ZOOTOPIA: THE SCALES OF FEAR

Disclaimer: Zootopia is property of Disney.


Chapter 04: As Time Goes By


Date: Wednesday, November 18th, 2019

Judy Hopps watched the speed scanner read 35 as another car drove by. She looked over at Nick, who was sitting in the passenger seat with his aviators on. "Say, Carrots?" Nick asked as he glanced over at her. "Yeah?" she asked him. "I've been wonderin'... this weekend; would you like to come with me to visit my mother?" Nick asked her.

"S-Sure," Judy said, unprepared for the question. "Really? I mean... you don't have to, but I think it'd be nice," Nick said. He then shook his head and sighed. "Ya' know what? Forget I mentioned-" "I'd love to," Judy said. "Wait, really?" Nick asked her. "Sure! I'd love to meet your mother, Nick. I mean, you've already met most of my family, so I think it's time for me to meet yours," Judy elaborated.

"Um,okay. That sounds... I'll be sure to let my mother know that I'm bringing you over to meet her," Nick said. "So, what about your father?" Judy asked without thinking. "My... my father? Um... Carrots, I haven't seen my father since I was just a kit. I don't even remember how old I actually was when he disappeared," Nick said.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Nick. I didn't even think about that. I mean, I should have noticed sooner that you only ever mention your mother. I'm sorry," Judy said. "No, it's... it's okay," Nick said. "So, you don't know if he's still alive or not?" Judy asked him carefully. "No idea. One day, he just walked out the door and never came back," Nick said. He then felt a strange sensation of de ja vu, prompting him to check the rear view mirror of the cruiser.

"Is something wrong?" Judy asked him. "No, I just... I thought I saw someone behind us in the mirror," Nick lied. Judy turned her head to look out the window. "I don't see anyone," she said as she scanned the empty street next to them. The cruiser was parked on a patch of dirt next to the road near the freeway. "Huh, I guess my eyes were playing tricks on me," Nick said, hoping that Judy would believe him.

"Do you need to get them examined?" Judy asked him. "I'll schedule an appointment with... someone. Next month, I guess," Nick replied. "Nick? Is there something you aren't telling me?" Judy asked him. Despite having the aviators covering his eyes, Nick new that Judy was staring straight into his own. He let out a sigh. "The last person I told about my father disappearing was Sergeant Hooper," Nick said.

Judy nodded her head in understanding. "Okay... so, what-" "I told him just minutes before Pelton killed him," Nick said. Judy gasped in surprise. "Yeah. I had this... feeling of deja vu, so I just... I wanted to make sure that you were safe," Nick said. Judy reached over and placed her right paw on top of his left one. "Nick. Pelton's gone. He can't hurt anyone anymore. Neither can Blackwell. They're gone, Nick. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere," Judy said firmly.

"Okay. I believe you," Nick said. "Good. So, now that we've-forty two," Judy said as a car drove past them. "Anyway, I-thirty eight," Judy said as another car drove by. "Anyway, again, I want you to-forty five. I mean-thirty seven," Judy said as two more cars went by. Nick's lips began moving upward in a grin. "I-I can't even remember what I was going to say now," Judy grumbled in annoyance. "It's okay. Oh! Um, my mother was never exactly into vegetarian cuisine, so... I'll have to call her ahead of time in case she wants us to stay for dinner this weekend," Nick said. "Well, I can always bake some of that... vegetarian lasagna that Clawhauser made for us the other week," Judy said.

"Do you have the recipe?" Nick asked her. "Yeah. He even sent me a text message with the recipe when I asked him for it," Judy replied. "Well, that stuff was okay, so why not? I mean, we foxes are omnivores, you know?" Nick said. "Hey... maybe we should take her to Dom's," Nick suggested. "Does she have any problems with reptiles?" Judy asked him. "Not that I know of," Nick replied.

"So, does your mother like carrots?" Judy asked Nick. "Um, I'm not sure if she likes them, but I don't think she'd be adverse to eating them," Nick replied thoughtfully. "So, if I were to make a carrot cake for her, would she eat it?" Judy asked in response. "Well, probably," Nick said after a minute. "Okay. I'll get started on making one to-eighty five!" Judy exclaimed as she read the speed scanner. "Let's roll!" she said as she put the car in gear and drove off after the speeding car.


