Fun fact: Zootoipa was originally about something totally different. The predators all had to wear these shock collar sort of things that they absolutely COULD NOT TAKE OFF. It was to prevent them from going savage, but in turn made living extremely poor for them. In many ways it was worst then just simply muzzling them because at least then they could take the muzzle off.
Fortunately, Disney changed it because they thought that would be too dark. And it would have. Frightening, too, but the thought intrigued me much more than it probably should've so my mind kept spinning on this idea of collars on predators, and the more I thought about it the more I was able to come up with this concept where the collars could've fit into.
Several weeks later and I was consumed by this need to get it all done into a story, one I could enjoy over and over again. Unfortunately, however, what was meant to be a short little one-shot quickly unraveled into something so much more, and it just kept expanding and expanding to near comical length considering this wasn't supposed to be a serious sort of thing (and it is very, VERY serious) nor half as violent. It is though, so lucky you guys.
And it didn't come as much as a surprise that in a story such as this one that pain does happen. I am very unkind to things that don't belong to me, apparently, and I hurt Nick and Judy (sorry) though Nick gets the majority of it considering he's a fox (predator) and something about his character makes hurting him so sweet. Other characters such as Finnick and Chief Bogo make major appearances and play important roles in the story also because I ever so adore them (yes, even Bogo who might've been a slight jerk in the beginning of the movie but had valid reasons to be such).
I will be splitting this up into several parts. Right now it's sitting around 3 or 4 (probably 3) parts and takes place after the movie. The city is mayor-less (I know in politics that the next in line just takes the spot but for story purposes let's just propose that that's not the case), and has started up a quick election to find one.
Other things that should probably be noted is that there are some original characters (two to be exact) that are sort of major players in this whole thing. The most obvious would be Grace Bell, a pig running for the spot as mayor. The other less obvious is Justin Savage, a wolf that's not the biggest fan of Grace. That's about it as I tried to stick with what the movie supplied as much as possible.
Without a further ado, enjoy the story and don't be shy in telling me what you think so far about it. Reviews are always loved.
"Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions."
― T.S. Eliot
"Sometimes I wonder what you'd do without me Carrots."
Judy bristled at the self-assured tone of her partner, sometimes hating Nick almost as much as she liked him. He was, after all, her best friend and partner and they spent many nights confining within each other. It was an inseparable sort of closeness she wouldn't trade for anything.
Too bad Nick also had a habit of being a conceited know-it-all.
So she turned a doubtful expression towards the fox, ears dropping behind her head and raised an eyebrow up at him.
They were at the precinct, Judy comfortably sitting at her desk where she had been working on her pile of paperwork that suspiciously grew slightly since yesterday whereas Nick's seemed to have shrunk and some part of her might've believed that he had actually done some of it if not for the fact that he spent what precious free time they had harassing her.
He was leaning causally against the wall separating her cubicle from everyone else's. He was holding an open file in front of him giving the illusion of him working. She knew he wasn't, though, because his eyes were on her.
"What are you going on about?" she asked, shutting the folder she had been reading as she leaned towards him with more curiosity than anything else.
He grinned at her, revealing lines of perfect white teeth. At one time, she marveled, those teeth would never have been used to smile at something as lowly as a rabbit yet here they were. Friends despite the odds- best friends.
"What I'm going on about is the newest mayor," Nick filled in, and that's all he had to say.
Ever since both of their old mayors were arrested the city had been out of sorts looking for a suitable replacement. Everything stood at a sort of standstill as they tried to figure out, pick up the broken pieces left behind and somehow sort them all back together.
It hadn't been easy, harder on the police force than Judy had originally imagined, and she's spent plenty of late nights going through things she never would have if the city wasn't still wary about the events that had transpired.
She couldn't understand that part- seemingly all the prey still acting skittish around the predators- especially considering the predators' hadn't done anything wrong.
Thankfully, though, they hadn't been completely left leaderless. Whoever had been next in line had been placed in charge, but it seemed like everyone knew that that couldn't be a permeant thing. Not with how poorly they tried to lead.
"They've decided then? On a mayor?" Judy pressured not even trying to hide her excitement now as she bent forward, ears twitching behind her head.
Somehow she had managed to convince herself that with a new mayor meant less work- a silly childish sort of reasoning, she knew, but couldn't bring herself to quash that hope just yet. Not when it was the only thing getting her through the mountains of paperwork with her sanity intact.
"Not exactly," Nick corrected and her eyes narrowed in a tight glare, lip puckering out as she frowned back at him.
"Nicolas Wilde-" she began, voice dangerous and the file in his hand closed when he held both his hands in front of him defensively. He was smiling, probably because he knew his immediate life wasn't in any danger; Judy would never be able to hurt him if she wanted to, and she never has.
Not yet, she mentally corrected.
"Whoa. Calm down there. They haven't made an official decision yet but word on the street says that they're getting close," he explained keeping his voice chipper as he must have realized he was losing his audience.
Judy just gave him another hard side look before grumbling, "They've been saying that for weeks. I think they want to keep the public's hopes up."
"Well a hopeful public is a happy public," Nick replied with another smug smile as his fingers tapped against the top of the folder he was still holding as he ventured, "and I suppose that glum look you're giving me means that you don't want to read the file of the candidate."
Judy was tempted, especially now that she realized why he had been holding the thing when he suddenly popped up. She just couldn't let him know that.
"Some of us, Nicolas Wilde, are quite busy with the work we do have," she informed him curtly, turning back in her seat so she could only throw the folder side glances that revealed nothing. Not even a name.
He feigned a wince at her tone as he replied lightly, "First and last name. I must be in trouble. Ah well, I suppose since you're not interested I'll just head back then-"
She spun around at his drifting voice, hands reaching for the folder. Nick's smug expression grinned back at her.
He had stopped in the hall beside her cubicle, knowing very well that she wanted the folder. They only spent all of their time together, it would've been impossible for him not to have known considering just how perceptive he is. It was one of the things that made him such a great cop.
