THE BIG CHEESE
Episode 6: A Fox in the Jailhouse
It is a dark time for the rebell-err.. the ZPD. Both
rodent crimes and pred against prey hate crimes have
been on the rise thanks to a hidden, manipulative leader
hiding behind the scenes known only as "The Big Cheese".
His goal? To have predators rise to the top of the food chain again
and turn the prey of the city into food or slaves and a surprising amount
of predators are going along with it thanks in part, to the pressures and fear put
on them when Judy Hopps screwed up with her "biology" speech. Two years prior.
Chief Bogo has assigned Nick Wilde to commit a fake murder in order to imprison
him and have him find out who this mysterious leader is while working undercover.
However, in order for this assignment to be top secret, Nick had to hide this assignment
from his ex-partner, but still girlfriend, Judy Hopps. Keeping this secret from her could
destroy their relationship. But first, Nick has to survive the next two days surrounded by
his enemies that he helped incarcerate...
Chapter 1: Beginning near the end (Again)
Thursday evening at an unspecified time...
Nick awoke hearing the muffled screams of his cellmate just before feeling a quick jab of pain in the back of his head and going into unconsciousness. Moments later, he woke up with a black hood over his head, his hands tied and his muzzle wrapped tightly. He was panicking. He could barely breathe through his nostrils due to his snout filled with blood.
Another thing concerned Nick. Despite him panicking, his collar wasn't going off. Each prisoner is assigned a collar that gives them a mild electrical shock when their emotional levels are greatly heightened and allows the guards to track their movements. After a long time of being dragged around the prison blindly, the captors dropped Nick onto the floor.
Blind and barely breathing, Nick Wilde heard a voice that sent a chill down his spine. "Well, be still my bleating heart! If it isn't Nick Wilde in the fur!"
One of the captors finally pulled off Nick's hood only to confirm his fear. There, in front of him and surrounded by rams was Dawn Bellwether herself. She squatted down in front of him. "I finally got you right where I want you, you bastard! You ruined EVERYTHING! I loved Judy! She was one of my best friends, but she was deceived by you and your slick tongue and you turned her against me, I just know it! Well tonight...tonight, I'm gonna remove that slick tongue from your mouth!"
She came up closer to him brandishing an incredibly sharp shiv. "Now...in order to do so, I'm gonna have to unwrap your muzzle. Knowing what a smooth talker you are, I just know you're gonna try to con me out of it, so...we're gonna play a little game you and I. You get...one word."
Nick gave a look of confusion which led to Dawn kicking him in the head with her hoof. "PAY ATTENTION! I'm going to untie your ugly muzzle and you're gonna give me just one word, ONE...WORD as to why I shouldn't slice off your tongue. If I don't like what I hear, I might just skip slicing your tongue and just slice your throat instead! Boys? Pick him up and undo his muzzle."
Two of the rams picked him up while the other unwrapped his muzzle. Nick gasped for air and panted for a few moments.
"HURRY UP AND SPEAK!" The angry ewe screamed.
Nick glared at Dawn and yelled out the word that would either save his life, or end it.
Late at night on the previous day...
It's not often a fox is chased by a lion, but such was the case in Savanna Central as Nick was being chased down the streets by officer Delgato who was currently doing the night shift. "Por el amor de dios!" The lion mumbled to himself. "Wilde! Come back here tu estupido zorro!" A/N: Please forgive any poor translation. Used Google translate. Del Gato means "the cat" or "of the cat", so of course I made him hispanic.
"SCREW YOU!" Shouted Nick who wasn't surrendering only because he needed it to look good. If he just gave up, someone watching might see it as the cover up it was. He hopped over the wall into Little Rodentia. It was 1:30am so the streets were pretty deserted. That is, until Nick was noticed.
"Look everyone!" Shouted one mouse. "It's Nick Wilde! Our hero!" The mice still haven't forgotten Nick's battle through the streets of Little Rodentia a week ago when he helped save the city from the destruction of Jake, the redneck fox who had helped kidnap some mice pups that mouse officer, Brie rescued.
Nick tried to shush them"Shhhh! Quiet guys! I'm trying to hide!"
A family of mice came to help the fox. "Don't worry Mr. Wilde! We'll hide you! Follow us!"
