Chapter Notes:
This chapter takes place the day after the last chapter, and is now 2 days after the press conference.
Discoveries:
It was early in the morning, early for nearly every mammal in the city, or late for those who live a nocturnal life. But for Judy there was no time right now. She had tossed and turned all night, how could she have slept with her mind running a mile a minute. Her and officer Wolfred had spent hours looking into the stone age history of every predator gone savage, they managed to gather an impressive stack of papers filled with different habits of the animals of the past. Information including what they did, why they did it, and what it resulted in. Most of the data gathered came from professional scientists, but even then they were all just theories. But by the end of the night after reading and rereading everything they had gathered going over every detail in her head she had gotten only steps from where they were.
However she did managed to get some sleep, but only enough to want more than she had before her alarm chirped out in the dark. beep beep be- unlike how the rabbit normally jumped for the alarm and rushed getting ready, not because she late but because she was Judy Hopps, because today she just didn't feel like Judy Hopps. She had woken up in the night hearing howls coming from somewhere in the city, it didn't sound like the howl she forced from the wolves at the lab or from the officers at the office, it sounded sad. It felt sad, it felt broken, it felt empty, and today; so did she. As she walked to work the streets were still damp with rain, a few puddles here and there, a few clouds still lingering in the dim light as the sun peaked over the horizon.
By the time Judy had gotten to the precinct there were already groups of other officers lingering about talking over coffee, including officer Wolfred who was talking to Clawhauser at the front desk. "Yeah I heard it too it sounded so sad." She heard the cheetah saying.
"Are you guys talking about the howling last night?" she asked poking her ears up as she walked over to the desk.
"So you heard it too then?" Wolfred asked receiving a nod from the bunny.
"of course" Judy replied with a smirk as she pointed up as her ears. "I was half asleep when I heard it though, but it sounded different from when you howled yesterday." She said blankly.
"That was you howling upstairs?" Clawhauser asked shocked before chuckling "Why were you howling?" he said with laughter in his cheeks.
"She started it!" he said trying to hiding his embarrassment and pointed the blame at the rabbit. "And yes it was different Judy, it was sad."
"Sad? How can you tell?" the other two asked
The wolf scratched his face trying to think of how to answer the question, because there was no yes or no answer. Either you can feel the difference between howls or you can't, its as simple as that, but there was no real reasoning behind it. "I don't know, it just felt…heavy. Just hearing it made me feel sad, I guess that's how I could tell." He said leaving time for the other two to think for a moment, "But it wasn't a wolf either." He added as he remembered thinking last night.
"But I thought only wolves howled?" Clawhauser asked confusedly just before Judy could as her own question.
"No, foxes and coyotes can howl too, but I've heard they only howl with they are extremely depressed." He said trying to think back to where he learned it from, "And they don't get strong urges to howl back or at the moon like wolves do." 'Lucky them' he thought to himself remembering all the times he had howled at the moon getting strange looks from passersby.
There were tons of canines that lived in the diverse city, and even several breeds for each canine family. But yet the only only mammal she could think of was Nick. He traveled all through her mind, he was always somewhere in the foreground pushing her to find and answer, and always somewhere in the background reminding her not to give up. The thought of him being so sad so depressed that he would cry out in a howl late on a rainy night brought tears to her amethyst eyes and sniffles to her button nose.
Both Wolfred and Clawhauser heard the sniffling and turned to look as their conversation faded away, they both saw the teary eyed officer lost in her thoughts making her eyes even more glossy until finally a tear cascaded down her fur. "Awww Judy come here." Said the feline as he stood from his chair and walked over to her wrapping his yellow arms around her, "It's okay just let it out."
Wolfred stood back as he watch the officer embrace their small friend as she wiped her tears off, everyone knew that Clawhauser was a gentle officer, but not many got to know him well enough to know just how caring he could be. Judy really was something special to the ZPD.
"It's just- that I can't stop- thinking about my friend- Nick" she said between sniffles as she tried to compose herself 'Officers don't cry. Officers don't cry.' She kept telling herself as she forced the tears to stop, still with shaky breaths she continued "He was the one who helped me solve the case."
