"Evil begins when you treat people as things." - Terry Pratchett
Woodpecker
We walked slowly from our car to the factory, a snow leopard in his mid thirties and a fox in his fifties, our roles in work could for outsiders be easily mistaken. As the head of the execution commando, mammals often saw me as the dangerous part in this team and tried to attack me first. But this understatement of the situation couldn't be further from the truth, if anything on this planet comes closer to the embodiment of death it would be my chief. His face was mostly expressionless and his body calm, till now there were only few situations where I could see him lose his feelings a little bit but never his control. What you could see then was mostly anger but never fear or insecurity. Which didn't mean that he couldn't show emotion, he was a devilish seducer and talker and could if he wanted talk you into anything but most of the time he just didn't care.
"Sir, we got the first report about your son and the 'bunny'. Together with the last information I gathered about them, we should consider taking action against them."
The old fox chuckled slightly but without changing anything in his expression, he even continued staring in direction of the small factory. Never letting your aime out of sight, right old man?
"What is going on Woodpecker, since when are you afraid of this stupid son of mine and his overrated bunny?"
"I'm sorry Sir, but our report lead us to the conclusion that they got sensible information about the head of the organisation, which would involve you as well and you know I…"
"Yes, yes you are just afraid about my safety. Do you think I'm too old for this kind of work?"
"No Sir not in the slightest. You know it is just…"
"I know Woodpecker and don't worry the day I die is far away. What do they know and from whom?"
"It seems like Void gave them this information and also a black wildcard for each of them. It all resembles the events of ten years ago, where he did the same with Mr. Savage."
"Let him have his fun, all of the leading lunatics in the company and around it gets bored over the time, that is why they start to find new 'hobbies', to amuse themselves. Void likes to spread chaos in the city of Zootopia, Hawk likes to hunt and Crane has his own sick taste. And that is one of the reasons I still work everyday. In the end we have to deal with a fox hustler and a bunny cop, what can they do? Get us into jail? Scam money from us? Ridiculous."
We reached the building and I could feel that he was already tired to talk about this topic but I had to give him the full report.
"Sir, there is more…"
Kingfisher exhaled deeply and stopped some meters in front of the door to the factory. He turned himself to me and looked directly into my eyes. That was never a good sign. I felt how I got slightly nervous under his gaze but I tried to endure it and show no sign of weakness to him.
"If this topic bothers you so much Woodpecker, than we can discuss it later on. But first there is work to do."
I know that there was no use in talking with him now. As soon as he made a decision, there was no turning back for him or a change of his mind. And as long as he was open enough to discuss the whole topic further, well I just had to bring this problem later on again.
As soon as the first mammals saw us entering the factory, I could smell what filled the air and that was fear. No one talked to us, no one greets us and no one tried to look in our direction because they all know, when we enter a building someone will die and nobody wants to be the body who lays in the dirt.
The factory we entered was an old welding workshop but with the extended feature of a hidden chemical and medical laboratory underneath the surface, mostly used to produce chemical drugs or some lighter medicine. Normally there was a weekly amount of the product they have to produce, mostly methamphetamine but several times the half of it was missing. Driver and dealer could already be excluded from the suspects and the only one who remained was the chemist Simon a badger and his crew of various mammals. So our job was to make clear who dictates the rules in this game.
The worker tried to ignore us two unpleasant guests as good as they can but it was more than obvious that we interrupted their daily workflow. It was also obvious that a fox and a snow leopard in black suits and long coats are not the typical worker that came to this facility.
We made our way past a lot of workbenches, old machines that already started to rust and more workers that welded on heavy metal parts. I could feel the gazes of the worker in my back and what they thought. But I didn't care, work is work and mine was important for the city to keep it stable and functioning. The police has long lost it's place in this society and we took over, to control and lead this city. Yes sure some weak die but this is just the way it goes, unavoidable if you ask me, to serve the bigger idea of a working and living community. The chief would say that the natural selection allows those to flourish that are best fitted to live in our modern society and I could just agree with him to 100 percent on this topic.
We finally reached the door to the underground facility in one of the more isolated rooms. As ever the door was locked via biometric iris scanner and an additional passcode to secure it. In contrast to the rest of the building, it almost seems like alien technology that was forgotten down here in this rusty building.
