Nick walked through the corridors of the office section of the police station, slightly tired from the day's work. For the past four days he had been stuck on desk duty, filling out paperwork for other officers and keeping Judy up to date on the various investigations she was supposed to be working on. While her promotion to detective had startled most of the entire police force, Nick had seen it coming once he got back from the Academy. The circumstances surrounding the Night Howler case had led to them becoming major celebrities practically overnight, and when Judy forced Nick to speak at the press conference after Bellwether arrest, their faces were plastered nearly everywhere as the 'honest' fox and hero bunny of the city. It wouldn't have been so bad if a local toy company hadn't decided to run the idea, along with a large fundraising campaign for both the victims of the case and for donations to the police force. Nick and Judy toys and stuffed animals were leaving stores just as fast as they came in, and the boom caused parents and children to constantly barrage them with comments and questions and requests for autographs. While Mayor Bridgebord was happy enough to have them be simple public figures to connect the people to the police, Bogo was getting irritated by the day, as they were consistently coming back with uncompleted assignments, to no fault of their own. However, when he had the two remain in the precinct working on cases indirectly, their performance skyrocketed, which gave the buffalo an idea.
While he thought giving the bunny back her job and getting the fox into the academy was ample reward, city hall had been requesting promotions for the both of them. Something about 'Privates' wasn't good for a PR campaign directed at children. So, to kill two birds with one stone, and to give the press something nice to talk about, he held a public promotion ceremony for the bunny, giving her the position of official and dedicated detective. No more possibility of metermaid or patrol assignments, no basic paperwork duties, no more uniform. She would be a plain clothes detective. And surprisingly, the move worked. The media fawned over it, the mayor was as happy as a kit in one of the various toy stores that were filled with the new detective Judy Hopps merchandise, and Judy got back to work.
This brings it all back around to the crimson furred fox. While he had no regrets about joining the police, he did feel greatly out of place without having his preferred partner. And while it was… interesting when he was paired up with Wolford, the fox found he could never really understand how someone so dim could really have gotten through the academy. And then when the wolf went on his family leave, the fox was left without a field partner, putting him on desk duty until further notice. Which, surprising to the small mammal, brought him a bit more comforts as he worked much more closely with the bunny he had started to miss. He was pretty much her partner at this point, as he helped her put cases together, they both bounced ideas off of each other, and had their fair share of solved cases. But on that day, he had been sent all over the department to file new personnel reports for the chief.
"And don't you dare think about reading any of them, got it Wilde? I don't want to hear that you started blackmailing my other officers into giving you their blueberries or something equally ridiculous." Bogo had been quite clear about it. Although, even if he did look, the buffalo would never have found out. But, as part of a promise to Judy, he followed orders, and filed them away without so much as a peek, despite there being an addition to his own folder. That one was hard to put away without stealing a peek, and as he strolled through the building, he absent-mindedly thought about what buffalo-butt could have possibly thought necessary to add to his paltry personnel file. The fact that he was able to get away with having nearly nothing on record was enough to get a chuckle out of him, but what really took the cake was when Bogo tried to find out more about the fox by asking for it, only to discover that it had nothing on him. The dumbfounded look on the chief's face… now that was something.
"Hey, detective Toot-toot, how far-" he started as he walked into her office, expecting her to be hard at work on their latest case. But, as he scanned the room, she was simply nowhere to be seen. Scratching his head, he looked around again, only to catch the big bold letters on her whiteboard the second time around.
NICK, DON'T CALL ME TOOT-TOOT, AND GET YOUR FURRY TAIL TO BOGO'S OFFICE ASAP
- Carrots
"Hahaha… Well, okay then. That's new…" he stared at the message, then shrugged and walked out, laughing a little at the smiley face next to her message. Too tired to wonder why, his first thought was to where his little partner had gone, instead of why he was going to the chief's office.
