"Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed." - Arthur Schopenhaur
12:00 A.M ; Tundratown...
The witching hours: a normal mammal's time for sleep, yet a vampire bat's favorite time for play.
High above Tundratown, the moon glowed full and bright. Through its milky beams, Lucy Sang flapped from shadow to shadow, leading a pack of mammals a dozen strong through the snow dusted streets of the district's sketchier part of town. The strike team consisted of a few raccoons and badgers from the Nocturnal-Mob, a couple wolf mercenaries that Lucy had scraped together from her underworld connections, and of course, their trump card: a massive elephant. He wore an equally massive black trench coat and gas mask that wrapped all the way down his trunk, breath fuming in the cold air through the filters at its tip. Lucy landed on his shoulder, smiling wickedly.
"Alright, Grunt," she addressed the elephant. "We're in position. Getaway vehicles are too. It's time to put that strength of yours to good use. You see those gates down there?"
She pointed one wingtip to a chain-link fence that wrapped around an icicle-covered warehouse a few dozen meters down the street. A giant rotting billboard in the shape of a smiling fish with the words 'Subzero Storehouse' written across it was plastered over the warehouse's entrance. Sliding metal doors separated the outside world from one of the biggest contraband storage fronts of the Tundratown Mafia. And it was about to be theirs.
"Take 'em down." Lucy ordered before flapping back into the air beside him.
Living up to his nickname, the elephant's only response was a brief grunt of affirmation before he scraped his feet over the ground and tightened his arms against his sides, preparing to charge. Grunt then rushed forward at a startling speed, fracturing the sleet-covered bricks of the road beneath each powerful step. The other mammals ran behind him as fast as they could, watching as the elephant plowed straight through the fence, splitting it apart with a sharp metallic shear that pierced the quiet, frosty air.
On the far side of the parking lot a polar bear asleep in a chair croaked out from his slumber. He only had enough time to stare wide-eyed at the largest land mammal of all charging straight for him before it bent down and scooped him up in his tusks. Screaming in a surprisingly shrill pitch, the bear was tossed into the air and straight through one of the warehouse's windows.
One of the wolves gulped. "Glad he's on our side."
"Whelp, they definitely know we're here now," Lucy summed up, landing on Grunt's shoulder and pumping a fist in the air at her followers. "Show 'em what Fangpyre justice really means!"
"Revenge for the Fangpyre Family!" A raccoon yelled.
The strike team let loose their battle cry as Grunt pushed down the metal doors to the warehouse, allowing them to spill into a large depository stacked with oil drums. The thick stench of fish oil reeked in the air. They had evidently caught the Tundratown Mafia by surprise, given that a few of the polar bear guards on duty were relaxing around tables piled with cards and raw fish. Grunt pulled a black spherical object sprouted with wires from his trench coat and chucked it atop the table. Moments later, it exploded in a powerful shockwave of green gas, blowing the bears to the ground and filling the air with an even more powerful odor than fish: skunk spray. Many of the bears were knocked out immediately from the blast, and the two that were still conscious were quickly handled by Grunt: holding one in place with both arms while his trunk grabbed the other by the neck and bashed their heads together with a thick clonk. The bears collapsed atop their comrades with weary gurgles.
"You know what to do!" Lucy shouted at her team. "Hop to it!"
At that, the pack dispersed in groups of three across the depository. One group was met with immediate resistance as a couple polar bears from across an aisle of crates started shooting pistols at them, gunshots ringing across the massive room. Lucy landed on the ground just in time for an arctic hare mobster to charge at her with a knife.
Despite being over twice her size, Lucy stared him down with a confident smirk. When he was in range, she cartwheeled to the side, acrobatically swiping her footclaws into her attacker's face. He screamed and dropped the knife, paws instantly migrating to his eyes. When she had righted herself, the bat then took to the air and continued deeper into the warehouse.
The atmosphere was dark and cold, with icicles making dangerous obstacles to avoid as stray bullets and extra-loud screams caused them to loosen and fall from the ceiling, nearly impaling Lucy as she flapped over a trio of raccoons beating up a terrified arctic fox with mackerel clubs. The wolves she'd hired had brought some firearms of their own, and were making good use of them against a few polar bears stubbornly hiding behind a stack of oil drums. Somewhere out of sight, Grunt let loose an elephantine trumpet, and a polar bear was vaulted into the air right over a giant shelf of crates, collapsing atop it in an explosion of splinters and microwavable caviar.
Lucy cackled, reveling in the chaos. "Welcome to your personal cold day in hell!" She shouted to no one in particular.
Once she'd steadied herself from the maniacal laugh that followed, she spotted an arctic wolf in a pitch black suit and tie sprinting across the chaos, one paw holding a phone to his ear while the other pointed in the direction of the carnage as though giving orders to his side of the fight. Lucy recognized him to be Niko Bellupine, the manager of the warehouse that Vlad had warned her about. The moment she saw him slam through a set of double doors on the far side of the warehouse, Lucy knew what she had to do.
She flew across the depository as fast as possible, avoiding bullets and and other projectiles thrown at her until she reached the doors, just managing to slip inside before they closed and automatically locked behind her. The new room was smaller, but even darker and colder, lined with frosted windows near the ceiling and hooks racked with fish. Chains dangled from rafters above, and the smell of fish mixed with old blood stained across the ground assaulted Lucy's nostrils.
Halfway across the room, Niko had slowed into a steady jog, phone still gripped to his face.
"Niko!" The deep voice of Kozlov boomed through the device. "You've been so busy in your warehouse. Haven't seen you in days! We should go bowling sometime!"
"Not a good time!" Niko yelled. "We're under attack! I need reinforcements here NOW!"
Kozlov's voice turned serious quickly. "I'll send two limos with half a dozen more bears to your location. Hold strong, comrade. Help is on the way."
"Just make it quick!" The arctic wolf demanded before ending the call and shoving his phone back into his pocket.
Lucy took that moment to make herself known. "Can't blame you for turning that down. Bowling's about as fun as yanking fangs."
At the notion of teeth-pulling, Niko seized up before turning around and glaring at the bat. He quickly replaced his shock with a relaxed smirk.
"You must be Lucy Sang," Niko tauntingly mused, slowly pacing in one direction. "I've heard so many things about you."
"Really? Well I've never heard anything about you," Lucy taunted back, sauntering in the opposite direction like two sharks circling a kill. "But don't worry. I'll find a use for you." She licked her lips threateningly.
The arctic wolf smirked. "I caught wind of what you did to my shrews at the weapons cache. Tell me, do you gobble up rodents very often?"
"Hey, they started it," Lucy rebuked. "Don't blame me for accepting my instincts as a predator, far less for self-defense."
