ZOOTOPIA: MAGNUM FUR
Disclaimer: Zootopia is property of Disney.
After doing some research, I discovered that the events of Zootopia take place mostly during May of 2015. Thus, this story takes place in 2016, almost a year after the events of the film. The dates of Reckless Endangerment will later be changed to reflect this. Also, this story is technically a prequel to Reckless Endangerment, although the events of this story do not have a direct influence on the events of Reckless Endangerment.
And, yes, this story is named after the second Dirty Harry movie, Magnum Force.
Chapter 01: Late Night Occurrence
Date: Saturday, March 28th, 2017
It was 9:15 pm in Zootopia's Happytown District, a ghetto and slum area. There were bright neon lights adorning various outlets and buildings. Many areas in it were red light districts, and others were restaurants or laundromats. There were seedy places where shady animals made shady deals, and there were plenty of bars for animals to get drunk in.
Standing on a sidewalk, glancing around nervously, was a female white-tail deer, dressed in standard hooker clothes. The doe watched the cars passing her nervously as she waited for the light to turn green. Before it could, however, an old but well-maintained car with tinted windows drove up to her. The back passenger-side window lowered and the doe saw the face of her boss, a male Kodiak bear in his forties wearing a business suit and a brown coat, named Reginald Vanderbelt.
"Hello, Honey Dew," he said, using the doe's business name. "Mr. Vanderbelt, I was just on my way to-" "Get in," the bear ordered her. "Y-Yes," she said nervously. Reginald opened the door and motioned for the deer to get inside. "You'll have to crawl to the other side," he said. Honey Dew gulped before getting in and crawling over the bear's legs before twisting around to sit up on the other side.
It was a fairly common strategy, especially among gangsters and other types of criminals, to have someone sit on the side of the car that opened up to traffic. It kept their quarry from trying to leave the vehicle before they could conclude their business. Distrustful fathers also sometimes used this tactic when in the same vehicle as their daughter's boyfriends.
"It's been a while since I've seen your tail," Reginald said. "In fact, I'd say it's been over a week," he added with a frown. "I was on my way to see you," Honey said pleadingly. "Don't lie to me, Honey Dew," Reginald said. "I'm not lying. I've got all the money I owe you, right here!" Honey exclaimed as she reached into her shirt and withdrew several wads of rolled up cash.
Reginald grabbed the money and began counting it. "I see you've been busy," Reginald said as he counted the money. "Of course! I've been working hard to get you your money; you know me!" Honey Dew responded. "Oh, I definitely know you," Reginald said with a frown as he reached over and violently forced his paw down the doe's shirt. "Let's see what else is in the treasure chest!" he exclaimed as he grabbed more cash from the doe's small cleavage.
"Well now, lookie here!" Reginald said as he looked at the money. He glanced over at Honey Dew with a knowing look. "Damn right I know you," he said before putting the money in his one paw and reaching down between the doe's legs. "Let's see what's in the Netherlands," he snarled as he grabbed more money. Honey Dew yelped at his roughness.
"Please, I was gonna give it to you but you didn't give me a chance!" she cried. "Didn't give-oh, that's a crock of shit! I've given you plenty of chances Honey Dew, and this was your last chance!" Reginald said before shoving the money in one of his coat pockets. He then roughly grabbed Honey Dew. "Stop! Stop! Someone, help!"
The badger driving the car glanced back and looked into the mirror, frowning worriedly. Happytown was not a nice place, and many animals ended up hurt or dead in this district every night. "Someone help!" Honey Dew cried out as Reginald shoved her across his lap before reaching behind him and pulling out a bottle of orange liquid.
Honey Dew saw the label on the container and her eyes widened. "No! Stop!" she cried as she raised her hooves to the bear's face and arms, trying to push him away. Reginald brought the cap of the bottle to his lips and pulled it off. He moved one paw up to Honey Dew's mouth and forced it open before forcing the bottle of drain cleaner down her throat.