"Nick is the fox from the other day?" Wolfred asked finally understanding why she was so distraught, even he could tell how upset the fox was as he watched from an upper balcony.
Before Judy could respond the building speakers sparked to life with chief Bogo's voice, "All available officers there is an a riot outbreak in Savanna Central, Central mall! I repeat, all available officers there is an a riot outbreak in Savanna Central, Central mall! Go down there and break it up, use of tranquilizers is permitted!" And like that the chaos rush of officers hurrying to their squad cars.
"Hopps with me!" Wolfred called out as they raced away saying goodbye to Clawhauser. Judy hoped into the passenger seat of the vehicle as her current partner revved the engine to life. Every car had its lights and sirens blaring as the followed chief Bogo leading them in his car. The blew through traffic without any accidents and surrounded the front of the mall with all getting out and going in on foot.
*ROOAARR* the sound ripped through the mall just as the officers entered the main floor lobby met by a rush of screaming and frantic citizens, and sent a wave of panic into many of the smaller officers, especially Judy; one of three prey family mammals present, including cheif Bogo and officer McHorn. But unlike them Judy didn't have large horns or stature capable of fighting off even the largest of criminals. While the instincts to fight and survive burned through the predatory officers and even the two previously mentioned a much different instinct burned through Judy's thoughts.
danger. Danger. Run. RUN! The situation now was nothing like with Nick and Gideon, at those times she was a little worried and startled, but here she was was petrified in sheer horror. She could see it in her eyes what would happened if she went into the tigers sight, she saw the play she acted out as a kid flash before her eyes, only now there was no props or friendly smile.
"ALL UNITS BE ADVISED, SAVAGE SIGHTING REPORTED AT THE SCENE!" Clawhauser's voice yelled to warn them, "A female white and black striped tiger has been reported on all fours threatening other mammals." His voice came through every officer's radio, the static and new sounds snapped Judy out of her internal panic.
"Chief what do we do?!" Officer McHorn yelled out from beside the cape buffalo.
Pulling his tranq rifle from his back and loading the syringe he turned his head at all the mammals in blue. "This is now a rescue mission! Save as many citizens as you can and don't go in without backup. McHorn, Ramirez, follow my lead!" He said rushing forward despite the danger prowling in wait.
They were lucky when they arrived at the center of the mall they found only three mammals. A young light orange tiger cub maybe about eight years old with a trail of red streaking the side of his face crying. The mentioned tigres crawling down low on the floor with her claws leaving marks and the tile and her fangs bared menacingly at the third mammal; a ram holding a sign with a crossed out picture of a predator's sharp teeth, who was shaking in the corning.
With a silent hoof gesture from chief Bogo two wolf and a lion officers approached the cub slowly from behind the savage tiger, but the sudden orange paw startled him into a scream. "Mommy!"
*ROOAARR* and with that the tiger was quickly on top of the lion officer. She pinned him down and let out another blood curdling roar inches from his own muzzle scaring him stiff.
*tick* the sound of a syringe embedding itself into her side from chief Bogo's rifle pulled her away from the lion to roar at the her new attacker as she stepped between him and the cub. She let out a dangerous growl but made no move to attack as two wolves pulled their teammate to safety by his vest. "Mommy!" The cub cried out as he wrapped his paws around the white striped tail waving in front of him.
All the officers froze, not a single breath was made as they all feared the worst, they all feared bearing witness to the tigres turning an mauling the cub. But what happened was something none of them had suspected. *meeerrr* the sound bubbled up from the savage mammal's throat with no aggression as she turned to face to cub as she swayed side to side. She staggered twice as she stepped over and wrapped her tail around the cub and pulled him into her side as she collapsed around him finally out cold from the dart in her side.
The light orange cub began shaking her shoulders as hot tears poured from his face, "mommy? Mommy wake up. Mommy…" his voice cut out through the tears.
'Mommy?' Thought Judy. All the officers present were confused over what happened till they hear a sigh of relief come from the forgotten ram in the corner.
