Nick's eyelids flutter open. He's not fully conscious yet, but it doesn't stop his heart from hammering away inside his ribcage.
Eyes glazed, he glances outwards to see if he can manage to piece together where he is. It's definitely not home, judging by the sharp pain in his back indicative of a strained sleeping position. He shifts in place, then groans as a sharp pain tears its way through the muscles in his neck. Yep, definitely not home. His bed is at least ten times more uncomfortable than this.
Head pounding, he stirs once more and begins to test his arms, see if he can move. It takes him an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize that his wrists have been cuffed together, and that the metal digging into his lower jaw is, in fact, a muzzle.
...Oh.
Well, he thinks, gingerly tilting his head from side to side in an effort to loosen his muscles up, on the list of bad things that could happen, this... is... definitely warranting of a spot somewhere on it.
"Wilde!"
Nick winces, ears flattening slightly as a very large rhinoceros storms into his view.
"Wilde, Nick. This you?" The rhinoceras shoves a photograph of Nick from his ZPD file in his face. Nick flinches very minutely in response. His head is still ringing and the rhinoceras - Officer Cooper, going by the nameplate - isn't really doing much to help that. Inhaling sharply, Nick manages a slightly more put-upon expression.
"Yeah, that's me. Slightly worried as to why you thought you needed to ask, though. I didn't grow another head in my sleep or something, right?" he asks through the bars of the muzzle. Damn it, he's still shivering a little. Better get that under check. "Look, I don't know what's going on here, but I'm an officer of the ZPD and I'd like to know why you've got me locked up in here," he says, voice even. "Clearly, there's no need for the cuffs, or the- the other, so..." his voice trails off.
The rhino - Officer Cooper - simply snorts in response. "Yeah, yeah, ZPD, whatever. You could be Gazelle, for all I care. As long as there's still proof you're a murderer - which, by the way, there is - I'm not letting you out."
Nick blanches. "Whoa, hold on. Murder? Who said anything about that?"
"I did, as well as the witnesses who saw you."
Brow furrowing, Nick straightens. "What? Are you kidding me? I just got this job! You're not really implying that I'd go around murdering people on my second day, are you?"
Officer Cooper shrugs. "Can't say. I don't know you."
Frustration rages through Nick. "Okay, look, just ask my partner. She knows. Her name is Officer Judy Hopps, she'll clear it up for you right away."
Surprisingly, Officer Cooper just laughs. "Well, that'll be pretty hard, considering."
"Considering what?"
Leveling his gaze on Nick, Cooper snarls, "Considering that you've just murdered her."
AN: Feel free to follow/drop a comment by! I will be updating soon xox