Okay so I posted this last night and forgot that I had not proofread it yet, so that's why it showed as updated to you guys and there was no new chapter. Sorry! Ask the Cast time!
TheAssasin2 asks: Hunter, how many hunts have you and your pack done?
Hunter leans his head up and thinks.
Hunter: I started back with-
Arrowsight glares warily at Hunter, shoe at the ready.
Hunter: Since I was in my twenties. I'm 57 now.
Guest asks: Laura, do you like Jack Savage?
Laura blushes from the sudden question
Laura: I just met him yesterday. He seems likable, I guess. But I don't like him THAT way.
Floreloyx asks: I was wondering if you write an outline before starting or if this just comes to you as you go?
Arrowsight: I don't write an outline, but I play the chapter out in my head from time to time. Some of the stuff happens on the fly and suddenly. But as for like, the CORE of the plot, I already know what I wanna do with it most of the time.
I've also noticed a lot of people calling me out on the whole 'shotgun vs bulletproof vest' thing, and I've done my research. A Kevlar vest can stop a standard shotgun shells. Shells are not built to pierce, but the danger is in the spread of the shells hitting areas that aren't covered. I'll have Nick explain a bit more in the chapter!
A big shout-out to Archangel12575 for helping me out with this chapter by explaining the legal process to me! Read and Review!
Four days after the Angus Panert and Libby Panert murders
Alissa Valpord stood in the center of the Court of Law in Zootopia. All around here, elevated podiums held the seats of Zootopia's Supreme Court. And in the back center of this circle, was the District Attorney of Zootopia. Whom oversees the whole of the Supreme Court as a leader.
Marshal Morevah, the District Attorney of Zootopia.
Marshal was an older male elephant. His skin a dark gray color. His eyes flickering light blue in the low light of the room, save for the spotlight in the center of the room. His podium was much larger than the others, and also the tallest standing among the circle. The podiums alternating color from brown, to light brown. On the front of the podium, was a sigil of two mallets crossed over each other. A symbol to show the Supreme Court.
Standing at a small hallway just before the opening of the courtroom, was James Marco. Keeping his head down low, and his green lens glasses over his eyes. Clearly trying to not draw attention to himself.
Alissa Valpord spoke up to Marshal. "I have called you here on behalf of Zootopia's justice system. As director of the ZSF, it is my job to ensure the safety of Zootopia's citizens from foreign affairs. But as well, we ensure safety among ourselves."
Marshal folded his heavy hands together, leaning towards Alissa. "You may continue, Director Valpord."
Alissa nodded. "Thank you. This particular case relates back to one Nicolas Piberius Wilde, and his involvement in Tracy Snowly's and Ricky Snowly's deaths."
One of the judges from the left of Marshal spoke up. "Wilde was granted a pardon by the mayor, due to his assistance with stopping Leon Snowly."
Alissa turned to the judge, her eyes cold and harsh as she glared down the judge. "Yes, that is true. But there are several factors that the mayor did not consider. If Nick Wilde had not killed Tracy or Ricky, the entire Growler Incident would never have occurred. Two lives were lost that day, which lead to more being lost on the first attack on Sahara Square, and on City Hall by Leon Snowly's revenge instigated by Nick Wilde."
Alissa turned to the judge and continued. "The mayor has shown repeatedly that he is incompetent. First with Bellwether, then his denial to allow Leon Snowly to pursue Nick Wilde only made things worse. Even though Leon had full reason to, and had enough evidence to grant him a warrant."
Marshal narrowed his eyes a bit. "This isn't about Leon Snowly, Director. Stay on track."
Alissa hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes Sir, I'm getting to that. My point is, that Nick Wilde started the whole thing which lead to the deaths of not only the Snowly family, but others affected by Leon. And he should be held accountable for those actions."
A different judge closer to the hallway exit spoke up. "While that is true, Nick Wilde did assist in saving millions of lives when he, and Judith Hopps killed Leon Snowly. Nick personally saving the city when he destroyed the Growler Gas canister."
Alissa turned to the judge with the same cold stare. "None of which would have happened without Nick's decision to murder two innocents."
Alissa turned back to Marshal. Her eyes strong, and confident. As well as stern and calculated. "If the lives affected were only Tracy and Ricky, I would recommend a full pardon for his actions at City Hall. However, many lives were lost at Sahara Square, and City Hall due to his actions. As Director of the ZSF, I exercise my authority to meet out punishment to Nicolas Wilde in the form of a full criminal trial."
For a long while, Marshal sat silent. This made Alissa a bit nervous. She had dealt with Marshal many times before. The old saying 'an elephant never forgets' is very true in Marshal's case. Marshal was quick to reach a decision if it was an easy one for him to make. If he was silent, he was deep in thought. His eyes seemed to drift as he continued to ponder the case before him.
"And what would he be charged with?" Asked a judge, breaking the silence.
Alissa responded swiftly. "Accessory to Terrorist Actions. As well as Second Degree Depraved Heart Homicide."
