Zootopia: Blind Faith

[Dynax]

Judy watched him as he got lost in the memory, her heart twisting as he told his tale. She could picture it--two young foxes, desperate, high on the thrill of a sucess so far, scurrying around the crates, carrying what they knew to be their way out. Their future, in boxes. But they had failed, and Aurora paid the price one way, Nick another. She could only guess at the rage and pain that must have cycled through Aurora for twenty years, only wonder how Nick had shouldered the burden of something so grim. And she knew that growing up on the streets that couldn't have even been the worst thing Nick had seen.


She sat up carefully, catching his eyes for a moment before she shifted closed so that she'd drawn her arms around him in a tight embrace, her head leaning against his narrow chest, his heart pounding in her ear. She stayed liked that for a long time, just holding him.


"Nick...I don't think there's anything you could have done to save her," Judy said softly, "You were doing the best you could. I'm..." she almost said, "I'm sorry," but the worst felt so trite on her tongue that they died before she could get them out. In the end, she simply cuddled up against Nick, offering what silent comfort she could, if any at all. 

[Proto Triose]

Nick put a hand on her head, looking down at her. "The past is in the past. I have you now. Judy." There was more he wanted to say to her. You're more comfort than you know. More and more I feel like this is all I need. But somehow it seemed like this said more than his words ever could. He ran a hand done her ears, yawning deeply. It wasn't long before he dozed off, one paw on Judy's side, one on her head.

------

The morning light woke him with a start, shining a bar across his eyelids. He lifted a paw, squinting his eyes as they roamed the place, looking for a clock. As usual, Judy was up and gone. He looked for her, but couldn't see her from his vantage point. Standing and stretching with an arch of his back, a stretch that went all the way down through his tail, he called out rather groggily. "Judy?" Don't tell me she went to the precinct already. It wouldn't surprise him, but how was he supposed to lock up the apartment?

Then Judy came in with a couple coffees and heir usual morning snacks. "Bless you and your swift thinking." He took the offered cup, blowing on the lid to cool the drink. On their way out, he saw his clothes from yesterday still draped over a chair, but didn't do anything about it. On their way down the stairs, "Let's maybe not have another day like yesterday, huh? I think I've had enough of my past for a lifetime." He pointed at her as he held the apartment doors open. "It's your turn to share."

They sat on the bus in relatively good mood to the precinct, chatting in the way they usually did and enjoying each other's company. Nick couldn't help but notice the looks at them from the other passengers, however, and it started to get to him, even if he didn't say anything. Something was up.

Inside the station, everyone was rushing around in their usual haste. Their only warning was Clawhauser, running up to them from behind the desk. "Oh boy, you guys came in. Have you read the paper? Tell me you read the paper. Otherwise it's going to be a lot bigger surprise for you both."

"Woah, woah, slow down. What's going to be a bigger surprise?"

"WILDE! HOPPS!" Bogo bellowed from his open office, not showing himself.

"That is." Clawhauser started back for the desk, but not before saying to them, "Ooooh. I'm sorry, you guys."

Nick looked down at Judy, resignation written in his eyes. "Third day's a charm?"

[Dynax]

 Judy had allowed herself to doze off cuddled up next to Nick. The texture of his fur, his scent, his bones, all were as familiar as her own by now, and it was an embrace she sank into without reservation. She awoke to the insistent vibrating of her phone on the coffee table. Blinking herself awake she had slid carefully from Nick's arms and onto the floor, scurrying to get ready and dash out the door to get their breakfasts and coffee from Beanz Cafe across the street. At this hour there was almost no line so she was able to return promptly with the treats and coffee. She collected Nick and they took the bus to work--and at Nicks' request for stories of her past she almost laughed.


"My childhood wasn't anything as interesting as yours," she said, in the interest of using language that would avoid getting them strange looks on the bus. "I may or may not have broken an expensive vase when I was seven or so. My oldest brothers and I hid the pieces." she shrugged. In truth she'd have to actually sit down and consider parts of her past that might have been painful or dark outside of the struggles she faced with regard to pursuing her dreams. Predator-Prey relations in Bunnyburrow were stricken with prejudice and that had played out many times over the course of her life. But it was nothing she felt she had the right to complain about to Nick of all people.


However, once they stepped off the bus and walked into the station, Judy couldn't help but notice the odd looks being sent their way. Instantly her ears stiffened and she found herself on high alert. But she wasn't alarmed until she saw Clawhauser actually run to them from behind his desk looking frantic. As soon as he mentioned the news, Judy looked concernedly at Nick and then back to the Cheetah.


"No, we didn't--we came straight here from--"


The Chief's bellow cut her off and she had no choice but to trot into Bogo's office. It wasn't even time for roll call yet and already it looked like they were in more trouble than they could handle for the day.