We stepped down into the laboratory, myself as the first and the chief in second behind me. 5 mammals besides Simon were down here, a ferret, a brown bunny, a sheep, a deer and a moose. All of them turned their heads to the entrance, besides of the ferret who kept sitting on his place and didn't stoped working, it seems like he listened to some music and had earphones over his head, I had a bad feeling about the ending of the little ferret. Behind me I could already hear kingfisher attaching the silencer to his gun. Never wasting a minute or being unprepared, that is so typical for him.
Simons smile vanished as soon as he saw that kingfisher was with me. The tension in the room suddenly became more hectic and fearful, the mammals who worked here for longer, know what would happen next. A small but powerful command from kingfisher filled the room and everybody know that living and dying depended on the completion of this one order.
"Lineup."
My work here was to keep the mammals in front of me in check, to prevent hectic movements or the use of guns, so I slowly walked to Simon and the grouping mammals. All of them gathered in a larger spot where no huge chemical tanks and machinery was to find, extra for this reason was a blue line drawn on the orange floor, to let the mammals know where to stand. Kingfisher stood still at the metal stairs and watched carefully from one mammal to the next with his typical expressionless gaze. From some distance you could think that he is just in his 40s, he was keeping his body in good condition, I mean yes there are some grey hairs in his fur but nothing too extreme.
Simon started to speak to me in an almost whispering tone, as if this would help him now when HE is here.
"You said, you wanted to find the one who sold the 50 kg to Mr. Big? What do you want here?"
"We think we found him."
"You did?"
Simon seemed to be more nervous than before and I could just hope that our lead with him was correct. At this moment I recognized that the ferret as the last mammal, was still sitting at the table and followed his work. I knew that the old fox would start at any minute with the interrogation.
"What is with the ferret? Has he a death wish?"
"Oh shit, that is Francis he is new and hadn't time to listen to all the rules!"
Simon seems to start a last attempt to save his co worker. Calm and relaxed I remained in front of him, my arms crossed on my back.
"FRANCIS! FOR GOD SAKE FRANCIS COME HERE! FRANC…"
But it was much too late for the ferret. Kingfisher stood already behind him and pointed with the gun on the backside of his head. One small movement of his finger and we could hear the muffled shot of a gun, not much more than a cough. A fine red mist filled now the workplace of the dead ferret and with a loud and heartbreaking noise the body slammed on the ground. The fox looked a last time down at the corps, crossed his arms with the gun behind his back and made his way to us.
"WHAT THE FUCK? KING HE WAS NEW, THAT WASN'T NECESSARY. HE HAD FAMILY!"
"If he works here he knows the rules and if he doesn't know the rules, he doesn't work here. Simple as that."
Kingfisher was now walking straight to the badger and I could see how some of the mammals started to tremble and the deer, a female, even started to cry. I didn't know what bothered her but I knew what was it for me and that was not the brutality, the blood or even that someone knew him, it was that it happens so incidental. Just a little movement and his life was gone, no big ending, no heroic moment, just death and then silence.
Only the moose was quiet and watched the whole act with interest, I think I should keep a closer eye on him, still waters run deep. The old fox was now here and just one meter between him and the badger. And Simons concerned look told me everything I need to know about his mental state. He was devastated and on the edge to break.
"Besides, who do you think I am that you order me around Simon? The fucking janitor? We could also align you and your workers and execute every single one in this room. But no, we are just here to ask you questions, for now. The ferret didn't know the rules and you are responsible for him, you are responsible for every mammal that is working here. So you can blame yourself for his death."
No one in the laboratory tried to talk or even made a noise, everyone awaited the next words of the fox with high anticipation. Even I felt a little bit tensed and I work together with him for 10 years now.
"The driver and the dealer both explained me that never more than 50 kg of our product left this laboratory. Which leads to the conclusion, that someone in here sold it. You are the leader of this facility Simon and like I said before, with that you are responsible for everything that happens here. Honestly I think you are smart enough to see if only 20 grams would be missing. We also could clear that Mr. Big underlings, bought the drugs in the last week. Which clears up for us the when, the what and the who. But there's one question missing. And that is why? Why Simon? Why did you betrayed us? Five years ago I saved you out of the fangs of the mammals, to which you sold those drugs now. I don't know what you would call it but for me it's betrayal."