There was a muttering of unease among the judges. "Depraved Heart Homicide is a life sentence alone. How long do you wish the sentencing to be?" Asked Marshal, causing the other judges to silence.
"At least 15 years, in light of his assistance with bringing down Leon Snowly, and his outstanding service as a police officer." responded Alissa.
Marshal fell silent again. A few minutes passed before his deep, booming voice rang out. "This could negatively impact your election campaign, Director Valpord."
Alissa nodded. "Yes, but it can also benefit me. I'm not the only one who think Nicolas Wilde got off too easy."
Marshal nodded once. "And others see him as a hero. This is something you should consider."
Alissa gritted her teeth in irritation, careful not to let Marshal notice. "With all due respect, The Honorable Marshal Morevah, I have weighed all my options and outcomes of this decision. It's why I'm here today."
Marshal once again sat in silence. Pondering on if he should whether or not allow Alissa to prosecute Nick Wilde.
Alissa watched as he sat up straight and prepared to speak.
Meanwhile, at the ZPD – Two Days Later
Laura Lynks sat patiently in her newly given office. It was a rather small office, but respectable. Due to having just moved in, all she had was a department store quality desk, and a few filing cabinets. Laura was waiting patiently for someone, anxiously tapping her foot against the floor. She had no current leads to pursue on the murders, so she decided to focus her attention on something else that would help the case, and Zootopia as a whole.
She did not have to wait long as Jack Savage entered the office, smiling in greeting as he closed the door behind him.
"Got your own office now huh? Moving up the chain?" asked Jack, a light grin on his face as he walked towards Laura's desk.
Laura shrugged lightly and smiled back at Jack. "Bogo said I can use it temporarily. But if I crack this case I can keep it as Zootopia's lead investigator."
Jack sat at the chair in front of the desk. "Alright Investigator, why did you call me here today?" asked Jack, neatly folding his paws over his lap.
Laura leaned forward on her desk lightly and hardened her expression a bit. "Well, it's about these murder cases and also much more than that. I've spent the last few days talking this over with Bogo, and I've been given the 'go-ahead' to do this. I want to start up a Counter Terrorism Unit here in Zootopia. And I'd like you to help me."
Jack blinked and stared at Laura, rather surprised at this turn of events. "A Counter Terrorism Unit? Can you elaborate on that?" he asked.
Laura nodded. "Yes. A team of trained specialists in their fields to act and react to terrorist threats, and actions. Much like what the ZSF does outside of Zootopia's city limits, but this would be directly inside of the city. Such as situations like the Growler Incident."
After a few moments, Jack nodded quickly. "A response team, in other words?"
Laura nodded again, smiling lightly. "Exactly! I think with Leon Snowly, criminals are starting to see that the ZPD has limits to what it can do, as well as the ZSF. And in all honesty... they're right. I mean, we have four murders on our plates, threats of more, and no arrests."
"I understand, but what do you need me for?" asked Jack.
Laura leaned up in her seat lightly to get more comfortable. "You are an agent in the ZIA with a track record of success. Also, I think you are the best lead I have to these murders because it seems like you know something about it. You have experience with shaping people into agents, and carrying out sensitive missions. Basically, you and I will lead this Zootopia Counter Terrorism Unit together."
Jack scratched his chin lightly as he thought over the proposition laid before him. While it was true, Zootopia had no immediate way to respond to a terrorist attack, some would say that's what the ZPD is for. Would a team like this be seen as undermining the ZPD itself? Considering that Bogo has already given Laura permission to make this team, that seemed unlikely. Even Bogo was beginning to see the need for a team like this.
Jack smiled at Laura and nodded. "Alright, I'll help you. But I have a speech to get to in a few hours announcing my running for mayor."
Laura smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Alright so I wanna send out application papers to the ZPD first, and see if any officers wanna take a shot at it. We should also see if anyone in the IT department would want to join. We should have a network specialist too."
Jack paused as Laura mentioned the IT department, as well as the officers in the ZPD. "Well... I think I know someone to be our network specialist... Getting him will be a challenge though."
Laura looked up at Jack curiously. "Who did you have in mind?"
Several hours later, Zootopia Central Station – 10:50 am
Nick and Judy stood at Zootopia's Central Station around mid day. The sun high in the sky, bearing light and heat down on the partial glass roof.
The train station was crowded, as it usually was. All different kinds of animals coming on and off the trains as they came to and from their destinations. Some going to their jobs, others visiting for vacations. Some going home after a vacation, or going to visit family members that lived outside of the city. Such as when Judy would visit her parents.
Nick sat patiently on a bench with Judy. Nick dressed in his usual green shirt, and gray pants. Judy dressed in a red t shirt and blue jeans, leaning on Nick's arm.
Judy looked up at Nick with big pouty eyes. "I'm gonna miss you." she cooed in a childish, but adoring voice.