"Her name is Grace Bell," Nick informed even as she opened the folder to look inside, "and she's a-"
"Pig," Judy finished for him, looking up to fixate a dubious expression on him as she asked, "Are you serious?"
Nick just shrugged as he continued with a knowing look, "She has a great reputation for speaking in front of a crowd. They say she has a great voice and could convince anyone of anything."
"Which doesn't make our jobs any easier," Judy reminded tensely.
Another shrug as he added, "She's got at least 90% of the population supporting her considering the other two candidates are predators, and everyone is still kind of weird with each other. Not that I'm surprised or anything, this city has always been bias. It had just never been this bad before."
"Because of me," Judy sighed remembering the press conference and though Nick had since then made it clear that he had forgave her, she still couldn't help but feel that so much could've been avoided if she had kept her naïve little mouth shut.
"Because of us," Nick corrected seriously, "and our need to supply answers quicker than we were able to figure them out. No long-lasting harm done. This city's come back from worst."
"Last I checked you were none-to-pleased with my blabbering mouth," Judy reminded before turning back to the folder when something caught her attention and she muttered, "Grace has a history for-"
"Hating predators? Yeah, but since she hadn't technically done anything illegal and the majority of the population are prey and not predators then no one can really do anything. Plus she promises those were just phases, and that her new visions will be revolutionary," Nick replied and though the words were meant to soothe Judy found herself stuck on that one detail.
She hated predators.
She hadn't done anything illegal, which was why she hadn't been kicked from the campaign, but she was sure Bellwether hadn't either.
"And everyone is just okay with this?" Judy challenged because there was no way. Not after everything. Not this soon.
"Of course not," Nick told her like it had been the silliest thing he's heard all day, "but the majority doesn't care. They don't want to turn their backs on her because of one thing. Everyone is trying to be a bit more open-minded despite what it might seem like to us."
The 'because we get all the cases caused by hate crimes' went unsaid.
"So by showing their open-mindedness they support someone as our potential leader that is completely unrelated to the true issue at hand?" Judy demanded reaching up and scrubbing her face.
Nick beamed back at her, no doubt enjoying her naïve thinking. It wasn't her fault she had been raised in a sheltered home with good morals and a set of some sort of sense that everyone else seemed to be severely lacking.
"Welcome to the real world Officer Judy Hopps. Good news for you, though, you're just a bunny and no one that doesn't know you is frightened of a bunny going savage," he replied simply and though it was his way of telling her to drop the matter she knew she wouldn't be able to.
"Foxes are Nick. You are," she pressed and was so caught up in her need to make him understand she didn't bother to stop and think about it.
If she had then she would've realized that he very much understood, perhaps better than she ever dreamed of. He grew up in this city. He grew up as a predator so therefore has seen all the spiteful glances thrown his way. So there was no way that he didn't understand, he just didn't want to concern her.
He didn't let it show, flashing her another brilliant smile that made something in her stomach turn to lead and sit there. It felt wrong, to have him smiling so cheerily at her while something potentially catastrophic was happening around him.
"Thanks for the reminder," he said, already moving down the hall, "I promise to be safe."
Then he was gone leaving her with her stack of paperwork she no longer had any hopes of completing- not with all her current thoughts of old and new mayors.
XxX
[Here's my promise to you. No longer will you have to worry about who your neighbor is. No more will you find the need to question just what type of animal the mammal beside you on the bus is. I preach more than equality; I promise peace of mind, finally.]
[As far as I'm concerned there's two types of characters: those who do and those who don't. I've always pictured myself as one who does. I'm more than just empty promises. I'm the way to a better tomorrow, to a brighter future.]
[I, like most of you, grew up in Zootopia. To me this city means so much more than just a place where 'anybody can be anything.' It's a revolution on the brink of happening, and I'll ask you this one simple question: what do you wish for that revolution to be? I'm the only candidate that promises that to lead to a brighter future.]
[What do you wish for that revolution to be? How would you like to be remembered?]
XxX
"Did you hear the news? Grace Bell is in the lead."
"Is she now?"
Silence quickly settled back between the two of them, one Nick always sort of enjoyed. It was a stark contrast- the friendship he held with Finnick- from the one him and Judy shared. Whereas with Judy he found himself often speaking too much for a long period of time, he never feels that need with Finnick.
For a long time Finnick had been one of the few friends Nick was bold enough to claim. Finnick knew that but never showed any signs of retaliating the feeling, at least verbally. That had always been fine with Nick, the only thing that really mattered to him was fulfilling his childhood need of finding a place he belonged.
For a while he had considered that more detrimental than anything else. He had worried that a relationship like that- one that seemed so one-sided- would poison what little hope he had for other future relationships. Then he slowly found himself drifting, no longer caring about holding any other connections with someone that wasn't himself.
It's what had made him such a good conman.
It was amazing what one was capable of when they no longer cared about other's feelings. It was almost like he could trample on anyone, blaze his own path further and further in the darkest corners of the world, and not even bat an eyelash. The thing keeping him from falling too far, ironically enough, had been Finnick.
And now it was Judy and the police station and everyone else in his life.
It seemed he finally found himself a pack, one he's discovered is constantly changing him.
"Do you even watch the news?" Nick questioned as he turned to regard Finnick's small van curiously though he's been in it enough times to know that the object he sought was absent, "Where's your TV?"
"TVs are expensive Nick," Finnick responded like it was obvious.
It wasn't an odd occurrence for Nick to visit the other fox after a long day of work. It was one of those few times he wasn't with Judy, and he marveled at just little time he spent by himself nowadays. That realization was almost instantly followed by the one that he enjoyed it more than he had originally thought he would.
As it turned out, Nicolas Wilde was not a solitary creature.
"I know," Nick responded from his spot on the floor, regarding his slightly older friend with bright green eyes, "but how do you keep up with the news? Or the campaign for that matter, on our new mayor."
"I have you," Finnick supplied simply and his attention didn't move from the small metallic object in his lap.