Date: Thursday, November 19th, 2019

Arjun Rooter looked up from the pictures on the table and over at the yellow-headed monitor lizard sitting across from him. "Weren't you able to get any closer?" Arjun asked Pamela Cuminozine. "No. I had a limited window of opportunity. They would have seen me if I had gotten closer or if I had stayed any longer than I did," Pam replied. "Mr. Sharpo's company seems to be comprised of mostly carnivorous mammals," Arjun noted as he looked at the pictures of wolves and badgers handling crates and operating forklifts at a dock.

"Well, bears are omnivores, actually," Pam said. "I said mostly carnivorous, Pam. I'm well aware that bears are omnivores. Although... one would think that an omnivore would be able to work with a balanced work force of carnivores and herbivores," Arjun said thoughtfully. "Maybe back home, but here it seems that prejudice is much more prevalent among the different species, at least when it comes to predator and prey," Pam said.

"Still... is the composition of his workforce a result of social norms, or is it personal preference?" Arjun asked himself. "Sir?" Pam asked him. "I want to know if Mr. Sharpo prefers hiring carnivores and omnivores over herbivores, or if those are simply the only animals willing to work with him," Arjun said.

"How would we do that?" Pam asked him. "Find someone who's close to him, I suppose. Mr. Sharpo has territory very close to ours. While I would personally be more than willing to work together with him, I doubt that Komo would agree to do so," Arjun said as he looked into the eyes of Komo's former lover. "Well," Pam began, knowing that Komo Domo had an 'conquer and absorb' method of dealing with competition, rather than merging or joining forces in alliances, "I guess he wouldn't be too happy when he gets out of prison to find that he has to share power with someone else."

"No, I suppose not," Arjun said. "Are we going to remove Mr. Sharpo at some point?" Pam asked Arjun. "Will Sharpo be removed? Yes, but the question of how to do it still remains," Arjun said contemplatively. "What about Mr. Big? Are going after him as well?" Pam asked the larger lizard. "Eventually, when we have the resources, but we won't... remove Mr. Big, just restrict his available territory," Arjun said.

"But he's a mammal. He can still move around in different environments," Pam said. "True, but I highly doubt that he'll have any territory in Sahara Square or the Rainforest District, so I don't think we'll have to worry about him sending his polar bears into the desert. We reptiles thrive in the heat, although I do prefer to have some shade if I can get it. Still.. we need a stronger foothold in the other regions before we can consider taking on Mr. Big," Arjun said.

"And if we move against him or Sharpo before we have enough power, they could easily join forces temporarily while they push back against us," Arjun said with a sigh. "So... do you want me to go back out tomorrow to do more surveillance?" Pam asked him. "No. Just head straight to the warehouse where Nelson is staying," Arjun said. "I'll have Sylvester do some stalking around one of Sharpo's southern dock places tomorrow, and after that he'll be heading over to a warehouse we've just acquired in Sahara Square along with me and Darryl," Arjun said.

Pam nodded her head and got up to leave the room. "One more thing, Pam. When you're moving around out there... remember to check and see if anyone is following you. We've been keeping quiet so far, but someone is bound to notice more reptiles moving around the mainland eventually," Arjun said before finally dismissing her. Pam nodded her head once more before exiting the room.


Date: Saturday, November 21st, 2019

Nick wasn't entirely certain what to make of the silence between the two animals in front of him. Judy fidgeted nervously under the gaze of the elder female fox. The vixen scratched the underside of her chin briefly, before finally leaning in and sniffing Judy. For her part, Judy remained as composed as possible while the vixen sniffed her, starting from her head before slowly making her way down the doe's torso, sniffing the aluminum covered dish in her paws before continuing down, causing Judy's eyes to widen in mortification.

She glanced over at Nick, who looked at her apologetically as he sighed in frustration. As he opened his mouth to speak, the vixen finally stepped back and raised her head up. She silently looked over at Nick before glancing back at Judy. "Hn. Come on in," the older female said as she gestured for both of them to enter her apartment.