Nick smiled down at Judy and kissed her lightly on the nose. "I'll miss you too my fluffball." said Nick adoringly.
A long while passed before Nick spotted Elias walking through the crowd, holding a suitcase for his luggage. Elias spotted Nick and Judy sitting on the bench and walked over to them with a light smile on his face.
"Glad to see you made it, Son. And nice to see you as well, Judy." said Elias as he walked up to the bench
Judy gave a polite nod and and a smile. "You too Mister Wilde." she said cheerfully.
Elias shook his head and held up his free paw. "Please, you can just call me Elias. If you are... dating my son you can call me by name." said Elias, hesitating in his sentence.
Nick sighed lightly as he knew the time to leave had come. He grabbed his suitcase and stood up. "Well, should we get going? Train's gonna leave any minute."
Elias looked down at his watch and nodded, frowning a bit. "Yes. I'm sorry I'm so late. I had to speak with an associate of mine about his progress in the city."
Judy stood up with Nick, cocking her head curiously at Elias. "An associate? Whom, if I may ask?"
Elias waved his paw at Judy and shook his head to discourage her. "Oh just a small work group I had brought here. Nothing serious. Anyway, let's get going Nick. It's a long ride to Zoocia. We're in First Class." said Elias as he boarded the train.
Nick turned to Judy, smiling softly. "Well, I guess this is it huh?" said Nick. Having realized that he and Judy have never been apart for more than a day ever since the Growler incident. Now he would be gone for at most, a week.
Judy nodded, giving a sad smile up to Nick. Her ears drooping as she spoke. "Yeah... a whole week without you. Gonna be lonely in the apartment without you."
Nick paused for a moment and smiled lightly. "You should visit your family on your next day off. I bet they'd love to have you over." suggested Nick. Knowing that Stu and Bonnie always looked forward to seeing Jude the Dude. While the family was tolerant of Nick, they still held some resentment over the simple fact that he was a fox. The bite scars on Judy's neck didn't help much either.
"You know, I should! I haven't seen them since you and I last went over there." Judy said rather excitedly.
Nick smiled and leaned down, wrapping his arms around Judy and pulling her close. Judy returned the embrace, running her paws over his soft, but coarse fur. For a long moment, they held each other. Neither side wanting to let go of the other. They had never been apart for longer than a day. Both of them had gotten used to the others company, so being apart was something somewhat new to them. Even if it was for a short while.
The ring of the clock snapped them from their trance, Nick and Judy finally letting go of the other. Nick smiled and picked up his suitcase. "See you in a few days, Carrots. I'll call you once I get there if it's not too late."
Judy smiled lightly and nodded. Feeling sad that her Nick was leaving, but she didn't want to stop him. They would have to learn to be separated from time to time not only for their relationship, but for their job too. "Take care, Nick. Bring me back a souvenir!" said Judy cheerfully.
Nick smirked and ruffled the fur on top of Judy's head between her ears. "For sure. See you later." said Nick as he turned and walked towards the front of the train where the first class cabins were placed.
Elias, waiting by the door, showed the two badges to the ticket master, who promptly let them on the train. Unlike the smaller trains that traveled to outlying towns and cities outside of Zootopia, this was a different train. Larger, faster, and built to travel between all three of the regions.
In the first class section, each 'seat' was more or less a small room. A couch, a lounge chair, and a satellite television on the wall. Each seat was blocked off in booths to the other passengers to allow privacy. A hallway allowing access to leave the rooms if necessary.
Elias guided Nick to their seat, Seat B. Elias opened the door and walked in, Nick following. Spotting the couch along the right wall, and a lounge chair in the corner bolted into the floor. The fabric a soft gray color. The floors were a short, gray carpet color that matched the couch and chair. Curtains over the window to block the view until they wanted to open the curtains. The large flat-screen on the wall across from the couches and chairs was currently on standby, the logo of the train company bouncing around the screen slowly.
Nick smiled and admired the room. "It might be plainly colored, but it still looks cozy." said Nick as he walked over and placed his suitcase on a luggage rack above the couch.
Elias nodded and did the same, pushing his suitcase back. "Yeah they know cozy. I sleep on these couches all the time. It's kinda like a second bed to me with how much I have to travel regularly." explained Elias.
Elias walked to the lounge chair and put his paws behind his head. "It's a long ride from here to Zoocia. 17 hours. Better get comfy." said Elias as he closed his eyes.
Nick walked to the blinds and opened them, looking out to the station. He saw Judy standing there looking along the windows to see if she could spot him. Sure enough, she did and started to wave. Nick waved back and smiled, blowing her a kiss.
Judy smiled and acted as if she caught it and held it to her chest. Nick lurched a bit as the train began to move, regaining his balance and waving to Judy. She waved back as the train carried her beloved away.
Just before the train left the station fully, Nick saw a few large burly animals walk in with black suits, watching as the train left.
