Zootopia: Blind Faith

[Dynax]

Fear. Treachery. Bloodlust. These are the forces they say used to rule our world. Only the young and foolish believe that things are no longer so. From small burghs, to the towers of Zootopia, the place where it’s said anyone can be anything. It’s a small enough lie. It sits atop a mountain of falsehood upon which a shining city stands. In truth, it’s a place build upon decades of darkness. Mandatory shock collars, muzzles, lines of segregation drawn over dirty cement with fresh blood. Just because those things are no longer said out loud, the collars and disciplinary instruments stashed away never to see the light of day again, does not mean their shadows don’t dominate every corner of this supposed utopia, or darken the corners of the biggest truth of them all. In this world, there is only Predator, and Prey. And they will always be enemies. They can’t be anything else.

The color of nature is red.

**

Clarice Beruk stood as straight as a Lemur could, bearing the howling wet winds that rattled the  twisting vines and wide leaves of the canopic trees surrounding the small wooden platform with the dignity that only a hardened businesswoman could muster. She tapped her tail irritably against the slick surface of the perch but immediately ceased when she thought she could make out a shape, fighting hard against the tumultuous gales, laboriously dodging branches, vines, and wires. A battered, wet shape flapped hard from the darkness and landed heavily upon the platform--a large fruit bat wearing a dark pressed suit, soaked through.

“I trust you have the goods?” He grunted as he straightened up, approaching the Lemur impatiently.

“The formula is right here, but only if you have my money, Bat.” The Lemur held up a small, unmarked package. Within was the USB containing the formula the Bat’s employer was looking to purchase. It was an outdated instrument to be sure, but Beruk was old fashioned and frankly didn’t trust the signal to be interrupted. The Bat approached, glared hard at the USB before nodding grimly.

“You know what will happen if that’s not the genuine article.”

“Please. Don’t expect me to run afoul of the Bloodmouth, it’s the real deal. Now if you would be so kind as to hurry.”

“The police have no way to reach us.” The Bat whipped out his phone and tapped a message into the screen. “There. The funds have been wired to your account. No wolf or rhino can get up here. They can’t get us.”

**

[/size][/font]

“We got ‘em!”

“Shut up, Fangmire, you’re distracting me!”

The scene might have been comical if not for the tension thickening the air. Wolfram, a big Timber Wolf frowned in concentration as she hovered over a series of slick silver controls, bejeweled with colored buttons and lights, staring intently through a small screen that represented the vision of their secret weapon. In their sights were the two crooks exchanging their dirty deal upon the tiny wooden platform in real time and in HD. Crowded around her were several other officers, Fangmire, Higgins, McHorn and Delgato,a Polar Bear, a Hippo a Rhino a Lion respectively--and standing directly behind her was the Chief Bogo. Blue black hide stretched tight over huge muscles, the Cape Buffalo was wearing a delicate headset that looked hilariously delicate and small perched on his mighty head. The small room was crowded with hide and bone and tusk and fur and awfully hot, but everyone wanted a chance to see both the secret weapon in action as well as the execution of a risky plan to catch criminals who had been gracing Zootopia’s Most Wanted for years.

“That storm looks bad. Are they going to be okay? That’s a three hundred foot drop easy.”

Chief Bogo grunted. “They’re the only ones on the force who can respond to this situation. Have a little faith.”

“Chief, send them in now!” Fangmire urged. “Wolfram got what we needed!”

“Not yet!” Snapped Wolfram, “This wind is playing hell with my rotors…”

“I need you in position now, Wolfram,” Bogo’s voice was calm, but tight with tension, his hand hovering by his ear.

“Right. Got it, Chief.”

“Operation Hummingbird is a go!” Bogo commanded into the mic. “Bring them in!”

There was a brief crackle of static. A pregnant pause, distorted by the roar of the storm. Then, another crackle and a bright voice on the other end of the line,

“Affirmative, Chief! We’re coming in hot!”

**[/font]

Just as the small package was about to leave the Lemur’s hand’s, there was a whoosh and a blaze of lights. A black drone, with the letters ZDP engraved into the side bounced up alongside the platform, the air from the rotors doing even more to tear at the clothing of the two suspects upon the platform. Both of them used their hands to shield their sensitive eyes. Balanced precariously atop the drone were the ZDP’s newest recruits--hero cops and the smallest members of the force by at least fifty pounds:

Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde.

Judy was all business as she seized the microphone and called out over the storm,

“Clarice Beruk, you are under arrest for the sale and intent to receive stolen property! Get down on the ground!”

But rather than obey, both suspects turned and scrambled to flee.

“Nick! The Bat!” She called out as she leaped high off the drone, dropping down like a piece of hail to land beside the Lemur. The Lemur cried out and immediately turned to leap for a nearby vine. Judy grimly tore after her, balancing as carefully as she could as she used her rope equipment to chase her. She trusted Nick to take care of the Bat--and she couldn’t afford to let Beruk get away!

“Stop!” She cried out at the Lemur, taking care to look down. Look where you want your feet to go. Tread carefully. This was her training talking.

“You don’t belong up here, Rabbit!” The Lemur snarled, turning back to Judy and leaping over her to head back towards and under the platform. However, she didn’t seem to expect Judy to use her rope tools to flip right around without falling. She had a gut feeling that Nick with his quick instincts had already dealt with the Bat--or at the very least she prayed to whomever might be listening that he had. And if he hadn’t well...improvisation was one of their strengths.

The Lemur blew past Nick. But the Lemur had miscalculated the height of her jump and when she landed on the edge of the platform, the slick wetness of the wood cause her to lose balance and tip over the edge with a scream.

She would have fallen to her death if Judy had not thrown herself after her.

And Judy would have died too, if not for Nick.

“Nick, incoming!” Judy shouted as she grabbed at the Lemur. For one sickening heartbeat she was floating above the dark forest, with nothing to keep her from plummeting down to break into a thousand pieces.

