Acknowledgement:

I would like to thank ADeadMissionary for helping me edit this chapter. He is a wonderful author that I would recommend to anyone. You can check out his profile and stories at your leisure.

www fanfiction net / u/ 1160012/

Disclaimer:

The following is a fan-based fiction. Zootopia and its characters are owned by Disney. The songs I reference here belong to their respective artists as well.

(The song Clint Eastwood by the Gorillaz begins to play)

Chesterization proudly presents

A Zootopia fanfiction

Wild times with Wilde

(Song ends)

Chapter 3: An Old Friend

The midday sun pierced through the dirt-stained glass roof as Alex returned. A plastic bag wrapped around two takeout boxes hung from his left hand, and he gripped the gym bag's strap in his right. The gym bag dragged behind him, kicking up dust as he went. Spotting his guest, he tilted his head back and yelled. "Ey, I'm back. Have you given up yet?"

Nick, in casual shirt and jeans, did not answer. Not because he was too busy, but because he was fed up with answering the question. A Fox could only say No so many times. Nick was at his 'work table', putting the finishing touches on his model. Tweezers gripped tightly in one paw and a tube of glue in the other. He carefully went over the collection of small wires and plastic pieces before him. A handful of drawings, notes, and tools were carefully laid out in easy reach.

Alex did not pay much attention to Nick's model. He just set the take out on one of his workbenches. This one had a dissected flip phone on top. "Okay, I brought lunch, as usual." He shifted to a patronizing tone. "Have any intention of paying today, Mr. Wilde?" He took out one box and opened it. A dozen coconut worms were revealed, alive and swimming in red sauce. He took the fox's silence as an answer. "IOU it is." He picked up one fat, wriggling larva and ate it whole. Humming in pleasure, he threw a glance at his so-called 'partner.' "Mmm. You know, I'm starting to think that this is all just an elaborate plot to get me to feed you." The cat pulled out one of his cracked phones. Pulling up a long list of numbers, he added another entry. 8.65.

"Kid, patience is a virtue. Silence is another."

"Pft, yeah, yeah." Alex popped another larva into his mouth. Still chewing, he threw a bored glance at Nick's project. "Anyway, what do you got there?"

"It's a model for the park. You can't pitch an idea without some form of illustration."

Swallowing, Alex walked over and leaned in, giving the model a much closer look. It somewhat resembled the dome that they lived in, except this one was brightly colored and had a few palm tree cutouts, all meticulously detailed. It even had a sign in miniature, decorated with Christmas lights. Wild Times with Wilde, the sign read. However, the with Wilde seemed out of place, barely attached and less detailed. "Wow. It looks... adequately impressive." He ate another worm, chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. Finally, he said, "I have underestimated you, Mr. Wilde." He then squinted his eyes. "There is something wrong, though."

"Really? Where?"

Alex pointed at the sign. "Isn't the whole 'with Wilde' thing kinda redundant? I mean, can't you just cut it?" Alex slurped some of the sauce.

"I was thinking the same, but the name 'Wild Times' could be a common thing. It might be copyright protected." Nick's response earned him sideways glance from Alex.

Alex wiped some sauce from the corner of his mouth. "Nick, we are building an unpermitted amusement park that revolves around the completely illegal act of removing predator's collars. I'm pretty sure copyright infringement is the last thing we should worry about."

"In that case," Nick used a wire cutter and snapped off the with Wilde in two clean cuts. "All right, I think we are ready to go."

Alex's ears perked up. "Already? Good." He wolfed down the rest of his larvae along with the sauce. The red sticky liquid dropped and rolled on his hoody like blood. "Finish your lunch and hop in the car."

Nick covered his model with a thin veil and picked it up. He turned to his partner. "Alex, I left something for you on the couch. You'll need it for today."

"Oh, really? As long as it's free."

The cat approached the worn couch while Nick walked to the now reassembled truck. He laid his model in the back seat, then carefully locked it in with a seatbelt. Nick turned around and saw Alex, fully dressed in the last suit made by the John Wilde and Son brand. The cat scratched on various parts of the sleeve. "Kinda itchy, but I'll take it. You know what? I'll scrap those IOUs if you let me keep this."

"Done," Nick agreed easily. It took another second for him to register what had happened. "How did you change that fast?"

Alex just shrugged. "I have a lot of practice. For... reasons. Don't mind that, just go have lunch and dress nicely. I'll wait in the car. Don't forget the forms I printed out for you." He pointed at the printer.

Alex walked to the back of his truck and picked up a plastic shell shaped like a cat's leg. He put it on his left leg and locked it tight. The thing gave the illusion of his leg being prosthetic. He needed that to match the handicap tags he put on his car.

