AN: Yay, chapter ten already! Okay, enough of all this gore. At least for now…
Chapter 10
For a very long time after what happened during the night when Fangley ate meat in their presence, Nick was feeling extremely bad. He became afraid of his own self and, for a while, he even thought that the turn has come for him to fall into depression… But knowing that he had to cooperate with Judy if the carnivores were ever to be stopped, he managed to hide from her what was going on inside of him.
But still, his conscience wouldn't give him peace. What had happened? What caused him to suddenly dream of hunting and develop an appetite for blood? Though he did it only instinctively, not deliberately, he could not deny what he felt. Was it the very sight of a predator eating flesh that caused such a reaction in him? Was Butcher right when he said that, eventually, instinct would take over and overcome his reason? But that meant that, indeed, deep inside he was no different than all of them…
These questions wouldn't cease to haunt him, and yet he kept stubbornly reassuring himself that it was otherwise. He couldn't even think about his dream, or that he could ever be able to harm Judy. As he filled up his stomach with the meatless food that was brought to him, he was convinced that it was enough to sustain him. He didn't need meat. He never had.
The dream did not happen again. His hunger for blood eventually subsided.
Soon, him and Judy had gotten acquainted with the customs of their guards to an extent that they knew what they could and could not do when specific animals were watching them. For example, when it was Brenda's shift, they had to sit in their corners without moving a muscle. But whenever the young, scraggly-looking fox named Lawrence came to take her place, they could walk around the cage, talk, and even continue their work at unwinding the steel wire on Nick's side whenever their guard was preoccupied with playing with his phone again.
They both estimated that they had been prisoners for about ten days now, and that ZPD must have begun a regular search for them already. Unfortunately, that most likely meant that they were just added to the list of lost animals, as they kept their first trip to Tundratown a secret, and nobody knew where they went afterwards… Also the animals at Butcher's Den did not give away any proof that the two police officers were being looked for by anyone. Nick and Judy hoped that everyone was just being quiet about it, though.
Each other's company was the only thing that made them stay sane. They would alternately mock their less ferocious guards, having a kind of competition about which of them can answer with more sass and make the carnivores more angry. But they had to be careful with that, because in spite of not being permitted to use their claws or fangs against them, the predators still had other weapons, like the water hose and the threat of eating the food they were supposed to give to the prisoners themselves.
Lawrence the fox, however, was so harmless at doing his job that they didn't even bother to make fun of him. He never yelled at either of them, never used the hose, and hardly ever paid any attention to what they were doing. Nick even noticed that he always wore clothes, even at night, which was a unique thing in this weird place.
One day, when the young fox's shift came again, he was standing right next to their cage, visibly bored. Since they couldn't really try anything funny with him being so close, in spite of everything, Judy decided to get to know him a little better.
"So," she addressed him plainly while sitting on her blanket, "I understand that your name is Lawrence?"
The reluctant animal looked down at her for a second… and turned his head away without a word.
Then Nick decided to enter the conversation.
"Listen here, kit," he confronted him. "The lady asked you a question. Didn't your parents teach you any respect?"
Unfazed by that remark, the guard frowned. Although, he did respond.
"I ain't got no parents, okay? And I've been told I'm not supposed to talk to prey animals…"
"And why's that?" Nick inquired with a slight note of anger in his voice.
"What happened to your parents?" Judy's question, on the other hand, was more compassionate.
The young fox gave them both a short narrowed glare, as if pondering if they were at all worth speaking to. Then he shrugged.
"The others don't talk to prey animals because prey animals are our food. As for me, I'm an orphan."
The answer was kind of dismissive and predictable, but Nick decided to press on.
"Aren't you, like, Fangley's son or something?"
"Puh! Nah, Fangley's real son, Ezra, is way younger than me," the guard said with a smirk. "He just took me from the street and let me work in his factory. I used to be one of those petty thieves that make our species look bad. But I'm guessing you wouldn't consider coming from there to here as progress, would ya?"
He was probably expecting another reproof, but then, all of a sudden, Judy did something that astonished both of the foxes. Namely, she got up, went over to the bars, and stretched her paw out toward the young animal.
"I'm Judy," she said politely.
What is that crazy rabbit planning? Nick thought in his mind. This is either completely stupid, or completely brilliant. I'm not sure.
Their guard looked at the paw reaching out to him from between the metal bars for a second suspiciously. He did not shake it, but he did introduce himself to Judy.
"I'm Lawrence Vulpine," he said dryly.
Adopting a sad demeanor, the rabbit took her paw back.
"Oh yeah, I forgot, Lawrence," she mumbled, looking him in the eyes. "Why would you shake my paw? After all, you probably hunt and kill weak little prey animals like me…"
Hm, she's trying to make him feel sorry, Nick estimated. That may be a good start for something.