"See I told you she was a vicious pred!" He barked as he slid down the wall, that slur earned him a growl from several officers. "Yeah you heard me, the lot of you preds too!" He yelled pointing at the force, earning more growls and snarls.
"McHorn, Ramirez take care of the tiger. Wolfred, Hopps, call it in. Everyone else go report in. " he ordered stomping over the ram, "And you. Why don't you tell me what happened, bah bah black sheep." The chief commanded with a threatening glare that burned through the rams eyes.
As the rhino and polar bear partners cuffed the legs and arms of the tiger Wolfred went over to comfort the still crying cub producing a sucker from his breast pocket. "Here you go little guy." He said as the feline took the candy and began sucking on it.
Judy finished telling the station what happened and requested a squad van to transport the tiger currently under guard from the large officers. "Hey there big guy." She greeted nicely to the young tiger, him already being decently larger than her. "Do you know what happened?" She asked as she pressed the record button on another carrot pen she had rather than using it to write it down.
"Me and mommy were shopping when that ram started yelling at mom and swinging the sign." He started with a sniffle as he sucked on the candy still. Both the rabbit and the wolf were shocked to hear this, "And then he tried to hit mommy but hit me in the head with the sign." He said putting his furry paw on the bleeding welt.
Officer Wolfred pulled out some bandages and tapped them to the cubs head. "This is going to hurt a little but it's going to help you feel better." He assured the cub, as the bandages had a little numbing medicine on them.
With a little whimper from the pressure he continued his story, "and then mommy pushed him away. But her fur started getting pointy and she started growling at him. Then she fell on her paws and started roaring like this; roar!" He explained and demonstrated giving a baby roar to the officers.
At the same time they were getting the story from the cub chief Bogo was getting it from the ram, "Alright fine, I'll tell you." He said to the figure looming over him. "Me and some other protesters were here telling those preds to get lost, and I guess I bumped the kid by accident or something because then the lady just shoved me." He stated while tapping his hooved fingers together.
"Go on." Bogo said sternly leaning closer.
"Well and then that," he said pointing at the tiger. "She just went fricken nuts and attacked me like a savage."
Chief Bogo looked over at the predator lying unconscious on the floor and then to the cub telling his story to officers Hopps and Wolfred, he thought back to what she had told him yesterday, 'I think someone might be threatening them or attacking them' her words ran through his head clear as day. "I'm going to need to take you down to the station." He said with anger lacing his words as he cuffed the ram. And left him, "Don't move." He threatened with a hooved finger to the others face.
"Chief Bogo there's something you need to hear." Judy said as she left the cub to talk to officer Wolfred as she played the recording of the cub for the cape buffalo to hear. "I-I think she turned savage trying to protect her son." She said with a faced that showed the amount of thought in her analysis. "That's what moms do, they protect their young! She just couldn't fight off her nature to save her kid!" She exclaimed out loud to herself more than to the chief.
While being a large mammal, chief Bogo had no shortage of brains, and he too began to see the connection as a strong possibility just as Judy saw, "I'm going to take him in for questioning, when the van gets here they'll take her down to the the facilities to run their tests. Until we found a relative you and officer Wolfred are to watch over the cub, understood?" He told her and asked making sure that she had understood.
"Yes sir." She retorted before heading back over to her temporary partner and told him what she was told. By the time they had gotten back to his squad car the transport had already shone up and they were also beginning to load the still unconscious tiger.
"Is my mommy going to be alright?" the cub asked seeing his mom put into the van.
"She is going to be just fine, they are going to take her to the hospital to go feel better." Judy said to him while putting her paws on his shoulders. "Hey, I completely forgot to ask you, what's your name?" Judy said in a high voice trying to cheer up the young tiger as she opened the back door for him.
"My name is Johnny!" he exclaimed happily after he had climbed up into the back seat. "what's your name?"
"That's a really cool name. My name is Judy." She said as she sat next to him in the back so he didn't feel in trouble or alone. "And that's my friend Wolfred she said pointing to her fellow officer at the wheel.
