A/N: Okay guys, before we jump into the next chapter, I've got sort of an announcement to make. With Re:Mind's most recent trailer and its release date dropping, as well as us coming up to the end of the year, I've decided that after I finish the Zootopia chapters, this fic will be POSSIBLY going on a TEMPORARY hiatus, depending on how fast I get the rest of the Zootopia chapters done between now and January 23rd.
Before you ask, no, I'm not losing interest in the fic. It's because I'm fully invested in it that I WANT to put it on a short hiatus. I'll be putting it on hiatus until Re:Mind releases because there will most likely be DLC content that I will want to implement into OA as we start to get deeper into the story.
Plus, and this might be a little more personal reason, but I know of some friends/readers that I've talked to who have fallen behind on my fic because life just got busy for them. The hiatus will not only allow me to play Re:Mind and possibly have some new material to work with AND give others a chance to catch up.
Anywho, thanks for understanding! And enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter 35: Zootopia's Most Wanted
I never thought I'd ever be put in a position that would land me in jail. Needless to say, we were in hot water. However, I don't think the trouble we were in came close to what happened to Nick and Judy. When they brought us into the station, their chief looked like the angriest animal I had ever seen. I could only hope and pray that everything would work out okay for them.
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ZOOTOPIA POLICE DEPARTMENT - BOGO'S OFFICE (1:42 AM)
"Breaking and entering? Slandering private property? Hacking into the security system?" Bogo yelled. "I oughta have the both of you thrown in jail and fired!"
"Chief! We were only trying to gather evidence." Judy argued. "Jack insisted we accompany him on the case, so we were only doing what we were supposed to do."
"Yes, but there are laws that state that a police officer, detective, lawyer, or any other authority figure must be authorized to enter a person's home with or without the homeowner being present. And what's worse? You broke into the home of THE MAYOR! You broke in and entered the house without a warrant. Therefore, you violated your rights as an officer."
"Look, Bogo, we can go on and on about technicalities and laws, but the bottom line is that we did our job and we got the evidence right…" Nick held out his arm. "Uh...Carrots, where is the evidence?"
Judy sighed heavily and slammed her head against the desk. "We gave it to Jack to put into the van…"
"So, you don't have any evidence?" Bogo asked, unamused.
"I...guess we don't…" She said softly, holding her head low and her ears drooping.
"Hopps. You may have been able to solve one major case, but this is only further proving to me that it may just be a one-time wonder for you."
Nick watched as Judy took her badge and began to take it off.
"Sorry Bogo, but we've already started this case, and we intend to finish it." Nick said in a snarky manner.
"That won't be necessary. Jack Savage will be just fine on his own."
"Okay, Buffalo Breath, maybe you didn't hear me right. We are going to finish this case."
Bogo huffed before slamming his hooves on the desk. "I knew I never liked you, fox. Keep this up and-"
"And what? You'll arrest us? Sorry, but you already did that. So, here's the deal. We're gonna finish this case. If we fail, you can throw us in the slammer, and if we do, well, you get the picture." Nick negotiated.
Bogo held a cold stare with Nick. From the beginning, he didn't like the fox. He wasn't even that keen on having Nick on the force. Still, the one thing Nick had over Bogo was that he was involved in helping Judy crack the previous serum case and helped save all of the kidnapped predators, proving that he was more than capable of being a police officer. Bogo sighed and sat back in his chair. He rubbed his hooves against his temples and shook his head.
"You have 48 hours to solve this case." Bogo mumbled. "Especially you, fox."
"Great! In 48 hours I'll be accepting your apology!" Nick waved him off.
Judy and Nick walked out of the office, leaving a bewildered Bogo behind. Nick was rather confident that they'll be able to solve the case, especially with them having more experience than the last time this occurred. Judy, on the other hand, it seemed that her spirits were shot. Her ears drooped low as she slowly walked down the dark hallway and sat on one of the chairs. Only the little bit of light from the offices and windows shone in, giving Nick enough light to see that Judy, despite how much she may try to deny it, was not okay. He sighed heavily and walked closer to her, rubbing a paw behind his head.
"Carrots?" Nick asked. She didn't answer. "Judy? Hey, what's wrong? We're still on the case."
Judy sighed, turning her face away. "Nick, I...I'm starting to feel like...maybe I shouldn't be assigned to these bigger cases. Maybe Bogo is right. Maybe I am just a one-time wonder."
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! You mean, you think you should just go back to being a meter maid?"
"It was something I was good at. And...I wasn't making everything worse."
"Hey, you don't make everything worse, trust me." Nick rested a paw on her shoulder. "You're...you're always so hard on yourself."
Judy groaned. "Can you blame me? I constantly have to prove to everyone that I can do this! Because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether I solve the case or not, because I'm still just a dumb bunny in the eyes of the public!" She yelled before breaking down into tears.
Nick sighed before pulling her into a hug. "Judy, you and I both know you're not just a dumb bunny. You're...more than that." He said in a sincere tone. "You know how hard it is for me to open up to others, and you're one of only a few that I trust. Because...at the end of the day...I'm still just...a predator." He smiled and patted the top of her head. "But, why should we have to prove anything? I'm a fox, and you're a bunny. It's who we are."
"Nick…" She brought her face back up, her eyes reddened from tears.
"I'm always on your side, Carrots." Nick laughed before wiping Judy's tears away.
A smile crept onto Judy's face as she saw the light from outside beaming over Nick. He wasn't wrong, and she knew it. Despite how rocky of a start they had in their relationship, she knew that every step of the way, he's been there for her. This time was no different. He had become different from who we was when she first met him. Before, Judy was lucky if she could get Nick to sit down and have a serious conversation and now, here he was, holding her close to him and wiping her tears.
"Thank you...for everything." Judy muttered softly.
"Now, let's get back to the apartment, look at the evidence, and go from there." Nick said confidently as he broke the hug.
"Yeah. I hope Kairi, Naminé, and Xion are okay."
