A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Also...RE:MIND COMES OUT NEXT WEEK! AAAAHHHHH! Enjoy the first chapter of 2020!
Chapter 36: The Corrupted
SAVANNA CENTRAL - ZOOTOPIA HOSPITAL (12:17PM)
The mix of chaos and silence in the Zootopia hospital was enough to send unsettling chills throughout Kairi's body. She couldn't sit in the room she was admitted into, especially having no idea what was going on with Naminé and Xion. She got up from her seat and took a walk down the halls to the same ward where the previous group of mammals were contained during the first serum crisis. Kairi looked into the glass and saw Xion and Naminé each in their own separate room. They weren't exactly acting aggressive at the moment, but their minds weren't their usual selves either. She could tell they were gone.
"Naminé? Xion?" Kairi murmured as she pressed her paw against the glass.
Xion looked up and saw Kairi. Instead of responding happily like Kairi had hoped, she began snarling and backing away. Kairi felt so worthless during the whole situation. Even if it wasn't her fault, she felt like she had failed in keeping Xion and Naminé safe in the same way they promised to keep her safe. Realizing there wasn't much she could do, Kairi returned back to her room where the nurses had come to patch up the scar on her face and check the rest of her body for any wounds that Xion or Naminé might've caused. Thankfully, there were no more other than ones caused from previous fights with Heartless or other enemies.
Judy finally came back to check on Kairi. Nick had hurried off to the ZPD to grab Doug's personal records while Jack hung out at the hospital and waited for him. Judy peeked into the doorway and saw the young wolf sulking. She knew how close the girls were and felt bad that she couldn't do more to help with the situation. After giving Kairi a minute alone, she finally walked into the room, catching her attention.
"Hey, are you okay?" Judy asked.
Kairi shook her head. "No, I'm not okay. I won't be okay until Naminé and Xion are okay." She softly said. "I'm sorry, you guys."
"It wasn't your fault. None of us saw the one who shot them."
"I know, I just...are they gonna be okay?" She asked, shaking her head.
Judy smiled and nodded. "They will be okay. There is an antidote that can revert them back to their normal selves. Do you trust me?"
Kairi sighed before nodding. "I do."
"I know this may sound impossible, but try not to stress too much. We're gonna make everything right. They're gonna be okay. How's your wound?"
"The doctor said it was going to scar up." She answered, brushing her paw against the bandage. "But I'll be okay."
"Kairi, I know you wanted to save your friends, but you can't run into dangerous situations like that." Judy said, her voice full of concern. "They could've killed you."
"I know...this isn't the first time…"
"I'm only saying this because I want you to save that boy that means so much to you. I know you may not notice it, but when you think things through, they tend to go smoothly, if that makes sense."
Kairi nodded. "It does, I just wish I wasn't so careless like that."
"We all make mistakes, but the important thing is you gotta just learn from it and keep going forward." Judy encouraged. "Keep moving forward and know your self-worth. Know that you will be better next time, and you will get stronger with each mistake you learn from. And always remember this..."
"Remember what?"
"You never have to face these mistakes alone. There's always someone there to help you, and never be afraid to ask for help. Take it from someone who risks her life on a daily basis because of her job. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of maturity and strength. Acknowledging that you are not invincible and you can't do everything all by yourself can mean the difference between life and death sometimes." Judy explained. She rested a paw on Kairi's shoulder. "You have a big heart, and it sounds like you have a lot of people who care about you, and they're gonna have your back."
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Judy." Kairi thanked her. "Hey, can you do me a favor?"
"Of course."
"Talk to Nick. He really cares about you, and...I think he's been feeling...left out since Jack arrived."
Judy rubbed her paws together. "Left out?"
"Yeah...he's afraid he's gonna be replaced by Jack." Kairi said sincerely.
"But I would never...why would he think that?"
Kairi laughed softly. "Can't you see, Judy? He likes you. He really likes you."
"Oh...I…" Judy stumbled her words as her cheeks began to glow pink. "I...never knew that…" she sighed and held her head low as her ears drooped down. "I...I feel awful."
"Don't feel awful. You didn't know and...male rivalries happen. Trust me, I know about them." She laughed. "Sora and Riku were always competing for my attention back then."
"What made you choose?"
"Well...it wasn't a matter of choosing between them." Kairi explained. "I just cared about them in different ways, that's all. You don't have to choose between Jack and Nick. You can have them both in your life for different reasons." She watched as Judy stared at her phone, looking at photos of her and Nick from the past week. "But, if you want my 'expert' opinion, I think you and Nick would make a very sweet couple."
Judy's ears perked up as a smile formed on her face. "Really? You don't think it'd be weird seeing a bunny and a fox together?"
"To me, love is love. It doesn't matter the genders, the species, romantic or familial. If you heart shares a special connection with another, then go for it."
"Yeah...you know what? You're right, Kairi." Judy stood up from the bed. "Nick is the greatest thing that has happened to me since getting my job as a police officer, and I'll be darned if anyone tries to ruin that for me."
"Yes! Go Judy! Go tell him how you feel!" Kairi encouraged her.
"I will!"
Judy hopped up and decided to brush herself off before licking her paw and rubbing it behind her ears. She wasn't sure if Nick was back from ZPD or not, but chose to take this moment to make herself (somewhat) as presentable as a cop on duty could be. She showed herself off to Kairi, asking for her opinion of how she looked. Kairi, being the supportive friend she was, gave Judy an instant pass. Now with a boost of confidence, Judy stepped out of the room. She didn't see Nick at all in the hall like she was hoping to. Instead, she headed down the hall of the waiting area and ran into Jack. He wasn't exactly the guy she was looking for at the moment.
"Judy? Hey, where are you going?" Jack asked.