Nick shook his head at the sight. "When will you live true to yourself?"

"When it pays well."

Half an hour later

The pair sat in the front of the truck outside Lemming Brother's Bank parkade. Alex reached out of the window and flashed one of his collected parking tags on a digital reader. The machine let out a quick bleep, giving Alex the permission to enter Zootopia's largest bank. As the barricade lifted, he shot his partner a victorious smile "Ha! Would you look at that? Not so petty now, is it, Nick?"

"Yeah, just remember to lock the truck up tight. It would be a shame if someone took them," Nick shot back.

A few minutes later, Nick and Alex were standing in front of a trio of elderly lemmings in fine suits. Nick put his model on the desk, while Alex presented him with a loan application form. Alex then hung a printed plan that included rides and attractions on a canvas that he had borrowed. With a nod to each other, Nick began.

"You know they say you can't put a price on happiness. To them, I say you can. Bang!" He slapped a small yellow tag that said 19.95 on his model. "There it is! 19.95 per ticket. I have the building; I have the plan; I have the staff." Nick pointed toward Alex.

Alex added. "There will be more of us."

Nick continued. "And I have the dream. The only thing I don't have is a loan to make it happen. Friends," Nick stuck out his hand, offering a handshake. "Will you help me make it happen?" He said with a wide PR grin.

Working together, the three lemmings lifted a large rubber stamp and walked to the loan application that Alex had laid out. Nick and Alex watched, cautiously hopeful as they stamped the form. The fox and the cat both deflated as they saw Rejected printed out in bright red ink. Nick sighed and grabbed the model. Both walked away without saying another word.

In Sahara Savings, Nick and Alex completed another demonstration in front of an elephant.

"Will you help me make it happen?" Nick asked

Rejected. The elephant's stamp was so big that the 'R' and 'ted' were printed on the desk instead.

"They say you can't put a price on happiness. To them, I say hogwash."

The pig behind the desk glared, unamused. With ink made from mud, he stamped Rejected.

Now it was a giraffe behind the desk

"Will you help me make it happen?" Nick shouted at the distant, his voice echoing in the office.

A stamp with an extra-long handle answered: Rejected.

As they were walking out, Alex made a suggestion. "These guys have probably heard buzzwords like that million of time. Try something less- I don't know… salesman-ish."

Later, in front of three Koalas.

"I want to introduce you into an untapped market: Predators. Yes, they are only 10% of the population, but 10% of a few million is still hundreds of thousands. With this amusement park being the first and only of its kind, the customer base would be huge. Imagine the profit that this would bring if we charge 20 dollars a ticket. This idea literally pays itself. So, what do you think?"

One of the Koalas asked, "What kind of attractions do you have in mind?"

"The wildest kinds."

The Koala raised her finger. "I have to stop you there. Shouldn't the T.A.M.E. collars be a factor that hinders the enjoyment?"

Caught out, Nick looked at Alex. The cat dragged his finger across his neck

"I mean, uh, the mildest kinds?" the fox said, sounding unsure.

"We are done here." She stamped Nick's paper. Rejected.

Alex whispered to Nick as they left. "So close."

Later, at the Better Borrowing Burrow, which was owned by a band of bunnies. Nick looked straight into their round, empty eyes. "I want to put this on the table." He pointed at them. "You don't like mammals like me, and I don't like mammals like you, but what do we both like? Money." He rubbed his fingers together. "You have it, I want to borrow it, and then we both make a lot of it." He gave them a close-lipped smile, gritting his teeth. "How about it?"

With their tiny hands, they stamped Rejected in unison.

They stood in front a very stern looking moose.

Nick tried to act as laid back as possible "Desperate? Ha! I'm not desperate."

The moose wasn't buying it. Rejected.

"I am desperate," he told the zebra at the next bank.

The zebra pulled the application over with one hoof and grabbed the stamp with the other. Rejected.

Later, at the Very Small Business Administration.

"Look, I get it, no one wants to throw money down a rat hole." Nick jerked, realizing only after he said it that it was a bad idea. "Er, uh, no disrespect!"

With a stamp made of cheese, the mouse stamped Rejected.

Later, at JP Maregan

"Look I don't want to beat a dead horse. Ehhhh, I'm just gonna leave. Forever."

Glaring, the female horse brought her stamp down with finality. Rejected.

Afterward, Alex applauded. "Real smooth, Nick. Real smooth."

Nick let out a long drawn breath. "Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking. Oh my god, this is getting ridiculous."

"We can only stop here."

"No, let's try a few more."

An hour later, after a mind-numbingly long meeting with a bank run by sloths, both of them returned to the car. Nick leaned back in his seat with his hands over his forehead. "Okay, this is a little harder than I expected."

