Pre-Chapter Author's Note:
"Do not mistake my words as the rantings and ravings of a lunatic madman,
For I know of what and which I speak.
You think yourself intelligent and wise?
I possess the experience born of life which spans infinite eternities.
Listen well, for these words hold a lesson you must learn.
Be not afraid of your future, for it is not set in stone and can therefore change.
It is your past that you must fear above all else.
Try and escape it if you think you are capable of it.
You will soon see that it is a futile effort, a waste of your time.
What's done is done, you say?
Nay, that is a lie.
You can't outrun your past.
It shall always come back to haunt you.
History shall repeat itself endlessly.
I have born witness to the truth of that.
I have witnessed empires rise.
I have seen those same empires fall.
You think me mad?
Do you not recognize me?
I'm the one to whom you once swore allegiance.
You betrayed me.
Now, I have come for you.
I told you, fear your past.
Now, your past has caught up to you."
-Unknown Author.
Chapter Seven: Movements within the Shadows
Judy's Apartment
Judy woke with a gasp and shot up, looking around frantically before her eyes landed upon the fox sleeping peacefully next to her. The longer she looked at Nick, the more it dawned on the doe that it had only been a nightmare. She extended a paw to reach out and stroke the fur of his muzzle but hesitated then withdrew it.
Carefully, so as not to wake Nick from his slumber, Judy got out of bed and silently headed into the adjoining bathroom. She climbed the small step to gaze at herself in the mirror. 'I look, and feel, horrible.' Judy thought to herself as the doe examined her reflection. Closing her eyes, Judy found she could still see that haunting image her mind had conjured. Releasing a nearly inaudible, choked sob, Judy let the tears fall. Hugging herself, she mentally asked, 'Why? After all this time, why am I beginning to suffer from the nightmares again?'
Despite what Judy had thought, Nick had woken up at the same moment she had. It had simply taken him longer to rejoin the waking world. Now, he stood leaning against the bathroom door frame, looking at the doe worriedly. He could only imagine what she was experiencing.
This ordeal had started around the time they discovered the murdered bat in the trunk of that vehicle. Judy had had a breakdown right then and there. Chief Bogo had ordered that she visit the Precinct's psychotherapist for help. Judy had originally refused until Nick made the request himself, then she complied. Nick had even attended the sessions with her, to give her the support she needed. They had gone every single day after their shifts, and Precinct's psychotherapist had cleared Judy for duty.
Looking at Judy now, Nick realized that there was a distinct possibility that she hadn't entirely gotten over it. As quietly as he could, Nick positioned himself behind her so that Judy would see his reflection in the mirror when she raised her head again. It took a little longer than expected, but eventually Judy again looked at the mirror to see that he was right behind her.
"I'm sorry." Judy whispered, doing her best to wipe away her tears. "I didn't wake you, did I?" Turning on the faucet to wash her muzzle, Judy froze at what Nick did next.
"Judy."
It was so soft, like a whisper just on the edge of hearing, easily taken away by the wind. Judy choked upon realizing that Nick hadn't called her any of his patented 'Nick'-names but 'Judy', her given name. That plus how so utterly soft, tender, and concerned his voice was broke her.
Nick scooped the doe up into his arms as she began to break down in convulsive sobs. "Hush, now. I'm right here. I've got you. Just let it out." He could feel her shaking and held her tighter. Carrying Judy back to the bed, Nick set the doe down gently and leaned over her. "Talk to me." he whispered.
"I…I'm s-so s-so-sorry, N-Nick." Judy managed to sob out. "I…I d-do-don't know w-why…" She broke down again as the memory of the nightmare reentered her mind. Judy could still see it. Nick's corpse on full display with the cackling of the serial killer filling the air. The state of Nick's body varied: burnt, skinned, hacked up into pieces, and many other ways. Judy hadn't suffered from the nightmares for a while, thanks to the therapy sessions, but every once in a while, she'd have one.
"Shh. It's okay." Nick told her softly, laying a gentle peck on her forehead. "I'm here. Right here with you." Slowly, he took hold of one of her paws and placed it above his heart. "Feel that? I'm still here. I'm alive and I'm with you, here and now." The effect that had on Judy was incredible.
The sensation of Nick's heart beating under her paw grounded Judy into reality. 'He's here. I can feel his heartbeat. He's alive, and he's right here.' Judy stopped crying long enough to look at him fully. 'His eyes.' That look in Nick's eyes as his focus centered on her, it was fully of love and concern. Her arms began to move without her brain's consent. Finding the sides of Nick's muzzle, Judy pulled him into a kiss, one that was neither passionate nor was it chaste.
Nick reciprocated the kiss. Through it, he could feel everything that Judy was desperately trying to convey to him. Instinctually, Nick growled into their kiss, and was rewarded with the smell of Judy's arousal. Pulling away, he dug his nose into her neck, snuffling around. "You smell so good." he whispered. Nick accentuated his words with a lap of his tongue atop where her neck pulsed.
A breathless chuckle escaped Judy's lips before she said, "There's probably a joke that I could make about a fox finding a bunny doe's scent arousing, but I can't seem to come up with one." She gasped feeling Nick pressed his body down on top of her. The feeling was electrifying.
