Sorry for the delay. I had to get my wisdom teeth pulled because one got infected. So I figured I may as well get the rest out too. So I'm a little sore and tired. Anyway, onto the next chapter! Sorry if the last one seemed a bit shorted. Hit writers block on it a few times.
Ask the Cast!
Guest asks: Leah, why were you in Zootopia during the Growler Incident?
Leah: Initially, I was sent to map out the city for Force of Nature. Things went awry when I threw a cocky bunny through a glass window that nearly killed him...
Guest asks: Jacques, Hunter, and Leah, are you three gonna die in a really badass yet brutal way like Snowly?
Jacques: Wait what?
Arrowsight shows up, shoving him off screen, slamming the door closed behind him.
Arrowsight: No, no no, not for him to answer. I won't spoil anything, but I have a very poetic, and symbolic way that this will end for these four.
Jack Savage Manor – 5:00 am
The sun had just barely begun to rise. The sky filled with the light blue color to show that dawn was approaching.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Sounded the alarm clock next to Nick and Judy's temporary bed. A gray furred paw quickly slipping out of the covers and turning off the alarm. Once the alarm was silenced, Judy hopped out of the bed and stretched her arms and legs. Wearing a loose t-shirt and panties.
"Mmmm. Morning Nick!" she said excitedly.
Nick sat up from the bed, his fur a jumbled, ungroomed mess. He rubbed his eyes and gave a somewhat cheerful, but groggy smile to Judy. "Morning fluff." grumbled Nick as he stretched his arms, his elbows popping slightly.
Judy hopped over to the wall and turned on the light, causing Nick to flinch and shield his eyes a bit. The sudden bright light that filled the dark room was always sensitive to Nick's low-light vision. After a few moments of rubbing his eyes, he stood up and stretched his back. "Gotta say... this bed's amazing."
"Definitely." replied Judy. It was the same room that she was in the first time she stayed at Jack's Manor. After training the previous day, everyone on the ZCTU was brought to the manor. Due to how late, and how tired everyone was, everyone almost went to bed within a few minutes.
Judy snagged up a towel for both her and Nick, as well as a fresh change of clothes. "Bathroom's right down the hall. See you there." she said happily and excitedly as she darted down the hall. Nick had noticed an increase of pep and energy in Judy. She was excited, and happy that she was accepted into the ZCTU. Nick recalling whenever an exciting job came up at the ZPD, she'd always be energetic and hyper. Ready to get the day going, and in a rush to get things going.
After stretching his legs a bit, Nick followed Judy down the hall at a much slower stride. He recalled where the bathroom was, already hearing the water running. As Nick neared the door, he heard a familiar voice call out to him. "Morning Nick!"
He turned to see Artie moving towards him. Upon arriving at Jack's Manor, Tom gave Artie an automatic wheelchair. It moved surprisingly quick, and Artie was thoroughly enjoying it. Nick smiled as he saw the arctic fox. "Morning, Power wheels."
Artie rolled his eyes, seeing Nick's messy morning fur. "Looks like you had fun last night. Put some new stains in the sheets?" asked Artie, wiggling his eyebrows at Nick.
Nick shot an annoyed glare at Artie. "Come on, Art. I have a bit more class than that... Maybe in the bathroom though." said Nick with a coy smirk as he went into the bathroom. Artie chuckled and continued down the hall. Having already gotten himself dressed and cleaned.
Despite his handicap, Artie had learned how to take care of himself. He had to when he was in prison. Tom was also nice enough to show Artie how to use the handicapped bathtubs and toilets. A series of handlebars hung overhead that allowed Artie to move freely in the bathroom. As well as some additional handles on the walls in case he did fall and needed to pull himself up.
During his prison time, Artie had spent a lot of time strengthening his upper body. Knowing that some day he would need the strength for it.
Laura was already up and about, taking a short walk around the manor to learn where everything was. Having already passed the downstairs corridor leading to the shooting range, she was now looking for the fitness room. According to Tom, both of these areas were on the western side of the building. Surely enough, she found it. The gym room having a glass wall that showed who was inside it. Jack was currently there, his paws wrapped in tape, and repeatedly punching a hanging sand bag. Wearing a white shirt and black shorts.
Jack's experience in hand to hand combat showed. His movements were fluid, calculated, and precise. Each hit echoing loudly around the room and wearing down the bag little by little. Laura watched him, able to tell that something was troubling him. She walked into the gym, smiling at him. "Getting an early start?" she asked.