"I need to talk to Nick, is he back from ZPD with Doug's personal records?" She answered firmly.
"I'm...not sure. But, while we're waiting for him, can we talk in here?" He asked as he led her into a seating area with vending machines.
"Okay Jack, what'd you want to talk about?"
Jack sighed. "Judy, I know it's been years...and I know we went our own separate ways after high school, but…" He rested his hand on top of hers. "I just to remind you that...I was so in love with you back then."
Judy nodded. "I know, I remember, Jack. You were my first love too. I remembered thinking we'd be together forever." She said with a smile, which faded into a more serious expression. "But…we also chose to go our separate ways to focus on our careers."
"We did, and if I could be honest, I regretted not fighting to keep our relationship." Jack gently squeezed her paw. "But...I see this case as...sort of a second chance for us. Now that we're older, more established, and we know what we want, we can finally be together and make this work. What do you say?" He asked.
Judy looked down at their interlocked paws. Jack wasn't wrong, this was their second chance to return to what they once were. If she could be honest, there were days following there breakup where she wished they could have another chance at their relationship. She started to think back on all of the fond memories the two of them had during high school. Judy remembered the first time Jack asked her out, their first date at the Bunnyburrow State Fair, their sunset hikes, and when they went to the prom. She couldn't deny great memories, but there was something big that kept holding her back.
The past year started to flash before Judy. She remembered feeling at her lowest points, and Nick was always the one to help her get through them. She looked back at all the times he brought out the best in her and she brought out the best in him. Judy was no longer a teenager anymore. She couldn't just be in a relationship with someone because she thinks they're fun, attractive, or because they had something in the past. This was her life now, and needed someone who could support her through her life. Her ears drooped low, letting out a heavy sigh, and coming to terms with herself.
"Jack, you're a really sweet guy, and I appreciate you wanting to reignite a spark we once had years ago." Judy softly said as she took her paw away from him. "But the truth is...I don't think I see a future with us. I think...my heart belongs….to someone else." She looked out and saw Nick coming back. "No, I don't think, I know my heart belongs to someone else." She said standing up.
Jack looked back, noticing that Judy was looking at Nick. "Oh...I see...I guess you have a thing for foxes now, huh?" He softly jested.
"No, I don't have a thing for foxes." Judy said with a stern tone. "I just have a special connection with someone precious to me."
"But Judy, think about it, a fox and a bunny? It's unnatural." He chuckled.
"Love is never unnatural." She said as her paw curled into a fist. "I think this talk is done. Nick is back, we have a case to solve."
Judy turned and left a disappointed Jack sitting at the table with his own ears drooping. He couldn't, not in a million years, see what Judy saw in Nick, especially with him being a fox. Then again, she was always known among her family, friends, and him for going against the norm, doing whatever she wanted regardless of what others said. Jack was the same way. He hated sticking to the status quo and 'settling' for less because that was what others expected him, but there was a limit in his mind. He believed there was a point where once something becomes unnatural, that's when you need to change your ways. This was the point Jack felt Judy was heading too if she were to pursue a relationship with a fox, unnatural.
Nick had returned to the hospital with a large folder that was loaded with various papers. He took a peek into the break area and noticed Judy and Jack talking. Not wanting to feel like he was 'intruding' on their alone time, he decided to just go to Kairi's room to check up on her. He knew Jack already could give two shallots about him. In his mind, it was only a matter of time until Judy was wrapped around his finger again and she would only see him as her roommate and work partner. That's how everyone they knew would want it anyway, right? A fox and a bunny being anything more than friends would be really taboo.
"Hey, you doing okay?" Nick asked Kairi as she stepped out of her room.
"Yeah, just a scratch." She said with a shrug. "Are you doing okay?"
"Yeah." He murmured softly. "Everything's...perfect."
"Nick!" Judy emerged from down the hall. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Uh...sure...but, I got Doug's permanent records if you wanna take a look at them."
Judy hopped and grabbed the records. "Yeah, we can talk later. Let's take a look at these…"
Wanting to keep everything confidential, Judy had everyone step back into Kairi's room and locked the rook behind them. She separated the different documents and organized them into categories. It was a lot from bills to bank statements to traffic citations. It was as if Doug was right there in front of them and the only thing they needed was his body to go along with it. Nick, Jack, and Judy each took some documents in hand and studied them. Kairi took a look at all the different categories and shook her head.
"Wow…this is a lot...so overwhelming." Kairi heaved a sigh.
Jack folded his arms and nodded. "That's detective work for ya."
"So...he last used his credit card here…" Judy noted as she pointed to the name of a housewares store. "That was today…"
"And this was the last vehicle he was driving in." Jack added as he flipped through his driving record. "Unless he got a new car and didn't register it, which I wouldn't put it past him."
"Hmm...you know...since we have the license plate and the type of car he was driving...I'd say it's time we took a trip to our favorite little security cam office." Nick suggested to Judy.
Judy smiled and nodded. "And who said an evil genius can't be a cop?"
Kairi curled her paw to a first and looked toward the door. "Well, let's go check it out then!" She took one last look at Naminé and Xion in each of their rooms, resting a paw over her chest. "I'll fix this guys, I promise. You'll be okay."
SAVANNA CENTRAL - ZPD (2:40pm)
After hopping into Jack's van, everyone rushed down to the station. Despite Nick having just been here, and him practically kicking himself for not thinking of this sooner, the security cams were the best way to try and track down Doug. Judy charged into the station and got the keys to camera room from Clawhauser. If there was one fellow officer that Judy knew she could always count on for a favor, it was him. After he gave her the kids, she instantly unlocked the room and booted up the computer. It was a pretty advanced system and took a while to boot it up considering it had access to data all across Zootopia, but once it was booted, it was able to give exactly what they were looking for. A screen of an aerial map of Zootopia popped onto the screen.