Finnick was a genius of a mechanic, Nick had realized shortly after meeting the other fox, which is fortunate for him considering he's also a bit stingy. He doesn't spend money well and had found no need in wasting hundreds on repairs to his van. His home, one Nick's never really approved of.
"You sound like Judy," Nick grumbled as he dropped his expression back to his lap, ears dropping somewhere behind his head as his tail curled a bit tighter around his legs.
It had become nearly unnatural, his comfort inside Finnick's small van. It was one of the few places he truly feels content, like it was where he always belonged. Judy's apartment was the only other place he's found like that.
"She doesn't have a TV either," Nick supplied turning to regard Finnick once more.
Finnick said nothing, expression one of intense concentration as he fumbled with the object in his lap. It had been something that's frustrated the smaller fox as it didn't seem to matter what he did to it, it didn't seem to want to be fixed.
Once Nick had suggested that he give up and just buy a new part. It had to be ancient anyways. That suggestion had earned a hard look and tense words as the fox so clearly resisted the urge to hurt him.
It's expensive Nick. I don't have that kind of money.
Sometimes Nick wondered if he claimed as much because he knew Nick would understand being broke. Not even when they were hustling together was Nick able to afford much more than what he had had before. Now he was a cop and made even less.
"I can go if you'd like," Nick offered after a long pause, catching the ever-growing frustration in Finnick's eyes.
Finnick looked up, large ears perked up in attention on the top of his head. He cocked his head to the side like he wasn't quite sure he knew what Nick was suggesting. Or, perhaps, he feared that he did.
"Go where?" Finnick demanded instead after only a slight pause as he returned his attention to the part in his lap, "Back to that death trap you call a home? You're lucky you haven't been robbed yet."
"Yeah," Nick agreed with a satiric smile, "because I just choose to live in that place. The truth is I'm actually loaded. I come from a long lost line of royalty."
"Sarcasm is never wanted, Nick," Finnick replied almost instantly, smooth as ever with Nick's occasionally flaring temper, "and I've meet your parents. They're too nice to have a single drop of royal blood."
Nick scoffed at the comment as he replied with a bat of his eyelashes, "Anyone ever accuse you of being subtle? Because if they had let me put your mind at ease, you're very much not."
Finnick didn't reply much more than a pointed look, one that Nick beamed back at. Several years, it seemed, was more than enough time for him to grow accustomed to the fiery gazes Finnick had mastered long before the two had met.
Then Nick remembered why they had become at odds with each other, and he felt his expression drop once more. He told himself that it was Finnick's way of caring, to keep him there as long as he could without ever vocally asking.
The only problem with that assessment is the fact that Finnick's never seemed to worry about where he's been or what he's been up to and it was always Nick who reached out first. It was always Nick's idea to remember to visit, sometimes with a treat the two of them could share together. Just like old times.
"Well," Nick ventured off as he turned his gaze towards the cracked door, "It is getting dark, and I suppose I've overstayed my welcome. I guess I'll see you around, hopefully with better news about the campaign."
That caught Finnick's attention.
Or, at the very least, something Nick said had and it might just be coincidental that the last part was what he had decided to comment on. However Nick didn't believe very much in coincidences.
"You don't want Grace Bell to win?" Finnick inquired but something in his voice clued Nick in that it hadn't entirely been a question.
Nick shrugged, answering anyways.
"You should hear the things she's saying."
XxX
[I am not the enemy, like some of you have started to declare. I just love this city and yearn for its renewal. When had that become a crime?]
[My competition have accused me of lying. They are so bold as to claim that I don't want to cure this wonderful city, that I have no hope in fixing it. Instead they indicate that I wish to poison it, break it more so than it already has been. Rest assured, I hold no intentions of such.]
[Recently my past as a predator protestor has come up more and more. I don't feel like I should have to say this but I unfortunately feel as if I no longer have a choice; that was in the past. I'm not the same as that immature me. If nothing else, I promise to be better than Mayor Lionheart. I don't feel like anything else remains to be said about the subject.]
XxX
"Careful Carrots, you don't want to be stepped on."
Judy turned, fixating a harsh glare on him. Violet eyes seemed to harden as her bottom lip stuck out in whatever passed as a hard look from the rabbit. Nick had to stifle a laugh, knowing just how adorable she looked. He also knew how much she'd protest on the matter if he dared voice as much out loud.
It was a simple case, one Chief Bogo obviously deemed trivial enough to give to the two smallest officers on the force. Not that he was consciously being bias towards them because of their size but more along the lines of the fact that he could be quite protective under the many hardened layers and the fact still remained that Judy and Nick were the most fragile.
As long as they weren't demoted to meter maids Nick's certain Judy was happy.
Or however happy she could be whenever she was around him.
There had been word of illegal pirating of movies in one of the better known shops in the city. Nick always remembered it as a place too big, too crowded, and too expensive for him and his parents. It had also been quite a ways from their home so he had never been acquainted with the place, and Judy certainly wasn't being the outsider that she was.
That actually worked in their favor. At least this way nothing as messy as personal feelings between cop and criminal had a chance of transpiring. He wondered if Chief Bogo had planned it that way or if the stars just seemed to be aligned in their favor.
"Can it Wilde and remember to behave. We want everyone here to like us," Judy replied back much snappier than he recalled her being the first time they had met.
"Everyone except the crime lord," Nick reminded staring down at her through his dark shades.
He wasn't sure why but he enjoyed wearing them whenever they're on the case. Perhaps because they made him feel tough, far stronger than he had once believed himself to be, but he doubted that was the case.
Judy gave him another look, though she undoubtedly knew he was just pushing her buttons, as she corrected, "They're not a crime lord, Nick. They're hardly even a criminal."
"Then why, pray tell, are we investigating them?" Nick inquired in the superior tone he adopted a long time ago. The one he knew grated Judy's nerves.
Another look and this time her ears actually dropped behind her head, a sign that she was starting to become real annoyed with him. That was fine. He was a big boy and took far worst before.
