Chapter 5

.

AN: Welcome back guys for the next chapter, plus a new cast list to help everyone out. After all, this is now my longest fic, and my first to break the 300K mark! So I'm pretty sure a little help wouldn't harm anyone.

It's hard to believe that it's friday again, already… Being furloughed has done strange things to my understanding of time.

Thought for the day: Mondays are a social construct.

Question for the day: does that invalidate Garfield?

I hope quarantine is still going fine for you. Follow the rules, stay safe, be sensible and listen to advice, etc.

Seriously, do it.

And (quote-unquote) enjoy the chapter.

.

Bogo frowned, his arms crossing as he stared at the newly arrived hippo. "Mr Wassermaim…"

"-That's District Attorney Wassermaim, Chief Bogo," he interrupted, his loud voice beckoning out through the ZPD atrium. The mammals in the crowd paused, glancing at each other nervously, their fur on end as they sensed that something was about to go down. Nick and Judy stepped forward, William put a paw on Kris, a nervous Retsuko brought up her phone while the District Attorney spoke on. "We just went over this, and being a professional I'd of at least hoped that you'd have kept your petty bias' under wraps. Anyway, if you're done disrespecting me…"

Bogo huffed. "In terms of keeping things professional and your bias' under wraps, I do not think that you're one to talk. Regardless…"

"-Oh, because you'd treat someone like the Mayor with the same level of disrespect you've given me then, Chief?"

"District Attorney," Bogo said, not enjoying it. "My comments were in regard to you marching into the middle of the Precinct and shouting out at the top of your lungs to a group of civilians!"

"Yes, 'civilians'," the hippo noted, before letting his gaze turn and land once more on Kris. The silver fox knew the story behind him, he read the papers in the school library here and there and his name had come up a number of times. His interest piqued, he'd then looked him up further, using a mix of official sources, blogs and EweTube videos. It hadn't taken long to get the full context as to who DA Kurt Wassermaim was, why he was controversial and why that was bad news for him.

Originally a high ranking member of the District Attorney's office, he'd largely kept himself out of the limelight before the Nighthowler Crisis hit, with the exception of a long series of failed cases against Lemming Brothers Bank CEO Murana Wolford and some critical analysis by a few journalists and EweTubers, most notably a fox called Anton Pounceheart. That changed when the predators began turning savage. He'd firmly stood up and stated that the savage predators would be tried if and when that was possible and he wasn't going to hold back. That by itself was notable, but not enough to really make most mammals take notice. Pounceheart began ramping up his investigations, both on the DA and the wider 'recidivism crisis' as he put it, which he was putting down to the contaminated food theory. He also briefly joined up with another (overtly Ovinophobic) EweTuber called 'Gruinard Gal', before dropping her after what Kris thought was an uncomfortably long period of time.

What truly made Wassermaim's name though was that, a few weeks into the crisis, the old DA resigned and it was Kurt, not the expected favourite Jeannette Deaux, who got the job. It was then that mammals began paying attention, especially as he began putting a lot of focus into 'keeping the peace'. Many protestors and petty criminals began seeing far more of a spotlight put onto them, and it didn't take long for mammals (first amongst them Pounceheart, who was claiming that an institutional anti-pred conspiracy was going on at this point) to notice that the bulk of the affected mammals were preds.

Questions had begun mounting, especially after a student sit-in protest at an elephant owned ice cream store, one rumoured to often turn away predators, was clamped down on hard. Three dozen or so mammals were charged with multiple counts of trespass and breaching the peace. As if to top it off, their court dates were set slap bang in the middle of exam season, many of them forced to miss their tests with the potential requirement to retake the entire year (though, after much fuss was kicked up, the universities in question allowed the students to have their exams at different dates). Pounceheart himself covered their trials and reported from outside, arguing that it was a precedent for the criminalisation of pro-pred protests, only to be publicly arrested himself (later confirmed to be by one of Dawn's police rams) and charged with disturbing the peace by the DA.

This, the comparatively light treatment of anti-pred protesters, the 'anti-savage' rhetoric and the promotion itself (given that ADA Deaux, though a white-tailed deer, was in a relationship with a mountain lion) began raising questions. Bellwether's only remark was that it was a scary time for all mammals and that most Zootopians felt safer knowing that there was someone out there trying to preserve what peace and justice they could in those trying times. Wassermaim meanwhile had got an interview of his own.

Kris, curious to verify this, had looked up that TV interview on EweTube one night and watched as Wassermaim justified himself, talking at long length about the terrified, mutilated, savaged victims filling up the hospitals and how they deserved justice and closure. He mentioned how ordinary mammals, especially small and vulnerable ones, were terrified at how things were going so wrong, and that clamping down hard in other areas, against petty criminals, opportunistic rabble-rousers and anti-establishment 'professional' protestors, was needed to help keep everyone strong and focussed on 'the true dangerous issue at paw'. This was potentially an infectious disease, and all these mammals were making it more likely to spread and upping the danger for everyone. They needed to be kept home for the safety of others, and if that failed then jail would do.

The interviewer had then commented on the fairness of planning to charge the afflicted predators, especially if it was a disease, and how this and everything else might point to a worrying bias. The hippo immediately took the offensive. He'd called the reporter out on air, saying that if anyone was a speciesist it was him. After all, 'those savage preds' could mutilate both their own kind and prey, making no distinction. He was the one inferring that this was a pred and prey issue and, by his own logic, he was saying that prey were not deserving of justice and closure. If it really was a disease, then they could just get off on insanity, couldn't they?