She was mortified to climb up on the chair in front of the irate buffalo's desk to find that he was practically breathing fire at a newspaper on his desk--running the headline: "SHOCKING EXPOSE: NICK WILDE'S CHILDHOOD FRIEND, FORMER CONVICT BREAKS THE SILENCE!"


"What?" she gasped in shock and indignation, just as Bogo leaned across the desk to better address them both.

[Proto Triose]

"You two," Bogo took a deep breath through his nostrils, letting it out in one blast. "Are more trouble than you're worth. If it weren't for beheading being illegal, they would be calling for your head, Wilde." His voice was heavier than it usually was, which told Nick all he needed to know about just how angry the chief was. "I assume you two haven't read the article, or you'd be apologizing." He looked back and forth between them. "Right. Now."


"I'm ... sorry? Sir?" Nick sat properly for once in his life, though he was probably just as, if not more confused than Judy.


Bogo slammed his hoof on the desk, knocking over a cup of pens, his name plaque askew. Nick reached to straighten it, but snapped his hand back when the chief bellowed, "Leave it! A criminal past, Wilde? Criminal past? Keep that muzzle shut, Officer. I know you don't have one. You don't think I looked in to it?"


"Of course you did, sir." Nick was as apologetic as he could manage, looking at Judy out of the corner of his eye. The newspaper hit him in the face, causing him to look back at Bogo.


"Your eyes are here, Wilde. On me! They want you off this case. Unfortunately, I'm forced into agreeing with them. Please tell me you two found something at the Back to Basics factory other than someone from your," he jabbed at Nick, "less than stellar past for O'Riley to talk to." He put his arms on the desk. It looked like he was nearly ready to upend his desk. "We have enough on this police departments record in the last two days -"


"Technically three, sir."


"TWO DAYS. To fill its own case file. First a fox print at the scene of Buck's murder, then another fox shows up from your past that -you- put in prison. Then you go antagonize her at her JOB. And to top all this off, Aurora Pircir is now missing." He threw a missing persons report onto the desk with a slap. "And you know what they find at the scene of her disappearance? Fox prints! -Fox- prints! You look bad enough and all this is making us look worse. Now did you find something that is going to give me some reason not to pull you from this case right this moment?" He wrapped up the newspaper, getting ready to throw it angrily in the trash, pointed it at Judy, then Wilde. "They want you off the case, then I will pull you. We serve -them-, not the other way around, Officers. So if you want me to give you a chance to clear yourselves, you will tell me now. Do you have something, or am I putting more qualified and less guilty looking cops on the trail?"

[Dynax]

Judy endured the tirade with wide, horrified eyes. This could not be happening. The full enormity of what the Chief was saying struck Judy like a blow to the head, leaving her reeling and baffled. It was bad enough that, if the article's contents were any indication, Aurora had had a paw in creating, but now she had gone mysteriously missing? Her mind started to race as she struggled to put the pieces of the puzzle in place beneath the furious gaze of her boss and Nick's thick apprehension at her side, and naturally beneath the pressure of the mounting righteous indignation caused by the article itself. O' Rilley had definitely crossed a line here, and she needed to get a word in edgewise.


"Sir," she began, standing up in the chair. "With all due respect, we all know that this article is libel at best! Everyone knows that in order to be an Officer you can't have a criminal past to begin with..." she took a deep, calming breath through her nose and exhaled sharply before looking up at the Cape Buffalo. "We did find things." she took the bag containing the red ticket and placed it carefully on Bogo's desk, along with the evidence bag containing Aurora's wrapper. "We visited the Back to Basics factory. Ben Ferrel was accommodating, but he was very nervous to see us there. Ms. Piricir works security there now after her stint in prison, and a few things struck me as strange. Mr. Ferrel was aware of both her name and the fact that she was on schedule at the time of our arrival. What CEOs of major companies know the names of their security guards, let alone when they're on shift? There's no reason that Ben Ferrel even visited the factory more than once a month for inspections and oversight of production.


"This combined with the fact that Mr. Buck, the co-head of this same company was murdered makes me think that Ms. Pircir and Mr. Ferrel are both somehow involved in this case, and the connecting factor is Back to Basics itself. Aurora Pircir's mysterious disappearance the very night after we visit, followed by an article designed to make one of the Officers on the case look bad seems even more incriminating! While Nick was with her, he managed to get a hold of the wrapper she had to see if it'll be useful later for DNA analysis, just in case later we find something at a scene that puts her there too.


"Furthermore," Judy placed the print outs of the security footage showing the Aardawolf and the Wallaby. "Nick did manage to convince her to let him go through the security footage. And in this exact location where we see this Aardawolf threatening the Wallaby, I found the red ticket." Judy pointed to the ticket in the bag. "We did some looking, and after contacting a reliable source, we learned that this ticket is from an illegal fighting ring. But it gets worse sir." Judy said, briefly closing her eyes as though to steel herself for what she was about to say. "It's a place where Predators go to fight and place bets on the outcomes of those fights. But the main attraction is the fact that Prey are brought along for one reason: to be sold as consumables on a black market for their flesh." her voice was firm, professional, but she felt nauseated just thinking about it.