Nick sighed once Judy was out of sight and sat down on the couch. Elias was right, the couch was extremely comfy. It felt like an overstuffed bed rather than a couch. Nick lay on his side softly and looked at the television. The logo of the railway, Mamtrack, still bounced around the screen slowly. Nick closed his eyes, letting himself sink into slumber.
Judy turned around once the train was out of sight, walking up the stairs towards the exit of the station. Judy looked up to see the two burly men at the top of the stairs in black suits and sunglasses. One of them a tiger, and the other a rhino. Both of the mammals were wearing a earpiece with a clear, spiral cord coming out of it. A small microphone along their jawline by their mouths. The rhino had his finger to his ear, and was speaking in a hushed tone.
Due to a rabbit's excellent hearing, Judy was able to hear him talk with a tilt of her ear. "We just missed him. A Trans-regional train... Yes ma'am she's here... Yes." The rhino tapped the tiger on the shoulder and pointed to Judy.
Judy stopped dead in her tracks as the tiger approached. "Miss Hopps?" he asked, his voice steady and professional.
"Yes?" replied Judy, curious as to what the tiger would want. But she had a few guesses due to the black suits and sunglasses. Usually a calling card for either Mr. Big, or the ZSF. Since these were not polar bears, Judy assumed that this was the ZSF.
The tiger looked around for a moment before nodding towards a large alcove to the side of the station. No one was inside the alcove. "May we speak to you there? We need to ask you a few questions." said the tiger.
Judy paused and nodded, having a suspicion that these two wouldn't let her leave till they got what they wanted. Judy walked to the alcove, looking down the hallway it was connected to. The hallway was bare, and Judy was completely alone with the tiger and the rhino.
"Don't be alarmed, Miss Hopps. We just have a few questions about Nick Wilde on behalf of the ZSF." said the rhino in a calming, but low voice.
Judy nodded and crossed her arms, looking up at the pair. "Alright, go ahead." sassed Judy.
The tiger nodded once and pulled out a small notepad. "Where is Nicolas Wilde?"
"On his way to Zoocia with his father. He was invited to a fundraiser to get to know his father better." Said Judy, intentionally leaving out the part about Elias's proposition to have Nick be his assistant mayor.
The tiger nodded and wrote down on his pad. The rhino spoke next. "When will be return?"
Judy turned her eyes to the rhino. "Probably a few days. He doesn't even know exactly what day."
The rhino and the tiger look at each other. The tiger writes something down then presses his finger to his earpiece. "It's unknown when Wilde will return ma'am."
After a few moments, the rhino gave a surprised look before turning his gaze to Judy. The rhino pulled the earpiece out, and took the microphone off. "Place this in your ear, and speak into the microphone Miss Hopps." instructed the rhino.
Judy, rather surprised, took the earpiece and microphone. The earpiece was oddly a near perfect fit despite her size. A bunny and a rhino must have similarly sized ear canals. Judy held the small microphone up to her mouth. "Hello?"
"Miss Hopps? This is Alissa Valpord. Director of the ZSF."
Judy's eyes widened a bit as she realized who she was talking to. Why would the ZSF be asking questions about Nick? "Good morning Director Valpord. How can I help you?" Judy asked in a professional tone.
"I need you to do something for me. Something very easy. Once you know what day and time that Nick Wilde is going to return to Zootopia, I need you to call or text me immediately." instructed Alissa.
Judy paused for a while as she questioned Alissa's intentions silently. "May I ask why, Director Valpord?" asked Judy.
"No you may not." barked Alissa quite suddenly. Causing Judy to flinch a bit. "Just do as you're told, Hopps. I assure you, Nick is not in any harms way. But I have to know the time and day he'll be back in Zootopia for ZSF matters. Once it's fine for you to know, you'll know. Now, here's my cell phone number."
Judy quickly fumbled her phone out and added Alissa Valpord to her contacts. While Judy was concerned as to Alissa Valpord's intentions, she knew that crossing her would be bad for both her, and Nick.
But she did know one thing, if the ZSF was looking for Nick, odds are it isn't for a positive reason. But not doing as Valpord asked, could spell even more trouble.
Hours later, Mamtrack Train
Nick woke to the sound of talking. Nick slowly opened his eyes, noticing that the blinds had been pulled closed to lower the light in the room. Once Nick's eyes adjusted, he sat up and saw Elias sitting on the recliner. Elias's ear turned and he looked over at Nick, a phone held up to his ear.
"Alright, well you'll hear from me soon." Said Elias, holding up his finger to ask Nick to wait. "Yeah... Yeah that's what should happen after its done... Yeah go right back home and wait for me to get a hold of you. I have to go. Bye." Elias quickly hung up the phone, sighing slightly.
Nick, sensing a hint of irritation coming from his father, spoke up. "Who was that?" Nick asked.
Elias shook his head. "An associate of mine. He's carrying out a big job and I was just following up with him to make sure everything's going as planned. Anyway, how'd you sleep?" he asked.