Much of the talk had gone on like that, Wassermaim denying any biases and then turning any accusations around, claiming that he himself was the one striving to keep things fair. He said that if the afflicted predators truly didn't have any part in this, then they could plead insanity like any other mammal. Just because they were preds didn't mean they were above the purview of the law.

Said interview was then dissected and analysed by Pounceheart, who stated that at this point full on active resistance to the conspiracy was required. Any idea that it was instinct or even a disease was fake news and mammals should break any curfews, stay at home orders or even 'crisis normalisation' advice to wear face masks and such. Indeed, he argued that masks (which some stores were requiring predators to wear) were just a stepping stone for laws that forced predators to muzzle themselves out in public, and that preds must actively refuse to wear them, call out those who did and protest places that required them. All on top of gathering in the streets to protest, organising into groups to resist and stopping those in charge from taking their freedom.

Of course, not long after, the truth behind the savage cases had come out. In a statement, Wassermaim had quietly said that the predators would not be facing any charges, before taking on Bellwether's case himself. He'd made a lot of noise about that, as well as with a sweeping set of anti-corruption and anti-espionage stings; all to convince mammals that he was not Dawn's puppet, but instead an independent striver for justice, regardless of any mammal's species. He'd even boasted about how he had no qualms about 'going against his own', pushing heavily for the arrest of another hippo for espionage and insider trading (not that the case ever went anywhere, just like his latest one against Murana Wolford).

Still, most mammals weren't convinced, including Kris. Pounceheart became one of the most popular EweTubers in the city after he'd called it (alongside Gruinard Gal too, who specifically pinned it on Dawn and other sheep from the start). He'd led a major protest march following the reveal, and had carried on in his reporting in campaigns after that, primarily for the purging of any prey potentially connected to the plot from state institutions.

The general view though was that Wassermaim would finish off his first term which would then not be renewed, letting him swap positions with ADA Deaux as she became the new DA. But, for the time being, he stayed in his position, with all the power it entailed. And now the silver fox was standing there, in Kurt's crosshairs, the hippo pulling the exact same tactics that the vulpine had seen him use before.

"Of course," he carried on. "One of those civilians is a terrorist, and we don't want him escaping back out into the general population, do we?"

"Wass… -DA, we've investigated this case and, while it's true that a certain anonymous vulpine was found with nighthowler pellets in his locker, that proves nothing."

"Well, it does prove that he had night howlers, a certain dangerous bioweapon, in his paws, doesn't it? I mean, weren't you looking for them for the last few months? Didn't you send a warning out to the entire city? I mean, the people must have all been terribly worried, I was. And now you're letting the prime suspect just walk?"

Bogo huffed. "He is not our prime suspect."

"Oh, then who is? Which mammal who didn't have night howlers in his locker is it?"

"Listen, this case is very complicated, and so is the case of our prime suspect." Bogo began, before pausing. He briefly glanced over to the crowd, Kris at first thinking he was looking at him but then realising his gaze was a bit off, more in the area of his aunt, uncle and cousin. He quickly snapped out of it and looked at the hippo. "The mammal known as Kazar is the core suspect behind this incident, with these howlers just the wreckage from the wreck we made of his plans. We don't know why it's turned up here, we don't have enough evidence to pin anything firm on anyone."

"Well you've got the mammal with the howlers in his locker."

"-Which doesn't legally prove beyond reasonable doubt that he put them there or is responsible, you know that just as well as I do," Bogo spoke. "Either way, even if we were charging him right away, we'd still be sticking a tracker onto him and letting him out, as we're doing here."

"Yes, because terrorists are well known for following the law," Wassermaim spoke. "You do realise that he could have more of those things out there? You do realise that he could cut his tracker off, fish them out alongside a pea shooter and, after finding a bunch of innocent elephants, cause hundreds of deaths before you even catch up with him?"

There was a pause, Bogo grinding his teeth. "Having actually witnessed his interview, I can say that this mammal does not appear to be the kind who'd do that."

"And what kind would?" Wassermaim asked, his voice rising a little. Kris couldn't help but note that Bogo had started digging himself a hole, and the only reason the hippo wasn't burying him yet was because he wanted to see how far the Chief could dig himself in.

"I… You know what I mean!"

"No I don't. Tell me, in your own words, what do you mean?"

"Angry. Hostile. Combative. Comes from a background that would support such views."

"Oh, and what background is that?"

"The ones which traditionally held more speciesist viewpoints. Ones which include someone slighted or hurt by a predator in their past, or who gains from the hurting of predators."

"-So, prey then?"

The Chief paused, trying to think of something smart to say but then furrowing his brow, gazing hard at the hippo. "Well yes, of course prey. Because why would a predator be interested in the movement of a bioweapon used to hurt his own kind? Things would make more sense if he was the kind of mammal that Kazar or Dawn Bellwether would hire, or…"

"-So, sheep then," Wassermaim stated, having let Bogo dig to where he wanted and finally pouncing.

"Well…"

"-There's no well about it, Dawn Bellwether's cohorts were sheep and so when you go looking for night howlers you look for sheep. Good to hear that the Chief is happy to keep new-school ovinophobia alive. Though who knows, maybe there's a bit of old school in there too? Never mind that there are hundreds of other things that those howlers could be used for; no, it's for subjugating the poor innocent predators, the victims in this. And, when a predator is caught with them? Well then, it all must be some mistake. A predator would never do anything evil with them, would they? It's not like, say, if a teenage ram from the poorer parts of the Meadowlands was here; you'd be taking every precaution against him, probably begging me to do what I could to keep him under your thumb."