Thud. Thonk. Thunk.
His battering on the sandbag continued. Seeming to ignore Laura for a few moments before he put his paws down, panting softly. "You can say that." he said as he walked over to one of the nearby towel racks, swiping one off and wiping off his face.
"Are you alright? You seem... I dunno... frustrated." said Laura, concerned for her somewhat newly found team mate.
Jack paused for a moment and sighed, shaking his head. "Just stress. I hardly find a moment to relax now..." said Jack, turning towards Laura. "On one hand, there's the ZCTU. On the other, I'm still a ZIA agent. On another hand, I'm running for mayor and I have an interview with Limbara in a few hours. And on the last, I'm Judy's bodyguard. I just... I don't know what to do..."
Laura listened to Jack, she could tell he needed to vent a little. "Jack, listen..." she said as she walked up, placing a paw on Jack's shoulder. "You're putting to much on yourself. You're not Supermammal. These might all feel like things that you want, or that only you need to do. But we're here to help you in whatever way we can, Jack. Don't worry about Judy. I'll make sure she's safe at all times. And be honest with yourself Jack, do you think you can be an agent of the ZIA, AND be mayor at the same time?"
Jack was silent as he listened, pressing his back against the towel rack. "I've been batting that around for a while now. I think I need to retire from the ZIA..."
"Either that, or drop out of the election. The ZCTU, for the moment, is just an on the spot kind of thing. We're gonna have to learn how to operate without you if you become mayor. You aren't going to have time to do stuff for the ZCTU if you're too busy running the city. Being an agent might be a bit different, and give you a bit more leniency to be fully in the ZCTU." explained Laura.
He listened to every word. She was right, if he became mayor, there was no way he could be a ZIA agent or work for the ZCTU. Usually, the mayor would be up to the ceiling in work to do. And currently with the recent Snowly scare, and the homicides, things would be even more busy. But, if he stayed an agent for the ZIA, he could work for the ZCTU. And currently, the team needed his experience and guidance as one of its two leaders.
Jack let out a sigh and slug the towel over his shoulder. "I need some time to think. I still have time before that interview." said Jack as he turned to leave the gym, scratching the back of his head slightly. Laura sighed as he left, growing more concerned about his mental health. She cared for Jack, a part of her wanting to be more than just his friend.
Within the next hour, everyone was called into the dining room for breakfast. Everyone surprised to see a large amount of food waiting for them on the dining table. Pancakes, fruit bouquets, orange juice, cold milk, oatmeal of many different flavored varieties.
Everyone was quick to dig in, Judy helping herself to a large plate full of fruits. Artie and Nick favored the pancakes more. Laura, Jack, and Malika got a little bit of everything. Tom stood by the door, straight and orderly as he always was. He held a great pride in his job, and was very good at it.
"This is good stuff, Tom. You make all of this yourself?" asked Malika, hiding her mouth as she chewed a mouthful of peach and cream oatmeal.
Tom smiled brightly. "Most of it, Madame Jimenez. The pancakes are made from scratch, and the flavors for the oatmeal are real. Not the product you find in those little dehydrated packages."
Malika nodded, swallowing her food and smiled brightly. "Well you're an amazing cook."
"Isn't he though?" said Jack, smiling up at Tom. "This old Minx's been taking care of me since I joined the agency."
Tom smiled, his cheeks flushing a bit red in embarrassment. "Thank you for the kind words."
"Hmmm..." said Laura, an idea forming in her head. "Let's take this time now to get to know each other a bit more. How about this; one by one, we tell each other a little about themselves. Maybe a bit about what drives them. I'll go first."
Laura took a sip out of her milk before speaking up. "Laura Lynks. When I was young, I never thought I'd be a cop. But when I got into high school, I found myself liking the idea so I went with it. And I guess what drives me, is my love of Zootopia."
Once Laura finished, she looked clockwise to Malika. Malika put her fork down and cleared her throat. "Malika Jimenez. I don't come from Zootopia. I come from one of the small communities northwest of here. I never thought I'd become a cop at all. I always wanted to be a dancer... But when that fell flat on its face, family member who's also a cop suggested I join. So I did. What drives me... I don't really know. Maybe I just wanna see what tomorrow will bring."
