Chapter: 1 The Mystery Beneath

The sun shined brightly down upon the city of Zootopia, a wondrous metropolis where predator and prey lived in harmony. This peace was disrupted by the city's assistant mayor, who sought to frame and persecute the predators of Zootopia. Luckily, her plans were foiled by two heroic animals who would later became prominent members of Zootopia's finest. These two, Nick Wilde the fox and Judy Hopps the rabbit, had been crime-fighting together for over a year now. Multiple cases and daring operations had only strengthened the duo's bond. However, no previous challenge could have prepared Nick and Judy for the mystery that awaited them. They say that one's finest moments are defined by willpower and tenacity. True character can only be developed during the greatest of challenges. For Nick and Judy, the following event was just another emergency call. Little did they know, the future of the world as they knew it was about to change...and it all started with a call to dispatch.

The radio crackled, "We have a 211 in progress!" Gunshots could be heard ringing out in the ambience. "I repeat! We have a 211 in progress at the Zootopia Central Bank! All ZPD units respond. We have an officer down! Officer down!" More gunshots sounded and the call came to an end.

Chief Bogo rushed out of his office and into the ZPD's conference room. His prowess was fearsome and authoritative. Police officers were already scrambling into action while the cape buffalo exclaimed, "I want every cop down there this instant. We need to establish a perimeter and take these robbers down before more innocent people get hurt!" He called in, "Clawhauser!"

"Yes, chief?" responded an obese cheetah.

"Where are my finest officers?" asked Bogo.

"They're already on the way," he assured.

"Good," nodded Bogo.

A police cruiser with blaring sirens sped through the frigid streets of Tundratown. "So much for an easy patrol day," said Nick.

Judy accelerated the car to an even greater speed. "This heist must be big if Bogo needs this many police on the scene."

"It's only the bank," jested Nick.

Judy huffed at him before beginning to worry. "I just hope as many mammals as possible made it to safety."

The car darted through a tunnel connecting Tundratown to the downtown area. Things were much worse than either mammal could have anticipated. From the moment they exited the tunnel, the duo could already see civilians running in the streets. Judy shifted gears and skidded around the corner to reach the bank. Black smoke could be seen puffing from the windows while a masked feline opened fire on police. Judy brought the car to a screeching halt and leapt out with Nick. Each readied their miniature pistols before joining other police pinned down behind the barricade. A wounded tigress officer could be seen being dragged to a safe location.

"Die, coppers!" screamed the gunman before spraying bullets with his machine gun. He wore two bandoliers, each fully stacked with ammunition.

"Can you get a shot at him?" wondered Nick.

"I'll take a look," said Judy. The bunny poked her head over the barricade for mere seconds before several bullets came whizzing at her. She parted her ears and the bullets barely missed the top of her skull. "Definitely can't get a shot," she gulped.

Nick blindly fired from cover in an attempt to land a hit on the gunman. Judy gave the leopard officer next to her a nudge, "Do you know what we're up against?"

She fired two shots before ducking and then responded. "Our first responder reported at least six heavily armed robbers."

"This guy at the door is most certainly a distraction," concluded Judy. "We need to take him out and get in there!"

Another police car came to a stop and a husky arrived with his pistol readied. The blue-eyed canine slid in beside Nick and Judy. "Hope I'm not too late to join the party!"

"Never," smiled Judy. "Good to see you, Brock."

"You as well." The husky gave a brief wave towards Nick. "Hey, Wilde."

"Barker," Nick nodded.

Brock peered through one of the bullet holes in the barricade. "We can take this guy together. When he's done with another sweep of bullets, I'll shoot to draw his fire. Think you can take the shot then, bunny?"

Judy nodded, "Let's take it to him." Judy used her small size to her advantage. She scurried under the barricades and hid behind a light post just left of the gunman.

Brock waited until he was clear and proceeded to open fire. The distraction worked and Judy was able to land a well-placed bullet into his shin. "Hostile down!" she called. "Move up!"

"Nice shot, Carrots!" complimented Nick while two officers restrained the wounded gunman.

Brock admired Judy, "You got a lot more restraint than I do, Hopps. I would've shot him dead."

"Death isn't a punishment for him. Not one from us." said Judy. "We have to be better than he his."

Nick and Brock vaulted over the vehicular barricade and advanced towards the bank's entrance. They were about to enter when muzzle flashes lit up the interior. "Get back!" warned Brock as bullets blasted through. "This way's a no go."

Judy yelled inside, "ZPD! We've got you surrounded! Lay down your weapons and-"

TATATATATATATA!

Bullets struck against the doorway's frame, sending sparks and metal shards flying in multiple directions. "As much as I know how by the book you are, do you honestly think these guys want to surrender?" jeered Nick.

"I'm just utilizing our options." defended Judy. "If you have any, I'm all ears."

"Literally," remarked Nick. He glanced beyond the wall and found a sturdy drain pipe. "How good is your grip?"

Judy's nose twitched with intrigue. "Quick thinking, clever fox."