Bogo groaned. "Species has nothing to do with this…"

Wassermaim laughed. "Says the mammal who just said, and I quote, 'the kind of mammals Kazar and Bellwether would hire'. We all know what you mean by that, don't we?"

"-A ram or a donkey or even a hippo would all be treated the same as a wolf or a fox…"

"Yeah…" he said, rolling his eyes and nodding. "They would, wouldn't they?"

Bogo's gaze hardened. "Yes they would. You know why? Because, if they're underage like our suspect here, they'd all be subject to the Youth Justice Acts. That means we can't hold them, we can't give them a trial far in the future as we look for evidence, the best we can do is stick a tracker on them as we try and find if there's a case or not. That's why our anonymous vulpine, or any other anonymous teenager – pred or prey – would be walking out of those doors right now and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

There was a pause, Kris looking on and gulping as a huge smug grin began growing over Wassermaim's face. He suddenly felt nervous, and sidestepped over to his father to hold his paw. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be good.

Kurt spoke. "There is, and I'm using it, just like I did against Kazar and his cronies. I'm charging our suspect under the Nighthowler Act. I'm sure you're all aware of that."

There was a gasp from Kris' left, and he turned to see Nick and Judy looking aghast. The bunny's ears had collapsed against the back of her head, her paws covering her mouth and her eyes wide. Nick's jaw meanwhile was doing its damn near hardest to hit the floor, his shocked gape almost comical. Kris didn't know why, neither did the rest of his family or the bunny-fox duo's other friends. But their fears were beginning to spread into the others, if anything only magnified by their ignorance.

Even Bogo seemed shocked for a little bit, something he quickly shook off. "Don't be ridiculous."

"What's ridiculous about it," he said with a shrug. "I'm using a bit of legislation as it was intended to be used."

"You know full well that this was not how it was intended to be used!"

"Oh right, I forgot. It was intended to be used against prey, read sheep."

"Stop being obtuse!" Bogo shouted. "That piece of anti-terror legislation was made to be used against adults. Using it against a youth suspect, with limited evidence against him as is, is pure pettiness and cruelty on your part."

"So you think it's cruel to try and keep mammals safe? Right then. I, meanwhile, don't believe that there's anything in there that says it can't be used in this way. Indeed, were it an ugly looking sheep teen that was brought in, you'd be phoning up and begging me to pull it…"

"-No I would not," Bogo spoke. "Do not put these things into my mouth. I would never use this against any youth suspect."

"-Use what!?" came a shout, as all eyes turned on Dr Silverfox, fear etched onto his face. "Use what? What is this Night Howler Act?! You keep on talking about this horrible thing that you want to use on my son and I don't even know what it is."

"Well," Wassermaim spoke, turning to face him and smiling. "I'm glad you asked." He reached into the inside of his suit and pulled down a small lever, a firm click sounding out as a waterproof seal opened up. From it, he pulled out a large plastic file, opening its waterproof seal to pull out a set of documents. "As I actually treat all bioterrorists equally, I did a lot of reading into the Kazar case and the interrogation that took place. In the words of Detective Oates: 'Are you aware of the Nighthowler Act? After the first crisis, and with the reasonable expectation that natural howlers would still be in use as pest control, it was decided to clamp down on anyone caught with refined ones. After all, their only real use is as bioweapons. So, if one was to be found with some, it's safe to assume that you're a bioterrorist….'" He paused, looking straight at Kris and raising an eyebrow. "Now, a bit of an interjection from the lawyer here, and the next part is Oates talking to said lawyer in regard to the suspect. I'll talk to the Chief and the suspect's father instead. 'Under the act we get to hold him for four weeks until having to formally press charges, due to his connection to the refined plants. Then, we have the right to hold you without bail until your trial, up to six months. While this is going on, we are instructed to hold you in the securest facilities. Aka, a full on maximum security prison, the type where your little sheep friends are not having a good time.'"

.

…

"Mam," Kurt said, finally breaking the dreadful silence that had filled the room. "You guys really hate sheep."

"N-Never mind that," William gasped, almost fox-screaming as he trembled in place. His shout broke Kris, who'd been in a stunned and shocked silence, out of his stupor just in time for him to be grabbed and held tightly against his father's chest with a vice like grip. "This… This is my son. My kit! You can't do this! You can't!" He sobbed, holding Kris tighter just as what had been said hit the young fox like a freight train. They were going to send him away to one of those schools…! Six months until he even got a trial…? He… He closed his eyes and began breathing in and out. This couldn't be right, right…? No, he had to keep calm, he wasn't going to be taken from his dad again. There were good mammals on his side, they'd find a way out. Everything was going to be okay. His dad was scared, so he needed to be strong for him, but he could do that. Everything was going to be okay!

Kurt observed them before glancing back to Bogo. "So, the suspect was raised by a speciesist; another tick on your list, Chief."

"Oh that's petty and you know it!"

"What, is being concerned about ovinophobia petty now? I thought all mammals and all discrimination are equal. Or is ovinophobia, especially the seemingly institutional stuff in your department, 'not a real' type of speciesism?"

"NO!" Bogo shouted. "What is being petty is telling a father, who from what I gather was separated from his son for a long time due to illness, that you're going to send that son away to prison for months. Then making a joke about something someone said a month ago, taken well out of context. THEN, when that terrified father tells you he doesn't care about that joke, going around and accusing him of being a speciesist. And all of that coming from someone who I think we all know has a certain infamy about him and is probably the most speciesist out here by far. No matter what you say, I know that you're pulling this against that kit because he's a predator, because he's a fox, because you can't wait to get your own back against those who defeated your original bosses evil scheme!"