Next was Artie, who smiled when he realized it was his turn. "Artie McCoy. When I was young, my mother was in a car accident that took her life. The other car that caused the accident got away scott free because he bribed the judge. Wracked with depression, I dived headfirst into the internet. As the years went by, I learned about computers. How to build, program, and eventually hack. I ended up hacking that same guy's bank accounts, and spread the money to many low-poverty banks. I served a couple of years in prison for it. After that, I ended up working with Leon... long story short, I came to regret doing what I did while working with him. Now, I wanna make things right by Zootopia and by myself. What drives me, is my newly found obligation to protect Zootopia."
Continuing down, next was Judy. She stood on her chair, smiling and puffing her chest out a bit and standing in a straight, formal stance. "Judith Hopps. You can call me Judy. Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a cop. Everyone told me that I wouldn't ever see that dream, but I proved them wrong. With the help of a certain sly but dumb fox, we cracked the Night Howler case. And after that, the Growler case. What drives me, is the hope that I can make the world a better place."
Nick smiled as Judy referenced him. He realized he was next, and stood up. "Nick Wilde. Once a local hustler making 200 dollars a day tax free, now a police officer making enough to get by and benefiting society. Thanks to a dumb bunny, I was put on the right track. I guess what drives me, is working hard to ensure a better tomorrow for everyone."
As Nick sat down, Malika raised her eyebrow to him, peeking up over the many fruit bouquets to look at him squarely. "What about the whole Growler case? Weren't you like, REALLY involved in that?"
There was a moment of pause in the room, Judy looking up at Nick. Noticing the upset look in his eyes of regret. "Lets just say... I made a really bad decision that came back to haunt me. I'm pretty sure the media's covered what my involvement was."
Malika nodded, figuring she shouldn't press him any further. Finally, it came to Jack, who seemed to be focused entirely on his food. Laura, sitting next to him, cleared her throat. "Jack?"
Jack looked up for a moment, then looked around, sighing and setting his for down. "Jack Savage. ZIA Field Agent. I joined the ZIA, and worked my way here. What drives me is my desire to see justice done."
There was a still silence that fell over the room after Jack spoke, as if anticipating more from him.
"C'mon, Jack. You can give us a bit more than that." said Artie, flipping an apple slice with his fork.
Jack kept his gaze down, standing up from his seat. "No." His voice growing deeper, and more angered.
Artie shook his head, looking up at Jack. "Look, we all told something a little personal. You can at least-" Artie stopped when Jack lifted his eyes to him. Seeing a deep, seeded anger and malice that reminded him of what he saw in Leon.
"Master Savage, your suit has been laid out in your quarters. Your interview with Limbara is in about an hour." said Tom, hoping to remove Jack from the room.
Jack stayed silent as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him as he left. Tom let out a sigh of relief and looked to the many confused faces in the room. "You must excuse him, Mister McCoy."
"I'm not upset or anything." said Artie, turning in his wheelchair to face Tom. "But what's the deal?"
Tom lowered his gaze, a look of deepening sadness showing in his old, wrinkled face. "It's not for me to say, Sir. But I suggest that all of you avoid asking about Master Savage's younger years. It's something that he doesn't want to have to retell."
The room was silent for a moment, everyone looking at each other as if asking for answers. Judy remembered the large scar that stretched over Jack's back, wondering if that had anything to do with it. Laura stood up and smiled. "Well everyone, get ready. We're leaving for the ZIA training grounds. We'll wait for Jack when we get there."
Everyone soon left the dining room, letting Tom clean up. Everyone still had many questions about Jack's unknown past. But they understood that if it made Jack that upset just to ask about it, they're better off avoiding it. Jack had left before everyone else, Judy being left in the care of Nick, Laura, Malika, and Artie as they went to the ZIA headquarters to resume their training.
One hour later
Jack sat in the interview room with Limbara. A short, pudgy male capybara with dark brown fur and beady black eyes. Wearing a typical black suit with a black tie with a white undershirt. He had headphones on, and sitting in front of a microphone on a table. Jack sitting across from him with a similar set of headphones on with a similar microphone in front of him.
Soon, the orchestrated music filled sounded signaling the beginning of the show. "Good Morning Zootopia! And welcome to the Limbara show. As you all know, I've been interviewing every mayor candidate And today, we have the last one with us. Jack Savage! Thank you for joining us, Mister Savage." said Limbara, smiling over to Jack.