"Finally," she said, "This, combined with the known activities of the Bloodmouth make Nick and I believe that Back to Basics, Ben Ferrel and Aurora Pircir are all mixed up in this somehow. All the disappearances attributed to the Bloodmouth and later confirmed by their social media have Prey victims. We can't know more until we visit this fighting ring ourselves and investigate." the last words was something she had not discussed with Nick yet, more a slow realization that had built up over the course of her report to the Chief. "I have a feeling that if we're going to find someone who knows more about the Bloodmouth, it's going to be there." 

[Proto Triose]

Bogo made a point to take his time putting his glasses on, reaching for the baggies with his still on the two of them. Finally, he brought first one bag up to the light, the one with the ticket Judy had found. His rage had seemed to abate momentarily with the good news and even better summary that Judy laid forth. "This will be enough for one more shot. One, officer." Setting the bag down. He looked with a hard gaze on Nick. "If you don't find anything I can bring before the media, then you both are off the case."

"Sir, if I may." Nick stood with his hands behind his back, not taking his eyes off of Bogo. Hopps always stood up for him, always put herself in the way of the speeding train. Not this time. "I believe Officer Hopps has good reason to want to go in there, and her evidence is sound." He couldn't help but feel like Judy was getting a bad reputation because of his being on this case, like he were tarnishing her pristine record. He wasn't going to let that happen. "If we don't find anything at the fighting ring, I'm prepared to go in front of the media, answer their questions, and voluntarily resign from the case. For whatever reason you would like me to give. I only ask that officer Hopps not be removed. I'll state any discrepancies in the case were my fault."

Bogo tapped the bag with the Back to Basics wrapper, his glasses still on his wide nose. "You understand, Wilde, that doing that would make them demand more than a confession. They would want your badge, and there's nothing I could do about it if they did."

Nick didn't even hesitate, nodding. "Yes, sir. If that's what the people want."

"Good. Now sit down and stop being a martyr. I wanted to see how far you were willing to go. Even if they called for your badge, I'm not losing one of my best cops - hell, teams - to a bunch of citizen whining. You two, together, are on the trail of our second biggest case, and you solved the last one too. I don't know how it works, but it does. Besides," Bogo stood, handing the evidence back to Judy. "If I took your badge, you'd still be helping the bunny behind my back. Better an enemy you see than one you don't.

Go get your warrant. You better have a damn good disguise if you're going undercover. You're dismissed. Not you, Hopps. I have a few more questions for you." He waited until Nick was out the door, then walked around his desk and slammed a fist into the wood of the closed barrier. She could hear Nick yelp 'Ow!' Before Bogo returned to his desk.

"First things first. Do I want to know who this informant is of yours?" He stood next to her, at the side of the chair. "And I want to know how far you trust that fox. There are an awful lot of foxes showing up on this case, and we can't rule out, as much as it pains to think of, that Nick Wilde might be involved. This Aurora Pircir is someone from his past - how close were they? Would you trust Officer Wilde, if it meant your life?"

[Dynax]

"Nick!" Judy had started in indignation as Nick rattled off what he would be willing to do to protect her reputation. However, she'd had to clamp down on her words as Nick had barreled on and the Chief had replied. She crossed her arms, clearly unhappy with the situation. There was no way she would simply let Nick resign from the case, or leave her as a partner. It just wasn't going to happen. They were Wilde-Hopps, and absolutely nothing was going to tear them apart. This conviction jarred a little bit with her singleminded focus on her job, leaving room for a niggling concern  about that. But she shook it away and returned her attention to the situation at hand.


Once Nick had left the room and Bogo addressed her, she drew herself up with a frown of determination.


"Sir," she said her voice clear and firm, "I can assure you that you do not want to know the name of our informant--only that he is legally untouchable and is what you'd call a legitimate businessmammal," she said carefully. "As for how much I trust Officer Wilde...I trust him absolutely. Unconditionally. A year ago at the conclusion of the Savage Conspiracy, we told you in the wrap up for that case that we had tricked Bellweather into thinking Nick had been shot with the serum. I didn't elaborate on the details of the scene because it wasn't important to the wrap up. But you saw is in that Stone Age pit. Nick pretended to be infected with the serum went as far as to chase me into the wall, stalk me and in the final moments to ensure that Bellweather was one hundred percent sure her plan would work, I let him put his jaws around my neck." she emphasized her statement my indicating the span that Nick's jaws had closed around on herself. "We had seconds to come up with his plan. And I didn't hesitate, or feel fear even more a moment. One twitch of his jaw, or if he had miscalculated in the slightest, I wouldn't be standing here, sir."


