All right. Let's do this. This story is gonna be really long, similar to actual Ace Attorney trials. There are gonna be some disturbing parts since this is a murder trial, after all. I recommend reading this if you're well-informed about the AA universe, since a lot of references pertain to that one series. This chapter is relatively short, considering it's just the prologue, but things will start to get longer once I get into the swing of things.

Okay, no more delaying. Chapter one of 'Turnabout Species'. Hope you enjoy! Cause I'm definitely gonna enjoy writing this.

March 18, 9:28 PM

? ? ? ? ? ?

"Hmmm..."

A ZPD cruiser sat on one side of a street, the only source of light being the headlights of said cruiser and a flickering lamppost not too far off. Opposite to the cruiser was a dark alley, similar to those where one would think that shady deals or inappropriate NSFW material would happen. However, neither of the two are relevant as a distress call was what originated from the shifty alley. Officer Nicholas Wilde was the first to arrive at the scene. His usual partner, Judy Hopps, was currently absent due to a massive amount of paperwork that she had to attend to, leaving the fox to scope the scene out first.

Picking up the radio, he spoke in his usual calm demeanor, despite the situation, "Hey, Clawhauser. You there?" Static. It took a while for an answer to emerge, "Nick? Is that you? Are you at the place yet?"

"Yeah. Looks like it came from some dark alley. Just wanted to ask how far the nearest backup is. Y'know, just in case." Nick stared out the window and into the alley he was supposed to check out.

"The nearest squad car is about 25 minutes away. You're gonna have to go in alone." One could easily hear the slight worry in the voice of the large cheetah. The big mammal cared for Nick as they had been friends for a long time. It also helps that the latter was the second half to Benjamin's 'OTP'. "Be careful, alright?"

Nick smiled, 'Heart's almost as big as his stomach.' He looked outside sighed. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to do this alone.

There has been a string of murders popping up all over Zootopia, the victims being a mixture of prey and preds. Very little is known about each case, only that it is most likely a predator who's committing these serial murders, but that's about it. For all he knows, this alley could be the next crime scene. But he was a police officer, damnit. He had a duty to fulfill and a little fear wasn't gonna stop him. After psyching himself up, he exited the vehicle, flashlight in the right paw and his tranq gun in the left. His arms were positioned in a way that they would make a plus sign; the flashlight arm would be the horizontal while the gun arm would rest on it so as to ensure a stable shot. Nick made his way to the alley and lit up the area, as the light from the lamppost did not reach the alleyway. The alley was relatively short, it's defining feature was its 'T' shape. The alley split into left and right paths.

The fox officer grumbled, 'Great. A higher chance that something bad'll happen. Because who wouldn't use this to their advantage?'

As soon as the fox stepped into the alley, a strong scent smashed into his face like a brick wall. It was so powerful that Nick had to recoil and gather his sense from the strong smell. After catching his breath, he could've sworn that the smell reminded him of something metallic. A moment's worth of thinking and Nick had a handkerchief around his snout to at least weaken the scent. Once again stepping into the alley, the smell was a little weaker due to the barrier between his nose and the actual source. It wasn't easy to handle but it was bearable enough so that Nick could actually continue onwards.

Upon reaching the intersection, Nick was faced with a decision. The source of the smell, which was the right path, or the opposite path? As common sense stated, Nick turned to the source of the smell, only to find himself in a battle against his gag reflex. The sight in front of him was a gruesome one to behold. The floor and walls were splattered with so much blood that if it hadn't smelled as such, it could have been mistaken for paint. Numerous tools and sharp object littered the floor such as knives, forks, hammers and the like. And towards the end of the path lie something that would be engraved into Nicholas' brain for the rest of his life. A body of what used to be a male bunny, propped up against the wall, covered in scratches and cuts. The body looked like it had been ripped open, it's contents open for the outside world to view.

Nick stood there, frozen by what he had just witnessed. He had been trained to handle many situations as a police officer, but this was not one of those situations. When his body finally found the strength to move again, he instinctively holstered his tranq gun and reached over to the radio on his shoulder, "CLAWHAUSER!"

It didn't take long for a response to appear, "Oww... Jeez, Nick. Not so loud."

"B-b-b-body! Dead body! I need help! Quick!" Nick's voice was a combination of shock, fear, disgust and worry. In short, he was freaking out.

(Quick Note: If the next few sentences are wrong, I accept full responsibility as I do not know how to use police jargon.) His friend, however, was trained for this situation, and was ready to assist his friend. Clawhauser's attention immediately shifted from Nick to everyone else. "To all available units, we have a 10-33, I repeat, a 10-33 at Officer Wilde's location. All available units, drop whatever it is you're doing and provide immediate backup." Clawhauser shifted back to Nick, acting like a completely different animal than what most co-workers are used to seeing from the jovial and innocent individual. Now, the cheetah was acting akin to some kind of captain of a ship; issuing orders to everyone and acting like a leader. "Nick, I'm gonna need your 10-13. I need more information."

During Benjamin's fiasco, Nick had recovered from the initial shock and had calmed down, "Uh, yeah. Status. The body's dead. Um... Oh dog... The blood seems fresh so... he couldn't have died less than... I dunno... an hour or two ago, maybe even less." And as he said those words, they're implications hit Nick like a truck, "Which means that... the culprit is..."

"Right behind you."

Nick didn't even have the chance to turn around. The moment he heard that voice, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head. The next thing he knew, he was knocked unconscious by an unknown assailant. His flashlight fell to the floor and broke, no longer shining it's bright rays.

"Nick? Are you there? Nick? Nick!" Ben's worried voice continued to call out into the darkness, unaware that no one would answer his cries.

Aaaand that's the prologue. I know it's really short, but this chapter's only supposed to be an introduction. The real fun starts later.

See ya guys later!