Well I'll admit I was surprised by all the positive comments on the story so far, thanks!
In the meantime, here's the next chapter, and again, feel free to leave your thoughts on how you think it's going.
Ok so he overslept today.
Nick was scrambling through breakfast and leaving through the door, he slapped on an island styled shirt and didn't bring his coat, with the same khakis. He tripped over the curb and got up to enter his car and sighed frustrated. There weren't going to be anybody at his park today, but he needed to keep it set up for tomorrow. He drove over and parked at his location.
Yet for some reason, something made him feel he was being watched at the moment.
Nick turned around to look, there was nothing. His sly and calm act really wasn't going to help him. He shook it off and went to the local tea shop for his weekly tea.
All the prey inside looked at him, some with fear, others with disgust. He waited his turn, which was purposely longer and finally got it, taking a quick sip before leaving. They got lazy when it came to his tea, but at least he could fix it himself.
He got out of the shop. He got to the end of the sidewalk and looked both ways, and then kept walking forward as he walked across the street through the crosswalk.
*BEEEEEPPP!*
Nick sped up his pace and spun around when he reached the sidewalk, nearly spilling his tea, "Watch where you're going fox!" The driver scowled and drove off. Nick stood on the other side of the sidewalk, astonished by the way "fox" was stated. He shook his head and turned around, nearly tripping over a small animal, this time dropping his tea. Nick groaned getting up, not noticing who he just knocked over, the smaller animal bounced right back up, shooting daggers to his eyes with her own, "And just is your business?" She asked, aggravated.
Nick looked down, it was a bunny, female, wearing a police uniform. Nick panicked in his head, but tried to stay calm, "Sorry ma'am, I didn't see you there, I'm just heading to work." Nick says in a relaxed tone, but the bunny's eyes narrowed, "I better not be seeing you doing anything suspicious." She sternly says as she walks away. Nick froze, sort of offended, "Um, why are you saying that?" He asks as she sighs and points at his building, "Crime scene, and I'd ask you what you saw, but I doubt you are anywhere near honest." She explains, before walking away.
Nick shook his head, did he hear her right? "Now hold on a second!" Nick calls over, following her, "What is that supposed to mean?" He demanded, scratching his neck in whatever way he could, "Well, I don't know where you've been living, but I've took notice that foxes like you lie and cheat through everyday life." She scoffs, crossing the street.
"Well, I'm not like most foxes."
"I haven't met you for less than a minute, and you've already lied to me."
"Excuse me?"
The officer stopped and turned around, walking backwards, "I'm not like most foxes- that is a dead giveaway that I can't trust you." She mocks, offending the fox more, "Oh, ok, now you're being ridiculous, that doesn't make sense! And you know what, I should be able to walk down the street without a stinkin' cop thinking I'm a walking hazard!" Nick says, speeding up his pace and get in front of her, stopping the rabbit. She sighed and looked at Nick, "Alright, you know what?" She says, jumping up to a stand so she was eye to eye with Nick,
"I've worked for the ZPD for a very long time, and I've learned that some animals are just born the way they are. Predators are just naturally violent, can't help it. Some are different, for example, what I found with every fox I've dealt with, is that they are just untrustworthy, and you will be no different, no matter what you say." She says, somehow towering over him and glaring.
"You make yourself sound so observant." Nick growls back. "I'm not untrustworthy. I could be just as observant as you." He says, glaring back.
"Like how you knocked down those flowers?" She says, pointing, making Nick spin around, seeing a bunch of plants on the ground, the last potted plant falling and shattering, "I got my eye on you. No funny business, fox." She says sternly, hopping down and walking away, leaving Nick to kneel down and pick up the pots that somehow didn't break.
"My flowers!" A voice came out of the small building, looking frantically as he scurried over to the pots, it was a small otter.
"Oh, geez, I am so sorry, Mr. Otterson." Nick says, putting the pots back on the table, and when Mr. Otterson saw Nick, he calmed down, "Oh Nick, that's alright, and call me Emmett, what happened?" He asked as he brought that pots back on the table with Nick, who shrugged, "Someone distracted me as I was walking and I ran into the table." He explains, stepping up.
As they were picking up the plants, some teenage moose came along with his friends and purposely knocked a potted plant into the street, running away laughing, "Hey!" Nick shouted, about to chase after them, but the otter stopped him, "Don't bother, it's fine." He says, the pot getting flattened as a car ran over it.
Nick cringed, then shook his head and remembered something, "Wait, why did only one of these pots shatter?" He asks as Emmett shook his head, "I can't afford real ones." He sighs, "I used to sell a lot more than this, but that was a while back, these are just plastic." He says, setting up the last potted plant, then perks up,
"Wait. Nick, I have a question, I heard you were talking to that smaller fox about more shops in your park." He begins but Nick stops him, "I really think it's a bad idea, I don't want anyone else getting in trouble if I got caught, ok?" Nick tries to explain, but the otter was persistent, "Nick, please, I don't know how much longer I can keep up my florist job here. I'm sure that I can improve my shop if I had one there, not many predators can come around here.." He says, his paws together now. "Please Nick, I need to support my wife and kids, no matter what."
Nick fumbled around his paws and rapidly looked around and gave a big sigh, how do you say no to a sad otter face?
"Ok, I'll talk to you tomorrow at my park, and spread the word around, a little. Make sure no prey hear it, then they'll get suspicious." Nick smiles as Mr. Otterson's face lit up, "Oh, thank you so much Nick!" He cheers quietly. Nick smiles and takes a look at the flowers on the table, "Hey, any chance I could buy one of your flowers? One of them at my park just died recently."
