A/N: Longest thing I've ever written. An attempt at the WA Character Development Challenge.
ZBI: Wardens of Darkness
Peace is always worth the price
All you need is one more sacrifice
Save the city from strife
By taking another life
The dark sky didn't help her nerves at what lay ahead. Her paws gripped a letter she received yesterday. Judy wanted to feign ignorance at receiving it. Several weeks had passed since she and Nick were assigned to find the missing rodents of Little Rodentia. Restless nights consumed her, her inability to find something, not even a clue. Yesterday, they found leads that directed them towards the Canals. Now, she paced back and forth outside the building. She remembered the last time she went under the radar it was to stop Dawn Bellwether. They found their first clue yesterday, and of all the nerve, now the government wanted them to stop their investigation! This was outrageous.
The letter hadn't contained any explanation at all, just a simple command: "Drop this investigation at once. Everything related to this case will be destroyed and forgotten." – Enforcer of the ZBI, Jack Savage. Bogo didn't even have the guts to inform her, himself!
She waited for her partner to arrive. That fox always showed up late or just barely on time. Maybe, he could shed some light towards her dilemma. She paced back and forth, the gloomy skies did little to reassure her that everything would be okay and that this was just a misunderstanding.
Nick finally arrived. He noticed Judy outside of the precinct still. "Are you practicing on how to be late? Just like me? A few more minutes and you'll have succeeded."
"How dare you accuse me of such! I've received a letter, Nick. Bogo wants us to halt our investigation," Judy replied, she glared at her partner for making such an insinuation.
"And we've been working at the ZPD for how long? Has Bogo ever been anything but direct?" Nick questioned, "Oh, would you look at that? We're actually late. This will be a first for you. He likes me though."
That stupid fox grinned as he said that. She punched him but he caught her fist. "YOU… did that intentionally!"
"Try everything, try being late sometimes. Work isn't everything you know. You can't do anything until I arrive, partner. We need all the rest we can get with this newest case."
"How can you rest with this case on your mind?"
"Easily, I need my wits to focus when we're actually on the job, so I forget about it all once we clock out." Nick stopped hustling and joined the ZPD but never lost his infuriating charm. "Now, we're really late. This is a record even for me! Maybe, we'll get a bonus."
Judy marched into the building with Nick following closely behind. Everyone else was leaving, ready to start the day. "Hopps, you shouldn't have too much fun on government property," Wolfard said, before giving her a chance to respond, he left the building to work on his assignment.
It was just them and the chief. "Bogo, you have some nerve sending the ZBI telling me to drop the investigation right after we found leads leading to the Canals district."
'This is going to be one of those days.' Bogo tried to remain calm. Judy was an effective officer but overzealous at times and sometimes overlooked details and went on tirades. For her to show up late this must be serious. After she finished her tirade, Bogo said, "There is no organization called the ZBI, they do not exist. I've also never heard of anyone called Jack Savage. Disregard it, continue on with your assignment."
Joy, relief, happiness all these emotions coursed through her being as she heard Bogo. "Really? You're not asking us to drop the investigation?"
"The ZBI does not exist, there's no one called Jack Savage. If there was ever anything wrong, I would tell you personally."
"Told you so," Nick smirked victoriously, he was right. Bogo would be direct with matters and wouldn't allow a third party to interfere.
"Now, about the letter. I don't think it's anything significant. This one just sounds a bit more official that's all." That statement from Bogo calmed her down somewhat. This wasn't the first letter she received of anonymous instructions telling her to drop investigations. At first, these allegations were pursued and the ones that sent them arrested but it turned out that animals that sent these were cowards and all the threats were hollow. Soon enough, they stopped caring about it entirely.
They received their assignment for today: Question the citizens of the Canals district, learn what happened to the rodents in Little Rodentia.
They arrived at the outskirts of the Canals district. "Look at how modern everything is, all of this couldn't be more than twenty years old," Nick said, marveling at the modern architecture. He knew that the Canals district controlled the imports and exports of food, but nothing beyond that. He had no knowledge of anyone that lived within.
They could only see frogs as they entered the district. Neither of them detected scents belonging to other species. Everything was built for frogs alone and no one else. Lily pads dotted the actual canal giving places for frogs to hop about.
They found an idle frog that seemed to be isolated from everyone else. "Excuse me, could you help us by answering a few questions?" Judy asked a yellow frog with black spots.
"Why certainly, how can I help you?" the frog replied.
"What can you tell us about the missing rodents from Little Rodentia? We tracked them to this district," Nick said, hoping that their lead from yesterday was accurate.