The badger's eyes widened in fear as he stopped at the red light. He saw an empty parking spot and hit the gas before pulling over, nearly rear-ending another parked car in the process before turning off the engine and getting out of the car, scampering away into a well-lit building with lots of animals walking around.
Reginald paid no mind to his driver's disappearance as he smothered Honey's face and waited for her struggling to cease. The young doe was now dead. Smiling to himself, Reginald got up and exited the car, crushing the bottle and throwing it under the front seat. He then calmly walked away. It was only two hours later that anyone called the police after someone stumbled upon the dead doe in the car.
Date: Monday, April 2nd, 2017
Judy Hopps rolled out the kinks in her neck as she got out of bed. It was 6:30 in the morning, and she had plenty of time to get dressed and use the communal shower before heading to the station. "No, you're the one who left it out overnight! So it's your fault!" Judy sighed as she listened to her neighbors, a kudu and an oryx named Bucky Oryx-Antlerson and Pronk Oryx Antlerson, arguing over who had left something important out overnight.
Judy wasn't entirely certain, and she didn't want to judge, but she was fairly certain that the two were probably a couple. It didn't matter to her, however, since their constant arguments and other antics were a form of a free entertainment to her. Of course, since the walls were almost paper thin, they could hear almost everything that she did as well, and they had plenty of comments to make.
Smiling as she exited her apartment room, Judy made her way to the communal shower, cleaning herself up before putting on her uniform and heading out to the station. She grabbed her iPaw and put some ear-buds in before selecting a Gazelle song as she walked along the sidewalk. About halfway to the station, Judy heard a honk and turned her head to see a green car driving on the road. Glancing at it, she saw what she thought was a familiar face behind the wheel.
"No, it couldn't be," Judy said to herself as she continued walking. Eventually, she reached the station and saw a very similar, if not exactly the same, green car parked in the lot. Taking the buds out of her ears, Judy carefully walked over to the car and looked it over. It was an old type of car, probably made within the last ten or twenty years.
There were some scratch marks on it in a few places, and a couple of dents in a few places around it. One of the side-view mirrors had some tape around it, and Judy could see a crack in it. "Cheese and crackers, who does this belong to?" she asked herself before walking away and entering the front doors of the first precinct. Just before she stepped inside, though, she saw another unfamiliar vehicle parked outside. Walking over to the shiny black car, Judy saw a police light and siren kept on the front passenger seat.
"Huh," she muttered to herself before returning to the entrance. Walking into the lobby, Judy saw Benjamin Clawhauser talking to her partner, Nicholas P. Wilde. They both seemed to be engaged in conversation as neither of them noticed Judy walking up to them.
"That's a shame," Clawhauser said. "I know. It was such a nice place too," Nick said. "Well, what about the other two?" Clawhauser asked him. Other two? Other two what? Judy looked back and forth between the fox and the portly cheetah. "Well, one of them was within my price range, but it's all the way in the flood-zone section of the Rainforest District. Can you imagine how much I'd have to pay each year when the rains come, just in terms of insurance?" Nick asked him.
"Yikes," Clawhauser responded. "So, what about the last place?" Ben asked. "Well, it was too expensive. I don't have enough money saved up in the bank right now to even think about it for at least another year or so," Nick replied. "That sucks," Ben said. "Yeah, it does," Nick said. "So, no one turned you down, though?" Ben asked him.
"Well, the first three places I tried... kind of did, but only before I showed them my ID and they realized that I'm a police officer," Nick replied with a frown. "Ouch," Ben said. "Yeah, and if I had managed to rent from them, can you imagine how many utilities might not work properly for 'unexplained' reasons? I only checked out the available rooms as a courtesy. I decided from then on that my best bets would be places that... well, aren't exactly high-end," Nick said.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Ben said. "Thanks," Nick replied. "Anyway, better luck this weekend," Ben said. "I hope so," Nick said as he turned around. "Hey, Carrots! Didn't see ya there," Nick said as he greeted Judy. "So, that's what you were doing yesterday," Judy said. "Huh?" Nick asked her. "Apartment hunting. That's what you and Clawhauser were just talking about, right?" Judy replied.
