining the purpose of each
exercise in great detail. “We’ll look through them after dinner. For now,
though, let’s eat.” He guided Judy to the table and presented the dish. “Voila,
Ojiya-Style Pacific Saury Takikomi Gohan.” He watched Judy’s face light up in
joy then proceed to dig in. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever truly get used to the idea
that Judy enjoys predator meals.’ Nick thought to himself. ‘Not that I’m
complaining, but still.’Giving a small prayer, Nick began to partake of his own
meal. He wasn’t very religious, but it had dawned on Nick that it would
probably be a good idea to thank whoever was watching over him for Judy coming
into his life.
Judy started to slow down her consumption as a question from earlier came back
to mind. “Nick? What’s the Yliaster Group?” The doe had seen how the mention of
it had affected Nick and Judy wanted to know what had triggered such a reaction
in her fox. “Were they a group of bad mammals? Or did you just have a bad run-
in with them?”
Nick frowned as he tried to formulate a way to answer Judy’s questions. He
wasn’t going to lie to her or leave anything out, but certain topics had to be
addressed carefully. The Yliaster Group was one such topic. Setting his fork
down, he took a sip of his V8 Fusion.
“The Yliaster Group is an expansive network of mammals whose job is to gather,
verify, and sell information. Basically, information or knowledge brokers.
Their agents are typically known as informants, and they come from all walks of
life. Be it hackers, prostitutes, or law enforcement officials and even judges.
At one point, I was once employed by them as the ‘analog’ version of their
database. When I previously said, ‘I know everybody’, I wasn’t lying. I don’t
‘know them’ know them, but I know of them and information on them. For
instance, Chief Bogo’s mother used to be a political campaign manager before
she gave birth to him. She’s still a major force to be reckoned with in the
world of politics. Our cheetah buddy, Benjamin Clawhauser, was a former
sharpshooter for SWAT prior to an accident that damaged his eyesight. It
doesn’t affect his day-to-day life, but he can’t be behind a scope while in the
field anymore. My mind is basically a neuro-vault filled with terabytes upon
terabytes of information on a lot of Zootopia’s most influential mammals.”
“But is the Yliaster Group for the law? Or, are they against it?” Judy asked.
“Do they side with law enforcement? Or do they give the information to
criminals?” She had a hard time trying to rationalize just how much damage
these mammals could potentially create with their extensive knowledge on those
in power. It was daunting to think of it.
“Neither.” Nick answered honestly. “They side with whoever pays them the most
for whatever information is in their possession. They usually auction the
information off to the highest bidder. Sometimes, if a mammal wants specific
data, they are required to pay a certain percentage beforepaw, as if placing a
deposit.” Taking a bite of his food, Nick continued. “When I worked with them,
my job was to gather intel, verify it, and sell it. As I said earlier, I was
the analog equivalent to their database. So, I was a walking treasure trove of
information. When I wanted out, I threatened to use what I knew to take them
down unless they cut me loose.”
“So, if I asked you to give me the 411 on anyone in Zootopia, you could give it
to me without issue?” Judy asked, getting a nod in response. “That’s…that’s
both an amazing and terrifying thing.” Again, Nick nodded in agreement to her
assessment. Judy took a couple of more bites, deep in thought. “What do you
think your cousin is looking for?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Nick confessed. “However, Ian has always been a little
more…obsessive. Especially when it tends to concern his father’s case.” Nick
recalled when he learned about his Uncle Walter’s death. Both Ian and Walter
had gotten rushed to Tundratown Medical following an major vehicular accident.
They had both been raced into emergency surgery. Nick’s mom had driven both he
and his father there to check on them, but by the time they arrived Uncle
Walter had already been declared deceased. Ian, however, was stubborn, fighting
to survive, and succeeded. According to Ian, his father, Walter, had gotten
spooked by something, causing him to panic, lose control of their vehicle, and
crash. During a moment of lucidity, Ian recalled that someone had supposedly
approached their vehicle and checked to make sure that his father had no chance
of survival.
After Ian had gotten discharged from the hospital, he threw himself into
investigating his father’s death. It took a couple of months, but he managed to
get a lead, followed it, and discovered that his old tod had been involved with
some rather shady characters. He had forwarded everything he found to the ZPD,
who arrested those involved. Only, none of them claimed to know anything about
Walter Wilde’s death. A month later, one asked to speak to an investigator,
wishing to confess, but the mammal was murdered in his cell before he could be
interrogated.
“Ian’s been trying to find out who wanted his father dead for a long time. I
guess he finally found a reason to take out the Yliaster Group’s office here
when they tried to get information on us. We really should thank him. Not for
having Mr. Big involved, but for protecting us.”
Judy pursed her lips. “What about Ian’s mother? Where is she? I’m not trying to
pry, but he’s family and I want to know as much as I can.” Judy felt that if
she were going to be a real member of Nick’s family then it would help to know
as much as she could about all the current members. She knew a good deal about
Rory, and as much about Jameson as the older tod allow to be known about him.