But she knew Nick would catch her.

[Proto Triose]

Nick was with her on the large drone, holding for dear life to one of its receivers. Admittedly, this may or may not have interfered somewhat with the remote team down below. But foxes were not meant to be this high in the air, that much they had gotten right. What they didn't get correct, however, was his determination to take these two down - especially considering the drone had been his idea to begin with. When Judy threw herself from the drone, it rocked a little, making him hold tighter until it stabilized. As much as it was going to stabilize, anyway. He saw Judy slip on the slick footing a couple times, and immediately forgot himself, but his partner could take care of herself.


He let go of the antenna finally, seeing the bat trying to escape. "Not today, batty." He spoke to himself, though no doubt the police force below heard him through the receiver in his ear. Judy yelled at him to grab the bat, but she didn't need to - he had already crouched, and launched himself off the drone, sending the already unstable thing spinning with the force of his leap. He heard a crunch behind him, but it mattered very little in his mind. His eyes were on the bat coming up quick below him. With a thud, he slammed into the desperately flapping creature and took him down to the walkway, making sure the bat took the brunt of his fall. Immediately, the bat snapped at him, but he moved his muzzle and punched it as hard as he could, dazing it. The thing was struggling like its life were on the line, which - if you counted a life in prison - it was.


"Stronger than you look. What's the matter, fox too -" he punched the bat again, "heavy for you?"


With a screech, the bat bit at him again, clawing at his sides with his legs. "You don't know what you're getting into, fox! You get involved, and it's your bunny that's in trouble." The bat angled its eyes upward, above them. As soon as Nick craned his head to look, the bat thrust at the ground beneath him with its hind legs, sending them both falling off the walkway.


He had probably been counting on Nick letting him go in surprise, but Nick was too privy to those kinds of games. He'd used the distraction bit more than enough times himself; including once not too long ago, to get Hopps off of him. That ended with no success, just as much as this did for the bat. Nick only tightened his grip as they both fell, being whipped with vines and leaves. They both came to a stop with a bouncing jerk, tangled in any number of vines around them.


Thinking quickly, he grabbed a length of vine nearby and bit through it, spitting the middle half out to the side, and wrapped the vine around the bats wings. With a jerk, he tied a knot, holding its wings to its side. The bat still struggled, but the vine was too thick for its small mouth, so Nick had no worry that it wouldn't be able to get free. Exhaling loudly, he dropped back in his own tangled set of vines, letting his head loll so he was looking up above them. Where was Judy? Dumb bunny probably got herself in an even worse predicament than himself.


"I'm going to need some coffee after this." He muttered, closing his eyes for a moment.


"The Bloodmouth will not like me being captured, fox. She will target you. More importantly, you have signed your partner's death certificate. The lemur would have gone unpunished. Let me go, and coffee will be your greatest concern. Keep me, and you will have much bigger ones." The bat stopped struggling, realizing the futility and attempting a bargain.


"Be quiet, you flying rodent."


"Rodent! Rod -"


Nick held up two fingers to the sides of his muzzle and stuck his tongue out, bobbing his head back and forth. "Bluh, I'm a bat, fear me! Ze flying rodent of ze sky! Bluh!"


The bat was silent for a moment, then shook its head, giving up. "I don't talk like that. And do not ever say I didn't warn you. The Bloodmouth is not a forgiving creature. But then, you know that better than most, don't you, fox?"


Nick tilted his head, opening his mouth to ask what the bat meant, when he heard Judy scream from above him. "Nick, incoming!" He looked around through the rain and treetops frantically until he saw Judy free falling after the lemur girl. Think, Wilde, think! He looked around desperately, then his eyes rested on the vines holding him in midair. Tracing them up with his eyes, he grabbed a knife at his belt and sucked in some air. Whoever is up there, for the love of Lady Luck let this be the right one. Quickly hacking at the other vines - all except two; the one he thought might be holding him, and the one the fruit bat was tied to - he felt himself free fall and closed his eyes, gripping the vine tightly.


With a jerk that tightened a tangled appendage around his waist, the vine began to swing him in an arc toward where Judy was falling from. She had caught Beruk, but they would still fall to their deaths if he didn't ... Now! He reached out and grabbed Judy under the arms, so she could still hold on to Beruk. "Nice catch there, Carrots. Little more of a warning next time, though? Hm?" He looked down at Officer Hopps as they swung freely back and forth from the vine he was tangled in and holding on to.


As he looked around the swaying world, looking for a way down, "Any ideas on how to get down from here?"

[Dynax]

Beruk was too petrified to even think of struggling against Judy’s grip. At this point, the lights from the police sirens flashed and blinked from three hundred feet below, playing against the shining wet leaves of the canopy. Dripping wet but not at all cold, Judy, afire with adrenaline and the thrill of victory turned to face her partner with a grin.

“Not so bad yourself. I have full confidence in your ability to improvise, Officer Wilde,” she said, half a laugh in her bright voice as she readjusted her grip on the terrified and defeated lemur. “And Wolfram will pilot the--oh…” her laugh petered out slightly when she realized that the drone that should have been able to take them back down had been lodged firmly the branches of a tree a good thirty feet away from their vine, the rotors still struggling pathetically against the foliage, the sound of its small engine faint against the roar of the storm.
Judy winced. Still, she could see that the other suspect, the bat, had been effectively apprehended.

“I still think we can call this one a victory,” she said. The storm pushed the vine gently back and forth, and Judy for her part--soaking wet, cold, and sticky from the chase and the rain found that she couldn’t be more comfortable pressed against Nick’s chest and feeling his strong heartbeat against her back.

