Robin was peering over the edge from the top of an apartment in downtown Zootopia. The hustle and bustle of the evening streets was audible even from several stories up, a chatter intermingling with the winds.
Nick was seated behind his father in a lawn chair, one of the many items strewn across the rooftop patio, sipping on a mango and sugared maggot smoothie from one of the smoothie parlors along the way.
"So, why are we here?" Nick asked, taking an obnoxiously loud slurp from his almost empty, but still refreshingly sweet, cup.
"That's the fifth time you've asked in the past ten minutes." Robin's ear twitched as he continued scanning the streets below with his binoculars.
"Well, you wanted this to be a father-son experience. I'm just playing my part." Nick replied curtly as he set aside his cup and reclined in the chair, crossing his legs and letting out a big yawn.
Robin huffed and continued his reconnaissance mission.
Several uneventful minutes later, Robin's ears perked up.
"Well, there he is." He stated as he handed Nick, who'd got up and sauntered over some time in the past few seconds, the binoculars.
"Who're we- Oh."
Through the looking-glass, Nick spotted a badger dressed in a smart suit strutting along with a golden cane, practically cutting through the evening crowd.
"That's Will A. Badgerson, finance minister of Zootopia. Real nice guy, isn't he?"
Robin didn't have to tell Nick. He was familiar with the guy, even before he joined the force. He was living proof that money could buy you anything. Status, power, that badger had it all. His status as the finance minister was rather ironic as well, given how most of his dealings were made under the table, but with his immense wealth, the law couldn't touch him. Thus, he sat on his post, slowly leeching off the hard work of the populace to line his pockets.
Watching him push people aside with his cane made Nick's blood boil.
"So, what're you going to try and do?" Nick asked, his voice tinged with icy rage, "Steal all his money?"
Robin turned to look at his son, raising an eyebrow.
"You're awfully interested."
"What?" Nick bounced back, a little surprised at the observation, "I'm here to get evidence on you!"
"Well, I'm already a wanted fox, aren't I? What might you need that evidence for? You coud just tackle and handcuff me right now and be on your merry way," He glanced at the handcuffs he'd so graciously returned to his son, "But you didn't."
Nick fell silent for a moment, his ears drooping a little, before speaking up.
"… He tricked us."
"Tricked you?" Robin raised both eyebrows out of curiousity, "Tricked you how?"
"Well, you remember our house, right?"
Robin nodded. In his mind's eyes, the house was pristine and perfect, untouched by any outside forces. It was his personal haven, his retreat when the realities of prison got too harsh for him. If he closed his eyes, he could hear…
"Yeah." He pushed the thought aside. It hurt too much.
"Well, Badgerson… He made mom and I mortgage it off to pay for your thievery," Nick's voice grew quieter, mentally restraining himself, "She was desperate and I was too young to understand, so we signed it. He said we'd get it back. We never did."
"Hmm…" Robin got up and stretched
"That's all you have to say?" Nick raised his voice in disbelief and anger at his father's attitude.
"Nick, I'll be honest with you, there's no way we're getting any of it back."
Nick's eyes widened before narrowing into angry slits.
"What do you mean by that?" Nick snarled angrily.
"What I mean is that the money and property's probably gone by now," He raised his hands as Nick stepped closer, "But that doesn't mean we can't stop others from falling from the same trap."
Nik calmed down a little and stopped advancing on his father, who was now dangerously close to the ledge.
"How are you going to do that?" Nick asked, crossing his arms and letting out a loud sigh.
"Well, there's got to be records of his crimes somewhere…"
"They've already tried that. Many times."
"Not official records. I'm talking about his personal receipts. His trophies, if you will. Narcissism is a running theme with this sort of criminal."
"Oh, that's right, you're quite the expert on the subject, aren't you?" Nick frowned at Robin, who sighed in defeat.
"Listen, Nick, whether you want to believe it or not, I stole for a good cause. My conscience is clearer than the runoff in Tundratown."
"Right. Well, that's a mighty fine plan and all, but I think it's time for me to bring you back in." Nick unclasped the handcuffs around his belt and flipped them open, "And if you try ti testify, I've got it all recorded right here."
Nick held up a gray, bunny-shaped pen recorder. Robin chuckled.
"Well, I think the ZPD'll have quite a bit of fun with this too."
Robin held up his own recorder, sleek and . They both pressed play and the past few minutes of conversation rang through the air.
"Alright, we'll call it a tie. Spit it out, what do you need?"
"His address."
Nick waited for a moment.
"That's it?" Nick asked after a few seconds of silence, "Couldn't you just look it up?"
"Fugitive, remember?"
"Oh, right."
"Yeah. Well, the choice if yours."
He took one final glance at Nick before leaving.
Now alone on the roof, Nick pondered on his choices for a moment. Clearly, this would probably get him fired if it got out. What would Judy think of him? Still, he felt an intense desire to do his mother right; he tried once when he was younger and messed up, peddling some forged goods to pay for his meals so his mother wouldn't have to work so hard.
One thing led to another, and eventually he was so tied up in the conning ring at the tender age of twelve that he couldn't bear to look her in the eyes anymore. Who was to blame for their misfortune? He didn't know at the time and, even till today, his mind was still in a mess.
After a bit more thinking, he finally let out a quiet laugh.
"Heh… Sorry, mom. I'll have to let you down one last time. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt anyone ever again."
Satisfied, Nick opened the door to the stairwell and found Robin standing there, listening.
"So, by 'him', did you mean Badgerson or me?"
"A little bit of both…" Nick chuckled sadly, "Listen, if I help you out, you'll do anything I say, understood?"
Robin nodded and extended his hand. There was a pause before Nick shook it firmly and they walked off into the shadowy stairwell below.