"Because, Nicolas Wilde, the fact still remains that they are participating in illegal activity and we need to intervene before it spirals out of control," Judy explained and she sounded so confident, so knowledgeable, that he was slightly taken aback.
Sometimes he forgot that someone as small as Judy had graduated first in her class. Her class that was filled with much larger and much stronger mammals.
"Uh oh. You're using my first and last name," Nick teased in a light jovial tone as he removed his sunglasses to enter the shop, "I must be in trouble."
She was perhaps a little amused by him but entering the shop must have reminded her on why they were there as she straightened, masking her expression back to the professional one she wore. He was considerably less serious about it then her.
The shop was owned by a spotted leopard named Hugo. He was also the only employee ever working, wearing a constant bored mask as he spoke with his customers in a tired monotone voice. Nick almost wished they had another place to be, remembering Judy's impatience back at the DMV on their first case together.
He knew they didn't, though. In fact, they had all the time in the world.
Blank grey eyes landed on the two of them and if possible Hugo's face grew even more bored. Nick idly wondered how he appeared to do so well for himself considering his poor costumer service.
"I'll just take a quick look around," Nick suggested as he gestured towards the walls and walls of appliances lining the shelves.
Judy nodded, expression one of concentration as she focused in on her target. She was nothing if not determined, and Nick had been quick to learn that she still held the mindset that the world was still painted in black and white. Either Hugo was their guy or he wasn't and somehow she'd be able to wring those answers from him.
Nick wasn't blessed with such ideals. He saw the world as very grey and the shades were determined by the amount of good or bad put into it. The closer to good it was, the lighter the grey. The worst those actions were, the darker the grey became.
That wasn't to say that Judy was totally naïve. She's proven herself over and over again, showing she was far capable then the world originally perceived. It must have been her strive, her untethering resolve to accomplish what needed to be done.
Turning his attention back to the rows and rows of electronics he's never had the hope of owning he swallowed back something bitter. It was too much of a slap in the face, a harsh reminder that he'll never be able to afford such luxuries no matter how much he worked. The worst irony of all, though, was that now that he made honest money he was even further away spoiling himself with such pointless devices.
It was also a wonder anyone found what they wanted in this mess. The shelves were cluttered at best, electronics and small devices just put wherever they would fit with no clear order. Nick frowned at that as he reached out to take the small remote in the palm of his hand.
It seemed tiny compared to the large radios and TVs and charging stations it had been placed beside. It also clearly went to none of those things and from the buttons on it he deduced it to belong to a home movie player. After a quick look around he found its home and set it gently beside the object.
Behind him a row of miniature TVs were on, none of which seemed to be on the same channel and all were muted. Good thing, too, because he was certain that much cacophony of noise would be enough to drive the sanest mammal insane and whoever decided owning a shop in which they hired no employees despite the fact that they hated it couldn't be all that intact to start with.
Maybe that had been why Nick hadn't noticed them at first. There was no sound so there hadn't really been a need, but whenever he had turned to head back to Judy he caught sight of them. One in particular kept his attention.
It was of the campaign for the new mayor, all three of the candidates were standing at wooden podiums as they seemed to answer questions from the crowd. He couldn't hear what was being said, and he didn't care having long since decided that politicians were the biggest con-artists of all.
It had been the bright red banner scrolling across the bottom of the screen that had captivated his attention. It was of the most current standings, the last update until tomorrow when the results would be announced and the new mayor inaugurated officially into office.
Last he checked the night before Grace Bell had been in the lead but barely. Now her results seemed to have doubled as the other two seemed to halve and he felt something leaden settle deep in the pit of his stomach.
He didn't care much for Grace Bell, feeling like she just said what needed to be said to get the votes. They were all like that, really, but the other two didn't seem nearly as forward as her- promising better futures and brighter lives and whenever pushed she only ever spoke of Mayor Lionheart. Never Bellwether, and Nick's yet decided if that was a good or bad thing.
"Hey Nick!" Judy's voice called, pulling him from his thoughts and he glanced away from the screen towards the direction of her voice.
"Yeah?" he asked moving in her direction, leaving the TV behind as he rounded the corner to catch sight of her and Hugo.
Hugo seemed as uninterested as ever, flipping through a magazine he had on his desk. Judy had turned her back to him so she was facing Nick when he popped back into view, signaling that she hadn't gotten anything from him. Hugo was either not their guy or quite clever at covering his tracks.
A quick glance around the ransacked little shop Nick decided he couldn't be very good at covering up anything.
"Anything?" Judy inquired as one last effort before they'd leave the small shop, and Nick thought back to the debate on the TV even as he shook his head.
"No," he only half-lied, "Nothing."
XxX
"Why does the campaign interest you so much? It's not like you can actually vote."
Nick swallowed at the words. It was true that he couldn't vote since he had never registered to vote. He had never really felt the need and considering he also didn't have his driving license it never seemed to be on the top of stuff he needed to get done.
"Is it wrong to wish to at least have an idea of who is going to be put in leadership over us?" Nick questioned as green eyes watched Finnick carefully for any sort of signs, "I mean, the last two mayors did sort of turn out to be disasters. Ones that had struck a little too close to home."
Meaning that one had shot him in the neck, hoping to turn him savage so he could maul one of the few mammals he actually liked. He'd be lying if he didn't say that he wasn't at least a little bit nervous of a repeat of that.
He never told Finnick that, of course. He never told anyone because there was still too many 'what if's that still haunted him.
What if they hadn't thought to switch the serum with blueberries? Or what if he hadn't pocketed the blueberries from Judy's truck, intending to save them for later?
He could've very well killed Judy, and then everyone would see him as nothing more than a savage beast that destroyed one of the only mammals who believed in him. It seemed inexcusable then and became even more so the closer he became to the younger cop.
"But if you hold no power in the final decision then why worry yourself over it?" Finnick challenged and Nick released a pent-up breathe.