**


It had taken them almost an hour to get down. With the drone crashed, the Chief had had to request one of the small canopy blimps to bob up slowly to their position. The Flying Squirrel and Ocelot staff had helped disentangle Nick, Judy and their apprehended suspects and what had followed was a very cold, wet and muggy descent down to the forest floor where the backup was waiting. Nick and Judy were equipped with reflective blankets and bad coffee as their bundled suspects were driven away in a squad car.
Flushed with triumph, Judy had to restrain her inner kitten not to kick her feet against the sit, instead sitting relatively still at Nicks’s side as they were driven back to the police station.

It had long, difficult case. Beruk and her dirty dealings had been something of a poorly kept secret for almost three years, long before Judy and Nick had arrived on the scene. And now finally, after those three long years the case was finally slammed closed to the relief of the whole station, who were thrilled to finally see the devious Lemur behind bars.
Nick and Judy had headed to their respective locker rooms to shower the worst of the rain and mud and filth from their fur before coming out, welcomed by hoots and roars. Wolfram, who had piloted the drone up until Nick crashed it also shared in the praise, and there had been an impromptu late night order of pizza to celebrate.

Judy was grateful for this. She hadn’t eaten for probably ten hours, and the smell of pizza alone was enough to make her mouth water. While everyone was gleefully stuffing their faces with hot, celebratory pizza, the Chief walked into the bullpen. While Bogo was not one for exaggerated displays of anything other than gruff bruqseuness, he seemed satisfied as he stomped up to his podium. Judy sat up a little straighter. She respected the debriefing process, knowing it was very important to keep to protocol, but after a day this long she hoped fervently he’d keep it short so they could be released.

She had a bad feeling that she was going to be reprimanded for what Bogo might have interpreted as recklessness on her part, but at the same time she knew she wouldn’t feel sorry about it in the slightest. Her faith in Nick was unshakable as stone, and she trusted him with more than just her life.

[Proto Triose]

While they sat on the seats in the car, both huddled up in their blanket, Nick had reached over and put a hand between her ears, ruffling the fur on her head and making her ears bounce slightly. He smiled fondly at her, not feeling the need to say anything, before he put his hand back to his cup of coffee and sipped at the black gold. Always one for a good quick nap, a leftover from taking sleep when he could when he was younger, he dozed off on the way to the police station.


The pizza had smelled great to him, too. He'd stood with his hands in his pockets for a while before selecting two pieces; a larger one, and a smaller one. Bringing them both over, he'd given Judy the larger piece, as he knew she went more times than even he did without eating. She always got her nose too deep in to the case, and she'd forget about eating. Especially tonight, the culmination of all their planning and their next moment in the spotlight. She no doubt hadn't eaten since that morning, when they'd shared a small breakfast. Turning in his seat, he saw Clawhauser with his hands to his mouth in delight at the single donut Nick had placed beside the pizza box. He turned around with a smile and leaned back in the chair with one arm over the headrest to listen.



Chief Bogo tapped his papers loudly on the podium so the noise was amplified on the speakers. Fortunately, this was the preliminary debriefing before the story was officially told to the press that would be waiting outside the following morning. "This was -A- victory." He started, his eyes quite clearly resting on Nick and Judy. It felt like multiple sets of eyes turned to them, to which Nick raised a paw and waved once, smiling his most disarming smile. "Today we closed a case that has been open for many years on one Clarice Beruk." Cheers started, but Bogo snorted and held up a hand, silencing them before they could really get started. "We got an official recording with the drone, before it was smashed into a tree and brought in for -costly- repairs, Nick P. Wilde."


This time he didn't even bother to look. Nick felt a friendly punch to his shoulder. "How do you know it wasn't Officer Hopps that destroyed it?" He raised his voice, not looking at the irritation he knew Judy would be showing him.


"You want to try and convince me a small rabbit had the strength to send a medium sized drone spinning out of control into a tree and getting itself lodged? Don't," he quickly added when Nick opened his mouth. "It was you, Nick. Seeing as using the new drones was your idea, I'm giving you a pass. This time. But don't push my buttons, or it will be your badge."


"Or it will be your badge." Nick spoke in tandem with him, rolling his eyes.


Bogo made a noise in his throat that sounded rather threatening before resuming the debriefing. "We got the recording we needed on Beruk thanks to this tactical espionage. The item she was trading for," he paused as a picture flickered on behind him on a display screen. "Is this USB. It was badly damaged in the reckless capture by Officer Hopps," He flicked his eyes to Judy, and Nick laughed when she shrunk down a little.


"Ow," he mouthed to her when she kicked his leg.


"Our team of technicians are working on it as we speak, and will have an update by tomorrow evening as to what was contained on the device. Officer Nick Wilde has shared with us the name Bloodmouth that his arrest taunted him with. We will be looking into the possible connection at a later time. For now, it is considered a false name, as this dealt with stolen property and not disappearances." He explained when murmurs started. "While Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde were reckless and unorthodox in the apprehension, they are to be commended for the capture. You are dismissed for the evening for R and R."


As Nick went to stand, he looked down at Judy, who was giving him that look that he knew so well. "I'll talk to you about that over coffee tomorrow. I wanted personal time for something of a personal nature. Okay?"


Officer Bogo, with his booming steps, stopped at their row with his hands behind his back, looking down his nose at them. "Officers. Come in tomorrow evening after the media reveal. I need to speak with the both of you." Without waiting for a response, he stomped away to his office, paperwork and files in hand.

[Dynax]

"Bloodmouth?" Judy murmured as Bogo continued with the debriefing. She glanced at Nick, this having been the first she heard of it. That sounded like a tacky alias, but she knew from experience now that nicknames and identities like this had their own power, and ability to warp--for better or for worse. She cringed a little when the Chief highlighted her reckless capture. It wouldn't have been her first or her last, and she couldn't truly say she was sorry for it. After all, they'd caught the bad guys. The method, as long as no one was harmed or nothing illegal was done shouldn't matter right?  She refocused her attention on the information given and the debriefing passed without much further incident beyond her partner's wisecracks and her hindpaw to his shin. "Personal time for something of a personal nature? Okay, but don't think I'll forget to ask," Judy quirked an eyebrow at her vulpine partner but left it at that for now. For now. She had no intention of letting that one slip by, as she was a dangerous mixture of curious and sightly wary.