With a softer tone, Alex spoke out. "Look, Nick, it's not just a little harder. It's impossible." Seeing his partner open his mouth to object, Alex raised his index finger. "Hear me out. It's not like that there's something wrong with the concept. Okay? Yes, it's horribly flawed in some areas, but it makes economic sense, even if we scrap the 'Totally Wild' part. But, here's the thing. To these preys, we predators don't exist. See what I'm getting at?" He put his hand back on the shift gear.

"I do."

"Good." Alex turned the key. He then tried to exclude all the cynicism in his mind before saying. "You tried, okay? No one can say you didn't give it your all. It's admirable that you even went this far. But, in the end..."

"Alex, honest question: do I exist to you?"

Chuckling, Alex turned off the engine. "That's a strange question." With his eyes opened as wide as possible, he looked straight at Nick. "But, I do believe that you might be a personality that I hallucinated. A voice in my head that will soon convince me to break more laws and eventually bring down the social order as we know it. Luckily, there is an easy way to verify." Reaching up, he flicked Nick's forehead. The fox recoiled a bit, more from surprise than pain. "Yup, you exist. So what?"

Nick said while rubbing his forehead. "So, we just need to look for predators with money. Problem solved. Who said predators can't be loaded?"

"Hahaha, that's rich. The only predator with that kind of money is Kos-" Alex's mouth snapped shut, alarm bells ringing in his brain,

Nick crossed his arms. He flashed the traditional sly fox expression at Alex. "What was that, Mr. Mieu?"

Alex glued a grin on his face. Turning back to the steering wheel, he nervously tapped his claws on the cracked faux-leather. "Never mind what I said. Sleep depravity is making me delirious. It was just nonsense."

"No, I don't buy it. You know who to talk to." When Alex refused to look at him, Nick put his paw on the young feline's shoulder. Against his better judgment, Alex turned to look at the fox. Nick glared at him, but not with anger. It was pleading. "Please. For the predators."

Alex took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Arghhhh. Fine! We're going to Tundra Town." He turned back to the steering wheel, mumbling as he hit the ignition. "This is not going to end well."

They were soon climbing the gigantic steps of the luxury hotel Winter Palace. While most buildings in Zootopia were ultra modern structures that distanced themselves from nature, there were some that tried to emulate it. The Palm Hotel was the most famous, resembling a giant, towering palm tree. The Winter Palace was one of the less famous structures to get its inspiration from its environment, looking no different from a real glacier.

Witnessing the sheer size of the hotel, Nick asked. "How do you know this guy?"

"I have written some special codes for him, in exchange for getting some paperwork done."

"Okay, I guess that somehow explains why you spray-painted yourself?" Nick asked, eyeing the now dark gray color of Alex's white fur.

It wasn't just the cold that made Alex's voice tremble as he answered. "I can't see him as Alex, Nick. From now on, refer to me as Harry. Just Harry."

"Why do you need to be worried? You did something for him, and he returned the favor. I don't see why you need to make such a big deal."

Alex said through his teeth. "You don't get it, Nick. Doing favors for the mafia is like showing your mother how to use the Internet on her new smartphone. You think you only need to do it once, but you are dead wrong! She will always ask you to do it again. Except now, she won't sulk if you don't do it. She'll tear you half. See the point?"

"Okay, I get it." Nick had an another thought. "I should be in the clear right? I'm just asking for a loan. As long as I pay, it's good, right? Right?"

"There is no telling with Mr. Big. So prepare yourself for the worst."

They entered the hotel. The inside was surprisingly warm. One could even say welcoming. The red fabric, furniture and world-class paintings of nature made the inside more vibrant and lively than the dull crystal walls of the exterior. From the walls, the sound of Tchaikovsky's Le Lac Des seeped through. There was no line in front of the receptionist, giving Nick the chance to get right to business. As Nick approached mountain goat receptionist, she asked, "Do you have an appointment, Mr…?"

Nick gave that fox face again. "Wilde. Nick Wilde. I'm here to make a request to Master Koslov or Mr. Big."

She turned to her right, jerking her head as a signal. A polar bear nearby stood up. "Hum, you seem to be at the wrong place, Mr. Wilde." She flashed a sinister looking grin.

Hands on the desk, Nick leaned confidently. "I have a request that would definitely interest him."

"How sure are you about this... request?"

"I'm willing to bet our lives on it."

Alex, or rather, Harry's ears perked up. "Wait, did you just said 'our'?"

"Excuse me." The goat smiled and walked to the back, obscured from Nick's vision. Before Alex could complain, she returned. "Master Koslov will see you shortly. Please, follow me."