"Uh, yeah," Nick said, nodding his head. "How come you didn't ask me to help you? You know that I would've come along," Judy asked him as they walked through the hallway behind Clawhauser. "Well, I was going to, but I just kind of... forgot," Nick said. Judy raised an eyebrow disbelievingly at this excuse.
"Why do I not believe that?" Judy asked him as they walked over to the door of the briefing room, also known as the Bull Pen, and stepped inside. "Because it was lame?" Nick offered. "That's true," Judy said with a nod of her head.
"Okay then, do you want to come along this weekend to help me search for a new apartment?" Nick asked her as they passed McHorn, who was sleeping in his chair. "Sure," Judy replied with a smile. "Well then, I suppose this means that you know some places I could check out?" Nick asked her.
"Of-uh... not... really," Judy said lamely. "Hmm, I guess that explains why your own apartment is actually a glorified closet," Nick said with a grin. "It's not a closet. It's a very nicely furnished apartment with just enough space for me, myself, and I," Judy retorted.
"Of course it is, and the bathroom is located on a different floor, and the shower has to be shared with others because you're too kind to keep it all for yourself," Nick said sarcastically with a smirk on his face. Judy scrunched up her face and scowled at Nick before they both heard the door to the Bull Pen open with Chief Bogo's voice. Judy leaned forward on the table and glanced around McHorn, who was still sleeping, to see Chief Bogo arguing with another high-ranking officer, an older grizzly bear whose ornaments on his uniform seemed to indicate that he was... a commissioner.
Chief Bogo and the Commissioner were speaking quietly, but Judy's ears managed to pick up what they were saying. "This isn't up for debate, Martin. You have blank spaces in your roster, and my precinct doesn't. Besides, these men have earned promotions and I've already told you how many promotions aren't available in my precinct. You can complain all you want, Marty, but in the end, I outrank you and my decision is final. Live with it," the bear said with narrowed eyes.
"Yes... sir," Bogo said through gritted teeth. "Good. Now, let's make our introductions to your finest," the bear said as he and Bogo entered the room. Bogo stopped short of the podium and looked at McHorn. "Hopps, please wake up McHorn," Bogo politely asked her.
"Yes sir," Judy said. "Uh, McHorn, you need to wake up," Judy said firmly. McHorn did not stir. "Hey, Thomas McHorn, the great Chief Bogo commands you to rise," Nick said dramatically. "Uh... McHorn?" Nick asked. "Thomas?" Judy asked as McHorn continued to sleep. "Can you hear us, Tommy? Can you feel us near you?" Nick asked with a snicker.
Bogo sighed and marched over to McHorn's desk, slamming his fists down. McHorn woke with a startled grunt. "Huh? What?" he asked groggily. "Thank you for not sleeping during work hours," Bogo said with a knowing grin on his face. "S-Sorry, Chief," McHorn apologized as Bogo walked back over to his podium.
"Ahem. I would like all of you to welcome Commissioner Bernard Callahan," Bogo said firmly, although not warmly. "Hello Commissioner," Nick said, his voice droning in the manner of someone at an alcoholics anonymous meeting. "So, this is the department's first fox officer?" Callahan said as he walked over to Nick and Judy's seat, studying Nick closely.
"Uh... yes," Nick said quietly, wiltering under the bear's steel-like gaze. "Well then, hopefully, you won't be the last," Callahan said as he walked back over to Bogo's side. Nick glanced at Judy before returning his attention to Bogo and Callahan.