As he moved through the building, his cocky swagger devolved into a burdened shuffle, and he it soon hit him just how tired he was. Well, haven't felt like this in a long time… wonder why… His simple thoughts lingered on his mind. However, they were interrupted. His paw flew up to his eyes and he reached out to stabilize himself on the wall as he was hit with another wave of exhaustion accompanied by a very strong urge to sleep. Or faint. Shaking himself awake, he quickly grabbed some coffee from the break room, downing it before it was cool enough to drink, the heat helping to wake him up.
"Owwww… well that was refreshing." He commented to himself, trying to shake off the fatigue. Luckily for him, that did the trick. The fox started on his way back up to Bogo's office, and as he started to climb the stairs he checked the time. It's already 10? Wow, where did the day go… the vulpine thought to himself, alert and curious again. With that realization, he picked up his speed, jogging up the stairs and down the hall to the door labeled "Chief Bogo". As he did, Judy's scent hit him, and it occurred to him that she might actually be there. Before even touching the door, he pat himself down, straightening out his uniform and rubbing any look of sleep from his half-lidded smirk. Sighing and content with his appearance, Nick opened the door, bracing himself for whatever issue or case his boss(es) had for him.
"Ya know Carrots, you keep telling me not to call you Detective Toot-Toot and I'll start to think you don't like it. Finnick will be so sad. What's up Chief?" His remark got an eye roll from the bunny, who seemed unusually proper in her posture.
"Take a seat Wilde. There's an important matter we have to discuss." The chief of police motioned to one of the two open seats in front of his desk, and Nick happily jumped into one. Before Bogo could say anything, though, the fox had already started asking. Although, not really questions appropriate for the intended serious ambience.
"Hey, ya know chief, I don't think I remember your first name. Could you refresh my memory?" His lighthearted demeanor clashed with the serious vibe of the room.
"Really Wilde? Now isn't the time for jokes." Bogo sighed. For the most part he expected as much. The fox could tell when a situation was beyond jokes, and no matter how much they tried to trick him with straight faces, they still couldn't figure out when he could tell the difference.
"This isn't a joke. I was just hoping to get to know you a bit better. Maybe we could go out for some drinks. But I still need to know your name." He kept on, getting exasperated looks from the other two mammals.
"Shut your mouth Wilde, I have a real reason for calling you here, and it's not about making friends." He slammed his fist down, trying to reassert his authority. Too bad it just wasn't hard enough, as the fox began to guess.
"Mason? Lawrence? Is it Bill?" He started up, his smirk never leaving his face. This prompted a groan from Judy, who was both irritated and stifling a giggle.
"And the mayor wondered why I had reservations… Look Wilde, either you shut up or I suspend you for a week; without pay! Got it?" Bogo fired, now sincerely irritated. While it was definitely a bluff, it was also effective, as Nick kept his mouth shut long enough for Bogo to sigh again and continue, but the fox kept his humoured little grin on, displaying the nonchalance the Chief so hated.
"Now, the reason I have you in here; as you know, we here at the ZPD don't like needlessly promoting officers to outrank everyone else, as it breaks down the sense of camaraderie I've spent the past 14 years fostering. However, you two put me in quite a predicament. With the Night Howler's case so closely holding the public attention, and city hall plastering you two in uniform everywhere on their reconciliation campaign or whatever the hell they call it, you two quickly became a bigger liability than asset. Even after Judy's promotion, Wolford's reports still commented on how many people approached you Wilde, and now I have one of my best field officers stuck in doors. So, despite how much I loathe to do it…" the buffalo trailed off, grabbing a small box from one of his desk drawers and putting it in front of the fox. Nick didn't waste the opportunity, not exactly recognizing the weight of the circumstances.
"Haha… well, while I am certainly honoured by the thought, there are a couple problems. First, I'm not gay, sorry. Secondly, you're my boss, and that would be unethical. And oopsie number threesie-" he smirked when Bogo groaned and rubbed his eyes in frustration.
"It's crap like this that makes me rethink this decision, Hopps. You better be able to keep a muzzle on him or I swear," Bogo's comment snapped the fox out of his normally collected facade, Nick taking on a mixture of emotions at the word. Judy heard it too, and her face, which was previously contorted in an attempt to hide her amusement, immediately displayed a seriousness to reassure him.