"Good thing Bogo gave us access to this bad boy." Nick said with a smirk.
Kairi mused at the computer screen as she saw thousands of icons pop up all over the map. "So...this is access to all security cams around the city?"
"Yep! There's also traffic cams, but for now...we want to find...wait!" Judy gasped. "That's it! The traffic cams! We can find out who shot Naminé and Xion! That's gonna be our guy!" She scrolled through the map until she found the spot where they had broken down initially and where the shooting occurred. "Oh! There it is! There's the three of us arguing there...and there's Kairi starting a howl…."
"Sorry again." She laughed sheepishly.
"And now…"
On the screen, the camera had a solid angle of the guilty party that shot Xion and Naminé . From the shadows, Doug emerged in dark clothing, tightly holding a sniper. He had hid behind a tree initially, but crept around as soon Kairi and the girls had started howling. After careful aim, Doug fired the sniper and hit Naminé square in the opportune spot. Kairi gasped, seeing it happen again, and wishing she could've seen Doug. Her heart sank as she watched herself fall to the ground and try to help Naminé off the ground, only for Doug to aim at her, and nearly fire at her back. Xion instead shielded her and took the shot, causing her to go savage.
"Bellwether was right…" Judy murmured.
Nick rolled his eyes. "Well, either way, she was going to prison, so lying wouldn't have helped her case any further."
"Wait, but there was still that other accomplice." Kairi noted. "The one who shot the mayor. We still have to track them down too."
"We don't have an alias for them." Jack tapped his foot. "In the meantime, let's at least apprehend Doug and then we can focus on the other guy."
"Okay, let's…switch to…" Judy browsed the computer screen, changing up the different security cams. "Here we go." She clicked on the security cam that took her to the parking lot of the housewares store that Doug had visited. "And there's our guy." Judy pointed to the screen as Doug came out of the store and walked over to his car.
"Pfft, got a poor taste in cars…" Nick scoffed.
Jack rolled his eyes. "In his defense, when conducting an evil scheme, the last thing that's on your mind is what type of car you're driving." He noted as Doug got into the car and drove out of the parking lot, making his way onto a busy highway.
"So, now what?" Kairi asked, shrugging her shoulders.
Nick began clicking through the different security cams. "Well, based on the highway he turned onto, we can click on the security cams in the order they are hooked up on said highway, and keep track of where he was going after this occurred."
"Wow, that's insane!" Kairi gasped as she watched Doug drive through the security videos, Nick keeping up with him.
"This was how we found the location of the missing mammals last time." Judy noted. "Now, I'm almost 100% sure that Doug has a new hideout because the last one was a train that we...kinda ruined."
Kairi studied the monitors. "Hmm…It looks like he's going on that same major highway we were on earlier. And he looks like he's in a hurry too."
Throughout the security footage, Doug looked to be following the highway until he merged into a less travelled section of it, taking him to the Rainforest District. There wasn't much to it other than foliage, cliffs, light poles, and telephone lines. Nothing was screaming suspicion until Judy clicked upon a security cam that happened to be located right by a large empty building. Doug drove off the highway and parked to the side of the building. Nick and Judy studied the footage and watched as Doug pulled out the large briefcase from his car and carried it into the building. They paused the footage and took down the coordinates on the map of Doug's hiding spot.
"Okay! It looks like he's using that old abandoned warehouse!" Judy pointed out. "We have his location!"
Jack nodded. "Great. Let's move out and get him!"
RAINFOREST DISTRICT - OLD ABANDONED WAREHOUSE (4:15PM)
Deep into the depths of the Rainforest District, Jack drove the van, trying to keep the pounding rain off the windows. Kairi sighed as she realized that being in the rain was going to be more uncomfortable than she was used to considering she had fur all over her body instead of just her red hair. There was also a creepy factor with the rainforest environment. Despite it being late afternoon, the dark clouds always made it feel dark. If anything, it reminded Kairi of how the weather on Destiny Islands had been lately: dark, gloomy, and wet. It was an unwelcome change compared to how it was always warm and sunny when she, Sora, and Riku spent their lazy afternoons on the beach.
Upon arriving to the location of the warehouse, Jack opted to park the van alongside some trees, hoping to shield themselves in the case that Doug came outside. The last thing they needed was to be spotted, especially when they were this close to finally apprehending him. Jack led, making sure everything was all clear before signaling Nick, Judy, and Kairi to follow him around to the back door of the building, hoping to catch Doug in a surprise attack. It was definitely a warehouse that was abandoned for many years judging by the various rust and mold that encrusted the corners.
"Locked…" Nick growled after playing with the back door's handle.
"I got ya covered!" Kairi said as she held up her Keyblade and unlocked the door.
"We've gotta get ourselves one of those." He said with a smirk.
Judy pulled out her flashlight and stepped inside first, stepping as quietly as she possibly could. Doug was shady, considering his previous actions, and she couldn't afford to put herself or any of her friends in danger. There was no sense of light in the warehouse. Nick wondered how Doug could even use a warehouse like this when there wasn't even electricity powering it. Then again, he never saw Bellwether being the one responsible for the savage predators last time. Kairi kept on her toes, remembering that even if Doug was their target, Aros, Kaguya, or even the Heartless could pop up at any time. After all, there was no way it could be this quiet.
"It's quiet in here…" Kairi muttered softly. "Too quiet…"
"Really?" Nick rolled his eyes. "You have to use a cliche movie quote?"
Judy sighed and hushed both of them. "Shh! Both of you cut it out!"