He could feel his cock hardening as Judy's scent filled his nose. 'Yeah. There probably is a joke somewhere, but I can't think of one either.' He inhaled his doe's scent deeply, making sure to imprint it within his mind, not ever wanting to forget it.
Deep within Nick's mind, he could feel that beast awakening. He could practically hear it demanding to be set free, to be allowed to claim its rightful lifemate. It thrashed around, trying to break free of its confines. Nick fought back, telling it that now was not the time. The beast begrudgingly conceded but swore that Nick would soon give in and set it free.
When Nick returned to reality, he noticed that Judy was panting in need underneath him. That beast within him had caused Nick to enter something of a fugue state, one that had his actions emulate his inner beast. Nick heard Judy whine as he pulled himself away from her. Gazing down at her, Nick swore to himself that she was a goddess in mortal form. She was his goddess, and she would be his undoing.
A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told Nick they had just over two hours before meeting back up with his dad. Leaning close to Judy's ear, he whispered, "Tell me what you want me to do. Command me, Judy, my mistress." Before his eyes, Nick watched as the words caused a shift in his doe. She looked at him with eyes that smoldered with lust, passion, and, in the deepest depths, truly unconditional love.
"Strip." Judy ordered. She watched as Nick rid himself of the only article of sleepwear on his body, his pajama shorts. Judy then witnessed as her fox sat on the heels of his hindpaws, erection prominently on display for her. "On all fours." she commanded.
Obeying Judy's instruction, Nick got onto all fours, reminiscent of a fox from ancient times. He watched her as she got close enough to smooth the fur of his muzzle and rub his ears affectionately. He released a noise that was too rough to be a purr yet too soft to be a growl, more of a rumble than anything else. The tod felt her stubby, dullish claws begin to rake down his form as she moved around behind him.
"Now, raise your tail." Judy saw the shiver that passed through her fox at her demand. She wondered what he'd think if he knew what she had planned. A part of her felt that she hadn't really repaid him for the wonderful experience they had only a couple of days ago. This, here and now, was when she'd do just that.
For Nick, hearing Judy tell him that, it brought to mind all the vixens he had previously rutted. It had always been he who gave that order. Never had it been he on the receiving end. Regardless, Judy, his doe, his mistress, had told him to raise his tail for her. So, he did. Lifting his tail, Nick was now fully on display for her, nothing was hidden anymore.
Giving Nick a scratch to his flank, Judy gave a hum of appreciation. That greyish crater of Nick's anus was the center of the doe's attention. Judy felt her own flex, recalling the sensation of Nick's tongue within it. Now, she clearly wasn't equipped with a tongue as large or as long as his, but that wasn't going to stop her. During what free time she had had, Judy had sped-read through a bunch of forums and chatrooms, looking for advice. One entry had caught her attention, written by a female mongoose whose boyfriend was a hippopotamus.
Sensually massaging Nick's ass-cheeks, Judy slowly parted them to get a better view of his puckering hole. With her thumbs, she tested to see the elasticity it already possessed. It wasn't much, but it was more than she anticipated. "You made me cum with my ass." she whispered sultrily. "This time I'm going to make you cum from yours."
A shiver of arousal was felt by Nick at hearing Judy's intentions. His dick throbbed in anticipation of it happening. He was about to speak when the sensation of something wet began to slowly trace the muscular ring of his tailhole. Nick gasped, feeling his anus clench tight. Lowering his head to the mattress, the tod did his best to relax himself.
There was a wicked smile on Judy's face as she again lightly traced Nick's anus with her tongue. The whine that reached her ear emanating from Nick told her what she needed to know. Her pussy was dribbling her juices onto the sheets with how aroused she was.
The relationship between the doe and the tod was a bizarre one, if both were honest with themselves and each other. They knew one another's likes, dislikes, habits, and other such things. Not once had they ever spent a day off without the other. For all intents and purposes, Nick and Judy had always been a couple.
As such, Judy had no qualms about what she was currently doing, rimming Nick's anus. She knew that Nick was a very hygienic mammal, one who always made sure to wash himself thoroughly. This knowledge came from having observed her fox since realizing the attraction she had for him. Nick constantly kept his fur sleek, shiny, and well groomed. Even now, Judy could feel how soft his coat was underpaw. His teeth were pristinely white, as if made of ivory. The additional muscle tone that he had gained at the police academy didn't hurt either. Just thinking about how this prime specimen of a vulpine male was all her own had Judy's mind whirling with desire.
Still, the doe didn't let up the ministrations she was lavishing upon her fox. It couldn't have been more than maybe thirty seconds before Judy heard him let out a yip. She felt him convulse and realized that he had hit his climax but couldn't release without his knot receiving attention. So, she gave the bulbous organ a tentative squeeze.
Nick's mind reverted to a more primal state at the sensation of Judy squeezing his knot. Letting loose a powerful yelp as he started shooting his seed onto the sheets underneath him, Nick had to hold back the mating cry that threatened to escape his lips. Spurt after spurt of potent, virile fox seed shot from Nick's swollen cock, leaving the tod in a state of euphoria. The only thing his mind could imagine being better was if he was knot deep in Judy's snatch.
Witnessing the transformation that overtook Nick, Judy had to stifle a giggle at how cute her fox seemed in that moment. His tongue lolling out the side of his maw, tail puffed out and sticking straight up into the air, and the goofy grin upon his muzzle. Why she thought it was cute, Judy didn't know, but it was.