Nick stretched his neck lightly, surprised at how well rested he felt. "Really good for sleeping on a couch." said Nick groggily.
"I'm telling you, those couches are awesome." Elias said as he stood up. "I'm heading to the bar. You want something? You seem like a whiskey kinda guy."
Figuring that just one drink wouldn't hurt, Nick nodded. "Alright, Crown's good." replied Nick.
Elias nodded and smirked. "Best generic choice out there. I'll have to introduce you to some exotics sometime." commented Elias as he walked out of the room.
Once Elias was gone, Nick turned his gaze to the TV. Elias had turned on the local multinational news, which was now focusing strongly on politics at this point due to the running for mayor coming up soon. So far, Lionheart, and Alissa Valpord are confirmed to be in the running, and have already given a speech.
Lionheart spoke of how he would step up his game, and no longer tolerate such slack in terms of his policies, as well as background checks for newer people allowed into the city in higher power positions. Mainly referring to his decision to hire Leon Snowly as a 'catastrophic oversight'.
Valpord spoke of making Zootopia a much stronger society as a whole, and showing the Eastern and Northern Regions that Zootopia is a dominate power. Tensions have been strained between the regions due to trade reforms, as well as some cases of subterfuge between the nations. Not for any known reason, but more for those 'we're checking on you' situations.
Currently, the screen showed a podium stand with members of the press seated in front of it. Zootopia's flag mounted on the wall behind the podium. The headline on the screen read, "Savage to give a speech."
Savage? Jack Savage? This was the question Nick asked himself. Jack did mention he was running for mayor. Was this his first speech to tell the city of his candidacy? Nick had talked to Jack Savage a few times, and he seemed like a guy with his head on straight for the most part. And it would be interesting to have a ZIA agent as Zootopia's mayor.
Nick's trail of thought was interrupted as Jack walked out onto the stage. Wearing his usual black suit, white undershirt, and black tie. He waved to the crowds as he walked up to the podium, hopping up on a small platform so his head could be level with the microphones.
The cameras flashed, causing Jack to flinch a bit from the stinging light. He waited till the cameras finally stopped flashing before clearing his throat. "Good afternoon ladies and gentleman. I've called the press here today to make a statement."
Jack lowered his head for a moment and shuffled nervously before looking back up, smiling confidently. "The city council has approved my candidacy to run for Zootopia's next mayor."
The crowd burst into questions and camera flashes. Many of them holding up microphones and shouting as loudly as they could, hoping that their questions could be answered. Jack kept silent, waiting for the crowd to quiet down a bit. "Ladies and Gentleman, let me make a few statements before I start answering questions, please."
The crowd soon sat silent and waited. The occasional camera flash lighting up the room.
"I have been approved for about a month now. A few months prior, I expressed my intentions to run for mayor to Bogo personally." explained Jack. Nick recalled the talk show where he called the mayor out for allowing Bellwether to be his assistant mayor. "Zootopia, is an amazing city. And I am honored to have served it in the way I have for my career. As mayor, I will keep the concept of Zootopia alive, and thriving. A city where 'Anyone can be Anything.' No matter what species we are, or what our species is prone to be, we can be greater than what society would normally see us as. And we have exemplary citizens to support this statement. Not only do we have a rabbit officer, but also a fox. These are the true values that Zootopia was founded on. We will look to our children, and support their dreams without doubt that they can achieve them. We will be able to tell the young adults preparing to go to college, that they will succeed. Because in Zootopia, Anyone can be Anything."
There was a brief pause as Jack looked at his podium for a moment, as if regretting what he was about to say. He looked up and took in a deep breath. "Questions."
The crowd burst into noise again and camera flashes. Jack pointed to one of the reporters.
"What's your stand on the recent scares that Predators may continue to go savage?" asked the reporter.
Jack nods. "I've been working for the ZIA as an agent for 10 years. My experience tells me that predators don't simply 'go savage without cause.' Bellwether used her Savage serum, and Snowly used his Growler serum. None of that, was the predators fault and they should not be blamed for it, or feared."
Jack pointed to another reporter. "Do you know who your Assistant Mayor will be yet?"
Jack shook his head. "Not yet, no. I have a few people in mind, and I wont say here for obvious reasons. The press will know immediately after I do."
After searching around the room, Jack pointed to another reporter. "What's your progress on the recent homicides plaguing Zootopia of late?"
Jack smirked a bit. "Not really a political question, but I can answer that. Right now, I'm personally working with someone in the ZPD to have some countermeasures in place. I can't go into the details, but I'm confident we'll have our culprits soon."
The sound of the door opening pulled Nick's gaze away from the TV, Elias walking back in holding two glasses of brown liquid. The ice clinking around in the glass as he moved around. Elias closed the door behind him, and handed Nick one of the glasses. Nick grabbed it, feeling the cold glass against his paw pads.