Fear flashed in the frog's eyes briefly. "Beware of the one that does not belong, that's all I can say," the frog said, he hopped away leaving the two officers somewhat confused.
Nick with the knowledge of his hustling activities said, "This is not normal, something's afoot."
Judy hated to admit it, but Nick had a point, most of the time his instincts were correct. They walked around the district with caution, looking for anything that might be amiss. Everyone they happened to question responded with variations of 'I don't know,' nothing even remotely helpful.
Citizens moved about their daily lives and paid them no attention at all. The Canals district didn't even have its own precinct or any way to report crime, which was peculiar.
A few hours passed since they started walking around aimlessly looking for anything suspicious without any success. They decided it would be an appropriate time to eat lunch and departed the district because they didn't see anything that would be edible for a rabbit's diet.
They stopped at a fast food restaurant at the edge of the rainforest district. The tapirs tended to wear clothing depicting owls or the sun. Owls being a creature from myth long thought extinct. The frogs wore clothing that reminded Judy of farmers. They openly chatted about various forms of art and artists. Nick recognized the names of the four famous turtles they talked about. They drew famous artworks although Michaelangelo faded into obscurity after drawing art that depicted the devil. Nick became confused at what the tapirs meant when they said, "It must not happen again at all costs. We bore the brunt of that last failure."
A frog said, "Relax, the Illuminati supports us and soon, so will the ZPD, a certain rabbit made a rather important acquaintance. Peace is all we want, isn't it?"
Judy heard that and struggled to control her emotions. She thought that asking what they meant would be a very bad idea. This just left her with more questions and they didn't discuss the case at all as planned because gossip became more important and interesting. Slowly eating their food not to arouse suspicion.
"Indeed, worry not. Horus watches over us and maintains the peace. Have you heard? Soon, we might have a new target adding a few more years to Zootopia's survival."
"We all serve the greater good."
She sensed a sign of imminent danger yet it was clearly peaceful. That's what her instincts told her. She struggled not to make any sudden movement lest they rouse suspicion. They began to eat faster and faster, eager to get out of here and away from all of this. Nick did make a minor quip about a library jokingly which Judy remembered.
They headed to the library as Nick feared. After an hour, all they managed to learn were minutia of the four great turtles as well as the history of the Canals district. It was extremely surprising that they just decided to emigrate out of Zootopia one day. No instance of foul play was recorded.
Using their newfound knowledge, they decided to question the inhabitants that lived on the border of the Canals district. Everyone loved their amphibian neighbors although they rarely left or ventured far beyond the rainforest and mostly lived within the Canals district. No one held a negative opinion of them.
They parted ways after work and hoped that tomorrow would be better. She hastily went to bed exhausted from the day's events.
She decided to try Nick's advice. She forced herself to forget all about the case. Pleasant dreams awaited her mostly featuring the charms of one irritating fox. As they were about to kiss the dream vanished and all that remained was the cold hard floor. She blamed Nick for this if she had been more restless maybe this wouldn't have happened.
She forced herself awake and observed her surroundings. She saw the room contained only a single bed and the only way out of the cell was through a door made of metal and barred shut. The black walls made her feel like she was underground. She tapped the floor and the walls, they didn't sound hollow.
A voice spoke in the distance. "You persisted, you didn't halt the investigation. You forced us to take action."
She sniffed the air only to find the scent of foxes and rabbits. "Where am I?"
"You disregarded our warning to halt the investigation, now we want to show you why you should. You are at the Central Information Repository. The place where we store all knowledge of animals and how they are interconnected. I am Jack Savage."
Jack continued, "Don't try to run away before you learn what is needed. It would be a shame if the lives of Zootopia's heroes were to be cut short for failing to obey directions. More than you know is at stake with this reckless endeavor of yours."
"You have Nick too?" Judy inquired, hoping to gain some insight into her current situation.
"Of course, our mission is to preserve peace at any costs even if it means sacrificing the two of you. We stand guard so others might live in peace. You do not know how fragile this city is, what you are doing is going to endanger a lot of lives, innocent ones that aren't part of the conflict."
"We are investigating missing rodents from Little Rodentia, those families deserve justice," Judy said, trying to make sense of their motives.
"Justice is different from peace, that has always happened and no one cared for years. Why start now? Drop it and move on with your lives."
"This happened for years and you let it continue?" Judy asked, clearly outraged by what she has learned. Her ears were pointed back preparing for a fight.