Niko slowly approached the curtain of metal chains dangling from the ceiling. "Oh, don't get me wrong," he reassured as he gripped one of the fish in his claws, ripping it from the hook. "I can admire a predator for going against the establishment. For embracing who they are deep down. You're not the only one with urges." Niko raised the raw fish to his mouth and tore a bite out with his teeth. "Mrm." He chewed for a moment before swallowing. "I don't think predators should hide who they are. In a perfect world, survival of the fittest is the only law. The strong consume the weak." His gaze flitted around the many hooks before settling back on Lucy, giving her the impression that fish might not have been the only meat he'd hung from them before. "And you look like the perfect little snack to me."
In spite of the threat, Lucy grinned humorously. "Right back at ya. What's your blood type? I'm not a fan of B-positive. But I'm excited to roll those dice!" She sure looked excited, judging by how she was wrapping her wings around herself and giggling like a schoolgirl. "Ever since I sampled those shrew friends of yours, arctic mammal blood has grown on me! It's like a frosted slushy!"
The wolf snarled harshly, clearly not in the mood for jokes. "I'm gonna make you pay for disrespecting the Big Family!"
Niko then ripped another chunk out of his fish before reaching into his suit jacket and swiftly retracting a pistol. Without a moment to waste, Lucy took to the air and began evasive maneuvers. The ensuing gunshots echoed into the warehouse, ringing intensely in Lucy's sensitive ears. But she pushed through the pain, dodging the shots with ease.
"I don't know why everyone always tries to shoot me!" She taunted. "It never seems to work!"
"Oh yeah?" Niko bit his lip with focus and aimed a touch higher. "Who says I'm shooting at you?"
His next shot burst open a pipe of hot gas near the ceiling. The rush of heat singed at Lucy's fur, causing her to yelp with pain as she tried distancing herself from the source. Another few shots rang out, this time whizzing by a bit closer than the bat would have liked. But as her shock left her, Lucy realized that Niko had just given her an advantage. Cackling, she flapped into the clouds of steam that had cooled and descended to the floor, disappearing from sight. Surrounded by the fog, Niko squinted, trying to make out his opponent's form. After trying and failing to locate her through scent, he fired a few shots into the empty mist and growled when his firearm clicked. The moment he reached into his pocket to retrieve more ammunition, Lucy tore through the cloud and took a midair swipe at his eyes with her claws. Suppressing a yap, Niko ducked back just in time, so narrowly that he could feel the air part from her attack near his nose. Stumbling back, the wolf raised his gun at her and tried to fire again, only to remember that it was empty. The look of surprise on his face wasn't subtle.
With Lucy rushing back at him, he had no choice but to defend himself unarmed. The bat flapped at his face again, and Niko lunged forward ready to bite her, only for Lucy to reorient herself moments before impact with a powerful sweep of her wings, just narrowly avoiding the snap of his jaws. Lucy locked her legs around the wolf's arm and pried the weapon from his grasp. Just before the wolf took a swipe at her with his opposing arm, Lucy thrust one leg out and scratched at his face with her foot talons, cutting open a triad of red lines into his brow. One of her arms followed with another swipe to his cheek, her body moving with such agility that the wolf barely had any time to react.
Snarling harshly, Niko fought through the assault and managed to punch her clean off his arm, sending the bat flying across the room with a shrill shriek. Lucy landed on the cold concrete floor, and raised her head warily. For as fast as she was, it was hard for a mammal as frail as her to take a hit, and she couldn't deny that Niko had a strong punch. The stars in her vision still danced in her peripheral. But even she could see the furious wolf barreling toward her on all fours. Gasping, she launched herself off the ground just before his paws stomped atop where she'd been a moment before. His jaws snapped up at her as she tried to flap over his head, creating another near miss.
Panting hard, Lucy flapped off into the rafters and hid behind one of the exposed air ducts to catch her breath and recover. "You're not as bad a fighter as I thought you'd be!" She shouted to the floor, sneaking a peek over the edge and spotting out Niko down below. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I stain your pretty white fur? Red suits you better."
Niko growled, clutching at his scarred cheek. Blood dripped between his fingers, staining half his face and its snow white fur a deep shade of red. "I wouldn't get cocky!" He roared back. "You've got a long way to go before I'm dead!"
"Don't worry, I'm just getting started! I'd never let a plaything like you go to waste!" Lucy leaned back behind cover and licked the blood from her claws. "Stupid mutt…"
To her surprise, Niko barked a laugh. "So cold-blooded! Am I really talking to the same mammal that just started a family with her husband?"
Lucy grit her teeth, doing her best not to let any reaction leak through even though she knew he couldn't see her, but Niko just grinned and went on, "Ohoho, that's right! We've done our homework on you, Lucy Sang! We know about your children! And if you think they're safe, you're in for a rude awakening!"
A bestial hiss tore through the bat's fangs as she glared over the edge at Niko. "Don't even think about it! If you or anyone else from Big's rat pack go near them, I'll SHOW YOU COLD-BLOODED!"
"Fierce! I like it! But I can tell you've developed a softer side! This war will tear you apart if I don't do it first! Believe that!"
"I'm more than just my dark side!" Lucy bit back in her defense. "And I'm definitely more than my soft side! You'll see for yourself when I make your other half run red too!"
"I'm surprised someone like you could care so much about others!"
"You don't know anything about me, mutt!"
"I know plenty about you," the wolf snarled as he picked up the fish he'd dropped earlier. "We're the same! Two sharks swimming through the reef! Mammals like us don't deserve love. Don't deserve pity! And the only joy we deserve is the joy we get from our work. I enjoy running this warehouse, and handling all the money it makes! I enjoy disposing what's left of the enemies the boss ices! Don't act like you don't enjoy stealing the blood of your enemies!" He sunk his teeth into the fish once again.
"Gees, talk about edgy!" Lucy scoffed. "You don't get out much, do you? Cut the melodramatic 'we're the same' guano. I'm a thief who just so happens to have a diverse palate, not some freak like you!"
"You walk a thin line!" Niko berated with a mouthful of meat. "You know that better than anyone! Doesn't most of your kind get their blood fix from hospital donations? Yet you run around in your adorable little leotard, preying on others like the parasite you are! Sounds to me like that's perfectly within the realm of freak behavior!"
Lucy growled beneath her breath. This guy was really starting to get on her nerves. "First of all, it's not a leotard, it's a catsuit! Second, you're jumping to a lot of conclusions!"
"Am I?" Niko countered. "It sounds to me like you're a few steps from madness already! Why not take that plunge? Why not enjoy being free to succumb to your deepest predator instincts?" He took one last bite from his fish before tossing it behind him.
