Yes, this is Chapter 7, not 8. I realized that I'm starting to rush these chapters, resulting in half-baked ideas and scenarios that haven't reached their full potential. I don't want to do that to you guys, so I'm gonna start taking more time with my chapters, and I'm even enlisting the help of a beta reader to make sure the quality of the chapters that I send you is top-notch! As for the re-posted chapter, I re-wrote most of the chapter to fix the problems that it had. So, I hope you enjoy the newly-developed Chapter 7, and I hope you enjoy the story from here on out since everything won't be as rushed anymore!
The rain never stopped at Cliffside Asylum, nor did the sun ever shine. No one exactly knew why, but then again, it fit the character of the prison. The dark, brooding atmosphere was enough to suck the joy out of any of the inhabitants, continuously repeating the same message over and over: you will never escape.
The warden of the prison prided himself on his ability to keep that motto alive and well, though he wasn't dumb about it. Bartholomew Peterson grew up studying the inner machinations of prison facilities, hoping to one day play a part in taking care of the criminals of Zootopia. Watching a lot of prison break movies also helped hone his tastes and solidify the exact prison the wannabe warden wanted.
Despite being a brown hyena – a species that was often stereotyped as the kind of mammal to laugh at a bad joke, Bartholomew worked hard in his studies, never losing sight of his dream. Thanks to a certain fox and bunny saving the city about three years ago, the hyena got his wish: he was warden of Cliffside Asylum. He personally hired his staff, meticulously making sure that they were up to his standards. Because of the warden's strict rules, none of the prison faculty could be bribed or tricked by the inmates, and none of the prisoners were abused by the faculty. It was Bartholomew's dream prison.
While waiting in the chilling rain, a smile crept over the hyena's muzzle as he reminded himself of this fact. The rain soaked through the warden's fur, dampening his dirt-colored fur as he awaited the arrival of four new convicts.
Thunder rumbled above, bringing with it more rain. "Sir, maybe you should wait inside," said one of the two guards.
"I'm all right," Bartholomew growled in reply, his voice having been damaged by second-hand smoke, no thanks to his father. Truth be told, the rain never bothered the hyena despite the fact that his species usually lived in dry climates.
The bridge was bathed in pulsating red and blue lights as the police cruisers stopped before the main gate. They were quickly let in, and before long, the prison van was parked before the front doors of the towering prison.
The warden walked around the van with his paws clasped behind his back and a solemn expression on his face; you have to make a lasting first impression to be feared and respected by these prisoners. Bartholomew nodded towards the door, and his two guards immediately opened the doors. . .
. . . and revealed four frightened mammals fighting against their restraints. The hyena drank in the sight with some confusion: the wide eyes, the bristled fur, the desperate desire to be free of their chains; this was not the typical behavior of new arrivals. Having been practiced in the removal of muzzles, Bartholomew quickly and carefully freed each of the muzzled mammals; coughing fits racked their bodies as the metal devices harmlessly fell to the ground.
"What's your name?" the hyena asked, turning back to the zebra.
The prey mammal was slightly startled by the jackal's harsh voice before answering, "P-Princeton! My name is Princeton."
"What are you doing here, Princeton?" Bartholomew growled, leaning forward. "I was told that four convicts were arriving, and you guys don't seem like the type."
"Trust me; we didn't know we'd be sent here!" Princeton replied, waving his hooves in a defensive gesture. "We were just told to play the scapegoat for a bit, and then we'd be free!"
The hyena raised an eyebrow at this. "Who told you?" he asked.
The zebra gulped before answering, "Some fox! He paid us good money, too, or else we wouldn't have agreed to this!"
"Obviously," Bartholomew muttered. A deep, guttural growl emanated from the jackal's throat as he turned and exited the van, leaving the four phonies to their state of confusion. To one guard, the warden ordered, "Get these four inside and get them fed, but don't put them in a cell; they're our guests for now."
The guard nodded and saluted in response before entering the van himself. Bartholomew then turned to the other guard and ordered, "Get Chief Bogo on the phone; we may need the ZPD's finest for this case."
"Are we in agreement?" Victor asked once he finished going over the plan. All four convicts, now free of their chains and muzzles, nodded. The fox flashed a toothy smile before continuing, "Perfect!"