"K-king I didn't betray…"
Kingfisher stood still in front of Simon and never turned his gaze from the badger, more he directly stared him in the eyes and waited for a honest reply.
A loud exhale could be heard from the fox and he slowly turned himself to the rest of the mammals, walking down the line and clicking with one of his claws on his gun. The only thing that filled the air was now the monoton noise of the claw that dropped against the metal.
Clack
Clack
Clack
The fox took his time to examine all 4 mammals, he looked at every worker and waited for a possible reply. After what felt like an eternity he stood in front of the brown bunny which could only look to the ground. He spoke calm and almost friendly but not to the bunny.
"Listen Simon, I see 4 mammals in front of me, so I give you 4 chances to tell me the truth or with every lie or no answer one of your dear worker will die."
Simon didn't respond, he was too frightened to do anything. His eyes red from the tears and his head slowly and unsteady shaking from the terror. It seems he doesn't want to believe what happens around him and snapped.
"No answer, huh Simon?"
"I-i didn't, I-i d-didn't…"
Kingfisher saw that it was no use, to break him with talking. So he proceed with the hard way and turned to the bunny.
"What is your name bunny?"
"J-Jason Hopps, Sir."
"Oh, are you eventually related to the hero of the city? Judy Hopps?"
"Y-yes Sir, she is my cousin."
"Mmh, good, good. Tell me Jason how long do you work for us?"
"A-almost 4 years."
"Good, did you ever felt mistreated? Underpaid? Or do you have any other kind of bad feelings against us?"
"N-no Sir, the treatment was every time fine."
"Good, good."
"So Simon we have here a long time, reliable worker with no hard feelings against us and a name with a heavy burden."
Kingfisher pointed slowly with his silenced gun to the head of the bunny, no change of expression during the whole act. Jayson couldn't bear it anymore and started to cry without control, I didn't think that anyone could blame him for this.
"First chance Simon. Why did you betrayed us?"
"I didn't betr…"
*cough*
"Wrong answer."
And with his last statement the lifeless body of Jason dropped to the ground and fell on his back. His eyes remained half open and around his head slowly emerged a little sea of blood like a halo. I watched how the blood kept growing and growing and asked myself what Judy Hopps would do if she knew what happened to her relatives. Like many things, this was something she would never know. I mean what if she knows, would she kill? Would she give up her high standards for the feeling of revenge and killing or would she just bring us into jail? An interesting question if you ask me.
Without hesitation Kingfisher went on to the next mammal, a sheep that started talking as soon as he approached her. Under normal conditions anyone could see that she was totally hysterical and also not so far from losing completly control over herself but this was no normal situation.
"Please Mr Kingfisher, Sir, please don't kill me. I'm just 23 and I work for over 3 years without any complains in this laboratory and… and…my family, we need the money, they would be heartbroken if something happens to me..."
The crying sheep could no longer stand and felt down on her knees. And there it was the soothing side of the fox, trying to bring the sheep emotional down, get the situation back into control and of course to manipulate those around him.
"Darling, darling, darling. I'm sorry but I can't help you because I'm not the one who killed Jason or … what was the ferret's name, woodpecker?"
"His name was Francis."
"Francis right! You see, they would all live if everyone would go with the rules but unfortunately Simon broke them and now someone has to pay the price. What is your name Darling?"
"Melly, Sir."
He was even going down on his knee, to be for a short moment on eye level and gave her some security in this crazy situation.
"Melly, look. I'm here for the truth and only for the truth. And the problem is that Simon lied. He lied to you, he lied to me and he lied to everyone else in this room. So, I'm here to save what's left of this truth but for this I'm only a tool and I mean you can blame hardly a tool which did his work or do you?"
But she didn't stopped with her sobbing, she was done. Unable to step up for herself or anybody else.
"Listen, I can understand your problem but you have to understand mine too. When I go out in the streets and search for a worker, I can take 9 out of 10 mammals for this daily work you do. But unfortunately I need a chemist to run this laboratory and when I go out on the streets and search for such a mammal there is maybe but just maybe a 1 out of 100 chance to find such a mammal. Do you understand?"