"Well, the place still looks the same after all these years," Nick said as he and Judy walked into the main living area. "It looks... like that shirt you always wear on our days off," Judy said as she looked around at the yellow and green walls with leaf patterns. "So... no plans for kits yet?" Mrs. Wilde asked Nick out right. No pretenses, just pure bluntness. Judy almost dropped the dish with the vegetarian lasagna.

"N-Not yet, Mom," Nick said sheepishly. "I could smell you on her, Nicholas," the vixen said knowingly. "Well... yes, but we aren't ready for that... yet. I think," Nick said. He and Judy hadn't really discussed having offspring in the time that they'd been together so far, so neither of them had actually thought about the subject. As far as Nick and Judy were personally aware, neither of them thought that they could produce viable offspring anyway.

"Shame," the elder fox said. "Um, Mrs. Wilde? Where should I put this dish at for now?" Judy asked her. "Here. I'll set it on the kitchen table," Mrs. Wilde said as she grabbed the dish, with the pot holders, from Judy. "Judging from the smell, I guess this is some kind of casserole?" the vixen asked the rabbit.

"It's... vegetarian lasagna. I know that foxes are omnivores, so I figured I would make something that all of us could eat," Judy said. "How thoughtful. Most of the prey animals out here think of us as pure carnivores," the vixen said. "Yeah, but they trust cats, which are pure carnivores," Nick said. "What? But I've seen Clawhauser eating donuts and cereal at the station!" Judy exclaimed.

"Now Nicholas, didn't you learn anything in school? Most feline species have evolved to become omnivorous. Granted, it took several hundred generations, but still," Nick's mother said. "Well, Mom, if I hadn't been bullied constantly and ridiculed by the teachers behind my back, maybe I would've cared to pay attention before graduating high school," Nick said.

"The teachers... ridiculed you?" Judy asked him. "Yeah. Didn't I already... oh, I guess I never did tell you about that, did I?" Nick responded. Judy shook her head. "Sorry, Carrots. I just... I don't like thinking about it, so I don't talk about it," Nick said. "I suppose... now is as good a time as any to talk, if you want to," Judy said.

"Huh. So that's what attracted him to you," Nick's mother commented. Judy turned her head to look at the vixen. "I'm sorry?" Judy asked her. "You actually give a damn. For a prey animal, especially a rabbit, that's very unusual," Nick's mother said. "Mom," Nick warned.

"It's okay, Nick," Judy said. As Judy opened her mouth to speak, Nick's mother beat her to the punch. "I don't mean to be condescending, but when you live on the receiving end of society's distrustful gaze for as long as I have, you tend to develop your own attitude towards those who distrust you," the vixen said. "I know," Judy replied. "Do you? Do you really understand?" the vixen asked her.

"Yes. When I first arrived here as a cop, I was put on meter maid duty because no one believed that I was actually worth anything. Chief Bogo thought that I was here because of a mammal inclusion policy forcing me onto him. And... I had my own prejudice as well," Judy said. "When I first met Nick, I did view him suspiciously," Judy continued. "But, even after he did turn out to be a con artist, I-" "That's enough, lass," the vixen said.

"However, you weren't turned away from any place you tried to eat, were you? You were still able to get a decent-paying job," the vixen continued. "Do you understand what it's like to be turned away from ninety percent of employers or to be chased out of a store simply because of your species?" Nick's mother asked her. "No," Judy said softly. "I don't know how that feels, and I'm not sure if I'll ever experience that enough to truly understand, but I know that it's wrong, and if you don't want to eat my cooking... then at least come out to a restaurant to eat with us," Judy said.

"Wait, I was supposed to make the offer, not you," Nick said. "You waited too long, honey," Judy said with a wink. "More like I didn't get a chance to start," Nick muttered as he rolled his eyes at his doe. "You want to go out? Where?" Nick's mother asked the doe. "Um... there's this place in the Rainforest District called Dom's Bar & Grille. Would you like to go there with us?" Judy asked the vixen.