"You may proceed," Callahan said to Bogo. "Thank you, sir," Bogo said. "Alright, on today's agenda, we are going to be receiving a handful of transfers from the Third Precinct over in Tundra Town. I trust that everyone here will welcome them and treat them as you would treat your fellow First Precinct officers. I would introduce them, but I don't... see any of them anywhere," Bogo said carefully, eyeing the doorway to make sure that his words seemed genuine to the Commissioner.
"Oh, they won't be arriving until noon," Commissioner Callahan said. "Well, that gives us time to make sure that all of the spare lockers and storage rooms are cleaned up properly," Bogo said. "Whittaker and Chaney, I want the two of you cleaning up the spare lockers. When you are finished, report to me for further assignments," Bogo said.
Whittaker and Chaney, a tiger and a wolf, respectively, both stood up and nodded their heads in confirmation. "Next up. McLeod and Fursfield will be patrolling the Central Station and helping out local transit security. There have been reports lately of some disruptive mammals appearing there every two days for the past two weeks," Bogo said.
"Grizzoli and Fangmeyer, you're both on decoy in Sahara Square today," Bogo said. Fangmeyer and Grizzoli nodded their heads. "Woolsworth and Francine; you both are on patrol duty in the downtown area, along with Statham and Hornwitz. Johnson and Anderson; you two have patrol duty on your standard route. Martinez and Fangton, you'll be handling a robbery report in downtown that just came in this morning," Bogo said.
"Burns, you have paperwork that needs to be completed by noon. Come see me later for further assignments when you are finished. McHorn, you also have paperwork that I need by noon today. Jurro and Dorman, you're on parking duty here in central. Hopps and Wilde, you both will be dealing with a reported case of vandalism in the Rainforest District. The rest of you, come up to collect your assignment papers, which contain further details on additional duties for the day. Dismissed," Bogo said.
Nick and Judy walked up to the desk and sorted their paper from the pile, looking up the address and name of the location. "Dom's Bar and Grille?" Nick asked. "Have you been there?" Judy asked him. "Once or twice," Nick replied as he and Judy walked out of the room as the other officers grabbed their assignments.
Dom's Bar & Grille
Nick and Judy stepped out of the cruiser and looked at the sign on top of the door. The building had a wooden aesthetic to it, like much of the Rainforest District's architecture. Unlike most other facilities in the Rainforest District, Dom's Bar & Grille wasn't strictly made of wood or carved out of a large tree. There were vines growing around certain parts of the outer wall, and part of the back of the building was cement, even brick and mortar.
"So, when was the last time you were here?" Judy asked as she and Nick made their way inside the eatery. "Oh, about two or three years ago," Nick replied. The atmosphere of the place was very warm, and the lights had a warm glow as well. The wooden aesthetic continued inside, but instead of feeling like the inside of a tree, it was a wooden board aesthetic. There were several health certificates plastered around the walls, especially near the bar counter.
Judy looked over to her right and saw the various tables and booths that were occupied by various animals, including two turtles. There were also several hyenas sitting at a booth, eating and talking with one another, and three leopards were sitting at a table, eating. There were a few pairs of foxes sitting around at various booths and some boars chatting with each other at the bar. A pair of black-backed jackals were conversing over a couple of drinks at a table, four raccoons were eating and talking without worry at a booth, two otters were eating at a table, and four weasels were looking at one of their party's phone while drinking and eating.
Judy's nose began to twitch when she smelled something unfamiliar to her. "What's that smell?" she asked Nick quietly. "Huh?" Nick asked her. "That... smell. It's coming from the grill over there," Judy pointed out. "Oh. Um... see, not all predators eat insects, Judy. Some of us, especially larger ones, eat fish and certain... land vertebrates," Nick said evasively.
"I've smelled fish being cooked, and that isn't fish," Judy said. "Well, then it's... probably chicken... or turkey. Some kind of poultry," Nick said. "B-Birds?" Judy asked him. "Uh, yeah," Nick replied. "Nick, birds are intelligent," Judy whispered harshly. "Yes, but not all of them are sentient. There's a bit of a difference, and chickens are not sentient," Nick replied.
