"And why exactly are we here again?" Nick sighed rhetorically to himself, as the ZPD patrol car blazed through Sahara Square.
"Regular patrol duty; the Chief assigned us to this area" retorted Judy. After all, it was a far cry from a Meter Maid, but then again wasn't quite on the same level as tackling a massive governmental conspiracy. Makes a change for once, she thought.
"Well it's nice to see Buffalo-Butt values his two finest officers" the fox muttered sarcastically, sipping gently at his piping hot Snarlbucks coffee. He despised lengthy and equally dull patrols, which was why he usually seemed to end up on them, at least in his mind. Life is cruel sometimes, Nicholas.
"Modest as always Wilde!" retorted his fellow officer, while she made a sharp turn around the next corner.
"Hey hey Carrots it's called self-esteem, you should try it sometime-"
"Careful Slick," she cut across him "I'm the one driving here."
"Yeah and doesn't my back know it!" he sniped at her. "As I've said, are all rabbits-"
That put the brakes on. Quite literally in fact, as Nick's coffee nearly went flying across the windshield. For the third day running. Judy fixed him a hard stare with her striking amethyst eyes.
"Alright rabbit, I get the point" Nick conceded. Couldn't risk his precious coffee, or his back, again like that.
"Great, then let's go!" Judy chirped in her jubilant sing-song voice; she slammed her foot down on the accelerator as the car roared into action, almost sending Nick's poor coffee flying the other way. Still, the fox considered grudgingly, pretty cute.
Not that he'd say that to her face, of course.
They continued to zig-zag through the streets, weaving through the increasingly congested mid-day traffic with skill. Judy was usually the one at the wheel on patrols, as the bunny always seemed to find that she got quite the adrenaline rush whenever the engine roared into life, something which she had never really expected. Besides, Nick couldn't stop her even if he tried.
That was about the most excitement to be had. The odd stop here, the occasional traffic caution there; not exactly thrilling. It was as if fate had conspired in a dastardly attempt to make their day as uneventful as possible, which probably wasn't too much of a stretch. Finally, the two officers retired to their vehicle, ready to make one last sweep before returning to HQ; not like Bogo could chew them out over nothing.
Then, right on cue:
"Dispatch to all units: repeat, Dispatch to all units!" cut through their radio; Benjamin Clawhauser, his bubbly personality shining through even via sound waves.
Nick allowed a groan to escape him before lazily flicking the receiver: "What's up Spots?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Officers Hopps and Wilde, reports of a disturbance coming in from Central Park, Sahara Square. Are you free to attend?"
"Yes, we-" Judy began,
"Free to attend would be something of an understatement at this point Spots," Nick interrupted, earning himself a disparaging look from the bunny. "Sorry Carrots, it had to be said."
"Yep, we'll be there Clawhauser" Judy informed him brusquely, "Over and Out".
Well, it was something.
The ride to Central Park passed quickly (mainly due to Judy's rather over-eager driving), and was just as well with Nick's current temperament. He was usually a patient guy - one had to be hustling on the streets - but he had been worn pretty thin by such an uninspiring week. "This is gonna be short and sweet Carrots, I'm callin' it".
"Whatever you say, furious Mr. Fox" Judy admonished sardonically; her naturally sunny disposition took a lot to eradicate. They stopped at the front entrance to the Park, with Nick feeding the Parking Meter.
"Wouldn't want to have to give ourselves a ticket, eh?" He raised an eyebrow playfully.
"Har-har" Judy tutted back at him, not wanting to be reminded. At least I was lucky enough to meet him that day, she reminisced inwardly.
Not that she'd say that to his face, of course.
Regaining her train of thought, the bunny hurriedly followed Nick through the entrance gates, on the prowl for this "disturbance", half expecting some violent incident or unfortunate confrontation. Maybe Nick's cynicism is rubbing off on me. Whatever it was, however large or small, the pair would always be attentive. They may have shown it in different ways, but no one in the ZPD possessed anything less than 100% devotion to their duty, which gave them all something to rely on.
Eventually Judy picked up on something, her hyper-sensitive ears turning in the direction of the disturbance. It sounded like a strange kind of beeping noise, faint but within walking distance. "Nick, it's this way!", she blurted out suddenly, setting off in the direction of the sound.
"Right behind you Carrots!" he called out after her. Regardless of anything else, the fox was always great full for his rabbit partner's sharpened hearing, however difficult it made scandalous gossiping. He strode along the path after her, a twinge of angst in his chest, but hoping this wouldn't be too serious.
To both their surprise, the beeping came from the direction of a single mammal, who was pacing around various benches and muttering to himself, attracting a number of bemused gazes from both parents and their kits alike. He was a lion, seemingly middle aged, tall with a glossy mane and pointed teeth. However, his clothes appeared to be the main source of consternation: a turquoise cravat, question marked lapels and burgundy waistcoat, with a green watch chain. A pair of yellow and black striped trousers, with darker green and orange pads around his ankles. But most significantly, the coat this lion was wearing was truly a sight to behold: a hideous patchwork of colours and patterns, with no coordination or sense of taste. A jet black badge painted to resemble a jaguar was pinned to his lapel.