There was a long pause, before Kurt put his fists onto his hips. "Yup! If in doubt, accuse me of being a speciesist! No, an antivulpite! And being wrapped up in Dawn Bellwether's stuff too. Because wanting to keep the mammals out there safe from another howler plot, wanting to treat all species as equal in front of the law, holding a fox to the same standard of a sheep is soooo evil, isn't it? It's very rich coming from someone who said a bunch of ovinophobic stuff earlier, while I don't think I've said anything antivulpistic. Though of course in your worldview a claim of me being guilty of antivulpanism is far more terrible than any institutional ovinophobia on your part, as you believe that foxes are victims and sheep the oppressors, so it's all for the greater good."

"Listen," Bogo seethed. "Actions speak louder than words…"

He was cut off, not by Wassermaim but by Nick, the fox marching out with his arms outstretched. "Woah, woah, woah… Calm down Chief, it's already dead."

"Ah, see, a fox who shares my views," Wassermaim said, exceedingly smugly.

"Yeaahhhh, no," Nick spoke, his brow furrowing as he glared up at the much larger mammal. It was like David staring up at Goliath, yet he remained unphased. "Listen, I don't like you just as much as the Chief doesn't, but I think I've had enough of him digging his own grave while you supply the shovels. Right, first off, you think he's favouring foxes over other mammals? Do you know what he said when he first saw me, when Lionheart's wolves had taken Manchas and Hopps tried to use me as a witness to what had happened?" The expression on the hippo was unreadable, while that on the Chief had changed to one that someone would give when the crap was about to hit the fan. He almost looked ready to step in and stop Nick, only holding back to some hope that the fox had one of his genius schemes up his sleeves.

"No, I do not."

"'You really think I'd believe a fox?'"

The DA burst into laughter, eyes focussed on Bogo while Nick kept a straight face. "I mean, most of the time he looks like he can't stand me. Case in point right now."

"Yeah," Kurt agreed, keeping his eyes on the glaring Chief. "I can totally see that. Your point being?"

"My point being that if he's really going to give favouritism to any species, you really think it'll be foxes? No, that's not the case. Of course, that doesn't matter to you. What matters is that, for whatever reason, you want that fox in jail. Except you can't have him in jail, nobody can, because, as the Chief should have said from the get go, the youth laws state that he can't be sent away and they override the Nighthowler Act!"

"Yeah… No they don't," Wassermaim said. "The Nighthowler Act says that any criminal caught with the howlers gets the treatment."

"Which is funny, as the Youth Act pertains to any youth."

"Yeah, but not in, and I quote, 'truly exceptional circumstances where the public is at great risk of harm.' I think possession of bioweapons, with the risk of having some further out there, sort of meets that definition."

"And, is this incident legally defined as an 'exceptional event'?" Nick asked smugly. "Until you can prove it, then it isn't, so my little friend here goes free!"

Wassermaim paused, breathing in and out before shrugging, a subdued glare levelled at the fox at his feet. "Okay then. If you're playing hardball then so will I. In the name of protecting all the innocent mammals out there from their worst nightmare, I'll take this to the Chief Justice right now and let him decide."

Nick breathed in and out. "So be it," he said, keeping his voice level. "If the judge lets him go, he's let go. If not, he gets sent to one of the reform schools until his trial." There was a pause, as his voice darkened. "I do hope you'll give him the courtesy of giving him a fast one."

There was another pause, Wassermaim folding his arms and looking down, his eyes ever so slightly narrowing. "Actually, I'll be giving the ZPD and my prosecutors as long as I can to investigate this vitally important case and get all the evidence they need to build a good argument. I tend to think that you can't rush good justice!"

Nick's lips pulled back into a slight snarl, though he kept silent as he walked away from the hippo, not giving him a chance to get back in. Returning to the group, he couldn't help but let his heart sink as he saw the rest of his friends. Those less connected, Haida, Retusko, Skye and Jack, were all nervous and concerned; Judy looked heartbroken, shattered by the fact that she could do nothing against this potential injustice; Mr Fox and Mrs Fox had looks of ice cold rage on their face, as if they were just swearing a blood vendetta against the DA, and Ash looked shattered, holding onto his mother's paw while staring forlornly at his cousin and uncle. Dr Silverfox's eyes were misting up, and he held onto his son like a castaway to a piece of driftwood.

And Kris…

He was putting on a brave face, and that hurt Nick the most, as the young fox was trying so hard to not let them see that they were getting to him. But Nick looked into those blue eyes and he knew that, deep down, they were. Oh boy, they were.

"Oh, and by the way," Wassermaim said, as he began lumbering out. "The law says that he's to be kept in the most secure facility possible." He turned and looked at them, and Nick felt his rage at that mammal grow and burn like an inferno as he saw his smile. It wasn't a smile at a job well done, it wasn't a smile born from winning a point against the 'other team' or even one born from a bit of petty schadenfreude. It was the smile he remembered seeing when he was eight, from a very familiar looking chipmunk as he rammed a muzzle onto his snout. It was a smile a mammal gave when he was sticking a knife in and twisting it, quite simply enjoying the pain and suffering it caused. "A reform school just won't do. It said maximum security prison, and that's what I'm going for, cells, uniforms and all."

"-No!" came a shout, as he looked over at Judy, the bunny finally finding her voice. "You're just abusing and twisting a bad law as is to make him suffer. You're not the good guy here."

There was a pause, before he laughed, Nick getting a terrible sinking feeling as that horrible grin was turned up to eleven. "Interesting," he said, as if contemplating it. He opened out his notes and looked through them. "Back then, in the annotations, it says here, and I quote: 'I happen to quite like this law.' Said by one Judy Hopps. I'm glad we can agree on that."