She let those words sink in before moving on.


"Aurora Pircir knew nick when he was about twelve years old. Two fox kids with no real home, or family that could take care of them, and full of desperation. Their relationship was based on that, and little else. She knew him, yes, but mammals change sir. Time and circumstance molds a mammal into the adult they become. Aurora spent her entire youth behind bars for an accidental murder. Whatever she was as a child, warped behind those bars into something angry. It's no surprise to anyone that she would want to hurt a person she's been resenting for two decades--someone who fraternizes with cops and Prey."


**


It was true that most precincts did not have a Costume and Makeup Department. However, Zootopia's did, simply given how complex it was to work makeup and disguises onto a completely non-standard population. This is where Ida Perez came in. A lanky maned wolf who had once worked in the film industry, she now turned her efforts to the proper carriage of justice to help cops in their undercover duties. She was well known for her friendly manner and exceptional expertise, and her time in the industry meant that she could work quickly as well as effectively. She was always moderately busy, helping grunge up a police officer or informatn here and there to help them in their undercover work, but rarely was she involved in huge, special cases. Until she received an email from Bogo's secretary indicating that she would be working on the Bloodmouth case, and helping Officer Nick Wilde transform into another mammal.


When the fox entered her studio--she refused to think of it as an office, as it was a room large enough to accomodate even an elephant, equipped with a wide countertop for her cosmetics and an enormous mirror and lights--she whirled in her chair and smiled toothilly at him.


"Hello handsome," she said, her voice friendly and energetic. "Word on the wire is that we'll be transforming you into a shady ruffian for for a night-time operation in one of the most dangerous places in Zootopia."

[Proto Triose]

"I didn't hear what I'm fairly certain I did. Whether you trust him or not, Hopps, there is always room for mammal error." He took his time sitting back at his desk, organizing the paperwork he'd had strewn all over it. "Though I'm happy to hear of the trust a team here can have in each other. Don't, I can't stress enough, don't put your life in unnecessary danger again. The next time, perhaps a hundred parking tickets a day will remind you why we don't.

I'm putting my faith in you for this, Hopps. Let me make it clear before I go on. Misuse of police resources will put you in a very bad predicament, and I'll make sure Aurora Pircir and the Back to Basics factory are the least of your problems.

You are head officer for this one. Prove to me you can handle it. I'm sending a SWAT team with you. If they hear even a peep that something went wrong with you down there, they are going in. Nick Wilde can handle himself. I am not the least bit comfortable sending a prey officer into a literal den of predators. Are we understood what stakes are in play for this little sting?"

------

Nick looked around at all the makeup, equipment, and everything that went into changing him into something else, put a finger to his eye. "Can you give me a really killer scar under my eye? I hear they go crazy for that kind of thing." He walked over to her table, picking up a brush that was immediately slapped out of his hand.

"No touching, officer. Your world is out there, and down in the pits of an illegal black market on murder victims bodies." Nick eyes a Back to Basics bar sitting on her counter; he couldn't blame her. She didn't know the evidence they had found, or the seedy business the company might be running. Still, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. "This is my world. You won't see me coming in and moving your victims around, I expect the same here."

Victims. He looked at her various makeup implements - he wasn't used to makeup to begin with, so he wasn't sure what he thought about it. But victims? "I won't move your bodies anymore, I promise. Just don't hurt me."

"Oh dear, it won't hurt much. Now," she started dabbing a pad in a thing of black color, "shall we begin?"

[Dynax]

"I won't do anything I don't think is absolutely necessary to get what we need on the case," Judy promised, choosing her words very carefully. "I understand that what we're after here is worth more than just me. I'm grateful for the backup, there is a good chance that something won't go according to plan. We won't let you down, sir." She finished, meeting the Cape Buffalo's eyes readily. He seemed satisfied at last, sending her away to prepare for the sting.


Her job was to get the necessary paperwork in order, communicate the locations to the SWAT team and get outfitted by Mrs. Ida Perez when she was done. Equipment gave her an odd little device, something like the archaic beeper.


"When you see the suspect you're looking for, all you have to do is press it. The beeper will vibrate discreetly, and Officer Wilde will know immediately. The SWAT team will have similar equipment, and know when to move in. We can't equip you with more because we know they're going to search the both of you, so this is the best we're going to get for now." It all seemed so unreal as they walked Judy through using the equipment. Where she and Nick were actually going to go, and how more than just their lives were at stake here.


I could really die in the field tonight, she thought, the notion strange and distant.


She had a little time to leave the station and get dinner for Nick and herself, knowing that his makeup was going to take a long time. She got him a Bug Burger with a drink and herself a salad wrap--and an inoffensive latte for Mrs. Perez--before reentering the precint and heading for the makeup department.


Upon finally finding Mrs. Perez's studio, she knocked and was allowed entry, shocked to see the transformation taking place.