Finally, Nick finished unloading his cocked weapon and his limbs began to tremble as they tried to keep him from collapsing. The doe nudged her fox in his side, sending him tumbling in that direction. The sigh that escaped him had her smile. She then dragged a finger through his spent load and brought it to her lips. The tod watched her as she did this, a small smile on his lips.
"Do I taste better this time around?" Nick inquired. The sultry smirk that stretched across Judy's face was the only answer he needed. "How about my bum? Did you enjoy the taste of that?"
Scooching into and pressing herself up against him, Judy said, "Hate to break it to you, Slick, but I didn't get much of a taste. My tongue isn't long enough to really get in there for one." Then she gave him a deep kiss, tongues tangoing with each other as they swapped saliva. Pulling away, she asked, "See?"
Smacking his lips, Nick nodded. Another quick glance at the clock had him groaning. "Damnit. Didn't think I'd have a hair-trigger." Not a lot of time had passed, only five minutes. "We still have close to two hours before meeting my dad."
"Two hours, huh." Judy mused, looking at the ceiling. There were a bunch of thoughts flitting around in her head. One of them was Nick's mother. From what Senior had told them, she had struggled a lot with insecurities and paranoia. Nick's own description of her hadn't painted the vixen in a flattering light. Judy wondered what she was really like. As a cop, it was common knowledge eyewitness statements had an incredible tendency to be wrong. Plus, the way Nick and his father described her was biased. The doe decided what they would do with those two hours. "Are you up for a trip to the cemetery, Slick?"
The question caught him completely off-guard, but Nick answered, "Yeah. I think I'd like that." Nick and Judy quickly got out of bed, showered, and dressed in some business casual type clothes. It only made sense to dress respectively. They were, after all, visiting the final resting place of Nick's mother. Nick looked at himself in the mirror as he struggled to get his tie just right.
"Here. Let me do it, Slick." Judy told him, grabbing his tie. With practiced ease, it was a flawless Windsor knot. "There. All set." she whispered. Giving Nick a pat on his chest, Judy looked up into those emerald-green eyes of his. They seemed to glow with adoration, and yet there was a sadness that dimmed them within them as well. "Let's go."
Hailing a taxi, they were on their way to the cemetery. The trip didn't take too long, or at least that's how it seemed. When they arrived, their eyes took notice of a funeral procession happening some ways away. To not draw attention to themselves, Nick and Judy walked around the edges of the graveyard until they reached the location of a small stone plaque in the ground.
The plaque wasn't spectacular. In fact, they almost missed it with how much shrubbery covered and hid it. It was simplistic, only having her name, Katharine de la Vulpa-Wilde, and the dates of her birth and death. No extra decorations adorned it.
Kneeling in front of his mother's plaque, Nick whispered, "Hi, Mom. I should probably have visited sooner, but I…" He trailed off, not knowing what he was supposed to say. "I'm a cop now. I've also got the best partner on the force. She's here with me." Gesturing for Judy to come kneel next to him, he continued. "Her names Judy Hopps. Yes, she a bunny, and a doe on top of that. Even so, there's no one else I'd rather have watching my back." He then went on to tell her a pawful of stories from their time on the beat while Judy just listened.
They stayed like that, Nick just talking, Judy listening, until the alarm Nick set on his watch went off, telling them it was time to go. Nick stood, saying, "I'll come back to visit. I don't know when it'll be, but I promise I'll come back." It was at that moment, something special happened.
The city of Zootopia hadn't had any real sunlight in days. Dark clouds had plagued the city the entire duration of the past couple of days. The moment Nick's words left his lips, the clouds parted gracing the city in natural sunlight for the first time in ages. For Nick, he hoped that this was some kind of sign that his mother had heard and accepted his promise.
Taking ahold of each other's paw, Nick and Judy began making the trek towards the rendezvous point where they were going to meet Senior. Neither noticed that just a few meters away, dressed from head to toe in black, an unidentifiable mammal watched them. The figure brought the lit cigarette held in its paw to its lips. Partaking a long drag, the mammal flicked the cigarette muttering incomprehensibly to himself before disappearing from the area.
Nicholas Piberius Wilde, Sr.'s Hotel Room
A groan of an old mammal feeling his age filled the room as Nicholas Piberius Wilde Sr. rolled over onto his back from his side. Cracking open an eye, the old tod found himself looking at the expressionless mask being worn by one ZBI Senior Supervisory Special Agent Skye Glacier [Pronunciation: Glossy-eh]. Well, almost expressionless. The arctic vixen did have an eyebrow quirked, but otherwise, it was totally expressionless. "If you're here, then ZIA Agent Savage can't be too far behind." Nicholas Senior stated in observation.
"We've got a problem." Skye informed. "There was another attack. The victim is the aunt of the bat your son and Officer Hopps found in the trunk of that vehicle a few weeks ago." She watched as the old tod sat up, his back popping multiple times while doing so. "Have you ever heard of chiropractors?"
