AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This story was given inspiration by Nathan Benavidez.

The screech of a metal pole.

The clickety-clack of mechanical keys to a computer keyboard.

Side chatter mixed in with coffee sips.

These were the noises Jack Savage heard every morning in his agency office under the Rufflection Pool at Woolington, D.C.

As he walked past the main room where hackers, communicators, and agents worked at their desks, Jack rubbed his eyes. The boss had wanted him in earlier than usual to talk about a special assignment. Other mammals might've been happy, getting a special job and possibly a raise, but Jack preferred dozing in his king sized bed to buying a Furrari.

Then again, he was one of the top agents in the country, so it was his duty to take on such dangerous missions. He often was congratulated on his work during hours, but it didn't mean much to him. He was good at doing what he did, and it paid good money. That's how capitalism was supposed to work, right?

Jack quickly grabbed a cup of coffee at the espresso machine, being sure to add 3 sugars, just how he liked it. He had gotten sick of the cliche "two or none" thing from the movies, and just decided that sweeter was better. His paws made slapping sounds as he strolled down the hall towards the briefing room.

The hinges swung smoothly open as he entered. Jack made a mental note to tell the janitor what a good job he was doing oiling all the doors. Agents 086, 583, and the head of the organization, Chief Det, a Tasmanian Devil with a stare that could make even the strongest lions make use of the lavatories, sat at the long, ellipsoidal table where assignments were handed out.

"Back your bags, Savage," the chief remarked. "You're going to Zootopia."

Jack could feel his annoyance building up inside of him.

"Why me? I'm one of the best agents here! You said so yourself! I've had a non-stop streak of successful cases for the past 3 months with no break! Summer's just around the corner, and you hinted at a vacation! And now I'm going to ZOOTOPIA?!"

The three mammals stared incredulously at Jack, then at one another. The rabbit realized how rude and unprofessional his outburst was only after it had happened. He meekly folded his arms in front of him.

"I'm sending you because you have a degree in political structure. This case is on the Bellwether corruption."

Jack was taken aback. The Bellwether administration? That was still big news (it was still May) and the two officers who cracked the case were basking in the glory of reuniting the two types of mammals in the city. "Besides," Det added, "it'll be good for you to get out of town. See the sights." The T. Devil smiled as he said this. Then gave Jack a stern look and practically yelled, "BUT DON'T BOTCH THE CASE." With that, the three animals streamed out of the room, leaving Jack Savage to ponder what it meant to finally see the legendary city of Zootopia.

The rabbit briskly walked towards the information desk in the lobby of the underground base. He had sweat on his hand, his brow - his suit was practically soiled. He had never left Woolington, D.C., and had never planned to. He had grown up knowing what his life was intended to, going to be. He would fight large scale crime with every fiber of his body, and he would be happy doing it. He would walk through the stage of life, reciting his lines with perfect pitch, eloquent diction, and general professionalism. What he had done this morning was the first time Jack Savage ever remembered stepping out of line.

The familiar face of Herbert the tiger secretary calmed Jack down.

"Whaddaya need today, Savage?" Herbert slyly implored.

"To be honest, I'm going to need your advice here."

The tiger's eyes widened. Jack Savage was supposed to be the pro, the guy you weren't supposed to pick a fight with. He respected you, and you respected him. He was kind, but rarely did anyone see him paying any sort of attention to social and emotional factors.

"Uh, sure, what's up?" Herbert shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of actually giving Jack personal advice. The two had been closer than most around the office. They liked to joke around, something Jack almost never did with anyone else. They never met outside of work, never chatted over the phone or online, and never talked about their emotions together.

"Well, you see, I've got this case from the chief. It's got to do with the whole Zootopia scandal earlier this month. Thing is, I've never been out of town, and I'm not really sure what to pack, what to buy, or how to organize my trip. I've got to get the file, which is why I came here, but I was hoping you could help me."

Jack Savage was playing a risky game here. He was putting trust in the only sort of "friend" he had to go above and beyond anything they had ever done for one another. He could feel the sweat returning to his paws, even on his feet, and worried about how he would walk out of the room without slipping and making a fool out of himself. "Being the pro isn't as easy as it's cracked up to be," he thought to himself.

"Sure, I guess. Here's a list of what I usually bring with me." The tiger hurriedly scribbled out about 30 or so items on a spare piece of paper. "I'll email you the steps for going to the airport, getting to your hotel, and so on later."

"Thanks." The rabbit was a little worried about himself. He had somewhat broken down today. It had all started with his little venting session, but it had turned into something far worse. All of the loose strands of his life were unwinding; the braided rope was finally falling apart.

"Here's the case file. Oh, and chief wanted me to tell you who you'll be working with."

"Really? Who?"

"The officers who cracked the case, of course."

"What are their names?"

"Seriously? You don't know by now? It's everywhere in the news. The President gave them his congratulations."

"Well?!" Jack was a little annoyed by now.

"Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde."