Here's chapter 11, everyone! I hope you all enjoy it. I'm providing some insight on Nick and Finnick's past with this crime syndicate. If it gets mushy, it might be because of all of the songs I've looked up on YouTube and listened to as I wrote this for entertainment. Anime soundtracks and covers, mostly. Age with style, my fellow fan fiction-istas!

Chapter 11: The Mad Cows

Judy and Nick were sitting in their patrol car just outside of the Polar Café. Judy finally pulled away from Nick and sweetly said, "Tell me everything you know about that skull symbol."

"Alright, Carrots. You sure know the key to my lock. That skull is a symbol used by a crime syndicate called the Mad Cows. They're about as big as Mr. Big in Zootopia's underworld-and he's Mr. Big! But get this-while Mr. Big normally operates in Tundra Town, they hide out in Zootopia's underground Nocturnal District until nightfall," Nick began explaining.

"Makes sense. Mr. Big manages to disconnect himself from any evidence against him. The Mad Cows are probably in it too deep," Judy pointed out. "Go on."

"Finnick and I had teamed up and become a duo skulking out at night, trying to thrive in our survival. The whole excellent night vision thing is a great attribute to have. It's also terrible because you end up tailing the wrong people," Nick continued.

Flashback…

Nick and Finnick were following a brown bull in a dark suit. He was a well-dressed bovine who looked as though he had something of value on him. Nick, armed with a pistol, and Finnick, armed with a knife, followed the strange bull into an alley. They brought weapons because this individual they were planning to mug looked like he could take on the ZPD's legendary Chief Bogo in a fight and have no clear outcome at the very least.

Nick went in first and hid behind a dumpster. He then rolled behind a trashcan as Finnick moved to the dumpster. The bull stopped walking and turned around. In the dim glow of a street light shining down the alley, Nick could see a nasty scare running down the bull's face. Suddenly, he felt his plan to tip the male cow over and take his cash get washed away be the fear that boiled inside of him. This bull gave off an overwhelming presence. Nick's instincts screamed. A pack of two wasn't enough to catch this prey.

"I'll give you boys a chance to turn tail and flee. In truth, I'm a peace-loving creature," the large bull told them. "How's the count of three sound?"

Nick and Finnick said nothing. From their respective hiding places, they were able to see the angry bull skull on the male bovine's chest pocket of his suit jacket. They had inadvertently planned to mug the boss of the Mad Cows, Mr. Bovina.

"One."

What could they have done? They could have taken their chances in a two-on-one fight, but Bovina was massive and nearly 100% muscle. They could have run, but they might head right into an ambush and take on ten or fifteen mammals.

"Two."

Fight or flight; both seeming to be terrible options, the foxes were stuck. Nick's paws trembled as he held his gun. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Finnick nervously grit his teeth. Both of them were cunning, even among foxes. So why couldn't they think of anything to do to save their hides?!

"Three."

Bovina kicked the trashcan, sending Nick flying. He then grabbed the taller fox by his tail and slammed him into Finnick. The foxes were dazed and scared. Nick, choosing to fight as though it were his last hope, tried to shoot Bovina. He narrowly missed. His voice cracked as he choked up, "No."

"You've got spunk. Just remember you brought this fight onto yourselves," the bull's deep voice pointed out to them as he prepared to charged.

Finnick pushed Nick out of the way just as Bovina charged. The fennec fox then managed to block one of the bull's horns with his knife. Struggling, the dwarfed fennec growled with his own deep voice, "We're not going to fall to you. We're going to survive!"

"Humph! I think I like you!" Bovina snorted and grabbed Finnick by the shirt.

"Finnick, hang on!" Nick exclaimed as he raised the pistol, his lifeline at this point, once again. Before he knew it, though, Bovina had gotten a hold of him, too.

"You boys work for me now," Bovina told the foxes. "Welcome to the Mad Cows."

End of flashback…

"Gosh," was Amber's response to Finnick telling her the same story as he treated her to coffee on her lunch break.

"Yeah…" Finnick agreed. He took a sip of his coffee, but was soon surprised to see the gray bunny put a paw on his own paw.

"So you didn't have a choice…" Amber muttered. "You deserve better than those circumstances."

"…So this is compassion," Finnick gave a small chuckle and said. "I haven't seen that in a long, long time."

"Don't lie to me. It's not that you haven't seen it. You just weren't looking," Amber told the fennec. "So how did you get out of there?"

"Well, let's just say that Nick screwing up with Mr. Big brought an end to a certain peace treaty and was a blessing in disguise for us to slip away with. I've still be afraid to go out with a woman more than once, though," Finnick explained.

"Then maybe you could be brave for me. You were brave enough to intercept a charging bull. Surely a bunny shouldn't be much of a challenge for you," Amber pointed out playfully. They gazes met. Suddenly, Finnick kissed her. She asked, "What was that about?!"

"That is my answer!" Finnick replied.

"We just started dating!"

"Oh, so I should have saved the story for another time?"

"No, but most people don't kiss when they hardly know each other!"

"AUGH!" both of them grunted in frustration. They gazed into each other's eyes again and started laughing.

"Same time tomorrow?" Finnick proposed.

"Totally," Amber laughed her reply.

Meanwhile, Judy was listening to Nick's story. When he finished, she said to him, "You know I'll follow you no matter what. Even if it scares me, it won't shatter my faith in you, Nick."

"Thanks, Carrots. I feel bad for dragging you and Mom into this," Nick mumbled. His eyes watered. Only her. She was the only one who was allowed to see past his mask. It was because she was taking the time to learn how to do it. It was because she cared about him and he cared about her in a way that transcended the confines of their species; the confines of time and space, even.

Just to clarify: not all of the Mad Cows are cows. I thought Finnick telling Amber the story at the same time Nick tells Judy would be great parallel.