As the two fell in line, Nick said, rather smugly. "Looks like we are in."

From behind him, Alex whispered, "Yeah, that's where we are. In deep."

She led them through a door next to the desk, then down some stairs. The area they came too was decorated too lavishly to call a basement, more like an underground floor. The three walked down a long hallway, passing dozens of large, sturdy doors. The one at the very end was their destination. It was a humongous door, more than enough to fit the biggest of polar bears. The goat opened it and stepped aside, motioning for Nick and Alex to step in.

They walked into a huge office. It was dim and foreboding, the lone lamp hanging over the one massive desk casting more shadow than light. Flanking the desk were two large polar bears, both donned in black suits that would have been at home in a mobster movie. Nick noted with interest that neither were wearing collars.

"Have a seat." The polar bear on the left said. Nick and Alex complied. They clambered up into the one chair that had been set out, easily large enough to fit them both comfortably. As he settled under the watchful gazes of the two huge predators, Alex felt chills across his body. Except for his back, which was sweating like mad. Nick fared better, but the anxiety rolling off of Alex was making him feel anxious, too.

Another polar bear stepped in, the largest that Nick had ever seen. He wore a red tracksuit, and a matching gold chain and wristwatch. He also wore no collar.

He fell into his own, much more luxurious, chair, sending a vibration across the floor and rattling the golden chain on his neck. His accent bore tremendous weight. "You walk into my Palace and demand to see me. Your courage is most commendable, but this better be worth my time. Tell me, what is your 'request'?"

Nick said with a small smile. "Mr. Big, sir, I just want a small loan for a special project of mine."

The bear impatiently tapped his desk with two claws. "Project? What kind?"

"The best kind there is. I am going to build the first ever Predator exclusive amusement park. The only one known to exist, a unique place where all predators are free to be themselves. To be wild."

Koslov's claws stopped tapping. He leaned forward in his chair, looking intrigued. "Ambitious indeed. How would you do it? The collars bind us all." No one dared to comment on the fact that he and his henchmen did not appear to have that problem.

Nick's smile grew, pleased with the polar bear's interest. He waved, directing Mr. Big's gaze to Alex. The now gray cat tensed under the scrutiny. "Harry has agreed to fix that problem."

Koslov's smile had just a touch of menace. "Yes. Harry is quite the problem solver." He looked back to Nick, eyes alight with professional curiosity. "What do you call this… venture?"

"Wild Times. The best part is, since predators have nowhere else to go, they will have to come to us. Success is practically guaranteed."

The huge polar bear leaned back, his seat creaking in protest. He thoughtfully ran his claws down his chin to his throat and hummed. "Mmm. How much do you need?"

Alex pulled out his phone and turned the calculator app on. After running through a few quick additions and multiplications, he said, "Well, according to my calculations, we need this much." He held the phone up for one of the guards to take. Koslov snapped his fingers, and the guard on the right began to move forward.

Nick suddenly snatched the phone from Alex, causing the guard to halt his advance in confusion. "Give that to me, Harry." Seeing the strange looks he was getting, he apologized. "Sorry, I just need to double check the numbers." Nick looked down at the phone. Seeing the uncomfortably large number, he quickly input a much smaller one. Done with his alteration, he held the phone up. "Here you go, Mr. Big, sir."

The polar bear guard started forward again and carefully grabbed the phone with both paws. He turned and walked to the desk. With great respect, the bear held the phone out so Koslov could read the small screen. After a quick look, the mob boss said, "Reasonable. Give it to them." The bear with the phone then went to a room to Koslov's left.

"With the scope of what you have in mind, I expect you to pay up in three months," Koslov said, looking back to the pair. Alex and Nick looked at each other, each telling the other with their eyes to say something. Koslov chuckled. "Have some faith, boys. If success is indeed guaranteed, then this deadline should not be a problem."

The guard returned, a wad of money slightly thicker than a softcover novel held in one hand. It was held together with a thick rubber band, with Alex's phone tucked into the top. He threw the wad on the table. Alex carefully reached his hand out and took it.

Koslov snapped his fingers. The guards positioned themselves on either side of his desk. "Remember, if you two ever think about running away..." As he spoke, the two guards lifted the heavy desk and carried it to the side. A trap door was revealed. Koslov reached forward, grabbed the recessed handle and heaved. As the thick slab of wood lifted, it revealed a pit of icy water. Nick and Alex both jolted back when they realized they could see eyes looking at them. There had to be a dozen animals frozen in the water, their expressions stuck in eternal fear. Nick shivered as he saw a red fox among them. Koslov continued, grinning darkly at the pair. "You are free to join your brethren." He let go of the handle. Nick and Alex both flinched as the trapdoor slammed back into place with a thud. Koslov stood and shot a glare at them both. "Understood?"