He brought the glass up and sipped it, recognizing the familiar and unique taste of whiskey. Despite the liquid being cooled from the nice, it still went down warm. Warming up his throat and tongue as it always did with every taste.
The last time Nick drank, was when he had his mental breakdown after Leon blackmailed him into working with him. But this was different. He wasn't taking mouthfuls at a time to help him forget, or to calm his emotions. He was sipping it, and enjoying the relaxing feeling it gave once it began to kick in when you drink heavy liquor slowly.
Nick smiled as he pulled the glass away from his lips, licking the alcoholic drink from his teeth. Nick held his glass and looked up at the TV, seeing Jack still talking and answering questions. Elias stood next to Nick and watched, a solemn look in his eyes. "Another one I gotta run against huh? Man two in the ZSF... Gonna make things hard for me."
Nick looked at Elias for a moment and smirked. "Having second thoughts? Don't think you can top the bunny agent and bitch director?" Nick said snidely, his lips curling back a bit.
Elias smirked back and playfully struck Nick in the chest. "Not a chance. I got big plans."
Elias's fist struck one of Nick's bruises from the shotgun blast, causing him to recoil and groan, stumbling back to sit on the couch. Elias looked panicked over at Nick, worried he had hurt his son badly. "Oh crap, sorry! You alright?" he asked concerned.
Nick nodded and rubbed the bruise lightly, feeling the heat from the pain even under his shirt. "Yeah... Careful about my chest and torso. I'm still recovering from flying through a wall."
Elias blinked lightly, rather surprised. He sat down next to Nick on the opposite end of the couch, sipping more of his whiskey. "Oh I gotta hear this story." said Elias as he raised his eyebrow inquisitively.
Despite Elias not being a member of the ZPD, Nick knew it was alright for him to know some of the details of what happened during Mark Equin's arrest. Most of it was already public for the most part. So Nick explained what happened during the time he and Judy arrested him.
"After he pulled me out of that couch, I shot him in the stomach with a tranquilizer gun a few times." explained Nick as he neared the end of his story. "He dropped me, and I stepped back till I hit the wall. Maybe about ten feet or so? Anyway, he shot at me, but his aim was off because of the tranquilizer. I was hit with only the side of the cone of the slugs, but it still packed enough punch to force me through that wooden wall."
Elias listened, taking an occasional sip of his drink as Nick spoke. Eventually, he asked a question of his own. "Wouldn't a shotgun slug rip right through a bulletproof vest?"
Nick shook his head. "Depends on the vest you're wearing. I had a three-layered Kevlar vest with a plate insert. Pretty strong stuff. While shotguns pack a wallop, they don't have the actual construction to tear through a Kevlar vest. But that doesn't mean you're entirely safe. The kinetic energy from the shot can still cause major damage. But I got REALLY lucky, and only dealt with the outer cone of the shrapnel, and due to the distance the kinetic impact was lessened. Plus my plate insert absorbed a lot of it too."
Elias winced a bit and shook his head. "Still must have hurt."
"Like getting hit with a bat. Knocked the wind out of me for a second, and left some nasty bruises. Nothing broken, and no internal bleeding. The guy that examined me suggested I play the lottery." said Nick, chuckling as he reached the end of that sentence.
Elias smirked as well. "Ya you really should have."
There was a long pause between them at this point. Seeming as if they had lost anything to talk about. Nick looked back up at the screen, seeing that the press conference had ended and the news reporters were discussing Jack's speech. One calling it a strong stand on Zootopia's founding ideals, while the other called it refusal to accept change to a growing society.
"So, if I'm gonna be your assistant mayor, what kind of things are you planning on doing?" Asked Nick, taking another sip of his drink as he turned to his father.
Elias leaned back on the couch, his arm resting over the back of it. He gently stirred the whiskey in his glass by tilting it in circles, the ice clinking loudly. "I want to bring Zootopia into a different light on the lines of progress. Looking back, the city did show some progression, yes. But it seemed more focused on personal ideals, rather than a true growth as a community."
Nick listened to his father, staying silent so he could finish. Elias leaned his head up, a smile touching his lips. "The ideas of 'Anyone can be Anything' is a good foundation, but not a strong one to support a city as large as Zootopia. Looking at it from a business perspective, it's good to build your foundation on an idea that everyone can get behind. The problem is, that idea will only work as far as it can possibly go. If you look at the predator and prey society, you can see that they're cohesive, but still separate in Zootopia. There's that ever hanging cloud of 'will that predator attack me?' that looms over each prey animal. I plan to have that type of thinking to be only a memory."
Nick leaned forward as Elias finished this statement. "And how are you gonna do that?" asked Nick. Having a little apprehension as to what he could reply.
Elias closed his eyes and lowered his head. "By showing the city that every animal is prone to natural tendencies that must be satisfied. When a female rabbit is pregnant, she will nest. When a male lioness sees his mate with another male, he'll react dominantly. A gazelle will seek to travel in a group, rather than alone. This is the natural order for all animals, based on what we are. And there's one true rule among all predators that we all eventually face." said Elias, opening his eyes and looking at Nick as if waiting for him to answer.