And with that he left, Bogo and the rest of them left standing. Judy looked broken, just broken, holding herself tight as Nick dashed over to hold her. She whimpered out a bit, sniffing. "Oh god, oh god…"

"Don't listen to him," he told her. "Don't"

"Kris," she spoke, her voice breaking as she began crying. "I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry…"

Nick just held her tighter as she turned away in shame. He didn't know what to say, keeping his mouth shut until the cold silence was finally broken by Kris, a slight stutter to his voice as he spoke. "I-it's okay… T-the context was different. It's not your fault." He didn't sound like the peaceful fox who'd taught them meditation less than twenty four hours ago, he sounded weak and afraid. "I-if I get put away, will I be kept here then? In one of the cells?"

The pause was long and cold, before Bogo snapped to attention. "No. You can't stay here, we're an adult facility and any kit would have to be put in the isolation cells, which we legally can't do for more than three days! So he can't win there!" Nick couldn't help but note the look of victory on Bogo's face, as if he'd finally managed to checkmate the damn hippo.

"Then he'll just have to be sent to the reform school," he pointed out. "That's not much better."

Bogo paused and grunted, glaring back. "Well it's not much worse. It's something at least. He hasn't gotten everything he wanted, has he? I mean where else can he send him?"

They were all broken off by a horrible gasp, and turned to look at Ash, the young fox staring back at Nick. "Y-you know where, Nick. You said it yourself."

And then Nick felt his legs buckle and a shot of bile surge up his throat. He felt so shocked and horrid that a ghost of a muzzle began clawing around his mouth, trying to stop him from speaking, something he was barely able to do. "Oh… Yeah…"

He looked up to see everyone with the same scared look on their face. Everyone except Kris and his father. After all, they hadn't been there when he'd spoken.

"Where?" William finally asked. "W-Where…"

Nick felt his body tremble. "You don't want to know."

"I do! This my kit here, Nick. Whatever it is, however bad it is, tell me now!"

Nick closed his eyes, drawing up as much strength as he could manage. "Back when I was a teen, Zootopia moved away from old school juvies, delinquents instead going through the reform schools, community service and probation… But… But there are teens out there too dangerous or sick for that, ones who deserve to go behind actual bars… Murderers, rapists, serial escapers and delinquants. Zootopia still has one large high security juvenile prison, filled with the worst of the worst and… I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, but that's where."

.

.

.

.

Not longer after, the group had moved to the nearby central courthouse. Like before, they were all in a private waiting room, though unlike the one at the ZPD this one was cold and austere, very much fitting the mood. Jack, Skye, Haida and Retsuko, bystanding it all but with their fingers crossed, waited on a sofa off to one side, while Nick and Judy were close to the two fox families. Bogo stood there with them. There wasn't much to do, to say, to talk about.

They just waited, scared for what the future might bring when the decision was made.

The Chief, having walked out of the room for a bit, came back in. "It's under consideration. I gave my argument, Wassermaim gave his, thankfully not inferring any biases on my behalf." He paused, before sighing.

Judy looked on, nervously. "Which judges are looking at them? I mean, are they pro-predator, anti…"

"It wouldn't matter," Bogo remarked. "They don't even know if our suspect is predator or prey, male or female. All they know is that someone came in, and that the Nighthowler Act is vying for dominance against the Youth Justice Act. These are two laws that have never clashed before, nobody expected them to, and now they're working on a precedent."

"I…" Judy began, before sighing. "I don't know if that's good, or bad. I just hate myself right now for supporting that stupid law."

"Hopps," the Chief began. "Nobody is blaming you for this. At the time it was a very useful law…"

"-Which I supported," Judy said. "Which I thought was making the world a better place, only now it's not. Something I supported, something I trusted, has turned out to be bad, again. I've let it happen, again, and all it's done is hurt others." She sniffed a few times, before turning to Kris and his father. While he'd been using meditation to help pass most of the time, he'd been out of any trance since the news of the decision being close had arrived. He'd just sat there instead, caught in the dreadful tension, his future hanging in the balance. His father, meanwhile, was showing his emotions, holding his son tight against him as if this were the last time. Theoretically, Judy realised, it might be. That feeling gut punched her, while Ash seemed to have the same idea.

"If he's found guilty," he asked nervously, "how long could they keep him in prison for?"

Bogo looked down and away. "The Howler Act doesn't impose minimum sentences, but it advises sentencing with extreme prejudice. The max is twenty years, but the Youth Act imposes a maximum term.

"Which is?" William asked fearfully.

"The offenders age when being sentenced. So ten years for a ten year old, the minimum age a mammal here is held as criminally responsible, to… how old is your son?"

"Fourteen, but he'll be fifteen in five months," he said, the words almost catching in his mouth.

"So he may be facing fifteen years then," Bogo spoke, a gasp of fear running through the crowd.

"He'd be older than me," Retsuko said, looking sympathetically at the fox in question.

Judy did too, and she walked forward, paws out to grasp onto Kris'. She realised he was trembling slightly, and she wished, she dearly wished, she was providing him at least some comfort. "I promise," she said, looking into his eyes. "I promise, whatever happens, whether you go home today or you're sent away or they put you away for that long. I'll fight as hard as I can to make sure you are free." She broke off, sniffing, before looking up to Dr Silverfox, tears flowing from his eyes. "I promise, I'll fight for him."

"-I might not be there," he spoke, his voice hoarse and almost too quiet to make out. He shook and sniffed. "I might get ill again before they let him go, I might…"

"I swear!" Judy said resolutely, as he just embraced Kris harder and harder.