Kairi gasped as she saw Neoshadow Heartless emerge behind Judy. She summoned her Keyblade and shot a Fire spell at them, knocking them out of the way. While it was enough to give her an advantage, more Neoshadows eventually emerged from the ground and surrounded everybody. Kairi knew she was capable of taking these things out, but that still didn't make it any less annoying that they got in her way.
"Of course I would jinx us!" Kairi groaned.
"Looks like we must be close to finding our guy!" Judy said as she got ready to fight.
"Don't count your carrots before they sprout." Jack said as he whipped out a pistol.
After Jack charged forward, drop kicking one of the Neoshadows to the ground, Kairi followed suit, as did Nick and Judy. She didn't have time for this. She was eager to take out this Heartless so they could arrest Doug and move on to trying to help Xion and Naminé recover from their savage state. Kairi charged heavily, Keyblade first and knocked a Neoshadow against the wall before launching herself into the air and slamming the same Heartless down to the ground and wiping it out. She looked to Nick and Judy, who were doing the best they could to fight off the Heartless with their various combat moves and weapons. She shot a Watera spell on Neoshadows that attempted to lunge at Nick. The water shook the Heartless before propelling it up to the ceiling.
"Thunder!" Kairi yelled as she took advantage of the wet floor.
Sparks flew out of Destiny's Embrace and toward the Neoshadows, trapping them in an electrical current and dealing immense damage. Little did Kairi realize that the water from her spell had reached toward the rest of her party, causing the electricity to hit Judy, Nick, and Jack. All three of them collapsed, feeling paralyzed from the high voltage. Kairi looked over and laughed sheepishly. Before she had a chance to hurry over and cast Cure on all three of them, another swarm of Heartless, this time a group of of Powerwilds materialized and surrounded her. Kairi sighed, studying her enemies. As one lunged toward her, she guarded with her weapon before countering. While the one Heartless in particular was damaged, another one slid into her, tripping her and sending her down to the ground.
Kairi growled as she shot a Pearl at the Powerwild that attacked her. She took a deep breath, realizing that she was outnumbered, knowing well that this would be the perfect time to have Xion and Naminé aid her. Instead, Kairi looked down at her watch, and remembered that she had another option to get her out of a bind. She tapped on the watch and pulled up the lightning bolt icon.
"Bolt! Give me strength!" Kairi called out as she tapped on the icon.
A wave of lightning spun around in front of Kairi, and from the wave, Bolt emerged. He barked and ran up to her, giving her a sloppy kiss on the face. She was happy to see him again, but now wasn't the time for games. Kairi hopped back onto her feet and Bolt crouched into a defensive stance, ready to assist. While she took on half of the Heartless, he took on the other half. Between his heat vision, his laser vision, his various parkour moves, and his super bark, Bolt proved to be a strong fighter once again, just like in Twilight Town. He managed to zoom around Kairi, creating a dust cloud thanks to the dirt that had formed on the floor that hadn't been mopped in forever.
With the Powerwilds' vision being obstructed by dust, Kairi had the opportune moment to perform a sneaky Pearl spell. She shot her light orbs and knocked them back, allowing Bolt to slam right on top of them, sending them down to the ground. As that group of Heartless dematerialized, the other group began to corner Kairi and Bolt, not giving them much of a way to escape. She looked down at Bolt, who stepped forward and spaced out his legs and paws. A confident smile formed on her face as she knew what he was preparing for, and she called out the command for Bolt to use his super bark. He ducked his head down before letting out a powerful bark and sending a sonic boom toward the Powerwilds, wiping them out completely.
"Thanks for your help, Bolt!" Kairi shook his paw.
After Bolt disappeared, Kairi finally cast Cure, allowing Judy, Nick, and Jack to get back up onto their feet. Once they caught their breath, Jack immediately silenced everyone. There were footsteps echoing in the halls. Shortly following the echoing steps, a flashlight shone on all four of them. The flashlight belonged to none other than Doug, the ram they had been chasing after all day. Deciding he wasn't going to just surrender and wanting to challenge authority, he pulled out his sniper and aimed it at Judy. Kairi wasn't afraid of him and had her Keyblade ready to unleash all she had on him for what he did to Naminé and Xion.
"You are under arrest!" Judy yelled.
Doug attempted to shoot her, only for Kairi to block the bullet with a Reflect spell. "It's gonna take more than a cute little bunny to send me back to the slammer!" He taunted them before taking off running.
"He's getting away! Everyone split up! We can cut him off!" Jack suggested.
Taking Jack's suggestion, everyone split and took a different hall, hoping to corner down Doug. The plan seemed to work, considering that each time Doug was cornered, he'd run in a different direction and end up confronted by someone else. However, he had an advantage thanks to him having the ability to snipe. Judy and Nick both had to be careful to dodge any bullets that were fired at them. However, they each had their sneaky ways around. Judy was just an excellent jumper and her small size made it nearly impossible to hit her. Nick was a bigger target, but he was a shady fox for many years and managed to master the art of sneaking around.
Lucky for them, when Doug was confronted by Kairi, he underestimated her based on the sheer fact that she was 'a kid'. He began firing his weapon at her. Thanks to Kairi becoming quite agile, she was able to wall kick her away around Doug's bullets. He growled and turned around, trying to escape again. Not allowing him to get away so easily, Kairi picked up her sprinting pace and slid toward him, tripping the ram sending him collapsing onto the ground. Before he had a chance to reach for his weapon, Kairi held out her hand toward him and cast a Stop spell, freezing him in place.
"Got him!" Kairi called out, giving her Keyblade a victory twirl. "Never mess with a girl's Stop spell!"
Nick came up behind and locked handcuffs around Doug's hooves. "Doug, you are under arrest for possession of illegal substance, breaking out of prison, and...oh, I could list everything, but that'll take way too long."