Three little girls in brightly colored clothes in a jail cell were surely to stick out. The dark musty walls matched the clothing of the other, much larger, female mammals that were locked up. Kairi would attempt to pull 'a Sora' and try to make friends with everyone, but judging by the harsh glares on their faces, as well as their demeaning posture, she knew her friendly approach wasn't going to work. A female tiger approached Xion, demanding her munny. Xion tried to stick up for herself, but once the tiger picked her up by the collar, the munny went to her safety instead of...whatever she was going to spend it on. A couple of of jaguars found themselves drawn to Naminé's hair for some reason and began to play with it. Naminé wanted to tell them to keep their paws to themselves, but considering how well it went for Kairi and Xion, she knew it was best to keep quiet.
Kairi finally had the three of them sit down and be silent. It was obvious that this place was unlike any they had other been. Then again, what should they expect? They were in a jail cell. The other inmates decided that they were bored of themselves and needed some 'entertainment'. Naminé had no idea what that meant, but considering the amount of crime shows and movies both Kairi and Xion had seen, they knew. Without saying a word, Kairi grabbed the paws of both Xion and Naminé and squeezed them, which was more than enough to communicate her fear to them despite trying to put on a brave face and not show that fear to said inmates.
"Girls...I don't wanna get my face smashed…" Naminé whimpered as a female elephant cracked her knuckles.
"I'm sure we'll survive...right?" Xion asked as a female rhinoceros approached her.
"Y-Yeah...just...act tough. Be tough, be tough, be tough." Kairi repeated to herself as her body trembled in fear.
Much to the girls' delight, Nick and Judy arrived in the nick of time, ready to bust them out. "Girls!" Judy called them over.
"Get us out of here!" The three of them yelled as they clamped onto the bars of the cell.
Taking full advantage of her rights as a police officer, Judy unlocked the jail cell, releasing Kairi, Naminé, and Xion. Of course, that wasn't enough. Xion, being the hotheaded one, decided to provoke the rhinoceros that bothered her earlier, which earned her a good and hard yank of her tail. It was enough to teach Xion when silence is golden, and that was one of those moments. Kairi and Naminé both grabbed her by her arms and walked her out of the station.
Judy texted Jack before they left the station, trying to figure out where he was. He said to just meet him at the condo. She was able to breathe a sigh of relief that he got away just fine. Unlike the area where Duke Weaselton lived, Jack was staying in much nicer and kept up neighborhood.
"Jack! What happened with the van?" Judy asked as everyone stepped inside.
Jack sighed as he held out a car towing document. "Apparently we parked in a 'no parking' zone. Who knew?"
"I told you we'd get towed…" Nick muttered.
"Okay. Now that we're all here, let's look at that evidence!" Xion said as she pumped a fist.
"Right! Oh, and by the way Jack, we only have 48 hours to solve this case." Judy pointed out.
"Don't worry Judy, I've got your back."
The evidence was all laid out, from photographs to samples to the video footage that Xion managed to snag from security. Naminé was in charge of keeping watch to make sure nobody was stalking them or in case any Heartless showed up and they wouldn't mess with any of the evidence. Jack booted up his computer and was able to scan the fur and blood sample. They both identified as Leona Lionheart, the mayor's wife and the victim. It wasn't exactly helpful in terms of seeking out a suspect, not like the photographs that Judy snagged of the footprints and the two sets of claw marks. Jack even found a tooth that was in the wall close by where he found some of the smaller claw marks. He found that the tooth also belonged to Leona. It seemed that despite them not being able to find a prime suspect, the group agreed one one big thing regarding the case.
"Signs are definitely pointing toward the Heartless being involved, especially since they attacked us at the house." Kairi said.
"Yep, I agree. But let's take a look at the video footage." Judy said as she turned on Jack's TV.
After popping in the disc, everyone kept their eyes on the screen for several minutes without any sort of activity. It was just a security camera of the master bedroom of the mayor's house. The Lionhearts were both sound asleep and without a peep. Surely, something would happen within a couple minutes right? Oh, if only. The video had a solid fifteen minutes of the Lionhearts tossing and turning and sleeping. Even Xion was getting bored with it and she was the one who was the most on board with everything going on with the case. Naminé finally came in to check everyone since nothing was happening outside and decided to join in watching the video footage.
Nick sighed. "If this was a movie, this would either be the most boring movie ever or the scariest."
"Nothing's happening." Xion muttered in frustration.
"Patience, something's bound to happen." Jack said as he sat close to Judy.
Finally, the mayor got out of bed, just as he mentioned in his testimony. Not very long after he was out of the camera's view, a couple bodies appeared within the window. One of them was rounder while the other thinner, but that was all anyone could identify since they were very well-disguised in their dark clothes. The thinner one pointed out Mrs. Lionheart before climbing up and out of the window's view. On the other hand, the rounder one took a bat and smash it into the window, causing Mrs. Lionheart to shoot up in bed, snapping out of her deep sleep from the noise.
"There! Someone bashed in the window with a bat!" Judy pointed out. The video kept going. Mrs. Lionheart stepped over to the window quickly before a figure appeared in a tree outside the window and shot Mrs. Lionheart.
"There! So, it was just as you said, Judy." Jack said as he studied the figure. "Somebody got a hold of the serum."
"Bellwether was the guilty party the last time." Nick muttered. "She truly was a wolf in sheep's clothing."
Kairi thought for a moment. "Do you think she would strike twice?"
"She's in prison. It's impossible…" Judy said with uncertainty in her voice. "Right…?" She asked Nick.
"Judy!" Xion tapped her arm. "You said a wolf in sheep's clothing?" Judy nodded in response. "Well, if you pause the video…" She pressed the pause button and zoomed in on the screen while slowly scrubbing the video's timeline. She scrubbed until she could barely see the one responsible for breaking the window. "Look, hooves and wool." Xion pointed it out.
"A sheep…So Bellwether must be behind this." Jack frowned.
Naminé nodded as the video continued to play. She gasped as Shadow Heartless appeared in the house, engaging with Mrs. Lionheart in a vicious throwdown. "Heartless! They were at the house!"
"Looks like we have a lead, everyone!" Kairi said with confidence. "Nick, Judy, I think we may know who's responsible for this."
"Who?" They both asked.
"There's three of them: Luxu, Aros, and Kaguya." Kairi listed them off. "They've been bugging us for a while now, but they're usually the ones responsible for the Heartless. Look, even the figure who shot Mrs. Lionheart looks like it could've been Aros or have the same body type."
"But why would either of them want to go after the mayor's wife?" Naminé asked.