"Hopps," Bogo said. "Remember, you're off the case…"

"But…!"

He held up a hoof. "So there'll be some rules if you want to help them privately. One, you do it on your own time. You can book in your spare holiday days, Wilde can too. This upcoming week I will still call you in if needed, but after that you should be solidly available for helping them out. Two, you two do nothing that interferes with your regular duties or the ongoing investigation. Three, if you find evidence pointing towards his guilt, you will give it to us. Even if you don't believe it or think something must be up. You can explain your theories about that when you hand it in. But if I find out you were sitting on it, then you'll be handing over your badges as well. Do you understand?"

There was a pause, before Judy stood up and saluted hard.

Bogo nodded. "I do wish there was more I could do to help you," he said, strolling up and looking into Judy's eyes. "But there's nothing I can legally tell you, not even an anonymous tip." There was a long awkward pause before his phone chimed. He pulled it out and put it back in again. "They're ready to give their decision. I'll see you shortly. Think about what I've just said." He paused, before looking over at Kris, sighing as he did so. "If you're to be taken away, I'll give you the courtesy of doing it myself. I suppose it's the least I could do."

And, with that, he nodded and left the room.

Everything was silent for a second or two, before Mr Fox spoke. "Okay, now that any serious enforcers of the law are gone, let's review the options. Option one, rapid unscheduled holiday break from the country." He turned to look at Skye. "Skye Autumn, Vulpes Velox, getaway driver, owner of a number of fast vehicles that…"

SLAP

He broke off, turning to his wife. "Foxy, please be serious here."

"I think you'll find I am being very serious. Serious enough to put all options on the table and…"

"-Listen, I'm sorry but we're not fleeing the country," Nick interrupted. "Even if we could run and get out, that would make all of us criminals. The ZPD would just call up the police stateside and we'd be caught. Even if we made it to Canidea, then they'd just call up the mounties and the same would happen. We have to face and fight it here, there's no other way."

"Well," he began. "Depending on the security measures in place where…"

"-No prison breaks either!"

Mr Fox paused, trying to work out what to do since all the logical solutions a stable mammal would come up with were ruled out, before looking back at Nick. "Well, what do you propose?"

He breathed in and out, before walking over to Judy. "I'll help look into this with you, Fluff. Heck, I'm sure you'll all help too," he said, looking at the Fox family. Their eyes narrowed.

"Yes will we," Mrs Fox said, Mr Fox nodding in agreement.

"We'll pull every trick, routine, technique, advantage and quote-unquote hustle that I can conceive of before I give in."

"Cuss yeah," Ash agreed, standing up and taking a breath in. He turned, walking over to Kris, the nervous fox looking up at him. He managed a weak smile.

"Thanks."

"It's what family does. What friends do. You're both, and you did it to me when I was just one of those to you. I'll be here for you, little cous'."

Kris managed a brief chuckle at that, but the cold nerves soon flowed back into him as he stared off into the middle distance. Still close to his father on one side, Ash came up close on the other.

"-Count me in too," came a surprising voice from the other side of the room. Nick and Judy turned, looking right at Jack. "What? It's doing more…"

Haida nodded. "Yeah. Retsy and I are thinking of becoming detectives, and if we're not going to protect an innocent kit, then what's the point?"

His girlfriend nodded. "We'll still be at work during the day, but we can lend you our nights."

Skye smiled, nodding. "Felicity, do you even need a response from me to know that I'm in too?"

"No. Thank you," she sniffed.

Meanwhile, Nick smiled and looked down at Judy. "Seems you won't be doing this all alone."

"No," she said, her voice picking up. She breathed in, held herself high, and briefed her new crew. "We'll fight, and we'll keep on fighting. If we can find the real culprit, heck, if we find something that proves it definitely wasn't Kris, then we win and he is free. That's our goal."

There was a round of cheers, though as they died down one mammal was going down a lot further. "But what if Wassermaim's stubborn?" Ash asked. "What if he ignores it, tries to keep it until a trial anyway? K… Kris might not go there for years, but he can still keep him there for the best part of one even if you do prove he didn't do it! It's… it's... It's just not fair!"

He almost yelled it out, before breaking off, huffing in and out. He glanced at Kris though and, with a deep breath in, tried to hold it together. Nick, meanwhile, had his ears and tail going down, his head soon finding itself in his paws. "Dammit, dammit…"

"Well if he doesn't, we could turn the public against him," Retsuko suggested.

"Okay," Nick asked. "How?"

She smiled, bringing out her phone. "Social media. Protests. All that. After all, Haida and I have one other mammal as part of our group, one who's a goddess with this stuff."

"Yeah," the hyena agreed. "Heck, Fenneko was probably born to do that, and to be our detective. I mean, she worked out who Kris was and found a picture of him on social media, just from me telling her about my meeting with him on that bus. She's that scary."

"Yeah," Nick said confidently, before frowning a little. "Okay, not sure if I'm ready or not to see the results of any drunken shipping I did last night, but I suppose meeting Finnick again after all this time will be… an event."

Judy looked over her army of helpers before turning around, paws to her heart as she looked at the two mammals she swore to help. She would put things right for them, she would work night and day to right this horrible wrong. She promised them then and there that she wouldn't stop trying, and she wouldn't know when to quit.

Kris, who, all this time, had been on a knife's edge between worry and fear and a self enforced calmness and confidence that things, however long they took, would turn out alright (because that was how the world worked, and with how much worrying they were doing over him he had to stay strong for them), nodded. He took a breath in and, though still scared, managed a brief smile. If there was one thing he didn't feel right then, at the nadir of this terrible wait, it was alone.