The pair walked up to the bar where a large animal with his back turned to them was fixing a drink for the leopard sitting next to them. "Um, excuse me, sir?" Judy said. "Yes?" asked the animal, who still hadn't turned around. "Um, do you know where we can find the owner of this establishment? We received a report this morning about a vandalism incident," Judy explained.
The animal turned around, revealing himself to be a Komodo Dragon, startling Judy. "Oh, Dom, what's up?" Nick asked the large reptile. "What's up? Well, perhaps I should be asking you," Dom said. "Um... I'm a police officer now," Nick said with a chuckle. "Really? Good for you," Dom replied nonplussed.
"So, um, were you the one who called in the vandalism report?" Nick asked him. Judy was still staring at Dom, having never seen a large reptile before. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am. But that's only part of the issue," Dom replied as he finished mixing the drink and handed it to the leopard. "Thanks," the leopard said before working on his drink.
"You're welcome. Now, Nick and... uh... I've seen your face somewhere before," Dom said as he turned to look at Judy. "Hey, Carrots, don't be shy," Nick said. "Huh? Oh. I'm, ah, Judy Hopps. O-Officer Judy Hopps," Judy said proudly. "Oh, the first rabbit officer? Yes, now I remember. I've seen your face on a few recruitment pamphlets for the ZPD. You helped solve that case with those flowers that were making animals go savage," Dom said.
"Uh, yeah. The Night Howler case," Judy said. While listening to Dom speak, she could detect a hint of an accent in his voice. She wasn't sure where it was from, but it was definitely there.
"So, anyway, the vandalism was only part of the problem I am having," Dom said. "Oh? And you deliberately omitted something else because... why?" Nick asked him. "Nick, what am I?" Dom asked him. "Well, Dominic, you are the owner of this eatery," Nick replied with a smirk.
"Nice try, smart-ass. But come on, what am I?" Dom asked him again. "You're a reptile," Judy said. "That is correct," Dom said while pointing a claw at Judy. "Now, look around this place, Wilde. You too, Hopps. Tell me, who all do you see here?" Dom asked them. "I see... foxes, hyenas, weasels, otters, leopards, and boars. Not all of these are rain forest species, though," Judy replied.
"True, but how often do you see the first three at high-end establishments with good credentials?" Dom asked her. Now Judy was starting to think. "Wait, Dom, you haven't told us what the other problem you omitted was yet," Nick said. "Eh? Oh, right, I didn't. Well, the other problem that I omitted was that I received a rather threatening letter. It is... harassment, I would say. But now, hearing that, what kind of response would I get from the police if I reported harassment to them, with most of my clientele being who they are? With me being what I am?" Dom asked them.
"You would be ignored, or someone would come out here just step inside real quick and then leave," Nick answered. "What? No. No way," Judy said. "The Zooptopia Police Department has better standards and dignity than that. I mean, they sent us out here, didn't they?" Judy replied. "That's because Bogo knows that only you, and probably me as well, would be willing to check this out," Nick retorted.
"So, anyway, this letter," Nick began, "I don't suppose you can show it to us, can you?" "Of course. Hey, Marigold, keep and eye on the bar for me, okay? I'll be right back," Dom called out to a giant otter over by the grill area. The otter nodded her head and began walking over to the bar.
"All right, please follow me to my office," Dom said as he walked around the counter and led the two officers up a flight of stairs. "This way," Dom said as he inserted a key into a lock and opened a large mahogany door. "I like this door. Feel it. It's Mahogany," Dom said giddily. "Yes. Mahogany," Nick said sardonically as he and Judy walked into Dom's office.
Dom opened a desk drawer and reached inside, retrieving the letter. "Here is the letter. I found it in a dry spot behind the broken light around nine this morning. Go ahead, read it," Dom said as he handed the letter to Judy. "This is a warning," Judy read aloud. "You aren't wanted here. Your patrons aren't wanted here. Get rid of the thieves and crooks before Friday, or a spray-painted door and a broken light will be the least of your problems," Judy read.
