So I've got more than a bunch of zootopia stories floating in my head that I want to get out. Pretty much all of them are intertwined. Earlier I had published what I thought would be the first chapter, but I wasn't quite happy about that one. So I wrote this one, which isn't really suited as the first chapter.
So basically what I'm saying, expect more chapters in the near future (if my failing studies don't take all of my time), and expect the order of them to change.
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"Okay so this is Oak street, which intersects with Moosevelt motorway and Bovine boulevard before it ends in 77th Vine leading into the rainforest district" Judy stated confidently as they turned the corner. Entering the last residential area they were supposed to be patrolling for that day.
"Hah" Barked Nick. "Nice try Carrots, this is Pine street intersecting with Moosevelt lane, Bovine boulevard AND Dingo drive before it intersect with 75th Vine leading to the rainforest district. You still have much to learn young grasshopper."
Judy snorted at that. "Honestly that pun was so bad that I'm not even sure it was one." She replied before checking Nick's words on her Zphone. *Carrot sticks! The son-of-a-vixen was right*. "And how is it that you're taking the mentor role here? Need I remind you who's the senior officer here?"
Nick threw up his paws in mock surrender. "Ease up on the rooky, Officer Mc Superbun. What can I say? I'll never deny you're the better officer between the two of us. But it's going to take you a few life times before you can teach me anything about Zootopia."
Judy hit her paw against his chest. "Hush" she whispered. "Did you hear that?".
Nick shot here a look. "You know, that question is never going to be not dumb. No Fluff I can't hear that, but I put complete faith in those radar dishes you call ears."
Judy was silent while she listened for a bit more, then she said. "It's a crying cub and I also hear a metal squeaky noise. Any place nearby where that might make sense?"
Nick scratched his muzzle for a second. "There's a little park where Dingo drive crosses Panther path, it has a play area with an old fashioned swing set. Should be roughly in that direction" He finished pointing in the direction Judy heard the sound from. "Wanna check it out?"
Judy nodded as she replied "Should we call it in?"
"Call what in? That you heard a crying cub? Last time I check it wasn't illegal for cubs to cry. Let's first check it out, then judge if we need to call it in. It'd save us the unnecessary paperwork if it turns out to be nothing."
Judy shared Nicks aversion against paperwork and readily agreed. "Well then Mister Zoogle maps, with you knowing every nook and corner of the city I'll let you lead the way".
Judy was glad to have Nick as a guide. While the road plan of Zootopia's major routes were pretty straightforward, the same could not be said for its residential areas. Here the city had attempted to make a 'pedestrian friendly' and 'organic' road plan, which translates to 'complete maze for all non-natives'. Honestly without Nick or alternatively her Zphone's GPS system she'd never find her way. But with Nick leading the way every corner turned took them closer to the origin of the sound, and soon they reached the park he mentioned.
The only mammal in the park was a young donkey, she was sobbing on the swing, letting the gentle wind push her forward until gravity pulled her back. "Hey there sweetie, I'm Officer Hopps, and this is Officer Wilde, would you like to tell us what's wrong?".
The donkey didn't respond, and continued to sob.
Nick knelt down to her his snout wrinkling as he did so. "Hi there, I'm Nick and this pretty ladies name is Carrots". The child giggled at the silly name. '"and look what I've got." He clapped his hands together and when he moved them apart again he had somehow pulled a small lollypop, from where Judy would never know. She wasn't exactly thrilled that Nick used his nickname for her with a civilian, but she let it slide this time as they were dealing with a cub.
Now the cub looked up and moved to grab the tasty sweet. But just before she could reach it Nick clapped his paws together again, and suddenly the lollypop was gone. "Now I'm sure your parents taught you not to accept candy from strangers." He said sternly, but not unkindly. "But see these pretty blue suits Carrots and I are wearing? Those mean that we are cops, and that means it's our duty to protect and serve. Do you know what that means?"
First she nodded as an automatic response, then she realized her own confusion and shook her head.
"That's okay. It means that it's our job to help all the mammals in Zootopia, and stop them from doing mean things to each other. It also means that you can always walk up to Judy and I or any other cop if you see us and tell us if there's something wrong. " He snickered. "And it also means that you can accept candy if we offer it. Do you understand?"