Releasing a bark of laughter, Nicholas Sr. retorted, "Oh, yeah. I'm totally going to one of those mammals who'll charge me $80 for an hour. I'm old, SSSA Glacier, not stupid." Getting out of bed, the tod didn't care that she could see everything. He never wore anything when turning in for the night. Although, the fact that despite his advanced age he was sporting morning wood did cause him to smile once he saw her glance away. "Why're you embarrassed? I'm the one who's naked."
"Sh-shut up." Skye told him tossing one of the pillows at him. "Get dressed. Your son and his partner should be here soon."
Chuckling, Senior's ear twitched at hearing the toilet in his bathroom flush. He saw the door open and the jackrabbit exit from within. "Morning, Jack."
"Oh, for the love of…put some clothes on ya old tosser." Jack told him, hitting him with the same pillow that Skye had thrown at him but missed. Seeing the older tod maneuver his way towards his closet, Jack shuddered at the sight of the attire he was planning on wearing. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. No, you are not wearing that."
Senior gave them both a smug smirk. "I'll wear what I like thank you. If I want to wear these godawful Pawaiian shirts, I do believe that I shall." The shirt was baby blue with baby pink palm trees. "Besides, I'm sure Nick's dying to know wear he got his atrocious taste in fashion."
The three then exited the room and entered the elevator down the hall. Senior sang along with the elevator music, much to the annoyance of his company. When the doors opened, he snickered as Skye and Jack took off running towards the main entrance. As for himself, he took his time. They still had a bit of time before the three of them were scheduled to meet with Junior and Judy. Looking at the sky, Nicholas Sr. marveled that it was getting clearer. It had been such a dreary gray from the blanket of clouds for so long that he hadn't realized how much he missed the light blue colour. A few meters in front of the tod, Skye and Jack busied themselves with conversation.
"What are you going to say when you see her?" Skye asked Jack. "You know she'll ask questions. How do you plan on answering them?"
"I have no earthly idea, honestly." Jack replied. "I mean, we had a good thing going then I ruined it by leaving. Plus, there's no doubt in my mind that it'd be pointless trying to compete with Nicholas Jr. From what little I managed to hear, she won't bother looking at another male than him."
Huffing in amusement, Skye teased, "Oh, poor little buck. The girl of your dreams has been taken by another." She chortled a bit before Jack socked her one in the arm. "Okay, ow. Jackass."
"Kits, behave yourselves." Nicholas Sr. ordered teasingly. They stopped, whipped their heads around, and gave him death glares. He just continued along his way, unabashed. If honest with himself, Nicholas Sr. saw both of them as his adopted kits.
Jack was his first rescue. Originally living on the streets, Senior had nabbed the jackrabbit trying to pilfer his wallet. Instead of turning him into the local police force, Senior had taken him back to his place to clean him up, which was when the tod discovered the stripes were real, fed him, and gave him a stern lecture. He had become the young jackrabbit buck's legal guardian by pure chance. Jack took the last name Savage in his honor, something Senior had found hilarious. The real reason why the jackrabbit thought it honored him escaped the tod. Senior had trained Jack after the jackrabbit expressed the desire to join the ZIA. It was a couple of years later, during a joint investigation that led back to the JTR serial killings that the two came across Skye Glacier.
Skye's background was a lot worse than Jack's. Born and raised on the streets of Purris, the arctic vixen had once been subjected to conditions of nightmarish natures. As a kit, she was kitnapped, auctioned, and pimped out to the upper echelons of society from the age of 12. It was in the middle of an undercover stint of their investigation that Senior and Jack discovered her, a 14-year-old turning tricks for petty cash. They saved her, brought her home, and assimilated her into their bizarre familial unit. Skye started training for the ZBI around her 16th birthday, saying that if Jack could be a teen superspy, she could too.
The two had formed a rather eccentric bond afterwards. Skye would use Jack's real name, Jackson Buckley, when berating him. Likewise, Jack would call her 'Ice Princess' when doing the same. Without having any real relation, the two became siblings in all but blood. It often fell to Nicholas Sr., as the adult, to fill the role of father figure. The old tod guessed it was his desire to be back home raising Junior that prompted creating this little family. Senior shook his head as Jack and Skye went back to behaving like young kits.
Le Jardin d'Eden, or the Garden of Eden, was the site where the two groups would rendezvous. A little café that catered to both predators and prey, it was well suited for their needs. Nicholas Sr. entered, followed closely by Skye and Jack. After a very short conversation with the maître d', they were led to a corner booth where Nick Jr. and Judy were already awaiting them.
"Jackson?" Judy asked in surprise at seeing the buck. "What are you doing here?" The last time she had seen him was when he told her goodbye before disappearing from her life entirely.
"I, uh, I…" Jack couldn't get the tiny speech he had prepared on the walk over out of his maw. Inhaling deeply, he let it out and said, "I'm the ZIA asset Wilde Sr. was supposed to tell you about last night. Judging by that greeting he didn't." He sent a glare in the direction of the older tod, who simply shrugged.
Sidling into the booth, Skye batted her lashes at Nick, who then flipped her off and pulled Judy closer to him. Snorting softly, Skye made a mental note not to even bother trying. If he didn't fall for her from her little action just now, it wasn't worth her time. A nudge from Jack, accompanied by a scowl, told her that he didn't take kindly to what she had just done.
Once everyone was seated, their waitress came over. To the surprise of both Nick and Judy, it was Samantha, the vixen from the bar they had joined their colleagues at weeks ago. She didn't seem to look like herself, having none of her former accessories.
