Zootopia belongs to Disney. Spider-Man belongs to Sony.

Kenten's phone rang. He grappled with his phone in his jacket pocket. Sweat beaded on his forehead from both shock and elation. The experiment was a success! The caller ID read, Candicia Ying.

He could have a field day with this woman. She had been hired on by Kenten as the distributor and mechanical engineer for him and the company divisions around the edges of Savannah Central. Keyword: hired. And yet, after a nasty lab accident sucked up a bunch of money and laid down copious red tape that led to the end of Kenten's career as a stockbroker, she threatened to back from the project altogether unless there was some kind of breakthrough. From that point, she called the shots.

He began to feel like his recent... outburst was a bit overzealous and rushed. Getting his whole team killed was not part of the plan.

He accepted the call and put it on speaker so he could steer.

He opened his mouth but the native Chinese wolverine beat him to it.

"Are you out of your MIND?! WHAT WAS THAT!" a female voice shouted in a fading Chinese accent.

Kenten's lip twitched in bewilderment as he tried to think of an answer.

"Hello!"

"Y-yeah, I'm here," he said.

"Answer my question! What was THAT!"

"What... I don't..." Kenten stammered in an attempt to feign ignorance.

"In case you're wondering, yes, I saw the whole thing! Dr. Andrews notified me beforepaw, and I was EXPECTING... RESULTS! Not a BLOODBATH!"

"Results? There were results!" he retorted. "Didn't you see Serpiento? If anything, it was the greatest breakthrough in the history of biology!"

"How many tests did you run on that lion? Or on Andrews? Oh yeah, you shot one and got chased off by the other! And if that was the greatest breakthrough then why didn't you think to notify me?! That was NOT a success, that was a TOTAL disaster! Now the police have custody of your precious little enforcer!" He heard the carnivore inhale loudly through her fangs, as if she thought the next thing she said would cause her physical pain. "I'm canceling our partnership. You're not getting my technology."

"N-now wait..." Kenten began, his speech stumbling as he tried to reason.

"See, this is why you're in charge of business, Kenten! The moment you see a little sparkling gold, you drop everything and take it without taking time to test its purity!"

"Agh, don't give me that proverbial nonsense," he groaned. "I got results. I have something to work with. Between me and the others, there're enough funds to pull through. I can handle the science from here on-"

"You can't handle a little child!" she bit back. He ignored her.

"I can handle the science from here. I understand it." True. Doug Kenten despised science because of its laws and rules that provided a reminder that he was not a god. But he understood that in order to attain the highest degree of control, knowledge was necessary. So he spent years studying profusely, agonizing through countless hours of mathematics, physics, all forms of chemistry, biology, medical science, making maximum effort to increase his intelligence to the highest capacity he was capable of. Furthermore, the already-massive panther had honed his body to the peak of mammalian perfection. If there was one thing the panther feared above all things, it was loss of control.

"I know you do. In fact, you understand it about as well as Andrews did. But what I just saw? That was why I put him on the experiment, and not you. Because I knew how rash you were prone to being. Oh and by the way, he's on my computer screen right now. He's dead."

"Yeah, I know. That's-"

"THAT'S WHY HE WAS SUPPOSED TO TEST THAT LION, YOU IDIOT!" Geez, this wolverine screamed a lot. "Wait, you KNEW, you said? Oh well, at least now we know that the serum's lethal! Experiment failed. I'm packing it up."

Kenten's teeth clenched. He hated deferring to anyone, especially animals smaller than himself. He strained to calm himself. He dropped any pretense of collectedness to get this she-devil to see reason. "Look, give me one month," he said, ignoring how debased he felt at being forced to implore this tiny predator. "One month, and if I don't give satisfactory results, then go ahead and end the project. But I swear, I promise, you won't be disappointed. Don't worry about the police; I grabbed the precursor before I left. And the kid never found out about the experiment, and I can assure you he has no clue what's going on. He certainly doesn't know why we took blood samples from him; I grabbed a vial of that as well bef-before I left. Plus, I realized after the trial that the chamber is not necessary to administer the gas, and I know how to fix the problem with the serum. Just give me the resources and the time. One month, that's all I'm asking."

Silence.

Beginning to tense, he exhaled when he heard, "One month, whatever you need. On one condition."

"Name it."

"That Black Spider kid, get rid of him."

Slowly, keeping his eyes on the road, he reached toward the glove compartment and reached inside. When he found what he was looking for, his lips curled, baring his fangs in a wide, toothy grin. He delicately removed a silver magnum pistol containing high-caliber armor-penetrating rounds.

"Already on it."

His body felt drained. His mind refused to work. There was nothing but a droning fog, like static on a tv. Pressure began to build behind his eyes, but he would not let the dams break.

John...