This time the cob nodded with conviction.
Judy withdrew to the background for a bit, acknowledging that while she knew how to deal with her younger siblings, Nick somehow had a better natural talent at dealing with cubs she didn't know. *The Todd was made to be a father* The thought shot through her head.
"Good then here you go" Nick repeated the trick again and offered her the sweet, tentatively she took it. "Now can you tell me and Carrots your name?"
"I'm Becky" she replied in a soft reserved voice.
"That's a pretty name, and how old are you Becky. A big girl like you must be at least ten right?"
Becky giggled. "No silly, I'm only five, that's only half ten".
"Wow only five, and already such a big and smart girl." Judy thought this was a bit of an exaggeration, the cub didn't look to be much heavier or bigger than her. "Now Becky is there anything that is making you sad and want to tell me and Carrots about?". She violently shook her head, and Nick decided not to press the issue. "That's okay, but Becky it's already getting late and you shouldn't be out by yourself. Can you tell me your address so that we can take you home?"
The cub bowed her head keeping her eyes to the ground. "I don't know my address, it's weally difficult to remember."
Nick bowed his head as well averting his gaze from her, so that she could look up. "Hmmmm" he pretended to contemplate. "Is it dafenetly definitely drive 273?'
Becky made a face at the weird name. "No, that's a silly name."
"Thennn is it "prabable probable park 261?" He offered.
Giggling the cub replied "You're making those up, they're way too silly."
Nick chuckled "You're right, I was making jokes, you're a really clever girl you know that? But now how do we get you home?" He fell silent for a bit pretended to ponder the issue. The he flicked his ears first his left, then his right and then his left again. "Hmmm how indeed?" Becky seemed unable of stopping herself a gave his right ear a small tug. "Woah!" Nick exclaimed and he shifted his weight to the right. "Wait, do that again with the other ear" Becky giggled and gladly obliged him. "Woah!" Nick repeated now shifting his weight to the left. "This gives me an idea, I'll put you on my shoulders and you guide me to your home by pulling my ears. How about that?"
"Yay ! Piggy ride Piggy ride Piggy ride !" Becky exclaimed throwing her front legs upwards so that Nick could lift her.
With one effortless swoop Nick flung the cub on his shoulders, part of the payoff of the intense physical training he underwent at the academy. "The princess has mounted her trusty steed, lead on my fair lady, lead on." Becky screamed with joy, she kicked Nicks shoulder sending him in a gallop. Nothing could hide the fun the cub was having, and whatever hardships that had left her crying and alone, they seemed to be forgotten. Judy couldn't help but smile at the sight Nick and the cub made against the setting sun. Whether he realized it or not Nick was living her dream, making the world a better place. "Hey Becky, can you tell us a bit about your parents?" She wondered out loud.
Nick shot her an angry glare, signifying something that Judy didn't get. Beckie's laughter fell silent. "Mommy died when I was fouww, Daddy takes care of me."
"Owh I am sorry about your mommy." Judy replied genuinely heartbroken. "Do you like your Daddy?" Judy offered the soft-ball question as a way to lighten the mood.
Becky nodded violently. "I luwe my Daddy very much" she said replied with a small tremble in her voice.
Nick suddenly jumped and on his landing dropped his weight a good feet closer to the ground. The jolt send Becky giggling once more, and immediately they were back in their game. Often Becky would give small tugs to either of Nicks ears to send him jerking from one side to the other, but other than that they seemed to be moving in a consistent direction. In little time they made it to what seemed to be the her home. Still giggling and playing with Nick's ears the cub seemed to ignore they brought her home.
The house looked like any other Zootopian suburban housing, complete with a small garden in the front and a picket white fence. It looked like it belong in rea-estate or pension commercials. Nick set Becky down next to him and gave her a path on the back. Judy rang the doorbell and a few moments later a adult ass opened the door, and Nick started sniffing the air. The male fit his home to a T, looking equally bland and normal. He was reasonably well kept and wore blue jeans and a white vest. "Sir, we found your daughter alone in a park a good block away. Would you mind explaining to us how she ended up there alone and unsupervised?" She said, not hiding her tone of disapproval.