"Chief, I promise you this is the best decision. I would say it now, since you have him in a serious mood." She recommended, getting a confused look from both of the males in the room. Seeing that she was correct, Bogo took advantage and cleared his throat, bringing the vulpine's attention back to him.
"Wilde, as of this moment, you are officially a dedicated detective of the ZPD. Don't make me regret this appointment." Bogo reached over and opened the small felt box, revealing the detective badge resting inside. For the first time since Judy handed him the academy application Nick was truly surprised and speechless at the same time.
"I… um… I don't…" He stammered as he reached out and picked it up, staring at it wide-eyed. Before he could put his words together into a coherent sentence, Bogo interrupted him, a less sincere seriousness on his voice.
"I don't care. Take the box, take the badge, take the bunny, and get out. I have somewhere to be." And with that, Judy jumped off the desk, beaming, dragging a stupefied fox out of the room with her.
A dark gray wolf sat in a dusty old chair, paying close attention to the equally old naked mole rat woman walking across the table in front of him. She was blind, her eyes clouded over, and her body well worn. She hobbled around the tabletop, completely dependent on her cane, hunched over it in the most precarious fashion. Staring at her, his grayish-blue eyes betrayed his darker ambitions and intents, displaying a the deep maddening of the canine. The elderly female was oblivious to this though, and sat down in a tiny chair meant for her, her robe and clothes bunching up and making her look just a bit larger. When she did, she pulled her hood pulled over her face, obscuring her eyes and face. The ambiance of the room grew foreboding as the small fireplace flickered, painting moving shadows on the back walls. She spoke with an experience heard by only a few.
"I know not why you wish to hear the tales again. You know them almost as well as I do, do you not?" Her voice was barely more than a hoarse squeak.
"Almost isn't good enough. I'm missing something, and you have my answer. Now tell it to me again." The wolf was irritated and pushy, and as he demanded of her he slammed his walking stick on the floor, emphasizing it all. She returned his irritation with a laugh, the dry chuckle promoting a scowl.
"As I am sure you remember, it started long ago, before Zootopia, before Zoolandia, in a darkened age…"
"Before the time of peace we now find ourselves in, before the age of cooperation, understanding, exploration, learning, and discovery, there was a darker, more malevolent era. Long ago, after our ancestors stood up, their energies weren't first put to work to help, but to destroy. From the smallest of packs, grating together just a tad too much, came a most unwelcomed spark. A spark or war. The ferocity was always there, lying in our instincts to hunt and feed and flee. Now, with our hearts turned to building, our minds turned to others, and taking what we wanted. These times led to several nations, but the one most powerful, the one that would truly be forged out of this darkness, was Kirith. Born from the dark ambitions of a being too terrifying to refuse, the kingdom grew large, and in doing so, his richest grew vast. In his seat of eminence, he lay claimed to the very thing that started the age. The source of his monstrous power, the reason for our evolution. And for a thousand years, he reigned over this land.
There was one thing he did not expect, however. Of all the ways he envisioned squashing revolutions and revolts, one thing had escaped his mind. A threat to his immortality. After a thousand years, after a hundred revolts, he saw the end of his reign to betrayal. His knights, his loyal lieutenants, his confidants and guards, took his key, and after stripping him of his power, killed him. They sealed him and his treasure away, hiding it under the dunes of the Eastern Sands, and locked it all with their own key of sacrificial blood, shimmering emerald, and a cask of ivory to hide it away. With the king's death, the age ended, and the people of the world, looked not to the death of their past, but the hopes of their future…"
The silence at her ending the tale, was short lived.
"The knights, how many?" The wolf asked, a monotonous tone concealing his mood.
"Four. Sir Gladihorn the buffalo, the leader of the group; the Hunter-wolf Pawtorias, their tracker; Lord Fauxfang, the vulpine swordsman; and Lady Earwings, rabbit and skilled assassin. Together, these 'knights' as they were called, were given immortality just like their king, and served him faithfully. Unlike their sire, as it turns out, they were honourable and just, as their liege sadly found out the hard way." The tiny rat chuckled at the last comment, sarcastic humour carrying a dark yet justified insult.
