Chapter 9: Palm Hotel & Casino Royale - Part 2

Mr. and Mrs. Pawson entered into the main lobby through the revolving doors. McHorn was stationed by the entrance and nodded silently to his fellow officers. Nick walked with a swagger and smugness like he owned the place. Judy remained graceful but it was hard to contain the excitement inside of her as she scanned the beautiful interior of the Palm Hotel. The spacious kidney shaped lobby was richly decorated into an oasis paradise with several indoor ponds and streams, palm trees, grass patches, and luscious desert greenery. Swirling energetic patterns adorned the lobby walls and were lit from the inside to create a luminous eye catching effect.

As they continued down the main walkway towards the reception desk, Judy looked to her right and saw a large colorful lounging area filled with well dressed mammals. Located behind that was a bar and restaurant that led to a dining balcony on the second floor. Her ears detected the melodious music of a grand piano being played above. To her left was a newstand and several small gift shops full of shoppers.

Mammals of all kinds went bustling and chattering about their business around them, ranging from tourists and vacationers, business executives and conference attendees, casino gamblers, and those looking for a simple weekend getaway in the spa and resort offerings of the hotel. Several of these same mammals were craning their necks and casting all manners of stares at this unorthodox yet classy looking couple as they walked by.

Judy, in particular, was getting her fair share of ogling from a handful of passersby. Unknownst to her, the fox noticed one particular rabbit guest was leering so unbridledly at his partner, that Nick decided to have some fun and went out of his way to make direct eye contact with the rabbit, smirk, and mouth the words, "Yeah, she's with me pal," while pointing a thumb to himself. The salty buck returned a vicious glare while Nick just winked back.

They arrived at the large circular reception desk that engulfed a giant heavily branched tree decorated with hanging lights and released soothing waterfalls from the base of its trunk in every cardinal direction into a small moat behind the hotel staff. While waiting in line, Judy tugged on Nick's arm to get his attention.

"Yes Dear?" he whispered in character and leaned over.

"So, Daniel… Clawhauser shared with me that Gazelle has a personal suite here in the hotel and that it takes up the entire top floor," she whispered this trivia to him.

"Claws would know that, wouldn't he?" the fox chuckled.

The bunny also laughed and then asked, "The hotel is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Classy. Just how I like my women," he smiled at his pretend wife.

"Don't you start already, Slick!" she whispered back with a mock smirk. Secretly, a part of Judy enjoyed that small bit of Nick's sometimes flirty nature.

Soon they were standing at the front of the line and a well dressed giraffe greeted them from behind the desk, "Good evening. How may I help you Sir and Madam?"

Nick reached into his suit and handed over their special invitations. The giraffe scanned the documents, "Ah. Yes, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Pawson. We are delighted to have you here with us tonight. Please take the elevator behind the reception desk up to the second floor. Ballroom number two. It will be on your right down the hall." The receptionist handed the invitations back to Nick.

"Thank you my good Mammal," Nick replied with a courteous nod and escorted Judy behind the desk and towards the small orbicular glass elevator.

They briefly waited till they could take the elevator alone. As they ascended, Coltson radioed in through their concealed MBI issued earpieces. "Very good, Officers. We have eyes on you. Remember that you will need to mingle with Felisky and pique his interest so that he offers you a seat in his game. We have an agent on standby with your buy-in. The rest will be up to you Officer Wilde. Do not lose."

The fox and bunny shared a side glance, while Nick raised an eyebrow and smirked towards the lobby down below. "No pressure," he drawled.

"I know you can do this Nick," Judy said giving his paw a quick squeeze and a beaming smile while she smoothened out a small wrinkle on his suit.

Looking down at those warm and reassuring eyes, Nick felt a surge of confidence, and smiled back. The elevator arrived on the second floor and the pair stepped out.

Instead of hooking her arm back into Nick's, Judy reached out and held his paw instead. Judy could feel so much warmth from Nick's larger paw pads. Nick was playing it cool but couldn't focus on anything else but how velvety and soft her petite paw felt tonight. It wasn't the first time their paws touched but somehow, in this moment, it felt entirely different. He fought back the natural urge to want to brush his thumb pad along the top of it.