The van shuddered before coming to a halt. Victor stood up, brushing off his orange jumpsuit. The doors opened, revealing a uniformed wolf; the same wolf that originally escorted Victor into the van earlier that night.
"Richard!" Victor happily greeted as he stepped onto solid ground. "How was the drive?"
The wolf chose not to answer his boss and instead turned his head towards the four other convicts, who were now staring curiously at the wolf. When he spoke, his previously "high" voice was replaced by his usual, deep tone, "Do you really think that these four are fully prepared, Victor?"
The fox nonchalantly shrugged before stripping himself of the orange suit; he now wore a brown business vest with a blue tie. "Prepare for what I've already explained to them: yes," in a lower voice, Victor added, "For the end-game: not even close."
Richard merely nodded in response before finally addressing the four mammals. "If you would, we have some pressing business to attend to," the wolf beckoned with his paw to emphasize his point.
One by one, each of the four mammals exited the van. Out of habit, Wolf took a whiff of the air around Richard as he passed by, and his eyebrows shot up in response; there was an odd scent to the predator. Dallas noticed it too, and the fox and wolf almost immediately began discussing it amongst themselves as the group walked along.
"Excuse me!" Victor called back to the two predators, walking backward at the head of the group. "Unless it's something you want to share with the entire class, I would strongly avoid any and all secret huddles; those are my job, thank you very much!" Despite the teasing language, Victor's tone of voice was enough to silence any further discussion on the odd-smelling wolf.
The group continued to walk through the night, and several things hit the four convicts. First, they were out in the open. Grassy meadows sprawled out in every direction, and the bright skyline of City Center could be seen in the darkness. Secondly, they seemed to be heading for an enormous warehouse that loomed ahead. The lack of light kept most of the details hidden, but from the many darker shadows, the four criminals could tell that the roof was peppered with holes, and many windows were missing from the building's facade.
The next few minutes were passed in silence, though the sound of paws on gravel accompanied the caravan of mammals. Hundreds of thoughts rushed through the minds of each convict, but Hoofston couldn't contain his any longer. Picking up his pace to match Victor's, the zebra bent over and asked, "So, how did you manage to get us here?"
Victor scoffed before turning to the large, striped mammal. "Come on, Hoofston!" the fox said with a mock tone of exasperation. "A magician never reveals his secrets! And after having your asses handed to you by a fox and bunny officer, I don't think you'd be able to fully comprehend how genius my scheme was!"
Drinking the zebra's darkened eyes and sneering snout, Victor fought back a laugh. This was going to be too much fun!
They reached the warehouse before long, and the building looked more decrepit up close. Paint peeled off of the rotten wood that lined the walls, and the smell of dust and rot assaulted the noses of each mammal. Without hesitation, Victor and Richard entered the warehouse; the four convicts weren't as eager.
"Hurry up, or you'll wish you'd gone to the asylum!" Victor called from inside; his dark tone was enough to wake the mammals from their stupor and get them moving.
After crossing the threshold, the four convicts were met with a sight they didn't expect to see again so soon: the Tundratown Penitentiary.
The gray walls loomed before them, reminding them of the chilly nights that they spent in their cells. A large group of uniformed officers bustled around the large room, going about their business and . . . deconstructing the room around them?
"Come on people!" Victor called out to the group of bustling animals, the clapping of his paws echoing through the large space. "We need to clean up before opening!"
A large elephant lumbered towards the group, his perpetual frown drilling holes into whoever it was directed at. The four convicts involuntarily back away from the giant pachyderm; it was the sergeant that had them shoved none-too-gently into the van earlier.
"What are you four still doing here?" he asked accusingly, the deep bass of his voice shaking the very core of every mammal in the general vicinity. "I can't believe you scumbags were smart enough to escape!"
"Now Rufus, there's no need to go scaring our guests like that," Victor chided, though his amused grin betrayed him.
Rufus's face morphed into a mischievous smile as he leaned back and turned towards the well-dressed fox. "Sorry Vic, couldn't help it."
Victor chuckled and shook his head as the massive elephant lumbered off to help take apart one of the fake walls in the room. In fact, it seemed that everything that was Tundratown Penitentiary in the room was being stored away.
