Chapter 2:
"Now, if you two weren't late, Agent Savage wouldn't have to go through introductions AGAIN!"
The two officers winced as Bogo scolded them. However, Jack swiftly raised an arm, silencing Bogo's scoldings, and promptly placed his arm back to his side.
"There is no need. They are here now and that is enough. Now, Officer Hopps. Officer Wilde. You two were in charge of the Nighthowler case, correct?"
Nick, snapping out of his stupor, switched to his half-lidded, conman face. "Well, technically…"
"Nick!" Judy silenced him with an elbow to his ribs, leaving him wheezing on the floor. "Proceed Agent Savage."
An almost Nick-like smirk broke Jack's stony expressions, and his eyes warmed up a few degrees as he nodded in Judy's direction.
"I am sure you two have not forgotten, but as a refresher, the Nighthowlers were dangerous plant based drugs that caused victims to grow vicious, or savage as the media says. Recently, however, the Nighthowlers have returned to the streets."
Judy and Nick exchanged a look, raising their eyebrows in shock and dismay.
"How have we not heard about this? Why are there no cases of vicious mammals?" Judy asked, tugging at her ear. Jack took a step forward and gently grabbed her wrist, quickly smoothing her ear on her back. "Because these Nighthowlers don't work like the previous serum. Whoever made these drugs seemed to have combined the Nighthowlers with another drug called Evermore, which is synthesized from a chemical compound called Safrole derived from the plant Ocotea Odorifera. This new drug causes an intense sense of pleasure, and mixed with Nighthowlers, makes the user sincerely enjoy his or her new violent tendencies."
"So how is that any different from the Nighthowlers themselves?" Nick asked, trying not to show how much Jack's closeness to Judy bothered him, although he didn't understand why he felt bothered.
Jack met Nick's gaze, arms now crossed. "Because Wilde, the victims during the Nighthowler case were merely violent without being conscious of what they were doing. They were almost on autopilot. Now, this new drug makes affected mammals actually enjoy their new state of violence, resulting in more terrorizing behavior. Evermore alters the part of the brain that controls inhibitions, making affected mammals find more pleasure the more violent they become. The only reason why no one has heard about Evermore is because the attacks have not affected Zootopia yet, only nearby towns. We have been careful not to alert the public or the media, as the public would be placed in a permanent state of fear after barely recovering from the Nighthowler incident."
There was a moment of silence before Jack continued after scanning Judy and Nick's horrified expressions.
"It's hard to tell who is involved, as the effects of the Nighthowlers mixed with the Evermore seem to wear off after a few hours, but the users of these drugs claim that they take these drugs whenever they want to get the pain over with."
"...What does that even mean?" Judy scowled in confusion. "What pain?"
"I don't know. All of the suspects we captured said the same thing. The ZBI believes that they're working under a boss. They seem too afraid of us to be the ringleaders of this ordeal." Jack stared at the floor, lost in his own mind clearly trying to piece together the puzzle of this crime.
"Anyway," Jack continued, "we, the ZBI, need you two on this case. As the original heroes of the Nighthowler case, the ZBI believes that your help is beyond necessary."
"We won't let you down Agent Savage." Judy stood up straight, right arm in a perfect salute and ears stretching high.
"We're on it" Nick affirmed, standing closely behind Judy for support.
"Alright then, our ride awaits." Jack began walking out of the room, but before he stepped out, he quickly turned to put a hand on Judy's shoulder. "I trust you, so don't worry too much, ok?"
Judy, who had become tense after hearing the details of the case, let herself give a small smile of thanks.
Nick was really starting not to like this dude.