Judy had finished unpacking her belongings as she looked at the over-sized room. She had come to terms with the fact that everything in the school was intended for larger mammals. She laid down on the huge mattress and looked up at the roof. The day was interesting so far; meeting the students and all. Suddenly, she felt a soft buzzing in her hip pocket.
Judy pulled out her phone and saw the image of her parents over the text that read "Mom and Dad" informing her of the caller. Judy pressed the green button, the digit on her paw hitting the screen as her phone entered Muzzletime beginning the video of her parents.
"Hey, Judy. Just thought we'd check in and see how the academy is," her father Stu said as Judy smiled back.
"Going well. The other students seem really nice. I have not met the teacher yet, but I feel like I'll like it here," Judy replied. Stu lifted his hat wiping his forehead, it was obvious to her that he was nervous, taking a deep breath.
"Well that's good for you," Stu replied as the two spent a while talking.
After the call she laid back down, guiding her eyes back to the roof.
"This might not be so bad," Judy told herself, smiling.
...
"This will be the worst, hardest time of your lives!" a voice yelled at the eight students wearing running attire. The voice belonged to an older polar bear as she walked by them all standing formally. "You will address me as Major at all times is it that clear?" The Bear ordered.
"YES, MAJOR!" The eight replied as Friedkin continued her speech.
"I won't lie to you, the academy is not all paperwork and tests. You will get hurt, you will fall down and, in all honesty, not all of you may make it to graduation, so I will do this." the bear paused, pointing away. "If you're tired, there's the door. If you think it's too hard, there's the door. This is your last chance to walk away without bringing shame to anyone, but quitting after you've started is the most shameful thing an officer can do. So I ask, does anyone want out? I won't think less of you, as this life isn't for everyone," Friedkin proposed as the eight stood still.
"NO MAJOR!" They all replied as she looked at them giving a faint smile.
"Admirable. At least you're chance takers. Only cowards turn back and run away before the first blow has been thrown. But you're still crap!" Friedkin replied as they walked to the obstacle course.
"This is the Police Academy training course. It's 3 miles long and simulates every environment a Zootopia police officer will come into contact within the field. In order to pass you will have to clear the course in 20 minutes running two miles and avoiding obstacles for one mile. Fair warning, it's extremely difficult. And if you make it over the time limit or fall off the course you're dead and you fail. Plan your strategy carefully, and sometimes speed is not everything," Friedkin explained. "Get ready at the starting line, let's see how far you can make it," Friedkin ordered as the eight did so, making their way to the starting line.
"Good luck, Judy," Nick encouraged giving a smile. He was wearing a loose T-shirt and shorts and doing stretches as Judy looked at him. She was wearing a white undershirt and a pair of running spats as she smiled back. Major Friedkin blew the whistle and the eight starting running. The first part of the course was a basic path as the eight began their run. Nick was doing the jog with ease as it was a flat dirt path resembling a basic trail. Judy managed to tail them, which due to being smaller was not easy, taking a heavy amount of energy. After the basic run was when the course became grassy and full of hills resembling a meadow. Judy had no choice but to slow down, it was no more flat ground, she had to prepare her footing and speed as Mike tripped and rolled down the hill.
"You're dead, Fern!" Friedkin called out as he muttered something under his breath as the number was cut down to seven who continued. Judy was dead in last just behind Nick, then it went Rocco, Yuri, Enrique, David, with Rachel in the lead.
"I'm in the lead, I'm actually in the lead!" Rachel said, praising herself as she crossed to the third zone, the Sahara which was covered with sand and wind blowing from fans to simulate a sandstorm as Rachel fell flat on her face losing her footing in the loose sand as the others passed her.
"You're dead, Coal!" Friedkin repeated as the group made their way to the sand as Judy tried climbing onto the sand.
"Come on, just... maybe if I..." Judy brainstormed as she managed to climb onto the loose sand, continuing her running as she fell thru, chest deep in the sand
"You're dead, Hopps!" Friedkin informed as Judy clenched her fist pounding the sand as the five remaining mammals continued their run.
Nick was trailing Rocco who, due to his size, was tearing thru the sand like nothing. Nick noted how the guy was like a tank. With him and Enrique trudging thru the sand, Nick chose to run on all fours to evenly distribute his weight on the sand as they made their way to a giant sheet of ice crossing into the tundra section. Nick and David, due to their claws had it easier on the Tundra branch. They were running when out of nowhere Rocco fell under the ice into the cold water.
"You're dead, Duke!" Friedkin established as the others continued running as they were obviously starting to get tired as Yuri slipped, sliding on ice as she crashed into Enrique sending them both headfirst in a huge ice wall. The panda clenched her head which was now bruised. Enrique got up and tried to climb the wall.
You're dead, Miko!" Friedkin established again as David ran to the wall using his claws to scale the giant mound of ice as Nick did the same, jumping off Enrique as they both stuck their claws deep into the wall. Enrique wasted a good 30 seconds on the wall trying to make progress but to no avail.
"You're dead, Fields!" Friedkin repeated just leaving the two canines as they made their way up the wall jumping down into the rainforest section.
"How are you holding up, Nick? Do you need to take a breather?" David remarked as the two of them made their way across a rope bridge.
"I'm good," he replied as the two continued running and jumping onto an array of logs in the mud
"How about you, David" Nick asked as the two were running along the logs before David slipped, falling face first into the mud.
"Your dead, White!" Friedkin established as Nick looked back at him and continued his run Was he really the last mammal standing? This is the best impression he could have hoped for. He knew all the right moves to make. It was at this time Nick remembered something his father told him.
...
Nick was a kid when he was sitting at the family dinner table with John and Francine. It was just after Nick confronted the two bullies harassing Dawn. He was bruised on the stomach.
"Nick, what happened to you?" Francine asked, concerned for her son as Nick set down his fork looking at his injury.
"Oh, this? Got in a fight with some bullies," Nick replied as John and Francine dropped their silverware.
"You're being bullied?" John asked as Nick shook his head.
"No. Another kid was. I could not stand by and do nothing, I had to get involved" Nick replied as his folks were having mixed feelings as John finally spoke.
"Nicholas, you did the right thing, the worst thing someone can do in life is just standby. If you're able to do something then do it. We are foxes, that means we have to work harder than most mammals, so remember this one phrase, If everyone gives 100%, you always give 110% and whatever you do, never just stop," John replied as Nick picked up his fork, cutting back to reality. Here he was running, he knew this course inside out, every trick, every trap, and technique. He could complete it on his first time.
"Should I do it?" Nick asked himself. Should he complete the course?
…
Beta'd by PizzaSteve3902