In unison, the pair yelped, "Yes sir!"

"Good." Koslov turned and headed for the door he came in from. He waved carelessly toward the door. "You two are free to go." As the two guards replaced the table, a third polar bear walked in. Nick recognized him as the one beside the front desk. He grabbed Nick and Alex up in one paw each and carried them away. Once outside, the bear tossed them into the snow at the steps of the Winter Palace. Fortunately, the thick snow caught them with only a little bruising to their pride.

Nick got up first. As he dusted himself, he scowled a little at the hints of damp on his suit. Alex raised his head from the powder, leaving some of his gray paint in the in the snow. "Oh my god, we're still alive!" Smirking, Nick offered him a hand. Once Alex was upright, he passed Nick the wad of money. After a quick look at the number Nick left on his phone, he said. "Nick, this money is not enough. It barely covers the land."

"I know. But if we borrowed more, we wouldn't be able to pay up."

"How are we supposed to round up the last of the money? We are still one amusement park short."

"Don't worry; I'll take care of it. Take me to the South East. I have to gather a few things."

Another half hour later found the pair cruising through the mostly abandoned streets that Nick called home.

As the truck came to a stop and the pair got out. While Nick made a beeline for a nearby door, Alex followed more slowly, looking around at the moss-covered buildings curiously. "Eh, Nick. What is this place? Looks like a retirement neighborhood out of my freaking childhood nightmares," Alex asked. He received part of his answer after noticed the vandalized '-hn Wilde and Son' sign.

"It's my home slash office slash tailor house. I just need to grab something real quick," He said as he inserted the key. "Mayor Bellwether has been eyeing this location for a while now." He started the familiar struggle with the door. "I had to give it to her sooner or later. Might as well be now!" He grunted as he slammed into a wooden frame, the door swinging in with a screech of rusted hinges.

The realization made an impact in Alex's mind. "Eh, hey, Nick. Listen, if this doesn't work, that means you will lose everything."

Nick halted in the doorway. He threw Alex a strained smile over his shoulder. "Can't say it's a fluke if I give it everything I got, right?"

"Nick, this is no joke."

"I would never joke in desperate times. I've already made up my mind. No point arguing.."

"Agh, fine. Do you need any help?"

"Sure, get a bag or something."

While Alex walked back to the truck, Nick stepped into the place for the last time. He opened up the bottom drawer of the stack and took out a few envelopes. He had a quick flip through the documents. Some of them were in his name; some of them carried the name of John Wilde and Son. He put all the documents in his suitcase. He dug his hand in the drawer again, making sure he got everything. His paw closed around a wad of paper, and he pulled it out. He stared at what he found. It was pieces of his father's paper model. He tilted his head, reading words like 'Suitopia' and 'John Wild and Son' from the faded shapes. The pieces of paper brought back some memories. His father and little Nick had both gone from bank to bank, asking for a loan to make a dream come true. It was eerie, just how similar it was to what Nick had experienced that day. He felt thankful that he did not get into any trouble with the security today, unlike back then. A tiny, frustrated Nick's attempt to grab one of the prey's Rejected stamps was treated as a threat. That had been a mess.

Nick snapped out from the memory with a shake of his head. He stared at the paper model pieces for another second, then put them in the suitcase. He looked around, trying to find useful things while also avoiding anything that would trigger a memory. He failed in that regard when the photo of him and his father came into view. The photo was taken way before the time they moved into Zootopia. Back when Nick's biggest ambition was being a junior ranger scout. Nick put his hand on the photo frame. A weird sensation ran across his back then plagued through his body. It was warm at first, but the feeling turned cold and crippling real fast.

Alex, having practiced moving from place to place multiple times, had all of Nick's tailor tools in hisElkea bag before Nick even touched the photo frame. He was about to say something, but he stopped when he saw the way Nick looked at the little construct of wood, glass, and paper. Instead, the cat carried the bag out to the truck. When he returned, he quietly went about stripping the place clean. All the while, Nick was lost in the echoes of his past.

4:30 PM

Nick finally finished up with the place and head back to the truck. The fox said. "Thanks for helping out. Sorry I didn't do much."

"No problem. We've all been there." Alex paused. "So, should we head back or do you want to get this whole thing done today?"

Nick looked out the window with half-lidded eyes, hands loosely folded in his lap. "Just take me to City Hall. Please."

"Will do. Strap in." Axel turned the key. The car jerked a bit, rattling the pile of Nick's junk that sat in the back.