"The need to eat meat." said Nick.
Elias gave a single nod. "Exactly. I'm not going to allow predators to hunt prey in the streets, don't get that idea into your head. But, I will have something set up to where predators can satisfy those hunting urges and partake of the taste of real meat if they so wish. Mind you, it won't be cheap. But it'll be available."
Nick listened to his father speak. While his words did make sense, they were also fearful. One of those ideals where the outcome is good, but could also turn out bad at first glance. Nick smiled a bit as he recalled his earlier days hustling.
"You know, I came up with something kinda like that. An amusement park where predators could experience things like hunting, and adrenaline pumping activities. I woulda called it 'Wilde Times.' But, I just never got around to it." said Nick, reminiscing in his earlier years.
Elias smiled lightly at Nick, scratching his chin as he ran the idea over through his head. "Yeah you know, I see that working. Have carnival games and give out prizes. Sell synthetic meat at a discounted price, or even real imported meat if it ever became legal here in the Western Region. Roller coasters, flying chairs, and other thrill rides."
Nick smiled back at his dad. "Host local predator events, such as wolf howling at a full moon. Maybe some kind of elaborate, immersive hunting experience."
Elias's eyes watered a bit and his chest swelled with pride. He collected himself and smiled proudly at Nick. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"Oh stop it dad, don't get all mushy on me." said Nick, gently shoving his dad.
Elias chuckled and fell silent, his eyes turning to the TV to watch the news. Nick turned to watch it as well.
The news channel continued on for a long time, the news reporters covering all angles of the current three candidates. Covering their strong and weak points of their opening speeches. Elias listened intently as they spoke, wanting to get some insight on his competition. Nick listened, for all he could stand to pay attention to. Politics was never really his thing, which made his dilemma of being his fathers Assistant Mayor that much more difficult.
Hours passed as Nick and Elias watched the political news. Occasionally, one would start a small conversation with the other. Elias mainly asking how his mother was, and his relationship with Judy. The longest part of the conversations. Was when Nick told Elias the entire story about what happened with Leon Snowly, as well as the events of when he returned to Zootopia.
"Nick, what's your stand on Nature's Law?" asked Elias rather suddenly after a long period of silence.
Nick looked over at his father, sipping down the last of his whiskey which was watered down now. His head feeling a little woozy, and his body very warm and relaxed. "Well uh, I honestly think a lot of it is just... old fashion superstitious nonsense."
Elias raised his eyebrow curiously. "Really? What do you mean by that?" he asked.
Nick shrugged. "Well, I don't know all about how Nature's Law works. But I know it explicitly mentions cross species relationships being a bad thing and that it's against nature's way. And a few years ago, I'd agree. But now that I'm with Judy, I honestly feel as if it's meant to be. I don't feel like its wrong at all, like I was destined to be with her."
Elias paused for a long time. "Even if it means you two wont have children some day?" he asked.
Nick shrugged skeptically, his head shaking a bit. "I don't even know if Judy wants to HAVE kids. Besides, we can always adopt."
Elias paused for a moment before looking away, not saying anything further. Nick looked over at him from time to time, seeing a look of disgust, and resentment in his eyes. Nick figured that Elias must be a follower of Nature's Law. Knowing that a clash of ideals like that would hurt their relationship further, Nick decided not to talk about it further. As did Elias.
But why such a random question? Did Elias have a hidden meaning behind it? Nick knew that his father had mainly been working in the Eastern Region, where Nature's Law is most strongly practiced. Nick remembered the look on Elias's face when Judy told him she was dating Nick.
Come to recall, Judy said the words 'daughter-in-law' to him. Was Judy considering marrying Nick? They had only been together officially for about 4 months now. The average wait before marriage is usually a year. Maybe she was just teasing...but what if she wasn't? Was Nick ready to be married to her?
Call Nick old fashion like that, but Nick wanted to be the one to ask the big question to her, if the time ever came. As well, he wanted to talk to her father about it too. Nick already knows that Abigail, his mother, would be on board. And he honestly didn't care much about his father's opinion on the matter. Due to him only just recently coming back into his life. He would at least be at the wedding though... if he even wanted to go.
The hours continued to tick away slowly as the train ride continued. Nick noticing the sun going down after another few hours. Nick noticed that the landscape had changed quite drastically. Instead of lush, green vegetation and forests every few miles, the ground was somewhat dusty and orange colored. Long, beige colored grass lined the dusty ground. There were a few trees spaced far apart from each other, the leaves high off of the ground. Likely to capture as much sunlight as possible in the high noon hours. Nick could tell this place didn't get as much rain as the Western region. This must be the Eastern Region. The Kingdom of Zoocia would soon be on the horizon.
