This chapter explains some of the changes in the AU with more to come later. Be forewarned, this is only a concept introductory chapter. Not a lot of details just some primary character introductions. We'll see where it goes from here. Big thanks to TOGDoesStuff for proofreading this for me as well as the idea. It started out as Nick goes savage type story when TOG made a comment about Jekyll and Hyde and it lead to this.
A/N:
Judy stood in her seat, beating her small paws on top of the table she could barely reach. The rowdy chant of the officers around her in time with her own. This is what she got up in the morning for. After solving the missing mammals case with Wolford, things were looking rather gloomy for the grey bunny. She knew the press conference debacle had set the city a blaze and it was her fault for jumping to conclusions. She even contemplated turning in her badge. She had even prepared what she wanted to say to Chief Bogo. And then the remarkable happened.
One of the scientific research facilities studying the savage mammals made a breakthrough. Discovered what was causing the outbreaks. Midnicampum holicithias. It didn't take long for her and her partner to track down Weaselton. A little coercion and he happily spilled the beans about Doug. A little more digging and they easily traced everything back to Bellwether. Within a week a cure had been formulated and the savage mammal case was closed several months ago.
Which left Judy where she was today. Happily enjoying life in Zootopia working side by side with her fellow officers. Now assigned a permanent partner and making the world a better place.
"Wolford, Hopps! We have reports of illegal street racing in Savannah Central after dark. I want you two on it starting tonight. Get some rest and we'll see you at 1900." Barked Bogo.
"Yes sir!" The team replied.
One Month Prior – Aries Labs
"Listen, Wilde, the board has finalized their report to send to city hall about the night howler case." Jeremy Tines, a white tail buck and manager for Aries Labs, did his best to break the news gently. Nick always did appreciate that about him. Sitting on the otherside of his friends desk, friend might have been a strong word, Nick held his neutral gaze.
"What did they change?" He asked.
"They've decided, not, to mention you in the final copy." He reluctantly said, waiting a moment to let that sink in and see how his best employee took the news. He hadn't so much as moved a muscle. "However, I did convince them you deserve a raise. How does 250 strike you?"
"250 a day?" The red fox smirked. They both shared a laugh at the inside joke, one more forced than the other. "Well, I guess an extra ten grand a year never hurt. Probably going to kill me in taxes though." The hidden truth being the news hurt worse than he cared to admit. But working for Jeremy was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Nick had graduated from Zootopia University with a doctorate in Biomedical Science. Though he deserved honors, they weren't granted. He even had to threaten the school with a lawsuit when they tried to keep him from graduating on grounds of cheating but had no proof.
In the end he got what he wanted. His degree in a prestigious field that no one wanted to hire a fox into. With student loans to pay, Nick did everything he could think of to make ends meet. Eventually bumping into Jeremy at a bar. The deer had one to many and started talking about work. Nick made a few suggestions on the subject then left.
A couple of weeks later, Jeremy was chasing him down the sidewalk. Turns out his ideas were spot on and after getting his credentials, Nick was hired on the spot. Of course, when the board found out, they weren't to happen about having a fox on the payroll. They thought it could cause the company public trust issues. As a precaution several stipulations would be made. Nick was forced to work alone. Any screw up would be his and his alone. All his work was triple checked by security and his peers. There was still the issue of his name on the roster. They resolved this by listing him as a custodian. A ridiculously well paid custodian.
His salary allowed him to pay off his debts and move his mother out of Happytown and into the same apartment complex as himself in Savannah Central. But something was missing. He knew what it was and so did his mother.
"Nick you need to open up and live a little. It's not healthy to bottle all your emotions up."
Nick simply smiled back in a blank expression. Never let them see they get to you. His personal motto since the Junior Ranger incident. Taking it to heart until it went beyond that. After years of being treated as nothing more than a shifty fox, it became ingrained in his personality. Even when he threatened the school for trying to deny him his degree, it was all without emotion.
But something had finally happened, something big enough, the straw that broke the camel's back as they say. Working alone for over a month on figuring out what happened to the savage mammals, finding the cause and then the cure, only to be told he wasn't important enough to mention.
So he sat in his nice apartment in the nice part of town, where he was charged extra for his species, looking out his window. The sunset casting staggered shadows across the landscape.
"It's beautiful." He spoke to the empty room. "It must be. Mother says it is. What was that she said she felt?" He turned he gaze down toward the street below. The many mammals traveling home from work. There was a moose and a giraffe laughing together. Then an otter family walking down the street holding hands. He focused on them, his keen eyesight following their steps as they traversed the throng of creatures traveling in their path. Nearly being stepped on by a wreck less rhino, narrowly dodging his crushing weight.
Finally, they broke from amongst the crowd. They crawled up onto a bench at a bus stop, huddling together. At first Nick thought they were afraid of the larger mammals that surrounded them. Until, until he caught a glimpse of the oldest male. The expression he wore. It was not one of worry or fear but rather…
"Peace... Yes." He said, pulling his eyes away from the otters and back to the grand scene of the city's sunset. "Peace is what mother felt." He watched the sun until it was well beyond the horizon. "I think, I would like to feel peace."
One month later
A ZPD patrol car sat at a red light waiting for it to finally turn green.
"So what's his name again?" He curiously asked.
"Logan." She replied simply making sure to keep an eye on activity around her.
"Logan, right. So how did the two of you meet?"
"He has a twin brother, Lucas, he's dating my little sister, Eileen. She introduced us."
The light turns green and she starts to accelerate. Only to slam on the brakes as a cherry red sports car races by. Looking to her partner with a grin, he reaches forward and flips on the lights and sirens. They didn't have to go far. As soon as they pulled onto the street the car started slowing down and pulled over. Her partner stayed in the cruiser and started pulling the license number. She walks up to the driver window.
"Sir, you were going 125 in a 35. I hope you have a good explanation." Already preparing a ticket.
"Well, if it isn't the lovely officer Hopps." A voice drawled. "Savior of Zootopia."
Judy looked up from her pocket book to put a face to the very calm voice. Sticking out of the window was a long slim snout with a deep purple nose smiling in a way that showed all his sharp fangs. The bottom was a cream white and the top was a red nearly as deep as the car. And just in the shadow of the door were two of the reddest eyes she had ever seen glowing in the shadows.
"I'm sorry, and you are?" She watched as he eased his head further out the window illuminating his entire face in the light from the street lamps. The unmistakable face of a fox.
"Fierce." He hissed through his flashing teething. "Mr. Fierce."
A/N:
If you have any suggestions for this story please leave a comment. Like I said, I don't know if or when I'll update it. I need to get some of my other stories finished first.