Xion rolled her eyes. "Well, in Aros' case, it's just to be a jerk. As for Kaguya and Luxu, I'm not sure."
"But that still leaves the sheep." Jack said. "If Bellwether nearly got away with it the first time, that gives very little reason why she wouldn't refine her plan and try to strike again."
"Then we'd better get to the bottom of this quickly, otherwise she will try to frame somebody innocent." Judy said with slight urgency in her voice. "First, we'd better head down to the prison."
ZOOTOPIA CITY PRISON - (11:41 AM)
As much as Judy wanted to go directly to the prison right away, the girls needed sleep. In fact, everyone needed sleep. It was already late enough by the time they were finished looking at the evidence. A nap wouldn't hurt right? The nap turned into sleeping in until 10 the next morning. Judy was a little freaked out that everyone slept in, but nevertheless, they did manage to get a move on right away when she woke everyone up the next morning. When they walked into the prison that morning, it was what everyone expected. The waiting area was dark and empty, and there was a big brown bear, the guard, who sat at the check-in desk eating honey buns while watching reality TV.
"Excuse me, sir." Judy approached the guard. "Officer Judy Hopps of the ZPD. I would like to speak with Bellwether. She's booked in here."
"Oh Bellwether? Yeah, she's gone." The guard said with a yawn.
"WHAT?" Nick and Judy asked in unison.
Jack folded his arms. "Just as I suspected."
"How long has she been missing for?" Xion asked.
"A couple nights now...it was out of nowhere too."
Judy sighed in frustration. "And I wasn't notified...why?"
The guard shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know...something about you breaking in and getting caught or something."
Kairi shook her head while groaning. "Look! We were looking for evidence!"
"Listen kid, I don't make the rules around here!" The guard growled.
"I'll handle this." Judy said as she rested a paw on Kairi's arm. "Sir, can we just take a look?"
"Fine...next episode of Desperate Houselionesses doesn't start for another hour anyway."
The guard got up from his desk and unlocked the ward for Judy and Nick. The two of them led the girls through, making sure they stayed close. If they thought the simple jail cell they stayed in was bad, this made that one look like a walk through the 100 Acre Wood with Winnie the Pooh. These criminals were much worse. Some of them looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks. Some of them looked like they were affected by harmful substances. Some were just crazy, sitting in the corners of their cells muttering to themselves. Kairi held onto Naminé and Xion's paws as the three of them attempted to ignore the criminals that were gawking at them.
At the end of the hall, there was a cell that was once where Bellwether served her sentence. However, as was indicated by the giant hole in the wall, she was no longer there. Judy was rather surprised that the building didn't start to cave in due to the amount of foundation that was destroyed.
"How...did this happen?" Jack asked as he brushed the debris with his paw.
"Somebody with a really strong jackhammer." Nick answered.
Kairi frowned. "This has 'Aros and Kaguya' written all over it. They have the power to pull a stunt like this."
Judy studied the hole in the wall. "This looks like somebody blasted a hole. How was this unnoticed and not reported?"
"Who knows?" The guard muffled with his mouth full of honey bun. "Probably because the news of the mayor's wife going savage took priority."
"Priority?" Naminé asked. "More than a criminal breaking out of prison?"
"Yep. If an elected official is attacked, it's always a bigger deal than anything else going on in the world."
"But Chief Bogo wanted to keep that issue a secret from the city." Judy argued.
"Even if it's only police matters. If it comes down to it, ZPD is gonna focus on the mayor's wife and basically leave it to an outsider force. Why else do you think this city has a problem with prison breaks?"
"It all makes sense!" Judy exclaimed. "Of course! Bellwether had to break out before the incident occurred because she knew her breakout would've taken less priority than the mayor's wife being attacked and going savage!"
Xion nodded. "Aros and Kaguya must've made a deal with her or something!"
"So, all we gotta do is track down Bellwether and nab the serum." Jack said confidently. "Look at you, Judy!"
"Thanks!" Judy said as she laughed sheepishly. "It was no big deal, really."
Nick rolled his eyes, ignoring Jack's remark. "Anywho, what about this Aros and Kaguya group?"
"Hmmm…." Kairi thought to herself. "Well...maybe we can...set a trap. If Bellwether is in cahoots with them, we can arrest her, and set it up to have Aros and Kaguya show up, and then at that point, Xion, Naminé, and I can take care of them." She said while gripping her Keyblade. "They're our problem, not yours."
"Hey, we're all a team here." Judy assured her. "We'll help you with Aros and Kaguya too."
"Yeah, we got your back, ladies." Nick said while patting Kairi on the back.
SAVANNA CENTRAL - DINER (1:30 PM)
In true crime-solving fashion, the group retreated to Savanna Central to try and come up with lead for Bellwether's location. That, and also, everyone suddenly found themselves hungry. In a secluded booth, giving them somewhat some privacy to talk this out, Judy had multiple maps set out on the table. One was a giant map of all of Zootopia while on top of that map where a bunch of smaller ones detailing the different districts. Without a lead on their suspect's location, any place in Zootopia was a possibility. Even Xion found the idea of having to search the entire city to be overwhelming.
"So...now begs the question of where we would find Bellwether?" Kairi asked as she studied the map.
"That's…a good question." Judy said in a hopeless tone. "We didn't even see her coming last time. She hid it so well."
"A wolf in sheep's clothing." Jack said while shaking his head.
"Can't we check out her most familiar places? Like her house or maybe her former office?" Naminé asked.
Xion nodded. "She wouldn't go there. Back when I was in the organization, we never went back to home base if somebody was in pursuit of us. That was always the first place to look."
"Xion is right." Nick nodded in agreement. "If I was a criminal who broke out of prison, I'd go to the last place anybody would think to find me. That place, would also happen to be the last place I would want to be at."
Kairi folded her arms and tapped her foot. "So, where would that be?"
"Well…" Judy thought for a moment, pacing back and forth. "Where would Bellwether never want to find herself at?"
Jack stopped her in her tracks. "What is the one thing she hates the most? We can probably narrow it down from there."
"She hates predators...she can't stand them…"
"So that means she could be anywhere in Zootopia. This place is crawling with predators." Xion remarked in a frustrated tone.