"Pawtorias died guarding the catacombs, correct?" His tone remained emotionless.
"Yes, he did."
"How?" His question was blunt.
"When they sealed the king away with his treasure among treasures, they disconnected from it; they lost its touch of immortality. Age would naturally kill them off, one at a time." He already knew that, so her response was held nothing knew to him. Continuing his questions, he kept on looking, determined to find the answer for which he was looking.
"Gladihorn sacrificed one of his horns for the ivory case to hold the key, and Fauxfang made it out of one of Pawtorias's emerald arrow heads. What did Earwings contribute?" His face serious and cold. Decades of searching for answers had revealed most of them, and led him right back to the old rat for the last piece.
"Her life, my dear boy. Her blood was that which sealed the tomb." The malice was well hidden under the tiny rodent's high pitched whisper, but their was a sadistic pleasure still quite apparent on her comment. Nodding his head, he showed no signs of surprise, nor the frustration that was boiling underneath his calm exterior. He simply got up, and began to walk away, seemingly content. As he moved towards the door, an ocelot walked towards her, stepping out of the corner of the room. Before exiting, he turned slightly, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
"To be expected. Thank you for all of your help, you've been an excellent hostess." His farewell was direct, without so much as a hint to her impending demise.
"Hehe… thank you, although, I don't think I did much. Feel free to come back anytime." Her chuckle wasn't much more than a gasp and huff. Turning back around, whispering under his breath, he knew he wouldn't.
"Why would I? It would be odd to visit a dead person." He growled lightly as he limped out of the hut, and the door closed with the ocelot still inside. His steps grew quiet, and soon the night was filled with the squeals of a tiny mammal, surprised and fighting for it's short life.
Two uniquely coloured foxes walked through the back alley streets of the grand city, sticking to the less traveled and far less civilized parts of the town. They were completely different, despite being twins. The larger of the two was massive, larger than most wolves. Most would mistake him as such, too. But upon closer inspection, his ears and head and fur and tail marked him as a definite vulpine. His black fur accented his deep, sapphire blue eyes and gray inner ears. The much smaller vixen next to him was the opposite. Being small for a fox of her species, she was a little less than half her brother's height. Her pristine white fur almost sparkled in the light of day. However, her blood red eyes contrasted the seemingly innocent look given off by her coat. They both wore close fitting trench coats, an odd mark displayed on the back close to the neck. Were there a casual observer, they would've immediately marked the two as a danger. However, there wasn't one, despite the population density of Zootopia. They continued their walk in silence, and reached a cul de sac and dead end, with what they were looking for hanging out at the end.
"Well boys, looky what we have here. Visitors…" A large group of mammals hung around the area. The speaker, a Puma, was the largest of the group. A handful of Lynxes, Cheetahs, and smaller mammals all perked up at the comments. Turning to look at the new comers, they got ready a couple of blunt objects ready as weapons. This display put a smile on the vixen's mouth.
"I don't know where you came from, but unless you want a beating, I would turn back around. We're full on members."
"Hehehe… we're here for neither. We don't dish in, but rather dish out." The cute little giggle had a dark, eerie undertone. She continued.
"Savage says hallo. He asked us to bring you a little message…" the mention of the name caused the opposing group to freeze in terror. She let it sink in for a second.
"He's so confused as to why you've stopped paying your fees." She tilted her head and twitched her ears, closing her eyes to further portray a cute little fox. Regaining his composure, the Puma spoke up again.
"Savage has no power here. He hasn't in the longest time. His protection means nothing, and with Bogo cracking down, we doubt that he can back up his threats. Now..." he stood up, coming to his full height, towering over the girl and taller than her large brother, "get out." The air was tense, and everyone was silent. The confidence of the opposing group was rising, with the composure of the two vulpines never wavering. After a short standstill, the brother finally spoke up, a monotoned voice filling the space.