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court." Judy cited him his rights.
"Come on, let's book him somewhere until we can get the cops here." Jack suggested.
Judy gave an approving nod. She gripped one of Doug's arms tightly while Jack had a hard clench around the other. The two of them marched down the hall and to an empty room, where they'd keep Doug until their backup team showed up.
Once Jack opened the door, he suddenly released his grip on Doug before shoving Nick into the room. Kairi didn't react fast enough to fight off Doug before he shoved her into the room following Jack releasing the cuffs off his hooves. Upon watching her friends get tossed around like rag dolls, Judy hurried into the room and tried to help them up.
"Great job, Doug!" Jack complimented him.
"Don't thank me, you led them right here!" Doug chuckled.
"Wait, what? Jack! What are you doing?" Judy asked in distress.
"No need to thank me, Judy. I'm just simply keeping a promise we made all those years ago, 'to make the world a better place'."
"And just how do you plan to do that?" Kairi asked.
"Judy, I want to think back to what life was like before you became a police officer. You remember all of those remarks we got from others. 'Dumb bunny', does that not sound familiar?" Jack asked in a hostile manner. "Wanting to make the world a better place and everyone laughing at you for it, does that not sound familiar?"
"What's your point, Jack?" Judy asked, her face scrunching up.
"I was like you once, Judy, wishing to become a police officer to make the world a better place." Jack said as he looked out the window. "I worked my butt off, studying the law, and getting physically strong enough to withstand my toughest opponents. But that wasn't enough, they still denied me any opportunity." He lowered his head, his paw curling into a fist. "I came from nothing, was treated like nothing, and still had nothing. So, I moved out of town, and with a couple 'o friends in the same position, we became secret agents, started a business, and made names for ourselves in the town. But, there was still one elephant in the room, the predators...they all saw me as just a dumb bunny no matter what I did. I was determined to get revenge on predators, but I had to do it in a certain way that I could stay hidden. So, thanks to my knowledge on farmlife from Bunnyburrow, I knew about the night howlers, I smuggled a bunch, created a serum out of them, and created what would be the ultimate weapon against all predators."
"Wait...so...it was you." Nick muttered. "This whole time...you were the one giving out the serum, even to Bellwether!"
"Some things never change, eh, clever fox?"
"Where will this get you, Jack?" Judy asked. "Bellwether got nowhere."
"Bellwether was a clueless mess. I was surprised she didn't rat me out."
"Did she lie about being your college professor too?" Kairi asked, growling.
Jack chuckled. "I was in town, scoping how I was going to put my plan into motion, and I just happened to run into Bellwether, frustrated as always. I asked her how she would feel in a world where prey had power over predators. We had an agreement. Once Zootopia's predator problem was taken care of, she'd step into the role of mayor, and bring me on as her assistant. Prey would finally get the respect they deserve."
"Maybe prey often get looked down upon, but prey are just as guilty for looking down upon predators! Predators and prey need each other. They balance each other, just like everything else in the world." Kairi said in a calm tone. "Day and night, tall and short, light and darkness. The world is the way it is because everything has to have a balance."
"Kairi's right. You can't just get rid of predators!" Judy argued.
"Watch me. With Bellwether in prison, I can finally make the world a better place, starting with our mayor."
Nick gasped. "Leave him out of this!" He yelled.
"You could've joined me, Judy. We could've had Zootopia to ourselves. It's not too late." Jack said while holding out his paw.
"I'd rather be killed by a savage predator than join you for anything." Judy growled.
"Fine, your funeral." Jack said with a shrug.
With a sinister smirk on his face, Jack backed out of the room, locking the door, and sticking the keys into his back pocket. Doug shared a nod of approval with him as well as a fist bump before they exited the warehouse, leaving Kairi, Nick, and Judy trapped. Kairi would've used her Keyblade to unlock the door and get them out, but there was no keyhole on their side of the door. The only way they could escape is if they unlocked it from the outside. Despite Jack and Doug already being out of sight, Kairi was stubborn about breaking through the door. She began aggressively jiggling the door handle before banging on it with her fists.
"Let us out! Let us out you creep!" Kairi yelled.
"Kairi, we're stuck here, you're only wasting your energy." Nick sighed in defeat.
"How could you give up like this? He's gonna hurt innocent animals and who knows what he's gonna do to Xion and Naminé !"
"What else can we do?" Judy asked, sitting against the wall.
Kairi shook her head. This wasn't over. She had been in worse situations before and knew there was a way to get them out. She just needed a minute to think under pressure. She thought back to how Sora would get out of a situation like this. Normally, he'd get lucky and his friends, whether it was Donald, Goofy, or new friends from that particular world, would get him out. Unfortunately for Kairi, her options were low in terms of friends helping her escape considering Nick and Judy were both trapped with her, Jack was a traitor, and Xion and Naminé were both victims of the serum. A thought hit her like a brick to the face when she realized there was one more friend with them, and he just happened to have teleportation abilities.
"Wait! I got an idea!" Kairi gasped. "Chirithy! Come out, buddy! We need you!"
Chirithy appeared in front of everyone, stretching his arms out. "You rang?"
"We're trapped here and need your help!"
"Oh sure, you force me to stay hidden and now you want my help?" He rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
Kairi groaned and shook her head. "Do this for me and I'll let you have first dibs on the cappuccino maker from now on!"
Chirithy thought for a moment before sighing in defeat. "You know how to strike a good bargain, Kairi. Okay, what do you need?"
"That guy that trapped us in here, Jack Savage, he has the warehouse keys. You're the only one who can get out of here. I need you to go track him down and get the keys!"
"How am I supposed to track him down?"
"I don't know! You're a dream eater, you'll figure it out! Now go! We don't have much time!" Kairi frantically asked.