Plus, she was slowly getting to know more about Nick, but she was sure that
there were others that she needed to know about, like Ian’s mother.
“Aunt Vicky died in childbirth.” Nick stated, softly. “It had always been just
Ian and Uncle Walter for as long as I can remember. Uncle Walter raised Ian all
on his own. Taught Ian everything he knew about computers and the like. Uncle
Walter kind of locked the two of them away from the outside world, isolating
them. That is, at least, until Ian was old enough to go to school, which didn’t
last long. Ian’s extremely antisocial. He has very few acquaintances that are
willing to even tolerate him. Mr. Big’s one of the rarer ones who actually
enjoy his company. Ian and I used to play video games together every once and a
while when we were younger. Except that ended shortly after Uncle Walter died.
Ian became a recluse, refusing any unnecessary outside interactions of any kind
at all.”
Sadness coursed through Judy at the thought of Ian never knowing a mother’s
love. “That’s so sad.” she whispered. “I couldn’t imagine what my life would be
like had I not had my mom there for me. Nor do I want to.” She wondered however
what kind of mammals Ian’s parents had been. Judy chose to shelve those
thoughts for now. It was neither the time nor the place for them. “So, if the
Yliaster Group’s Zootopia office has been destroyed, do you think that they’ll
retaliate?”
“Nope.” Nick said with certainty. “They’re smarter than that. Most likely,
they’ll just reopen shop somewhere else within the city. Retaliating against a
mafia boss wouldn’t be in their favor, after all. Plus, Mr. Big is far more
dangerous if he’s expecting trouble, and they know that. No, the Yliaster Group
won’t even bother making an attempt.” Finishing his meal, Nick went to put his
dish in the sink. “Anything else you want to know?”
No questions came to mind, so Judy replied, “Not at the moment.” Finishing her
own meal, Judy placed her dish in the sink as well. “We should start reading
your dad’s notebooks.” The two of them then sat down on Nick’s bed, looking
through the notebooks that Jameson had left them. It wasn’t until much later,
when there was a knock on the door, that they looked at the clock on Nick’s
bedside table to see it was nearly 2300. Releasing a long sigh, Judy got off
Nick’s bed to let Jaxon in. “Sweet dreams, Nick.”
“Sweet dreams, Cottontail.” Nick replied as Judy exited and Jaxon entered. Nick
put the notebooks in the drawer of his bedside table. “How was dinner,
Stripes?” Nick asked as Jaxon pulled out the sleeper sofa. He watched as Jaxon
slipped into pajamas without answering. “Stripes? Something wrong?”
Groaning, Jaxon shook his head. “No. Not exactly. Skye’s…she’s trying to find
out how she knows our detainee. According to her, she knows Scarlett from
somewhere, but doesn’t know where. The food was great by the way.” Crawling
under the covers on the convertible couch, Jaxon laid down, closed his eyes,
and yawned. “I drank way too much wine with that meal. Have to say though,
never tried predator food. I quite enjoyed it. Skye’s now determined to learn
how to cook. So, thank you for that. I’d prepare myself though, if I were you.
She made a list of questions she wants to ask.”
Nick chuckled. “I’ll do my best, but no promises that my answers will be of any
help.” Stripping naked, Nick grabbed some sleepwear and headed to their
bathroom to take a shower. He saw Jaxon staring at him and gave the jackrabbit
a seductive pose. “Like what you see, Stripes? Should Skye be worried?” he
asked teasingly.
Jaxon sat up and looked Nick in the eye. “Let me set the record straight here.
First of all, I love Skye more than any other mammal alive. Nevertheless, I am
a jackrabbit and I do have a high sex drive just like every other Leporidae out
there. She’s fully aware that I’ve slept around on assignments. However, as
long as I come home to her, she doesn’t give a damn. I’ve been circumventing my
needs by taking special medication though, because that is how much I love her.
Secondly, do I find you attractive? Yes, I do. I’m bisexual. The relationship I
had prior to Skye was with a buck and the one before that was with a male
dhole. I’ve only had one other girlfriend, a three-toed sloth. Third, no. Skye
has nothing to worry about. I’ve already given myself over to her completely.
There is no one else I’d rather be with besides her.” Scanning Nick’s body,
Jaxon added, “But, I have to admit, you’re packing a rather large weapon.”
Giving Jaxon a smirk, Nick walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind
him. Turning on the shower, Nick looked at himself in the mirror. His sheath
and balls were indeed larger than your average tod. Thinking of Judy, he
imagined what she would think of his size. The thought aroused him, and he felt
himself begin to harden. Nick watched as the tapered tip of his cock peaked
from his sheath. Reaching down, he gave himself a squeeze further stiffening
his member. He ran a claw up one of the more prominent veins, increasing the
speed of which he hardened. Soon, Nick was fully erect, knot exposed. Nick
recalled the sizes of the tods in some of Judy’s porn mags. He easily put them
to shame. He was both longer and thicker than they were. Stepping into the
shower, Nick sat down on the seat inside. Looking at his cock, he found himself
wondering something. Leaning forward, Nick was pleased to discover that he was,
in fact, capable of sucking himself off. However, the taste left a lot to be
desired. So, Nick switched to just simply stroking his dick.