"Yes, and? It's one of the better options, this city's endless desire for justice lead to the creation of a district for frogs alone. The entire city is interwoven, your actions will cut many more lives short compared to if you kept silent and let everything continue as it should. Therefore, we told you to drop the investigation," Jack replied, "The ZBI was formed to prevent such atrocities from happening again, peace is preferable than an absolute sense of justice. This is why Mr. Big is still in power."
"Bogo said your organization does not exist, and I couldn't find anything about it at all," Judy said, the more she learned about this place the more unnerving it became.
"We aren't a government organization, we chose an acronym and a name that gives us an air of legitimacy, we desire what's best for Zootopia. You two are a special case, we could have ended you to preserve the balance but the void left by your presence would be a far bigger problem. This is why we have captured you, in an effort to persuade you into working for the right cause," Jack revealed, "Enough talk, it's time for you to learn the folly of your actions and why we must stop you."
The grey rabbit with a striped face, wearing a black suit finally stepped into sight accompanied by two black foxes. The foxes were dressed in black uniforms matching the color of their fur. They unlocked the door to Judy's cell. "Come, Nick is waiting for you." Guided by two foxes, she hesitantly walked forwards towards an uncertain destination. She witnessed the most elaborate computer set up she had ever seen. Nick was there as well making idle chatter with other black rabbits. Jack Savage was the only one who wasn't completely black.
"This is the Central Information Repository, where we have compiled the names of everyone and the lives they might affect if something were to happen to them," Jack said, explaining the purpose of this computer.
Jack manipulated the computer to display the map of Zootopia. On the map were pictures of several animals. Jack clicked on Little Rodentia, several images of mice popped up, as well as the ability to search for a specific animal by name. "These are the missing rodents, am I correct?"
"Yes," Judy replied.
"Carrots, this place is amazing," Nick said, clearly more at ease with the situation.
"Okay, now look at the ones that would benefit from this case being solved," Jack said, he shifted the screen to one that displayed a surprisingly few number of animals. Jack shifted the screen again he clicked on the other option: what if it wasn't solved? This displayed an extremely large number of animals benefitting. "Please understand, we want what is best for the city above all else, based on our calculations, this case will cause way more harm, thus you should stop pursuing it, for the sake of everyone potentially affected by your actions should you continue."
"Good enough for me, right Carrots?" Nick said, "We should be leaving now, thank you so much for all the information. We will halt all activities. If you would just show us the way out, we won't trouble you again."
"You know what happened to them, tell me and I will consider it," Judy replied, to which Nick facepawed. She displayed no competence at subterfuge and intrigue. "Nick, how could you say that? How can we give up so easily?" Her voice was full of fury and rage clearly upset at her partner more so than their immediate situation.
'At least this time she didn't say she was part of the ZPD' Nick was not impressed with how Judy reacted, this wasn't the time toconfront her about it though, maybe if they get to safety.
Jack thankfully entertained her request by answering it completely. He manipulated the computer again. This time by clicking on the Canals district. Out of all the images being displayed, there was one image of a feline. That's the one he clicked, the rest were frogs. "This is Lady Catherine, a member of the Commercial Union of Zootopia. Her sector controls food for Zootopia, they dabble with insect imports and exports. She is vital to Zootopia's continued existence." The computer displayed an elegant image of a tigress dressed in clothing depicting green and flowers. The tigress's mouth was open and she was dropping a rodent into her mouth. "She rose to power because of the ZPD's blind pursuit of justice. She embodies savagery by eating one rodent a day during the month of peace. She prefers the guilty ones that got away from the ZPD's justice system. This has continued for twenty years now without any complaints because no one cares for the criminals. If you were to attempt to remove her from power, the consequences would be dire, we ask you to stop this investigation at once."
"Thirty-one rodents per year! During something sacred to all animals alike! How could you let her continue to exist?" Nick asked clearly outraged by Jack's comments, struggling to control his anger as if wanting to see if he could claw him and knock some sense into that rabbit.
"It's simply the best path forward, we want what's best for the city. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
Encouraged by Nick's outrage, Judy said, "Twenty years, how come no one noticed?"
"They didn't really care about animals of Little Rodentia, you know that you two are the smallest animals on the ZPD, and very recent additions too." Jack used the computer to display the list of affected animals if she was to be removed from power, it paled in comparison compared to the ones that stand to benefit by her continued existence. "Please note, we are the reason that Mr. Big is still in power, the world is far better with his presence than without, of which I know you have personal relations with."
A black rabbit came in and interrupted their not so secret meeting. There were already four others, two rabbits and two foxes in addition to themselves. "The tapirs are on the move again, they discovered killing the artist would increase the value of his art dramatically."