It was nearly 5 PM when the truck reached the heart of Zootopia. Alex expressed his dismay toward the devices lining the pavement. "Oh, Seriously? Coin parking meters? This is a rip-off if I ever saw one. Who the hell uses coins anymore?" They were about a block away from City Hall he pulled up to the curb. He turned to Nick. "Okay, Nick. I know you're going through a lot of turmoil right now, but can you hurry the hell up?"

Nick answered dully. "Sure. I just want to get this over with anyway."

The lack of clever remarks had Alex a little worried. "Kay. I'll wait," Alex said as he put in all the coin that he had into the machine. "Okay, we have half an hour. Let's hope that the line in there is not too long."

Alex climbed back into the truck and crossed his arms. In an effort stay awake, he squeezed his arms tight. But, no matter how badly he wanted to stay awake, his body simply turned to sleep mode. His head drooped, his chin on his chest as he drifted away.

"Mayor Bellwether, you have a-" A feminine voice popped up from a telephone.

A sheep's finger pressed hard on one of the phone's buttons, interrupting the voice. "I know, I know. Dear, just let them in. I'm ready." The sheep mayor tried to straighten up the fluff of wool on her head. She glanced at a post-it note on her desk. Must not show any sign of breaking down toward anyone, it read. She looked away from the note and focused on the door. She plastered on a smile fitted for a mayor. That smile deteriorated slightly when she recognized her new guest. "Oh, Nicholas. What brings you here?"

"Not much. I'm here for the offer."

"Oh. You finally decided?" The mayor reached down for something while keeping eyes contact with Nick.

"It was inevitable, I guess. No demand, then what is the point of keeping the supply?"

"I'm sorry to hear that." The telephone beeped loudly. "Argh, please excuse me."

"Mayor Bellwether, there is another-" The same voice began again, only for Dawn to cut them off. Again.

"I know! Please, put them on hold. I'm meeting someone." Pulling her hand away from the phone, she sighed and propped her head up with the other arm.

"Something wrong, Mayor?"

"No, it's fine. Just… mayor things." She raised her head, desperately trying to maintain that Mayor Smile. "There are always so many things piling up. Anyhow, I'll get your check ready. Just a moment."

She took out an empty check and started writing. "This should help you get a decent apartment and something for a startup. You can always build something new. Don't lean on the past for too long, hum?" She said.

"I concur, Mayor Bellwether."

Upon hearing that someone agreed with her for once, the mayor said, "Thank you. I'll make sure that your sacrifice will be worthwhile." Still smiling, she handed him the tiny piece of paper that represented the value of his home.

Alex slipped forward, his head crashing into the steering wheel. The horn went off, startling him out of his slumber. His head shot up, and his eyes opened. Dazed, he looked to his right. He was greeted by the sight of an expired meter, the red tab raised high. "God da-AH!" He began to curse without thinking, only to scream as he was shocked. The light on his collar glowed a fierce red before switching to a warning yellow, then back to green. That might have been the end of it, had he not caught sight of a ticket on his windshield. The light turned yellow as his collar set up another discharge. That did not deter him from stepping out of the truck and yelling out, "Aw c'mon! I'm disabled for crying out loud!" Red light. He jerked as the collar shocked him again. Ignoring that, he checked his phone for the time. "I was only… 42… 43... 44 seconds late. Hey, meter maid! Are you listening to me?!" Alex yelled at the bunny, who was already printing a ticket for the next vehicle down.

The bunny turned to him. She tried to address Alex in a calm voice as she mentally ran through the script that the Chief had given her. "Sir, if you have a grievance, you can-"

Red light. Alex's collar shocked him again. The prongs were starting to grow hot against his skin. His vision started to blur. Details began to fade, including the three scars on the bunny's face. "Argh! Dang it!" He shook his head and pointed at her. "Listen, I'm not going to court for a gosh darn parking ticket. I have all kind of digital tags on this thing. Digital, modern stuff, that I- I paid good money for!"

She latched the ticket dispenser on the back of her belt. "You should have known about the City Hall area. It's pretty obvious."

"But what is the point? With everywhere in this city using digital cards, no one uses coin anymore. Why is this place is so bloody special?"

"Sir, I'm just doing what the law tells me to do. Expired means ticket." The bunny slowly reached for something strapped on her belt.

Red light. The collar shocked him again. After each shock, he appeared more agitated. This stuck out as odd for the meter maid since all the instructors and manuals had told her that the collar should make predators calm down. Alex made a face. "Argh, Lady, I'm- I have no intention to stand for this absolute b-!"

Nick's voice entered the scene, back to its usual laid back and sly tone. "Calm down a bit there, Alex. You are making a scene. Think of the children."

Alex turned around. The sight of the fox brought him some relief. "Nick, no. You don't understand."