Melly nodded as a response to the answer. Her gaze was empty and no longer begging. She gave up, there will be no more resistance from her site.
"Good, we will soon know what is your life worth for Simon."
Melly has calmed down but not because she would live. She realised that her life has no meaning in the eyes of kingfisher, resistance was futile and with every second she talked and tried to beg for her live it would only get worse. Without further talking, the chief was back on his feet and pointed with his gun at the now quietly sobbing sheep.
"Second chance Simon, Why did you betrayed us?"
The badger stopped talking long ago and just looked at the ground. But I recognized that he quietly tried to speak but it was nothing more than pointless brewing. And again the claw against the metal was the only noise that could be heard in the laboratory.
Clack
Clack
Clack
"I'm waiting Simon."
Clack
Clack
Clack
The first attempt was just a slow whispering but I think the fox heard it completely.
"What did you said Simon? You have to speak louder."
"I said I didn't betray you…"
*cough*
Melly fell over and her face hit with a loud banging noise the ground. 3 dead mammals in nothing more than 30 minutes, everyone else would need a minute to think about it or take a breath but not Kingfisher, he went straight to the next one, a female deer. And with a sugar-sweet voice he continued his interrogation.
"So sweetheart what is your Name?"
"Clara is my name, p-please Sir. I have two children who waiting for me… I need this job...please."
"Honey I understand you, I too have family."
"Really?"
"Yes and I can understand the burden you bear for the sake of your kids."
Kingfisher smiled a little bit and prepared himself to mock the badger even further. He loved those little monologues he just hold to mock someone or entertain himself.
"You see, we bear the burden of the whole city my dear. We are here to maintain the order and lookout for everyone to play to the rules and no one else can or could protect you not the ZPD, not the ZBI and also not the ZIA. They have too much to do fighting against each other and the ZPD is nothing more than joke and even a bunny hero will change nothing. Do you understand that?"
Clara nodded hysterically.
"Good, because Simon over here thought he could betray the only remaining force in the whole city. Pretty stupid from him, don't you think so?"
Again this hysterically nodding from Clara, you could see that she was frightened to death and only wanted to leave this situation.
A quick look at Simon and we could see that his shock had ended and all that remained was anger that was building up in him. Kingfisher always told me that anger was the best thing you could have in an enemy, there was only one direction it could take and like many times before you know the outcome. But this is what you waited for, the moment he lost control over himself is the moment he lost his life and you gained another victory. Your enemies anger could be your greatest ally.
"Unfortunately I get tired of this whole interrogation so let's wrap this up."
And with this words Kingfisher held the gun to Clara's head, as he did 3 times at this day. But this time the fox looked again deep in the eyes of Simon and waited for a final reply.
"So Simon why…"
"Wait!"
All eyes went to the moose who stood there and spoke out the words that let everyone a little bit stunned. Simon looked to the big mammal with a mixture of hate and astonishing, we should soon knew why.
"So someone finally decided to talk."
The moose nodded in reply to
"So first things first, who are you?"
"My name is Sven I'm a chemist like Simon, we worked together for Anderson Pharmaceuticals. He asked for help, to compensate the drugs he sold last week."
"You damned rat! How could you…?"
"I told you that I would not risk my life for your failures."
"IT WAS NOT A FAILURE! We had enough time to compensate everything but Peacock had to ruin this! He must send Kingfisher."
The fox had enough of this conversation. His gaze changed completely and I could feel that was one of those moments where his emotional control was a little bit out of sync. But despite all of this, he kept himself calm and didn't
"Shut up Simon, you did more than enough damage already."
The formerly quiet badger turned almost into a savage beast as soon as he heard the new accusations against him. He made multiple steps back but was still in my reach.
"DAMAGE? ME? YOU killed 3 mammals today without even blink with an eye! The drugs could be compensated but the lifes are gone forever you maniac!"
I admired him sometimes to be this calm, even when the hell brakes loose and mammals starting to go crazy around him. The fox just went on with a calm and soothing voice.
"Lifes? Do you really think all of this was about some workers and their lifes? I give a fuck about any mammal that is working here or in the welding factory above us. This should be clear to you. I just differ in your worth and like I said to the sheep before, a worker can be found at any time but a chemist, that is a little bit tricky. But it seems like we even have a replacement for you now."