"Thanks," he said, smiling a bit despite the nerves.

A smile that flickered away as the door opened, and Chief Bogo stepped in.

.

.

.

AN: On a scale of 0-10, how evil am I?

Anton Pounceheart is a reference to the reporter of the same name from the fic 'Three Months a Fox' by WildeNick. In this story, he's more modelled on the stereotype of a populist youtuber. Given that he was never seen or described in 'Three Months a Fox' (you only ever read his articles) I intend to follow the same kind of route here.

And, just to be clear (if I wasn't already), just because he gives certain advice potentially 'relevant' to current events doesn't mean I endorse it. I just find it makes everything all the more interesting. (And this is why, as said at the start, carry on following Covid advice. That stuff does exist, it ain't a conspiracy, it isn't all the fault of an evil sheep.)

Murana Wolford is DarkFlameWolf's Zoosona and starred in her fanfic 'In Darkness I hide.' CEO of Lemming brothers by day, something else entirely by night, she's also married to Anthony Wolford (of the ZPD) and has two adopted children (the Zoosona's of Berserker and DrummerMax). They'll all be popping up later on.

See you all next week.

.

.

Cast list (at the end of Anonymous Vulpine (Chapter 5)):

Broken into: ZPD/ law mammals; Fantastic Mr Fox; Aggretsuko; Jack and Skye; other (in alphabetical order).

.

.

ZPD /law mammals, friends and family.

Nick Wilde: the reformed ex-hustler turned cop, partner of Judy Hopps. Saved Ash Fox in 'Different', and was a family friend ever since. Lately named as the god father of Ash's new brother.

Mama Wilde: Nick's mother. Works as a lunch lady at Ash's school.

Finnick: Nick's former hustling partner, taking Nick's joining of the ZPD badly. Formerly served a large period of time in Juvenile detention for some serious crimes and estranged from his family ever since. Currently started dating Fenneko.

Judy Hopps: Zootopia's own bunny cop. Partner of Nick Wilde. Currently looking after a necklace for Kozlov.

Kii Catano: A female cheetah officer, first introduced in 'Elementary Introductions'. Officially investigating Kris' case with Detective Oates.

Detective Oates: Horse detective of Precinct 1, first met when interrogating Kazar in 'Taking out the Trash'. Officially investigating Kris' case with Kii Catano.

Detectives Dave and Basil Dawson: Husband and husband, the two mice are the ZPD's newest detectives and incredibly talented. Had a long feud with the long missing Professor Rattigan, and are currently off on an 'investigative holiday' in Slavulpinch, Ewekraine, chasing up a lead.

Chief Bogo: Da chief.

DA Kurt Wassermaim: Controversial Hippo District Attorney, previously discussed but only seen in 'Anonymous Vulpine'. Promoted by Bellwether during the middle of the Nighthowler crisis over the older favourite, ADA Jeanette Deux, and though never proven suspected to have been part of her plot. Seen to have had a bias against predators, and a grudge against bank CEO Murana Wolford.

ADA Jeanette Deux (borrowed from Ubernoner's 'Son's of Efrafa'): White tailed deer doe in a relationship with a mountain lion and assistant to the District Attorney. Seen at the meet up in 'So we're Inters now'. Does not get on with her boss.

Officer Jones: Tiger officer who arrested Kris.

Chief Ramic (Cimar's Zoosona): Kangaroo Chief of Outback island, big supporter of Inter rights. First seen in 'So we're inters now'. Secret co-founder of WildeHopps shipping club.

Eliot Fanghanel (borrowed from Koraru-San): White wolf officer and co-founder of WildeHopps shipping club.

Chloe Fanghanel (borrowed from Koraru-San): Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) wife of Eliot Fanghanel. Sole member of the forks appreciation club.

.

Fox/Silverfox family and co.

Mr Fox (Frederick 'Foxy' Fox): Ex-ranger, current newspaper writer and pest controller, father to Ash Fox.

Mrs Fox (Felicity Fox): Wife of Mr Fox, mother of Ash Fox, currently pregnant with a new kit.

Ash Fox: the angsty teenage son of Mr and Mrs Fox. Trying to embrace life after a very dark moment, despite coming off as a bit 'different' at times. Slightly older (but much shorter) cousin to Kris.

Dr William Silverfox: Mrs Fox's brother in law, husband to her (deceased) sister, and father of Kristofferson Silverfox. Emigrated to Zootopia from Canidea after recovering from a serious case of double pneumonia, caused by an ice fishing accident.

Kristofferson Silverfox: Son of Dr Silverfox. Sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle due to his father's illness. A very well adjusted, mature and gifted mammal, though due to the accident he has a slight phobia of the cold. Slightly younger (but much taller) cousin to Ash.

Kylie: Opossum sidekick to Mr Fox.

Remmy and Remus Packson (wolves); Mitch Dewclaw (wildcat); Maisy Calrama (ewe); Jenny Bourke (wombat): School friends of Kris and Ash. Maisy briefly met Nick and Judy in 'Meditation Mediation' but got worried and left early. Also spotted leaving the school at the start of Anonymous Vulpine.

Agnes: Vixen classmate of Kris and Ash, previously Ash's girlfriend, now Kris'.

Beavis Chuckman: Woodchuck bully to Ash (and to a lesser extent others). Cameoed in Meditation Mediation.

Brittany Voxen (borrowed from Kittah/Variable Mammals): Vixen form prefect to Ash, Kris and those above.

Coach Skip: Albino otter coach at their school.

The principal: Female springbok head of the school.

.

Aggretsuko crew:

Retsuko: A red panda office worker who blows off steam by singing death metal.