Jack Savage manipulated the computer frantically upon hearing that message. It's as if Nick and Judy weren't in the room with him anymore. He completely ignored their presence and focused on a singular task: calculating the best path forward for the city.
"What's going on?" Judy asked, at a loss of the situation at hand.
"Animals are going to die soon, I'm calculating if it's beneficial to save them." Jack waited for the computer to display results. "Let's see, wanted target, a teacher currently teaching at an elementary school, the best course of action, killing the teacher away from the school."
As soon as Judy saw the screen she bared her teeth and clenched her fists preparing for a fight. "Do you not care about lives of animals at all? All of this is just numbers."
"We care a lot; therefore, we calculate everything before attempting to interfere," Jack contemplated for a moment before issuing a command, "Since the High Command is busy, I will take charge of this operation. Take these two with us, it'll be good for them to see how we operate first hand, perhaps we will sway them to our side. Arm them as well."
They gave Nick and Judy black suits that covered most of their body as well as tranquilizers. The seven of them left the vast underground complex. It had mostly featureless and nondescript walls giving it an air of secrecy.
They boarded a jet and flew off towards the sky. "Now that we're in flight en route to the location, do you have any questions?" Jack asked.
"What are the tapirs' goals? They seem obsessed with art. We also heard that the Illuminati supported them and that they worked for the greater good." Judy responded, hoping to gain some insight of what's going to come.
"Their goal seems to be increasing the value of art. Art is more valuable if it cannot be produced again. We are going to try to stop this attempt because they plan to blow up an entire building due to the presence of a specific teacher. The teacher will die in a much subtle manner and life will go on. They don't work for the greater good, we tolerate their existence because destroying them would cause way too much chaos," Jack replied as they soared in the sky.
Judy spotted the tapirs approaching a building. They wore clothing bearing an owl motif. Judy found it strange that no one seems suspicious at the jet that they're currently in. "Why aren't animals afraid?"
"We are camouflaged, they cannot see us. Let me off at the top of the elementary school. I'll make my way down and contact one of them, we'll see how they respond."
Jack disembarked from the jet and it took off again circling the sky. Judy asked animals around her. "What are we going to do?"
One of the black foxes replied, "We are going to hope that this ends without bloodshed."
Nick kept silent just observing everything, thinking it would be better than trying to ask them anything at all. They heard Jack Savage's voice, "By the order of the Illuminati, you are to cease your attempt on this teacher's life. We will kill him for you instead, give us two weeks."
They heard a reply. "By the will of Horus, we require his immediate death. There are countries that recently learned of his painting. They are very interested in seeing that this masterpiece cannot be reproduced with such precision. Jeffrey will die today."
"The Illuminati does not agree, you will inform your entire organization that this target is to be left to us. Disobey and we will destroy you," Jack responded in a commanding tone.
"Very well, by the will of the Illuminati then, Horus will not be pleased," the tapir grudgingly gave in.
They picked up Jack and headed back to their lair.
Upon arriving at the lair, Jack said, "It's time for lunch." He led them to a vast room with tables for eating. "What are your opinions now of us? Will you drop the case?"
The other animals brought out a variety of food while they chatted. Nick sensed an opportunity. "Of course, we will drop the case, we will also help you kill the teacher that you want dead. Your methods are reasonable. You did just save an elementary school peacefully."
Judy becomes enraged at Nick's offer. She slapped him hard. "Nick, what's gotten into you?"
"I'm sorry about my partner here. I will keep her under control and we will do as you ask," Nick said while trying to ignore Judy's behavior.
"No fighting between the two of you, this organization is made by foxes and rabbits mostly because others thought that foxes couldn't be trusted and rabbits were too small to do anything," Jack said, "We keep our activities secret, we watch from the shadows so that the city may benefit. No one suspects a thing."
Judy grudgingly stopped trying to express rage towards Nick. They finished their food and were allowed to leave and return to their normal lives, just like that. Nick and Judy emerged from a normal building and were now in Downtown Zootopia. "Now, we inform Bogo of everything that's going on," Nick said. Thankfully, Precinct One wasn't that far away.
They arrived at Precinct One. "Hopps, Wilde, if you must enjoy some quality time together, please give an advance notice and don't just forget to show up to work," Bogo said, clearly not impressed with the two of them.
"Bogo, you know that letter that I showed you? That organization was REAL and they kidnapped us," Judy said trying to control her rage. "And now you accuse me of spending quality time with Nick and being late for work because of it!"