The rest of the ride back to the station Judy kept Johnny busy with telling him stories about herself and playing games like eyespy. Once they had gotten back they all went up to Judy's cubical, Wolfred had picked up some forms to fill out for both him and Judy so they can report what they witnessed. "Johnny do you have any family that lives in Zootopia besides your mom?" Judy asked as she began to boot up her computer.
"Yeah, my grandma and grandpa. They live by the train station, it's really busy there." He said as he doodled on a paper that Judy had given him with a set of crayons from the front desk.
"Do you know their names?" Wolfred asked looking at the feline.
"Grandpa calls grandma Luran, and grandma calls grandpa Matthew." He responded taking a moment to examine his art before grabbing a new color. What looked like shapes and streaks of colors to Judy and Wolfred was a work of art to him, but despite them not seeing what he saw they liked seeing him happy.
Judy punched the information into the computer data base and got one matching result of a Loran Sarahvan married to a Mathew Sarahvan and best of all their address was close to the station just like Johnny had said. She picked up her desk phone and dialed the number listed.
"Hello?" an elderly male grated with question at the unknown number.
"High is this Matthew Sarahvan?" Wolfred heard Judy ask to the grandpa on the other line. "I'm officer Judy Hopps with the ZPG, there was an incident in town today and we have your grandson Johnny here with us." A muffled reply from Mr. Sarahvan was heard from her phone. "I'm sorry sir I don't know how she is doing, but you or your wife could come down to the precinct to take care of him till your daughter is better." She said choosing her words carefully so that she didn't cause them to panic. After finishing their conversation Judy hung up politely and told the two with her that the grandparents were on there way, this earned a very happy response from the little cub.
"Yay! I like going to grandma's house!" He cheered animatedly throwing his paws into the air.
A moose scientist looked over lab results thoroughly making sure she didn't miss a single number on the paper showing new data collected from the white furred tiger that had just arrived at the facility when she heard a muffled banging on the wall followed by a loud yelling. Now this was far more interesting to her than reading over the numbers printed on the paper, and thought it best to check out the source of the sound. She walked across the room to the monitor station that had a live feed from each of the cells that the savage animals were in, they were up to eighteen now with the addition of the lion, tiger, and a weasel brought in shortly after; they outbreaks were beginning to happen faster. This fact worried many of the scientists at the facility, at first they found out from the Cliffside reports that it was only one outbreak every few days, but then after the press conference it was discovered that the rate now increased by day, leading them to think that it truly was in a predator's biology to hunt and kill.
Her eyes glanced over each screen seeing nothing different that the last time she looked at them, until she saw a change in the polar bear in cell nine, she gasped in shock as she saw her standing on her hind legs banging on the walls yelling. Seeing this the scientist paged her supervisor urgently as she watched the feed turning up it's volume to hear waiting for his arrival.
"What is it Dr. Alces?" A badger dressed in similar lab attire said as he walked through the steel doorway. "Have you found something?" He asked as he walked up behind her and followed her gaze before gasping himself, "How long has she been like this?"
"I heard banging through the walls a few minutes ago that's when I looked at the feed and paged you right away."
The badger switched a dial to nine as he brought a microphone stand on the desk to himself. "Hello, Mrs. Lera, can you hear me?" He voice crackled to life through the speakers of the cell.
The mentioned Mrs. Lera looked up at the camera and speaker mounted in the corner. "Who are you? And where am I?!" She asked with fear in her voice.
"She's responding Dr. Shaw! This is a huge breakthrough!" Said exclaimed putting her hooves paws on the others shoulders shaking him slightly showing her excitement.
Rubbing his ears from the ringing he looked back at her from over his shoulders, "yes this is indeed a big discovery. Go prepare room three for testing." He told her before she hurried out of the room to do so. He flipped the microphone back on to speak, "I am Dr. Shaw, I am the lead supervisor here at these facilities. Mrs. Lera, you had gone missing a few weeks ago and were then found in a lab where you were acting 'savage' do you remember any of this?"