Nick was sitting in a makeup chair with his shirt off, which was jarring enough, but more impressively he hardly looked like the same Fox. The Maned Wolf was going over him with an airbrush, his fur having gone from brilliant red to a mix of blacks, silvers and his natural coloring. His face, shoulders, tail and paws had all been blackened. The tip of his tail had been airbrushed white, and there were traces of silver outlining the dark mask of his face. Draped over a chair nearby was what she assumed his disguise clothes were, and she couldn't help but stare.


"Oh, Nick!" she exclaimed, setting the food down. "You're a Cross Fox!"


"Yes," Ida Perez said proudly. "I wanted to work with his natural coloring. But the dark face will hide the more prominent features of his muzzle, and make it harder to identify him. Okay Officer Wilde, you're all done. Officer Hopps, please, take a seat. I think the ticket for you will be to add some dust-brown to your arms, muzzle and paint out those beautiful sporty black ear tips of yours..."


**


Once they were finally released and properly disguised (Judy had been given a baggy white band T-shirt and a pair of lightly torn shorts--a casual summer getup for a young doe rabbit hanging out with friends and some cheap jewelry), they were driven in an unmarked car within several blocks of their final destination on the docks. Judy's hands were tied at the wrist in front of her, and her makeup had been touched up to include what looked like a minor head wound.


"Here's your stop, Officers," Officer Delgato said, dropping them off in the shadow of several huge shipping containers. "Good luck."

[Proto Triose]

Nick fiddled at the collar of his f-shirt for what must have been the seventh time since leaving the precinct. The shirt was cut at the neckline; he supposed the more accurate term would be slashed. They'd had one of the other predators claw it, to make him look more rough and itching for a fight. His jeans had mutiple slashes and a few dangling threads, been dirtied up a little. He didn't want to know what they had used for blood stains. And the makeup, particularly around his eyes, did it ever itch. But he controlled himself fairly well.

Once out of the car, he looked at Judy's hands and her entire outfit and cringed a little on the inside. "You're sure you're okay with this, Judes?" When Judy gave him that impatient glare, he nodded. It was like a sudden and complete change of character - which shouldn't have been too surprising, considering the swindles he used to pull. Acting was a large part of that - when they reached the location they'd been given by Mr. Big.

A weasel in a brimmed hat came out of a door under a flickering lamp, his hat pulled low enough to shade his eyes from any possible cameras lurking about. When he got bear Nick and Judy, he stood and looked them both over. "Never seen you before, fox." The weasel had a nasal sound to his voice, leaning up at putting a finger under Nick's nose. "Who sent you here, cross breed?"

Nick bit at the finger under his muzzle, feeling the weasel's skin barely brush his teeth. That was a close one. "That's none of your concern." He shoved Judy forward hard enough to make her stumble and fall. He was going to hear about that one, he was sure - even if she did understand. "Business sent me."

The weasel looked at the rabbit on the ground, put a foot on her and rolled her over, his face inches from hers. "Where'd ya find this? Better be on the up and up. You know the rules." His head whipped to Nick, his eyes narrowed. "Bunnies are a hard press. No family, dats the rules. You tellin me this carrot muncher ain't got family?"

"She's got plenty. Enough that no one would miss her." Nick took a step toward the weasel, put his hand around the thing's throat. "Seems to me like maybe a fox got her. These things happen. Tragic, really." The weasel was steadfast, though. Probably had this happen more times than either of them knew. "Or you tryin to say I don't know my business, you stretched out rat?"

He finally let the weasel drop. The creature rubbed its throat, but that was the extent of it before he went to grab Judy. Nick shoved him, hard, and lifted Judy onto his shoulder, letting her ears flop across his back. "You're not getting a cut of this bet, weasel. I'm delivering this one myself." The weasel made a sort of growl in his throat, but went back to the door where he'd come from and knocked in a series of erratic thumps and pauses.

Finally, they were admitted entrance. Once Judy and Nick were well down the stairs, he scurried to the office and pressed a call button on an older model desk phone. "Yeah, you told me to let yous guys know if a red fox and a bunny showed up. Ain't no red fox, but he got a bunny wit him. No, definitely not red. Cross fox, he is." Then he hung up the phone.

[Dynax]

Once they hit the docks, she could almost feel the change, and despite the danger of the situation Judy honestly found herself impressed. Oh she had seen Nick transform more than once. He'd utterly fooled her when they first met with his act with Finnick, playing the sincere, doting father. Then he could become a demure salesmammal, and then back to himself all liquid movements and razor wit, and finally his act to fool Bellweather as a "savage" Predator. He wore his roles like a second fur, which is part of what made knowing his true self, the real Nick, all the more delightful and special. His acting even extended to his eyes, that surprisingly honest, genuine expressive green often half hidden beneath lazy lids. When he became someone else, his eyes would change too--from the heartfelt eyes of the father or the empty eyes of the feral beast.