"Nothing with you two involved is ever simple, is it? Alright, report," Bogo sighed.
They gave a detailed account of what happened and everything they learned. Bogo listened intently to his officers' report.
"Sit, both of you are about to learn the city's darkest secret. What happened twenty years ago in the Canals district. You deserve to know," Bogo replied, "Twenty years ago, a rabbit reported on a crime that happened within the Canals district. An extremely peaceful district that we've had no complaints about back then a multitude of semi-aquatic species lived there. The district wasn't just for frogs.
"We responded to the tip by investigating and arresting the guilty animals. Our efforts, however, weren't appreciated by the locals and gangs formed because of us because we disrupted their peace and supposed unity. Soon the entire district was controlled by various gangs.
"We acted and arrested them all. Everyone that was guilty was incarcerated. That left the majority of the residents in the canals as frogs, one day everyone else decided to emigrate out of the district and out of Zootopia. That's why the entire district is inhabited by frogs alone and no one cares to enter the district itself because its dark past which was stricken from the history books. That knowledge would go against the goal of peace. It's arguable that the situation became worse due to our interference but the law is the law.
"Justice was served but the results weren't really desired. Gone was the illusion of peace. The Canals district became the home of the peaceful frogs and remains so to this day," Bogo concluded his tale.
"Is that why the ZPD hasn't tried arresting Mr. Big?" Nick asked, to see where Bogo might stand on this.
"Who is Mr. Big and what has he done? Why would we arrest him?" Bogo replied.
Nick did not expect that answer. He thought it was common knowledge. "A rabbit with a penchant for throwing animals in icy rivers," Nick replied, trying to convince Bogo. Nick gave Bogo directions to the place they were taken to. That would get the ZBI off their back hopefully. "He lives underground and continues his operations from there."
Judy gasped at Nick's bold lie but said nothing. "We'll investigate this. Both of you go and see to Jeffrey and make sure he doesn't die within the two weeks. Call for backup if needed. Vigilante groups are something we cannot allow."
A pounding headache assaulted the buffalo's skull. Bogo steeled himself for what was to come as best as he could. He had been captured after leading an expedition towards the ZBI's lair upon Judy's advice. The next thing he knew was that he was taken here.
'Fools, they think that these bars could contain a buffalo?' He proceeded to punch the bars thinking he could break them and find his officers. A voice stopped him in his tracks. "The ZPD itself came knocking on our lair, why?"
"The city will shut you down for your illegal activities," Bogo said, trying to intimidate the unknown opponent.
"We mean you no harm, we desire peace after all. I am Shadow, High Command of the ZBI." A black vixen stepped into view wearing a black suit as well.
"We are looking for Mr. Big, we have been informed that he's icing mammals," Bogo said, hoping their sense of justice would accomplish his goals. "Where is my team? They better not have been harmed."
"Touching, your concern for your comrades is commendable. We won't remove Mr. Big because his continued existence is far better than him being removed, so what if someone gets iced occasionally?" How easily the vixen said that unnerved Bogo, such callous disregard for life. Shadow sensed Bogo's restlessness. "Don't worry, your incompetent squad members haven't been harmed. They are safe."
The buffalo was freed from his cell by black rabbits and black foxes. "You four have come intruding on our lair because of false information. You four were deceived by Nick Wilde. There is no one named Mr. Big here, he lives in Tundratown and Judy's got a rather personal relationship with him due to events involving a giant donut. Enough of this, we have business to discuss, we desire the death of Jeffrey, who teaches at an elementary school. Both Wilde and Hopps will renege on their promise to kill him earlier when we set them free. Perhaps, you can help us persuade them?"
They kept walking towards an uncertain destination. "Why would we do that? I ordered them to protect Jeffrey, they will act as ordered."
"It's your own incompetence that led to me obtaining one of our most promising recruits."
Bogo was greeted by the sight of Matthew Cottontail and the three other ZPD officers that came with him as well as many black foxes and rabbits. Completely at a loss to why that rabbit would be here. "It's been twenty years since I last saw you," Bogo said, it was the one who reported the crime happening in the Canals district. That one that set everything in motion.
"As predicted, they led you here. I captured them and set them free after failing to convince them to do the right thing. I go by the name Jack Savage now," the rabbit replied, "I trusted the ZPD to do what was right back then, you shattered that faith. Shadow, here found me and I joined the organization that kept watch over Zootopia in secret and have been far more productive than you ever could be and now you come because you've been duped. Truly incompetent."