As he turned towards the four convicts, Victor relished the slack-jawed expressions on each face. The reveal was always his favorite part. "Isn't it great?" he asked, his grin evolving into a toothy smile. "I love what a few simple cues can make a mammal believe!"
"You mean. . ." Hoofston trailed off, his eyes drinking in everything around him.
Victor nodded. "Yep! You were never in the Tundratown Penitentiary! In fact, you were never in Tundratown at all! A bunch of air conditioners blowing at full blast is quite enough to remind someone of the chilly district, and keeping you guys in your cells certainly helped us with what we had to make sure looked like the penitentiary."
"B-but how!?" Dallas asked, speaking up for the first time that night. "I mean, we were sent to the penitentiary after those officers stopped us!"
Victor chuckled. "Ah, well, you wouldn't have remembered it, but on your way to Tundratown, my friends," he gestured to the mammals behind him; they were nearly finished storing away the set pieces, "and I set up a little roadblock. It wasn't much, but it was enough to distract your escorts long enough to smuggle you guys out of the van and replace you with some random mammals I paid a good amount of money too."
"We would've remembered something like that," Dallas grumbled.
"You're right about that, but we needed you to believe that you were in prison – you wouldn't have agreed to still work for me if that wasn't the case – so I had you tranquilized," Victor said indifferently as he turned around and began walking further into the open space.
"You what!?" Wolf exclaimed angrily, his hackles raising.
Victor turned towards the wolf, a look of pure indifference in his emerald eyes. "Oh I forgot," he stated blandly before turning away, "you had a terrible 'accident' with tranquilizers when you were a pup, right? Well, suck it up! You're all better now; don't go crying over spilled milk."
While Chains and Hoofston took to calming down Wolf, a uniformed rat scurried up to the group. "Ah, Richter, how are you?" Victor asked before leaning down so that the rodent could reach his ear. Dallas watched as the rat whispered something to Victor and noticed that Richter's black, beady eyes constantly glanced over at the four convicts.
"Mm, excellent," Victor said with a nod before straightening himself and turning towards the group. "My associate has told me that your rooms are ready. You may find them to be oddly familiar, so let me answer your question now: yes, they were once your 'cells,' but I've had them fitted with something a bit more comfortable."
Suddenly, a massive tiger stepped up to the group. The four convicts drank in the sight of the scar that ran down half of the cat's face; most of the criminals were somewhat intimidated. "If you would follow Tony to your rooms, you need your rest. I've got much to discuss with you tomorrow!" Victor said, and soon the four mammals were following Tony.
Once the four convicts were out of earshot, Richard turned to Victor. "Are you sure we can trust them with this?" the wolf asked, a faint tone of concern in his rich voice. "I mean, their capture at the Furs Zootopia Bank wasn't exactly dignified."
Victor snorted to keep from laughing, though his muzzle did split into a proud grin. "You're right, Wooly; my son and daughter-in-law did a number on them, that's for sure," Victor's expression hardened somewhat before the fox continued. "But that's why we need these four; they'll prove if my son is fully prepared for what I have in store for him."
Richard nodded, but he didn't seem so sure. Victor chose to ignore his friend's unease as he changed the subject. "You know, I've been dying to meet this Mr. Big, Wooly. Do you think that you could get me an appointment with him tomorrow?"
"Of course, Victor," Richard said before turning and following the fox deeper into the warehouse.
Out of the corner of his eyes, which were hidden behind his reflective glasses, Nick watched Judy excitedly bounce next to him as they climbed the front steps of the ZPD. The fox's muzzle split into a warm grin, no thanks to Judy's incessant exuberance. After receiving a full night of rest, Nick and Judy were ready for whatever today had in store for them.
Apparently, "whatever" didn't take into account Bogo's "HOPPS! WILDE!" that greeted the fox and bunny the moment they entered the main lobby. Both cops visibly startled, they slowly turned their gazes up to the cape buffalo as they tried to figure out what they did wrong this time. All they were greeted with was a stern gesture to the office before the chief's massive figure disappeared behind the railing of the fourth floor.