'She got dumped.' Nick deduced after a moment. He had seen it before, even caused it a few times himself. Vixens didn't take well when the tod they were with broke things off. There was probably something to say about it. About how if a tod knotted a vixen it was all over, but a vixen could still go around rutting multiple males, taking their knots, and not feeling obligated to them. Nick's mother had proven that.
"What can I get you all?" Samantha inquired, mechanically. She couldn't bring herself to even look at Nick or Judy. The sight of the older tod at the table, one who appeared almost like an anachronistic future Nick had her focus solely on the arctic vixen the entire time. Her life had gone down hill ever since the night of the bar party. Her todfriend had dumped her, kicked her out of their apartment, and left her high and dry when word reached him that she had tried bedding the Nick Wilde. She didn't know who was responsible, but it wasn't as if there was anything she could say in her defense. Thankfully, they recited their orders rather quickly, after which Samantha left to turn them in and go tend to her other tables.
"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Senior stated. "How much do you know about the Apex Omnivore? What information are you missing?"
"We only know what the profiler at the ZBI told us." Judy answered. "Other than that, we don't really know anything. There was so little evidence collected back then, we have almost nothing."
Jack tapped away on his mobile. Hitting send, a chime from across the table could be heard. Judy pulled her phone out to see she had a text from him with an attachment before giving him a look. "I never got rid of your contact info in my phone." Jack admitted. "I had hoped that I'd get to see you again and mend our relationship. I see now that's never gonna happen."
"Damn straight." Nick muttered, just loud enough for them all to hear. He felt Judy pat his leg and gave her waist a squeeze, using the paw he had on it from when he pulled her closer after Skye's flirtation. "This doe's mine, Stripes. Go find another."
Nicholas Senior kicked his son under the table. "Nicky, behave yourself before Judy whips your ass." He watched as his son looked over at his doe to see the death glare being sent his way and wince. "Now then. If I'm not mistaken, that text has everything the ZIA has on the Apex Omnivore, combined with Interpol's data." Gesturing at Skye, he said, "Skye here works for the ZBI. She'll be our liaison with their home office. Jack will be the same, but for the ZIA." Pulling a toothpick from his pocket, he stuck it in his maw, saying, "This morning, another victim was discovered. It's the aunt of that bat you two found in the trunk weeks ago. She's alive, but just barely. We'll run by the hospital after going to the crime scene. I hope you both have experience with the Nocturnal District."
Precinct One
Chief Bogo felt as if though he was drowning. The world, despite the sunlight, seemed far darker to him now that another victim of the Apex Omnivore was rushed to Emergency Surgery that morning. After hosting a conference call with the other precinct chiefs, Bogo really wanted a drink. The drawback was it would end his weeklong sobriety. Sighing, he stood and walked towards the evidence board.
The photographs that covered the damn thing were mostly black and white, hailing from before coloured photographs. These images weren't on the main evidence board, being far too gruesome. Even he had a difficult time stomaching the sight of them. The buffalo didn't like the idea that such a sadistic killer lived and walked among those who called Zootopia home.
Clawhauser entered Chief Bogo's office, carrying another file full of photos from the most recent crime scene. Wolford had covered the shift for another wolf who fell ill and ended up getting the call. The pictures were definitely going to leave both the cheetah and wolf with nightmares for a long time. They'd probably need to schedule sessions with the precinct's psychotherapist too.
"Chief?" Clawhauser said in a soft voice. "I've got the photos you requested of the assault on Mrs. Batsarab." He placed the folder on the Chief's desk. "You're going to want to set yourself an appointment with the psychotherapist afterwards."
"Thank you, Clawhauser." Bogo replied, not taking his eyes off the evidence board. "I'll look at them in a bit." He hated this, feeling useless when the inhabitants of his city needed him the most. However, he and his subordinates were doing their best. It was just that their best wasn't good enough.
"Sir," Clawhauser began. "Please don't beat yourself up over this. No one even imagined that this case would ever get reopened. How was anyone to know that the killings would start up again after all this time?"
A heavy, tired sigh escaped Bogo. He knew Clawhauser was right. The resurgence of the killings was something that caught everyone by surprise. The first murder took place three months, one week, and five days ago. Bogo had mental notes to remember the exact day each murder occurred. The first victim was killed while in solitary confinement. Of course, no one bothered crying over the death of Dawn Bellwether, but it was still a crime that needed to be investigated. The second victim had surfaced three months and two days ago. The victim, Henrietta Moley [Mow-Lay], was recovered from a bowl of soup at a high-end restaurant. The soup had been the Mayor's own order, prompting the investigation to get prioritized. The third victim was when the realization of who was committing the murders hit them.
The cheetah stood watching the unmoving buffalo for a couple of minutes before making his way back to the reception desk. There was a couple of mammals that surrounded it: Wolford, Fangmeyer, Bernhard Hotch, and Marcus. Clawhauser slipped back into his seat and managed to catch the last bits of conversation.
"You don't think…."
"I mean, it'd make sense wouldn't it?"
"But…Interspecies?"
"They are always together, both on the job and off it."