"Fine! Fine!" Chirithy disappeared and reappeared on the other side. "I'll be back with the keys!"
Sending a small dream eater into a large city by himself was like throwing a small fish into the ocean by himself. Everything was so much bigger than Chirithy. The only creatures that weren't were the rodents, and even so, most of them took up residence in Rodentia. The buildings towered over, the hustle and bustle was noisy, and the traffic was getting bad downtown. Something big is happening tonight, but what? Chirithy thought as he attempted to navigate through the crowds. It wasn't doing him any good if he was narrowly trying to avoid getting stepped on by larger mammals.
"This city is huge...and I'm such a tiny little thing." Chirithy muttered as he hopped through the streets, barely avoiding a giraffe's hoof. "How am I supposed to find this guy?"
A familiar smell filled the air. Chirithy definitely knew this smell. It was the most wonderful smell. It was a smell that hooked him and reeled him like a catfish on a fishing pole. Chirithy followed the smell, sending him off course briefly, and him feeling like he was floating on a cloud. He found himself at a coffee shop, but it wasn't just any coffee shop. It was a shop that was run by elephants, the largest mammals in Zootopia. Chirithy peeked into the window and saw what could only be the largest cup of coffee he had ever seen. It was more than double his size. Chirithy's mouth moistened as the thought of tasting that coffee tempted him harder than a child with a cookie jar. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Coffee…?" Chirithy muttered.
With the smell of coffee tickling his senses, Chirithy found him falling into a daydream daze. He could've sworn the evening sky became a bright and beautiful world made of clouds. Everything else disappeared as Chirithy found him and the enormous sized coffee all alone in their fantasy. The cup was even starting to move, curling it's...body(?) as if it were being bashful. Chirithy's eyes transformed into hearts as he bounced along the clouds, making his way to the coffee. The coffee even began bouncing towards Chirithy. It was a fantasy that any lover of coffee would've killed to be sucked into. Chirithy wrapped his entire body around the coffee cup and sighed as he began to nuzzle it.
"Coffee…" He muttered.
"Excuse me?" A voice snapped Chirithy out of his daydream. He looked up and saw a husky elephant looking down on him. "We don't serve rodents!" He picked up Chirithy with his trunk and carried him toward the entrance of the cafe. "Go get your coffee somewhere else!" He yelled as he threw Chirithy out.
The angry dream eater got up and brushed himself off. "Excuse me sir! I happen to be of the feline species! I'm not a dirty rat!" He yelled, despite the elephant already disappearing behind the doors. Chirithy sighed as he held out his arm toward the coffee cups being passed around. "I'll come back, my love."
A big white van that sped right past Chirithy snapped him out of his daydream gaze. He recognized the van and decided to follow it. Taking advantage of being a dream eater, Chirithy vanished from the coffee shop and reappeared on top of the van, taking a little joy ride to a sketchier side of town. He watched from up top as Jack got out of the driver's seat and meandered down into a dark alley. Chirithy huffed at how suspicious he looked, leaning up against the wall, lighting up a cigarette, and not having a care in the world. He hopped down and got closer, hoping to scope out the warehouse keys.
Chirithy's plan was interrupted by dark portals forming in the alley. He gasped and ducked around the corner, deciding it was safer to watch from a distance and get the dirt on what was going on with Jack. It was apparent there was much more to him than even Judy knew. His eyes widened as two familiar armored figures emerged from the dark portals and moved closer toward Jack.
"Hey...is that…?" Chirithy whispered. "That's Aros...and Kaguya. What are they doing here?"
Realizing that the situation could be a lot worse than anyone imagined, Chirithy kept his distance, but listened carefully in on the conversation between the three shady figures.
"About time you showed up." Aros remarked.
"It's a big city. Sorry I can't just travel with dark tunnels like you two." Jack folded his arms. "Look, do you have it or not?"
"Do you have the girls?" Kaguya asked.
"Two of them. The redhead is stubborn and a tough nut to crack."
"I figured as much." Aros smirked. "That's okay, two out of three is perfect, just what we need." He nudged Kaguya forward. "Go ahead and give him what we promised."
Kaguya nodded as she opened up the briefcase to reveal a large number of dark purple bullets, all carefully handled. "Each one of these has been infused with dark matter. If you want the full effect, go for the heart. Not only will these predators go savage, but their heart will be consumed by darkness, turning them into Heartless."
Jack smiled and nodded. "Just like you said at the club."
"Speaking of which, how'd you keep those girls dangling for so long?"
"You just gotta know how the female mind works. Make her feel good, important, all that other junk." Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Their friends automatically latch onto that too. Once you've got one, you've got the others. The fox was problematic, but we got that taken care of. Everything I wanted to happen is falling into place, got the mayor's wife, got Bellwether framed, got two out of three girls feral, and the rest is self-explanatory. All that's left now, is to get rid of the mayor, become a hero of Zootopia, and start a new revolution where prey rules over predators, and predators get just what they deserve." He gritted his teeth.
Chirithy gasped as he listened to the plan. "No…"
"Quite a plan." Aros chuckled. "You know, we could use another evil genius like you sometime."
"Maybe, but for now, this is where we part ways." Jack said as he took the briefcase and began to walk out of the alley. "You remember your cue, right?"
"Yes, we'll be there, at the ampitheater" Kaguya assured him.
Chirithy gasped as Aros and Kaguya retreated back into their dark tunnels. He was tempted to follow them, but knew deep down that he was no match without Kairi. Besides, he still had to get the keys. As Jack walked past him, he made careful strides behind, eyeing the keys that stuck out of Jack's back pocket. What a loser...Chirithy muttered in his mind, noting how foolish it was to just have keys sticking out like that. He hopped along, keeping his distance. Jack couldn't help but get the internal feeling that he was being followed. He checked both sides, but thanks to Chirithy being a dream eater, he was able to vanish without a trace in a matter of seconds.