The ass flashed a disarming smile a mouth full of big white square teeth. "Owh occasionally she goes on these adventures by herself and winds up getting a bit lost." He explained casually waving his hand as to downplay the whole thing. "But she always find her way back home to daddy again. Don't you squirt ?" He finished while turning to his daughter. Who nodded violently in response.
Judy started thumping her feet impatiently "Sir, I can't say I'm satisfied with that answer. If I leave here feeling you're not doing enough to secure the safety and wellbeing of your cub, then"
Nick launched himself at the larger mammal, with slammed him against the wall, and with both his paws he clenched the donkey's throat. "Listen her you sick piece of filth, I know what you did, and I literally know over a hundred mammals that would happily kill you for it." He snarled at him as he lifted him against the wall.
"Nick ! Let the mammal go right now!" Judy screamed out with a trembling voice. She hadn't noticed she had pulled her tranquilizer gun at Nick, and a part of her hated herself for it. The other part felt powerless and afraid at facing this side of Nick she could have never imagined was there.
Nick broke neither his strangling hold nor hateful gaze on the donkey. "Judy you've got to trust me, I am in the right here, and I can explain it all later. But now we need to be there for Becky." The young girl still standing outside with an indecipherable expression on her face.
This was beyond going regulation, this could only be described as assault, this was breaking the law. But he had called her by her real name, she knew that he was serious. She knew what it meant for him to be asking for her trust, she knew he wouldn't betray it. She holstered her weapon. "Crackers Nick you're going to own me one heck of an explanation after this."
Nick turned his focus back to the ass ones more. With a voice filled with more venom the tod should have been able to possess "You're dammed lucky that she's with me now, if I'd been alone I'd have unleashed the full wrath of Karma on you. But if you ever even try to get near Becky ever again, then nothing on this planet is going to save you." He kneed him with full force in the groins and let go of him. The donkey collapsed on the floor with a grunt. During the tumble Nick had snatched his wallet and flipped it open. "Jack Equis, Lynx Lane, born in Zootopia general hospital July 4th 1980. Remember I know literally and I do mean literally over a hundred of mammals that would kill you for what you did. All I need do is go out for a night of drinking, and accidentally let your name and address slip. If I did you would be death before sunrise." Slowly he added. "But. Not. Before. You. Suffer." He dropped the wallet on the heap of mammal that was Jack Equis and turned around.
He guided Judy out of the house. He closed the door and knelt down to Becky. Placing a hand at the back of her head he said "He is never going to hurt you ever again." Turning back to the gentle and caring fox that Judy he was deep down inside. Becky flung her arms around him and started crying like Judy had never heard any cub cry. Nick slowly stood up lifting her as he did so. "It's okay princess, we're going to take you some place safe. It's all going to be okay." He soothed while rocking her oh so gently.
Utterly dumbfounded by the quick series of events Judy did not know how to feel. She settled at furious and betrayed, Nick had violated her image of what it meant to be an police officer. He had assaulted an unarmed civilian in his own home. From Beckie's reaction to it all she could see that obviously something more had be going on. But that didn't change what Nick had done. Angrily she started. "Nick, I'm still waiting for that explanation."
Nick just shook his head. "Not now Fluff, we first need to get Becky to down the Channel District. We'll be going by the monorail, we can talk when we get on there."
"For goodness sake Nick! You've just broken at least 4 different laws, and now your kidnapping a cub from her home! I need to know what's going right now, or I'll be forced you and return that cub home."
Becky whimpered loudly and clutched Nick's fur. "Shh Shhh, don't worry, I promise you we won't take you back there." He soother her, rubbing his chin between her large ears. "Fluff I already told you what was going on in that house. Definitely 273, likely 261. I only agreed to get her home to confirm my suspicions, and to give Becky some closure. Now do you really want to discuss this now on the open street?"
Judy halted in her tracks, only now catching the signals Nick had tried to give her when he faked guessing Beckie's address. She knew the police radio codes by heart, 273 Child neglect, 261 rape."