Simon looked shocked in the face of Kingfisher and seems that just in that moment he realized that it was not the best idea to compensate his mistake with the help of another chemist. His hectic gaze wandered fast from one mammal to the next, he searched desperately for an exit but there was none. And with a last attempt he draw a gun from his back that he had hiding there for such situations, pointing it at Kingfisher.
"I don't care if I die but when I do, I take you emotional dead asshole with me. I mean how many worker died in this laboratory through your paws in the years? 20? 30? Everytime I see you, you disgust me more and more. The only thing you ever talk about are rules, order and the worth of mammals. I'm so sick of it!"
Every other mammal would have moved or did anything to be save but not the old fox, he stood just there staring at the complete hysterical badger waiting for him to calm down. The most would say it is stupidity or bravery what he did but I know it was just experience, every movement of him would lead to death and he knows that.
"Are you done?"
"What?"
"I asked if you are done Simon? Have you said everything you wanted to say to me?"
I could see that even more anger was building up in the little badger but he kept his stoic face and didn't moved an inch. Everyone in the room had now their eyes on the badger and all just waited for him to make a decision.
"Yes."
"Good, you know what you did, right?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"No one, who ever pointed a gun at me had survived this Simon and you will be no exception."
Simons gun started slowly to tremble, he knew he had no chance to survive this but he tried to play the one in control but there was no control, not for one bit and not for one second. I feel how I slowly became restless, not because of me but the chief was still standing in the direct way of Simon and it was still my job to protect him.
"You know Simon, till the moment you pointed the gun at me, I wanted to let you live. I mean your are still valuable to us and somewhere in a broken shack with a little laboratory would be a place even for you but this is now over. You had your chance and you wasted it."
A little nod from the old fox and I started to make my move. I was relieved that I finally get the permission to act, no more than one step and I was besides Simon. His reaction against me was much too late, he had just the time to turn his head to me and saw two huge paws reaching for him. My left paw could easily grab his whole head and with my right paw I gained control over his gun by breaking his small arm.
His painful screams echoed through the whole laboratory which lead both remaining mammals to flinch and the female deer even to faint. For a short moment all that you could hear were the sobbing and screaming of Simon and the impact of the dropped gun which felt to the ground.
"Ahhh, p-please King don't k-kill me. I...maybe I can be useful. I could…"
"You had your chance, the only thing you can do now is die. Woodpecker."
Just another nod from Kingfisher was all I needed and I knew what I had to do. With a single swing of my left paw I shattered his head on the ground. I could feel how his blood was running out of his head over my paw and in my fur. Blood, bones and parts of his shattered brain was all that remained on my paw, I took a last look at the body of Simon and exhale deeply.
Four dead mammals, it could be worse. I knew that the old fox would even clear the whole laboratory from the old workers to make a fresh start. But this was just a emergency plan if everything would go wrong. Simon was out of the way and with Sven we maybe even had a new chemist for this place, which meant lesser work for us and maybe just one week without new products for the company.
"Any injuries Woodpecker?"
"No Sir, I will just clean my paws."
"Good, now to you. You said your name is Sven?"
Till this moment the moose took care of the fainted deer, which slowly came back to her old constitution but fainted again as soon as she saw the corps of Simon. He laid her carefully on the ground and started talking to Kingfisher. Meanwhile my boss was talking to the moose, I made my way to the bathrooms in the next room to cleanup my paws. The water running over my paws felt good and I could see that even I trembled a little bit. A look in the mirror showed me the typical face and body of a professional worker in my field of activity but I knew that the last pictures of Simon would hunt me for the next weeks, maybe even month. Multiple years in the military and then the 10 years education and training with the old fox till now but to kill someone was still hard to handle for me afterwards.
A last deep exhale and I made my way back to the chief, who was still in the talk with Sven. Clara sat on her workbench and leaned her head on her claws, still sobbing and trembling in fear. I think she will take even longer than me to work this out.
"...so you understand the rules and what you have to do?"
"Yes Sir."
"And just as a reminder, you work for us and no one else. Is that clear?"
"Yes Sir. A last question, what is with the...well the corpses?"