The chains around his wrist were secured to the table in front of him. He hadn't even tried to break them. What was the point? It was gone, all of it. The world had come full circle. Once again, everything had been taken away from him. And where was he now? On a cold, lifeless chair in a cold, lifeless room, in a cold, lifeless police station, in a cold, lifeless world. Right...

The heavy wooden door opened. The bunny from before, the one who had been eyeing him with her unwanted pity, walked in. A fox followed her carrying a thick file under his arm. They pulled out the other two chairs at the table and sat in them. The fox kept his eyes on the panther, scrutinizing him with something just a couple steps away from abject contempt. Danny shoved away all emotion, hardening his heart against this monster.

Don't bite back.

He set the file on the table. The bunny slid it in front of her and opened it. Finally, she laid her eyes on the cub in front of her, her tone as professional and cold as everything else in the world.

"You've been pretty busy over the past several years, Mr. Arcturus. Made quite the name for yourself at only eleven years of age."

Danny just continued scowling at her silently.

She slid the file toward him, several pictures of mammals present.

"These are some of the mammals that want to testify against you. There are plenty more, but those are the much more recent mammals who have come forward. On top of this, you're being charged with the assault of Dwayne Buchanan and one Mr. Warhol."

Danny didn't move.

"Can I ask why you attacked and stole from them? Why only prey?" Nothing... "Did some of these mammals take something from you? What made you take from them?" He remained silent. "What about those scratches on your chest? They look pretty fresh. You get in a fight with that leopard?"

Finally, Danny opened his mouth. "How much of that did you even see?"

"We saw plenty," said the fox.

"Not from where I'm sitting," he replied sardonically.

Nick got up and walked around the side, leaning down toward him. "Y'know, kid, there're a few options here for you. One is juvenile detention, which by my estimation, you'll be stuck in for seven years before an as-of-yet undisclosed stint in a federal penitentiary. This is your one shot at getting a better deal. Whaddaya say?" This coming from the same dude who said, "You have the right to remain silent?" Danny did not miss the spite in the fox's voice. He rejoined his partner on the other side of the table. Danny decided to mess with them a little.

"You're going to put me, a four-foot-tall panther cub wearing two chains, each meant individually for predators several times my size, into a detention center filled with kids my age?" Nick and Judy didn't answer. He had them right where he wanted them. Especially her. "Don't think the ZPD would get much glory from that, would you agree?"

"Are you saying you'd cause trouble?" asked Judy. Of course she would euphemize.

"Do you think I'd cause trouble?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking. You said we shouldn't put you anywhere with anyone your age. That's kind of a troubling statement, to be honest."

He answered sarcastically. "Maybe you should, maybe you shouldn't. I don't know, really. I'm in kind of a confusing spot right now so I'm not quite sure what I'd do."

"You're not exactly giving us much of a reason to trust you, kid," said the fox.

"What, like you trust her?" He nodded toward the rabbit. Her professional demeanor melted a bit. "What was it she said a while back? About predators being naturally prone to aggression?"

The bunny folded. Oh, it was subtle. But it was unmistakable. Her eyes grew wider by a couple millimeters. But it was just enough for Danny to see that he had struck a nerve, and he had struck it hard. Then, heh, she began to stammer.

"I d-didn't mean that... when I said that, I... I-I was wrong-" This was priceless.

"Yeah. You were," he said shortly. "I find it hard to believe that after so many hundreds of years of peace in such a massive city, that peace is pulverized within five minutes by a little bunny. And that same bunny is in charge of interrogating me?"

"All right, back off," said the fox. His partner stared silently at the cub in front of her. She had shrunk two sizes smaller.

"I was there, by the way. At that peace rally? Remember? The black panther who helped break up that fight when you had already lost control of the whole thing? See any resemblance?" The chains rattled as he spread his arms as much as the chains would allow. Judy's mouth parted slightly. Her eyebrows creased. "Alex Arcturus. Look him up."

"Enough, this is not helping you," said the vulpine detective sternly. Danny ignored him. He had stood up and was leaning over the table, his features twisting in utter disdain. The bunny was slowly leaning backward, looking up at the predator before her.

"You know what happened to him, after the oh-so-helpful speech you gave on national tv? You know what your kind did to him?"

"ENOUGH!" Nick shouted, stomping to Danny and grabbing him by the shoulder. He threw him back into his chair with a snarl. "SIT! DOWN!" He turned to Judy, who was covering her mouth with a paw. She was about to crack.

Danny sat back, satisfied. A smug, half-lidded smirk shone on his face.

"Detective," said the fox, "go to the break room. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Her paw refusing to leave her mouth, she jumped down from the chair and left the room quietly. Nick's heart sank. He had not seen her like this since that day under the bridge when she'd gone to reconcile with him at the climax of the Nighthowler case. All this time and she still attacked herself over everything. Oh, she made a mistake. A huge mistake. But she gave her all to make it right, and make it right she did, and then some.