"Charming, isn't he? That's what I like about him," Shadow remarked, "Denied, rejected by others for our desire to do good for the city due to our species and the color of our fur. I refused to give up, I won't allow the most incompetent officers take charge when I could have a say in the city's affairs. I founded this organization and kept watch from the shadows. Only rabbits and foxes could understand what it's like, especially black ones. Matthew Cottontail was somewhat of an exception. I just had to make an offer after I saw the results of his efforts first hand."
Bogo challenged their claims. "We've never seen you before, there's no hint of you even existing. Just what have you done?"
"We kept watch from the shadows. We interfere only when it's necessary. We recently saved an elementary school without bloodshed. You don't know that happened because no one reported on it. We also easily captured both Wilde and Hopps without anyone seeing us," Jack explained, trying to illustrate their power. "We want justice, peace, not some rigid application of law which you, and your team gladly exercised back then in the Canals district. Wilde and Hopps are a peculiar case, the city has much to lose as well as gain from their disappearance. Therefore, I allowed them to leave after they were clearly lying about dropping the case. They duped you and sent you to our lair because of your own lack of knowledge once again. The mundane matters which you so gladly focus on, do not matter here. No one is significantly affected by how many parking tickets you issue out daily.
"Help us convince Wilde and Hopps that killing Jeffrey is the right thing to do as well as dropping the investigation in the Canals district."
"You are all monsters for allowing all of this to continue," Bogo said, "How could you so easily allow all of this to continue in your conscience and quest for peace."
"The few must be sacrificed for the many. I learned about direct interference from you or rather the harm of it. We support the three famous groups, Mr. Big of Tundratown, Lady Catherine and her frogs, and the group of religious tapirs that worship an Ewegyptian deity named Horus. They are part of the Commercial Union which controls the majority imports and exports in the city. The void left by their removal would be far more harmful than what's felt by their continued existence."
"Well-spoken Jack," Shadow praised, "Emotions do not matter, only the result derived from hypothetical reactions. We interfered in the nighthowler crisis as well, we prevented criminal enterprises from taking advantage of the situation."
"Don't the lives of individuals matter?" Bogo asked, at least they were unharmed for now in the secretive lair.
"No, they don't," the black vixen replied bluntly.
"By your own mandate, you cannot harm us without jeopardizing your goal," Fangmeyer remarked, daring to speak in this tense situation. "What happens now? I don't think we would join your cause or continue to let everything exist as it currently stands."
"You so brazenly charged in our lair. You are right that we cannot harm you without jeopardizing our goals for the city. Alright, Bogo, you have one phone call, call Wilde and Hopps tell them to kill Jeffrey and we'll let you go," Shadow offered.
Jack gave Bogo a cell phone which he used to inform Wilde and Hopps of their capture. The cellphone was shot the minute Bogo delivered that message. "I guess the ZPD has too little faith in its own members. How disappointing," Jack said, "Why did I ever report that crime to you in the first place?"
Nick and Judy obtained information of Jeffrey's whereabouts from the school's principal by abusing their police authority. Not all citizen know their rights and they thought it was okay not to inform them. They drove to an apartment. A rather poor part of the city, somewhere that a teacher for that school shouldn't be living in.
They arrived in front of room 666, they knocked only to be greeted by Finnick. Judy asked, "What are you doing here?"
"My father lives here," Finnick replied, confused at why Nick and Judy would drop by unannounced. "Look, whatever they told you he did, it was a lie." Already on the defensive without Nick or Judy saying anything yet.
"Jeffrey isn't in trouble with us, we did learn that there's a religious group that wants him dead. We were sent here to make sure it doesn't happen," Nick said, hoping to get back on to friendly terms with Finnick, it's true that he didn't contact Finnick much since he became a cop. A bit disappointed that Finnick never revealed his family to him when they hustled together. "Why didn't you tell me anything about your family?"
"Why would I? All foxes are known for is hustling, do you know how embarrassing it is to have a father that gave up on that."
'I suppose I can't fault Finnick for that. I did the same.' Nick said, "You could have told me."
"What about your own family? Does she even know?" Finnick accused.
"Guilty as charged."
Jeffrey finally came to the door. A fox like Finnick but wearing worn out clothing that isn't really fit for teaching at a school. "Finnick, what did you do? Have you gotten in trouble hustling again? I knew it wasn't just a normal visit."
Despite being targeted for death, Jeffrey was completely oblivious to the situation. "They're here for you, dad. Apparently, you pissed off some religious animals," Finnick replied.
"Me? Haven't I given up enough? I'm accepting the bare minimum of pay just to be able to stay alive. What does the school want now?"