…
Nick couldn't stop thinking of the rabbit cop, out of all the animals in Zootopia, a predator trusting a cop was the same as an elephant picking a cherry with his hands; there was no point in doing so. It was a common phrase Nick would hear from the others, he thought it sounded stupid, but the idea behind it was true. Nick walked to the building, seeing two wolves looking in the building.
"Um. Can I help you?" Nick asks, making both of them jump, as they quickly turned around. They were relieved that it was only Nick. "Hey.. Sorry for coming here when it isn't open, but we were hoping to talk to you.." One wolf says, Nick realizing he was a bit scuffed up.
"What's going on?" Nick asks, with a growing concern, "Well, we were at your park last night, late, and we were leaving, then all of a sudden, something attacked me!"
"Did you see it enough to give more information?"
"No, it was too dark.."
"Dang, anybody else see it?"
"No, just us, and when we thought we were safe, someone with a metal bat chased us off!"
Nick mind clicked when he heard the last statement, "You guys can come in for a little bit, I want to get something sorted out." He says, unlocking the door and letting them all in, then locking it shut.
...
When they were in the actual park, they saw Finnick holding a dustpan, looking dusty, as Clawhauster was sweeping and eating a doughnut, "Nick. Over here." Finnick says through the microphone. Nick walked over, "Smalls, I got something to ask you?" He says , "Man, cut that out! You are beyond late!" He growls, almost activating the collar, and Nick's expression went from sly to worried,
"Sorry."
"Whatever, what's your question?"
"Did something happen last night, like, late at night?"
Finnick's ears jolted as he looked behind Nick, seeing the wolves. He chuckled awkwardly, "Yeah.. About that, that was a mistake?" He said, trying to convince an annoyed Nick. Nick's glare didn't adjust, he wanted to hear Finnick's story.
"Alright, so I was walking to my van after being out, and I saw something crazy going on at your park. So I grabbed my bat and ran over, I didn't actually attack them, but I scared them off. I don't know why they were there." Finnick explains, with Nick and the wolves nodding, the dogs nodding at each other.
…
The wolves left, satisfied with Finnick's apology, which was genuine for a change, and once they left, Finnick looked up at Nick as he sat in the booth,
"So why are you late?"
"I overslept, and then a cop stopped me."
"He didn't do a thing to you?" Finnick says with suspicion, Clawhauser stopping mid-doughnut (it was rare for him to stop in any case). Nick shrugs it off, "She didn't do anything, but she thinks I'm up to something, like every other animal in existence." Nick says, "But my problems are nothing, what did you need?"
Finnick took a moment to respond, "Ok, I lied earlier, and I gotta tell you this straight, that isn't the first attack of that kind, have you heard of a 'Savage' going around?" Finnick says. Nick raises an eyebrow, "No, I haven't? What do you mean by 'Savage'?"
"Well, nobody really knows what he's doing to other animals exactly, but it seems all predators are being targeted, and I'm warning you because that's why those wolves were here. They were attacked."
Nick stood stunned, this meant he would be a huge target, both by the savage and police, "That explains why that wolf seemed a bit messed up, but was-?" He asks hastily, "Nobody got hurt, relax kid. He did get whacked up by something as he was in our parking lot last night and nearly taken away, but he escaped with the help of that other wolf." Finnick finishes, kicking back into his seat.
Nick leaned against the booth, unsure what to say, that was a big deal! Nick looked at Finnick with a nervous look, "I think we should be closed for a bit." Nick states, but that only caused Finnick to jolt back up, "No, no, no." He growled, "This is our only way to support ourselves right now so I'm not gonna let this place be closed." He growls, "Well I'm not gonna let anybody here get hurt!" Nick scowls back.
"Hurt, smhurt! They know that was not going to be a common thing here! That 'Savage' is random!"
"You realize this is the last place they expect to get hurt? Right?"
"Oh come on, you wanna talk about hurt? These rides are going to break down at any given moment!"
"That's why I keep trying to fix them! And furthermore, this place is meant to make predators feel safe, and feel welcome!"
"So you keep delaying the inevitable! Your dream is never coming true!
Nick was taken aback, that really hurt him. Clawhauser had enough and jumped in between the two, "Come on you too! Don't fight!" He says worryingly. Nick backed off, "I'm heading home, I don't have to put up with you." He sighs, turning and leaving, "Why do you push him like that?" Nick heard Clawhauser's upset voice, "Well I didn't intend for this to go that far!" Finnick's deep voice sighed back, and Nick left though the doors by the time Finnick finished his sentence.
...
Nick didn't see the attack, but it was playing on repeat in his mind. Those poor wolves, and even though Nick knew he couldn't do anything about it, Finnick's sharp words were scratching his ears. He didn't want to admit they were true, but they were.
Nick was a couple of feet away from the sidewalk from where he nearly got hit and saw the same bunny, who stopped him, "What's your name?" She asks, "Um, Nick Wilde, why do you ask?" Nick answers suspiciously,
"Nicolas Wilde, you are under arrest."
The bunny's voice said this so it was crystal clear in the fox's head, "Whoa, w-wait? Why are you arresting me?" Nick said somewhat surprised, expecting that he was caught from the whole amusement park stuff. The bunny took no hesitation and handcuffed his paws in front of his stomach, "We have some evidence that you are linked to the savage that attacked here tonight." She says as she directs him to the police car.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What evidence are you ta-" "Get in the car." The bunny interrupts, bringing Nick to the local ZPD. The inevitable no longer being delayed.