Nick and Judy shared a nervous glance before silently making their way to the chief's office. Their anxiety grew with each passing second and came to a crescendo when they finally reached their destination. Before Nick or Judy could knock, Bogo beckoned them from inside, his deep voice shaking the glass in the door.
"Have a seat," the buffalo said, gesturing to the other chair.
With a strong sense of deja vu, Nick and Judy did as they were bidden. The two smaller mammals sat in silence as they awaited whatever the chief had in store for them.
Chief Bogo broke the silence with a tired sigh before turning his gaze to the two cops in front of him. "I'm sure you remember the four mammals you managed to arrest a few days ago, correct?"
Still unsure of where this conversation was going, the fox and bunny nodded. "Well, apparently, they've managed to escape and are now running free through Zootopia. We only learned of this last night from the warden of Cliffside Asylum, so luckily this hasn't leaked out to the press. Unfortunately, this won't stay this way for long, and with the whole Victor Wilde debacle, this could prove very troubling, to put it lightly."
"What do you want us to do?" Judy asked, her anxiety replaced with a professionalism that had been embedded into her thanks to the Academy.
"I want you and Officer Wilde to find them. As of right now, you are in charge of tracking these criminals down and getting them back. I had Clawhauser set up an appointment with the warden of Cliffside Asylum, which is in about an hour, so you'll be heading there first. After that, you're free to any of the ZPD's resources to gather any and all info on these four. And I expect that you won't abuse these privileges, understood?"
The fox and bunny nodded in response. Even though both mammals were professional on the outside, Bogo could feel the sense of excitement radiating from Nick and Judy.
"Good. You two are dismissed. Clawhauser will hand you the case files, and then you two are to immediately head over to the asylum to speak with the warden," Bogo ordered. As the fox and bunny turned to dismount off of the chair, Bogo added, "Remember, these guys are very dangerous; the only reason you were able to stop them last time was because they had no idea you were there. I expect you to be on your guard at all times, am I clear?"
Nick and Judy nodded, their expressions solemn. Bogo snorted, "Good. Now go! You've got work to do!"
With a salute, the fox and bunny climbed off of the large chair and exited the office. Stopping by the front desk to receive the needed files, Nick and Judy made their way to their cruiser. As he flicked his sunglasses back in place, Nick pulled the large car out of the parking lot and onto the streets of Zootopia.
"Alright, let's see what we got on these guys," Judy said more to herself as she set the case files on her lap. Nick curiously glanced out the corner of his eye but could do nothing more as he had to drive.
Judy thumbed through the first few pages held within the red folder, her skimming revealing that they had lists of all the reported heists committed by the group in the past. The bunny stopped when a large mugshot of one of the four criminals caught her eye.
"Here we are," Judy said as she opened up the folder, revealing the rest of the information contained within. "Name: Dallas. Species: fox – duh. Date of birth: blah blah blah. Alright. Lived with his family for most of his childhood. At the age of ten, he and his best friend Hoofston started committing petty crimes – the two were very successful pickpockets. As they grew up, their crimes became worse, and they gained more recognition. Eventually, they were picked up by Mr. Big and worked for him for a few years. It's assumed that they met Chains and Wolf during that time, and after a while, the four left to make a name for themselves thanks to their contact, Baine. Dallas is not really a social mammal but a great team player."
Nick nodded to signal that he heard everything as Judy thumbed through the folder once more. Coming to the next convict, Judy opened the folder again. "Name: Chains. Species – let's skip this bit. Alright, so Chains was apparently orphaned at a young age. He transferred from orphanage to orphanage because he kept causing trouble – he's been in the juvenile detention facility quite a few times as well. Eventually, he made it into the military and based on his records, he was a great soldier. He was discharged for illegally selling military weapons on the black market and was soon picked up by Mr. Big. From there, he met Dallas, Hoofston, and Wolf before they all left and created their own group."
This time, Judy didn't even wait for Nick to make an affirmative signal as she once again thumbed through the folder. She quickly found the information on the next convict. "Name: Wolf. He and his family lived in a bad part of town, and his parents died due to tranquilizer overdose during a violent riot. The event traumatized the pup, leaving him in a terrified state for most of his life. It says that he visited many therapists and all of them eventually marked him off as safe to the public. It also says that he isn't a stable individual as his cheery attitude can quickly be replaced with violent outbursts. Mr. Big soon found him, and out of pity, gave him a job where his violent outbursts would be useful it seems. Wolf met the others during that time and so on and so forth.