"I'm not familiar with that place. Is it new?" Nick's mom asked them. "It's been there for over twelve or so years, Mom. Judy and I have stopped to eat there once every couple of months since my first year on the force," Nick said. "The owner is... hospitable to foxes?" Nick's mother asked with uncertainty.

"He's a big lizard. He doesn't care about species, as long as he has customers," Nick said with a shrug. "A lizard? What kind of lizard?" Nick's mother asked him. "An Indonesian lizard. A Komodo Monitor," Nick said. "Ko... Komodo?" Nick's mother asked him. "Uh, yeah. Why?" Nick asked her. "I thought that the big reptiles only lived on Outback Island. And those things-I mean, those... lizards... don't have a reputation for being friendly," Mrs. Wilde said.

"Mom, what did you just talk to Judy about a minute ago?" Nick asked his mother flatly. "Oh," Mrs. Wilde said as she realized what her son was referring to. "What kind of food do they serve there?" Mrs. Wilde asked them. "Um... fish, nachos, chicken, cheese sticks, macaroni and cheese... I love that stuff," Nick said with a dreamy smile on his face. Judy had to gently elbow him to get him back on track.

"Right. Um, they also serve clams and... some salads and pastas," Nick said. "What do they have to drink there?" the vixen asked. "They have various alcoholic beverages, lemonade, water, fruit punch, pear juice. Oh, I think they also have that... I forget what it's called, but it tastes pretty good, though," Nick said.

"So... they serve... chicken?" Nick's mother asked with a grin. "Yes. Yes, they do," Judy said, hiding her distaste for the food. "Well then... let's go," she said. "Um, what about the lasagna?" Judy asked. "We can have that when we come back," Nick's mother said. "So, uh, Nick's mother..." Judy began.

"Please, call me Claire," she interrupted. "Oh. Um, right, Claire, how do you feel about Nick being Zootopia's first fox police officer?" Judy asked. "Hm, I guess I'm glad that his dream finally came true," Claire said. "His dream? I thought Nick's dream was that he wanted to be a Ranger Scout," Judy said. "He told you about that, did he?" Claire asked. "Indeed I did," Nick said. "Well, we'll have plenty more to talk about when we get to the... what's it called again?" Claire asked.

"Dom's Bar & Grille," Nick answered. "Right. Bar & Grille," Claire said as she walked upstairs and retrieved her purse from her room. "It's been a while since I've gone out like this, but I might as well live a little while I still can," Claire said as she followed the two younger mammals out the door, stopping only to lock the front door of the apartment.


Date: Tuesday, December 17th, 2019

Darryl Keith lowered the sun glasses down his snout as he winked at the various mammals crossing the street in front of him. "You really shouldn't draw so much attention to yourself," Sylvester said to him. "Shut up, doggy," Darryl said with a grin. "Just remember, a lot of these people are backwards and simple folk. If they verbally attack your for being a reptile, it's because they aren't smart enough to know that it's wrong," Sylvester said.

"So... they're morons?" Darryl asked him with a grin. "Yes," Sylvester replied in a neutral tone as he watched a small rabbit police officer and a fox officer place tickets on several parked cars on a street not too far away. "Hey, see somethin'?" Darryl asked him. "Yeah," Sylvester said. "What has your attention?" Darryl asked him. "Don't worry about it. Just pay attention to the light and turn left," Sylvester said, just before the traffic light turned green.

As they made a left turn, bringing them closer to the cop duo, Sylvester turned on the radio, searching for a rock channel. "HERE I AM! I am the MASTER of your destinyyyyyyyyyy!" The rabbit's ears shot up and she turned around to look at them, seeing the lizard driving but mostly paying attention to the dingo in the passenger seat who was glancing in her direction. "I am the ONE, the ONLY one! I am the GOD of KINGDOM COME! GIMME THE PRIZE! JUST GIMME THE PRIZE!"

Sylvester watched as the rabbit's purple eyes followed him with a cautious look before she was far behind them, still on the sidewalk with her partner. "That was fun and all, but what was the point of that?" Darryl asked as Sylvester turned down the volume on the radio. "Oh, just a little fun. That's all," Sylvester said quietly.