To the two prisoners' surprise, the young fox responded rather awkwardly.
"I-I don't hunt," he stammered, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, they let me eat meat, but I don't have to kill the prey myself. It's optional. They don't force you to do that if you don't want to."
"So you've never killed anyone?" Judy kept asking.
"No, I haven't," Lawrence confessed. "It's not my thing."
That's good to know, thought the other fox. If we do get out of here, Mr. Vulpine might just be lucky enough to not be put down for murder… unlike his step-father, and the rest of his friends. But, if killing is not his thing, that means that even the members of Butcher's Den must not be on the same page with all this instinct business!
"So I take that you're kind of a lower-ranking member of this little club of connoisseurs, then?" Nick kept interrogating the young animal for more answers. "I guess the hunters get more benefits than you, don't they?"
The guard manifested another snort.
"Hmf! I've got just as many benefits as the hunters! Butcher basically treats me as if I were his kid. How else do you think I get to watch you guys? The whole darn factory wants to do that, and they're not even allowed to come to see you!"
"So we're really that popular around here?" Judy asked in disbelief.
"Yeah!" laughed the fox. "You've become sort of an event. People've been making bets about what's gonna happen to each of you. Some are dyin' to see you… Huh-huh. I guess they'll all have the chance to do that tonight…"
This milking for info is starting to pay off, Nick though with satisfaction.
"And why's that, pray tell?" he asked, grinning.
"Oh, you'll see," said Lawrence. Then he looked at his watch. "In about two or three hours."
They didn't speak more afterwards, but there was really no need. Soon after their conversation, Nick and Judy were blinded by a flash of fluorescent lights. For the first time since they were locked there, someone turned on all of the lamps within the warehouse.
Standing up, blinking to get used to this intensive light which they had not seen for days, they noticed several workers, amongst whom were Larry and Barry, entering the area.
"What're they up to now?" Judy wondered.
"I dunno," Nick answered her, "but I just hope it's not something worse than what we've already seen…"
The duo of prisoners noticed that there were hooks sticking out of the white-washed walls of the warehouse. The workers put up the ladders they brought with them close to the hooks, and began hanging large posters on them. Many of the posters were similar to the flyer which chief Bogo had given to them, and had depictions of natural food chains. Others bore propaganda slogans, like 'predator supremacy', 'integral naturalism', 'freedom to hunt is our right', and 'down with Zootopia'.
"They're getting ready for some sort of a political gathering!" the fox estimated.
"More ideological than political, I'd say…" his rabbit partner corrected him. "Hey, look at that!"
She then pointed to a larger poster which two of the workers had just begun to unroll. The sign on top of it read, 'The Carnivore Principles'.
"Well, so they do have rules over here, after all," Nick commented mockingly. "How civilized."
When the poster was finally fully displayed on the wall, Judy began reading out loud.
"One. All predators have the right to hunt and consume prey, according to instinct and the natural food chains."
"Obviously," sneered her partner.
"Two. No predator is allowed to kill another predator."
"Now that's not exactly how it used to be. But they did also say that they're not savages, after all!"
"Three. Uhm… no predator is allowed to eat the flesh of another predator, of his own species or otherwise… unless he is in dire need."
"Darn. I wonder how they interpret the phrase in dire need?"
"Four. Prey is to be slain swiftly, without cruelty or inflicting extra pain."
"Phew… That's a relief!"
"Five. No predator is allowed to hunt for sport alone, without consuming the prey."
"Because that would be a total waste of perfectly good meat… Oh, and the life of a fellow animal, as well. I almost forgot."
"Six. All carnivores are free to choose to either hunt their prey, or to remain carrion eaters."
"We just found that one out from Lawrence today."
"Seven. Hunters are to treat those who choose to remain carrion eaters with respect."
"Too bad that respect doesn't apply to prey. Some animals are more equal than others, I guess"
"Eight. For any official gatherings within Butcher's Den, no clothing is to be worn, and the quadruped stance observed by all those present."
"No matter how ugly you are."
"Nine. No prey is to be hunted outside of the boundaries of Butcher's Den."
"Because we want to keep our slaughter regulated and a secret."
"And finally, ten. The existence, whereabouts, and practices of Butcher's Den are to be held in strict confidence by all members. All transgressions against this rule will be punishable by death."
"Huh. Harsh rules are better than no rules, I guess," Nick joked in a rather gloomy manner. "Hey, doesn't that contradict rule number two? And does breaking the other rules results in the death penalty, as well? Or do they just make you wear clothes all the time as punishment?"
Judy, however, wasn't in the mood for jokes.
"I think this might just be a first draft," she stated. "Still, they seem to be getting ready for a convention of some sort. Maybe they discuss such things during those? We better keep our eyes open."