Now, when she turned to look at him, those familiar eyes had become something she had never seen before--and that was cruel and cold. His ears were set aggressively and his muzzle, darkened by the airbrush magic looked one twitch away from a vicious snarl. She couldn't fear him though, even like this. But it was her job to act like it. Bellweather had been easy to fool. She'd been high above the scene, flush with her own success to notice anything remiss. And Judy knew that the crooks at this ring were going to be a hard sell. She had never considered herself a particularly talented actress. She had adored doing it as a small child, taking every opportunity to act in school plays, or play pretend with friends and siblings. She'd obviously had to stop as she grew out of those years, and focused her studies on chasing her practical dream. But now, as an officer, acting was going to mean the difference between life and death. Not just hers, but Nick's and the lives of everyone threatened by the Bloodmouth and this crime ring.


When she and Nick had tricked Bellweather, she'd thought about the famous rabbit folk heroes, Peter Cottontail, or the Rabbit in the Moon. Rabbits in the distant past had needed to use their wits to survive, just like foxes. And it had been tricks that had gotten her and Nick through the Savage Conspiracy. She needed to channel that once again. So she let her eyes grow wide with fear and her ears to droop as though in total defeat. She hunched her shoulders, and flinched at every sound. Particularly impressive was the timbre of Nick's voice. It wasn't a different voice per say, but the tone was rough, unfamiliar and bore the echo of a half-formed growl.


When Nick shoved her she tumbled the ground awkwardly, allowing a whimper to escape her lips as her knuckles and knees scraped the pavement. The Weasel was big, and smelled like cheap cologne and copper. A lifetime ago she might have been truly scared of him, recalling how Gideon Grey had loomed over her nine year old self. But now she feigned terror, nose twitching, eyes wide. It was almost a relief when nick scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes before the weasel led them down the dingy stairwell.

Her keen ears did catch the Weasel's conversation though and she cursed inwardly. So they're on the lookout for a Fox and a Rabbit, she thought grimly, but hopefully since we don't match our normal descriptions we'll get away with it. The doorway led down, down a long corridor that was tall enough admit even a Lion-sized Predator, and as they moved Judy was certain she could hear something that sounded like roars and cheers growing louder and louder until finally she and Nick passed through a door guarded by a pair of tigers, and into a vision that seemed out of hell.

Even from her place from Nick's shoulder, Judy got a good view of the nightmare scene. Predators of every species shape and size wandered and jostled along the rough stone floors, bartering, arguing, shouting and eating. Many of them were gnawing on Back to Basics snacks, but enough of them were chewing on what looked like actual bones, some with dripping meat still attatched. Judy had no need to disguise the horror on her face at the sight of the bloody grins and greasy bills changing paws. But the main center of the entertainment were the rings. There were several stages, each representing a different habitat, inside which Predators were squaring off one on one against each other while the blood-crazed audience shouted bets and wagers. There was even a box office, adorned with the pseudonyms of prized fighters.

But the worst of the worst was the Meat Market. She only knew it for what it was because it was actually labeled such in crude red letters. It was a holding pen for Prey--one large one for bigger mammals and several smaller ones to accomodate the more diminutive species. Every single captive bore a colored collar with a number on it, and the ones that weren't dead eyed and defeated were weeping.

Judy took in the scene as fast as she could, trying to move past how nauseated she was starting to feel. Most of the Predators here looked like grungy small time crooks, but some of them were wearing business suits and had groomed and styled fur...and within the seething crowd, she stiffened when she realized she saw one Ben Ferrel, arguing with a Wolf over a terrified looking gazelle, both waving fistfulls of cash. She kicked Nick lightly to indicate he look in that direction, her heart pounding.

[Proto Triose]

The kick got him to look, first at her feet, then over in the direction of Ferel. His eyes fell on the gazelle first, then the cash in their hands. "Alright." He spoke under his breath so even he could barely hear it. No one would but someone with extremely good, rabbit-like hearing. "If you want me to do something, it's high time we showed Bogo how to eat his own words. Just follow my lead."

With that, and without waiting for confirmation, he marched straight up Ben Ferel and the man he appeared to be bartering with. He wasn't too happy, inside, about what he had to do here, but undercover was undercover. "Ben. So my information was correct. You're here after all."

Ferel looked over at him, as did his "partner". "Who might you be? More importantly, who might be your informant?" Ben looked him up and down, but was clearly satisfied with the lack of anything that might look like Nick. "You are interrupting a business meeting, fox. Out with why before I lose my patience."

Nick ignored him, looking at the wolf. He still talked to Ferel; or both, he didn't really care. Or, his fursona didn't really care. "Heard you had a little visit from the fuzz."

"I truly -must- meet this informant of yours."