A mental image of Judy emerged in front of him from within Nick’s mind. The
image of Judy gave him a sultry grin as she leaned in close to his ear. ‘You
going to be a good boy for me, Slick?’ it asked, drawing a whine from Nick’s
throat. The mental image chuckled then straddled his hips. ‘You going to do
whatever I say?’ it questioned, making Nick nod in confirmation. ‘Hm.’ it
hummed as it slowly began to grind itself along his length. ‘What’s my name,
fox? What am I?’ it inquired.
“Y-you’re Judy. My Judy, my mate.” Nick murmured shakily. He was rewarded by
having the mental image position itself so that his tip was just parting her
vaginal lips. Staring into the eyes of the mental construct, Nick watched as it
slowly lowered itself down onto his cock. Gasping, Nick began to pant. She was
tight, vice-like. In reality, Nick was fully aware that this was due to him
squeezing his own cock, but he couldn’t help wondering if this was what it
would actually be like when they finally got to that point.
The mental Judy continued to grind itself onto Nick’s cock. ‘Now, be a good boy
and cum when I tell you to. Okay?’ She began to bounce up and down on his thick
fox-meat at a rapid pace, causing Nick to throw his head back against the
shower wall. ‘Ready? Cum!’
And cum Nick did. He came as the imaginary Judy’s cunt devoured his entire
member, knot and all, and squeezed. He shot cum clear across the shower,
coating the opposite wall. Huffing from excursion, Nick opened his eyes to look
at the large load he had released. It was quite a lot. Detaching the
showerhead, he washed it down the drain then reattached it so that he could
actually shower. By the time he got out, Jaxon was already asleep, snoring
loudly. Nick climbed back into bed, pulling out one of the notebooks from the
bedside table drawer. Thanks to his natural night vision, Nick didn’t need any
light to read the contents. He flipped back to the page he had been reading
earlier.
‘Atavism: this ability allows one to revert to a state of primeval retro-
progression, gaining the abilities of an evolutionary throwback of their
species. One with this ability still maintains control over self instead of
devolving into a truly feral beast.’ Nick read the pros and cons of the
ability, not that were many. There was a small note on the side from his father
listing other abilities that should be acquired first, one being Tranquil Fury.
Going to that page, Nick read the description. ‘Tranquil Fury: mammals with
this ability can enter a state of tranquility while their mindset is that of a
feral savage. This ability, in essence, grants one the ability to channel their
savagery while maintaining total control.’
Nick read up on the other abilities his father listed one should learn before
attempting ‘Atavism’. He noted that none of them seemed particularly difficult,
but one should never judge a book by its cover. Putting the notebook back into
his bedside table drawer, Nick laid down and closed his eyes. As he drifted off
to sleep, he thought of Judy, thinking, ‘Goodnight, Sweetheart. Goodnight.’
Chapter End Notes
     Track list:
     ~Listen to Your Heart [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLFTmGnwaDQ]
     ~Moon River: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkM5_IR4WEg]
     ~I Feel for You: [N/A} Sorry. The version of the song I wanted isn't
     available anywhere other than on iTunes. Therefore, [https://
     itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-feel-for-you/212972881?i=212973235]
     ~So Close: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad7ejBn3KSQ]
     Music Trivia: Despite public belief, the song "I Feel for You" is a
     song written by Prince that originally appeared on his 1979 self-
     titled album, released in (obviously) 1979. It was then performed by
     the Pointer Sisters (June, Bonnie, Anita, and Ruth) in 1982. However,
     nowadays, the song is associated with Rufus & Chaka Khan.
     Editor Wanted:
     Author in need of a 'Grammar-Nazi' editor. Applicants must have at
     least one semester of High School Freshman English under their belt.
     Must be willing to tolerate my madness at irregular intervals.
     Flexible Hours. Everything else is negotiable. If interested, please
     leave a comment stating such.
     Final Words: The FF.net version my counterpart over there
     [ApatheisticDevil] posts in my stead will get updated next Thursday.
     So, those of you here are technically getting it early. Also, once
     the prologue and premier chapters of my Original Work get posted
     here, I'll be alternating my monthly releases for it and TZD. While
     everything has pretty much settled down here at home, I've gone back
     to work as a freelance multidisciplinary consulting specialist. My
     previous clientele have returned, and I've acquired some new ones
     which I must acquaint myself. So, I'll be busy, busy, busy. However,
     Ian will still update SWZ semi-regularly, but school comes first and
     foremost.
     I'll see y'all next release.
End Notes
     Welcome to the first book to the largest project I've ever
     undertaken. This is just the first of 5 books that i'm in the process
     of writing. Any and all constructive critiques are accepted. After
     being away for almost two decades, I'm trying to get back into the
     game so my writing style is a little wonky. I hope you enjoy it, but
     if not i'm totally okay with that. This is just me having a little
     fun and hopefully an interesting read for you all.
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