The cruiser rolled through Savannah Central's Fifth Ward. The car's driver, upon surveying the neighborhood, commented to her partner with a hint of pity, "This neighborhood isn't exactly...perfect." Her partner remained expressionless as he responded, "I grew up here Judy, my mom still lives down the street." The bunny only managed an apologetic "Oh." Nick continued, "Don't worry about it." A tense silence settled over the pair.
They drove a few more blocks before Nick asked in a guarded tone, "Say, what exactly did those animals due to you?" Judy responded without hesitation, "Other than hurting my leg? Not much. The doctor said my worst injury was from your claws..." She trailed off. That had not been the right thing to say. A pained expression formed on Nick's face before he hid it behind a half-lidded neutral expression. Looking outside, he flatly stated "We're here."
Judy pulled the cruiser over into a nondescript parking lot, empty but for a few rusting vehicles on one side. Nick immediately left the car and walked purposefully to the west end of the lot. His partner caught up to him quickly and inquired as to where they were going. He responded in the same distant tone, "Just a neighborhood spot for some old friends of mine." The pair rounded a corner and found a pocket park that had seen better days. The grass was yellowing and many of the benches were broken. Seated at a table in the center were a half-dozen animals, all of whom were predators and most of whom had seen better days.
Nick approached the group with a friendly smile, which they responded to with angry sneers. Having expected this reaction, Nick continued without a hitch, "Alright, I know you guys aren't happy with my life choices." He pointed to his badge before resuming, "But I need your help." One of them, a short weasel, snapped back, "And why should we care?" Nick was prepared for this as well, and he responded with syrupy voice, "So we can get the Chomper Stompers out of your hair. Sound good now?" After sharing some glances among themselves, the group nodded hesitantly. "So, spill. Who do you know that has had a good few run ins with these boars?" They pointed Nick to another one of his old friends, Dustin Furos, an electronics dealer on the other side of the Ward. He and Judy thanked them and made their way back to the cruiser, which Judy took back onto the road.
They stopped outside a generic storefront distinguished only by a neon sign proclaiming, "Dusty's Electronics." As the two walked through the door, Nick put on a wide grin and exclaimed, "Dustin! How long has it been?" With the skill of a trained con-artist, the fox slickly maneuvered the ferret behind the counter into a discussion about the safety of his store then to broader problems in the area, and finally to gang violence. He allowed Dusty to bring up the UPP so that he would be more willing to speak freely. Eventually Nick gleaned that Tusks led patrols around Savannah Central's predator-heavy neighborhoods, and was likely to show up again in the area that night. He thanked the ferret and the pair left.
Nick and Judy sat in their cruiser, waiting for the trademark white van of their targets. Judy noted how, despite its less-than-desirable status, the Fifth Ward was one of the most mixed neighborhoods in the city. Predator and prey interacted freely and openly. A fox helped an old sheep across the street. A deer and raccoon chatted behind the counter of their shop. In some sense, it was the Zootopian ideal. She tried to imagine what it must have been like to grow up in such a place. She looked over to the fox who had saved her life, who seemed to be lost in thought himself. She tentatively asked, "So...how was it growing up around here?" Nick sighed and responded, sincerity evident in his tone, "It was a bit rougher then than it is now, though it was still a very mixed neighborhood. It had a real community feel to it though, predator or prey, most of us seemed to be in it together. Although as you know, the actions of a few can do a lot of damage." Judy's heart sunk as she remembered the treatment he had undergone as a child. Realizing that this was an opportunity to get him to open up about his life, she pressed on. "You talked about your mother, how was she?"
"She was great, even after, well, I really wasn't. She was always supportive, and all around a good mom." He leaned back in his seat, a toothy grin on his face. After a moment, his eyes widened and he snapped his maw shut and placed a paw over it, before mumbling out an apology. Judy tried to ask what he was apologizing for, but decided against it; she had pushed him enough tonight. After a few minutes of silence, her eyes caught a white can moving through the neighborhood. Nick told her in a hurried whisper, "She's in there, get ready to go now." Judy responded incredulously, "How do you know that?" Nick quipped back, "Night vision! Now go!"
Judy pulled out behind the van, careful to stay at a safe distance. Her heart raced as she considered the stakes of their investigation. A mistake could cost them not only their only lead, but their lives. Nick called in for backup on the radio, his voice as calm as before. Even in her excited state, Judy noticed this significant change in the fox's demeanor. Since the incident he seemed totally focused on catching the culprit, all concern for himself abandoned. Confirmation of backup crackled through the radio, and Judy eased the cruiser to a stop, having noticed that the van was doing the same. The pair ducked under the dash, looking up only periodically.
"What are they doing Nick?"
"Looks like they're planning to do something to the joint on the right."
"What's the place? I can't see it." Nick peeked over the dash again, and he let out a slight gasp before whispering, "It's a pred restaurant, looks like there are still mammals in there though." A call came in on the scanner. "We've got a report from some employees that not everyone is out of the restaurant, the night staff is still there. Protecting civilians is paramount." The importance of the message was underscored by the fact that it was Bogo's voice on the other end. The pair looked up again. A brick sailed through the window of the restaurant, and after a moment a group of boars left the van and ran into the building. Judy pointed to the largest one. "That's her. That's the one that attacked us." Nick's eyes narrowed. "We have to catch her."