"May we come in?" Judy asked, "I think this will take some time to explain."
As they stepped into the room, the room looks decrepit with multiple worn out items direly needing to be replaced. This is no way for anyone to live. They sat on a worn-out sofa. Jeffrey noticed their glances around his room. Jeffrey said, "It's okay, I agreed to all this just for an opportunity to teach. The city isn't fair but I wanted to pursue my dream."
Nick and Judy recounted the events of their crazy day and what happened to them as well as the parts concerning Jeffrey.
"Five years ago, I wanted to be an art teacher, thus I applied for the job. I agreed to highly disadvantageous terms just to do something different. I was tired of hustling others and wanted to inspire a new generation of animals. Five years ago, I was inspired to paint events depicting the last battle of Zootopia. It was massively successful. They liked my piece and I was given a job with barely any pay," Jeffrey said.
Their meeting was interrupted by Bogo. "Hopps, you led us into a trap!" Bogo said, full of fury and rage.
"Hello?" Judy said, but the phone line was cut. Judy informed Nick of the situation.
"We might have overestimated the ZPD," Nick said, he grinned sheepishly.
Judy dialed Clawhauser. "Hello, Clawhauser? Bogo has been captured."
The voice that replied wasn't one that she expected. "This is Jack Savage, bring him to me."
Judy hung up and dialed another member, every single time Jack Savage was there on the other end wanting them to bring them to him.
Nick and Judy decided to drive away from Jeffrey's apartment only to receive a rather threatening message on the roof of the cruiser. "Bring him to me or he dies." They know what Jack Savage was capable of and headed back to the apartment.
Nick was the one to break the news. "A clandestine group wants you dead and will kill you if you don't come with us."
Jeffrey and Finnick both decided to go with Nick and Judy. They prepared to head towards the ZPD precinct only for another message to strike their cruiser. "Come to the lair or perish." With little choice, they advanced towards the lair without any assistance.
They advanced deeper into the lair, afraid to comply and even more afraid to disobey. They were greeted by a black vixen. "I am Shadow, welcome. I am the High Command of the ZBI." The group was suddenly surrounded by black foxes and rabbits. It would be pointless to fight, they followed them deeper into the complex. "Now that the suspect in question is here. Wilde and Hopps, what is your verdict? Will you kill him?"
Judy said, "He has done nothing wrong. All he wanted to do was teach art and that was for his entrance test five years ago to get the job."
"I cannot kill my best friend's father. I too will not do it. It is also wrong, besides Jack Savage threatened the tapirs with death if they failed to comply. I trust you are able to carry out that threat," Nick said.
"Indeed, we will do it my way," Shadow said, "You are all alive because of my designs."
Shadow set the ZPD free because keeping them captive would be too suspicious. Nick and Judy were assigned to be Finnick and Jeffrey's bodyguards if they ever decided to leave the lair. They were under heavy guard, Shadow suspected treachery from the tapirs. The tapirs had been used to their services to easily dispatch artists. Ones that they couldn't claim themselves.
Two weeks later the ZPD and ZBI stood united against a common foe and a common goal. They both sought to protect Jeffrey. The sky was cloudy giving a sense of dread for what was to come. The tapirs arrived armed with military grade ammunition.
They opened fire without any provocation. Barrages of bullets flew everywhere until the tapirs unexpectedly retreated while chanting, "Horus himself comes."
A gigantic eagle descends from the sky. Any attempts to shoot the creature was unsuccessful. It easily repelled all the bullets with a flap of its gigantic wings and ones that did hit were ineffective. It snatched Judy Hopps in its claws and departed. The tapirs decided to leave while their quarry was still alive and unharmed.
Track that eagle!" Shadow ordered, she won't let this happen on her watch.
Judy Hopps was set down at the entrance of a cave within Mammal Mountain. "Greetings Hopps, I would hope that you would want to see reason," Horus said, "The tapirs believed in my cause. No one else would listen. They bore the price of Zootopia's last defense. It happened because of a shortfall in my finances due to the activities of Michaelangelo. He drew an image glorifying the devil and that plummeted the value of all his paintings. Since then we opted to kill artists to preserve the value and I've also found out killing them increases it. This, I use to pay for Zootopia's continued existence. I am known to others as Horus the Collector. I collect priceless paintings."
Judy decided to introduce herself hopefully to buy time for her rescue from this crazed eagle. "I am Judy Hopps, ZPD officer. I seek to make the world a better place."
"Surely, our goals align then. I orchestrate the demise of artists to fund peace for Zootopia."