This kid, however...

Nick walked back around and sat down again. He clasped his paws on the table and glared at Arcturus. He still had that infuriatingly nonchalant grin casually plastered on his muzzle. Nick could not help but notice something familiar about the cub across the table from him. Not a pleasant feeling, as if the kid were some acquaintance or coworker he'd fallen out with a long time ago. "Nice speech. Sorry you didn't get a standing ovation, I left my canned applause at home."

"Thanks, ya like it? I've given it a lot of work." He said it so casually...

Oh. That was why he felt that way. Nick was face-to-face with a young version of himself, albeit a less passive-aggressive version. His life had finally come full circle. He found it hard to believe he'd been arrested in his (social, moral, mental) development for twenty years. Judy had broken him out of that, and he had matured immensely since then. It was painful to see the kind of fox he was once upon a time.

"What happened? Hm? What'd they do to your dad? Is there any way we can talk to him? Does he live at that compound of yours?"

"He's dead."

"Oh, sorry. So sad he didn't get to see what he left behind. I'm sure he'd be proud." Yep, pieces of the old Nick were still there. He knew it was underpawed. But no one attacked his wife like that without getting a little spite in return. But Arcturus didn't take the bait.

"You should know what it's like to be in my situation; you're a fox."

"I do know what it's like, but look where I am now. Know how I got here?"

"How much mental gymnastics did you have to perform before you realized no one will ever see you as more than just a fox?"

"I'm not a gymnast. Never had to be. That bunny you just tore into? That's my wife. She helped me see that my species doesn't determine my value. Neither does yours."

Danny scoffed. "Prey fetish. That's a thing? 'Sides that, doesn't she seem a bit young for you? Better keep an eye on those huge feet of hers, though, before she shoves them up your aah-" Nick had reached across the table and pulled Danny close, gripping him by his bodysuit. It rubbed against the scratches painfully. Danny was stunned into silence.

His face was relaxed, but his anger practically radiated from him. He spoke in a harsh whisper, his teeth clenching. "You say one more thing about my wife, and I will end you. Job be damned." His voice became a growl. "You keep your mouth shut before you dig yourself a deeper hole, Arcturus." He released Danny with a jerk, who fell back into his chair. He would have toppled had it not been for the chain. Nick huffed, nodding in satisfaction.

He glared at the feline for a few seconds before turning to walk toward the door. There wasn't anything more to be gained from this.

"Don't forget to bring me a coffee, would ya? Looks like I'll be here a while," said Danny, trying to push his dented confidence through his remark.

"Oh without a doubt," said Nick, not turning to look at him. "Missed your chance, by the way," he commented as he left.

He went back to their desk, but Judy was not there. He wondered if maybe she was in the locker room, getting it all out of her system.

"...and I'll have Clawhauser look into it." Chief Bogo. He looked up to the second floor and saw Judy walking away from the chief's office. Oh good, she was ok.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it."

Bogo snorted.

Nick waited for her to come to him. "What were you two talking about?" he asked when she reached their desk.

"Uh, I asked the chief to look into a case for me, a bit far back."

"A case? About Arcturus?"

"Just a new case," she said innocently.

I thought you said it was "a bit far back...?" Nick decided not to press it further; she'd already been through a lot in the past twenty minutes.

They clocked out and headed out toward their car. By Judy's body language, she seemed to be all right. But Nick could not shake the feeling that something was still niggling at her. He hadn't seen her that shaken up in years. He figured some rest would get her back on her feet. But what was this new case?

Nick opened the car door for his wife.

"Oh! I forgot something, I'll be right back," she said quickly before heading back inside. Yeah, that was suspicious; she never forgot anything. Nick was going to have a talk with her.

She came back outside, got in, and they drove away.

Nick remained silent for a few moments, let himself stew over this kid they had interrogated.

"Carrots, I think we should request to have this case given to someone else."

"I told you, it was a new case."

"Does it involve that kid?" She didn't answer. "Carrots, give that case to someone else, please."

"I can handle it just fine!" she asserted. Nick didn't back down.

"What that kid said today... it really hurt you. I don't want you to feel like you're still responsible for what happened after... that press conference."

"If it's something I can fix, I'll deal with it. I mean, you know me."

"Sure do, Carrots," he said wearily but lovingly. "Sure do."

He decided that he would talk to her about it tomorrow. After this was all behind them. This whole investigation was tiring in itself, much more so when their culprit was opening old wounds and pouring in pawfuls of salt.

A scrape woke him up.

Sitting up, he listened for another sound. A gasp.