Nick growled almost a borderline feral snarl, baring his teeth at the CEO of Back to Basics. "I'm not interrupting business, I'm joining it." He tossed Judy roughly on the ground, near the gazelle. "My bunny against your gazelle."

Ben was taken aback, but slowly smiled. "And what makes you -"

"And. Both of your fistfuls of cash."

That truly stunned Ferel into silence before he broke out laughing, a scratchy sort of thing. The wolf literally howled along with him. "And what," Ben managed as he wiped the corner of his eye. "Makes you think that even sounds remotely like a good deal, tiny?"

Nick bristled in a way that an angry predator would, his fursona all the way to the bone. He even lunged closer to Ben, but stopped when he heard weapons all around him being loaded. Taking a deep breath, he growled. "Call me that again, and this deal is off. A deal you might find well suited to your little ... Fuzzy infestation." With one claw, he pointed down to Judy, swishing his tail angrily. "This, Basic Bar, is Audry Hopps."

When Ben didn't say anything, but went wide eyed with greed over a prize literally at his feet, looking toward the rabbit, Nick bared his teeth once more, this time in the grin of someone who knows they've won. "Yes, the one you're thinking. Sister of the cutest police officer ever hired. One Judy Hopps." He paused for effect, then started to reach for Judy. "Interested now, or should I just -"

Ben grabbed him by the paw, looking him dead in the eyes. "You better be serious, Mr. -?"

Nick thought fast, making up a name for himself. "Felix."

"Felix, then. If this doesn't turn out to be Audry Hopps, there will be no end to who I send after you."

Nick brought his teeth level with Ben's nose, close enough that the CEO could feel his hot breath on his cheeks. "You're assuming you're going to win."

Ben smiled, patted him on the muzzle without a flinch. "Then I will accept on one condition." Nick raised his ears, to show he was listening. "The third party in this," he waved his hand at the wolf that was with them. "Picks the habitat, the combatant, and the rules." Nick hesitated for only a moment. "You do well the be hesitant, my overbearing friend. If you wish to back out with some dignity, I'll spare you and just take the bu-"

"Done."

Ben looked genuinely impressed, bowed his head fractionally and waved for the wolf to state his terms. The wolf took two steps forward, practically salivating at this sure thing. "I choose the rainforest, against the one that has won me many a bet," he indicated the aardwolf they had seen fighting earlier, now a little bloodied, though certainly no worse for wear. It looked like he had barely even broken a sweat.

The wolf had more than a modicum of showmanship in him. As the gathering crowds held their silence, many having gotten wind of the bet that was currently being made, he put his hands together in eagerness. "A fight -"

His voice echoed through the murmuring hush. "To the death."

The crowd roared. Nick's mouth went dry.

[Dynax]

The persistent fear in Judy's blood surged as they approached the two dealers. She couldn't believe it--the most blatant kind of confirmation that Ben Ferrel and back to basics were in on this with the Bloodmouth. Worse, she realized in horror what the Back to Basics bars were made of. Thousands of innocent, unknowing Predators had unintentionally consumed the flesh of missing Prey. She almost retched at the thought, and the look of twisted horror on her face only served to add to the moment as Nick started to argue with the Tasmanian Devil.


Judy had to force herself to fall badly. She had been trained to fall, trained to roll to he feet like any Officer, but if any of that was made apparent their disguise, already damning because of their partnership might start to unravel. It almost knocked the wind out of her lungs and she didn't have to reach very far to seem petrified, taking in the terror of the gazelle, the bloody, stained leers of a crowd gathering. After all, anything to do with someone as important as Ben Ferrel was sure to attract attention. Where the money was, so was the spotlight.


She almost winced as Nick accepted the terms of the deal before the Wolf could even name them. Of course it was in his character to do so, the character he was playing, but the words out of the Wolf's mouth that followed dragged a shocked, "No..." from her throat. It just as easily might have been taken for an expression of horror for herself, but either way is was drowned out by the hoots and roars of the assembled crowd. Almost immediately, a steward of some kind pushed through the crowd and looped a hard plastic collar around Judy and the Gazelle's neck--bright red, like the blood the crowds seemed to thirst for.


Almost without warning she and the Gazelle were dragged away, and it took every fiber of Judy's being not to reach out, to call to Nick as he disappeared within the throng. She was dragged around like a ragdoll, but not seriously hurt as she was shunted from rough paw to rough paw until she found herself tethered in a line of Prey animals roughly her size. She didn't realize she was shaking until her captors claws left her skin. Heart hammering, she gripped the bars of the holding cage, eyes huge.


A fight to the death. There was just no way. Nick could not kill, but if he didn't fight, he would die too. She had to do something, anything. But what could she do? Their plan was predicated on his win. In something like desperation mixed with frustration she growled and tugged futilely at the bars. And whatever happened, she would have to witness it. The holding cage had an arrow view of the elevated rainforest stage...