"Thank you. Now quick! We need to get in there." Nick led the way as Judy and Brock followed. The entire pipe shook when Brock grabbed hold, forcing the husky to stay grounded. Only Judy and Nick were light enough to continue their ascension.

Brock scoffed, "This won't hold me. I'll move in once the door is clear. Good luck up there!"

Nick helped Judy up, "Well this is exciting. We haven't had a call like this in some time.

"We can revel about this later," Judy said while kicking an air vent open. The bunny slipped in first and shivered. "Chilly."

"Still better than being iced by Mr. Big." quipped Nick. The duo proceeded to delve into the ventilation system. The sounds of ceaseless gunfire made locating the exit points incredibly easy. Together, they gently removed the vent's hatch and found themselves directly above the next robber. He was a ferocious polar bear with as many bandoliers as his partner.

"You ready for this?" asked Judy.

"No," admitted Nick. "But seeing as we have no other choice..." The duo leapt out of the vent and onto the polar bear's shoulders. He roared with a rigorous thrash, causing the officers to scurry across his body. Nick leapt onto the bear's rifle in order to buy Judy time. The bunny propelled herself off of his shoulder and drove both of her legs into the side of his face. The bear snarled and took a snap at Judy. Nick then leapt off of the rifle. Without him weighing it down, the firearm teetered up and smacked directly into the bear's face. The colossal predator came towering over as the rest of the police swarmed into the building.

"You alright?" panted Nick while helping Judy to her feet.

The bunny rubbed her lower back after such a fall. "That'll hurt in the morning."

Brock took point and barked, "Hopps! Wilde! No time to waste. On me!"

They followed after him, checking each corner for any hiding robbers. "My side's clear." said Nick.

"Clear on my end," said Judy.

Brock turned down one of the bank's hallways and was immediately tackled by the third robber. He was a grey-furred wolf with a vicious snarl. He attempted to aim his pistol at Brock, but the officer disarmed him with a twist of his wrist. Brock then kneed the wolf twice in the ribcage and delivered a fierce punch across his face. The robber fell over with a groan and Brock immediately cuffed him.

"Nice one," remarked Judy. Two figures dashed across the hall and made for the stairwell. "Stop in the name of the law!" exclaimed Judy.

The trio trailed the robbers to the bank's rooftop. Despite numerous warnings, the crooks leapt onto another building. "I can't make that jump," realized Nick. "I'll head back and bring the car around."

"Copy that," said Brock before leaping to the next rooftop. Judy mustered her strength to jump after him. After doing so, she was able to get a good look at the perpetrators. One was a panther while his cohort was a raccoon. Brock eyed the latter and smirked, "The ringtail's mine!" What was most peculiar yet unique about Brock was that he didn't act completely civilized. He felt that if an animal had traits that could be used to an advantage for law enforcement, he should be able to use them. Brock would not waste his time struggling on two legs when he could best chase his prey with four. Judy watched as the officer did just that and ran towards the fleeing raccoon. Such naturalistic actions earned Brock his nickname "Hybrid." Judy would be lying if she said that watching Brock's wild strategy didn't give her trauma. It reminded her of her first case ever, in which she had to avoid being attacked by "savage" animals. But Judy, Bogo, or any member of the force couldn't argue with Brock's results.

The husky sped on all fours and lunged atop the raccoon, trapping him under a mighty pounce. He effortlessly flipped the crook over and clicked the cuffs on him. The panther doubled back and came charging at Brock. "Look out!" warned Judy before leaping onto the panther's shoulder. She got a good kick in before Brock tackled him. Unlike his fellow henchmen, this panther would give his own life before anyone could lock him up. He slashed his claws across Brock's shoulder, causing him to howl with pain. As a result, Brock gave the panther a punch before all three went falling over the building's edge. They struck against two awnings that cushioned their falls onto the sidewalk.

Judy quickly recovered and helped push Brock to his feet. "You'll be alright." she said. "Come on! We've got at thief to catch!"

The panther bolted down the alleyway, only to be cut off by Nick in his cruiser. A horn honked across the way, and the panther ran for his getaway driver. He slipped into the black car and his remaining partner drove off. Judy and Brock took the time to leap into the police car. "Floor it, Nick!" Judy exclaimed. The engines of both cars roared at tremendous speeds. Judy called in, "Attention all units! This is Officer Judy Hopps. We are in pursuit of the bank robbers. They're in a black car headed north on Prairie Road and towards Sahara Square."

Judy's foot tapped stressfully. "Nick, see if you can get us alongside him. Brock, open your window. Can you get a shot at his tires?"

"If you get me close enough," said Brock while withdrawing his pistol. He poked his head out of the window and stuck his tongue out on instinct. He fired two shots before the car swerved into another lane. "I don't have a shot! Get me closer, Wilde!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" snapped Nick. "It's not like there's traffic or anything."

Several other police cars cut off the robbers, forcing them to turn onto Acacia Street. "Oh no," worried Brock.

"What?" wondered Judy.

"I think I left that raccoon handcuffed on the roof."