The preparations lasted for another hour or so. After the workers were done with the posters, they set up a sort of a stage right in front of Nick and Judy's cage. Lawrence was walking around, inspecting the work, occasionally giving instructions to Larry and Barry. The two dogs, who looked like they were in charge, did not seem to appreciate that too much, however.
Not long afterward, predators of all shapes and sizes, young and old, male and female, started showing up in groups. All of them were naked, customarily walking around on all fours, and spoke to one another enthusiastically.
The gathering was something extraordinary indeed, and reminded Nick of a huge naturalist club. He and Judy saw canids, felines, bears, weasels, and even a couple of reptiles. Most of the carnivores would stop by their cage, embarrassing both of the prisoners by looking at them as if they were exhibits at a museum. They seemed to be familiar with the fact that Butcher had caught the first rabbit and fox to ever become ZPD officers. Especially Judy realized that, when they were looking at her, they all recognized the police officer who had once told them all that they were genetically predisposed to be carnivores in the first place…
Her partner seemed less concerned with the spectators, however.
"Darn. If I knew we'd be in the center of attention, I'd have changed my shirt. I've been wearing this thing for almost two weeks now…" Nick said to ease the tension a little bit, fixing his dirty, wrinkled tie.
Wanting to occupy herself with her police duty, trying to remember as many of the carnivores' faces as possible, Judy did not answer at first. And then she gasped.
"Huh! Nick, take a look at that female leopard over there!" she whispered, pulling the fox's sleeve.
"The one that's talking to the big nasty croc? What about her?"
"She's the assistant director of the Zootopia Department of Transportation!"
"Oh really? Well, as soon as we get out of here, the only transportation she'll be worried about will be a short trip behind bars…"
All of a sudden, Nick stopped in mid-sentence. The groaning sound he made then caused Judy to look at him in concern.
"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing her partner frowning in displeasure.
"Dang, why am I not surprised," he whined. "Seems that I recognize someone as well."
The fox didn't even have to point at the animal he was speaking of, as a middle-aged coyote with a broad grin on his face was already walking toward them. To make conversation easier, he stood on his hind legs and put his paws on his hips.
"Well well, if it isn't Nick the Quick…" jeered the canid. "Never thought I'd see you again!"
Nick 'the Quick' ground his fangs and clenched his fists…
"Oh, I on the other hand dreamed that I could get my paws on your hide again many times… Too bad for the cage. I should have known you're a carnivore. You always had an overgrown appetite… And I used to think it was only for money!"
As the coyote laughed out loud, the confused Judy asked her partner:
"Would you mind introducing me to your friend?"
"Friend?" Nick repeated in a mocking manner. "I don't make friends with filthy, lying rats! This is Chase. He's my one-time partner. We used to do… business together."
The coyote put his paw on his heart with staged sorrow.
"Oh Nicky, you're hurting me! I used to greatly value you as an accomplice!"
"Chase, I almost died! Do you even realize that?!" the fox growled at him in a way that indicated that, if the bars weren't restraining him from it, he would have pounced at his former partner.
"Oh really? Well, it's not like you didn't know what sort of a risk you were taking…" the canid said casually, looking at his claws.
"Wait a minute," the curious rabbit interrupted them again. "Nick, what sort of business were you two involved in?"
The fox took a few more angry breaths. Then he uttered:
"Remember what I told you about the rug I sold to Mr. Big?"
It was then that Judy understood.
"The skunk butt rug? Ohhh, so you bought it from…"
"That's right!" Chase smiled with satisfaction. "I made a great deal. What's the matter, Nicky? You're acting as if you didn't know what the rug was really made of from the very beginning!"
The rabbit looked at his partner curiously, and for a second it seemed like he ran out of arguments. Then, still quite furious, he burst out:
"I didn't know that you tore it from the back of some innocent animal!"
"Hmf!" snorted the coyote. "And what did you think? That he just donated the fur from his butt willingly? But, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't kill the skunk. I never were a fan of that kind of cuisine. Even now, here in Butcher's Den, I'm just a carrion eater- a harmless, second-class member…"
Nick was so mad his own fur looked redder than usual.
"Yeah, right! All of you are just as tame as a convention of frickin' stamp collectors! Nude, beastly stamp collectors," he continued growling. "I wish I had my phone on me… I'd just dial 911 and, in a matter of minutes, all of you would be taken away in muzzles."
Chase the coyote sighed, turning his head helplessly at his one-time partner's reaction.
"Nicky, Nicky… I gotta say, I was so happy when I found out that you managed to tame the shrew somehow and that Mr. Big spared your life. The more I was disappointed when I heard that you entered the police… But, perhaps, there's still a chance that we could forgive one another, and work together again in the future?"