Jack returned the smile and nodded. "Good to be here, Limbara."
Rush flipped his stubby, furred fingers through a few papers. Looking for his written questions that he usually had written down for every show. "Mister Savage, you're running for mayor this term and its been pretty favorable to you so far. Right now, you're the popular candidate! So, now that I got you face to face, I wanna hear what your reasoning is. And what you plan to do as mayor."
It took a moment for Jack to figure out what he wanted to say, finally he spoke up. "Zootopia is a wonderful and diverse city. Differences in your species doesn't decide entirely who you are and what you can do. I'm an example of this. I mean, a rabbit ZIA agent? I jump from helicopters, stop drug dealers and fur traders, even bringing down crime lords. I wan to keep these values and build off of them. It's true, there's been a recent uprising in crime, but this kind of thing happens. And the best we can do is educate our children, make the public aware, and have the ZPD step up on it. Changing policy and laws isn't gonna cut it all. Sure it'll make a few changes here and there may make it less tempting to break the law, but people will still do it anyway."
Rush scratched his whiskery chin, studying Jack's words. "So basically, you just wanna keep things as they are and address the issues as they happen?"
Jack nodded in response. "Mostly. No matter how you slice it, crime is gonna exist. The best way to approach it, is to educate the young minds and make sure they have plenty of options so they don't have to resort to a life of crime. Petty crimes like vandalism and robbery happen here and there out of desperation. Even accidental murders happen from time to time and these... well I hate to say it but it's unavoidable. Making sure that people don't resort to a LIFE of crime is the key to dropping crime rates."
"That actually does make a lot of sense. Now for the next question. Reporters say you've been involved in the recent measures to stop the homicides plaguing Zootopia as of late. Can you give us any information on that?" asked Rush.
Jack smiled from the corner of his mouth. "Not a whole lot, but we're working on getting the team ready to tackle this case head-on. The members selected are specialists, and stand out members of the community."
"Is there anything else you can add? Maybe a message to these culprits if they're listening?" asked Rush. Seeming unsatisfied with Jack's first answer.
Jack paused for a moment, recalling his suspicions as to who these animals could be. "If you are who I think you are, I'll find you. Zootopia will not bend to you"
Rush hesitated for a moment, rather perturbed by Jack's response. "Well... One last question, Mister Savage. One of your campaign points, was a concern of outside influence from our two neighboring regions. Zoocia and Mamussia. What do you mean by that?"
"Through my years in the ZIA, I've seen a number of things that the common citizen doesn't. I've seen, and done many things that has saved Zootopia from destruction, at least in one form or another. To put it plainly, people like Leon Snowly is the kind of guy that the ZIA deals with on a daily basis. I'm not saying that outside influences are gonna find its way to Zootopia, but the city shouldn't be ignorant to the possibility either. There are factions and such out there that the Western Region should be aware of. Such as the Rusten Fur Traders up north in Mamussia. The Rab Cartel in Zoocia. And a few others." explained Jack, taking a pause in his long explanation.
Rush looked up to a clock and tapped on his wrist, signaling time was running short.
"To sum it all up, I aim to raise awareness to what's happening in the other regions. There's a lot of benefits to this and almost no drawbacks. If someone sees a nice place in Zoocia where they wanna go tour on tv, they go see it. A new news team to cover certain events in other regions, such as the recent Coup de tat in Zoocia. And the other regions do it too, so I don't see what the issue would be." said Jack, finishing his explanation of his plans as mayor.
The orchestrated music began to play again, and Rush spoke up. "Well that's all the time we have this interview, Mister Savage. When we come back, we'll talk with other politicians in Zootopia about their opinions on the mayor candidates."
Jack stood up once the commercials were running, making his way out to Tom whom stood waiting patiently by the car. Ready to take him to the ZIA training grounds.
Meanwhile, Mamtrack Train
The train was currently en route to Zootopia from Zoocia. Hunter and Jacques having their own private room instead of the commercial benches. Jacques having his suitcase sitting in the luggage carrier above the couch bolted into the floor.
Walt and Hunter arrived in Zoocia many hours ago, immediately met with paramedics, as well as Jacques. Instantly, the paramedics put Walt in an ambulance, and drove off. Jacques insisting that once Walt's condition was known, that he would be called. Surely enough, the phone had just rung. Jacques having it on speaker so Hunter could hear and talk.