"Last but not least," Judy mumbled as she skimmed through the rest of the folder to find the information on the last criminal, "we have Hoofston. It says here that he spent a lot of his childhood with Dallas. Heh, pred-prey relationships for the win, huh?" Judy's weak joke and smile were met with an equally weak and very temporary smile from Nick. After clearing her throat to break the awkward beat of silence, Judy turned back to the folder. "Anyway, this is pretty much the same as what Dallas's report said: they grew up pulling off small crimes and were eventually picked up by Mr. Big before leaving with the others to start their little group." Judy sighed as she closed the folder and set it aside.
A few moments of silence passed as the two cops processed the news. While there were a lot of differences between the four mammals, there was one variable that remained constant across the board, and Nick and Judy were quick to notice it.
"Kinda interesting that Mr. Big played a big part in their lives, huh Carrots?" Nick stated, casting a sideways glance to his mate.
A determined gleam filled Judy's eyes as she turned to Nick. "Very. In fact, I think it warrants a visit to our favorite shrew, dontcha think?" Judy asked.
Nick smirked. "I agree, Carrots. What do you say to a small detour on our way home?"
"Sounds like a plan," Judy said, closing the case file and setting it off to the side. Upon looking out the window, she was surprised to find that they were already at the maintenance tunnel that would take them to the prison facility.
As the two cops drove up the slippery slopes leading up to the massive asylum, memories of their first case raced through their heads. When they finally reached the top of the incline, it didn't come as a surprise that the establishment looked exactly as it had three years ago. The cruiser inched up to the closed gate, and Nick rolled the window down before flashing his badge at the wolf inside the small booth. With a curt nod, the guard opened the gate, allowing the cops entrance.
The warden patiently waited at the entrance as the cruiser came to a stop a few yards away. As the fox and bunny exited the car, Bartholomew couldn't help but smile; these two mammals were responsible for helping him achieve his dream.
"Officers Wilde and Hopps," the hyena said, his gruff voice carrying over the rainfall, "May I be the first to welcome you back to Cliffside Asylum!" He ended with a bow, much to the somewhat awkward confusion of the fox and bunny.
"Well, thanks, pal," Nick chuckled hesitantly, "but was all that really necessary?"
Bartholomew straightened himself, a coy grin on his muzzle as he shrugged. "Eh, not really; just felt like doing it. It's not often that I get actual visitors."
"I bet," Nick mumbled under his breath as he stared up the towering facility. From his angle, and with the added addition of perpetual rain, Nick could not see the top of the building. While the fox wasn't afraid of heights, the foreboding air about the place still managed to unnerve him.
The fox and bunny followed the hyena inside and were immediately met with a chilling blast of air. While Nick and Judy shivered at the drastic change in temperature, Bartholomew didn't seem fazed.
"We have fur dryers over there, and a few, clean brushes if you feel the need to dry off," the warden stated blandly – as if he had repeated this phrase many times before – as he pointed to the corners of the small room.
Not wanting to brush out tangles in his fur later, Nick took the hyena up on his offer. Having shorter fur, Judy stepped onto the dryer to simply warm herself up; she hated being wet and cold at the same time.
After their makeshift grooming session, Nick and Judy followed the warden further into the prison facility. Though the two officers knew they were heading to the warden's office, they couldn't help but feel like the hyena was showing off his prison as they seemed to take the long way around. Bartholomew led them through the cafeteria where prisoners and guards ate together; through the cell blocks where the imprisoned mammals stayed in actually livable conditions; and through the gymnasium where several mammals in gray jumpsuits were participating in a game of basketball. Whenever the warden passed by, Nick and Judy studied the demeanor of the prisoners. What they saw surprised them: every mammal held a certain respect for the hyena.
The small group finally made it to the warden's office, and the fox and bunny were surprised to meet four mammals who struck a startling resemblance to the four criminals the cops had previously thwarted.
"Have a seat," Bartholomew said as he took his own seat behind the mahogany desk. Nick and Judy did as they were bidden, both of them somewhat surprised that the seats were closer to their size; this allowed the fox and bunny to sit comfortably.