"Wait... wasn't that the rabbit cop who-" "Yes, Darryl. She's the one," Sylvester replied. The lizard chuckled. "Oh, looking for a little revenge, are we?" Darryl asked him. "Just keep driving," Sylvester said. "Whatever you say, pal," Darryl replied with a chuckle as he continued driving through Downtown Savanna Central.


Date: Saturday, December 28th, 2019

Nick and Judy sat snuggled together on the couch as they watched the TV, listening as the reporter, a female zebra, stood in front of a large crowd in Central Park in front of City Hall and the ZPD HQ. "This is Sasha McKenzie, live here in the Central Park area, counting down to the new year with just minutes to go before midnite. As you can see behind me, the crowds are full of energy and cheer," the zebra said into her microphone.

Nick chuckled as an antelope behind her struggled to take off his shirt while holding a beer in his right hoof before finally falling over. "Heh. Some people are more festive than others, I suppose," Nick said with a smile. "Yeah, but not all of them can concentrate with that much intoxication," Judy said as she curled up next to her fox.

"So, how should we break in the new year?" Nick asked Judy. "Hm, how did we say goodbye to this one?" she asked him with a seductive tone. "Well... I believe we started by doing this," Nick said as he claimed her lips with his own. Eventually, both mammals had to pull back for air. "That can't be all that we did, otherwise we'd still be wearing clothes," Judy said as she caught her breath.

"You're right," Nick said with a grin as he leaned back and grabbed Judy, turning her around so that they were both looking between each other's legs. "I do believe that we did this as well," Nick said as he and Judy began enjoying each other's bodies. They both became so caught up in what they were doing that neither of them realized that the new year had arrived until the fireworks had begun.

When they were finally finished, Nick laid Judy on the other side of the couch before reaching under the coffee table and pulling a small box out from underneath. Judy looked at him through half-lidded eyes as she spied the small box. "What-What's that?" she asked tiredly. Nick cleared his throat before kneeling down in front of the couch.

"Judith Hopps, the moment I met you, my life got flip turned upside down. Now just take a minute and sit right there. I'm gonna tell you how I came to make a decision that I hope to never regret," Nick said with an earnestness that Judy rarely heard form him.

She nodded her head for him to continue. "Over the years that we've known each other, we've seen our faults and strengths. We've been each other's anchor. When time got rough, we always had each other, and I hope that we will continue to have each other. I've never met another animal as infuriating as you, but through it all, you've helped make me want to be a better person. And, because of you, I have managed to become a better person... in some ways. Certain things just couldn't be improved because they were already perfect," Nick said with a grin.

Judy smiled back at him and rolled her eyes. "But in the end, I hope that every day when I wake up, I'll be able to do so with you next to me, in this life, and whatever comes after. Judith Hopps," Nick said as he took a deep breath and opened the small black case. "Will... will you... come on, Nick, you can do this. W-Will you... Judith Hopps, will you marry me?" Nick asked her, his voice cracked and vulnerable. He was practically exposing himself to her in this manner.

Judy's eyes began to fill with tears as she sucked in a breath and nodded her head. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes. Yes! YES!" she cried out in joy as she launched herself at Nick, crushing her body to his. She tilted her head up and sent her lips crashing into his, causing Nick to set the box back down on the coffee table before Judy pushed him onto his back.

"We need to celebrate this," Judy said huskily. "Oh, I know," Nick said with a grin. Once more, the two animals forgot about the world around them, focusing only on each other.


Date: Thursday, January 12th, 2020

Mr. Big looked at the three animals kneeling in front of him. They had their forelimbs tied behind their backs, and their faces were bloodied and bruised. There were weights attached to their legs. Two of them were mammals, a coyote and a leopard, but the third was a goanna, a reptile. "So, what are you doing in my territory?" the arctic shrew asked them coldly.

"We took a wrong turn," the leopard said. "And when we tried to turn around, your bears grabbed us and brought us here." "I know that, but what are you doing moving on my turf? Why are you taking my clientele?" Mr. Big asked.