Clawhauser dreaded what would probably be said if it was revealed that Nick and Judy were indeed in an intimate, romantic relationship. Every single cop knew that Bernhard was desperately trying to seduce Judy and had been since he got assigned to Precinct One. Clawhauser had even told the buck it was pointless, but of course, his words went in one ear and out the other.
Wolford and Fangmeyer were very open about their sexual preferences. It was actually why they were no longer allowed to work as partners. The wolf and tigress had sat through the long, grueling process of IAB interviewing them just to remain assigned at Precinct One together. Outside of a select few, which included Clawhauser, no one knew of their relationship, or even the fact they lived together. As for Marcus, he seemed to possess a very opened mind when it came such topics. Clawhauser didn't ask why, he was just thankful that the Siberian Husky didn't take an anti-interspecies stand.
"Nope. No way. There's just no way that Hopps is even remotely interested in Wilde sexually." Bernhard stated, matter-of-factly. Crossing his arms, the buck nodded to himself, saying, "She's just playing hard to get. I'll eventually…" He didn't get to finish as Marcus whacked him so hard upside the back of his head.
"Bernie," Marcus began, voice so devoid of emotion that it frightened them. "Shut the fuck up already and get it through your goddamn thick skull that Hopps would rather die old and alone than rut you. There ain't a snowball's chance in Hell that she'll accept you as anything other than a colleague. If you keep this up, I'll help Wilde skin your ass. Capiche?"
Bernhard shrank in on himself as the others nodded in agreement. "But…" He was silenced by the collective death glare that they all directed at him.
"Didn't know you're accepting of interspecies couples, Marcus." Wolford stated.
"I don't understand it, but that don't mean I can't accept it." Marcus replied with a shrug. "If they're happy, who am I to say different. Besides, I was there when Wilde forced the Chief into submission. I ain't got no desire to end up like that."
A shudder ran through everybody except Hotch, who hadn't witnessed it.
Although, thinking back on it, what had caused Wilde's transformation was the Chief's threat towards Hopps. That should have clued them all in on Wilde's protectiveness towards her. In retrospect, it made the fact that Bernhard was still alive something of a miracle. Hopps hadn't seen the sparring match either since at the time she was dealing with a bunch of backlogged paperwork that was way overdue.
"You know," Wolford started saying. "I wish there was footage of it. That way, Bernhard could see how lucky he is to still be walking around."
"You could roll back the security footage." Clawhauser interjected. When everyone glanced at him, he clarified, "All you got to do is sign the tape out. Just make sure you return it. Bogo reviews that tape more often than his other sparring bouts."
Marcus grabbed Bernhard and made his way to do just that. Wolford and Fangmeyer stayed with Clawhauser, thanking the cheetah when he offered them each a donut. There wasn't really much to do. The night shift officers would be clocking out soon, only to be replaced with the day shift. Two months remained before the shifts swapped back. Everyone was ready for it to happen but knew it would be a pain to readjust their schedules once more.
"So, if it turns out that Hopps and Wilde are a thing, do either of you have any ideas on what we should do?" Fangmeyer asked, speaking for the first time since Clawhauser came back. "I mean, they're the first interspecies couple that transverses the boundaries of predator and prey. I haven't seen any other pred/prey couples."
"Because they have to hide better than we do." Wolford told her. "It's like the most forbidden taboo there is. Plus, think about this: Nick's a fox and Judy's a bunny. Their species are natural enemies. Add that to being a potential pred/prey couple and you're looking at the biggest targets you can imagine for hate, bigotry, and other similar reactions."
No one said anything after those words as they imagined what their friends would have to endure. Without saying anything, sharing only a glance between them, they agreed to protect their brother and sister in blue as best they could. The only question they had to deal with now was how to close the JTR serial killer case once and for all.
Nocturnal District
Fear.
That's what Vlad felt.
Fear, uncertainty, insecure, take your pick. Or, pick all of them.
The bat had returned to find police at his residence. His heart had nearly stopped beating realizing the error in his decision to leave her alone. The cops hadn't said anything as they investigated the scene. Vlad couldn't do anything but stand off to the side, out of their way. He wanted to rush to the hospital, to be with his wife, but fear of what they would find kept him paralyzed in place.
'They can't know the truth.' Vlad told himself mentally. 'They cannot learn of my involvement. If they do, everything I've ever done will be for nothing.'
Now, as he stood gazing down at the eviscerated form of his mate, Vlad wondered if it wasn't already for nothing. He couldn't tear his eyes away. She looked so fragile, so delicate, as if she would disappear if his eyes left her.
The doctor's words raced through his mind for the nth time in the last half hour.
"Near exsanguination."
"Multiple compound fractures throughout most of her body."
"She'll never fly again. Her wings are beyond reconstructive surgery."
"Coma."
Tears fell from Vlad's eyes ceaselessly. It could always be traced back to that bloody night. The night that Vlad had tried to erase from his memory. 'You can't outrun your past. It'll always catch up with you.' To Vlad, more truer words couldn't be said about his situation.
The doctor had to request that he leave, not wanting him to see the full extent of the damage as they changed and redressed her wounds. Vlad didn't have the will to argue. So instead, he flew home, hoping that the cops hadn't uncovered the items which would seal his fate.