"No, no, I do know. Let me handle it."

"Nick, what the hell are you doing? This car is..." he trailed off, not willing to admit that the truck was unregistered in front of the meter maid.

"Precious to you, I know. Alex, calm down, it's just a ticket." Nick winked. "Just get back in the car. I'll have a talk with her."

Alex exhaled, drooping as he forced himself to relax. "Fine." He slowly trundled off. Behind the closed door, Alex anxious observed the conversation, which was nearly soundless from his end.

Nick said. "Please excuse my friend. He is a bit emotional."

"I wouldn't call that a bit." Relaxing, she dropped her hand from her belt.

"You have to understand. Traveling halfway across the globe with a bad leg, having to learn and adapt to Zootopia's culture, it's hard for him. Did you know that in Hon Dao, it is an utmost disgrace to get a parking ticket?"

The bunny racked her head for anything about Hon Dao. She knew it existed and that was about it. "I did not know that."

"Now you know."

"Well, tell him to pay the ticket on time. Added fee for a late ticket could get him into trouble. That would be a bigger disgrace."

"Oh, I will definitely remember that." There came a moment of silence. Feeling the stirrings of memory, Nick gave the bunny a once over. Mostly gray fur. White chin. Black tipped ears. And the most striking violet eyes. She seemed familiar. "I know this sound weird, but is that you, Judy? Judy Hopps?"

The bunny eyes widened slightly. "Yes, that's me: A lucky bunny with a pun surname."

"You don't remember me, like at all?"

"Well, should I? I mean, I do know a fox back in Bunny Burrow, who was a big cry baby."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Nice try, Judy, nice try. But for your information, I was nine at the time, and you were not that much better."

She gave him a hug, which Nick gladly accepted. "Nick, it's been so long. You know, I didn't believe it when that cat called your name."

"Heh, and I had my doubts when I paid 15 bucks for that fortune teller. Looks like he deserved it."

"Yup, that's you all right. How is Mister Wilde?"

Nick's eyes shifted to the upper right corner. "Uh, he is in a better place."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Judy's ears drooped down.

"It's okay. Anyhow, is your shift over? Because this random reunion needs to be celebrated. "

"Yes, but-"

He gently nudged the bunny's back, steering her toward the nearest coffee shop he could find. "Great, let's go. A quick chat over a cup of coffee won't hurt."

The shop Nick chose was the White Pallette, a typical café where aspiring young writers with their expensive laptops spent time writing their novels. Judy managed to snatch a table next to the window, instead of next to some abstract works of art with lines and squiggles (or photographs with nothing but negative space). Both ordered the cheapest cup of coffee on the menu.

(The song White Palette by Tigerlily begins to play)

The first thing Nick noticed about her was the scar on her face, but seeing how he did not want to end all this way too soon, he went to a lighter topic. "How are things at your end, Judy? Are you still trying to make the world a better place?"

"Yeah, that's what I wake up to every day."

"Are you still on your way to becoming an officer?"

"I already am." She moved the bright orange vest over to reveal a shining badge.

"Nice. Wait, so does that mean…?

Now her eyes shifted away. "Oh, the, parking duty is just- you know, newbie things. Everyone has to do it."

"Oh. I'm sure it will work out for you. Anyway, congratulations! I knew you would pull it off."

"Really? Aw, thank you."

"Nah, I'm just saying that to be polite." He leaned back in his chair, a preemptive attempt to avoid a friendly hit from Judy. The bunny leaned forward to try anyway but stopped as Nick continued. "But, yeah. It's nice to be wrong from time to time."

She smiled and said. "Thanks. So, what about you? How is the fancy suit for all mammals business going? Seeing how you are still in one. You look really nice, by the way."

Nick paused. "I gave up on it, recently."

"What, why?"

Nick scratched the back of his head. "You know, sometimes, dreams just don't work. Sometimes it is best to let go and do something else. Not everyone is as strong willed as you."

An article she read recently popped up in Judy's head. The wall of text essentially said an unemployed predator is more likely to turn to crime. "Nick."

"But worry not, I have a backup: A good practical job. I'll bounce back."

"Phew. That's good to hear."

A deer teenager then put two tiny cups of coffee on their table, then left without as much as an Enjoy.

Nick shrugged. "Well, at least it's enough for one toast." He picked it up and said. "To the future."

"To the future," Judy said and let her cup touched his in a shy clank.

Both then quickly got the roasted bean juice in their systems. They called it that because it sure didn't taste like coffee.

Judy said, "Do you have a phone number, Nick?"

"Oh-kay, that's a little straightforward. Yes. Why?"