Another scoff escaped Lucy's fangs. This guy was really starting to lay it on thick. But the truth was, even Lucy didn't know how bad her worse impulses could have gotten if she didn't have Vlad's emotional support - if her thirst for blood could have grown beyond her control, to an even darker point. Sure, she drank from dozing mammals in the houses she often robbed, and sometimes attacked a mouse at night if she felt the urge, but she wasn't anywhere close to the point of killing them in droves. It wasn't smart for thieves like her to leave a body trail, after all. Secrecy was her business. But deep down, she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't have gone farther if she hadn't met Vlad. He had a calming presence on her, smoothing out her rougher edges and serving as her one brace in a life of pain and betrayal.
"Unlike you, I have things keeping me grounded!" Lucy fingered at her wedding ring. This guy's full of air, but he's hitting a bit too close to home, she thought to herself. I'm not gonna end up like him, right? All alone, viewed as some monster? Maybe… maybe I should cut down on the blood drinking.
But those were problems to solve later. Right now, she needed to make it out of this alive. She was about to slip out from her hiding spot when Niko's words stilled her efforts.
"Well isn't that nice? Think what you want. I have to ask, though: have you ever tried real meat? I don't mean fish. And I don't mean that disgusting, processed cockroach slop the prey of this city force of us to eat!" The wolf licked his lips. "I'm talking about real flesh. I think you might like it. It's just a few steps up from blood, right?"
The worst part was, Lucy couldn't tell if this guy was serious or just trying to get under her skin. "I only do blood! It's not the same!"
"Oh come on! Blood, meat, is there even a difference?" Niko grinned savagely. "We both took that first taste even though we knew it was against the rules!"
"SHUT UP ALREADY! I am NOT a monster! But I can BE ONE WHEN I WANT TO!"
At that, Lucy flung herself from the rafters and dive bombed her foe, claws extended, ready to tear him apart. "There you are!" Niko shouted and then leapt into the air.
Time seemed to slow down. Lucy could see the individual claws on his fingertips cutting through the air straight toward her, and the arrogant grin on the wolf's muzzle, as if he were saying 'I win, and you know it.' There was too little distance between them to correct her flight path. All Lucy could do was twist in midair, tucking her wings against her torso. But even then it was too late. Niko's paw swatted into her smaller body, claws digging into the side of her hips as the force of the impact sent Lucy careening away. Blood streaked the concrete, and Lucy knew that she had been injured. As her body slid to a halt on the floor, Lucy struggled to push herself to her feet, clutching at her side.
"Oh, I didn't break your ribs, did I? Sorry." Niko taunted, stepping forward and stomping his foot between her shoulder blades. "I guess red looks good on you too."
The wolf raised his claws. Moments before he brought them down atop her, an elephant's trumpeting split the air. Niko turned toward a large metal shutter just in time to watch it explode as a fully grown elephant plowed straight through. Niko was sent flailing back as a piece of sheet metal collapsed atop him, cutting off his scream before it even finished. Grunt let loose another triumphant bellow from his trunk, and glanced down at his feet, watching as Lucy steadily picked herself up, only to fall back to her knees.
"I'm hurt bad," she told him. "Thanks for the save, but we can't celebrate. We need to hurry."
Grunt rumbled in agreement, reaching into his bulky overcoat with his trunk and pulling out the toolbox he'd brought with him.
"Go… go sabotage the gas lines." Lucy ordered. "Burn this waste of space to the ground. I… I need to go. I won't make it back to the safehouse. Tell-"
A slew of thickly accented voices echoed from somewhere past the hole Grunt had made. Lucy had no doubt they were more of Big's polar bears here for reinforcement.
"Go! Now!" Lucy shouted, earning an approving nod from Grunt.
As the elephant stomped off, Lucy flapped up to the rafters, finding the nearest air duct. She crawled her way through until exiting the top of the building. Time was ticking. She could already smell the foul odor of fumes from somewhere inside. The pain was intense, but Lucy managed to force herself into the air, flapping away several dozen meters before an explosion ripped through the side of the warehouse, lighting up the dark of the night and instantly evaporating all the snow nearby. The blast wave nearly knocked Lucy off her flight path. She spared a glance back and saw flames consuming the warehouse. A part of the ceiling collapsed, sending plumes of smoke into the frigid air. Droves of survivors from the fight, both Tundratown Mafia and Nocturnal-Mob alike, all fled from the building like rats from a sinking ship. Lucy allowed herself a smile. The mission was a success.
A shock of pain through her side forced her back into reality. Lucy panted heavily, forcing herself to continue flapping into the cold unknown. She flew until she felt she could fly no more - all the way to the closest place that she knew could provide discreet medical attention. Landing on the balcony of the highrise condo, she rapped at the sliding glass door with weak, trembling arms. The door soon opened, revealing a young vampire bat with cocoa brown fur hidden behind fuzzy blue pajamas. Her body was a touch overweight, and she had a round, cutesy face. She stared down at the other bat on her balcony with concerned green eyes.
"Hi… sis." Was all Lucy could manage before she promptly face-planted into the carpet and drifted into blissful unconsciousness, where the pain could no longer reach her.
10:30 A.M ; the Meadowlands...
Twelve unique ecosystems, and the Meadowlands was easily one of Nick's least favorite districts in Zootopia.
As a predator and a fox, he knew that he'd be unwelcome. Sandwiched between the Rainforest-District, Tundratown and the Deciduous-District, the Meadowlands was one of the few secondary districts with wealth to rival the primary districts. And it wasn't hard to guess why - populated with an undisputed majority of sheep, goats, deer and other hoofed mammals, the Meadowlands harbored an influential demographic of prey mammals that could drive entire markets, elections, and social reforms. Its population was the largest single voting block in Zootopia, after all, and that was something Nick had known long before the idea of being mayor ever reached his brain. And the fox knew that he would have to win them over if he was to make his campaign a successful one.
Unfortunately for Nick and his progressive campaign ambitions, this massive market of prey mammals tended to be, as the saying went, dyed-in-the-wool. As their rented bus ambled down clean roads stretching through seemingly endless grasslands, Nick turned to his trusted campaign manager for advice. Her outfit this time was as violet as Judy's eyes, making Nick feel a tiny bit homesick, but he kept those thoughts to himself.
"So," he began, clapping his palms together in his seat. "I'm about to step on stage in front of the most conservative mammals in Zootopia, and tell them I want to completely change the system of power that's kept them on top for all this time. Any tips on dodging tomatoes?"
Across the bus aisle, Samantha turned to face him. "One word: reframing. You wanna make a bunch of prey get behind you on your predator-oriented policies? Reframe it to make it sound beneficial to them, too." She smirked and crossed one leg over the other as she continued. "Take your stance on predator rights, for example. Why should prey give a fluff about that? I'll tell you why: because it helps them, too! As mayor, you wouldn't just focus on making predator's lives better, you'd devote some effort to helping prey understand predators more. Help them get over their irrational fears, and biases. Prey live in fear over less than ten percent of the city's population. Who wants to live in fear? Tell them that you can put an end to their fear, and help them live more prosperous lives because of it. That is how you'll win them over."