They passed Ballroom One and a private spa room. Judy peeked inside the spa room to see a large crescent shaped moss floor parlour filled with several different scaled bathtubs, indoor ponds, and a fur dryer that used rotating rolls. A private elevator was located in the back. There was an elephant-sized gazebo bed with its own salt lick and fruit basket that lead to another balcony with an outdoor pool and a telescope mounted on the patio railing. It looked like an amazing place to spend a day she thought.

Making their way further down the hall, they reached the entrance to Ballroom Two where Fangmeyer and Trunkaby were posted in their fake hotel security uniforms alongside a few other hotel staff. Subtle nods were exchanged and a hotel employee asked for their invitations at the door. Nick handed them over once again. The employee nodded, opened the large wooden double doors, and stepped aside.

Mr. and Mrs. Pawson stepped inside and made their entrance.


Nick looked around nonchalantly as if this was just another fancy party for Mr. Pawson. Ballroom Two was an elegant and spacious elliptical chamber that opened into a patterned luxurious white marble dance floor surrounded with several organic curved nooks and cubbies that housed different recreational and serving stations. Hanging palm themed chandeliers softly lit the room with a warm and inviting atmosphere. To their right, they saw the modern designed bar stocked with very expensive alcohol. Brian was already behind the counter mixing drinks and handing them off to Wolfard who delivered them to the expectant guests. The smaller wolf and fox's eyes briefly met to acknowledge each other and Brian continued his mixing.

Behind the bar, lining the wall, were several lounging booths built to accommodate mammals of all different sizes. A few well dressed guests already occupied some of the seats, socializing and drinking away the time. Behind them was a small hallway that led to the restrooms. Across from the booths along the far wall was the card playing table with ten adjustable seats. It looked exquisitely crafted and maintained. Further along the wall was a private elevator door. The room ended with another set of booths and a food station. Most of the mammals in the room were gathered there with fancy drinks and hors d'oeuvres in paw. Nick assumed he would be the only fox at this gathering but he was surprised to see there were no rabbits present other than Judy.

Wolfard appeared next to Nick and Judy with two drinks on his server tray that Brian had prepared for them. The fox nodded and took both drinks, handing the smaller one to Judy. Nick's drink was a blueberry mojito while Judy's was a virgin piña colada. She was thankful that Brian made hers nonalcoholic.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pawson," Wolfard greeted and then leaned in to whisper. "He's at the far end entertaining some guests by the food station."

"Thank you Marcus," Nick replied without having to look at his nametag and took a sip of his drink. He slipped Wolfard a tip to keep up appearances. "Please give my regards to the bartender for a splendid drink."

"My pleasure, Sir. Madam," he replied properly and returned to the bar.

The duo turned back to the far food station and finally saw their target. He was hidden amongst a few of the larger guests and came into view as some of them parted to get more refreshments. Felisky was a small, slim, lithe feline, with brown fur marked with numerous rows of black rosettes and longitudinal streaks with piercing blue eyes. The margay was not much taller than Judy. His suit was in similar fashion to Nick's and he wore an expensive Pawlex watch on his right wrist and held a glass of red wine in his left paw. Nick and Judy held paws again and walked towards Felisky.

As he gossiped enthusiastically, the margay couldn't help but notice the unique couple approaching him from the corner of his eye. Excusing himself, he met the fox and bunny halfway, followed by three much larger mammals, a tiger, lion, and polar bear who they presumed were bodyguards.

"Good evening to you both. I do not believe we have had the pleasure of introductions," the feline extended his paw to the fox first. He spoke articulately with a soft exotic accent. "Arthur Elliot Felisky."

Nick released Judy's paw and gave the margay a hearty pawshake. "Pleasure is all mine, Mr. Felisky. Daniel Pawson. And my lovely wife, Elena Pawson," he replied in his friendly, smooth, and silky ex-con voice.