When the Chief approached them and gave his order, Judy nodded, "Sir," she said as an affirmative as Bogo turned to stomp into his office. "What do you think he wants?" she mused to Nick as they left the station. "He didn't need us for the media reveal, so that's something," she said as they climbed onto the late-night train. They rode for the first few stops together before needing to part ways to go to their respective apartments. That would probably got to the Officers who had been on Beruk's case for longer than the two who just happened to be the only ones qualified to take part in the operation that would capture them. It was only right, and she was satisfied with how the job had gone. "Good thinking on the drone capture, Nick." she said, her voice warm. Her ears twitched at the memory of the drones. "I hope in the future I get a chance to pilot one." It was unlikely. She hadn't scored terribly well on the preliminaries cold. She needed more practice, but unfortunately there wasn't a lot of leeway for mistakes with the experimental equipment.


When she got to her stop, she gave Nick an enthusiastic hug, wished him a goodnight and walked the rest of the way home.


The short, dark walk was the kind of thing that Judy had always been taught to fear, and frankly, something that she had been wired for. The night, being alone, in a dangerous place, and being so terribly small. But it was instinct, and instinct could be trained, and managed. And this walk had become familiar, routine, and most people in the area would know her on sight. After the Savage Conspiracy, even a year later, she and Nick were some of the most visible cops on the force--for better or for worse.


But tonight was not a time to focus on the worse. She would sleep thinking of the victory. Thanks to the drone images, they should have been able to provide the media with something positive to read as well as showcase the talents of the force's first fox.


**


Noon the next day found Nick and Judy on their lunchbreak at the fox's favorite Starbucks. Having parked the patrol car, Judy pressed the door open with a jangle and filed into the busy lunch rush line alongside Nick. Crouching alongside the food selections, Judy coudn't help but notice--


"Wow, they're selling Back to Basics bars in Starbucks? Wild." she marveled, glancing around. Several predators were happily chomping down on the protein bars--a new and popular brand that had sprung up in the last six months that had largely taken the city's Predators by storm. The packaging was a little bit tasteless, featuring thinly veiled synonyms for "real meat flavor" and actually featuring the pawprints--if not the images--of Prey animals on the packaging. This was normally considered taboo, but the product had to have been good enough to survive bad marketing. Or maybe, Judy considered darkly for a moment, it appealed to something low and mean. But she put that thought aside in favor of imagining that the person designing the packages was probably a Predator and may not have considered the feelings of an audience the product wasn't likely to have, and may not have meant it cruelly.


She ordered her small chamomile tea and purchased a package of hummus, carrots and apple slices before sitting down with Nick next to a window and a newspaper rack and waited patiently for Nick to get his own food before opening her own. Sh was aware of the gazes fixed on them, something she'd grown use to with time. It was normal for people to stare at cops in uniforms, but it wasn't as though Nick and Judy could go anywhre without being recognized as the force's barrier smashing, record breaking, Rabbit and Fox duo.


"So," she said, absently taking a newspaper from the rack, "What's this about personal...oh. Sweet Mother Goose, what is this?" her voice almost cracked as she stared down at the newspaper. "'Fox cop's recklessness nearly kills Rabbit partner and suspect'?"

[Proto Triose]

Nick sat across from her, with no breakfast before him - he wasn't particularly hungry this morning, though Clawhauser would more than likely offer him one of his doughnuts. He might just take him up on that offer this morning, if for no other reason than to send the guy into shock. He'd just ordered a large coffee this morning, that he blew on to make the steam curl in the air. Sniffing the coffee first and letting out a content sigh, he brought the cup up. He'd considered trying one of those Back to Basics bars, but he already had enough of an addiction to the caffeine filled, heated beverage in his hand. The last thing he needed was another addiction, and to be honest, predator or not, the little pictures of prey on the bars didn't settle well with him. Not after the whole Savage affair that wasn't far enough in the past to be forgotten.


When Judy read the headline out loud, he stopped the cup where it was, lowering it just fractionally. It was enough, no doubt, for Judy to read him. It made him uncomfortable, seeing as they already got enough attention drawn to them simply for being a predator and prey team. Along with cracking the Savage case, and their more recent efforts, it was the last thing he needed. Still, he took the drink he was going to and calmly set the cup down, giving her his most disarming smile. "They got a pretty good picture of me, at least. Makes me look very hard core, don't you think?" He plucked the paper up, turning it to read the article. "I think I have something in my teeth there though. Is that lettuce? I don't remember eating lettuce." He snapped his fingers, pointing at her. "You had me try that sandwich from your parent's farm. Said it would be healthy for me or something." He only read a small portion of the article, but it was enough.


In another harrowing arrest made by the respected Officer, Judy Hopps, of the ZPD, her partner came dangerously close to blowing the entire arrest. Nick P. Wilde, Judy's ill-advised partner, crashed their only means of safely returning to the ground in his attempt to detain one of the perpetrators in the exchange of sensitive materials. Not only that, but due to his reckless behavior, Officer Hopps was thrown from the treetops, nearly falling to her death if it weren't for her quick thinking.
No word has reached us about what the object they were after was, but one thing is for certain - Officer Nick Wilde should not be allowed to -

He stopped reading there, putting the paper back down on the table. "What does it matter? One little article isn't going to hurt anything. Even if the reporters don't think it's a smart partnership, I -know- it is, and that's all that matters. Don't stress it too much, I'm sure it will all just blow over." He brought his coffee back up to take another drink. He drummed his fingers on the tabletop, though, with a distant look about him. He was quite clearly unsettled, thinking about it, but he wasn't going to let Judy know it concerned him.