**


Ben Ferrel grinned as the Rabbit and the Gazelle were dragged away.


"Pleasure doin' business with you son," he said to the Cross Fox in the most patronizing voice imaginable. "You got ten minutes to prepare for a round with Fehu. Make your peace."


With that, he strutted away and to a viewing box at the level of the stage, but far enough away that the heavy sprinklers showering warm water on the arena would't soak him.


The Aardwolf had alredy taken the stage, his handler pointing the Cross Fox out. The Adrwolf grinned at him, showing bloody teeth and making a rude beckoning gesture to his oppoent.


**

[Proto Triose]

Right, Nick. He thought to himself, making his way to the stage. He knew as soon as he stepped out there, the fight was on. No bell, no warning. He took a deep breath, turning slowly at all the animals around him, staring at them all. He lingered on Judy, raised a closed paw - it was for her to see his confidence, a confidence he wore like a second layer. More of an outfit than anything.

You're not winning this one by any wild stretch of the imagination by brute force. This one has one thing more that you don't, though - Rage. Use it to your advantage. He put a snarl on, leapt out onto the field and immediately grabbed a relatively thick tree branch, pulling it back and letting it go.

He had assumed correctly that the aardwolf's opening move would be to lunge at him. The tree branch connected with the flying wolf with a thud, sending him flying backward. Cheers resounded through the stadium. Nick didn't let himself get cocky, however. He knew he'd only managed to enrage the aardwolf further; on one paw, he -was- going for that. In a rage, mammals were a lot less prone to think before acting. On the other paw, it also made him far more dangerous if he got his jaws on Nick.

The aardwolf stood, getting feet under him and shaking his head to get rid of the stun he was feeling. With a growl, he began walking around Nick, looking for an opening. "Clever, fox. But that won't work a second time."

"Awww. You're like a kitten." Nick looked around, squatted to the ground. "Only less threatening. Am I in a fight with the bunny, or a wolf? I'm confused."

That worked. A little too well. Nick threw a rock from the ground as the wolf ran at him, but although it hit his muzzle, although it drew blood, it did little else. Nick ran for a tree, but the aardwolf bit hard into his tail, puncturing and tasting blood as he drug him back. Nick slashed at his muzzle, and was rewarded by being flung into a boulder. Nick yowled as his shoulders slammed into it, but he got his feet as swiftly as possible.

The aardwolf was already charging, claws out. Nick held himself against the boulder until just the right moment, then ducked and scurried behind the large rock. The aardwolf slammed his muzzle into the rock, biting at Nick's throat. "Get out here and fight, cross fox!"

Nick wiped his eyes of the constant falling moisture - he'd call it rain, but it was artificially made. "I refuse to hit a lady!" He yelled back, looking up at a nearby tree. He looked down at his tail, the light red blood mixing with the water. A claw swiped across his eye as he was distracted, and before he knew it, he was down on the ground with teeth scratching at his arm. Nick picked up a rock, slamming it at the aardwolf's face.

Finally, the aardwolf backed off, a tooth broken on the left side of his muzzle. Nick, right eye closed against the scratch leaking blood, scoot himself backward, front paws on the ground. With a heave, he delivered a solid kick to the aardwolf's throat. Not stopping to see what happened, he turned and ran for the tree he'd spotted. This aardwolf was serious - of course he was. But while he could kill Nick, Nick had no such leniency.

He didn't notice as he climbed, but his makeup had begun to run down his fur. A bit of red was starting to show. Still, he was hopefully near ending it.

[Dynax]

Judy watched the battle with baited breath. Her heart hammered in her thin throat, wincing as Nick and the Aardwolf traded blows. More than once other mammals jostled her view, or blocked it entirely and it was all she could do to squirm around in the holding cage to get a better view, gripping the cold bars as though they were some kind of life line as opposed to the death sentence they represented.


"What's the point, bunny girl," a defeated beaver said, her head in her hands. "We're all going to end up Predator food. Who cares who lives or dies in those arenas? What, do you want to get a look at the monster that's going to eat you?"


Judy bit her tongue. She wanted so badly, so desperately to burst out, to cry out that Nick was her friend, and to offer comfort to the beaver. No one else on their watch was going to die tonight, not if she could help it.


But what could she help? In her current situation, the best she could do was watch...and wait.


Judy hated waiting.


She was almost too focused on the battle to catch the gasp from the Meat Market steward. Almost. Her ear flipped up in response to the shocked voice, "Boss! W-wait, are you sure? Ben Ferrel and--"


The words were drowned out as suddenly, a shadow fell across Judy's cage. A small shape, silhouetted by the harsh lights of the arena. Judy's breath stopped.


As though afraid, and a part of her had gone cold with horror, it was  fact, she backed away from the menacing shape and pressed against the back of the cage, twisting her hips so that she activated the beeper.