This kind of train was moving much faster than the regular trains that ran to the outer districts of Zootopia. Elias explained that the trains that went across the regions ran on a magnetic rail system, and ran entirely on electricity. Once the train was moving, the electricity generated from the movement would be enough to propel the train forward over 150 miles an hour. Using friction from electricity generating nodes on the rails, the electricity gathered as the train moved would power the trains internal systems such as lights and televisions. The train and the railway would both give off the same magnetic pole, and the train essentially levitate on its tracks. To keep the train from going too fast, or off tracks, non-magnetic wheels ran along the sides of the train on a track to keep the train in place. This prevented it from derailing, unless the wheels came off for whatever reason, which was very unlikely.
There were a few of these trains that ran between the capital cities of the regions. To prevent these trains from clashing with each other, the rails were occasionally split into several different railways where the trains could pass each other harmlessly. The trains always ran like clockwork to prevent any delays. The only times the trains stopped, is if they were having maintenance done. Or when a train broke down.
Nick was relaxing on the couch watching a movie on the TV. One of those generic 'no body hates it' kind of movies suitable for all ages. Elias relaxing on the chair as he also watched the movie.
From an intercom speaker overhead, Nick and Elias heard a light tone to get the passengers attention. Soon after, the voice of the conductor came over the speakers. "Attention all passengers, we'll be arriving in Zoocia in approximately 10 minutes."
Nick looked at Elias, whom was stretching in his chair as he prepared to start moving. Nick stood up and stretched his back lightly, letting out a satisfied sigh and pulling his bag off of the luggage rack. Nick walked over towards the window and looked out of the window. The sky was pitch black in darkness as it was the middle of the night. 11 pm to be exact. It had been about a 17 hour drip as Elias said. The train left at 11 pm Zootopia time. Due to passing through several time zones on the way, the time was different here than the time spent on the train. Right now, it would be 4 am in Zootopia.
In the distance, Nick could see the outer edge of the city. The lights of the city illuminating the night sky. As the train entered the city, Nick could see the buildings and smaller skyscrapers. The buildings were mostly ranged between tan, orange, and red colors. Something befitting the environment around it. Some of the buildings appeared much older with elegant dome tops, in which a spire would protrude from the top of it. Almost like a drop of water.
Nick knew the city predated back to the dark ages before electricity was around. And had a rich culture and history throughout the world. Zoocia is the oldest capital city on record. The Northern Region's capital, Mamussia, being the next. Followed by Zootopia, which was founded at the end of the dark age.
Nick's vision was cut off as the train entered a brightly lit tunnel, and began to slow to a stop. Nick placed his paw on the wall to stop himself from tipping over as the train slowed to a stop. Nick could see awaiting passengers ready to board the train once the ones on the train got off.
The soft tone came over the intercom again, followed by the conductor. "Attention Passengers, we have arrived in Zoocia and may now exit the train. You have exactly one hour to leave the train before we depart to our next destination. Thank you for choosing Mamtrack."
Elias smiled and pulled his suitcase off of the luggage rack. "Alright, let's go. We should have a car waiting for us just outside the station."
Nick nodded and followed his father off of the train, and into the station. The station was built much like a subway station, only it sat on an elevated platform above a major avenue below. Elias quickly walked down a nearly staircase while Nick looked around, Nick soon following behind him after jogging to catch up.
Surely enough, a black car was parked on the side of the road. A driver with a sign that read 'Wilde' on the side of it. Elias walked towards the driver and lifted his paw to signal him. The driver put the sign away and waited as Elias and Nick made their way to the car.
Soon, they were on the road on the way to Elias's home in Zoocia. Nick looked out the window during the trip, taking in the sights of the city. Elias smirked at his son's ogling. "There's a lot to see in this city. The fundraiser is the night after tomorrow. So you can take tomorrow to look around the city if you want. I can show you all the hot spots and best shops." said Elias, an accommodating smile on his face.
Nick nodded and sat back in his seat. "Yeah definitely. But we should get to your place first and get all settled in."
Elias gave a single nod. "That's what I was thinking."
Nick recalled as he said he would call Judy once he arrived. Nick looked at his phone, seeing it was close to 5 am in Zootopia. Not knowing if Judy was awake, he sent her a text. "Hey Carrots! Made it to Zoocia safe and sound. Gimme a call when you get the time okay? Don't wanna wake you up or interrupt you at work or something. Love you!"
Nick set his phone in his lap, looking out of the window again as the car drove. To Nick's surprise, he felt the phone in his lap vibrate a few times, a text from Judy.
"I'll call you on my lunch break. Glad to hear you made it alright, and love you to slick!"
Alright gonna stop that here. I know I said I was gonna fit the whole of Zoocia's part in this, but I underestimated how much was gonna be in this chapter o-o. Hopefully it doesn't take more than just one more part. Anyway, next chapter is hopefully gonna be an explanation of Zoocia's history, as well as the fundraiser! Also some stuff with Judy, and probably Laura crammed in there. Maybe Leah too, we haven't seen her in a while. Read and Review!