"Walt is suffering a major infection in his eye socket that began to grow serious. That flush you were given was equivalent to hand sanitizer and water." explained the doctor. Hunter growling a bit in anger. "But, he'll be just fine. He's on quality antibiotics in the best hospital in Zoocia. He'll recover in a few days."
Jacques smiled softly and sighed in relief. "Thank you doctor. If something happens, call me immediately after he's treated. Alright?"
"Will do, governor." said the doctor as he hung up the phone.
As Jacques leaned back in his seat, Hunter let out a light chuckle. "Governor. Haven't heard that one in a while. Usually it's 'Voice.'"
Jacques shrugged and crossed his leg over his knee. "He's from Zoocia. I technically am the governor of Preypred City and they know me as 'The Voice' there because of all of our faithful followers. Zoocia has already begun to embrace Nature's Law fully, so its only a matter of time before they refer to me as Voice as well."
The train rattled for a moment as it sped through the magnetic track. Normally, its smooth. But due to high winds closer to the Western Region border, the train shook a bit from the turbulence. This wasn't much of an issue. However in the northern region, Mamussia, the trains could often be shut down due to blizzards in the area.
"The Mind has the plan all laid out to get Hopps. Follow it to the letter, and it'll work out fine." said Jacques, twirling his sword masqueraded as a cane in his paw. The hilt of the sword covered to look like the handle of a cane.
Hunter crossed his arms and sat back in his seat. "It seems...strange. I'm not sure how his plan will work... but I know The Mind. We can trust him. He prefers to think outside of the box, and operate in ways that only he understands."
Jacques tapped his claws against the metal head of the cane. The repeated clicking of his black boned claws against the metal dome sounded more clear than the train's vibrations. "You know The Mind very well. Don't you?"
It took Hunter a moment to respond, but he eventually nodded. "I do. I've known him for a long time."
"Ahh so you know who he really is. Don't worry, I wont ask. But... something's bugging me... Recently, The Mind's been...different. Is this animal we've been talking to the same Mind that you know?" asked Jacques, a single eyebrow raised to Hunter.
Hunter stayed silent, looking out of the window. Seeing the grassy mountains that signaled they had entered the Western Region. Their trip half over at this point. "No. He's not the same one."
Jacques smiled again, sitting up straight in his seat. "No worries, Hunter. I'll play along. I wont expose this guy unless necessary. And if The Mind trusts him, I trust him."
The current news report on the tv caught Hunter's attention. He looked over to it, seeing a short report done on Jack's interview with Limbara. Seeing the message that Jack had left for the killers. Hunter smiled softly, flashing his fangs. "Challenge accepted, little rabbit."
"Game on, Mister Savage. Game on." mumbled Jacques, growing ever more eager for the appointed time for Force of Nature to make its first visible mark in Zootopia.
The next month went by day by day. By day, a string of failed scenarios. Till eventually finally nailing it on the head. By night, spent at Jack's Manor. The team had developed a routine every day. Up at 4 am, spend two hours going through physical fitness, go to training till 7 pm. Return to the manor for free time, then lights out at 10. It seemed like a strict schedule, but it offered enough time for the team to steadily bond.
During a lot of his down time, Artie had begun to set up his computer system he would use for the ZCTU. Although he would continuously ask James Marco to allow him unrestricted access to the new ZIA mainframe, Marco would only let him have personal files and only a few of the traffic cameras. Artie was less than satisfied, but knew he didn't have much say in the matter.
Malika took to further honing her agility and making full use of Jack's physical training course. Not only did he have the gym in the manor, but there was also an obstacle course in the back yard. It reminded Judy a lot of the ZPD's training course, surprised that Jack took his physical fitness so seriously. Malika had a more vibrant and adventurous attitude about her. However when it called for it, she was perfectly capable of being calm and collected. She always sought out time to spend with Nick, and Judy as she would be working with them the closest. Her and Judy quickly warmed up to each other, doing girlish things like looking through shopping catalogs, working on each others claws, finding ways to stylize their short fur (with little success), and other things that Nick would often comment as 'girlish'.
Laura continued to create team-building exercises for the team to go through during free time. Simple projects, watching movies together, or just simply talking about themselves a bit. Jack usually left himself out of that last exercise. She had a strong dedication to leading the team as best as she could. Strong, but fair. Firm, but kind as well.