"You both know why you're here," the warden began, his pale, blue eyes carrying a serious light. Gesturing to the four other mammals in the room, Bartholomew continued, "but these four don't. I received them in place of the four convicts you both arrested, which means that the real criminals are freely lurking in the city somewhere."
The hyena then gave his full attention to the phony convicts. "I hope you'll be able to repeat to Officers Wilde and Hopps what you told me," he said, though the growl in his throat was anything but the gentle tone the statement should've been said in.
When the fakes nodded nervously, Bartholomew turned back to the fox and bunny cop. "I'll leave the rest up to you two; however you want to question them is fine by me."
Nick and Judy thought for a moment, glancing at each other as unspoken messaged traveled between the two of them. Finally, Judy piped up, "If it isn't too much trouble, we would like to question them one by one here in the office."
Bartholomew nodded. "Would you like to do this without my company, or will my presence here not distract you?"
Nick smirked. "Nah, you can stay. It's your office, but I have a feeling that with you around, these guys won't get sidetracked. Am I right, guys?" as he asked this, the fox turned to the other mammals, who nodded in response. The hesitant, nervous fear was evident in their eyes and made Nick almost feel sorry for them.
"Alright, Carrots, who are we gonna break first?" Nick asked the bunny, his tease earning him a stern glare from the rabbit.
"I think we should just go in order from right to left, starting with the fox," Judy said, pointing at the designated mammal.
Nick nodded in response as Bartholomew quietly ushered out the other three mammals and left them under the charge of two guards posted outside the door. The hyena shut the door behind him and again took his seat behind the desk.
With the absence of his temporary comrades, the fox began to nervously fidget in his seat as his ears and nose twitched uncontrollably. Sensing the predator's fear, Judy took to the Good Cop routine; she gently moved her chair to face the fox and put on her kindest demeanor.
"Hi!" she pleasantly greeted, beaming from ear to ear. "My name is Officer Judy Hopps. What's yours?"
The fox stammered as he answered, "M-Max."
"Okay Max," Nick said as he pulled his chair next to Judy's, "could you tell us why you're here?". . .
. . . "Cuz I made a stupid decision," the bear said shamefully as he hung his head.
"Why do you say that, Bill?" Judy asked, her pen and paper at the ready.
"Well, you see," Bill began as he nervously scratched at his neck, "I was in a bit of a rough spot at work. So when this fox comes up and offers me this huge wad of cash, how could I say no?". . .
. . . "What else did he say, Seth?" Judy asked the wolf sitting across from them.
Seth fidgeted nervously in his seat before continuing, "Well, he promised that even though we'd be going to jail, we wouldn't stay there long. His friends had been wrongly accused, and the evidence would soon prove their innocence. Once that happened, we'd be free to go."
"Didn't work out that way, huh?" Nick asked, a pitying light in his eyes. . . .
. . . "Not even kind of," Princeton, the zebra, stated dryly as he shook his head. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted him in the first place, but easy money is just that: easy money! I fell for his trick and paid the price. Imagine my surprise when we were all being hauled out on our asses to this place."
Silence fell over the room as Judy quickly jotted down the information in her notebook. Meanwhile, Nick leaned forward to ask the question that had been burning on his tongue for a while.
"Did you catch the name of the fox who offered you the job?". . .
. . .The answer from each mammal was, "No."
While Bartholomew arranged transportation for the four mammals, Nick and Judy stood outside the hyena's office, assessing the fruits of their labor.
"So we have four civilians who were asked to take the place of four convicts, and none of them knew what was really in store for them," Nick repeated after having gone through Judy's notes.
The bunny officer nodded. "Yep. What's worse is that they don't even know the name of the fox; that would've been the perfect lead!"
"Right, but, I have a pretty good idea, though," Nick stated dryly, his eyes staring down the hall. "And I think you do too."
Judy nodded in agreement as she put her notebook away. "Yep: Victor. But this doesn't tell us anything; we don't know where the criminals are, and we don't even know if Victor was involved in the first place!"