Nick grinned proudly. "I've gotta hand it to ya, Sammy, you sure know how to make a compelling point. That is some good advice."
"Wouldn't be your campaign manager if I didn't give good advice." The meerkat stated before turning her attention back to her clipboard, still smiling over the compliment.
"I'll see what I can make from that," Nick said as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Getting Zootopia to really start treating predators better won't be something I can do overnight. Even when it's all said and done, another mayor could come along after me and just undo any laws I might pass. To make sure the point sticks, I'll have to drill it home to the citizens." He slapped one fist into an open palm. His green eyes then flitted back to Samantha. "And that sounds like the perfect strategy."
What he didn't say, however, was how much it pained him to have to admit that predators were mammals to be feared. But the mere thought of helping change that sentiment was all it took to drive the fox forward.
As the bus continued its journey, its riders kept busy with important work. Niel was furiously typing away at his computer, managing an outpouring of fan (and hate) emails sent through the website he'd made, while Olivia sat in the back of the bus quietly reading up on campaign finance law. Meanwhile, Nick devoted his time to making some last-minute adjustments to his note cards for his speech, paying no attention to the beautiful scenery as it passed by. It was nothing he hadn't seen before. Back during his conning days, he and Finnick would drive out here and mow enough grass to fill the fennec's van, which they'd compress and mix with water to sell as organic, probiotic (and every other health buzzword under the sun) drinks for packs of goat in Savanna-Central. That was, whenever they weren't dodging rocks from the locals.
But past his own indifference, Nick couldn't deny that the Meadowlands was a beautiful place. Rolling hills stretched for miles, blanketed with lush green grass that danced gently in the breeze, flowing almost like an ebbing tide. The sun was high and bright in the sky, bathing the meadows with warmth broken only by the stray cloud. Daisies bloomed in colorful tufts of white and yellow that pierced the never-ending green. A picturesque day in a picturesque district.
The Meadowlands, unlike other districts, didn't have any skyscrapers or thick urban sprawls. Uniquely, it was a district purposed for suburbs, with vast arrays of quaint, identical brick homes concentrated in neighborhood pockets that broke through the otherwise endless sea of grass. White picket fences surrounded each home, and prey of all manner were enjoying the day, from horses galloping marathons through the hills in the distance, to goats landscaping shrubs into perfect cubes and spheres. Some even waved at the bus as it passed. With so few trees and large buildings to block one's line of sight, nearly the entire district could be seen from a decent elevation, and there were plenty of such spots available for whenever their bus reached the top of a hill. In the distance, Nick could see the skyscrapers of Zootopia peeking past the mountains between, glimmering in the sunshine like beacons. Closer still, past the various neighborhoods and hills, the wealthier parts of the district stuck out like a sore thumb from the thousands of home clones. They were easy to spot, given that they were the only houses that were the least bit unique, with custom designs and metal fences marked with initials, or family names.
This was one sight that Nick briefly spared his attention toward. He stared out at the island of mansions in the distance, knowing that was where the true power in the Meadowlands, and perhaps even Zootopia itself lived. The richest prey. They were the total opposite of Happytown and its residents. Nick wouldn't have been surprised if Rupert Clovestone had a manor somewhere in that cluster. The fox grimaced, and then devoted his attention back to his notes.
From there, it didn't take long for the bus to reach its venue: a fancily carved wooden stage built atop a hill in the middle of a park, as though it were some special place reserved for equally special announcements. The crowd congregated around it numbered in the several hundred. Horns of every shape and size popped out in every which way. Though some clapped as Nick and his team stepped out from the bus, most of the crowd watched with quiet reservation, as though attending out of curiosity more than support. And of course, dotted throughout the crowd were various sun tents shading swathes of reporters and camera equipment, ready to film what would be Nick's first official campaign speech, now that the paperwork had been filed at City-Hall, at least.
Regardless, Nick only felt his confidence bolster before the crowd that would either make or break his chance of winning the election. He ascended the stage to the chorus of more polite applause, sparse as it was compared to the crowd size.
The fox set his notecards down on the podium, took a deep breath, and leaned towards the microphone. "Who here would do anything to protect their families? No really. Arms in the air if you would do anything for your family. Up! Up! Let's see those hooves!" Nick raised his own paw high. After some confused shifting about, most mammals in the crowd did the same. "Good! Good. That's what I would expect. Who wouldn't do whatever it takes? You!" Nick pointed down at a particularly tall ram who stood near the front of the crowd. "If some punk threatened you, what would you do? Give up? Run away?"
It took a second for the ram to realize he was being singled out, but when he did he was quick to shout, "Er, NO! I'd knock 'em out with these!" He rapped a hoof on one large curved horn.
"That's right!" Nick shouted back, then pointed at another random doe in the crowd. "You! Some thug comes at you while you're out with your fawn. What would you do?"
Already primed by the ram's example, the deer quickly shouted back, "I'd knock em out with these!" She fisted her hooves and held them high.
"Darn right! Who says prey can't be dangerous? If someone threatened you or your families, I bet you would all be real dangerous! Huh? Who here agrees?!"
The crowd bolstered with cheers, clapping, and whistling. Nick grinned with them, a wide smile that showed off his teeth. When the noise fell, he continued.
"Mammals everywhere would do anything for their families. It's one of the things that we all share. Prey, and predators, too." The mention of predators tempered the crowd's excited chatter. Nick tempered his expression to match, hiding his teeth behind thin pressed lips, and pressed on. "I'm sure many of you are familiar with the Prioritization Policy. It's a piece of legislation passed by City-Hall around sixty years ago, and it specifically focuses infrastructure funding for the primary districts that make up the inner city, leaving table scraps for everyone else. Apparently, it was passed to make the primary districts look prettier - and they certainly do - but that's come at a cost to those unlucky secondary districts like the Docks, the Nocturnal-District, and the Marshlands. The Prioritization Policy forces a large chunk of the predator population to live in the borough of Happytown with too much policing and not enough jobs. It forces them to send their children to schools with barely any funding. It forces them to fight every day to make ends meet. Zootopia attacks its predators every day, and it has made them dangerous. Entire criminal organizations have been bred because of this. After all, if a mammal can't win the game honestly, then why play by the rules?"
The crowd was murmuring now, with many nervously looking about as though one of the dangerous predators Nick had mentioned would pop out and attack them any second.
"But it doesn't have to be this way. We can end the Prioritization Policy. We can bring jobs and funding into Happytown. We can help predators, instead of attack them. Once predators have the same opportunities that prey do, they'll no longer be dangerous. They'll be coworkers, neighbors, friends. They'll be just like you."
The nervous murmuring died away to a thoughtful silence. Nick could tell that his point was reaching them. Now he just had to nail it home.