"We already informed somebody who is in charge of something like this. You can take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow you can search for new workers, Peacock your new boss will await the first delivery in two weeks from now."
The moose nodded to the fox and turned back to the deer who was still mentally devastated and wouldn't have a clear mind for at least a week. Where did I know? Well most mammals who saw their first death or even murder react in a similar way. Mine was no different.
"Woodpecker we are done here."
I nodded and followed him out of the laboratory. As soon as the door was closed he talked again to me about the conversation with Sven and his assumptions about him.
"Keep an eye on that moose, he let 2 worker die before he interfered. If he wanted he could react even during the bunny but he didn't. After the ferret should be clear that we are not joking.I do not trust him."
"But Sir, isn't it normal that you trust nobody?"
A small smile could be seen on his muzzle, that is really something rare this days. But good mood is something I highly appreciated for the talk we needed to do in the car, I hoped that it will turn out better than the last.
"Almost Woodpecker, I trust myself and this will be enough."
We made our way through the now empty wielding factory. It was almost completely dark in here but for two mammals with a very good night vision, it was no problem. Outside we could see the sun setting on the horizon of Zootopia, five more minutes and we sat in our car ready to end this day but before that we had to discuss the problem with his son and the bunny. For a few moments we were just sitting there, me as the driver and he as my passenger like always. He hates driving so he gave up on this task as soon as he saw that I was in his eyes qualified enough to drive him around.
"You still want to talk with me about my son, correct?"
"Yes, Sir."
"What can a conman like he is, do to us Woodpecker?"
"He is no longer on the streets Sir, he joined the ZPD academy and in 6 month he is assigned to Judy Hopps as a partner. And according to our new snitches in the academy, he is taking it serious. He even broke some of the records, Hopps set up a year ago."
It was the most awkward silence I ever witnessed with him. He seems to thought about something or was he waiting for me to explain this further? None of this came near to the truth but what came was truly surprising. His loud and piercing laughter came out of nowhere and to this moment I never and I really mean never heard him laugh. He continued for almost an eternity before he slowly came back to his normal gloomy self.
"Okay Woodpecker and now the truth, what had my stupid son did this time?"
"Sir, this was no joke."
He was at first not sure what he should think about this but after some time I could see how a smirk appeared on his face and it seems he started to think about the whole situation from a different site.
"I think Void did us a favor here. He started something that could turn out to our liking, something big."
His smirk grew even bigger with every minute he thought about the idea.
"Tell me Woodpecker to whom is your loyalty? The company or me?"
Why did he asks something like this? I mean the answer should be obvious, he picked me up 10 years ago, trained me, gave me money, a job. Without him I would be dead and with me much more.
"I'm loyal to you Sir and to no one else."
"Good to hear that. You can drop me off at the central park, I need to think and a little bit of fresh air after this day in the lab should be a good alternation."
The rest of the drive was very quiet but every now and then I looked at him and saw still his wide smirk. He seems to be in a very good mood after he heard the news about his son and this was very surprising to me. Every time in the past when I told him about his son and the newest troubles he caused, he could only shake his head about the stupidity he had.
I let him out at the entrance of the central park and say a quick good-bye to him. He just nodded and walked in the dark and cold night, still with his smirk on his face. This smirk… he was planning something and I knew when he planned he did it big.
It was another quiet day in the city of Zootopia, more and more mammals dressed for the upcoming winter. I turned the car and drove slowly into an apartment complex in the best area of Zootopias central district. Internal I tried to calm and forget the events of the day and focus on my upcoming task. Something that was even more difficult than my daily job, maybe not so dangerous but mentally exhausting. I parked the car and went into my apartment building, like every day was Peter the security guard waiting at the entrance and greeted me with a friendly tone.
"Good evening Sir, I hope you had a good day."
"Thanks Peter, I can't complain."
"That's always good to hear Sir."
Without further conversation I went to the elevator and pushed the button for the 40th floor. It was one of those privileges in my job that the payment was extraordinary good, not just because of the old fox who seems to like me and who gave me every month a relative big bonus but also of the dangerous work I was doing everyday. But besides of the money, today was another of those days were I just wanted to go home, lay down and never go back to work again. But I knew it was not possible, I had to keep moving or like Kingfisher likes to say 'who stands still will die'.