"You don't own Zootopia, hot shot," the coyote spat. "And you? Do you have anything to say to me, boot skin?" Mr. Big asked the monitor lizard, who was having trouble keeping awake since he was in the cold. He was wearing a jacket and jeans, but the cold was still affecting him. "I... I need... heat," the lizard said slowly. He was find it difficult to stay awake.

"The heroin in your trunk will give you plenty of heat from the police, but I do not wish to involve them in my disputes," Mr. Big said. "Just let us go. It won't happen again," the leopard said. "I know it won't," Mr. Big said before Kevin and Raymond moved over and grabbed the leopard and coyote. "Ice 'em," Mr. Big said tersely. The floor board in front of the desk on which he sat opened up and the bears pushed the two mammals into the freezing depths of the water.

The lizard then collapsed onto the floor, his breathing shallow and tired. "Get him in there, before he damages my floor with his scales," Mr. Big said. Koslov walked over and pushed the lizard into the cold depths of the river that ran underneath Mr. Big's home.


Date: Monday, February 2nd, 2020

"This just arrived last night," Sal said as Arjun inspected the large crate in his bunker. Sal opened the crate and retrieved the black cases inside it. "The other two crates have the product, but this here seems a bit more solid," Sal said. "The parts for Darryl's newest toy," Arjun muttered.

"Interesting word usage," Sal commented. "Darryl is a sadist, in case you somehow didn't figure that out when you met him," Arjun said. Next to him, Kalmius and Dominus stood by, looking at the other crates. "Did my backup flight suit come in?" Dominus Razak asked hopefully. "Maybe. The inventory list mentions a big case with special fabric, so that might be it, unless you guys imported your laundry for some reason," the panther said.

"Sal, whatever would we do without you?" Arjun asked. "Get caught by bringing this through regular channels," Sal replied flatly. Arjun chuckled at the cat's response. "You might be right," Arjun said. "Okay, let's get this stuff loaded and sent to the main site. We have work to do," Arjun said as he turned to look at Kalmius and Dominus.

"Um... should I go get Sylvester? He's better at lifting heavy stuff than I am," Dominus asked. "Sure," Arjun said as the eagle started walking away. He looked back at Sal and saw the nervous look on the cat's face. "What's wrong, Sal?" Arjun asked the panther. "Nothing. I just... I'm not used to seeing birds that big," Sal replied. "Yes, well... Razak has a habit of sharing Mr. Domo's dietary habits," Kalmius said.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Arjun asked him. "It means he takes his vitamins," Kalmius replied. "Iron and calcium, although not enough to solidify his bones, otherwise he couldn't fly," Kalmius said. A few minutes later, a male dingo entered the bunker. "What do I need to carry?" Sylvester asked. "Oh, just these crates, Sly," Kalmius said.

"Kalmius, let me do the talking," Arjun said. "Right. So, are any of these things insured, in case they get damaged?" Kalmius asked humorously. "I don't know. If I give you a bonus to make you shut up, does that count as tax-deductable?" Arjun asked him sarcastically. "Um... no, it doesn't" Kalmius replied in complete seriousness.

"If I give you a few dollars right now, will you shut up?" Arjun asked the other Komodo lizard with seriousness. "Uh... how much?" Kalmius asked him, completely serious. "Forget I asked," Arjun said in dismay.


Darryl looked over at Sylvester as he drove the van through the checkpoint of the warehouse area. "So, you've been quiet. Are you gonna tell me what's back there or do I have to keep guessing?" the rough-necked monitor lizard asked. "Well, I'd rather not ruin the surprise," Sylvester replied as he showed his ID to the security guard before driving to the open doors of the first warehouse on his left.

After parking the van inside, Sylvester and Darryl got out and walked to the back of the van, opening the doors and looking at the crates. "Inside the first crate is your gift. The others have our product. Don't touch them. Let the workers handle that stuff," Sylvester said.

"Ooh, what did I get?" Darryl asked giddily. "The parts of a brand new XD-763 Commando/SC, custom-made and scaled to fit you," Sylvester said. "Oh, I must've done something right in a previous life! I can't imagine what it could've been," Darryl said with a toothy grin. "So, I take it that I've been given this present for a reason, though?" Darryl asked the dog.