"I refuse to be a walkin' stereotype!" the answer came in the form of a scream that attracted the attention of some of the gathered carnivores. "Which is what all of you are! It's monsters like you that mothers of prey animals warn their kids about when they don't let them play with predators! Because of you, they're gonna kick us all out of the cities, and then we'll have to lurk in caves and forests, like in prehistoric times!"
After looking in the fox's furious eyes for a while, the canid shrugged.
"Well, too bad. Seems that you still haven't overcome your old frustrations… I kind of like the forest myself, to tell you the truth." he then turned toward Judy. "Besides, you've already found a new partner for yourself, haven't you? It's amazing that she trusted you. I like your bunny friend, I really do. I think she looks like a snack… Should have stayed at the carrot farm, shouldn't you, little fuzz ball?"
"Bite me!" this time, the smaller prisoner also gazed at the coyote in rage.
"Puh! Poor choice of words… I would if I could, believe me," Chase uttered finally, and turning his tail on both of them, departed.
The official part of the gathering was about to begin. Nick and Judy estimated that there were about 60-70 animals present which, compared to Butcher's earlier assurance that they receive new members almost daily, wasn't that much of a crowd. They had no idea what percentage of the carnivores was present that day, however.
They soon saw Fangley and Woodsworth entering the warehouse. As soon as their leader walked into the room, all of the members of Butcher's Den greeted him with a cacophony of beastly sounds- grunts, howls and roars, which must have been their savage way of applauding him.
The fox jumped on top of the stage and, looking down on his associates, began to speak. First he greeted everyone at the Carnivore Club's monthly gathering, and introduced a bunch of new members. A male cat and a she-bear, looking terribly embarrassed because of standing naked in front of so many animals, probably for the first time in their lives, also walked onto the stage. The other participants praised them with another wave of wild sounds.
Afterwards, Fangley announced that their cooperation with the reptiles was going well, and that the two groups of predators have now established a strong alliance which, as he hoped, would be a lasting one. A delegation of crocodiles then entered the podium, causing another storm of applause.
"They seem to be enjoying themselves," Nick whispered to Judy. Unfortunately, Lawrence, their guard, also heard him saying that.
"Hey! Shut up!" the young fox growled at him under his voice.
The already triggered police officer wanted to throw some smug remark back at him, but he relented when Butcher mentioned his name.
"… I am also happy to present to you the ones you've probably had a chance to see for yourselves already," spoke the group's leader, making everyone turn around toward the cage. "Judith Hopps, Zootopia's first rabbit cop. I'm sure you all remember her from her illuminating press release from four years ago. And, of course, how can I forget Mr. Nicholas Wilde- the first ZPD officer of my species and, as I am fully convinced, a soon-to-be member of our club."
To the startled fox's horror, the howl that followed that announcement was even louder than the previous ones. Then, a pack of overzealous wolves that stood near their cage began to chant something that the other animals soon picked up.
"Eat her! Eat her! Eat her!" they yelled, making Nick and Judy look at one another, mouths agape.
"This is plain crazy…" mumbled the rabbit, unsure if she was more depressed, angry, or amused by the carnivores' utter lack of sense.
Finally, laughing out loud, Fangley managed to outshout the crowd and convince them to settle down. He went on with his speech, praising the supposed successful growth of his organization. Going off on an ideological tangent, he then began ranting about the flaws of Zootopia society, and how the reliance on technology, seen by them as the result of the cooperation of evolved predators and prey animals, is in fact harmful- how it robbed the animals living in the city from their natural skills of survival in the wild.
"In the end," Butcher summarized, "Zootopia must fail. It will either cave in due to its weakness, or it will be conquered and reorganized. According to our order- the order of nature."
A savage outcry broke out, marking the end of the speech. The unbridled choir of beastly sounds was mixed with chanting of propaganda slogans, the most popular of which was 'down with Zootopia'.
Looking into her partner's eyes, Nick could clearly sense that this was the last thing Judy wanted to happen. True, Zootopia may not have been as perfect as the country girl had once thought, but even an imperfect society was way better than anarchy. The defiance he noticed in her demeanor gave strength to him, as well. They needed to continue fighting against this mob- that was his resolution.
They remained standing for just a few more moments, however. Unfortunately, the monthly gathering of the Carnivore Club was to be concluded with a banquet… When servants began bringing in trays with various types of meat on them, both prisoners hid underneath their blankets in a desperate attempt to shield themselves from the sounds and smells that surrounded them.
AN: The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club XD
So our heroes, willingly or not, are making progress in their exploration of Zootopia's shady underbelly of the practitioners of meat eating.
I guess that, if reptiles even exist in this universe, they may have been cast out of society for the very fact of being unable to adapt to a vegetarian lifestyle. This would make them natural allies to the likes of Fangley and his gang. It's just a theory. What do you guys think?