Not that the mammal seemed to notice any of this; he seemed totally unaware of the strange looks he was receiving, instead focussing on the unusual beeping device he held in his paws. It was dark and rectangular, adorned with a row of switches, and a large circular panel set into the top section. He stared down at it repeatedly: "No, no no! Need to find the source of the signal!"
"Should we just arrest him for crimes against fashion?" Nick asked his partner mockingly, earning himself a punch on the shoulder which, as usual, hurt a lot more than he would have liked.
"Maybe... He just likes fancy dress?" Judy answered, stretching for an explanation. He was certainly one of the weirder mammals she'd come across, which was saying a lot.
"More likely he's escaped from Psychiatric" Nick sighed. "Poor guy. Well, I suppose we'll have to just go ask him" he continued, as the lion began to make for the rear exit to the Park.
"Quick, let's go!" Judy sprinted athletically after the mammal, as Nick tried in vain to keep up with his partner; she was top of her class at the Academy after all, as she enjoyed reminding her partner whenever she got the chance. Nevertheless, it took little time to catch up to the oblivious lion.
"Excuse me sir, ZPD Officers Hopps and Wilde, can we just speak to you quickly please?" enquired Nick, adopting the calm and polite tone he always took with the public. He had to, with all those horrid anti-pred remarks.
Piercing blue eyes met sceptical emerald ones: "Can I help you?" the lion replied in a haughty, imperious voice. His accent was clipped and refined, and his eyes seemed to show an age and an intelligence vastly beyond his age. And his clothes.
"Sir, we have received complaints regarding your, er, disruptive behaviour," chipped in Judy, "so we were just wondering if we could ask you some questions?" She whipped out her notebook and carrot pen. "Name?"
The lion huffed in frustration. "I am known as the Doctor." he answered, a small hint of pride in his voice, his left paw clutching at his lapel.
Nick sighed. Why? "Yes sir, we're all very impressed by your title, but we need an actual name". He wasn't in the best mood to play games, but was trying to be as agreeable as possible.
"Just the Doctor!" the lion replied briskly, seeing straight through Nick's pleasant mask.
"Ok, I'll think we'll just leave that one there." Judy cut in. "How old are you sir?" The Doctor stared at her with a weary look:
"My dear young lady even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me." He stated with, seemingly, sadness. "Even if I do say so myself!"
"He's even more modest than you Slick!" Judy called at Nick, happy to get one over on him.
"Touché Carrots." Nick answered bluntly; for once, he couldn't even muster a witty comeback. Instead, he turned to this mysterious "Doctor". "Sir," he began, "if you do not wish to cooperate then perhaps you'd like to accompany us back to our vehicle." The fox instinctively checked the pawcuffs attached to his belt. He didn't want things turning nasty.
"But there's no time for any of that!" The Doctor protested dramatically, "The fates of planets hang in the balance!" Blank stares from both of the officers. "Oh very well if you insist!" May as well get this out of the way quickly. He turned to follow Nick and Judy, tutting childishly as he went; however, he soon slowed to a halt when his device began giving off a bizarre high pitched whirring sound. The Doctor fished it out of his pocket and stared at it in triumph.
"That's it! The source of the signals!" He exclaimed; needless to say, neither Nick nor Judy had any idea what he was talking about. He turned to them. "Look, I know I agreed to come with you, but this really is incredibly urgent: I have to follow up on this signal, so please let me go!"
Nick's tail bristled and his ears flattened against his head. He barely stopped himself from growling. He couldn't understand it, but the awkwardness of this so-called Doctor was beginning to grate on him. "Look pal, I don't know who puked on your coat, but I think-"
"Puked? Puked?! PUKED?!" roared the Doctor, becoming progressively louder each time. "I'll have you know young mammal that my sartorial taste is the very height of fashion!" he snapped indignantly.
"Looks like someone swallowed their dictionary for breakfast" Nick grumbled, not being able to resist getting one last jibe in on this guy.
"Will you both stop it!" Yelled Judy, drawing looks of surprise from the other two mammals. "You're both acting like spoilt little kits!" she scolded them, as both Nick and the Doctor stared down at their feet in embarrassment. She drew a deep breath. "Now Doctor, if this really is so important, perhaps we can give you a lift?"
"My dear Officer Hopps, I'm afraid that you don't understand-" the Doctor paused, seemingly uncertain.
"And?" Nick chimed in. He really was sick and tired of this now, and was amazed Judy had kept a level head. Hardly a stereotypical emotional bunny. Maybe that was one of the things he liked about her.
"Well," the Doctor hesitated, "I am not from your world." He straightened up. "I am not of this time. I am a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey."
Nick barked out a short laugh; this was the last straw. "Seriously? You really expect us to believe that?"
"Believe what you like Officer Wilde, but it is the truth."