Nick nodded thoughtfully and opened his mouth to speak before being cut off by the office door opening. Bartholomew walked out and shut the door behind him before turning to the two cops. "Alright, I just got off the phone with Chief Bogo. He's sending some officers to pick these guys up," the hyena sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "I know I should feel bad for them, but they brought this on themselves; you don't just take random jobs from people, especially foxes. No offense, Officer Wilde," Bartholomew quickly added, hoping he hadn't angered the cop.
"None taken," the fox said, giving an indifferent shrug. "I'm well aware of the stereotype placed on us, and I also know that some foxes live up to it. Can't go getting angry every time someone says something against us, whether intentional or not."
The hyena nodded knowingly. "I know what you mean; it was a nightmare getting here, but it was worth it," Bartholomew paused for a second, seemingly debating on continuing the conversation before finally asking, "Is there anything you need, officers?"
The fox and bunny thought it over, glancing at each other in unspoken conversation. "No, I think that will be all," Judy finally said, breaking the silence as she turned to the jackal. "You've been a huge help."
Bartholomew smiled. "Thanks. I don't know how much more help I can be, but if you two need anything from my department, don't be afraid to ask," he said as he handed a business card to the duo.
Nick took the card from the hyena before placing it in his pocket. "We'll be sure to take you up on that offer if needed. Thanks!"
With that, the fox and bunny made their way towards the exit – which was much faster than the way they had come in earlier – and entered their cruiser. Before Nick started up the cruiser, he pulled out his wallet to place the business card inside. He paused when something caught his eye.
"What is it, Nick?" Judy asked, noticing the confused look on the fox's face as her partner stared at the contents of his wallet.
"This," Nick said, drawing out a white slip of paper. "This wasn't here before."
In the dim, noon light of Cliffside Asylum, the slip of paper looked plain and crumpled. Upon closer inspection, Nick found several black marks randomly strewn about the paper. "How did this get in there?"
"Let me see," Judy asked, holding out her paw. Nick handed the slip over before pocketing his wallet and starting the cruiser. The bunny held the tiny strip of paper close to her face, though any small details were obscured by the gloomy weather outside. "Do you think those marks are some kind of code?"
"I dunno," Nick said as he began the drive back to Zootopia. "If it is, I have no idea how to solve it."
Judy stared at the paper for a few more moments before giving up with a sigh of defeat. "Ah, come on, Carrots; don't be like that," Nick said, his muzzle splitting into his signature grin. "Every small item I suddenly find in my wallet isn't gonna be a clue for our case, no matter how obscure it could be!"
Nick had a point, and Judy knew it. So, with a smile, the bunny let go of her disappointment. "You're right, Nick," she said grateful for the shining sun as they passed into Tundratown.
"Besides, once we get home, I'll have a bit more time to check it out," Nick said as he flicked his sunglasses onto his snout. "That is, if I'm not too busy checking out a particular, sexy bunny. . ." the fox allowed his voice to trail off as his snarky grin widened.
"Officer Wilde, I'll have you know that I'm married, thank you very much!" Judy said in an extremely flabbergasted tone. To add dramatic flare, the bunny huffed and crossed her arms before turning away from the fox.
Nick chuckled at the act. "Well if I know one thing, that is one lucky fella."
"Oh hush you," Judy said, the smile on her muzzle betraying her amusement. "Let's just get to Mr. Big's and then get home."
"Yes ma'am!" Nick said, giving the bunny a mock salute. The act earned him an eye roll and a pitying smile.
"Nicholas! Judith! For what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" the shrew exclaimed happily, his tiny muzzle beaming widely at the sight of the godparents of his granddaughter.
"Well, we were wondering if you could help us with a case," Judy began; while they knew they were welcome among the crime boss's presence, the fox and bunny still felt the need to be very polite and careful when dealing with the shrew.
The tiny mammal sighed. "Why can't you two just ever come to visit because you want to?" he asked, his smile smaller than before.
When Judy opened her mouth to make an apology, the shrew held up a paw to silence her. "No need, my child; it was rhetorical. I understand what this could do to your reputations: the faces of the ZPD are friends with Zootopia's most feared crime boss!?" Mr. Big chuckled at his joke. "Though, with that Victor character running around my city, you're already treading that line more than you two care to be, correct?"
Nick and Judy nodded solemnly. "Enough of this talk," Mr. Big squeaked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group. "Come, tell me what you need help with."