Entering his study, Vlad stood before the large mirror. Grabbing one of the nearby candlesticks, the vampire bat smashed it repeatedly against the mirror until it shattered, revealing the entrance to a small room. Stepping through, Vlad swallowed thickly as his eyes adjusted to the nigh-nonexistent light coming from behind him.
Piles of dusty old books littered the room's floor and the desk within. Vlad took one look at them then proceeded to search for the journal that contained all the information he'd need. His phone started ringing, and at first, he was going to ignore it. However, a quick glance at the Caller ID had him answer. "Did he get to you as well?"
"If you're asking that then he's already gotten to you too." the coarse voice on the other end replied. "We need to meet with the others. How soon can you get here?"
"I'll take the first transport out." Vlad answered. "How is he not dead yet? You were the only one who ever had direct contact with him. Why didn't you see anything that indicated he was capable of this?"
"I don't know, Vlad." the gravelly voice shouted. "If I knew that I wouldn't be shitting my pants right now. I don't know how I missed the signs. It's very possible there were none because he's a psychopathic sociopath."
A sound came from the other end of the line, one that Vlad couldn't place. It sounded like someone beating on a wall. He heard his old acquaintance shout something unintelligible.
"Look, Vlad. Get the first transport out. This is our problem, so we have to be the ones to deal with it. We can't let anyone else because it would mean the world would know what we've done. That cannot happen. May the Father of Understanding guide us."
The call ended with a loud, resounding 'CLICK'.
ZTA Monorail en route to Zootopia's Nocturnal District
Nick and Judy were seated on one side of the monorail car with Nicholas Sr. and his entourage on the other. The group was en route to the Nocturnal District so that they could examine the crime scene. They had run by Precinct One for only a few minutes to inform Chief Bogo of their activities before heading out. The buffalo had shouted at them that they should have just called it in like normal officers then kicked them out of his office. Judy and Jackson were holding a civil conversation, but Nick found it amusing the level of animosity his doe was projecting solely at the buck, who wouldn't even meet her gaze.
Turning his attention to Ms. Glacier, Nick watched as she mouthed what she was reading from the file in her paws. The folder contained the primary findings of the crime scene they were on their way to visit. From what Nick could tell, it seemed as if though the arctic vixen was used to males falling for her. Nick wouldn't call her a slut, but more like a femme fatale who flaunted what she had to get what she wanted. The knowledge she was a ZBI agent didn't necessarily help her image as an enforcer of the law.
When he glanced at his father, Nick noticed that he was doing a crossword puzzle that looked as if though it was cut out of a newspaper. Nick couldn't help wondering what his dad's relationship was with his two companions. Had he been replaced? Or, had his father tried to fill the void in his heart created by the fact that he wasn't there for Nick when he desperately wanted to be?
Judy nudged Nick's side causing him to look at her. She gave her fox a concerned expression, noting the sadness in his eyes. The doe wanted to kiss him, hold him tight, and tell him everything was going to be alright. However, she couldn't, not while on the monorail in front of potentially biased, bigoted mammals. So, she settled for giving his tail, which was wrapped around her waist, a comforting squeeze. It did wonders to Nick's overall demeanor as he gave her a genuinely warm and tender smile.
"Arriving at the Nocturnal District ZTA Monorail Station." A feminine, electronic voice announced. "Please gather your items and prepare to disembark. If this is not your stop, please remain seated until we are back underway."
The Wilde Bunch stood and grabbed their things, which wasn't much, and got off the monorail. Skye tried to hail them a taxi, but her efforts proved futile. Nick, guiding Judy with a paw on her back, stepped up next to the arctic vixen and held out a paw with a folded, yet crisp $100 bill out. There was a loud screech of brakes being hit as a taxi came to a halt right in front of them.
"Gotta know how things work around here if you're planning on doing anything." Nick stated as he helped Judy inside the cab then got in himself.
Skye grumbled under her breath as she climbed in followed by Jack and Nicholas Sr. The older tod just shook his head while Jack rolled his eyes at Skye's kit-like response to realizing her looks wouldn't do a damn thing in her favor. Judy just shot the arctic vixen an apologetic look, which was ignored.
The journey to the address Nicholas Sr. had given the driver took roughly twenty to thirty minutes. Certain areas were congested by traffic causing the supposedly 15-minute trip to take longer. When they finally reached their destination, Nick gave the driver the hundred plus an extra twenty for getting them their quicker by using roads less traveled.
Staring at the home, Judy found herself a bit concerned by what they would find inside. Crime Scene Cleanup hadn't exactly had a chance to visit the place yet. Feeling Nick's paw on her shoulder, it gave her the courage to continue.
Blood painted the walls, furniture was broken, all sorts of signs indicating the victim fought back as best she could. It was truly a nauseating sight that welcomed them. The odor that permeated the abode was pungent, making them cringe at the smell. The most prominent was the scent of immolated flesh coming from the stovetop. This is where they found evidence that the JTR Mauler had cooked and eaten the flesh of Mrs. Batsarab's wings.
Moving carefully throughout the house, as not to disturb any potential evidence, everyone examined the area closely. Nicholas Sr. remained in the main room, which was the site most of it took place. The walls, painted with copious amounts of blood, still had photographs hanging on display. 'The sick fuck.' he thought, looking at the intricate designs made in the blood. 'It looks like an eye. As if he's saying that he's watching us.'