He had left the precinct several hours ago, having come to the decisive decision that whoever was selling pirated movies had nothing to do with Hugo or his business. Judy had reluctantly agreed but had decided to stay since she was so far behind on her paperwork so he had stopped to grab some popsicles before stopping by Finnick's van.
One of Finnick's few weaknesses, Nick had realized a long time ago, was popsicles- and it was one he had exploited many times before.
Now all that was left was the stick dangling from the other fox's mouth, the metal part he had been working on for weeks back in his lap. Stingy jerk should just scrap it and buy a new one, saving him from his most current headache.
"Because I don't want to be shocked when it does happen," Nick supplied back in his usual spot in the corner of Finnick's van as he watched his friend work, "Are you not at least a little bit concerned of a repeat mayor?"
"You mean another one that will shoot predators and make them go savage? No. I am not," Finnick responded bluntly, eyes not moving from the part in his lap as his teeth gnawed on the wooden stick in his mouth.
Nick frowned at his friend's answer.
It didn't feel ridiculous until it was pointed out.
"Judy doesn't seem to like her very much either," Nick supplied feeling somewhat better that his other friend was on his side.
It didn't sound so childish that way.
"Good for her. Last I checked, she wasn't registered to vote either," Finnick reminded and Nick felt his ears drop.
Finnick was right, of course. It hadn't really been on the top of Judy's 'To-Do' list so it hadn't really gotten done. Not that he supposed that it mattered. It appeared like Grace Bell was going to win come tomorrow.
"I should get going," Nick decided then though when he glanced outside he noticed that it had become quite dark. Where did all their time go?
"Alright," Finnick replied simply not even glancing up to see Nick leave though he was certain he heard one last parting word from the smaller fox as fleeting as the warm night air that wrapped around his slim figure, "Be safe Nick."
Half way to his home he decided that he probably imagined that last part.
XxX
[I know I've made a lot of promises the last couple of days but rest assured that if tomorrow sees me as your new mayor everything will change. For the better, of course.]
[A vote for me is a vote for a better future. Why would you want anything less?]
[The polls just came in. Guess who's going to be your new mayor Zootopia?]
XxX
Nick came in late.
That didn't really surprise Judy, and she knew that it was no reason to cause any alarm. He came in late enough times before for it to become more routine than anything else. Something was different about this time though, and she blamed that on his dodgy attitude yesterday.
So when she arrived bright and early and Nick wasn't there something unsettling settled in her stomach. She asked Clawhauser if he had seen him considering he saw everyone but he just frowned at her, shaking his head despondently.
When he regarded her it was with shining eyes as he asked, voice filled with concern, "Should I be worried?"
She forced a smile across her tired face as she quickly reassured, "I don't think so. He lives quite a bit away, and it usually takes him some time to get here."
Clawhauser didn't look convinced, though he didn't press the matter.
Judy flashed her teeth at him once more in what little reassurance she could offer before moving on to her desk. Last she checked Chief Bogo hadn't assigned her or Nick on anything and he was hardly ever on time when the only thing the day promised was lots of paperwork so she pushed the thought out of her mind. She sat at her desk and quickly got to work on the stack of paperwork at the corner of her desk.
Sometime shortly after her expedition to the front desk, Nick appeared and she felt relieved though she couldn't discern rather that was because she was tired of doing paperwork (Nick offered fantastic distractions) or if it was because of her early unease about his dodgy attitude yesterday.
Either way she found herself leaping from her chair, greeting him as he came down the hall. He matched her smile with one of his own- one that didn't quite reach his eyes- and she realized he looked tired. Like he hadn't gotten much sleep last night.
"Nick?" she asked legitimately concerned despite the fact that Nick didn't take being worried over well.
"Yes Carrots?" he hummed back, false façade of joy coming off less and less false.
So instead of taking the course of concerned partner she set her features in a rough scowl and chided, "You're late. Again."
His grin broadened if only to become a bit more mischievous. This was the part he was excellent at playing: the troublesome no-good hooligan who somehow became a cop. Judy knew that to be untrue, seen just the type of heart Nick held.
He has a good heart. Kind in ways very few are and she's seen him connect with others in ways she never could. It seemed that coming from the bottom and reaching the top built only the best character. Or, in her opinion at least, it did.
"I know," he agreed with a slight nod, "I was up awaiting word on the campaign."
That peaked her interest.
She had thought that news of the election would've been broadcasted more, but it didn't seem like that was to be the case. And he neighbors were certainly uninterested in the one thing she wouldn't mind them keeping her awake for.
"Who won?" she asked unable to keep the eagerness from her tone.
Something in Nick changed at the question. He didn't stop smiling but his eyes seemed to have lost their glamor, some of their shine. It unnerved him, Judy realized with a knot in her stomach even as he answered her.
"Grace Bell," he replied voice light and seemingly carefree but Judy's been around him enough to know that the outcome hadn't been the one he hoped for.
After that first night Nick confided in who he thought was going to win (and who eventually did win, she reminded herself) Judy did some digging in Grace's past. Born and raised in Zootopia in what could've passed as an aristocrat if the label still applied in the modern world.
Her mother had passed when Grace was still very young, too young for her to hold any recollection of her. That made her father her only guardian and if Judy had been on the force back then she might've tried accusing him of child negligence. In the short span of 15 years, Grace quickly started to unravel into a little rebel.
She attended six protests by her seventeenth birthday (all rallies against predators, Judy noted) and by her eighteenth she was leading at least one. At this point someone must have gotten involved for she started to tone down considerably, even appearing publically to apologize for her radical behavior. Then she did a complete 360 and transformed into a model citizen.
By all recent accounts, she'd be an ideal leader.
Something about it all just didn't sit right with Judy, and it was that feeling that was making her discomfort steadily start to increase.
"Maybe she'll surprise us," Judy- ever the optimist- supplied, and Nick scoffed but not harshly; he was most certainly not an optimist.
"I seriously doubt that Carrots," Nick supplied folding his arms over his chest and giving her a cross look.