Judy pulled out her phone. "Nothing. It's just, I just moved to Zootopia. So, you know, it would be nice to have a friend in the city."

"Sure, I'm fine with it." He waited while she got her phone out and ready.

Her face seemingly lit up. "I'm ready."

"Okay. 555 021 9964, and there you go, one sly fox on speed dial."

(Song ends)

Nick was the first to stand up. "Well, it was nice seeing you, but, I need to go."

Judy looked out through the window. Daylight was leaving. "Me too, I gotta return this before..." She trailed off as she reached for the back of her belt and immediately noticed something was missing. "Where is it?"

Nick looked at her. Seeing her look of alarm, concern drew across his face. "Something wrong, Judy?"

"My ticket dispenser is gone."

"What?"

Her hands pulled the tips of her ears down. "Oh no! It has my whole day's work. Chief Bogo is going to kill me!"

"Woah, no need to freak out. It can't be far. We just need to go back to where we were."

Her hands released the ears. "Aw. Sorry, for dragging you into this."

"No no no, it's fine. It's what friends do."

Shortly after, both were back on the street.

Nick yelled from his spot checking under a car. "Found it?"

"No," Judy said, her anxiety easy to hear. However, a voice in her head reminded her that she was anxious and losing focus. She took a breath, forcing herself to calm down. It only took a moment of clear thinking to come up with an idea. "Okay, since it's getting dark, let's split up. We're gonna cover more ground that way."

Nick saluted her. The little gesture brought some sense of amusement to her. Nick then pointed behind him, "Yes, madam. I'll go here, you go the other way. That little sucker is bound to show up."

Nick quickly walked away. Once he was out of easy hearing distance, he hid behind a car. He didn't bother looking because he already knew where the little machine was. From afar, Alex waved at him. Nick had a look back at Judy. She was still occupied with looking underneath a row of parked cars. Turning back to Alex, Nick demanded a pass with some gestures. Alex understood immediately. He cocked his arm back and threw the ticket dispenser to Nick, who caught it perfectly. Grinning broadly, the fox ran from his hiding place back to Judy. "Hey! Great news."

Judy instantly sprung up, eyes shining with hope. "You found it?"

"Yup, here it is." He handed it to her. "It got dropped under one of the cars over there."

Judy turned it on. "Phew, yup, still working. Thank goodness." She then looked up. "Oh, thank you, Nick."

He shrugged. "No problem," He thought up something and said. "So, do you want a ride home, or…?"

"No thank you, I have my own, provided by the ZPD. "

"Okay, suit yourself." He then walked away. "See ya, Carrots."

"You're still not letting that name go aren't you?"

"Nope. Bye." He then walked away, not before making the last salute for the day.

Nick was back at the truck. Alex immediately told him. "Nick, remind me to never, ever doubt you. Holy crud, that was smooth."

Nick shrugged. "Yeah, that's just what foxes do."

"You have no idea how big of a bullet we have just dodged. Lesson learned. From now on, I'll avoid City Hall like the plague." Alex checked his phone; it was time for dinner. "So, did you have everything you need?"

"Uh huh, we can head back now."

"Good, how about something fancy for dinner? It's on me. Today is something to be remembered."

"Hum, sure."

Alex put up a fake British accent "Then shall we depart, sir." He then unlocked the door and got in.

Upon starting the car, Alex asked. "So, who was the bunny? I sense some history there."

"Nothing much. Just a naïve little bunny from my childhood."

"Uh huh. With that face, I doubt it." Alex quickly got the car out and into the veins of Zootopia. They drove passed Judy, who gave Nick a wave. Nick did the same.

"So, Mr. Wilde. What is the plan for tomorrow?"

"Now we can finally get to work. Tomorrow, you contact the guy and get the payment done. I'll introduce you to my friends, and we will get this place built in no time."

"Simple enough." Alex then cleared his throat. He tried to make his voice as deep as possible. "And so: with a beacon of hope in our mind, we proceed to-"

"What are you doing?"

"Well, I need to put the time I spent in theater club to use. What are we about to do is build the thing. That is the boring, tedious and hard part. No one wants to hear that. So, I am just trying to make it more exciting with some narration."

"That's cute, but no. Remember, we have three months to pay off a mafia's debt or it is curtains for us. Cold, icy curtains."

Author note:

Thank you so much for reading. If you enjoyed what you have just read and wished to see more, please follow or leave a review. They would give me the motivation to write more for everyone. All feedbacks will be appreciated. If you find anything lacking or flawed in my story (grammar, word use, etc.), please tell me in the reviews as well. I shall do my best to update these chapters sooner and make them more polished. This is one of my first stories so please forgive possible mistakes in the future and help me fix them.

Thanks again and have a pleasant day.