"You remember how three of our couriers were found in Tundra Town last month, frozen in a river?" Sylvester asked in response. "Yeah, I remember," Darryl said bitterly. "This will be part of our goodwill package for Mr. Big," Sylvester said. "When does that happen?" Darryl asked the canine. "I don't know yet. Arjun's been quiet about what he plans to do, but every time I ask about retaliation, he just tells me to wait," Sylvester said.

"Well, when I get my claws on those bastards, I'm gonna drag them out into Sahara Square and tie them up to a pole. Those bears could use a good tan," Darryl said with a grin. "I vote for just shooting them dead. Quick and simple," Sylvester said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"By the way, nice suit," Darryl said, complimenting Sylvester's attire. "Thanks," Sylvester said, looking down at his suit and tie. "Makes you look almost the opposite of wonder bitch," Darryl said. "Darryl... you know that name was to kind for her," Sylvester said with a chuckle. "I liked her," Darryl said. "Yes, I know. Now come on. Let's get this stuff inside so you can put your toy together," Sylvester said as he and Darryl grabbed a cart and placed the cases onto it.


Date: Wednesday, February 18th, 2020

Chief Martin Bogo filled out the final form he'd been required to sign before moving onto the next set of documents. He was interrupted when his cell phone rang. Retrieving the device from its holder, Bogo saw that it was from his wife. "Hello?" he asked. "Martin, I just got a phone call from the school. Jerome got into a fight with another child. I'm heading on over there in a minute. Do you want to come too?" his wife asked him.

Bogo looked over at the piles of documents that he needed to review and sign. "I'll be there shortly," he said. "Okay. I'll see you there. Love you, bye," his wife said. "Love you too, bye," Bogo said before hanging up. He stood up and threw a quick glance back over at the documents on his desk. I'll have time later tonight, he reasoned before he called up Captain Glover.

"Martin," Bogo said into his phone. "Yes, Martin?" Glover asked with a chuckle. "I need to take a personal break for a little bit. I'll be back later. Keep an eye on the station. You're in charge until I return. Let Clawhauser know," Bogo said as he grabbed his personal bag with his wallet and headed out the door, locking it before turning around and leaving.


"Great," Captain Martin Glover muttered to himself as he leaned back in his chair. "Now I'm all alone in this nuthouse." He called up Clawhauser. "Hey, Ben? Listen, Bogo had to leave to take care of some personal business, so I'm in charge until he returns," Glover said. "No, I don't know when he'll be back," he replied after Clawhauser began asking a dozen questions.

The jaguar sighed as he hung up his phone. His phone began to vibrate. Glover looked down at it and saw that Clawhauser was calling him. He quckly set the phone to mute and turned off the vibrate feature. He then saw an alert for a text message. Sighing, Glover looked at the message, only to frown when he realized that Clawhauser was still asking about Bogo.

He got up and walked out of his office, heading over to a cubicle down the hall. "Hey, Furrero, have you finished your report yet?" Glover asked the coywolf sitting in front of her computer. "Uh, not yet. But I should have it done in the next hour or so," Cynthia Furrero replied. "Okay," Glover said.

"What's up? You usually don't pressure us too much about our reports," Cynthia noted. "I told Clawhauser that Bogo left me in charge while he takes care of a personal matter. Now the cheetah won't stop calling me and texting me with questions about Bogo's safety and health. I wanted to have a legitimate excuse to make him stop bugging me," Glover said with a frown. "Why did you tell Clawhauser to begin with?" Cynthia asked, knowing that the cheetah was overly emotional and tended to spread gossip.

"Bogo told me to," Glover replied. "Why would he do that? He knows how-what did you do to piss him off?" Cynthia asked with a smirk. "I guess telling him that I don't give a fuck about Milius's latest stunt may have gotten on his nerves a bit. I know he has a ton of paperwork to do because of it," Glover said. "I'm still confused about just what exactly it was that Milius did that's got everyone going nuts," Cynthia said.