"But you look like us!" Judy exclaimed in disbelief. Well, apart from the clothes anyway. "You talk like us and you sound like us! How can you be an alien?"
"My dear Officer Hopps," the Doctor began, "in my experience it is never wise to rush to conclusions without having all of the available evidence." Both Nick and Judy felt a pang of guilt. They knew exactly what that felt like, from both sides of the divide. "Perhaps," the Doctor added gently, sensing their guilt "perhaps it would be easier if I simply showed you my...craft? You are both police officers, so I assume you'd be able to cope with it. Besides, it may help to dispel any lingering doubts you may have".
"Alright Doctor, we'll come with you if it makes you happy," assured Judy, stealing a glance at her more uncertain partner, "perhaps we can use our car?"
"Oh yes, of course!" replied the Doctor, as he set off through the Park. "Front entrance, I presume?" he added as he strode off along the path, eliciting yet more strange glances from the the other mammals; the two officers hurried after him.
"I gotta say Carrots, I think I went weak at the knees when you yelled back then," Nick muttered to his partner, emerald eyes sparkling, "perhaps you should try it more often?" he added in a whisper. Judy simply grinned and bumped her hip against him, drawing a surprised grunt of appreciation from the fox. "Naughty bunny."
"Dumb fox!" she chirped happily, as they swung open the doors of their patrol car.
"This'll sure be interesting!"
...
The journey took at least twenty five minutes; clearly, this Doctor was more athletic than he looked. He would give the occasional direction, the ZPD-issued vehicle weaving through lanes of traffic as the sun began to set; the fading light refracted in beautiful colours through the windows of the towering skyscrapers of Zootopia. Soon enough, the Doctor indicated an alley leading to one of the more dilapidated areas of the city. Shops closed, windows boarded up and slim, malnourished mammals skulking around on the streets; it disgusted Judy that such deprivation still existed in such a prosperous city, having come to Zootopia thinking that it was so perfect and infallible. Sadly, by contrast Nick was more than used to the sight, and had been for years.
Pulling up alongside an old disused garage, the Doctor stepped out of the car and heaved on the doors, which swung open with a heavy groan. Judy cringed. "It's horrible here..." Nick nodded silently, and inhaled sharply.
"Place musta been much nicer hundred years ago when they built it."
"It was, believe me" added the Doctor, who turned swiftly on his heels to address the two.
"Oh, you a historian as well as a doctor?" Nick snarked at him, somewhat agitated; being here was bringing back some unhappy memories.
The Doctor was nonplussed: "Historian? My dear fellow, I was here when it was being built!" he boomed as he entered the garage. Judy stared open mouthed. Nick rolled his eyes.
"I feel for the poor guy Carrots. Must be totally nuts".
"I heard that!"
...
The garage was almost pitch black; the light thrown in from the street cast eerie shadows over the walls. The putrid aroma of garbage and motor oil hung heavy in the air, and a steady stream of water droplets cascaded from the ceiling onto the hard concrete floor. The Doctor pulled a torch from his capacious pockets and shone it around the room, quickly picking out a large box-shaped object in the corner of the building. The three of them quickly crossed to it, where upon closer inspection the two officers could pick out the details. It appeared slightly battered, with a coat of faded blue paint. Window panels were set into the double doors, with a sign proclaiming "POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX" adorning the object. Needless to say, Nick could barely contain his mirth. "Is that it? Where are all the flashing lights and laser beams?" he asked condescendingly.
"And what do you mean by that?" suggested the Doctor, slightly irritated.
"What he means Doctor," Judy softly replied "is that it's just a Police Box. You know, the kind the ZPD used to call for backup." Her nose twitched and her foot began to thump as her policing instincts kicked in: "Say, if you've been stealing ZPD property then-"
"Far from it officer!" the Doctor hurriedly interjected, as he presented what looked like a key threaded on a chain and slid it into the keyhole. He gently pushed the door open. "Now Officers, if you'd both be so kind.." He gestured theatrically at the door.
"After you Carrots..." Nick indicated, not exactly sure about what was happening, and not liking it either.
"Oh come on you scaredy fox, you're the one who's been bad-mouthing the whole thing" Judy teased playfully, throwing him a sly wink.
"Yes, Officer Wilde, do have the courage of your convictions." taunted the Doctor; his smug arrogance infuriated Nick.
"Alright fine, you both win!" The fox conceded as he stormed into the box in a temper. "But what you expect me to find I'll never-"
There was a sudden shriek of surprise. Within seconds Nick practically launched himself out of the box, his eyes wide in shock and disbelief. "What the? I, I, I...What the hell?" He paced all the way around the box, tracing the sides with his claws, muttering under his breath: "Just a box...it's just a box...". All the while the Doctor wore and incredibly smug grin on his face. Nick turned to his partner, "C-Carrots, J-Judy, I... It's unbelievable!"
Judy shook her head in exasperation. "Oh Nick, you silly fox. What are you talking about?" she questioned as she stepped towards the box. "What's in that box that could possibly be so-"
"Oh".