Nick was getting worried about getting citizens involved. "Th-That's okay! Really!"
"It's no problem!"said the mouse. "Our car's in the shop and we can hide you in the garage!"
"The garage?" Before he could protest, they all dragged him over and stuffed him into their garage. He barely fit into the room and he was twisted like a pretzel. They shoved him hard into the compact room. "Ow...OW! This is really not necessary!"
As the mice were desperately trying to close the garage door that was stuffed with Nick Wilde, officer Delgato leaped over the wall into the city.
"EEK! A LION!" Screamed one mouse, and there was panic in the streets. Little mice scattered everywhere. "Woah!" Said Delgato being in the middle of the city for the first time. "It's all so..so...muy pequeno!"
The lion tip-toed around the city. Searching for officer Wilde while making sure not to step on any mice. "Wiiiilde! Where are yoooou?"
"Well he's certainly not in our garage!" Shouted the mouse protecting Nick.
Nick couldn't believe how stupid that was. "Nice. Real genius there."
Delgato looked at the garage, it's windows stuffed with red fur. "NICK WILDE! GET OUT OF THERE RIGHT NOW!"
Nick tried to play it off. "Vroom! Vroom! Beep! Beep! Vroom!"
Delgato lifted up the tiny garage door with one hand and yanked Nick Wilde out by his tail with the other. "Officer Nick Wilde, you are under arrest for the murder of Humphrey Higgins! Officer Raymond's brother! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
"Umm...show me the Carfox?"
"You think this is a time for jokes?!" Delgato cuffed Nick with aggression and began to take him away, but it wasn't over. The mice of the city started pelting the lion with everything they could find and running up to him to bite him in the ankles. "We won't let you take Nick without a fight!"
The lion gave a huge roar and the tiny mice scattered away and hid. "He's all yours, pal! We're outta here!"
The two managed to get out of Little Rodentia and Delgato took him to his squad car where his partner, another lion by the name of officer Johnson, was waiting. "Looks like lions do run in packs." Nick noted.
"Shut up and hold still." Said Johnson who brought out a solid steel muzzle to place over Nick's muzzle. This brought out swift and terrifying fear to Nick, who remembered the childhood incident of being muzzled and bullied by kids he thought were his friends.
Nick started to freak out while Delgato was holding him. "GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME! PLEASE!"
Delgato was struggling with Nick who was kicking and screaming. "Calm down Wilde! It's standard procedure!"
"NO!...NO! PLEASE!" Nick screamed. As much as he struggled it didn't matter. Johnson got the muzzle on and they threw him in the back of the trunk. He was sobbing. "Pleee-heeze! I can't have a muzzle on me! I ca-ha-han't! PLEEEEEZE!"
Delgato got on the radio. "This is officers Delgato and Johnson. We have the suspect. It's...well, I'll explain when we get to the station."
Moments later, Delgato and Johnson arrive at the ZPD with Nick Wilde in custody. Melvin, the dispatcher was shocked. "Wow! Is that really Nick Wilde under that muzzle?! HE'S the murderer?!"
"Looks like it, but I dunno. Something's not right. He seemed like it was all fun and games for this gringo until we got the muzzle on him. He really seems to hate it."
"It's gonna be a sad day at the ZPD officer Johnson." said Melvin.
"I'm not Johnson, I'm Delgato!"
"I'm sorry. You two look identical! I don't mean that as a specist thing, you just do!"
"Blame Disney!" said Johnson. "They used the same CGI models, so we're basically twins."
They took Nick past the main station, past the temporary lockup to the main lockup underground. They stopped him to get his mugshots done and finally removed the muzzle off. Nick gasped for air. "Thank you! I can't stand having a muzzle on."
"What's the big deal?" Delgato asked.
"It's...personal."
They took some shots of him from the front and the side profile, then took him to remove his belongings for holdings. The beaver behind the desk took his stuff for him. "Let's see...one wallet with badge. Looks like you won't be needing that again! We'll be giving it to chief Bogo. Some blueberries...Should I throw these out?"
"No " Nick said with a smirk. "I plan to be out soon enough that they'll last."
"Don't count on it." said the clerk. "One smart phone and...a family picture."
"I want that!" Nick said sternly.