"No, I woke up here and my head was killing me. The last thing I remember was walking home after visiting a friend in the Rain Forest district."
"I am going to come down to take you for an evaluation. We need to make sure that you are not at risk for going 'savage' anymore." He explained to her getting a complained response.
Mrs. Lera was laying on her back in a PET scan answering another series of questions from the badger, she had previously taken a CT scan as well as a MRI while answering other questions. The Dr. had told her that the tests were to see how her brain was functioning in comparison to when she was 'savage' as well as against a baseline average for polar bears.
"Alright Mrs. Lera, that is the last of these tests. Now all we need is a blood sample then we will have you taken to a hospital room in the facilities." He said while having the machine pull her out from its scanner. "And yes, as promised you will get your food there in the room." He said rolling his eyes, all the tests together had taken a few hours and nearly every half an hour she would complain about being hungry.
"Finally, I'm starved." She said as she took the wires and nodes off her fur. During the testing Dr. Shaw had learned a lot about Mrs. Lera. He learned from her attitude and responses that she is a very relaxed and active mammal who doesn't seem to have any temperament issues that would have caused her outbreak, this fact intrigued him greatly because now he thought there was a possibility of the cause being external.
As Dr. Alces took her blood and lead her to the hospital room in the upstairs area he looked over some of the raw data, and he found yet another interesting discovery; her brains signs and activities were now almost normal. While in her savage state it was impossible to conduct these tests without having her heavily sedated to remain still and keep from destroying the machines, much the same for the others who are still being held below. But because that sedation they couldn't get a clear read on brain activity they still showed some results.
Her frontal and parietal lobes weren't showing much activity which resulted in her having little to no thought, intellect, judgment, personality, language, or comprehension to rely on. Her sensory cortex at the time appeared to be far above average activity granting her senses all and extreme increase in performance. Her body was also not producing serotonin, preventing her from feeling any emotion aside from anger and fear, and to make issues worse her body was producing excess Drosophila* because of this her aggression levels only skyrocketed.
He took these results down to the main lab where he the top scientists in their sections of the group discussed the phenomena. While the facilities scientists still haven't figured out what was causing this drastic and problematic change in mental functions they had found similar results in all the mammals that had gone savage. But Mrs. Lera 'waking up' is the first change or breakthrough they have had. He pulled out his cell phone and call both the mayor's office and the chief of the ZPD in a conference call. Both of which have had a serious interest in the case for obvious concern of the city.
"Mayor Bellwether, Chief Bogo, this is a conference call between the three of us. I am Dr. Shaw, the person in charge of the facilities taking care of the savage mammals." He introduced to them both. "There has been an exciting discovery today. One of the mammals has 'woken up'." He said in an upbeat tone as he kept looking over the files.
"What?" Both voices sounded back simultaneously, chief Bogo's deeper voice covering over the mayor's.
"Mrs. Lera, the polar bear, was standing upright in her cell calling out for help." He started and continued to explain the rest of the day's testing and results. "However she is still the only one so far and we still are not sure of what the cause of outbreak might be, nor why she woke up first. So until we have more information regarding this I recommend we keep it out of the news."
"Oh that's just so great to hear! Keep up the good work Dr.!" the sheep exclaimed enthusiastically through the speaker, with an agreement from the chief.
"Well I have results to study, reports to write, but I will call the both of you if anything else happens he said before hanging up the call.
A stapler lay scattered on the floor after being thrown against the door. A low and dangerous growl came through a snarl made with flat teeth as hooved fingers drummed the desktop, rage and hate burned inside those fingers as the teeth grinded together.
Author's Notes:
And that my readers would be chapter three, how did you guys like it? I was having a bit of trouble with this one so it probably seemed a little forced, but I felt I needed to get out some technical information and what not while also staying on schedule.
Drosophila* While trying to find information and facts about aggression and the brain I found an article of sorts that talked about a few things relating to the topic, one of which being a type of fly that was being bred for testing, which they had named Drosophila or something like that. If you want to know details let me know and I can send the link in a review reply.
Until we meet again!-