"I don't know exactly who it is, and it could be anyone. As for the broken light and spray-paint, I took care of those this morning. Stuff like that is nothing new, and I almost thought that the broken light was unplugged until I realized that it had been cut and the connections were broken," Dom said. "Sometimes, during the heavy rains, I unplug all of the outside lights at night, to prevent electrical problems," he explained.
"And last night?" Nick asked him. "Moderate rain, but any paw prints were definitely washed away, along with any scents or other evidence. But... there were some bleach stains in a few spots near the door. I gave the front area a fresh anti-water coating three days ago, so those are new, and I didn't make them," Dom said.
"Someone tried to cover their tracks as a precaution," Judy said. "Yes. If it weren't for the letter, I actually wouldn't have even thought much of it. Sometimes the wires to certain things get cut by accident by my claws when I'm inspecting them for water damage, causing me to replace them anyway," Dom said. "I see. You touched this letter with your paws, so checking for other prints-" "I have scales, and those don't leave much oil prints like paws do. Although, the letter is typed, and it's unlikely that the perpetrator would have used their bare paws anyways, not when they used bleach to cover their tracks during mild rain," Dom interjected.
"Right. Well, is it okay for us to take the letter?" Nick asked him. "Of course. You'll need it for your investigation. At least, I'm assuming that there will be some kind of investigation? I've had threats before, but they always went away after a bit of time. This, however, is new. The last threat that I received prior to this was three years ago. Nothing specific, and no damage was done, but this coincided with spray-painted slurs and a deliberately damaged piece of property," Dom said.
"We'll starting looking into it right away. Thank you for your time mister... uh," Judy asked. "DeSilva. Oh, here's the envelope the letter was in," Dom replied. "Thank you, Mister DeSilva," Judy said as she took the envelope. The two officers made their way out of his office and down into the main bar. Taking one last look around, Judy noticed that she had rarely ever seen foxes and hyenas looking so carefree. They usually had worried looks on their faces or wore fake smiles of smugness because of society's large distrust of them.
These mammals had genuine smiles on their faces, which was only possible because they felt safe. Dom's Bar & Grille was a place where society's misfits felt safe and at ease, and someone wasn't happy about that. The thought made Judy angry, as did any social injustice.
Turning away, she and Nick exited the bar and entered their cruiser. "So, what did you think of it?" Nick asked her. "The case or the bar?" Judy asked him. "The case?" Nick replied. "I think that it's a case of bigotry and prejudice," Judy replied. "I figured that much," Nick said as Judy started up the engine. "So, we have our evidence. Now we need to find a suspect, but... given the rain that Dom mentioned, any real chances of finding something are slim to none," Nick said with a sigh as they headed back to the station.
"Well, there might be something in the envelope," Judy said as Nick held it in his paws, turning it over and sniffing it. "Maybe," Nick said as they entered a regional transition tunnel, heading back to Savannah Central. "So, that was a Komodo Dragon," Judy said thoughtfully. "Yep. Why, you've never met one before?" Nick responded. "No. I've never really met any reptiles before, to be honest," Judy replied. The rest of the ride to the station was silent as Nick carefully placed the envelope and letter in a plastic bag and zipped it shut.
Benjamin Clawhauser looked up from his desk as he saw Nick and Judy round about his desk as they exited the hallway that led to the garage and made their way to the hallway that led to the other offices and labs of the ZPD's First Precinct. "Uh... why do you guys always take the long way around?" Clawhauser asked them. There were several connecting halls and corridors in the back areas that would have made their trip much quicker.
"We just like being around you. Besides, we saw some new faces and wanted to get some intel before chatting them up in person," Nick said with a smirk. "Oh, yeah, the new guys. They arrived just a little while ago. They've been setting up shop throughout the station, putting stuff in lockers and getting new name tags and filling out forms... I've greeted each one of them in person," Clawhauser said.