Maybe he would get a chance to clear this all up at the precinct. No doubt a few reporters were still around, waiting for any crumb of detail that might come out the doors about the USB they had found. His eyes were on a leopard munching happily on a Back to Basics bar. That was as good a subject change as any - undoubtedly Judy wouldn't be fooled by it, but it was worth a try. "I don't understand how those things are so popular. What are they, some kind of body building bar? Maybe it's energy. Everyone that eats them seems a lot more awake to me." Tilting the cup at Judy, he nodded his head toward the white and green paper container. "This is all the energy I need. If I'm any more wired I might -actually- put your life in danger." He winked at her - wrong move; that line brought it right back to the article. Ah well. At least she'd be distracted enough by the shady reporting to not think about the Bloodmouth comment, if he played his cards right.

[Dynax]

Judy's eyes had flicked to Nick just in time for her to see that his grip on his cup faltered ever so slightly before he set it down and gave her that familiar grin, the 'don't worry about me' one that made an appearance when he wanted to throw her off or get her to stop worrying about something. It was different from his genuine or usual smarmy grin--characterized by the fact that his ears were slightly stiff, ever so slightly angled back. He was clearly uncomfortable, and with good reason. Judy was frowning, staring hard at the article. The headline's inaccuracy was so bold there was no way it could have been anything other than intentional, coupled with the very unflattering photo of Nick. It was an action shot, taken from slightly below. His mouth was open, displaying his full maw of sharp, pointed teeth and his eyes were focused on his target--the Bat suspect. It was very much reminiscent of what someone might see viewing a diorama at the Natural History Museum, and the callback to their experience there, intentional or not made Judy's eartips heat up with anger.


"It does matter, Nick. We both know what's happening here." Bias against foxes was nothing new, but the fact that it was still hounding Nick after almost a whole year after the Savage Conspiracy was a little shocking to Judy, although in retrospect it shouldn't have been. Nick had quietly dealt with the fallout of his joining the force, which had had very mixed results. And the populace had had no trouble making their opinions known. Fellow foxes alternatively praised him for his accomplishment or reviled him as a 'traitor to his kind', and everyone else had their doubts as to the ability of a Fox to perform in favor of the law instead of dodging it. Questions of his integrity and ability to physically endure the tests required--not unlike what Judy went through--had been lobbed at him as well, and of course there was the media, always in search of scandal. While Nick's new involvement had started seeing other predators with bad reputations moving to join the force--Judy thought there might be a weasel in training at the moment--the toll it had taken on her partner was a subtle one. He might have hardened himself to the prejudices of others, but he had worked so hard to turn a new leaf, make a difference and prove it to the world that she knew that this didn't just bounce off his armor entirely.  "This is completely untrue and hurtful to you! This is libel! Who wrote this?" she asked in disbelief, taking the paper back from Nick. She found the name, underlining it with her claw. "Will O'Riley? He's writing for Zootopia Daily now? I thought he just broadcasted!" she held her head in frustration. The Skunk was well known for his sensationalist articles and political agenda bleeding into a lot of his work. He polarized the populace and his success was built on making people, particularly Prey, afraid and angry.


Judy did not have a lot of strong, angry feelings towards many mammals. She had always been raised, despite obvious prejudices towards Foxes and other Predators that had been hard to shake, to at least try and believe the best in others. But O'Riley and Dawn Bellweather were among those she could not forgive.


"You and I both know these things don't just blow over," she said, looking him in the eye with real concern in her voice. "We need address this at the media reveal somehow. If there's push from the public about--us--we have to push right back and show them that their preconceptions are wrong! And don't," she said, her voice sharp, "Try to change the subject by bringing up some novelty protein bars." she folded her hands under her chin. "Who is this Bloodmouth, Nick?"

[Proto Triose]

Damn. He should have known it wouldn't breeze by her. She was too good at her job for him to have thought she'd forget about any detail, even if minor. It wasn't quite a sigh that escaped him, but one of resignation. "You're right, of course. If we're going to break this bad reputation they keep trying to start, we have to be careful. As much as I don't want to bring it up, and believe me when I say I don't, you weren't exactly subtle the last time you were in front of cameras for making a case." His smile changed, very slightly, but Judy undoubtedly wouldn't miss the fondness behind it. "Have you been practicing? I know you have. Will it help when we get to the ZPD? I'm hoping it will."


He leaned forward, giving her a little tap on the nose before returning his hand to the nearly empty coffee cup before him. He needed a moment to gather his thoughts. It was no secret that half the city loved him, and the other half was either vocally against him, or against him in the privacy of their homes. He didn't think he had done anything to make everyone distrust him. He tried every day to show he was there to do good. For once in his life, he felt like he had a cause to fight for. Not just his and all foxes' reputation, but his partner. His eyes shifted to her as he thought it. The one person who had believed in him, despite everything. Hell, even let her put his jaws around her throat. That alone. That had shown him. And she relied on him just as much as he did her; he wouldn't be here if not for that trust.


Why, then, did so many hate him? It went deeper than just that he was a predator. He knew the reputation foxes had. He had been the stereotypical fox, little more than a year ago. Personified and affirmed everything they feared. That was enough of a reason to let them have their biases, he supposed - on some level, he understood.


His thoughts drifted back to the years when he was younger, dumber. When he met another fox, an arctic fox, on the streets in their run down neighborhood. All the thoughts of partners brought his mind drifting back. Finnick, introducing him to her. He would pretend he couldn't remember her name to make it easier, but he knew it. Aurora. They had been a fairly good team, the two of them - and the city didn't hate them any more than they did the common criminal or double talker. Two predators? It was only natural. She had extreme views, but he could always rely on her. At least in the way a partner in crime could rely on another, if nothing more.