"You're allowed photos and mementos. Just nothing that can be turned into a weapon, Keep it." The clerk gave it back.
Delgato handed Nick over to a panther security guard. "He's all yours muchacho! I gotta go inform chief Bogo of the bad news."
The panther and an assistant helped Nick change into his prison uniform. Stripping him down completely. "Woah! Fellas! Don't I even keep my tidy whities? You gonna wipe my ass too?"
"Not exactly." Said the panther who was putting on a rubber glove.
Nick's eyes went wide open. "Oh boy. Cavity check?"
"Cavity check."
"Be gentle."
Moments later, Nick was dressed in his orange garb with a slight bend to his walk as they were taking him for final preparations. He looked over at the panther. "That was magical. You gonna call me later?"
"Shut up. We're here."
Nick looked over. "Oh great. I forgot about those."
He was at the collar station. The panther talked to a guard stationed there. "I need a collar. Red fox. Medium height. Big mouth."
"These things are inmalmane!" Said Nick. "They were outlawed for a good reason."
The panther snapped the collar onto Nick. "I agree with ya. About ten years ago, every predator had to wear one. However, it did nothing but hurt pred/prey relations. Here however, they're put to good use. The prisoners have a hard time attacking one another since rage sets of a mild, electric shock from the collar and we can track every single prisoner this way. The only downside is you can't have any joy without being shocked as well and it doesn't register fear."
"Why is not being shocked for being afraid bad?" Nick asked.
"Because when those collars go off, the guards come running. It'll still shock if the fear is great enough though. It's all based on how intense your emotions are. This is why the prisons can be inter-gander. It'd be near impossible to rape someone without the collars going off and we'd know instantly who was with who at the time. The only people who are separated now are predators and prey. It's something chief Bogo ordered recently. We're also keeping a close eye on new preds coming in. A lot of them are Big Cheese sympathizers."
Nick and the panther arrived at the entryway into the prison where a small mole with thick glasses awaited him.
"This is my stop." Said the panther. "Good luck in there. You'll need it."
Nick looked back at the panther. "Thanks for all the exposition!" He then turned and looked down at the mole. "YOU are my next guard?! Are they serious?"
"I am NOT a guard!" Said the mole. "My name is Doug Diggson. I am the warden here. Let me show you why I don't need any more guards to take care of you!"
He took out a remote and shocked Nick's collar making him scream and go down to his knees.
"GAAAH!" Nick screamed. "Okay! Okay! You've made your point!"
"Good." the mole replied. "Allow me to show you to your new home until your trial. Normally, yours be upstairs with the newly incarcerated, but for some reason, the higher ups decided to put you down here. You REALLY must have pissed someone off!"
"All part of Bogo's plan." thought Nick. Then, as they were walking along the cells, something shocked him to his core. He could smell something. Something he hadn't smelled in almost twenty years, but was as familiar as if it was yesterday. It made old, fonder memories come rushing in. Nick couldn't believe it. It was very faint and pugnant, but there was no doubt about it.
"Impossible!" He thought to himself. "That's my father's smell! How can that be?!"
He stuck his snout into the air and whiffed. He smelled in the direction of his father's scent. He ran to it.
The mole looked over. "Where the hell do you think you're going?! He pressed the remote and shocked Nick, dropping him to the ground.
"ARRGH! My father! I can smell my dead father! Over here!"
"That is NOT the way to your cell!" The mole pressed the remote again.
Nick ignored the pain as he ran to the cell that smelled strongly of his father. "This one! I want this cell!"
The mole was getting upset and shocked him again. "You already have an assigned cell and you will stay there!"
Nick still pushed past the pain and with his cuffed hands, grabbed the cell door. "NOOO! This is my cell! No other!"
The mole had enough. "Fine! Have it your way! It's your funeral. Eye hasn't had any company in nearly twenty years. He'll probably skin you in your sleep! The creepy, little weirdo!"
Doug opened the cell and threw Nick in. It was fairly dark, but Nick sniffed around some more until he hit a wall. Literally.
"How can it end here?!" He said. "This is where the smell is the strongest!" Just then, a voice came from behind.
"Who hasssssss entered Eye'sss sssssell?" Said the creepy voice.