"My main mission as mayor will be to bring true equality to Zootopia. This will undoubtedly help predators, but it will help prey, too! Believe that! Crime will drop. Diversity will increase, which will strengthen the rich culture that makes Zootopia one of the greatest cities in the world. Every prey mammal in Zootopia, from the smallest mouse to the tallest elephant, can live in a society where they never again have to fear anything from predators. Help me make this city better for everyone. Vote for me, and have a partner in City-Hall!"
To Nick's pleasant surprise, a portion of the onlookers clapped and cheered - far more than he had been anticipating. But the stern, disapproving faces and crossed arms in the crowd failed to escape his attention either. Nick swallowed, hoping he didn't look as nervous as he felt. There were a lot of them - enough to make those that clapped almost awkward in comparison - but Nick chose to focus on his supporters, pointing them out and grinning wide. It was all he could do to keep Bradley Stagnew's words from nagging in the back of his head: Zootopia needs someone that can handle it.
With his spiel on predators taken care of, Nick continued the speech into his other policies, including his goals of eradicating corruption, along with a few additional topics such as education and healthcare that he'd been studying up on. Eventually, the time for questions arrived. With it, Nick stepped down from the stage and made his way through the crowd, trying to ignore the glares hiding in the many faces. He maneuvered himself under some shade offered by a small copse of trees on the edge of the park. A couple of burly rams in police uniforms stood to the side and looked ready for trouble with their arms crossed and jaws set. Nick and Samantha stood on one side, and a dozen or so news correspondents stood on the other.
Samantha flashed her brightest smile and clapped her paws. "Okay! We're ready for questions!"
Before anyone else could say a word, a familiar brightly dressed sow pushed forward and blurted, "Sally Sunday from the Special Sunday Scoop! Mr. Wilde, your wife, Judy Hopps, an officer in the ZPD, was promoted to lieutenant at the same time as the Police Union declared their support for your campaign for mayor. It was even announced at the same event, the police ball. Some think this is a clear attempt by the ZPD to curry favor with their pick for mayor. Do you have any comments?"
The crowd murmured amongst themselves, and Nick didn't like the way they were starting to distrustfully stare at him.
Even though he wanted to shout at the pushy pig reporter for even implying that Judy didn't deserve her promotion, years of practice kept Nick's face a mask of unconcerned confidence even as he calmly replied, "My wife is one of the most dedicated and hardworking mammals on the force, not to mention one of the most effective, being at the heart of some of the biggest moves by the ZPD in recent memory, including the dismantling of several long standing crime syndicates and personally arresting crime bosses like Al Catpone. If anyone deserves an early promotion, it's her. Me announcing my campaign was just a coincidence."
"The timing is still strange, isn't it?" The sow insisted.
"Ms. Sunday, was it?" Nick asked the reporter. He recognized her from the event at his mother's soup kitchen, so he didn't bother waiting for a reply before he pushed on. "My wife and I are both building careers in public service, and we are quite dedicated. Should I have put off my campaign for years just to avoid the appearance of impropriety? Should one of the brightest officers in the ZPD have been denied a well deserved promotion just for convenience's sake? That's not a rhetorical question, I'd like to hear your answer."
"I'm not the one campaigning for mayor," Ms. Sunday shot back. "You are. Don't you agree that a candidate should be held to a high standard of ethics?"
"But not our news correspondents, I suppose," Nick said, with a significant look at the sow. A few mammals in the crowd laughed, but something deep down told him that publicly chastising a pushy reporter might come back to bite him, one way or another, but like Nick had told Samantha at the soup kitchen, he wanted to do things his way. At that notion, Sunday's brows drew together and she straightened up, looking quite ready to tell him off, when Nick continued flatly. "Nothing unethical has occurred in my campaign, and my wife's promotion is entirely deserved and has nothing to do with me. That's enough from you," Nick held up a paw when Sunday tried to interject. "I'd like to take questions from the others, please wait your turn. You, do you have a question?"
He pointed at a random reporter, a familiar looking skunk with a ZNN logo on his ballcap. A true professional, the skunk jumped at the chance to be heard.
"As a predator married to a prey, will predator-prey relations be a significant part of your campaign?"
Nick smiled, happy to hear a more positive inquiry. "Yes, absolutely. I mean to do my best to ensure that such relations are given fair treatment. Next question?"
As the discussion went on, Nick tried to ignore the withering glares of Sunday and her supporters. With the only other predators for miles being Sammy and Olivia, the fox couldn't deny that he felt out of his depth. He only hoped that his message could stick. For as much as Nick despised the Meadowlands, he truly wanted to help its residents. Once more, Bradley's words found their way to his mind: With your plans, you're going to be fighting an uphill battle.
The fox glanced up to the hills that surrounded them, and felt a surge of resolve in his chest. I'm willing to take that chance.
Meanwhile, in Savanna-Central...
Lucy Sang had many dreams. Dreams of riches, dreams of flying, and dreams of family were frequent to affect her, both in slumber and consciousness. But if there was one place Lucy never wanted her mind to wander, it was the past - her past. To her, it was a place of nightmares. Yet the moment her face had hit the floor, she was already lost.
"I can't do it!" The young bat complained. "It's too hard!"
Lucy lightly tossed a mangled orange skin atop a featureless metal table. Barely twenty two years old, yet instead of focusing on building her career and becoming a productive citizen like other mammals her age, Lucy was an official (albeit rookie) member of Zootopia's top thieving syndicate, the Felidae Infernum. Not exactly the kind of experience worth putting on a resume, but the bat had no other options. Three years after being thrust into prison for a crime she hadn't committed, and only a few weeks after having broken out with the help of her new employers, Lucy's only choice was to do as she was told, and learn all she could to become one of them. To become a master thief. It was a process that demanded giving everything to the Infernum. Gone was the orange prison coverall she had worn for years, replaced by a sleek, skintight black bodysuit. Gone were the easels and markers she had used as entertainment to satisfy her creative drive, replaced with cold metal lockpicks and other thieving tools she was forced to master. There was no time for play, no time for anything but the mission, and of course the intense training beforehand.
"Now now, fretting won't solve anything," a whimsical voice chided back. "Whenever you fall, you try again. And you try as many times as it takes. This is all for you."
An orange-furred paw plucked the fruit skin from the table before handing it back to Lucy. She took the peel in her wings, and stared dejectedly at the flying squirrel sitting beside her. His ghostly white fur was accentuated by his paisley black slacks and tailcoat. He smiled, showing off large, pristine buck teeth.
"I know it's hard, but you must learn how to do this. First-aid, emergency treatments, it's all nasty stuff, yes, but it could save your life one day. Save the life of another. I hope you never have to use this knowledge, but you cannot be a member of the Infernum without some basic medical skill. A good thief must be prepared for anything, yes?"
"Yes, sir." Lucy replied glumly before picking up her stitching equipment from the tabletop and attempting to sew the peel together once again.