Still, she wasn't a partner in the way Judy was. Sure, she got jobs done, but she was just an accomplice, not someone he could say he had protective and fond feelings for. He had no doubts she felt the same way about him, especially after ... Well, truth be told, her views had disturbed him even then, though he knew she never acted on them. That, and the fact that they weren't all that unnatural for the environment they both had grown up in. He was very glad they had parted ways. Even more so now.


"The Bloodmouth," he finally said "I'm not entirely sure who or what the Bloodmouth is, but the bat, when he was at that point where they all go. You know, trying to bribe and barter with an officer? He said something that sounded like I -should- know who they are. There's no one else I'd rather give me their thoughts, so maybe you can make sense of it. He told me 'The Bloodmouth is not a forgiving creature,' and here's the part that bothered me. Made me think it should be personal, but I just can't pin why. 'But then, you would know that better than most, wouldn't you, fox?' I thought maybe he was just trying to mess with me. I don't know." Nick threw the remaining cold contents of his coffee in a nearby trashcan, looking away out a nearby window. "It just seemed like truth, when he said it." Out of the corner of his eyes, he looked at Judy's reflection to judge her reaction. "I didn't have my carrot powered lie detector with me, so I can't be sure. If I recall, she was, what was it?" He tapped a finger to his muzzle pretending to have to actually recall the circumstances. "That's right. Jumping to her death over a three hundred foot drop." He shook his head, smiling more to himself than anything. "Honestly, I'm more than a little flattered that you trust me that much. But you can be a dumb bunny, sometimes. If you had died." He dropped his head, just a little, at the thought.

[Dynax]

Judy's ears twitched and she winced at the memory of that disastrous press conference. It had been as though every coherent though in her mind had fled to the four corners of the earth, leaving her a stammering, nervous wreck before a horde ravenous for information. It had happened in a blur, and it was one of those memories that always felt like a punch to the gut to recall, and in this context Nick was right to bring it up. He didn't do it out of malice, and the affection in his bearing was comfortable and familiar. Granted, she had been improving, and she had been practicing, as he had no doubt noticed that she'd purchased a couple of used books on public speaking and memorizing pawdcasts full of helpful advice within the realm of public speaking, knowing that the Savage Conspiracy press conference would not be the last time that she would be called upon to speak in public again. It had paid off at Nick's inaugural ceremony, but aside from a few statements to the press here and there neither Nick nor Judy had been asked to address the media directly with anything resembling a full on speech.


"If Chief Bogo doesn't have any plans to let us speak to the press directly, I'll ask for the opportunity," Judy promised. Her paws clenched beneath the table as Nick's manner shifted. He seemed introspective, as though mustering something up for the commencement of his explanation regarding the Bloodmouth. Her ears perked up sharply, her eyes wide and fixed upon him, her attention laser-focused. Nick had a slightly far away look. When he talked about his past, which was rare so when he did she always made sure she had no eye or ear for anything else, his gaze tended to drift away, as though he was watching it play out on a window, or a reflection in real time. His tone would smooth out and quiet slightly, and even his ears might tilt back as though his subconscious was nervous about the show of vulnerability, however small. Judy was always honored by his confidence. Nick's armor was dense, but even back when their friendship was new he had been bold enough to let her in enough to see through the cracks, and wrap her little paws around that daring, butterfly-fragile vulnerability.


While he spoke, she could feel her face contorting into a slow frown of concentration. Her heart started to skip at a dangerous thought.


"It sounds like..." she said slowly, "The Bloodmouth might be someone you did know, growing up, turned into...whatever they are," she confessed. This was bad news. Anyone who has taken the named "Bloodmouth" wasn't good news by any measure, and this could not just be bad for the streets, but personally a huge problem for Nick on a number of levels. "And--Nick, look at me," she implored, trying to encourage him to meet her eyes. "Part of our job is risking our lives. There is no one in the world that I would trust mine with more than you. You can always count on that, okay? I know you'll always be there for me."


She could say no more than that without being truthful. Because there was, however small, the very real possibility that one or both of them might someday fall in the line of duty. It was not a thought she liked to entertain. But despite this, when she was with Nick, she felt far less afraid of such an end, having a blind confidence that refused to die in his loyalty and dedication.


She considered adding something along those lines when she heard a small, sheepish voice.


"A-Are you Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde?" she turned to see a young lioness--a kid no more than eight or nine, standing next to a young male gazelle. Both of them had empty coffee cups, but the gazelle had a sharpie in his hand. The lioness' cub's voice was an awkard squeak and Judy offered the cub a smile. There was no one else who they could possibly be.


"Sure are," she said warmly to the children, turning to face them. "What can we do for you?"

[Proto Triose]

Nick opened his mouth to say something more, but was cut off by the children approaching them. Instead, he reached out and squeezed her paw, so she knew he appreciated it deeply. When she said it might be someone he did know, it gave him an idea. Someone from his past. There was no one he suspected, but he did know someone from his past that shared a similar mentality, if not the gumption to go through with it. And fortunately, he knew exactly where Aurora was. Where she would be for quite some time.


He leaned forward toward the kids, putting his elbows on his knees so his line of sight was a little more even with theirs. The lion cub, still obviously the more nervous one, looked over at the gazelle with her before turning back. "We were wondering," she started, but trailed off.


"If you would sign," the gazelle picked up almost immediately for her, which made Nick smile. The two reminded him of himself and Judy already.


"Our cups." The lion finally spoke again, right along with the gazelle, who smiled reassuringly at her friend. They both held their cups out hopefully toward them.


"I think, and I believe Judy would agree with me, there is nothing I would rather do more." The kids positively beamed while Nick took the sharpie and a cup from the lion, scrawling his name across it and writing "To our heroes" above it and "keep up the good work!" underneath. Because honestly, to him, they were heroes. Here, finally, were two people that didn't judge him for being a fox, didn't distrust him, didn't doubt his ability.