Nick and Judy both kept to working on both physical training, and getting to know the rest of the team. Nick having admitted that he'd falling behind on his PT, stirred Judy into action to have them up and going as soon as that buzzer went off. Doing laps at the track, strength based workouts in the gym, extreme cardio workouts that left them both gasping and wheezing. Both of them usually slept soundly every night. And usually in the morning, doing a more... intimate workout. Nick decided this would be the time to at least get on friendly terms with Jack. Jack was open to the idea, but there was still a bit of tension between them. Part of it was because of Jack's attraction to Judy. But putting it plainly, Nick and Jack wouldn't get along under normal circumstances.
Judy continued to work on her marksmanship training with Jack when she could. Sometimes managing only a few short hours before having to go do something else. Just as well, she figured she should continue to build up her friendship with Jack. Judy saw him as more than just a friend from work. Jack was a good friend that she could enjoy even outside of work if the time ever called for it. And Jack did always keep things on a platonic level with her. Occasionally giving an occasional flirt, but nothing overly serious. It was as if they had been friends for years. Quickly learning how the other thought, and behaved. They both had little doubt they would work well together in the field.
Jack stayed true to his word to help Judy with her marksmanship. Whenever not with Nick, she was with Jack at the shooting range. Starting with pistols and working up to rifles, she steadily improved her skills day by day. Finding she was better with a pistol than she was a rifle or automatic. Jack enjoyed the alone time with Judy, glad to have someone she could call a friend with her from time to time. Jack felt a close attraction to Judy, beyond that of just friendship or infatuation. However, he was an honorable man, and wouldn't interfere with her relationship with Nick. It was frustrating to him, but knew that to try and get with Judy would only cause problems for the ZCTU.
This was the final training scenario used for ZIA agents. A compound in the mountains north of Zootopia. Instead of dummies, there are real guards with real taser weapons. A dummy could only see so much, so this was a true test of how they could operate as a unit.
The goal: Capture the compound's commander and extract him alive.
The Commander: Archer Steele
A compound stood in a somewhat mountainous area, snow falling from the sky freely as winter was in full swing. Night had settled in, the only light coming from the stationary lamp posts, and the guards patrolling with flashlights in the front of their guns. Sitting in the center of this compound, was a helipad. Blinking red lights on the four corners of the square pad to show a pilot where the pad was.
Archer stood in the compound's tower. Looking around the compound, inspecting it's going on. Although in the darkness of the cold winter night, he couldn't see anywhere that wasn't already lit up from a lamp or a flashlight.
He turned away, going back to look over the schematics for the compound. Meanwhile, a guard on the ground doing his usual path, noticed some different footprints. He followed the prints, leading him to a few cargo boxes. The prints lead to a stack of wooden crates, the prints leading to a small gap under a box held a few feet off the ground. He snow around the crate showed that someone crawled under it. The guard leaned down, shining his light in the gap to get a better look. He felt something sharp hit his neck, then passed out instantly.
After a short while, another guard noticed that the previous guard hadn't shown up in a while, so he went to go look for him. He quickly went to the guard's previous patrol route, finding the guard missing. He quickly searched along the patrol route, and spotted something crouching in the shadows. It was small, and crouched behind a small crate. Unrecognizable in the darkness. As the guard reached for a light, he felt something sharp pierce his neck, followed by a swath of dizziness before fading into unconsciousness.
Judy, who was crouched in the darkness as the guard was hit with a tranquilizer, moved forward slowly. Being careful to avoid any lights that would give her away. Knowing Malika should be working along the other side of the compound to make her way to a designated location.
"Judy, stop. Two guards up ahead." said Nick calmly, knowing he was nearby in the distance, watching from a vantage point. Judy stopped and crouched behind a nearby crate. Two guards stood stationed at the foot of a staircase leading up the tower where the commander stood. Malika's voice soon came over Judy's earpiece.
"Sit tight Judy, I'm just about ready here." said Maliak. Judy nodded and kept crouched. Her thick, padded suit allowing her to stay in the frigid snow for long periods of time.
Judy was the one assigned to extract the target. Malika being there to support where needed, as well as one other key function.