Judy rose an eyebrow at him, knowing the dislike she was currently feeling was probably nothing to what he was. That wasn't the bad part, though. The bad part came when she realized that she knew exactly why he didn't approve of Grace Bell, and it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with Judy. The last mayor who decided they disliked predators had nearly gotten him to kill her.
"What about her revolutionary visions?" Judy challenged giving him a smug expression she had only mastered through her friendship with him.
He chuckled, giving her a disbelieving look. Judy wished he would stop, especially considering he seemed to have managed to work himself up over it the last couple of weeks and was now suffering the outcome despite knowing what that would be.
"You haven't been watching, have you? The things she's said, the things she's promised?" Nick inquired, and it came out so innocently.
Judy shook her head because she hadn't. She didn't have a TV and though it was true that she did care it didn't come off to her as that big a deal. She wasn't sure if anyone saw it as big a deal as Nick but, then again, no one else had been plotted as a tool to murder one of the only friends they had.
Nick just stared a moment longer before he changed, like when he did back on the cable car in the clouds. He sucked in a deep breath, straightening his slouch as he settled back into the role he was most comfortable playing.
"I'm sure it won't be that big of a deal anyways," he brushed off and- just like in the cable car- Judy felt the need to continue pressing the matter.
"I'm not saying that Nick. I'm saying that whatever happens, whatever Grace Bell decides to do, we'll figure it out. Just like last time."
His entire demeanor went flat.
"I'd rather we not."
XxX
[Our biggest threat to finally creating a civilized world where we can all live in harmony is not our greed or lust or hunger. It doesn't even have anything to do with us personally. It's the predators. It's always been the predators.]
XxX
The news came three days after Grace Bell's inauguration and whatever support she had in the precinct quickly shriveled up and died- a very tragic, very painful death.
Judy, of course, disagreed with it on account of being best friends with one particular predator. The others she works with she's found that she does indeed like- a lot. They certainly don't frighten her, not even when some were going savage. Not even when she had thought that it had been something biological making them go savage- there had been some sort of distinction then.
So there's a them?
Nick's words echoed in her head, the feeling she felt then returning as she was almost overcome by this need to fix everything she had just ruined. This time, though, she hadn't done anything wrong; she just so happened to know about it.
Grace Bell had declared that all predators in Zootopia were the enemy.
The entire city seemed to have instantaneously erupted into turmoil and behind his glass door Judy knew Chief Bogo was busy with his constantly ringing phone. She's heard his raised voice at least twice- though she had been too far away to understand what he was saying. She idly wondered what he thought of the whole thing.
The oddest part about the whole thing, however, was the fact that Nick hadn't said a word about it. He had just resided in his cubicle and hadn't left for anything, probably because all the TVs in the precinct were on and blaring news of Grace Bell on various channels.
He had always seemed to have known, fretting more so as the electron drew nearer, and then it happened and something inside him had switched, and Judy knew under normal circumstances he would've placed that stupid smug smirk of his on his face and informed anyone that would listen that he had always known. Not this time, though, and Judy deduced that that was because he had wanted to be wrong.
Judy passed an elephant and hippopotamus on her way back from the copier and managed to eavesdrop into their conversation. She hadn't intended for that to happen, would've been content to walk on by and never look back, but she heard his name and couldn't help herself.
"All the predators have been forced to reside in their homes for fear of suddenly being mobbed. I can't believe any of them actually came to work- Nick especially."
"Heh. Yeah. Chief Bogo isn't happy, already receiving like four phone calls demanding their badges. Having predators as cops evidently makes mammals uncomfortable, which is ridiculous."
"Some of our best cops are predators. I don't see why they're blind to that. Idiots, I'd say."
Judy turned the corner and couldn't hear them any longer. It had been so casual as they stood around the water bin sipping from the triangular cups. Then she realized that they had mentioned Chief Bogo receiving calls demanding predators' badges.
Nick's badge.
The sick pit in her stomach intensified as she quickly changed courses and ended up outside Nick's small cubicle. She saw his lithe form slumped over his desk, elbows propped onto the large surface as he buried his face in his hands. She didn't have to be a cop to see that he was upset.
"Nick?" she asked, voice small and concerned as she crowded in the entrance, and it was like something inside him flipped.
His head whipped around, shoulders tense and face conveying his shock for a split second longer before he forced himself to relax and a carefree smile was forced across his features. It was painful to look at.
"Carrots! What's brought you all the way over here?" he asked curiously and tense and this Nick frightened her more than any other Nick in the past.
"I was concerned about you," she admitted knowing his defenses were going to come up even as she said it- knowing he hated being worried over.
His smile did turn more genuine, though, as he shook his head and replied, "I'm fine. See. A-okay. Just dandy. Never been better. That's me."
His tone didn't match the words and Judy became increasingly more concerned about him especially considering he had already known Grace Bell would've made a poor candidate. Then again, none of them could've guessed that she would've purposely caused as much outrage as she had.
"Please don't lie to me," Judy whispered softly to him, voice delicate and kind- almost as if she was treating something made of glass.
Nick's shoulders slumped and his ears drooped as he responded lowly, "Alright. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry either," Judy denied with a firm shake of her head as she promised, "It's not your fault. She had promised she had changed. Clearly, she hadn't."
Nick's eyebrow rose at that as he asked in a slightly teasing tone, "You kept up with the election?"
She hadn't, really. That had been one of the few things she knew only because it was such a big deal now, as plenty of news stations were repeating the feed over and over again before criticizing Grace Bell for lying.
She didn't tell Nick that as she just shrugged and answered honestly, "Not really. Bits and pieces, mostly. Nothing major." Not like you.
Nick stared a moment longer before shrugged and slumped back in his seat. He rubbed his hands over his face wearily, looking a lot older than he actually was. It was so strange, seeing such a lively vibrant soul such as Nick appear so beaten and tired.
"She won because they somehow knew," Nick whispered reaching out to play with one of the pencils on his desk, eyes never meeting her own, "They're still scared, you know, of predators."