"We're your biggest fans!" The gazelle chimed as Nick took her cup and signed it in much the same way before setting both the pen and two cups near Judy.


"Our biggest fans?" He feigned surprise, looking over at Judy. "Judy, we've been wanting to meet our biggest fans for months now, haven't we?"


The kids, delighted, did a little bounce before the lion spoke up. "We want to grow up to be just like you and officer Judy! We're gonna stop the crime-a-nals like you do. If you guys can be a team, then we can too!"


"Well I see you've got the making of a pretty solid team, there. But you're gonna need speed -and- brawn. You have that?" He saw Judy mouth "Brawn?" at him with a smile. He shrugged and pointed to himself, doing a small flex before focusing on the kids again.


"Yeah we do! I've been practicing!" the gazelle said, puffing his chest up proudly.


"Practicing? Wait, don't tell me. I bet that the brawn is ..." he pretended to think about it a moment before tapping the gazelle on the nose. "You!"


"Nuh-uh, I'm fast!"


Nick laughed, sitting back a little. "I bet you could outrun Judy, huh?" He put his hand to the side of his muzzle, pretending to be whispering a secret to them. "She trips a lot, so you could probably win."


"And I'm the brawn!" the little lion cub let out a particularly cute roar and swiped at the air.


Nick leaned back and held up his hands. "Woah, I surrender! I surrender! Just don't hurt me before going to work, I can't do my job!" He was obviously enjoying himself with this, quite thoroughly. Who'd have thought he'd be good with kids? But if he could convince adults to trust him, of course he'd be good with children, when you thought about it.


Unnoticed in the corner near them, while Nick joked and played with the kids, a ferret in a small bowler hat held a phone over his shoulder and snapped pictures of what was happening at the booth. O'Riley was going to love this. He hunched forward more, taking a drink of his coffee. The headphones in his ears weren't playing anything - they were for show.


This was too good.

[Dynax]

They finished their shift as the sun started to set over the city's shining towards. The sky was a warm orange as the blue night started to threaten from the east, a sprinkling of ambitious stars peering out of the coming dark. Streetlamps and neon signs winked into existence, and the tail end of the rush hour was just starting to die off as Judy and Nick rolled into the precinct after parking and reviewing the patrol car. However, the work day was not quite yet over. The lobby was starting to fill with news correspondents from every major channel in the nation, getting ready for the media release regarding the high profile arrest of Clarice Beruk and the details of such.


Judy and Nick rolled in through the revolving door. They were small enough that they weren't immediately noticed by the chittering crowd gathering around the podium, impatiently waiting for Chief Bogo to make his appearance and share the details of the arrest. However, even from the door Judy could see Clawhauser waving agitatedly at them, beckoning them over and mouthing, "Over here!"


Confused, Judy picked up the pace and approached. Clawhauser was gnawing on a Back to Basics bar, something that took Judy by surprise since the cheetah's sweet tooth was what typically defined his snacks, but she supposed it just spoke to the popularity of the brand.


"All the predators in Zootopia are eating those," she commented to Nick as they neared the desk. "Have you had one yet?" Once they got within a few feet of the front desk, Judy paused and looked up at Clauwhauser.


"Clawhauser?" she asked tilting her head slightly.


As soon as the Cheetah made enough room in his mouth to speak, he blurted,


"Did you two see the news?"

[Proto Triose]

Nick puts his arm on the counter, leaning beside Judy and looking around at all the press, clearly uncomfortable in light of the recent article. Ah well, the world was what it was. Still, he was more distracted by thinking of something he could say to clear the air to the press. "They kind of make me uncomfortable." He was speaking to Judy, in answer to her question about the Back to Basics bars. "The wrapping, I mean. Sheep and bunnies all over them. If I wanted to eat a bunny, I've got my own handy right here." He stuck his tongue out and wet his muzzle, teasing Judy, but Clawhauser interrupted, leaning further over the counter, donut in hand.

"You should be careful, Nick. There's press all around. I don't think she'd taste that good anyway. She barely even touches sweets."

Judy had started tapping her foot rapidly on the ground, and while it was always fun to tease her, Clawhauser was of course right. "I think I've had just about as much of the news as I can handle today." He changed the subject, tapping the newspaper open to the article about the arrest.

"Oooh, that was terrible what they said about you!" Clawhauser put his hand on the desk, pointing at the paper. "Did you see where they said you were a threat to the integrity of the police department and a severe oversight on our payroll?" Popping the rest of the donut in his mouth, he spoke around it, though it was muffled enough that they couldn't understand him. It sounded like "But that wasn't what I was talking about," but there was no way to be sure.

"Yeah. Yeah, I read it." Nick muttered, turning away from the paper and the article it contained with his ears down against his head. Nick's ears suddenly perked backed up, though. He heard something over all the equipment and talking reporters, looking around for the source.

A little field mouse tapped his paw, and he looked down. He looked around, seeing if there was anyone else nearby showing them undue attention - with a microphone, a camera, something. He crouched down to bring his eyes closer to level with the mouse.

"Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps?"

Suspicious, Nick tilted his head fractionally, looking around again. "How can we help you?"

"Follow me please." And the little mouse began scurrying across the counter, towards the back of the welcome desk.

Looking over at Judy, he raised an eyebrow. "What do you think this is all about now?"

"Officers, I'm afraid we have a strict time restraint. If you would."

A silent question in his eyes was turned to Judy. Should they?