Nick rubbed his eyes, trying to remove the grogginess. He rolled up onto the edge of the bed, his tail twitching with anxiety. "Honey?" he called. "Carrots?" He walked tiredly out of the bedroom.

He found Judy sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the open file in her lap. Her eyes were wide and her paws covered her mouth. This was a familiar sight. She exhaled and inhaled sharply.

"Carrots?"

She didn't respond. Her eyes continued scanning the report.

Nick walked up to her shoulder to see what she was reading:

Alex Samsen Arcturus, 35. Location: 2458 Hilltop Avenue, Savannah Central, Zootopia. Friday, October 21, 2016. Possible cause(s) of death: Blunt force trauma, exsanguination.

Coroner's report: Primary cause(s) of death: Blunt force trauma to skull, broken neck.

So that's what she "forgot."

On top of the report were dozens of photos, most of them depicting a black panther wearing a tattered, hooded gray jacket and dirty blue jeans. On some of them, Nick saw unparalleled carnage. Blood leaked into a large pool on the ground from the wound on his face where his jaw should have been fully attached. The mandible had been partially torn away, hanging lifelessly over the pavement, accompanied by a warped and bruised eye socket and a broken snout. His eyes were rolled back into his head.

Off to the side... was a metal, blood-spattered baseball bat.

"I did this," Judy strained out, her eyes red. Oh, so much for being able to handle it.

"Judy..." Nick could not believe she still felt responsible for something that happened seven years ago and that she had long since made amends for. But what could he say? He knew she wouldn't listen. Seeing this, how could she? She had connected this horrific tragedy to her own actions from then to now. She had dealt with times like this periodically since that fateful day, but never had the fallout been this... venomous. There was only one thing to do: let her deal with it her own way.

He sat down next to her and drew her head to his shoulder. She sobbed quietly for a few minutes until she fell back to sleep in exhaustion. Nick picked up the little bunny and took her to bed with him.

He wished he could carry her grief so that she wouldn't have to bear it. He was going to make sure she got through this.

Danny had been taken from the interrogation chamber into a holding cell in the west wing of the precinct, near the back of the building. An elephant, a tiger, a wolf, and a lion all escorted him back. He kept his gaze off the lion; he brought back sad memories of a friend of his.

Once the bars closed, everyone walked away, except for the wolf. He tapped the crossbar a couple times before making his exit. Danny didn't respond. He sat down on the course, lumpy excuse for a bed, and stared off into space.

He was alone. It was quiet. He wished it wasn't; that was the best time for the events of the day to lay their weight on him. And the weight was merciless.

The revelation that he was a convicted felon at eleven, that he had no home, no one to be there with him... no one...

Danny lay on his side. The weight wouldn't let him sit upright. Emotion was beginning to take him over when something caught his eye.

Windows!

He forced himself to get up and walked to the bars. He tested their strength by grabbing the two bars in front of him closest to each other and pulling them away from each other. At first, they didn't budge, but he continued adding pressure until they began to give. Once the gap was large enough, he slid out between the bars and climbed up the wall to the window just below the ten-foot ceiling. The windows were somewhat narrow, but he'd be able to fit. He gently pulled on it, but it didn't move. It still didn't move when he pushed.

Oh, there we go!

He unlatched the lever and pushed. The window swung open, more than wide enough for him to crawl through. He climbed to the roof of the building. He walked far enough away from the edge and lay down, looking up at the stars.

There, he allowed his emotions to overflow. He just needed something more comfortable. He'd take concrete over a mattress like that any day of the week. Or any year in the century, for that matter.

He thought about his friends he'd known these seven years.

He thought about Dr. Peter Andrews, the kind old hyena who had fed him, taught him, treated him like something other than a liability.

He thought about John Serpiento, his first real friend who kept him safe from the more abrasive lab techs and enforcers, who thought he was a waste of food and space.

He thought about his father, his unfailing kindness, even when everyone around him came together in a cesspool of hypocrisy and murder.

He only had a few memories of him, but by now, he felt like he had perused the depths of his father as if he'd known him for decades. He didn't remember much, but he knew the panther all but failed to understand the concept of a grudge. He forgave anyone who crossed him on the spot. Danny never understood it. But he always witnessed the peace that characterized him, even in the hardest moments.

"Never bite back," he once said.

He wished he were here with him. He needed him now more than ever. He couldn't do this alone.

Ugh! I can't stay here like this, I'll go insane! What he needed was something to take his mind off of everything.

He made his way back to the ground and decided to go for an adventure. He'd be back shortly.

No one would ever know he was gone...

This may be some dark stuff, but that'll change. We're not at the bottom yet, but once we're there, the climb will begin.

There is a reference to Good Will Hunting here. If you've seen the movie, you can't miss it.