Before Judy could form a proper rebuttal, they heard someone approaching and halted their conversation. A cheetah stopped by. "I'm looking for the Nighthawks by Edward Hopps. My condolences for his early demise. Am I interrupting something?"
"No, not at all," the eagle said. He went into the cave to fetch the painting. An exchange was about to take place. The cheetah would purchase the painting and the eagle would receive the cash.
Judy dared to speak, "Surely, you can obtain money by other methods. What would the collectors think if they learned you killed their favorite artist?"
The cheetah said, "You were behind all of this? The deal is off!" He took his money and ran away.
"You cost me a client! You don't know what you have done. Zootopia is now at risk because of your reckless decision, for that you must suffer," the eagle raged.
The eagle began trying to kill Judy which tried to dodge his claws frantically. His massive form prevented her from escaping the cave. The eagle's claws grazed her stomach making it bleed. She hid within a small crevice between the rocks unable to escape and just waiting for her fate. Horus began chipping away at the rocks bit by bit, soon he was going to kill her.
After a few minutes. "The word of the Illuminati is law, cease your activities at once." Jack Savage and six other animals appeared from the invisible plane. "It's over Horus, let her go."
"I've tolerated your existence because of how you aided us by keeping the police in check. Your entire group has outlived its usefulness. Peace must be maintained no matter the cost."
"Your actions would bring chaos to the city. Lies won't help you here."
"You know nothing!"
A battle followed, seven animals against one crazed eagle. The eagle was worshiped as a deity among its miraculous powers, it could turn its feathers as hard as iron. The quills struck three operatives killing them instantly. They knew that any feathers were dangerous then. Judy could only look on in terror, any attempt to interfere would probably be less effective than just watching. She didn't have the expertise to use swords.
Another plane arrived, Nick was in this one. Alone, and armed ready to fight. Jack Savage was about to be killed to which Nick threw the sword he was armed with at the unsuspecting eagle, landing a fatal blow.
Jack said, "Do not seek vengeance," before passing out from blood loss.
Nick, Judy and Jack returned safely to Precinct One. Judy and Jack were sent to the hospital for their wounds. Bogo said, "Now, we have to arrest everyone that was involved in today's battle."
"No," Nick said, remembering what Jack's words were to him.
"This is the law," Bogo said.
"I disagree with it, it would just cause another repeat of what happened in the Canals district long ago. It would radically change Mammal Mountain."
"Very well, I see your point. They will remain free," Bogo said, remembering the past.
Shadow watched the exchange with her operatives nearby. She said, "You have learned that the laws aren't absolute. How would you both like to join us?"
"Judy and I work for the ZPD," Nick said.
"Both of you should join them, keep tabs on them for us. You never did like the laws and regulations anyway," Bogo said, knowing that they would need someone to keep them in check.
The ZBI formerly created due to the ambition of a black vixen that wanted to do good for the city would become part of the government using aliases to maintain good standings with criminal enterprises.
A few days later, Shadow informed Judy of what had occurred after she healed up from her wounds. Judy learned the devastation of what happened since that fateful battle, the casualties were finally being counted. Dead still littered the streets serving as a reminder of what had happened on that fateful day. Judy began to feel regret that the intervention was perhaps not worth it. It was true they stopped an organization but at what cost? It didn't help that they learned some of the tapir's goals were, in fact, benign all from the information they obtained from that one cheetah. True diplomacy was needed to replace the bribes. Zootopia would have clear enemies and allies.
The ZPD would apply the laws as meant to be. The ZBI would operate in the grey areas of the law. Bogo persuaded Judy to join the ZBI. The city needed someone on their side to keep them in check.
Shadow asked them in their lair of what they wanted to do about the Canals district. Lady Catherine still required her thirty-one sacrifices per year. Nick said, "We should intervene because it's the right thing to do." He personally saved Judy and felt like he can do more.
"We should abstain, it would cause too much chaos," Judy said, still remembering the devastation the battle caused as well as her personal near-death encounter with Horus the Collector.
"We should intervene because it's a repetitive cycle that won't be stopped. It may be bloody but it's someone that doesn't want to change their ways," Jack Savage said, emboldened by their recent success.
Shadow introduced Nick and Judy to the ZBI:
"We are the ZBI
No longer hidden from sight
We will decide what is right
The illusion is not always worth the cost
Remember what others have lost
Darkness must remain hidden
We will do what is forbidden
No one cares about one little crime
Washed away by the sands of time
Welcome aboard."
No one complained as Shadow subtly changed their goals.
A/N: Reviews and constructive criticism appreciated.