Haida: A dentally challenged spotted hyena, works with and loves Retsuko.

Fenneko: Social media goddess fennec vixen friend of the above. Distinctive laugh. Currently started dating Finnick.

Anai: Japanese badger graduate at their firm and cooking enthusiast. Noted for 'standing up to his rights,' being a perennial formal complainer in writing if he feels he's being taken advantage of. (Do not piss off).

Ookami: A maned wolf worker, who also assisted Nick Wilde in an undercover operation (with Nick pretending to be a young maned wolf).

Kabae, Tsunoda: (hippo, Dik-Dik (dwarf gazelle)): Two gossip mouthed workers at Retsuko's firm. In season 1 of the show, Kabae was briefly arrested on espionage charges before being let go.

Secretary Washimi and Marketing Director Gori: Secretary bird and gorilla friends of Retsuko. Also known as 'The Baddest Bitches in the room'. Cameoed in Meditation Mediation.

PROTEIN: Retsuko, Washimi and Gori's kangaroo yoga instruction. First glanced in universe in 'Meditation Mediation', only ever says 'Protein'.

Director Ton: the overbearing literal misogynistic pig boss of the accounting department.

.

Jack and Skye:

Jack Savage: Tehuantepec jackrabbit writer and director, previously knew Judy in a university drama society. Bar his acting, a notoriously lazy mammal.

Skye Autumn: Swift fox vixen, a mechanic who previously knew (and didn't get along well) with Nick Wilde. Hired to help fix a broken set.

Buster Moon: The koala owner of the theatre. He means well.

Eddie (sheep): Buster Moon's friend and financier.

Siwili Autumn: Grey fox and Skye's adoptive mother. Of native American descent, but kicked out of her tribe when she married her swift fox army husband.

Sweetie/Skye's sister: A sharp dressed army lieutenant and adopted red fox sister of Skye. Goes by her previous last name 'Fox' in order to avoid any nepotism. Currently stationed in South Korea.

.

Other:

Dr Amy Lupuleli: Binturong psychiatrist to both Ash Fox, Nick Wilde and Honey Badger.

Anton Pounceheart (borrowed from WildeNick's 3 months a fox): An intrepid off-screen reporter/ Ewetuber, who very quickly learnt that stuff was up with the Nighthowler plot and by the end was trying to organise an active resistance. Held in a high standard for 'calling it' after the plot, has carried on campaigning. Like in the original fic, will be an offscreen only character.

Daz (Crewefox's Zoosona): A nurse working at a Rainforest hospital, helped Skye with her broken leg in Skye's Fall.

Duke Weaselton: small time petty criminal, previously (unknowingly) involved in the first nighthowler crisis. Had an unfortunate run in with a pair of big cats, before being arrested by Nick and Judy. Encountered at the end of his community service again in 'Meditation Mediation'.

Frantic pig: The owner of Flora and Fauna (the store Duke stole from) in the movie. His nighthowlers being stolen kickstarted much of the plot.

'Gruinard Gal': An ovineophobic Ewetuber who briefly worked with Anton Pounceheart during the Nighthowler crisis, pinning the blame on Dawn Bellwether form the start.

Honey Badger: unstable sheep hating Honey Badger/ratel, being treated by Dr Amy in 'The Bin and the Badge'. Formerly worshipping Nick and Judy for taking down Bellwether, had her faith shattered when they had to dart her after her escape from the mental hospital.

Jorin: Syrian wild ass and friend of Kozlov, resides in Slavulpinch, Ewekraine. Opposed to 'Sizogo Orla'.

Kazar (from 'The Wild'): A pred hating wildebeest, supposedly the 2nd in command of an evil speciesist plot. Taken down in 'Taking out the Trash'.

Kozlov: Former polar bear bodyguard to Mr Big, currently in Slavulpinch, Ewekraine, with Jorin. Motives and alliances unknown, but seem to be against 'Sizogo Orla'. Has entrusted an heirloom necklace to Judy.

Madge Badger: Honey's sister and the Dr from the movie. While never formerly charged as part of the missing mammals' case, her experience scared her and, seeing her sister spiral out of control, requested her comital.

Murana Wolford (Darkflamewolf's Zoosona): CEO of Lemming Brothers bank, and recipient of a number of spurious charges from DA Kurt Wassermaim.

Kazar's benefactor: An unknown mammal who had once commanded Kazar, still out there and wanted.

Mysterious big cats: A lion and tiger who enquired about 'Sylvester', Moon's sarcophagus trinket, in Acting Out. Once darted Duke in the face later by accident.

Mysterious three mammals: Shown observing the news of Kris' arrest from afar, and one has supposedly encountered Nick, Judy and Bogo before, along with his enemy. May have had many other cameos going on.

Other fox cops: A second ZPD fox cop is mentioned, along with a vixen currently going through the academy.

'Petey': A goat mentioned by Duke as interested in him in 'Special Little Mammals', briefly looked for but not found early on in the case.

Professor Padriac Rattigan: Once nemesis of Basil and Dave, long since missing but presumed still out there. Had an entourage including Felicity Pawker, a cannibalistic cat and his lover, and Fidget, his bat lacky. Current status unknown.

'Sizogo Orla': Unknown presumed enemy of Jorin and Kozlov.

Unnamed Horse: Patient of Dr Amy and Uber driver encountered in 'Skye's Fall'. Generally very helping to his detriment, past survivor of something intense.

Vixen Inspector: A vixen inspector mentioned many times, working for Interpol (I'm sure none of you will mind me revealing that it's Carmelita Fox (from Sly Cooper)).