Nick snickered before leaning against the van. "Maybe, but you bunnies may not know about this." He took the map of Sahara Square and pointed to the downtown area. "There is a nightclub in Sahara Square called Wild Times. It's the biggest nightclub in Zootopia and is exclusively open to predators. Surely, if Bellwether was looking to be on the run, she would probably stick around that nightclub because nobody would think to look for her in a club that she wouldn't even be allowed in."
"Hmmm, sly fox!" Judy complimented him. "This is why I have you as my partner."
"I guess we're gonna check the club then. The only problem is that a lot of the nightclubs don't open until late." Jack said with a sigh.
"Don't worry Jack, that'll give us the afternoon to prepare." Judy said with a smirk on her face.
"Prepare?" Naminé asked.
Xion's eyes widened. "Does this mean…?"
"Are we going clubbing tonight?" Kairi asked, her excitement rising.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're going clubbing…" Judy paused as she narrowed her eyes. "Undercover."
Kairi, Naminé, and Xion were all on board with this, especially when this mission included a trip to the mall! The ladies had to make sure they looked their best to diffuse any sort of suspicion within the club. Not to mention, the three of them also had to somehow make themselves look a few years older since they weren't allowed in the club due to them being only teenagers. Judy took herself and the other three to 'Moosy's', the ultimate clothing store where they could find everything. It was so overwhelming. Kairi was never one to go on a big shopping spree, but she had a field day looking at all the different outfit possibilities. She couldn't take too long though, Judy wanted to get to the club right when it opened that night.
While the girls were shopping, Jack was working on disguises for himself and Judy. Since prey wasn't allowed in the club, he had to scramble and make something fast, yet convincing. Nick was in charge of reverting back to his 'immoral' ways temporarily and made some fake IDs for Kairi, Naminé, Xion, Jack, and Judy. The girls needed them since they were underrage and Jack and Judy needed them to match their disguised selves. Nick typed in the different names in the ID cards. When it came to Jack's name, he thought to type in 'Jack Ass Donkeybutt' for his full name, but Judy caught him as soon as she and the girls returned from shopping.
Each of the girls took a turn changing into their new cocktail dresses that each of them purchased from Moosy's. The good thing about them being animals was not having to fret as much about hair and makeup since their entire bodies are covered in fur. Kairi slipped on her mahogany dress that dropped to right before her knees and sparkled. She examined herself and almost wondered if it would still fit her when she reverted back to a human. No harm in hanging onto it, right?
"Okay, how do I look?" Kairi asked as she stepped out of the bedroom and twirled in her dress.
Naminé and Xion both gasped. "You look amazing!" They both said in unison.
"Thanks! Oh my gosh, I feel so grown up in this…and you both look so beautiful." She gazed at Xion's black dress and Naminé's navy blue dress.
"Thank you, Kairi." Naminé laughed. "Imagine if Sora, Riku, and Roxas were here to see us right now." She giggled.
"Their jaws would definitely drop, but I don't know if it's because we're wolves, or because we look really hot, or both." Xion answered.
Once the girls were dressed, Nick was all dressed up in his clubbing clothes,which basically meant a white button-up shirt with black slacks and a red jacket, sunglasses to shield his face. He nodded in approval at the girls' dresses. They did look like they could pass for adults...for the most part. All everyone needed was to wait for Jack and Judy to finish getting ready. They not only had to change clothes, but also put on their disguises. Thanks to Jack's brilliant undercover experience, he was able to make masks, handpaws, and footpaws that looked like they'd belong to a cat, a perfect predator that would fit the similar size of a rabbit. Jack finished first and stepped out of the bedroom, slipping his cat mask over his head.
"Okay, how do I look? Do I look like a predator?" Jack asked.
"Oh yes, a very scary pussy cat." Nick said sarcastically, only to earn a glare from Jack.
Kairi rolled her eyes and patted Jack on the back. "You look fine. Also, you got the fake IDs?"
"Right here, sweetheart." Jack said as he held out the cards. "Two for me and Judy, and three for you girls. Happy 21st birthday, ladies."
"Wow…" Xion gazed at her ID card's photo. "I gotta save this!"
"Why does this feel wrong?" Naminé asked.
"Because technically this is illegal, but we're doing it for a good cause. Just make sure you don't try to use it back at home." Kairi warned her.
"Alright, just about everyone's ready?" Jack asked.
"Almost. Just waiting for Carrots." Nick said as he leaned against the sofa. "Carrots! You ready? The club opens soon!"
Judy stepped out of the room with her entire dress and disguise on except for the mask. "So, what do you think?" She asked shyly.
"Wow…" Nick breathed out.
Jack smirked and nodded. "You look like you did when I took you to the prom."
"Thanks, guys." She thanked them while blushing.
"You look really pretty!" Kairi complimented her, Naminé and Xion nodding in agreement.
"Oh, you're all sweet, thank you." Judy straightened herself up before gathering everyone up together. "Okay, we're gonna take the cruiser and the van and split up so we don't look suspicious. Here, hang onto these so you can identify Bellwether." She said as she handed out small photos of the suspected sheep.
"Got it!" Xion said affirmatively.
Jack grabbed his keys and jingled them. "Nick, you take the girls in the cruiser and Judy and I can take the van."
"Uh...I would...eh…" Nick tried to protest.
"Sounds like a plan! Everyone move out!" Judy said before throwing the keys to Nick.
Nick, feeling frustrated, dragged his footpaws over to the cruiser. He watched as Judy went off with Jack towards the van, heaving a sigh. The girls could tell that something was off with him, but didn't want to pry at the same time. It wasn't until the four of them were all buckled in and heading down to the club that it became awkwardly silent. Kairi was in the passenger seat twiddling her paws, stealing glances of a very focused Nick every now and then while Naminé and Xion were just kicking their legs back and forth, whistling. It was a decent drive to Sahara Square and Naminé, who was one that wasn't the biggest fan of complete silence, decided she was going to bite the bullet and break it.
"You okay, Nick?" Naminé asked.
"Yeah, you seem quiet." Xion added.
"It's...fine…" Nick said softly.
Kairi shook her head. "No, it's not fine. Something's bothering you." She smiled warmly at him. "You can tell us. We don't mind listening."
"It's just...complicated, that's all. You girls wouldn't understand."
"Try me!" Kairi challenged him.