Peter chuckled merrily. "I've told you, you don't have to call me sir, Lucy. I don't care about ranks, or titles as much as the other Infernum members."
Lucy allowed herself a smile. For as harsh as the Infernum's training, and senior members had often been to her, Peter Ishini never failed to be anything but friendly. He was understanding and sympathetic to her like few others had been for the past three years of her life. As such, the flying squirrel was easily her favorite mentor of them all.
Several more minutes passed as Lucy gradually weaved the peel back together. Soon enough, she had stitched it perfectly into place. Peter retrieved the peel before tugging on it, testing its strength. Lucy winced when a single section of thread unwound beneath the added tension, though Peter had nothing but the sincerest of smiles on his face.
He chuckled. "First-aid isn't your strong suit, is it? Not to worry. You can always rely on someone else if you need help. We all have our strengths and weaknesses."
"I'm sorry. I'll do my best to master it, I promise!" Lucy exclaimed, earning another laugh from Peter.
"That's the spirit! We'll practice more stitching tomorrow. Now, let's work on bandaging. If you don't wrap a wound correctly, it might not stop the bleeding." Peter leaned over the table and grabbed a wheel of bandages from the other side. He unfurled a few inches before placing the orange peel on the armrest of his chair and beginning to bandage around it, as though wrapping an arm. "Now you see it," he smiled warmly at his student. "Now you don't."
Lucy smiled back. But something was wrong. Her vision blurred. Peter's words seemed to echo throughout the room, again and again, growing in volume.
"Now you see it, now you don't. Now you see it, now you don't. Now you see it, now you don't!"
The scene shifted with a harsh flare, and Lucy was back in the air above that office building, staring down at Peter as he aimed his sniper square across her heart.
"Now you see me," he snarled harshly. "Now you don't."
He pulled the trigger, and the muzzle flashed, lighting up the world like a thunder strike.
"NO!" Lucy lunged forward atop the couch, panting heavily.
Her green eyes, dilated with fear, flitted nervously around the room. It was a quaint apartment parlor, decorated modestly and filled with piles of letters and empty bottles, and the spare potted plant. Lucy's palms met her forehead. She was awake. Her immediate attempt to sit up further on the couch was met with a severe stinging on the right side of her waist. Glancing down at the source of her pain, she realized that her wound had been bandaged, with a tight white cloth wrapped around her hourglass frame. The upper half of her bodysuit had been removed and dangled behind her, lower-body still snugly clothed, like a wrapper on a half-opened candy bar. Her sister must have undressed her to tend to the wound on her side. Knowing the pain would be too great, Lucy didn't even try to zip herself back up, instead just wrapping a nearby blanket around her shoulders like a poncho as she gently tried to stand to her feet. She had shifted upright on the sofa when a cheerful voice caught her attention.
"Oh, you're awake!"
Lucy turned to face her younger sister. The other bat had since discarded her pajamas in favor of a mailmammal's blue uniform and ball cap. She hefted a frying pan in one paw, still sizzling with steam.
"Lilian… you saved me," Lucy muttered softly, one wing resting on her bandages. "Thank you."
Her sister smiled, revealing fangs as sharp as her own. "Someone's gotta take care of you." Lilian's eyes drifted to the pan in her grip. "Oh, I made hashbrowns. Want some?"
Lucy's stomach rumbled a reply. "Yes, please."
Lilian jogged back into the kitchen, calling out over her shoulder, "So what was it this time?" Her tone was mostly curious, but Lucy's sharp ears were able to detect the disapproval hidden behind it.
"I got swatted out of the air by some stupid wolf," Lucy confessed, recalling the pain of Niko's strike. "Claws dug into me a bit."
"A bit?" Her sister asked as she returned with a plate of hashbrowns. "Is that what you call it? Luce, you were lucky you weren't split open like a piñata. I had to put twelve stitches in you."
A sigh broke through the thief's fangs. "I admit it, okay? Things got out of control."
"Do they ever not? What's this, the fourth, fifth time you've shown up at my door after a fight?"
"Third," Lucy corrected, tugging anxiously on her blanket poncho. "And it's just a flesh wound. I survived, didn't I? My job has its risks. We both know that."
Lilian's ears dipped. She seated herself on the couch next to her sister. "Luce… how long can you keep this up?" When Lucy didn't respond, she continued. "I've never had a problem with what you do with your life, but I'm putting my foot down. You can't be some mercenary forever. Not this kind - the kind that gets in fights all the time, and risks their life. You know that. The last thing I want… is to read in the news one day that you're dead."
For as tempted as she was to avert her eyes, Lucy forced her gaze to meet with Lilian's. "Lil… I'm sorry. I just…" she sighed deeply. "This is just who I am."
"Not always. Not before you went to prison. Not…" Lilian paused, overcome with a brief period of sorrow. "Before Leo's death. I know you didn't kill him, like everyone else thought, but… I can tell his death hurt you."
Lucy's own ears dipped. "I miss him." She softly admitted.
"I do too," Lilian said as she placed a wing on her sister's shoulder. "And I don't want to lose another sibling. You and I - we're all that's left of our family."
A tired exhale of air, so mirthless that it could barely be described as a laugh, exited Lucy's nostrils. "Talk about a bunch of disappointments."
"Hey, don't be saying that. Dad was hard on us all. We did the best we could."
"I guess so." Lucy leaned back on the couch and stared at the ceiling for a few silent seconds. "I'm sorry I scared you. The truth is… I want to stop more and more these days. Vlad, and the pups… they need me. But they also need me to protect them, and I can't do that if I'm sitting on the sidelines. And with this war-"
"Wait, a war?" Lilian interjected, cutting off her sister. "Is that how you got hurt?"
"Yeah. Vlad's mob is fighting Mr. Big's. I wish it was funner than it really is… but I guess a crime war isn't something that can be so easily enjoyed."
Lilian swallowed. "No kidding. Well, I'm glad you're okay. Just… please stay okay? For me?"
Lucy lolled her head toward her sister. There were plenty of mammals she wanted to 'stay okay' for, but hearing her own sister ask it so explicitly struck a chord with her.
"I've got a lot to think about," Lucy broke the silence. "The war, my family, my job…" Not to mention my feeding habits, she left unsaid, thinking back to her confrontation against Niko. "But I promise that no matter what happens, I'll do my best to stay safe."
At that notion, her sister smiled with relief. "Good." She briefly wiped beneath one of her eyes before handing Lucy the hashbrowns she'd been holding the entire time. "Now eat up, Luce. You need your strength."
Lucy eagerly accepted the plate before shoveling forkfuls of shredded potato into her mouth, barely even chewing as she gulped it all down.
"Geez. You were really hungry, huh?" Lilian asked.