Matthews - stood on the door plate to my apartment and of course I knew that this was my name but it was still strange that I came from work where the only name I was called was Woodpecker. Kingfisher gave me this name on the first day of our work, I knew his real name and he knew mine but every minor worker just knew what they had to knew and that was this pseudonym.
I tried again to calm down and banished the bad thoughts of the day deep into the back of my brain. Hopefully they won't be back till tomorrow morning, where another day of work began and I could let them free into the wild. Because the evenings and my spare free time is only for my family, there is no place for death, murder and all the other madness that is happening around me. And of course they will never know, for them I am only a office guy who works with an eccentric boss that gives me almost no free time. But there is always a price to pay and that one is mine.
I breathed deeply through and opened the door to the apartment, the mixture of different flavours was the first thing that comes to my mind. Followed by the calling of my daughter Samantha, a beautiful nine year old snow leopard.
"Daddy, Daddy how was your day?"
She runned directly into me and caused a little impact but hey she's just a little girl. I had to chuckle about the force she used to tackle me but besides that I kneed down and gave her a big hug, which she returned in a kind way.
"Hey there little princess. Mine was good and how was yours?"
Her muzzle gave me a sad but playful reaction, which explained everything to me but lets see what she has to say.
"Boring, too much math in school, everything else would be okay but math?"
"I know you don't like it, honey but it is important for your future. Besides don't you have soon the 'choose-your-future-job-day'? Do you already know what do you want to be when you are old enough?"
I stood up to put my coat on the wardrobe and loosen my tie. I could imagine a lot of things for her scientist for example, she is smart but I think every parent said that about their children. Or maybe sports, yes she was every time a good runner in the …
"I want to be a police officer and make the world a better place, like Judy Hopps. Do you think I will meet her one day? That would be awesome. I mean she is often on the streets, so maybe I can see her their? Oh I'm so excited..."
A little shock was what would describe my actual situation at best. Hopps? Why Hopps? Couldn't it be a film star or a boyband? Maybe this will all be over in some days or weeks and the next thing is on her agenda. I mean she is young such things change fast… but what is if not? Suck it up, it will all be alright.
"That sound good honey but don't forget you can become everything you want, okay? So if you want to become a scientist or athlete it is all open to you."
She smiled and rolled her eyes in the same playful manner she used earlier. I knew this rolled eyes to good from her mother, by the way where is Diana?
"Yes daddy but I will become a police officer, that is what I want."
Her voice sounded serious and that was what made me feel so uneasy. She was ever a little whirlwind but things she really wanted was something you don't get out of her head. I had a bad feeling about that.
"For now… Let's see and wait."
And without loosing another word she ran off into the living room, the last thing I heard from her was a joyful giggle that could melt my heart and made my day instantly a little bit better. To spoke about things that made my day better...I went into the kitchen to saw my wife standing at the stove and preparing the dinner while humming a melody I couldn't recognize, her tail tip slowly flinching to the beat of her humming.
Slowly I went to her and gave my wife Diana a loving hug from behind. Pressing my muzzle against her ear and whispering those words, that were almost a ritual for my homecoming.
"Did you miss me honey?"
She smiled and gave me the answer on which I waited the whole day.
"There is nobody who I missed more than you, Darling."
"Glad to hear that."
"I mean besides of our daughter of course. How was your day?"
"Exhausting and much too long. But there is always a weekend, right?"
Most couples, married or not, tended over the time to a lose each other or drift slowly apart. But not us, even 10 years after the day we said yes to each other, she was the love of my live, I couldn't imagine a life without her or Samantha.
But there were also dark sides and of course it was because of my work. There were things I could never tell them, things so horrible even I tried to forget them. But that was not possible, I can't forget them, I could only endure it for the sake of my family.
"Still time till we eat?"
"Mmh-mh let's say 15 minutes. You can accompany your daughter, I think she is watching a rerun of an interview with Judy Hopps and those fox, what was his name? I don't know, anyhow I tell you she loves that little bunny, told me proud like a tiger today that she wants to become a officer by herself. Oh and Clark, don't scare her with the stories you told her yesterday."
"Maybe I try not to tell her another of the stories but you know I just wanted to prepare her for Halloween."
"Mmh-mh, yes Halloween, sure."