[Dynax]

"Har har," Judy said, rolling her eyes good naturally at Nick and Clawhauser even as she tapped her foot against the ground. For the record she did enjoy sweets, but not the processed kind. Coming from a family of farmers, with plentiful access to fresh fruits, vegetables and wild honey she'd been more or less ruined with regard to enjoyment of highly processed treats. But either way, it was a bit of a delicate joke--between the three of them, they all knew each other well enough to not be offended. But in polite company such jokes were not typically made, and Clawhauser was right. With press all around, they couldn't be too careful in light of O'Rilley's borderline libel and outright lies.


She winced as Clawhauser read aloud portions of the vile article in question, her gaze flicking over to Nick, who was visibly uncomfortable at this point. She was about to open her mouth to firmly, if tactfully ask Clawhauser to get to the point when she heard the voice. Her ears twitched and she looked up at the field mouse on the desk.


She resisted the urge to frown. If this mouse was with the reporters, why wasn't she with the others by the podium. Curious, her instinct was to follow. At Nick's silent question as the mouse scurried around the desk, she said, her voice a little apologetic, "It can't hurt for us to see what she wants." She turned to follow the mouse around to the back of the rounded desk, to be greeted by a shockingly sharp and clear voice.


"Officers! Thank you so much for your time. And it is assuredly of the essence, and I would love if you would be so kind as to answer some questions."


Judy blinked up. A Naked Mole Rat, wearing a formal skirt and pressed, bright red blouse over which a tiny blazer fit snugly around her narrow shoulders sat comfortably on the edge of the desk, holding a pad of paper in one hand, but no microphone. But most tellingly was the very famous necklace that she wore: a tiny gold necklace in the shape of a star.


"Gloria Burrows?" Judy said, her eyes widening at the sight of the Naked Mole Rat. "I--wow! It's an honor to meet you," Judy said honestly. Gloria Burrows, one of the most reknowned reporters in Zootopia. She wasn't as active as she used to be, her advanced age slowing her down in her work, but she had been famous for her dedication to exposing the truth, and reporting directly from the field for the best and most accurate coverage.


"The very same, bunny girl," Burrows said. "And I'm afraid I don't have much time, as neither me nor my assistant are technically supposed to be here with you today. In light of recent events and some slanderous toads, I would like to do what I can to set the record straight, and would love it if you two would answer some questions for me concerning last night's arrest."


Judy's heart leaped at the thought. Someone with a great reputation who wanted to advocate for Nick! But at the same time, experience had led her to question motives, and before she replied immediately she glanced to Nick to gauge his reaction. Would he be comfortable with this?


But before either of them could say anything, she heard the telltale stomp of Chief Bogo's hooves against the polished floor.

[Proto Triose]

"Hopps!" Bogo bellowed in his usual way, loudly enough to alert the press around the corner. They came stampeding around the corner, immediately letting questions and pictures fly haphazardly with no guidance. In the tumult, Gloria slid off the counter, making a retreat as fast as she could after tucking her signature necklace under her clothing. A naked mole rat as a journalist was nearly unheard of, especially one of her renown; but it was only nearly unheard of. Without something to set her apart, she would probably get out unnoticed with a far more pressing story right before them.

Nick put his paw up, head down, and started to slink away with his hands in his pockets, but Bogo bellowed once more over the crowd "You too, Wilde! In my office, now!" Bogo pushed the multitude of reporters back as he turned, yelling only "No questions!"

"Chief Bogo, why -" a reporter near Nick spoke up, but he put a paw on the pig's shoulder, cutting him off.

"Because he doesn't care." Then picked Judy up and put her under an arm to help through the press, but only until they got passed some rhino officers that had come forward to keep them all at bay. Setting her on the ground, he looked back over his shoulder and began walking to the chief's office. A skunk at the back of the crowd was hastily writing in his notebook about the scene that had just occurred. "You think this could be about something -other- than the article? Pretty sure Candybar said that wasn't what he was talking about." He asked with no small hint of hope in his voice as they walked.

They reached Bogo's door only shortly after, and Nick stopped her from opening the door with a touch to the shoulder. "Hey, Judes. I've been thinking, before we go in there. That whole thing we were talking about, at the coffee shop? The .." Lowering his voice and looking around, "Bloodmouth bit? Listen, I know I can always count on you for things like that. But it doesn't mean I should stop thanking you for it. At least someone believes in me. So. Thanks. You know, before we," he gestured at Bogo's door, "Open the door to our deaths."

[Dynax]

Judy was surprised! In high profile cases, the Chief often addressed the media directly, and after Clarice Beruk--and in light of O'Riley's article, she was a little shocked to find him so grim. However, that indicated that something else was afoot and she was immediately on high alert. The mass of reporters and cameras and microphones thrusting the instruments in their direction was claustrophobic. She made as though to forge her way through, straight backed and impassive-faced when Nick picked her up and helped carry her through the crowd. She stiffened a little indignantly but let it be--Nick meant well and she couldn't say she wasn't grateful that she didn't have to navigate the forest of ravenous reporters.


"I don't think it's about the article. It was bad, but I don't think the Chief would blow off of a media reveal just for a piece of libel. Something bigger's got to be at work here," Judy said, her voice a heavy mix of grimness and something like anticipation.


She reached up to open the handle to let them into the Chief's office when she felt Nick's paw pads press against her shoulder.


She was slightly taken aback by the heartfelt nature of Nick's words. Her face softened and she turned to face him. She suddenly felt a strange, insane, impulsive desire to close to gap, to touch him, to try to say something with more than just a word that could somehow communicate that the feeling was utterly and completely mutual. But in the end, some shred of professionalism--for the sake of the fact they were about to meet their boss--remained and she limited herself to a heartfelt quirk of a smile and, "Nick, that's what partners---friends--are for." She wanted to say more. She wanted to say, I will always be there for you. But something stopped her, and to distract herself from her disconnect she pushed the door open, and climbed up onto the chair in front of the Chief's desk, waiting for Nick to join her on the seat before she placed her hands on the desk and asked the buffalo, "Sir?"