"I haven't fed since yesterday morning," Lucy explained after swallowing another bite. "And that includes regular food. Besides, your cooking is to die and kill for."
Lilian allowed herself a smile. "Thanks. You never did learn to cook for yourself much."
"Why cook when you can just feed?"
The smile faltered a bit. "I guess I can't blame you for thinking that, with all those years you…" she was going to say 'spent in prison' before deciding to direct the topic down a less depressing path. She cleared her throat. "So, how's Vlad? Haven't seen him since the wedding. I still remember that time I cooked all that food for your first date. You ever tell him that?"
Lucy nearly choked on another mouthful as it went down. "It wasn't a date, it was just a business meeting. I was trying to get on a crime-lord's payroll for the first time and needed to make an impression. Wouldn't have been a very good one if all the food was burnt up."
"Might as well have been a date considering where it led." Lilian teased, gesturing to the wedding ring around one of Lucy's fingers.
Ignoring her sister's jesting, Lucy answered her question. "Vlad's had better times. This whole crime war has had him stressed. Angry. Not like I've seen him in years."
"Oh. I see. A-Are the pups okay, at least?"
A faint smile spread Lucy's lips. "Yeah. They're okay. I just… really, really hope they don't become a liability. This war couldn't have come at a worse time."
Lilian's gaze dipped for a moment before her expression lit up with revelation. "Oh! What if you let me take care of them? At least, for as long as the war lasts. That way they can be out of harm's way, and you can, well…" she struggled to find the words for a moment. "You can do your thing without worrying about them."
Lucy considered this as she set her now empty plate down on the coffee table in front of them. "Maybe. I'll have to talk it over with Vlad. It'd definitely give Big one less thing he could use against us. But would your place really be safer than ours?" She couldn't help but spare a glance at the collection of empty bottles strewn throughout the room.
The younger bat hopped to her feet and spread her wings welcomingly. "You should know, you bought me this apartment, Luce! Take a look around. It's got the best security systems money can buy! A polar bear can't even fit in the hallway! And if it makes you feel any better, you could post some guards here too, as long as they're nice, and willing to try my cooking. I promise I'll take good care of Leo and Vassy. They're too cute to be stuck in the middle of a crime war."
"Okay, okay," Lucy relented. "I'll bring it up with Vlad when I get back-" her eyes widened, and she shot to her feet too. "Oh, guano, I haven't told Vlad what happened at the warehouse! He probably thinks I'm dead!"
Lilian blinked, and then shooed her sister with her wings. "Well don't just stand there. Go let your hubby know you're still alive after all."
"Thanks for everything, Lil. I wish I could stay longer, but…"
"It's fine," Lilian assured with a wave of her wing. "My shift at the post office starts in a half hour anyways. Go do your thing. Keep your family safe."
A trembling smile sprouted across Lucy's face, and she pulled her sister into a hug, trying to ignore the pain in her side. "I'll see you soon."
Smiling back, Lilian pat her sister's shoulders before slackening her hold, and then nodding her head toward the balcony. "Go get 'em."
Though it stung, Lucy managed to zip herself back up and discard her blanket. Approaching the sliding glass doors, Lucy leapt up to the rim of the balcony and stared out over the morning skyline of Savanna-Central, bathed in glittering multicolored hues. It was a beautiful day, but Lucy only wished she could enjoy it more without the nagging pain in her waist. But it was bearable enough to glide with, at least. She spared one last glance at her sister. They both shared a nod. With that, Lucy vaulted from the rim and spread her wings, taking to the skies once more.
12:30 P.M ; Tundratown...
Precinct Two had never seen anything quite like this.
The arctic district's officers were used to weeks of uneventful patrolling and ticketing. Through their work, and the relative passivity of local criminal organizations, Tundratown had been a safe, stable district for as long as most could remember. But nothing lasts forever. When the call had arrived to investigate a crime scene at Subzero Storehouse, the officers had not expected such a grisly sight. Picking over the wreckage of the warehouse, the smell of burning fish still lingered in the air, forcing many officers to work with only one paw as the other pinched their noses closed like their lives depended on it. The faint smell of blood didn't help, either, with several bodies dug out of the rubble, from raccoons and badgers to fully grown polar bears and arctic wolves.
"There are bodies here from both the Tundratown Mafia and the Nocturnal-Mob." A reindeer officer exclaimed in a nasally voice, one hoof keeping his nostrils firmly plugged.
Beside him, a wolverine tilted her head with confusion. "You're telling me they were…" she paused, glancing around the wreckage. "Fighting each other?"
"That can't be right," a musk ox cop gruffly interjected. "The crime-lords have a non-aggression pact, and they follow it strictly. We've known that for years."
The reindeer huffed. "Well, clearly something changed. The question is if this is an isolated incident between rogue groups, or a part of something bigger."
A grimace scrunched the features of the wolverine's face. "You mean like… a crime war?"
"Don't be ridiculous," the musk ox grumbled. "There's never once been any conflict between the five crime-lords. This has to be some sort of setup, or accident."
"Do I have to remind you that there are only two crime-lords now, Officer Bertram? This might be a result of that," the reindeer muttered, stroking at his chin. The seriousness of his words was only negated by the nasally modification of his voice. "They could have turned on each other when territory started merging… or maybe a few hotheaded recruits thought they'd try to make an impression by hurting the competition. Whatever it is, we need to notify the chief. This could be big."
As the officers went about their work, they were blissfully unaware of a figure watching them from a distance. Landing atop the corner of a nearby building, Peter Ishini perched from its railing like a gargoyle as he scanned over the ruins of the warehouse from afar. In the chilly arctic breeze, the straps around the shoulders of his black bodysuit fluttered softly like flags, and his stark white fur blent in with the piles of snow around him. The flying squirrel narrowed his beady pink eyes with suspicion.
So much devastation, he thought to himself. And undoubtedly an act of retaliation. The war must have officially begun. About time!
His gaze settled on a team of firefighters dousing a patch of flames with an extinguisher. A whimsical smile spread his lips.
She was here. I know it. Lucy had a part to play in this mess. My little protégé does love a dramatic entrance. Destroying the warehouse was a smart strategy on her part. Not only is the evidence minimal, but now the Tundratown Mafia has lost a major piece in its game. I wonder how Big will react? Oh, she's learned so much on her own.
The flying squirrel pulled a phone from the utility belt wrapped around his waist. After selecting a contact, he brought the device to one of his fluffy orange ears.
Nearly a dozen seconds later, the beeping fell silent as the call was answered. Peter filled the void with a taunt, "My, that took a while! You're normally so prompt to pick up!"
"I distinctly remember instructing you not to contact me during daylight hours," a heavily distorted voice scolded. "I was in a meeting. I had to step out just to answer. Explain yourself."
Peter smirked as he examined his pointed claws. "Oh, I'm sorry boss, it slipped my mind! I just happened to uncover some juicy new intel, and just had to tell you."