"Really?" Nick asked him. "Yeah. They seem nice," Clawhauser said with the slightest hesitation. If Nick hadn't been able to read people so well, he would've missed it, but Clawhauser, much like Judy, was a very sincere and openly emotional animal. "Well, I guess we'd better get moving. Come on, Carrots. We've got some evidence to work on," Nick said.
After depositing the evidence to what was apparently the only available lab worker, Nick and Judy made their way to their desk cubicles to begin writing their report. Heading into the office area, they both stopped in their tracks when they saw a large gray wolf sniffing Nick's desk area inquisitively.
"Uh, excuse me sir, but what are you doing?" Judy asked. The wolf lifted his head up and stared at the rabbit with a puzzled expression. "Yes, Hooper, just what were you doing?" asked another, much larger wolf. The wolf was wearing a plain-clothes outfit, implying that he was a detective, or was here on his day off. "Lisker, I was just... you know, trying to learn more about our new coworkers," Hooper replied.
"Really? Well, the proper way to do that is to talk to them, and I see two candidates right over there. Don't be shy. Go say hello," Lisker said. "Y-Yes, sir," Hooper said. Lisker eyed him strangely as he walked over to the fox and rabbit. "Hi, I'm Sergeant Maes Hooper. You must be Officers... Hopps and Wilde?" he greeted them.
"Yup! Officers Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wilde," Judy exclaimed proudly as she extended a paw to the wolf. Hooper nodded his head as he took her paw and gently shook it. He looked at Nick before extending a paw, which Nick hesitantly accepted. "Well, I, uh... I look forward to working with you both. This is Lieutenant Lisker," Hooper said, gesturing to the older and larger wolf behind him.
Lisker walked forward and extended a paw as well. "Lieutenant Milton Lisker. How's it goin'?" he asked as he shook Judy and Nick's paws. "Uh, f-fine. Things are going fine," Nick replied with a slight nervousness. He couldn't figure it out, but something about Lisker put him on edge.
It could have been the way Lisker was studying both him and Judy, much like a predator sizing up its prey, or it could have been the strong, vice-like grip that Lisker had when shaking their paws. Nick saw the firearm holstered under the wolf's jacket, and Lisker noticed the fox's eyes widening.
"Ah, yes, that piece of weight," Lisker said with a strange smile. "Is that... a lethal firearm, or a custom tranquilizer?" Nick asked him. "It's... well, lethal. But, I've never once had to use it," Lisker said in a disarming manner. "Never? Well, I suppose that's... good, right?" Judy responded. "Definitely. Firing it would have given more paperwork than I'd have cared for anyway," Lisker said with a chuckle.
"So, Lieutenant, is it just you and Hooper, or are there others coming from the third precinct?" Judy asked him. "Oh, there are plenty more of us," Lisker replied. "Well, aren't the others already here?" Hooper asked Lisker. "Yes, but I meant that there are plenty more for our friends here to meet," Lisker replied.
"Really? So, are you guys all wolves?" Judy asked them. "Heh, no," Lisker replied. "We've got lions, tigers, and bears," Hooper said. "Oh my," Nick said wryly. "Oh, yes indeed," Lisker said with a smirk. "So, tell me something," Lisker began. "Does Chief Bogo always sound like he's got a stick up his ass?"
Judy's jaw dropped and Nick had to hold in a snicker. "No, seriously, does he?" Lisker asked them again. "Uh, well... for as long as I've known Chief Bogo... yes," Nick replied. "Nick!" Judy hissed at him. "What? It's true," Nick retorted. "See? I told you his own people view him that way," Lisker said as he held a paw out. Hooper reluctantly retrieved a twenty-dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to Lisker, who then stuffed it in his jacket.