"Most of you are going to die. If you want to increase your chance of survival, leave now." At that, their hosts laughed. That's when they burst into action. Well, at least the girl did. Dashing at her targets, her arms blurred as three throwing knives flashed out from her paws, slamming into two of the felines in front of her. Two of the blades buried themselves in a hyena's neck, causing him to fall back, his eyes rolling in his head and lead pipe falling out of his paw. The other, a larger mountain lion, was only hit with one, its blade lodged in his shoulder, causing him to stagger and scream in pain, but stay standing. The rest of the pack launched at the pair, howling at the assault on their friends. The black fox waited for them to get in close before whipping out sleek and simple looking tanto, cutting down the closest two mammals reaching for him. The otter and lynx fell with quiet gurgles as the blades sliced through their necks with virtually no effort. Twisting, he sent the pommel directly into another gang member, knocking the cheetah aside and then jumped into the fray. The two were outnumbered, but their foes felled quickly as the highly trained and deadly assassins seemed perfectly content with killing mammals, something that their foes weren't as used to. The female pulled out a two larger knives and joined her brother in cutting down the rivals. The group quickly went from almost two dozen to just one; the Puma, badly beaten, huffed, breathing heavily. He had cuts up and down his body, his clothes torn and ripped.
"So, what did you say 'bout not being able to follow through on threats?" the white fox giggled, her innocent appearance promoting a growl from the cat. Her brother walked up next to her, his coat and exposed fur matted with blood. He, unlike his little sister, who avoided dousing her fur and clothes in the red liquid, he was perfectly willing to get messy.
"Although, we did say al-most, but I think we got them all. Would that still count?" Her terrifyingly dark joke got nothing but scoff from her brother. At that, Puma collapsed to his knees, exhausted and on the verge of bleeding out. His bleary and fading sight passing over his loyal followers, all of whom were in similar or worse conditions than his. Tears streaming down his face, he didn't even register the black fox walking up to him, the clicking of the gun he brandished, or it even being jutted against his forehead. The shot was loud, the sound ringing and bouncing off the stone walls of the buildings around them. With a little giggle from the girl, they left, their coats flapping behind them.
The large grey wolf looked down at the bloodbath as ZPD officers ran around, documenting the scene. Lifting a pipe to his maw, he let his frown take over his face, an obvious feeling of annoyance. The wolf had been away from the city, and even the nation, for sometime. He had hoped his return wouldn't be on the tail of assassins, but fate had other plans. The gruesome murders in front of him was his reason for returning home, and the canine wasn't happy about it. He heard a massive mammal behind him, and turned to see the cape buffalo walking towards him. Turning to face the towering mountain of a person, he lifted his paw, greeting the chief as formally warm as possible.
"Chief Bogo, I am Special Agent Sif Pawtorias. I hope we can help each other on this investigation." Bogo took his paw and shook it, a faintly veiled irritation on his face.
"Can I ask why a secret agent outside of city pay records is in my jurisdiction at all?" Sighing, Pawtorias stroked the back of his neck, straining to meet the buffalo eye to eye.
"Chief, this goes outside the city limits. Even beyond the outlining limits. I'm here because I've been tracking and studying the mammals responsible for that," he explained, pointing to the scene behind him. Bogo, finally taking a moment to study it, caught his jaw before it could drop too far. Stifling a growl, he looked back at the wolf, and spoke up again.
"What do you need?" Bogo relented, realizing just how extreme the situation was. Such severe violence was rare in the city, so much so that Bogo had only two murder cases under his belt, and had only given out two as police chief. And this blood bath was beyond anything he had ever seen. He wasn't used to handing command of a situation over to others, having only really done it once since becoming police chief, and only because that blasted fox could talk himself out of death's hands after being hit blown up and drowned, but this was something he simply didn't know how to handle.
"I'm going to need you to hand over your best detectives, and as many resources as you have. Informants, contacts, forensics, everything. Oh, and I need you to tell these guys to not touch anything until you do." He jabbed his thumb back again to the officers running around. Grunting, Bogo's response was quick.
"I'll tell them to not move anything. As for the detectives, you might have to wait until tomorrow for them. My best are out celebrating tonight."