Nick sighed, shaking his head. He had already been proven wrong with how useful the girls had been during this case. Maybe they did understand? What did he have to lose? "Well, haven't you noticed that since Jack arrived that...Judy doesn't seem to…"
"Judy kind of pushes you to the side?" Xion filled in.
"I guess you could say that." Nick said with a shrug.
Kairi studied his face, before smiling. "And now, you're worried that Judy's gonna replace you with Jack, right?"
"N-Not replace!" He tried to deny her accusations. "Why would I think that? Why would that even bother me? I've been a loner most of my life." Nick lowered his voice. "Judy was the first and only I ever opened up to in my life. I thought...I thought maybe we had...you know...something unique. But...I guess I was just imagining things, you know?"
"So...do you like her?" Naminé asked.
"Of course I do, she's my partner and someone precious to me."
Kairi laughed softly. "No, Naminé means do you like her? Like, as in, do you want to date her?"
"Date?" Nick asked, his eyes widening. "Nu-uh! See, this is where I put my foot down." He said as he stomped his foot on the brake at a red light. "Judy and I are friends and partners on the force, that's all we're ever gonna be." His tone lowered, to a disappointing one. "Besides...a fox and a bunny? Have you ever seen two species together? Have you heard of a fox and a bunny having children together? Besides, nobody would accept it…"
Nick's comment sent another wave of silence throughout the car. Neither of the girls had ever thought about that possibility. Kairi took it to heart. She thought about Naminé and Xion, and their trials and tribulations when it came to love. She thought about how Xion was still trying to understand the concept of it. She thought about Naminé and how she understood it thanks to her being so connected to her, but how confused she was about it still. Were her feelings genuine? Or were they lingering feelings for another? Kairi thought about her and Sora. She thought about how fate never seemed to be on their side. Love wasn't easy for anyone, and it was also unique for everyone, including Nick.
"Well, I would accept it." Naminé said, breaking the silence.
Xion nodded while smiling. "So would I."
Nick's ears perked up at the girls' answers. "You would?"
"Of course!" Kairi said sincerely. "Love is a strong connection between two hearts. It doesn't matter who you are or what you are. Everybody deserves to find love, no matter who they like. So hey, if you want to date a bunny who is your best friend and accepts you for who you are, then go date that bunny, and don't let what anyone else says deter you from that."
Nick sighed before smiling. "You know, you may be young, but you're pretty wise for your age."
"I'm not wise." Kairi shook her head while laughing. "That's just what I feel. So, you should ask Judy out when all of this is done!"
"Uh...oh no, I've...I haven't been on a date in years."
Naminé shrugged her shoulders. "Neither has Judy. You two are perfect for each other!"
"Well, I can't deny that." He said with a chuckle.
"And hey, I can tell from the way Judy looks at you, that she cares so much about you." Xion said with confidence.
"Well, I thank you ladies for the confidence boost. I'll...take what you said into consideration." Nick said as he kept his eyes fixated on the road.
"Just remember, in dangerous situations like this, you don't always have all the time in the world to share your feelings." Kairi said softly. "Life is short."
Nick nodded slowly, taking Kairi's words to heart. "Life's...too short...thanks."
SAHARA SQUARE - WILD TIMES (6:22 PM)
Upon arriving at the club, Jack and Nick decided to park the cars a little further away to avoid any curious listeners. Before getting out of the van, Jack and Judy completely covered their identity with their disguises. Nick didn't have to worry as much about disguising since he was the only one legally allowed to be there, but due to him being a cop now, he figured at least some sunglasses would do the trick. Kairi got out of the car and gazed upon the large nightclub in front of her. There were clubs on the island, but they were much smaller and she didn't really think much of them since they were downtown and she avoided that area being only 16 and not allowed into most of the places there. Poor Naminé and Xion knew nothing about nightclubs and had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
"Okay...everyone here." Judy said with a whisper as she rounded the group up. "Once we get inside, we split up, we search for Bellwether, once we have her spotted, we know the code?"
"The lion sleeps tonight." Nick recited back.
"Perfect! Okay, Operation Bellwether, let's move on out!"
Getting into the club was stressful. Judy knew that if she got caught sneaking in, her job would be on the line, especially bringing the underrage girls with her. Still, if anyone was going to take the blame in the case they got caught, Judy volunteered to do so. She and Jack when up first, showing their fake IDs to the bouncer. He looked at them carefully before giving them the nod to get in. Nick had no issue getting in. It turned out he was a regular before getting his job in the force. When it came to the girls, Judy stopped and watched, making sure they got in okay. The bouncer had to do double takes, not because the pictures looked inaccurate, but because of how young the girls looked. He finally let them through, the girls heaving sighs of relief as they brushed past the bouncer to get into the club.
"Hold it!" The bouncer demanded, the girls stopping in their tracks. Kairi's heart started pounding, ready to burst out of her chest. He finally calmed down when the bouncer came over and held out her lucky charm to her. "You dropped this, miss."
"Oh thanks!" Kairi laughed sheepishly as she took her charm and shoved it back into her pouch. "Why did I bring this along?" She muttered to herself.
The outside of the club was rather quiet, all things considered, and with the exception of a few young adult predators talking amongst each other. Once inside, it became crazy town. It was super packed, animals were loud, it smelled really funky, and the environment just felt strange, especially for the young ones. Xion was rather bold as she travelled her way through the club with purpose, ignoring anyone who wanted to try and socialize with her. Poor Naminé was trying her best. Between the crowded area and the loud music that made it impossible for her to even hear herself, she started to feel a little bit anxious, but was thankfully able to keep herself together. She continued to remind herself that they were on a mission.
"Just keep moving, Naminé...Just keep moving…" Naminé repeated to herself.
"Hey baby! What's a pretty little thing like you doing here by yourself?" A wolf asked as he began dancing dangerously close behind her.
"Excuse me?" She asked, clearly annoyed by him. She scoffed and just moseyed her way on through.
In an attempt to be as inconspicuous as possible, Nick retreated to the bar. He took Kairi there with him and figured she could start from there and make her rounds. Nick ordered a drink and sat casually on a stool, keeping an eye out for anyone that had any resemblance to a sheep. Kairi pushed her way through the large crowds of drinkers and dancers, having to shoo off multiple wolves that tried to offer to buy her a drink.