"Well," Judy began as she stepped forward, showing the shrew the mugshots of the four criminals, "we're looking for these guys. Nick and I stopped them the other day, but they escaped confinement."
The shrew carefully studied the pictures, trying to dig up any memories associated with the convicts. "Ah yes, I remember those four," Mr. Big said with a disappointed tone after a while. "They knew how to get a job done, but they got greedy. Leaving to do their own thing seemed like a good idea, but they wouldn't listen to me. I knew that sooner or later they would get in over their heads."
"Could you tell us anything about them that might tell us where they are?" Judy asked, her ears having perked when the shrew recognized the criminals.
Silence fell over the room as the shrew thought for a moment. When Mr. Big shook his tiny head, Judy's ears drooped in disappointment. "I'm sorry, I have no idea where they are now," the shrew said, his tone apologetic. "And I'm sure anything else that I say will have already been said in that little folder of yours."
Her heart sinking, Judy stepped back and replaced the pictures. Nick looked at his partner; while he didn't feel as disappointed, he knew that Judy took her job very seriously. "I'm sorry, my child," Mr. Big apologized again. "However, I have an idea of who they're working for."
Judy's ears immediately perked at this, her spirits rising in hope again; Nick's ears perked up as well, and both mammals waited in anticipation for the shrew's information.
"Knowing them, they'll do anything for the highest bidder. Their contact, Baine, takes care of all the contracts that they're offered," Mr. Big stated. "If Victor is interested in them, then he's already got them working for him."
Nick's eyebrows raised at this. "You think they're with my dad?" Nick asked.
The shrew nodded. "My child, your father is desperate for attention; he's making his status known, but keeps just enough hidden to get the public wanting more. You two arresting those criminals was a huge media story, so of course Victor is going to recruit them; if anything, it'll give him more news coverage."
"But why?" Judy asked, her curiosity peaked as much as Nick's. "That sounds like an easy way to get arrested!"
The shrew nodded. "If you're dumb, then yes. But Victor isn't dumb. He'll draw you in, make you look closely at his plans. By that time, it'll be too late because you'll have missed the bigger picture."
Nick and Judy entered their apartment, the fatigue of the day finally reaching them. After dressing into something more comfortable, mammals took to the couch and turned on Zetflix, giving their bodies a rest. At the same time, however, their minds raced at full speed.
"What a day, huh Carrots?" Nick asked in an effort to lighten the mood.
Judy squeezed herself closer to the body of her mate, his warmth radiating into every fiber of her body. "You can say that again. We didn't get anywhere with the case!"
"Well, I wouldn't say that," Nick said, retrieving the slip of paper from his pocket. "We learned quite a bit about our 'friends,' and I have this."
Judy eyed the piece of paper curiously. "You said it probably didn't have anything to do with the case!"
Nick shrugged. "I could still be right about that, but I'm very curious to see if this holds anything."
"Then let's get cracking!" Judy said as she shifted her weight, getting more comfortable next to her husband before pouring over the possible clue.
For the next ten minutes, the two mammals carefully studied the slip of paper together. They examined it from every angle, under the light and away from the light, up close or further away. No game-changing clue was revealed, though the fox and bunny found several creases lining the strip. Taking a closer look, Nick began to fold the paper along the creases; Judy intently watched the fox's makeshift origami session.
"Well now this is interesting," Nick mumbled to himself after having finished folding.
"What?" Judy said, craning her neck to see; Nick's larger paws were hiding the paper from view. Lucky for her, she didn't have to wait long as Nick handed the paper over.
The folded paper was a misshapen rhombus about half the length of the unfolded sheet. Judy's eyes widened as she saw the true marvel of Nick's origami "skills"; the black marks lined up together perfectly, spelling out two words in clear print:
Wild Times.
Alright, so if you have any new thoughts, you can PM them to me if you've already reviewed this chapter. I'm sorry for the re-post, but it felt necessary for the story; there was too much that I didn't handle correctly that should've been handled better. This, plus the fact that I don't have enough of the next chapter ready to be posted right now means that I won't post the next chapter until next Friday. However, this also means that from here on out, the story is going to be of the highest quality that I can give to you!