Skye and Jack each went into separate rooms, finding more evidence of a struggled having taken place. Snapping photos with their phones for comparison, they continued onto the next. Neither bothered to keep track of Nick nor Judy.
Nick didn't know what it was that drew him and Judy towards the master bedroom. It was like something was pulling them there, something ominous. They hesitated briefly in front of the door before opening it. The smell that assaulted their olfactory senses was putrid, causing them to gag strongly. Somehow keeping the small meal that they had just partaken within their stomachs, the tod and doe crossed the threshold.
Underneath the odor of decomposition, the smell of sex was identifiable. Nick puked into his maw a tiny bit upon realizing it. Together alongside Judy, he scrutinized every item in the room. The sheets which were on the bed were strewn about as if two mammals had rutted. The mental image had Nick make a mental note to see the psychotherapist with Judy before the doc left for the night. Blood coated almost everything, from the bedsheets to the walls, and even the ceiling fan, which creaked a bit as it slowly turned on it's lowest setting, splattering more blood everywhere.
"Nick. Come look at this." Judy stated, pointing at the television, which had a small post-it note that had the words 'Play Me ;)'. Judy wondered how it was possible that no one had seen it earlier. Then she realized that it was possible their quarry had returned and placed it.
Clicking the Play Button on the remote, Nick stood beside Judy as maniacal cackling echoed throughout the residence. He held onto her as it was soon accompanied by the wailing sobs of agony from a female. There was no real image, just audio, but that was enough to give birth to a much more frightening mental picture.
"Please." the female pleaded. "Please, stop. I beg of you. Please."
"Hmm. No." the voice of the JTR Mauler stated sadistically. "I was never given any mercy. Why should you receive special treatment? Because you're his wife? Nope. Sorry, darling. That ain't happening."
"Why? Why are you doing this?" the female sobbed.
"Why? Oh, that's a fun little story. Would you like to hear it? Yes? Oh, goodie, goodie, goodie. Story time! I love story time, and this one is my favorite. Ready? So, a long, long time ago, a young mammal was kidnapped and taken to a place where his worst nightmares were brought to life. The leader was never around to keep his minions in line. One such minion was a vampire bat named Vlad Batsarab, who oversaw the horrible things that happened there. He never got directly involved with the horrors, but his doing nothing only made things worse."
"Now, the young mammal that was kitnapped received brutal punishments. He was whipped, beaten, tortured, and pushed to the point of insanity. Over time these treatments became less and less effective. The young mammal killed one of his abusers then another and another. The cycle continued for a very, very long time, until things escalated."
"Years went by like the blink of an eye, and Vlad Batsarab, along with all his friends, were soon awarded for their perceived success in some experimental project they were doing concerning the young mammal and the others imprisoned there. Seeking revenge, the young mammal broke free from his cell and began to terrorize and slaughter everyone in sight. The facility was locked down. In order to escape, the mammal did something drastic: he blew the building and those nearby sky-high."
"No longer having a purpose in life, the young mammal, who had somehow survived, began to plan out how to get revenge on those who had done this to him. So, a-hunting he went. Traveling the world, he went on a killing spree, eliminating every single member of the group that he could find, saving Vlad for a place of honor. To Vlad, the young mammal was going to make him suffer everything that was done to him seven times over."
The female's screams began anew. The sounds that followed were easily identifiable as those of a cock pounding away at the sex of a female. The loud wet slurps forced Judy to cover her ears and bury her head into Nick's chest. The cackling and sounds of sadistic pleasure came almost immediately afterwards.
Back in the living room, Nicholas Sr. could hear everything coming from the television. His eyes focused on the one picture left untouched by blood. The photograph showed Vlad Batsarab and a whole team of researchers in white lab coats of varying species.
"I want you to always remember these words, my dear." JTR stated. "All this is your husband's fault. None of this had to happen. If only he hadn't pushed and pushed and pushed until the poor young mammal broke. What's happening to you, all the murders, here and overseas, all of it comes back to your precious husband."
Sr.'s eyes narrowed, glaring daggers at the picture of Vlad among his colleagues. He was looking at the face of, not the monster, but the mammal behind it. 'Now, all we need to do, is find you.' Sr. thought.
Post-Chapter Author's Note:
You're all probably wondering about the bizarre little thing at the beginning of this chapter. I stumbled across it by sheer chance and fell in love with it. Problem is that I can't remember where I came across it.
Anyway, it's important because I wanted to give you a sense of what to expect not in this chapter but the next.
The chapter following this one is titled 'History Repeats'.
I've got most of it written, meaning that it's finished and that I'm trying to clean it up.
'History Repeats' will begin with an opening segment in the present before going into a rather strange writing style.
The main body of the chapter is unique in that it interweaves multiple flashbacks from the time of the original murders and those of the current time.
The issue is making easy to identify which era is which and making it seem like one long, smooth sequence of events that are happening one after the other.
If the original murders were labeled 'A' and the current ones 'B' then the sequence would be read 'A''B''A''B''A''B''A''B' yet also be read as if it were the same letter all the way through.
It really is a challenge to pull off successfully. I hope I achieve it.
Regardless, the ending segment of 'History Repeats' will take place in the present, and we'll learn a bit about The Apex Omnivore/JTR Mauler/etc.
Until next time.