"Looking for a sheep...Looking for a sheep...where am I gonna find a sheep where it's filled with mostly predators?" Kairi asked herself. Immediately after, her foot stepped in something that made her wince. "Bleh..you'd think they'd keep this place cleaner and not let everyone shed!" Her eyes narrowed as she looked down and noticed what looked like curled hairs on the ground. "Shedding...of course. We're in the desert. It's too hot for a sheep's wool, and when it's too hot for an animal's fur coat, they shed…" Kairi took her phone out and started sending a text message to everyone in their group chat.
"Hmm...look for 'curled hairs' and follow them." Judy read Kairi's message that she sent to everybody. She looked down at her feet and noticed the same curled hairs that Kairi found. "Curled hairs? Shedding! Of course!"
Thanks to Kairi's text message, everybody started searching around for the same hairs that she found on the ground. Between the whole group, Nick was the one who struck gold. He saw a couple hairs on the ground and saw that it had formed a trail. There was a predator who looked smaller than him. Nick smirked as he followed the trail. It also didn't help that this predator's foot steps sounded like hooves tapping too. They began picking up the pace, as if they had figured out that they were being followed. Nick was a sly fox though, he cut through a bunch of other predators and was able to catch up. He grabbed them by the back of their clothes and held them up, causing Bellwether to be revealed after her mask had fallen off.
"Gotcha Bellwether!" Nick hissed as he picked her up by the back of her outfit. "The lion sleeps tonight everyone!"
"NO WE DON'T!" A random lion yelled back.
"N-n-no listen! I can explain!" Bellwether stammered as she squirmed in Nick's grip. She gasped as she saw Judy, Jack, and the girls hurrying toward her. "Hopps! Jack Savage?"
"Good seeing you again, sweetheart." Jack said with false enthusiasm.
Nick sighed and held his head low. "Don't tell me, another ex?"
"No, I was one of his college professors! Oh yeah, you don't know this about me, I used to teach political science at Zootopia University!" Bellwether explained while laughing sheepishly.
"Save it, Bellwether. You broke out of prison, and are back with your old schemes again." Judy said harshly. "You are under arrest, and this time, the punishment will be a lot more severe."
"Not to mention, you being in cahoots with the ones responsible for the Heartless wrecking havoc here!" Kairi said with her voice raised.
"Heartless? What are-"
Shrieking screams echoed through the nightclub as a large Werewolf Heartless burst through the doors. The snarling and howling that accompanied its vicious nature were enough to upset even the toughest predators.
"Everybody! Get out of here now!" Kairi yelled as she summoned her Keyblade.
"Boy, this one picked a great time to attack!" Xion said with sarcasm.
"W-What is that thing?" Bellwether asked, her body trembling.
"Like you don't know." Jack said while scoffing.
"I'm serious! I've never seen that thing in my life! Please! Get me out of here, officers!" She pleaded.
Judy sighed. Yes, Bellwether was a criminal, but she was also a citizen in trouble. Begrudgingly, she handed Bellwether over to Jack. "Here, take Bellwether outside, but keep her there! We'll deal with her after we get this guy!"
Kairi yelled at the Heartless to get its attention on her and her friends, giving the clubbers a chance to escape. After letting out a howl, the Heartless began charging toward the group, its claws charging and ready to strike. Taking advantage of its larger size and the fact that it was five against one, everyone split up. Kairi ran toward a wall and lunged herself off, sending her into a spiral attack toward the Werewolf. She was able to get him in the back, causing him to whip around and knock Xion, who was surrounding herself in a surge of fire, back against the wall. She brushed it off and hurried back. Naminé cast Blizzara on Werewolf's feet, allowing Judy to bounce off the walls and kick it right in the jaw, causing it to wail out in pain.
Werewolf lunged forward and knocked Judy back against the wall. She was hit pretty hard and blacked out for a bit. Naminé hurried over and cast Cure on her, allowing her to hop right back up and back into battle. Xion slid right underneath the Heartless before launching right up and knocking it onto its back and leaving its stomach wide open. Nick began grabbing the chains around its paws, one by one, and held them down while Naminé froze them to the ground. Now with Werewolf's abdomen completely open, this left Kairi to deliver the finishing move. As she was about to plunge her Keyblade into the Heartless, it used one of its hind legs and countered back before ripping its chains free from the ice.
Nick growled as he ran over to help Kairi up from the ground. He searched around before realizing what the bar had and could be used. Nick had the girls work on keeping Werewolf's mouth open as he ran over to the bar. He grabbed as many bottles of alcohol as his paws could hang onto before chucking them into Werewolf's mouth. The glass was not only shattering in its mouth and causing it pain, but the alcohol was going into its system. Like how any human would react, the more that went into the Heartless, the weaker it became as its coordination started to suffer. Werewolf began to stumble, finally giving everyone ample opportunity to finally get rid of it for good.
Naminé cast Blizzara and made an ice slope or Xion to use. She skid the slope and smacked the Heartless in the chin from below, an uppercut that she was very fond of using. Nick launched Judy forward and she kicked it even further back, causing the Werewolf to go back to being stuck on its back, this time, not focused enough to try and get back up. Kairi leapt from on top a table and did a flip before plunging down, Keyblade first. She thrust her Keyblade into the chest of the Heartless, bringing an end to its thrashing. Kairi caught her breath as Werewolf faded away, another victory for her and her team, as well as Nick and Judy. The two of them fist bumped each other while the girls high-fived each other. While the battle was done, business was far from over. Jack was outside with Bellwether, and they still had to confront her.
"Okay, start talking Bellwether!" Xion demanded as they approached her.
Bellwether breathed heavily. "Listen, I know this looks baaaaaad." She covered her mouth after her slip up. "'Scuse me!" She giggled. "But listen, you gotta believe me. This isn't my doing this time!"
"If it wasn't you, then who was it?" Jack asked, shooting a deadly glare toward her.
"It was…" Her eyes darted between everyone, whose scowls didn't help the pressure that was on her shoulders at the moment. "It was…"
"Spit it out, Bellwether!" Nick growled.
"It was Doug!"
"Wait...Doug? As in...the guy who helped you the last time?"Judy asked.
"That's the one!" Bellwether nodded desperately.
"Hmmm…what do you guys think?" Kairi asked.