Jack finally whipped around, arching an eyebrow. There was nothing behind him, so why did he feel like there was someone following him? He walked back a few feet, inspecting the area. There was still nobody around, but unbeknownst to Jack, Chirithy had shrunk himself down to pocket size and was now actually in his back pocket, gripping the keys. He was just about ready to vanish out of sight completely, only for Jack to reach his paw back toward the pocket he was hiding in. Jack curled his fingers back and forth and mumbled like he was trying to scratch something, but ended up scratching Chirithy. Chirithy realized what he was trying to do and crinkled his face as he used his paw to scratch Jack's but. This is so gross...He sighed. Once Jack retreated his paw back, Chirithy finally wasted no more time and vanished with the keys in hand.
Back at the warehouse, Kairi, Nick, and Judy all waited in anticipation for Chirithy to return with the keys. Everyone seemed to feel helpless about the situation. Kairi knew she was feeling lost and unsure of what to do, but she was also aware that Judy felt the worst out of all three of them. Everything was at stake, Judy's job, innocent lives, the city, how could Judy feel anything but stressed and anxious? Kairi and Nick sat by each other, confiding in each other, but Judy sat alone in the corner, not wanting to involve her friends in anymore of her problems.
"Judy, you okay?" Kairi asked.
Judy shook her head. "No, I'm not. How could I not see that he was a two-faced liar?" She groaned and pounded her fists against the ground. "I was stupid to let my heart get in the way of my mind."
"Hey, you may have made a mistake, but you're not stupid." Nick shook his head.
"Besides, letting your heart take control isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sure, it can be foolish at times, but so can our minds." Kairi said as she leaned against the wall. "Our minds have a way of playing tricks on us too, making us feel like the world is better off without us, you know?"
"Or how you're nothing but a sly fox that can't be trusted."
Judy sighed, staring down at the ground. "Or how you're nothing but a dumb bunny."
"You see? The heart and the mind, they balance each other out. When your mind is playing tricks on you, your heart will be there to guide you out, and sometimes your heart may be weak, but that's when turn on your thinking cap!" Kairi encouraged. "Right now, your mind is telling you to beat yourself up over this, even though you just told me earlier that everyone makes mistakes and that you never have to face them alone."
"Well this particular mistake is going to cost many lives!" Judy raised her voice.
Nick shook his head and moved, sitting close to Judy. "Nu-uh, that is quitter talk. Judy, you beating yourself up over your mistakes has got to stop. You're very sensitive and it's obvious you're a perfectionist, but now, you gotta start taking your own advice. Yeah, you made a mistake, but you know about my past. You know how many mistakes I've made in even the most recent years. Even if you made the mistake of trusting Jack, he has not won. He played you-all of us-and now it's payback time, and it's time to send that bunny back into his burrow hole."
Kairi nodded in amusement. "Wow, that's...pretty inspiring, Nick."
"Thanks." He chuckled.
"I just don't know if I can trust in myself anymore. How can I be sure I won't let my emotions cloud my judgement?" Judy asked as her ears drooped down.
"Listen…" Nick sighed. "It was a situation where Jack took advantage of the fact that you two had a thing for each other before, and tried to charm his way into getting you on his side. And...it can happen to any girl, trust me, I've done it before when I was younger. But the point I'm trying to make is that you're not alone in this, and we will get this fixed. As soon as Kairi's little friend gets back with the keys."
Judy folded her arms and leaned back. "I guess I was...kinda blinded by past love, you know?"
"You were, but again, it can happen to anyone. And looking at the big picture, there are better guys out there for you. There was a reason you two didn't work out in the past, which only means that there is someone out there who is much better. Because…" Nick sighed as he rested his paw on top of Judy's. "You deserve much better."
"You really think so?"
"He's out there somewhere." Nick said tenderly. "Or...he could also...be in here."
Kairi smiled widely and twiddled her paws. "That's right...spill your guts…" She whispered to herself.
"You...you think so?" Judy asked, a weak smile forming on her face.
"Well...I mean…" Nick stammered as she scratched the back of his head. "You know, I happen to think you're a...very good cop...and you're...um...uh…" He started chuckling. "Sorry, I'm not exactly the best at this kind of stuff." He sighed as he cradled Judy's paw in his. "Truth is...I think you're probably one of the best things that's happened to me, in my whole life, and...the fact that you're really pretty helps too."
"You mean...the fact that I'm a bunny and you're a fox doesn't bother you?"
"Someone once told me that...love is love." Nick said while sending a wink to Kairi, who gave him an approving nod.
"You're right, Nick." Judy smiled and squeezed his paw. "And...I'm sorry…I'm sorry if I hurt you."
"Eh...how about after all of this is done, you go on a date with me, and we can call it even?"
"Okay, deal."
Kairi sighed, her heart swelling at the tender moment between Nick and Judy. Even if nobody else saw the connection between them because they were blinded by the difference in species, she could see and feel it in her heart. She reached or her lucky charm and clutched it close to her.
A special connection that's never broken. Life is too short to not share your heart with that person, because even in the deepest darkness, they'll always be there to light your way back.
"Uh...sorry to interrupt your little tender moment, but I have something you guys might want." Chirithy said as he reappeared in the room and held out the keys.
"Chirithy! You did it!" Kairi beamed.
"See? Looks like you need me more than you think, huh?"
"Yes…" Kairi rolled her eyes. "Can you please let us out now?"