"They shouldn't be," Judy supplied firmly, knowing that one thing to be true and believing in it wholeheartedly. At one time she hadn't and it almost cost her a best friend.
Nick just shrugged. He didn't appear convinced, and Judy very much wanted to convince him. She wanted to see the familiar fire burning behind his eyes, bright enough to where she couldn't imagine anything extinguishing it.
"I see it sometimes. Glimpses, like they're all just waiting for me to lose it right then and there. I don't think they mean anything personal about it, but it's there and the current way we're headed there won't be any change. It's only about to get worst."
"Whatever happens, we'll figure it out," Judy promised as she reached out to gently touch the top of his hand, "Together."
They hadn't known it then, but Nick had been right.
It got a lot worst.
XxX
Sometime in the afternoon there was a loud commotion in the entrance that had most of the officers rushing to see what it was. The scene, Judy's convinced, will forever be imprinted in her memory.
Francine, one of the female elephant officers, had a scratch running up her arm. It looked painful but she hadn't seemed to notice as she tried to wrangle back the thrashing wolf she'd arrested. Thick black fur hung in matted knots as he spun and twisted in her hold, claws attempting to rip her to shreds. At their feet laid a broken set of handcuffs.
Judy gasped, hands over her mouth, as she froze in shock. Around her several other officers rushed forward to help.
"Let me go!" the wolf cried when he was jerked away from Francine and another pair of handcuffs clicked around his wrists, "You don't know what you're doing! Let me go!"
"Assaulting an officer is a pretty big offense," one of the officers detaining him reminded in a cold harsh tone.
"You don't understand," the wolf relented anyways, "She started it!"
"Francine started it?" someone else challenged taking care in keeping the wolf's arms locked at his sides so it'd limit his chances of bursting free once more.
The wolf's face twisted up as he snarled, "Who? No. Grace Bell. She's declaring war on all us predators. Why don't you see that?"
"I caught him at one of the rallies against the mayor," Francine explained waving away any concern over her injuries, "It was starting to become quite violent."
"I did nothing wrong. It's within my rights to protest unless she's already brainwashed you. Grace Bell! If you can hear me know this- I'm going to enjoy killing you! I bet you squeal nice and loud too!"
"Someone get a muzzle!" and several officers scrambled to obey as the officer holding the wolf growled, "I'd keep that oversized trap of yours shut if you know what's best for you. Don't want to add to your offense."
The wolf just snorted but thankfully stopped.
Judy finally snapped out of her daze and started forward when a hand caught her shoulder, keeping her back. She turned to see Nick watching the scene with a hard expression. He didn't approve.
"Do you know him?" Judy asked because she felt the need to. It constantly amazed her on just how much faces Nick was able to remember, easily putting names to them.
"Of course I do," Nick responded in a soft tone and his eyes didn't leave the scene as they forced a muzzle over the wolf's head, "I told you before. I know everyone."
"Oh kay, who is he?" she inquired and he blinked, green eyes shifting over to where she was currently watching him, waiting. Expectant.
"His name's Justin Savage," Nick supplied and Judy didn't miss the irony in the name as she returned her attention to where a herd of officers were herding him to the cells.
"Is he a problem?"
Nick blinked back at the scene, then down at her before turning away and replied lowly over his shoulder, "I'd say he is now."
XxX
[Do you have a plan for the pred problem in Zootopia?]
[Oh honey, of course I do.]
XxX
One night a week Finnick would go out to play poker with some friends he's never bothered to introduce to Nick. That had been fine with Nick since he was never really the gambling type, and there never had been any fear of losing one of his few friends to a group that would gladly rob the others if they could. Finnick couldn't stand any of them, but they were some of the few who allowed a fox to join.
Nick had asked once, more teasing than anything else, if they even knew Finnick was a fox. Finnick had actually growled at him, which was sort of adorable but mostly frightening considering Finnick could very well snap and do well on his threats.
He hasn't yet, so Nick figured he was probably safe especially considering he got away with dressing Finnick in a baby elephant costume and kissing his forehead like he would a child. And Nick was quick to learn that he could get away with a lot more than that but never had the nerve to push it, so Poker night was the one night Nick didn't stop by his friend's van after work.
It was so odd, being friends with both Judy and Finnick. They were just so vastly different in the best sort of way and neither seemed opposed to the other. If anything Nick suspected that they secretly conspired about him whenever he wasn't looking, but he knew that to be ridiculous. They didn't hold any reason to communicate with the other.
Nick kicked a stray pebble, watching it skip along the path before stopping several feet from where it had started. He kicked it again, and that time it bounced further before it came to a stop. He recalled doing that a lot when he was a child, watching the rock soar as he imagined he was a renowned soccer player making the final shot that won the game. From the sidelines his mother would always smile, giving him a congratulatory part on the back.
Nick never cared much for soccer, but he had always dreamt of being something great. Something so much more than some poor kid whose name will never mean anything to anyone. That had been one of his main reasons on wanting to become a Ranger Scout; that and he yearned to be a part of something, even if it seemed unusual.
I promise to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy.
Even though you're a fox?
Nick closed his eyes at the memory, the words haunting him even all these years later. It seemed so silly, how the actions of other children could shape who you became as an adult. If not for that single incident Nick wasn't sure who he'd have become or who would have been in his life because of it.
Would he have ever met Finnick? Or Judy? Or would he never have become a cop and found himself stuck in some mundane job he couldn't stand like Hugo? There wasn't any way to know for certain, and he took special care not to think about it too much.
It still hurt, though, whenever the memory slipped itself in his head. Even after everything he's been through he couldn't help but feel like it was wrong. He was a fox, and he didn't belong as a cop. He belonged in some den filled with smoke playing poker with a group of people he could barely stand.
If the world was only ever going to see a fox as shifty and unreliable then there's no point in being anything else.
He had found a reason, though, and he figured if there was a reason Judy could burn as bright as she did then he'd just have to wait. Despite everything that's ever happened to him, he'd wait until he finally understood how Judy was able to thrive so much when there was so much in this world against her.