Nick thought for a moment before bringing out his handcuffs. "Cuff her!"
"Listen! You're making a big mistake!" Bellwether tried to argue as Judy locked a tight pair of handcuffs around her hooves.
"No, you made the mistake. We caught you on video surveillance." Judy rebutted.
"Video surveillance? What video?"
"The mayor's house has security cameras everywhere, and we have video footage of you right there in the van." Xion said while folding her arms.
"Video footage? Can I see the footage? Please! Just for a moment?" Bellwether pleaded.
This could have been as easy as just sending Bellwether back to prison where she belonged, but Judy was always the type who gave everyone, criminals included, the benefit of the doubt. It was a blessing and a curse. It was a curse because it meant a longer process to get criminals arrested and behind bars, but this would be one of those cases where it would turn out to be a blessing. Everyone climbed into the back of Jack's van as he pulled out his laptop and inserted the video disc.
"This better be good Bellwether…" Jack muttered.
"Watch…" She said as she scrubbed through the footage to the point where the window was broken. "You see?"
Kairi shrugged her shoulders. "Looks like a sheep to me."
"No! Look closer!"
Xion zoomed in on the screen and gasped at what she saw. "Guys...Bellwether's right. Look," She pointed. "That 'sheep' has horns…"
"Bellwether doesn't have horns." Judy muttered as she studied the suspect's face.
"See? I told you!"
"If Bellwether isn't the one who attacked, then who was it?" Naminé asked.
"I told you, it was Doug!" Bellwether repeated herself.
"How do you know if it was Doug? You had more than one ram working for you during the serum case." Jack asked.
Bellwether took in a deep breath. "Because...Doug was the one who busted me out of jail. He's planning on getting revenge by going after Mayor Lionheart. He offered me to go with him, but I wanted nothing to do with it. I wanted to get out of here and have a fresh start, go be with my own kind somewhere. I knew that with our escape, the ZPD would be all over the place, so I retreated here, thinking nobody would ever find me in a nightclub full of predators." She explained, a tone of urgency in her voice.
"Told ya." Nick said with a chuckle.
"You believe me, don't you, Judy?"
Judy sighed. "Well, regardless of whether we believe you or not," She put away the notebook she was taking notes in. "We do have to take you back to the Zootopia prison because you did break out before your sentence was completed. But, thank you for the information!"
With Bellwether caught from her prison escape and arrested again, Judy called for backup to have another team take her back to the station. She technically could've done it herself, but with having not much longer to solve the case, that was her priority. After her fellow officers showed up to take Bellwether away, it was time to move onto the next plan of action. They had a new suspect, Doug, Bellwether's assistant from the serum incident. Nick and Judy vividly remembered him being responsible for creating the bullets out of the serum and what ultimately caused the predators to go savage last time. Judy already knew deep down that if they let this go for too long, then Zootopia could be in trouble again.
"Should we roll out and try to track down this guy?" Xion asked.
Jack nodded. "Yeah, but I'm just gonna use the restroom quickly."
"Alright, we'll be here!" Judy turned to the girls, who were itching to change back into their normal clothes. "Hey, thanks for your help. I know there's a lot going on, but your help has been appreciated."
Kairi laughed. "No problem, Judy! It's just weird that we haven't seen Aros or Kaguya at all and usually they pop out by now when the Heartless are around."
"Maybe they're giving us a break?" Xion suggested.
"No, something fishy's going on, but I guess we'll figure it out once we help Nick and Judy finish up this case." She shook her head.
"In the meantime, do we have any idea where Doug might be?" Naminé asked.
"Not really, but with Carrots and I being police officers, that does give us access to permanent records. So, I say we head back down to headquarters and go through Doug's personal record." Nick suggested.
"That's our best option. We can take off as soon as Jack gets-"
"Back! Heh...ironically, the bathroom is the cleanest part of that nightclub." Jack jested. "So, where are we off to next?"
"We're going back to ZPD to take a look at Doug's personal records." Xion answered.
"Great, Judy, ride with me?"
"Sure, Jack!" Judy perked up.
Jack snickered as he looked toward Nick. "Foxy mama can take the kids."
"Okay, you know what-" Nick attempted to say before Jack shut the door, leaving him and the girls. "Am I the only one who's sick of him?"
Kairi folded her arms and frowned. "I don't appreciate him treating you that way."
"Are you okay, Nick?" Naminé asked.
"You know what? It's fine! I've always taught myself to never let them see that they get to ya, and I'm gonna keep it that way. Come on, let's head down to the station."
If the girls couldn't feel the tension the last time they rode with Nick, this time was different. Kairi was definitely getting similar vibes from him. She thought back to how Riku was sometimes act like a show off when he was trying to impress her when she was younger and how it bothered Sora so much. She was grateful he eventually grew out of it. The awkward car ride proved to not last too long once they got out onto the highway back to Savanna Central. Nick heard a loud noise and the car started to feel really bumpy. He groaned and smacked his fists against the steering wheel before pulling over. Jack saw them pulling over and did the same as well.
"Aaah you're kidding!" Nick growled.
"What's wrong?" Xion asked.
Nick got out of the car and checked it out. "Flat tire! Great! And we don't have a spare!"
"Nick? Is there a problem with the cruiser?" Judy asked as she came over.
"Oh no, no problem at all except for WE HAVE A FLAT AND DON'T HAVE A SPARE!"
Jack laughed sheepishly. "Nick, calm down, I have a spare in the back. No need to get uptight about it."
"Don't talk to me right now!" Nick growled toward him.
"Nick, calm down, he hasn't done anything wrong." Judy said in an annoyed tone.
"Oh sure, take his side! All because he's a dumb bunny like you." He mumbled.
Kairi gasped. "Oh...he did not just say that."
"Excuse me, what did you call me?" Judy asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"I didn't call you anything! I was talking about your stupid boyfriend!"
"Jack is not my boyfriend, Nick. We dated in high school!" She argued.
"Uh...this is getting awkward…" Xion whispered to Kairi and Naminé, who nodded in agreement.
"Oh sure, and he wants to be 'just friends' and that's why he's been attached to you like a leech this entire time! And he's 'so accepting' of all species too?" Nick ranted.
Jack chuckled. "Hey, you of all of us should know how shifty foxes can be?"