Chirithy did as he was asked and attempted to unlock the door from the outside. It turned out there were way more keys on this keyring than there should've been. He tried one key, and it didn't work. He tried another key, and it still didn't work. Kairi groaned as she watched Chirithy's frustration with the keys. Of all the times she wished she could've used her Keyblade, this would've been it. Finally, Chirithy found the key that had a piece of red tape on it. For curiosity's sake, he tried it out, and good thing, his curiosity was a big help. The door unlocked, freeing Nick, Judy, and Kairi from their hostage. All three of them hurried out of the warehouse with Chirithy riding on Kairi's shoulder.
"You'd better hurry! The mayor's in danger!" Chirithy warned in a distressed tone.
Nick hummed. "I knew Jack would try something."
"It's not just Jack! Aros and Kaguya too!"
"I knew it! I knew they had something to do with this!" Kairi growled. "Were they behind this the whole time?"
"I don't know...but all I know is that they have changed the serum!"
Judy furrowed her eyebrows. "How so?"
Chirithy shook his head. "Aros infused dark matter into the serum. Now, the predators are not just going to go savage, they're gonna turn into Heartless too! And I think Naminé and Xion might be in danger too! Aros was asking about them too!"
"No…" Kairi choked out. "We have to hurry back to the hospital!"
"Too bad we don't have a car…" Nick murmured.
Kairi immediately got on her phone, deciding to try and call for a cab. The only problem with that was that cab fare was ridiculously expensive. Judy even noted that it was more expensive than it usually was for some reason. Nick suggested they take a bus, but the bus would've been too slow. Everyone looked around and noticed there was an open cover sports car parked on the side of the road. Why was there a sports car? Nobody knew. All they knew was that it had to be fate for a car to suddenly appear out of the blue. Judy's eyes laid on the car, as did Nick's, and then Kairi's. All three of them seemed to have the same horrible idea, but nobody wanted to speak up.
"How about we borrow that car?" Judy suggested.
"Borrow without asking? You mean steal the car?" Kairi asked, her eyes widened.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures! Come on!"
Nick led the girls to the car. "I can hotwire the car so we can start it without the ignition."
"This is the weirdest crime case I've ever taken part of." Kairi shook her head.
Nick hopped into the driver's seat and Kairi in the passenger seat. Judy awaited in the back seat while she and Kairi watched Nick (somehow) get the steering column open. There was a lot of wires, too much for Kairi's 11th grade mind to comprehend. Nick fiddled with the wires and battery packs. It took a bit of experimenting, but Nick finally managed to work it. Kairi gasped as the car made a noise, indicating that it had started up and they were ready to start driving.
"It's started up!" Nick gave them a thumbs up. "Too bad I don't know how to drive a stick."
Judy heaved a sigh. "Great...I can't drive a stick shift…" She and Nick both looked at Kairi, who took a minute to realize their implications.
"Oh! Yeah, I can drive a stick!" Kairi beamed. "You're asking me to drive?"
"You have ten seconds to decide." Judy said as Nick got out of the driver's seat.
"YES!"
Kairi scooted over to the driver's seat, her blood pumping. It had been a good while since she last drove, and that was in her small town on the island, not in a busy city. She was in for a crazy time tonight. While a part of her felt confident in her driving ability, there was another part of her that was incredibly cautious about making sure everyone's seatbelts were on, her mirrors were correctly aligned, and of course, the most important component of any young teenage girl's drive, the music choice.
"Okay, before we get going…" Kairi turned on some music. "Rootada's Final Distance, the M-Flo Remix?"
"Yes! But now go! Go! We have to hurry!" Judy encouraged.
Listening to Judy's demands, Kairi stepped on the gas and changed the gear at the same time. It sent them practically flying on the highway thanks to Kairi wanting to go fast. Unbeknownst to them, the owner of the car was not very far off and had only stopped off to run over to a group of bushes to use the bathroom. The poor leopard sighed as he watched Kairi drive off with his car, but she didn't notice his presence and instead, focused on the road. Judy normally would've stressed driving the speed limit, but knew they were short on time and were in a hurry.
SAVANNA CENTRAL - ZOOTOPIA HOSPITAL (6:43PM)
How Kairi managed to drive like a speed maniac back to the hospital without getting pulled over by police officers, nobody will ever know. Kairi parked (terribly) and rushed out with Nick and Judy right behind her. Normally she'd stop off and check in at the front, but the only thing on her mind was making sure Xion and Naminé were okay. The receptionist tried to stop Kairi from running into the back, but the stubborn girl managed to push through anyone else who tried to get in her way. The hospital was huge and a confusing place to navigate, leaving Kairi to take a few minutes before she figured out and found the ward where her friends were.
"Are they still here?" Kairi asked before she reached the glass and saw that Naminé and Xion were missing. "They got here before us!"
"Why would Jack want your friends?" Judy asked.
"He doesn't want them! It's Aros and Kaguya who want them!" She smacked her head against the window. "Great...now where are we supposed to find them? They could be anywhere!"
Chirithy popped out of Kairi hood and raised his paw. "I know where! They said they're going to the ampitheater!"
"The ampitheater...why would they…" Nick murmured. "Wait! What is today?"
"Friday." Judy answered with a shrug.
"Carrots, remember what we were supposed to do tonight before we got into this mess?"
Judy thought for a moment before letting out a gasp. "The Rootada concert! Lionhart always attends the concerts! That's where he's gonna be! And there's gonna be a big crowd!"
"We have to get to that concert!" Kairi yelled as she began running down the halls.
Nick and Judy shared a firm look of approval with each other. Everything seemed to be taking various twists and turns, and this would surely be their craziest case so far. At the end of the day, everyone was in danger and relied on them and Kairi, and there was no time to waste.
A/N: Yep! Kairi's driving ya'll! Our baby girl's growing up!