Judy rolled her eyes, "We'll send a patrol to retrieve him after we stop his friends." The hot pursuit continued as the robbers swerved towards Sahara Square. The panther leaned out from his window and opened fire on the cruiser. Nick zigzagged to avoid both bullets and incoming cars.

The radio sounded, "Hopps!"

"Chief Bogo," said Judy. "Am I glad to hear from you."

"We've set up a barricade on Aloe Avenue. Can you get the robbers to deviate towards it?"

Judy turned to Nick as he replied, "Two cornered crooks coming right up!" The fox furrowed his brows and made a hard right turn. This caused the cruiser to slide right up to the robbers and sideswiped their car. It spun out and diverted course to Aloe Avenue as planned. "Good thing this cruiser can take a hit," sighed Nick.

The robbers found themselves facing off against an entire line of police cars. A spike strip had been laid out in front of the blockade, forcing the perpetrators to go off road. Brock took aim once more and shot out one of the back tires. The car swerved out of control and toppled across the sands of Sahara Square. A running team of camels ducked for cover as the wild car leapt above them. It crashed into a dune and cracked the rock formation just beyond it. "That had to hurt," said Nick while parking the car. He joined Judy and Brock as they readied their weapons and approached the wrecked vehicle.

Closer observation revealed the weary hoof of the goat driving the car. Brock pulled out both suspects and dragged them towards the approaching authorities. "You dirtbags are going to hard time for this. Check the car, Hopps. Could be a lowlife in the trunk or backseat. Judy jumped up to the door and peered through the windows. Her nose twitched curiously while her purple eyes scoured the vehicle's interior contents.

She hollered, "All clear!"

Just as she said that, the rocky formation began to crumble even more. A rumbling sounded from beneath the car and the ground began to shake. Nick turned. "Get out of there!" The bunny hauled herself on top of the car and began to run off of it. Before she could jump, the entire ground caved in along with the formation behind it. She gasped while stretching to reach Nick's paw. He nearly had her when the rest of the ground caved in. "Judy!" yelled Nick as he watched his friend fall into the darkness.

Judy held onto the car as it crashed against the collapsing boulders. One of the smaller rocks slammed right through the windshield, and Judy threw herself into the hole it made. The bunny landed against the backseat cushion, dropped to the floor, and braced herself for the worst.

CRASH!

All went silent in the blackness of the chasm. Judy must've hit her head on part of the backseat. She awakened while rubbing her sore temple. "Judy!" echoed Nick's voice. "Judy!"

"Judy!" hollered Brock. "Can you hear us?!"

"Hopps!" boomed Bogo's distant voice.

Judy winced while crawling out of the totaled vehicle. "I'm here!" she called back with a groan. The bunny fell against the sandy ground and squinted up to see how far she'd fallen. "Here I am!"

"There!" Brock pointed with his flashlight.

"Hold on, Carrots!" exclaimed Nick. "We'll throw you a rope!"

Judy sighed while reaching for her flashlight. "Where am I?" she wondered. She turned her device on and the light immediately revealed a half of a skull. Judy yelped at the sight of it and repulsed with fear.

"Judy?" worried Brock. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah! I...found something." Judy replied. She crept up to the remains to get a closer look. Only half of the skull remained while the rest of the fractured ribcage was wrapped in a dirtied garb. "What the? I've got a body down here! Looks like it's been here for some time! I'll get a closer look!"

Another section of rock crumbled inwards, startling Nick. "They'll be time for that later. Climb up before the whole place comes down on you!"

Judy sighed but ultimately agreed. She backed away from the bizarre remains and heard something scurry behind her. "Who's there?!" she exclaimed while swaying her flashlight.

More rocks began to cave in, agitating Nick. "Carrots!" he exclaimed.

Judy shook off her suspicions in favor of not being buried alive. She grabbed hold of the rope and ascended out of the darkness. "You had us scared there, Hopps." panted Brock. He raised a brow at the rabbit's appearance. "Hopps?"

Judy looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Nick placed his paw on her shoulder, "Just what kind of body was down there?"

"I don't know," admitted Judy. "It was very old and half of it was missing."

"As long as it wasn't your body," said Brock. "You probably stumbled on a piece of Zootopia's early history."

"I'll get forensic and archaeological teams down here. Until then, we will seal off the perimeter so no one falls in. You know how problematic those unwary civilians can be. Especially if they're texting." said Bogo. "As for you three, good work nabbing those crooks. Report back to the station for a debriefing."

"With all due respect, chief." Judy said. "I'm curious to see what else is in this pit. I'd like to aid the research teams in the investigation."

Bogo nodded, "By all means."

"Thank you," she nodded.

Bogo glowered at her, "Just because I said you could help doesn't mean you could stay. Debrief at the station first, then you can come back."

Judy sulked, but it was required that all police debrief after a case. She obliged and followed Bogo while her fellow police trailed behind. Judy still glanced over at the pit, curiously longing to learn more about its secrets. "All in good time," she promised herself. "All in good time."