"Look, right now, you're hopping through the garden, so I suggest you not push me right now." Nick threatened as she stepped closer to Jack.
"Okay! Everyone here just needs to calm down! We're all stressed out, but we don't need to fight like this!" Judy said as she got between the two of them.
As a full argument broke out between Nick, Judy, and Jack, the girls could only simply exchange awkward looks with each other. Kairi didn't know anything about changing a tire on a car, but figured in the amount of the time the adults were taking to argue, she could at least make an effort to try and change it. She crept past the arguing trio and over to the van where the spare tire awaited. As Kairi was about to reach for it, everyone went quiet as they heard the sound of a howl in the distance. Neither of them knew where it came from or who was causing it. The only thing that came from it was Kairi sticking her nose in the air and suddenly beginning to howl along with the mysterious night howler.
"Shhh! Kairi! You're gonna start a howl!" Nick shushed her.
"I didn't start it!" Kairi argued. Another howl echoed in the distance, causing her to begin howling again.
Xion groaned. "Kairi!" She tried to stop her before sticking her muzzle straight up and joining in the howl.
"No...I'll resist! I won't...join…" Naminé tried to fight herself before starting to howl.
Judy, Nick, and Jack all covered their ears as Naminé joined the howling with Kairi and Xion. It wouldn't last long, however. Out of everyone's view, a sniper aimed and shot at Naminé. Taking the shot to the neck, she tumbled away, whimpering. She breathed heavily and held her neck. The wind was knocked out of her, but it also felt like a burning sensation was running from her neck and all throughout her body, including her head.
"Naminé!" Kairi cried as she knelt beside her.
"Oh my gosh!" Judy rushed over to her.
"What happened?" Jack asked.
Kairi began to hold her in her arms. "She was shot! Please! Say something, Naminé!" She pleaded as Naminé whimpered inaudibly. She shut her eyes as she could feel the burn shifting more toward her chest.
Xion's heart began racing at the sight of her friend in agony, only for her ear to pop up at the smallest sound. She looked back and out of the corner of her eye, saw someone aiming a gun toward Kairi.
"Kairi! Watch out!" Xion shouted as she tackled Kairi to the ground, taking the shot for her in the back, and screaming in pain.
"No! Xion!" Kairi scrambled up. "No! Not you too!"
Nick rested his paw against Naminé's back, some bluish purple substance rubbing off on his paw. "This is bad…"
"Oh my gosh!" Judy hopped from the ground. "Kairi! Run! Now! Get into the van!" She yelled with Jack and Nick right behind her.
"What? I can't just-"
Kairi gasped as Xion suddenly began snarling and leapt onto all fours. She backed away as the now savage wolf began to stalk her. No...Xion...She muttered hopelessly in her mind. Kairi looked to the side and saw Naminé was doing the same thing. Her lips curled and revealed perfectly white sharp fangs that were eager to tear through whatever she could clench her jaw around. Kairi's eyes darted between the two she-wolves, conflicted on what to do now that her closest allies had turned on her. Finally deciding to listen to Judy, Kairi turned back and began running back to the van.
As Kairi approached the van, Judy held the door open. Once she hopped in, the door was slammed, causing Naminé and Xion to collide roughly with the van. Now completely brainwashed by the serum, the girls ravenously sprinted around and jumped onto the van, scratching and biting at it, desperate to take a bite out of their once comrades.
"Judy? What do we do now?" Kairi asked, her voice full of panic.
"I...I...I don't know…" Judy said hopelessly.
Nick rested a paw on Kairi's shoulder. "We'll think of something. This isn't the first time this has happened."
"I just...I can't leave them out there…" Kairi gasped as she saw Xion and Naminé growling and snarling at each other while circling around. "Oh no…"
"What's going on?" Jack asked as he dug through a compartment in the back of the van.
"They look like...they're gonna…they're gonna attack each other!" Kairi threw the door open and ran after them.
"Kairi!" Judy called after her. "You need to get back in here!"
"I can't let them kill each other!" She yelled back at Judy.
Kairi sprinted over to Naminé and Xion, who continued to stalk each other in circles. It seemed whenever one of them got closer, the other would swipe her paw. Kairi wanted to help them, but also tried to keep her distance so that neither she, nor either of them would end up hurt. It wasn't until Xion tackled Naminé that Kairi decided she didn't have much of a choice but to get closer. She could easily hear the barking and snarling that came from each girl. Xion was definitely the stronger and more aggressive one, pinning Naminé to the ground as she attempted to snap her jaws around her neck.
Naminé smacked her paw against Xion's face, knocking her off temporarily, and giving Naminé a chance to get up and defend herself again. This time, she had the upper hand on Xion. She initiated a powerful tackle, causing both of the girls to tumble around, scraping the dirt off the ground. Xion briefly bit Naminé on her front leg, but light enough that she could pull her leg back before it was too deep. The sound of Naminé's high-pitched whimper was enough for Kairi's heart to break. She ran forward, doing the one thing her heart instinctively felt, and the only thing she could do.
"No! Stop!" Kairi yelled as she grabbed Xion by the back of her shoulders. Suddenly, the savage wolf whipped around and slashed her claws across Kairi's face. She whimpered in pain as she fell down to the ground. Kairi held her face before looking down at the blood on her paw that was streaming down her face. Her body froze as Xion and Naminé both crept toward her, their faces looking as if they were ready to tear her body apart. "Xion...Naminé...please, fight it…" She pleaded softly.
Kairi's body shook as Naminé and Xion became within inches of her face. Just as she thought her two best friends were going to attack her, ending her life, the sound of a gunshot fired off from behind. Kairi flinched at the popping sound, only to see what looked like a dart in Xion's side. Another shot was fired, but this time, a dart was fired into Naminé's side. The two wolves looked at the darts briefly before their movements became imbalanced. Xion instantly fell unconscious and fainted right in front of Kairi, with Naminé fainting right after losing her footing for a little bit. With both of them down, thanks to Jack, Kairi had a chance to get a closer look, her heart sinking as she saw the two passed out beasts in front of her.
"Naminé...Xion…" Kairi muttered.
A/N: HOLIDAYS ARE CRAZY! Welp, finally glad I got this chapter done! This will probably be the last one of 2019, so we'll see you guys in 2020!