"Don't worry about it. The whole thing is just being blown out of proportion. That's all you need to know," Glover said. "If you say so," Cynthia said. "By the way, when you're done with your report, I have another assignment that I'd like you to start looking into," Glover said. "What kind of assignment? Is it another undercover job?" Cynthia asked him. "No, and it isn't decoy either. I'll tell you more when you're finished with your report. Don't rush it, though. I want it done well, not sloppy," Glover said as he turned around and walked away.


Sitting back in his chair, Arjun Rooter looked at all of the subordinates who he had called to gather around his desk. He was waiting for one more person to arrive before starting the meeting. He looked up at the clock on the wall next to his water cooler, before the sound of a door opening grabbed his attention. He turned to look at the dingo walking into the room.

"Sylvester. I was wondering what had happened to you," Arjun said coolly. "I was on the toilet, Sir," Sylvester replied. "It must've been a long hard shit if it took you that long to get in here," Darryl said. "Actually, it was quite pleasant," Sylvester retorted with a smirk.

"Enough," Arjun said, getting the attention of his subordinates. The rest of the animals surrounding him, including a few of his guards and the rest of his personal team, looked at him with anticipation. "I wish to inform you all that I have decided upon a solution to the problem that Mr. Big and Mr. Sharpo present," Arjun began.

Everyone remained silent, waiting for him to continue. "Well, doesn't anybody want to ask me what it is?" he asked. "Um, I thought you were just going to tell us. I mean, weren't you?" Kalmius said, scratching his neck. "Fine. The solution to getting rid of them with our limited resources is a tricky one, but if we pull it off, then Sharpo's territory will be ours and Mr. Big will be limited to Tundra Town while we take everything else," Arjun said with a grin.

Arjun took a breath before continuing. "The solution is to make them fight each other," he said. "Okay, how do we do that?" Pam asked him. "Very carefully. First, we must find their weakest territory locations, and then, we must monitor their activity, allowing us to learn their routines," Arjun began. "When we have accomplished this, we will intercept one of their own couriers, preferably Mr. Sharpo's, and then we take uniforms and weapons."

"That's it?" Darryl asked him. "I'm not finished," Arjun snapped. "Oh. Sorry," Darryl muttered. "While posing as their own, we set up and attack one side, making it look like the other side did it. We repeat this process as many times as necessary, until both empires ripping each other to shreds," Arjun finished. "What if they try to call a truce?" Sylvester asked him.

"Then we dress up entirely as one side and kill the opposing party members, leaving the ones we've infiltrated alive. It increases their supposed guilt and involvement in the eyes of the other side. We dress up as Sharpo's animals to attack Mr. Big, and vice versa," Arjun explained carefully. "Mr. Big's empire is three times the size of Sharpo's organization. He could easily take Sharpo out of power without losing a significant portion of his own forces," Nelson Brookes stated.

"That is why we must start out with small hits and take the necessary time to learn their routines. Discover weaknesses to exploit, no matter what those happen to be, or how insignificant they may seem," Arjun said. "What happens if they realize that they're being set up by a third party and team together in secret?" Pam asked.

"Then we back off and continue the attacks at random, making it seem like it's only the work of a few individuals, rather than a whole organization," Arjun said. "Are they aware of how much territory we have?" Arjun asked Nelson. "Sharpo knows that anything connected to UNI-WORLD Shipping is ours, but otherwise he leaves us alone as long as we don't bother him," Nelson replied.

"What about Mr. Big? He's had some of our people abducted in the past month and killed for merely being near his turf," Arjun asked. "I believe that he's under the impression that some of the gangs here in the Outback Region are starting to venture out into new territory. He knows that someone has control over this place, but he doesn't know who," Nelson replied.

"Good. With our efforts to increase the number of common mammals in our ranks, it will be much easier for us to move around Zootopia when the time comes to set the plan into motion. But first, I want us to recruit just a few more common mammals, and by the end of next month, we will begin the operation. Mr. Big has killed our own when they have done nothing to him, and he has stolen what is ours, both product and money," Arjun said with a growl. "For that... he will pay."


Author's Note: And that's the end of chapter four. Get ready, because things are going to slowly begin heating up as the Komodo Dragon's reign begins.

Also, just for fun, guess what song was playing on the radio when Sylvester had Darryl drove past Judy and Nick.