"So, what are things like here in central?" Lisker asked them. "Well, things are usually kind of peaceful," Judy replied. "At least, since the Night Howler case," she clarified. "Ah, yes, I remember that. I read the report as well," Lisker said as he leaned against a desk with his paws in his pants pockets.
"One little ewe nearly tore the whole damn city apart," Lisker said. "Yeah. It's just a miracle that no one actually got hurt-er, killed, anyway," Judy said, remembering how her leg had been injured and how several lives had almost been destroyed by Bellwether's plot.
Lisker began moving to walk away when he paused mid-stride. "Hey, Wilde? Is it really true that you sold a rug made from a skunk's butt to Mr. Big?" Lisker asked with a snicker. "Uh, yes, I did," Nick replied. "Well. From what I've heard about Mr. Big... that was pretty damn stupid," Lisker said with a smile. "Of course, you also must've been on really good terms for him to let you live afterwards," Lisker added.
"Uh... well... I try to avoid him as much as possible," Nick replied. "Huh. Is that so? I guess that's part of why you joined the police? Knowing that your connection to Hopps might offer a small bit of protection?" Lisker asked jokingly. "Um, n-no," Nick replied. "I'm just kidding. Still, one day, you're going to end up investigating something in Big's territory, and you will cross his path again. It's inevitable, unless... it's already happened, of course," Lisker said with a knowing smirk before walking away.
"What's up with him?" Judy asked rhetorically. "I think he's a detective," Nick said with a shrug of his shoulders. "How could you tell?" Judy asked him. "What? Uh, Carrots, the plain clothes? The nice outfit? That's classic detective wear, or at least seventies detective wear," Nick replied. "Sorry. I'm so used to seeing blue on other officers that I... kind of forgot about that," Judy said before hopping onto her chair.
"Yeah... well, let's get this report over with. It shouldn't be too difficult, and then we can go do some investigating on who might've done the harassment and close the case up," Nick said as he sat down in his own chair at his own cubicle, which was situated directly across from Judy's cubicle. "Yeah, let's... let's do that," Judy said, heart beginning to slow down. "So, wanna get takeout tonight?" Nick asked her.
"Huh? Oh, um, sure. Where at?" Judy replied. "Well, how about that place down by Central Station? It's not too out of the way," Nick suggested. "Hmm, okay. But, you're paying for it," Judy replied. "Fair enough," Nick said before he began typing up his report.
Milton Lisker walked down the hallway before entering the break room, finding Furmington Benezio, a tiger, playing cards with Leo Horrowitz, a ram. "Hey, numb-nuts, you both owe me twenty," Lisker said as he approached them. "For what?" Benezio asked him. "I was right. Officer Wilde did sell that rug to Mr. Big," Lisker said.
"Dammit," Benezio growled as he pulled a twenty out of his pocket and handed it to Lisker, who took it with a smile. "Thank you," Lisker said. "Now, do have any leads on that dead doe in Happytown?" Lisker asked Horrowitz.
"Same as the last two murders," the ram replied. "Vanderbelt?" Lisker asked him. "Fur samples matched the others. It was him," Horrowitz said. "Pouring drain cleaner down someone's throat like that... that doe didn't deserve that," Lisker said. "No, but Vanderbelt certainly does," Benezio said darkly.
"Yes. Yes he does," Lisker said in agreement. "But... for now, we need to bring him in for questioning, and make sure all of the evidence is consistent. I don't want him getting out because of any technicalities or something stupid. I want a strong case, evidence he can't deflect, but most importantly, I want justice served. Is that clear?" Lisker asked.
"Crystal, Sir," Horrowitz said. "Good. Now, let's get settled in," Lisker said. "We're going to be here for a while."
And here it is: the first chapter of Magnum Fur, the prequel to Reckless Endangerment. I'm going to say right now that while the first few chapters might be rated T, there's a decent chance that later chapters might get an M rating for more mature content, especially considering the dark tone of this story.