The boss considered this for a moment before responding. "State your claim. And do it quickly."
"See, I thought you'd be happy to hear results," Peter taunted. "Anywho, I've been tracking down Lucy Sang for some time now, after she got the slip on us at the office, and I've finally managed to find her trail again. She was here in Tundratown. Burned down a whole Mafia warehouse! Your little gamble with the war seems to be playing out nicely."
"Find her," the boss ordered harshly. "She's a witness to our plans. She cannot be allowed to live."
"Oh, but of course! Don't forget, it is I who wants her dead the most. I'll make sure you get one of her fangs as a souvenir," he pulled a playing card from one of the pockets on his bodysuit, twirling it around in one paw. "The Queen of Diamonds will lose both her crown," he snapped his fingers, and the card seemed to disappear. "And her head."
"Don't keep me waiting. And next time, text first." The boss said before ending the call.
"Hmph," the flying squirrel scoffed. "No appreciation for showmanship."
11:00 P.M ; City-Hall, Savanna-Central...
Quiet work was Virginia's favorite kind of work.
Her office was small, dark, and illuminated only by the bland, periodic flashes of the photocopier that she stood before. Her hazel eyes stared vacantly down at the machine's archaic screen, lost in deep thought. She relished the solitude of her work. No calls, no meetings, no coworkers. Best of all, the boss and his demanding co-conspirators weren't breathing down her neck. It was just her, and it was just the way she liked it. She only wished she were truly alone, though.
You know you want more, a nagging voice in the back of the rabbit's head reminded her. You know you're lying to yourself.
Virginia's eyes fell to her paws. With clinical detachment, she admired the furrows that had sheared away her black fur, leaving dark pink scars in their wake. The long sleeves of her white pantsuit did little to hide the damage as it continued up her forearms and farther still. Her gaze drifted to the copier's tiny screen, where her aloof reflection stared back at her. She couldn't help but notice the missing length of her shredded left ear.
When was the last time you were actually happy? Her mind taunted her with a brief vision of an old memory: she saw his face. Another rabbit with fur as dark as hers. Smiling, he reached out to her, and she took his paw with her own - sleeveless and scarless. Everything else was a blurred haze. When was the last time you were yourself?
The vision melted away as quickly as it had arrived, leaving her staring at her tired reflection in the screen. You're a copy too.
A mechanical beeping sound startled Virginia from her inner thoughts. The copy machine hummed softly as the last of the papers rolled into the tray and creaked to a halt.
Stop dwelling on the past, her mind chided itself, lips twitching with irritation. And start focusing on reality. She forced herself to recall what she was fighting for, remembering that night of blood and screams for but a moment - bringing just enough of a sliver into her head to remind her, but not enough to make it painful. You have a job to do.
Exhaling firmly, Virginia retrieved the thick stack of papers and brought them into the light of the screen. The words MAYORAL CAMPAIGN SUBMISSION headed the top of the cover paper, followed by a professional photograph of a red fox in a beige suit. The bunny admired the way that Nicholas Wilde smiled at the camera, totally oblivious to what he was getting himself into. Splitting open the sheaf, Virginia flipped through the many pages until she found what she was looking for: Proof of residence, the title announced. Below it, a small list of every registered home in Zootopia the fox had ever known was printed. She closed the packet before setting it on her desk.
After turning off the copy machine, Virginia pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed in the number she had been forced to memorize that day.
The other line buzzed only a single time before a warped voice answered. "Hello Miss Capri-"
Virginia cleared her throat expectantly, interrupting the boss' greeting.
"Is there a problem?" He asked in a voice as flat as he could manage with a pitch that constantly fluctuated.
"Forget your stupid professional courtesy," the rabbit growled. "I told you not to call me that."
"Ah, yes. Apologies. Force of habit. Hello Miss Virginia, " the boss corrected. It was hard to tell past the voice modifications and his polite tone, but Virginia's ears were sensitive enough to tell that he was annoyed by the way he enunciated her name. "Do you have something to share with me?"
Eager to get the conversation over with, Virginia pressed on without hesitation, blasé voice filling the room. "Yeah. I got the intel on Nick Wilde that you wanted. Borrowed his campaign packet the other day, and I finally got around to making a copy. Took longer than expected thanks to the head clerk breathing down my neck," she glanced at the empty carton of ant poisoning in a nearby garbage can. "But he won't be interfering with our plans anytime soon."
"Decisive as always," the boss praised. "What did you find?"
"A few addresses. Old and current. One in Happytown, one in Tundratown, and two in Savanna-Central."
"Tundratown…" the boss repeated thoughtfully. "Why would a red fox live in Tundratown? Go there. Find what you can. I want to know everything about that glorified little activist."
"Yeah, he could make things difficult for us. Best to nip the rose at the bud." Virginia agreed. "I'm on it. It'll have to wait 'till next week, though, if not longer."
"And why is that?"
"If you didn't want me to work fourteen hour days, you shouldn't have assigned me to gather intel at City-Hall."
"Very well. Patience is a virtue, after all. Continue your surveillance until you find an opening. And take Mr. Boarton with you for support, when you do. I'll notify him in a few day's time."
"Do I have to?"
"Need I remind you that we started a crime war? Tundratown is turning into a battleground. Mr. Ishini's surveillance confirmed conflict as early as this morning. Take Mr. Boarton. Use his strength." The boss ordered.
"Fine. Just tell him to at least take a shower before we go."
With the start of Nick's campaign trail and the first big battle in the crime war, I'd say the first act of When Night Falls is concluded, give or take a few chapters. You can expect what's to come to only ramp up the stakes, action, drama, and yes, even the romance, too! You'll see! Nick and Judy may be apart in these few chapters, but I can assure you that they'll be spending a lot of time together for the remainder of the story as new developments force their hand. Trust me, I don't like having them apart for so much time either, seeing as how great a team they make, but I can promise that'll change soon! They'll even get some time together next chapter (though I won't spoil how).
Thanks for reading this latest chapter, though. I hope you enjoyed it! What'd you think of my take on the Meadowlands, being the first new district my work has explored in years? How do you like the reveal of Lucy's sister, Lilian? And are you excited for the merging of the two plots, as evident by the final two scenes? I sure am! The coming chapters are gonna be a blast, and I hope you stay tuned to see them! I should note that Grunt and Lilian are more of Berserker88 and JackOfMind's characters, from Bloodlines. You'll be seeing more of him into the future. I'd also like to announce that I am open for writing commissions for the first time ever! If anyone is interested, feel free to message me, and we'll talk it out. :)
Chapter 8 will give us another deep dive into Mr. Big's world, alongside Nick's trip to the Marshlands, and a few other scenes I'll let you see for yourself. You can expect the eighth chapter, "...And Through the Mire," to arrive soon. Until then!