Judy saw a bright, red light come from a nearby stack of crates. The guards quickly noticed it, rushing over to investigate and leaving the stairs wide open. From above, Archer noticed the red light as well, thinking it was a fire. Judy quickly made her way up the stairs. Artie's voice sounding in her ear. "Camera's disabled. Give us the signal when you're ready, Judy."
"Stairs are clear. Archer's looking to the east." said Nick.
Judy kept going up, knowing her way was clear. Being careful not to make much noise as she went up, as she knew Archer stood at the top waiting for someone to barge in. Knowing he would put up a fight if he saw her.
But she wasn't intending to fight.
Judy reached the top, tucking her ears to her back, and crouching low so she wouldn't be seen. She tapped her earpiece a few times, signaling for Artie to start the next phase.
The lights around the compound hummed loudly, the lights shining abnormally bright before bursting in their sockets. The guards frantically calling out as all the lights in the compound turned off, the power dropping to unusable levels.
Judy waited patiently. Slowly pulling a tranquilizer gun from her waistbelt. Her patients was rewarded as Archer burst out of the door with a flash light, trying to find the source of the commotion. Without a word, Judy fired a shot at him. Hitting him squarely in the neck. Archer tensed up for a moment, and fell to his side onto the metal walkway.
It worked as planned. Judy had to make her way to the tower. The issue there, was the guards and the lights all around the tower. She'd be easily spotted as she climbed up the tower. The solution, was for Malika to set a flare off near some wooden crates. Giving the illusion that the crates were on fire. Once Judy was at the top, Artie would overload the generator to cause the lights to shut off, further masking Judy and Malika in the compound, and getting Archer's attention. Once Archer exited the tower to investigate, Judy would tranq him. Now, she had to get him to a secure location, and have him extracted by a Fulton system. A large balloon that would quickly extract anyone from the field if need be.
Now the next problem arrived, getting Archer to a safe location to extract him. The top of the tower wasn't safe, due to the rain guard of the tower blocking the view above. So her only option was to carry him down to the ground floor. The issue now, is any guards rushing up to the tower to report to the commander.
So Malika suggested the next diversion.
An explosion rang out at the power generator. Malika having placed C4 there while Judy scaled the tower and during the confusion of the faux fire. Now, there was a real fire. In a panic, the guards rushed to find the fire extinquishers. Judy quickly dragging Archer down the tower by his heel. His head bouncing off of each metal step as she went down. Judy didn't think he minded to much.
"Don't stop Judy, meatheads on the way. Nick, take them out." said Jack. Judy seeing guards starting to make their way to the tower, only to drop every second or so as Nick tranquilized each one of them as they got too close to the tower. Judy finally reached the bottom, dragging Archer to somewhere more open and placing the Fulton pack on his back. She pulled the release, Judy expecting the Fulton Balloon to explode out, and carry Archer away. Instead, a party balloon popped out. Soon after, Laura's voice came over a loud speaker. "Mission Accomplished. Well done ZCTU."
The backup generators kicked on, and everyone was called to the center. Within a few minutes, everyone gathered on the helipad in the compound. Nick shivering in his heavy snow coat.
"Man its freezing out here. Colder than Tundratown at night." complained Nick, shivering and hunching over a bit, his arms crossed over his chest.
Judy, wearing her weather-tempered suit, put her hands on her hips, smirking up at Nick. "Shoulda got one of these. Totally worth the extra money."
The suit fit her snugly. Mainly black in color save for a few areas of gray that have extra padding. Thermal fibering ensuring that the wearer would stay warm no matter the location.
"I'm not complaining that you got it. You look great in it." said Nick, sliding his paw along Judy's side and thigh. Causing Judy to blush and smirk, leaning against the flirty fox.
Jack, wearing a thick black coat, smirked a bit, eyeing up Judy's suit a bit. "He's got a point."
Laura smiled and patted Jack's shoulder lightly. "Jack, you gotta get going. You got another rally to go to before election day in two days. But before you do, I have a surprise for everyone!" Laura reached into her pouch, soon pulling out what looked like tickets.
"Tickets to the Zootopia Music Festival! It goes on the day after the election!" exclaimed Laura excitedly. "I thought this would be a good way to congratulate and celebrate finishing the training!"
Judy and Malika let out a light cry of excitement, quickly snagging up a ticket. Artie, Jack, and Nick taking one soon after. After Laura put her ticket back in her pouch, she smiled at her team. "You've all done so well to get this far. I'm proud to lead a team such as this. From this moment on, consider yourselves full fledged agents of the ZCTU."