Without a further discussion I went at first to the bedroom to changed into a blue shirt and some shorts to feel a little bit more at home. Time for my daughter but not without something to drink, so I went to our fridge and searched for my icetea. After I found for what I was looking for, I served myself a big glas and went into the living room where my daughter sat on the couch, totally into the show on the television. The moderator explained again the Night howler case and from time to time they showed Judy Hopps or Nick Wilde. And there it was the typical smirk I saw today on the muzzle of the chief, for the first time. It was astounding how much both resemble each other, just some more years and Nick will be a perfect copy of the old one.
I laid my left arm around my daughter and she instinctively snuggled into my left side, like she did many times when she was much smaller and also younger.
We watched the show but from time to time I heard one of her giggles and started to ask myself where the part to laugh was. Maybe just childish jokes, yes that should be it. Well at least I thought until she broke the silence.
"Daddy?"
"Yes honey?"
"Can a bunny and a fox be partners?"
"In the police? Why not?"
"No silly, I mean like you and mommy."
I had to chuckle about that thought, if she would know that I observed both for a while now...but there was no sign of something like a romantic relationship. I mean yes they spent almost every free minute with each other but how did she comes to that conclusion? Just the wishful thinking of young girl? Let's see.
"Why would you say that, honey?"
She was a little bit embarrassed about my question and tried to find an answer but it was difficult to find the right words, I mean she was still a nine year old.
"You know, it is how Judy Hopps looks at the fox and the fox looks at her… It is… well...like, when you give mommy a kiss and you two look at each other after that."
How they look at each other? Maybe I was not the right one to see something like that…
"Well there is no law that forbids something like a predator prey couple, but…"
"But? Why is there a but?"
Oh, this will be more difficult to explain. I scratched the back side of my head and hoped for the best.
"You see, a lot of mammals even here in Zootopia are against something like this. They say it is unnatural and should be forbidden. They say everyone should stay in their own species."
And then silence, I could almost hear how she thought about the things I told her. At least that would keep her a little bit busy, well I thought this. Let's concentrate on the show and to see I tried again to see what she sees in those both small mammals but I just couldn't see anything. Maybe I witnessed in my life just too many death and violence, to recognize something like that…
"Daddy?"
"Mhmm."
"Can we decide who we fall in love with?"
I had again to chuckle about her cute question but hey something like this could just come from a child.
"No honey, that is not how things work."
"And how do we stop loving someone? Can we just stop thinking about the other and it goes away?"
"Unfortunately no, this will also not work. Mostly you can't stop thinking about the other and that the whole time so..."
"...So even if I love someone from a different species I am not allowed to be together with him and because of myself I can't forget about him? That sounds so…"
"Limited?"
"...painful...Why do mammals do something like that? Why can't they let them in peace? That is so stupid."
I must say her chain of thoughts was correct, if you had the bad luck to love someone out of your species, than you could only try to endure it or you be a couple and get treated like shit. Literally. So or so it will end in pain. Laws are one site of the medal but the unwritten social laws are a whole different story.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, princess?"
"Would you not love mommy if she was a different species. So everything is the same but her species is …. let's say a deer? Would you still love her?"
And there it was. I didn't know what to say. Outsmarted by a little nine year old kid. What would I do? What would I feel? Would something change?
"I… really don't know honey. But I believe I would still love her."
She looked with sad eyes to me and I knew that she didn't liked my answer or my hesitation. I'm sorry little one but that is a question I couldn't answer you so easily. Our conversation was interrupted through the calling of my wife, seems like dinner was ready. Samantha stood up and went into the kitchen but looked a the doorframe a last time back to me and smiled.
"Are you coming dad?"
"Yes honey, on my way."
I stood up and drank the rest of my icetea. And there it was those deep, loving glances that both exchanged and that the whole time. How couldn't I see that? Maybe there was really too much violence in my past and present.
And with that I slowly walked into the dining room, still thinking about the question of my daughter and the things I realised just seconds ago about the odd couple. Man, meeting the parents in law is even for the same species one hell of a torture but for interspecies relationship? To did that you really need guts and then as a fox in burrow of over 250 bunnies, you really had to love her more than your own live to do that. And with a last chuckle I entered the room to start our little family diner.