"N-N-Nick Wilde." the fox responded nervously. "Sounds like you got a slow leak there, buddy."
Nick jumped back in fear when he heard the mysterious voice laugh. "SCREE-HEE-HEE! ZAAPP! OW! 'Sssssslow leak!' That'ssssss funny! Worth the ssssssshock!"
"What the hell are you?!" Nick asked.
Just then, Nick saw a frightening image. What appeared to be three long spider legs dangled down from the top mattress, follow by three more at the other end. Then, two long, protruding fingers twisted around like something alien with a long neck.
"W-W-What kind of spiders are those?!" Nick said while scared out of his mind.
"What sssssspiders?!" Said the voice. "Thosssse...are Eye'sss handssss!"
Finally the head of the mysterious voice popped out over the bed. It wasn't much better. It had large, rounded ears with hair all over the tips of them and two large fangs protruding from it's lower jaw. It's one large, round eye was more yellow than a Donald Trump slumber party and the black iris was tiny. Like a tiny island in a sea of yellow. A patch was covered over the other eye. The creature smiled a gruesome smile.
"Sweet biscuits!" Nick shouted. "Just what the hell are you?!"
"Pleassse do not be frightened by Eye'ssss visssssage. Eye'sss name issss...Eye. Eye issss...an aye-aye."
"Eye the aye-aye?" Nick asked.
"Aye."
"Your fingers are like spider legs." A frightened Nick said with his back to the wall.
"Eye isss sssssorry he ssssssscared you. Eye asssssure's you he meanssss no harm."
"You're either talking in the third person or have very poor grammar." Nick noted.
"Can't it be both?"
"I guess." Nick chuckled. Feeling a little more at ease. "Tell me, how long have you been in here?"
"Thirty yearssss."
Nick was surprised. "Thirty?! Did you know my father, John Wilde?"
"AYE!" Eye said with glee. "Ssstinky John! He wasss Eye's last ssssssellmate 18 years ago! Eye liked him!"
Nick was a bit upset. "My father was not stinky!"
"Ssssorry, but he wasssss. On purposssssse. Eye doesn't know why. For monthsss, he refusssssed to sssshower, to bathe in any way. The other inmatessss hated ssssmelling him, ssso they threw him in with Eye! Eye wasss happy to have company."
"That kinda explains why I can smell him eighteen years after his death." Nick said. "But that still doesn't explain why he made himself smell so bad?
Eye climbed down and sat on the bottom bunk. "You already anssswered it."
"Hunh?"
"You! He made himsssself ssstink sssso you would come to thissss sssspot if you were ever incarsssserated! He worried you would follow the ssssame path asss him, ssssso he made sssure hiss ssstench would reach you even decadesss after hiss death."
"That makes no sense!" Nick replied. "There's nothing here! I can smell him really strong right at this wall, but...why?!"
"Pleassse don't be frightened." Eye crawled over to the wall Nick was leaning on. The aye-aye put it's ear against the wall and used it's long, protruding middle finger to tap it in several places. "Hmmm.." It thought. "Ssssomething issss odd."
"What is it?" Nick asked.
"It'sssss hollow! Right here!" Eye pointed at the spot.
Nick stood up. "Here goes nothing. Stand back! He kicked the wall and was shocked that it was starting to give. He kicked it again until a huge hole opened up. "My God! He must have left something behind!"
"Of coursssse!" Eye said. "For you! Eye remembersssss now! EYE REMEMBERSSSS!"
"Is there anyway you can pronounce the 'S' without hissing it out?"
"Nope."
"Crap."
Nick then realized something as he searched the hole. "You were there weren't you? The night my father died."
"Aye." Eye said with a tinge of sadness.
Nick found a ton of fox fur and a decayed finger. "EEWW! He cut off his own finger?!"
"That night." Eye said. "To add to the sssmell I ssssuposssse."
"Why did he hang himself?"
"He didn't!" Eye replied. "It wasssss murder! Eye knowssss! Eye sssaw! No one believesssss Eye!
Just then, Nick found what he was searching for. "A note. It's a note!"
"Aye!" Eye said. "Eye rememberssss now. Eye is ssssorry. John knew hisssss death wassss coming."
Nick opened the letter and read it aloud. "Dear son..."