The team let the words sink in, swelling up with pride and eagerness. Finally, after a month of sweat, blood, and increasing frustration payed off. Becoming something more than just citizens or police officers. They were officially Zootopia's first line of defense in times of crisis. The Zootopia Counter Terrorism Unit.
Jack soon left in his limo, Tom at the wheel. Everyone else having taken a van to get to the ZIA training grounds today. With Laura at the wheel, the team began to make their way to Jack's manor. "One last night at the manor, and you guys can go back home. I want everyone to be around to support Jack on election day."
Artie smirked lightly. His spot in the van open so he can sit in his wheelchair there. "I'm cool with it. Better than my rundown little apartment. Courtesy of the mayor. I swear I heard the couple next door screwing again and again."
Soft laughter came from the group. Judy looked around the van, before looking over to Nick. Noticing he was shivering, his arms wrapped tightly around his chest. Laura bashed her fist on the dashboard of the van. "Dammit, why doesn't the heat work on this thing?" she complained.
The heat had not worked in the van ever since they got it. This day being particularly cold made the van just as cold. Judy felt fine, thanks to her weather tempered suit. Nick was wearing one of his old winter coats that was over 10 years old. He never thought to get a new one, since he figured he would end up wearing one of the ZPD's winter coats when out on patrol during the cold season.
Judy smirked softly, crawling up to Nick and lifting up the edge of his shirt. "Judy what are you doing?" asked Nick, his teeth chattering.
"Warming you up. Shoosh." said Judy as she climbed up under Nick's coat and also under his shirt. Nick grunted a bit, his coat bulging out from the rabbit climbing in. Judy quickly unfastened the straps on her suit, quickly slipping it off. She shoved it up from the neck opening, and it fell to the floor. Nick blushed lightly, and Artie laughed.
"Getting comfortable Judy?" mused Artie. Spotting the discarded stealth suit on the floor.
After a moment of rustling in Nick's shirt, she replied. "Nope." Immediatly after, Judy's bra and underwear was pushed out from under Nick's shirt. "Now I am." she said, hugging her body close to Nick's.
Nick flushed red, but he was smiling. Placing his paws on the lump on his shirt. "You realize you can't come out now right? Unless you want everyone to see that sexy bunny booty of yours."
A giggle came from the inside of Nick's shirt. "You're just gonna have to carry me then."
Soon, his shivering stopped, holding Judy against his chest. Nick gently rubbign his paw up and down the bunny's back on his shirt.
"Hey! Watch where you poke that thing Nick!" said Judy, jumping a bit.
The team soon made it back to Jack's manor, all except Jack who went to the rally. Around now, it was close to 6pm. The team enjoyed some time to relax, Nick carrying Judy against his chest inside his jacket as he made his way into the house. Although they didn't come out of the room for quite a while. No one daring to disturb them for the evening.
Alright gonna end that chapter here. Next chapter... a lot's gonna happen. The election, the festival, then Jacques and Hunter.
Now before I go, I wanna ask my readers. Who do you want to win this election? Real quick i'll boil down what each candidate is going for.
Leodore Lionheart- Having learned from his past mistakes, hes hoping to continue to his last term as mayor. While Zootopia has not stooped downward under his leadership, it also hasn't progressed either.
Jack Savage- Firm believer of educating young minds on the repercussions of committing crimes. As well as introducing a new media outlet to inform the masses on affairs happening in other regions. Believing crime to be an inevitability, his approach to law enforcement is more of a 'on the spot' basis.
Alissa Valpord- Despite her exposure in the court, she's still going strong on her election campaign as Mayor. And she has a fair number of voters. Seeing the steadily increasing crime rate in Zootopia, Valpord plans to enact more harsh punishment for those who break the law. Hopeful to deter anyone from committing crimes in fear of the punishment to follow. Obviously this would include a more strict police force. However, questions arise about her susceptibility to corruption.
Elias Wilde- More of a people's person. While law enforcement is something that does need tuned up, Elias is more concerned with moving Zootopia forward. Hoping to change a few social structures, as well as add new ones. Advance in technology, society, and even further expansion of Zootopia itself. However, he has little to no political experience. And since he's not the most well-known person in Zootopia (despite being the most successful and wealthy), he'll have a lot of heads to turn to win this election.
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