She became a cop despite being a bunny.
She solved an impossible case (with help, of course) without being placed in the system.
She was just so good and pure even though the world around her was so dark and scary.
She was his reason to be better than he had been the day before, and she was his reason of proving the world wrong. Foxes were so much more than sly creatures that could never be trusted just like predators weren't all the savage monsters their newest mayor was trying to make them out to be.
A black van cruised past him, ruffling his fur when it got too close. Nick huffed in frustration at that, stepping further away from the road as he made a mental note to learn how to drive. It couldn't be that hard considering short little Judy could.
Coming from a poor family whose sole transportation had all been public he hadn't ever felt the urgency of such a convenience. Not to mention Finnick not only had his license but his own car and they could always meet somewhere relatively close to where Nick lived.
Now Nick worked all the way downtown in the police precinct, a long walk without his usual stop at Finnick's van. By the time he usually made it home it had long since entered the night, and the later it became the more dangerous the trip did.
Maybe that's why she had chosen that specific time on that specific day. There was no way for him to ever be certain, but he later deduced that she must have for it was the only thing that made sense. As bad a place it was, families still lived scattered around making the day relatively safe.
Either way it didn't really matter. He passed an old alley filled with forgotten junk when two bright lights flashed, catching him off-guard.
He hissed, hand up to shield his eyes as he stumbled away from the alleyway. He could vaguely make out the van's outline but it was enough for him to recognize it as the one who had passed him earlier. Upon that realization came the sickening one that he was in danger.
He turned to run away- where it didn't matter as long as he just got away- but a hand caught the collar of his uniform and jerked him back. He fell, twisting as he did so and he struck the ground on his side. He grunted in pain, the back headlights of the van in the alley nearly blinding him as he scrambled back to his feet.
"Stay down fox," one of his attackers snarled but Nick ignored them as he tried making another break for it.
Someone grabbed the end of his tail, jerking on it so he fell back into one of their embraces. The memory of Justin Savage thrashing in the police officers' arms flashed through his memory, and he realized what the wolf must have felt earlier. Only Nick wasn't getting arrested; he wasn't sure what was happening.
"Let me go!" he commanded in a slight snarl as he tried breaking free from his attacker's hold, "Assaulting a police officer is a serious crime."
"Shut it pred," the one holding him growled in his ear, and Nick's blood went cold.
The last thing he needed was for his attackers to be predator adversaries. It wasn't until he caught sight of the expensive looking black suits they were all wearing did Nick understand. This attack wasn't random, and it wasn't really an attack. It was a solution from the mayor.
"No! Stop!" Nick shouted thrashing in the hold keeping him down, and it was by sheer luck that he managed to break free.
He lunged forward, regathering his footing before he sprinted in the path that offered the least resistance. He didn't get very far.
They jerked back on his tail, causing him to yelp as he was thrown on the ground. A foot struck his stomach, stealing what little air he had left as he curled in on himself protectively. Another foot struck him on the back and he had the brief concern that they'd just stomp him to death.
They weren't there to kill him, but that didn't make the alternative that much better.
He was hefted up by the collar of his neck, and he felt the brief moment of paralysis. It was the worst sensation he's ever felt before and made him hiss in discomfort but he wasn't able to do much more than that.
"Ah, would you look at that. Foxes can be tamed," one of them taunted and Nick squinted so he could make out each of their faces and silently swore to remember each of them for later.
"Let's just get this over with. Where's the collar?" another slightly nervous mammal demanded and at the mention of a collar made Nick squirm.
The one thing worse than being muzzled was being collared, like he was someone else's pet. He was no one's pet.
"Stop," he gasped unable to do much else with the hold on the sweet spot on his neck.
They didn't listen, and he swore he heard some of them chuckle in amusement as the one gripping a small black object neared closer. Nick clenched his eyes shut when they stopped directly in front of him, but it didn't help much. He still felt when the black leather strap was tightly wound around his neck before it was clipped into place.
The one holding him released him and he dropped to his knees, hands coming up to claw at the contraption around his neck. He jerked and pulled but still it stayed. He decided then that he hated it.
"Give it up fox," one of them sneered and Nick looked up, eyes narrowing in a hateful glare as they continued unconcerned, "The only person who can take that nice little thing off is Mayor Grace Bell herself, and I seriously doubt she's going to considering she issued them. One for every pred in Zootopia. A means of keeping you all in check, if you will."
Every pred?
That meant-
Nick's eyes widened before a flash of burning hot hatred clouded his vision and he launched forward with an angered snarl. There was a click on his neck before something electric jolted through his whole frame, and he cried out as he landed on his side and withered in pain.
Above him his persecutors continued to laugh.
Nick paid them no mind as he clawed at his neck until the shock resided. Then he scrambled to his feet and sprinted away, the laughter floating behind him as images of someone trying to collar Finnick flashed through his mind.
Finnick wouldn't go down without a fight, and the thought of someone hurting him made Nick's legs move a little faster as his blood boiled. The pain from getting shocked made his muscles sore, but he pushed all that back as he quickened his step.
He had no idea if Finnick would be done with his poker game, but he prayed that he would be. That way Nick would know where to find him, and he could warn him before they got to him. He could save Finnick. He would save Finnick.
He reached the alley Finnick kept his van in record time, only for his heart to drop in despair when he found it empty. Finnick wasn't back yet, and Nick had no idea where he was at. He didn't even know where to begin looking, and his phone was useless considering Finnick didn't have one.
Phones are expensive Nick.
Nick hated how useless he was to his friend even more so than the stupid contraption around his neck. He also found that he hated Grace Bell, and everything she stood for. It was her fault, after all, that he currently had a collar tied around his throat like he was some disobedient pet.
And it was then, with him standing in the middle of an abandoned alley with a collar strapped around his neck, that he realized three fundamental truths at the exact same time. Number one, Judy had been right, of course. Number two, no matter what he did, not everyone was able to open their hearts to predators. And lastly, number three, this city really sucked at picking mayors.