Felisky turned to fully face Judy with quite the charming smile, "If I may be so bold, Mrs. Pawson, you look absolutely exquisite." He briefly took her free paw and kissed the top of it. "Mr. Pawson is a very lucky mammal."

It was hard to hold back the blushes at such words from both Nick and Arthur but Judy graciously nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Felisky. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The feline smiled with a small bow, "Please, call me Arthur. I must say, I have never met a predator and prey couple before. You must tell me about yourselves. I would love to hear how you two met."

Judy bit the inside of her lower lip. She and Nick devised a fairly loose backstory on how they met and just how exactly 'Daniel' managed to sweep 'Elena' off her feet. The bunny wasn't expecting their target to ask about that topic right away. Before Judy could even look to Nick, her partner was not skipping any beats, and already answering the question. Nicholas P. Wilde was now in his element.

"Of course, Arthur. A great story that… you see, Elena and I..." Nick gestured to Judy and himself, "are actually from Bunnyburrow and Deerbrooke County. Both of our families started as small time farmers. When I took over my family's farm, after my parents passed away, I dreamt of expanding it and began to dabble in real estate to earn more profit on the side to accelerate its growth. My goal was to be able to provide all the mammals of the tri-burrows and the city of Zootopia with quality food."

Nick took a sip of his drink before continuing, "One day, I was driving through Bunnyburrow and visiting several farms, looking for new business partners, when I drove by a local fruit stand..." Nick turned to look directly at Judy for the full effect, "where I saw the most beautiful mammal I'd ever seen in my life. I immediately yelled at my driver to pull over."

Both Judy and Arthur were listening intently. Nick's charisma, tone of voice, and his disarming smile were truly selling the story. The way her partner looked into her eyes, sent a small shiver through the bunny. His acting was on point and it caused her to feel genuinely flushed. Judy smiled back with sparkling half lidded eyes.

The fox turned back to their feline target, "So, I approached the fruit stand and introduced myself, only to be enamored again, when I was greeted by such a warm and irresistible smile. I asked her if she would come have lunch with me. I was rejected, not because I was a fox, but because she had to stay and run the family fruit stand. However, I wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. I simply asked her, how much for all the fruit that she needed to sell. After a moment, she actually gave me a number, so I paid double that. Then I asked her if she was available to join me now. She said yes. So, my driver and I loaded all the fruit, and I took Elena to her favorite restaurant."

Felisky enjoyed a hearty chuckle from the turn of events in Nick's little fairy tale.

Judy now spoke up, following Nick's lead, to help finish selling the story with her own beaming gaze to Nick, "It's true Arthur. I was not expecting such a grand gesture just so this stubborn fox could spend an hour with me," she giggled and leaned closer to him. "We clicked right away. That single hour turned into the entire day. After Daniel sampled some of our organically grown fruit that he purchased, he insisted that our family farms become partners. He offered to expand our farm and we would be his new primary fruit providers."

"You should try their blueberries," Nick made a kissing gesture to the ceiling, "they are to die for!" Pausing for a moment, he added one last touch, "After we began to work together, I learned Elena had gone to Zootopia to study business, accounting, and marketing, so I offered her to be my business partner. Most mammals don't take kindly to working with a fox. Without her, I could never have achieved my success alone, and the rest is history…"

The margay watched the couple share another glance, "Such a marvelous story of love and triumph. My family is from the far South. I too know the struggles of having little and working tirelessly against oppressive cultural views to prove oneself. We smaller mammals have always endured an uphill struggle." He gestured with his own drink.

"I'm happy to see that you have done well for yourself too, Arthur. This is a lovely gathering," Judy complimented.

"Thank you, Elena," Felisky answered.

Before the smaller feline could say more, an attendant came by, placed a paw on his shoulder, and whispered into his ear. Felisky said something back and waved his subordinate away. A few moments of silence followed and Judy observed that Felisky seemed to be sizing up Nick with a lingering gaze while casting a curious smile towards her partner.

"It would appear that one of my esteemed guests regrettably canceled her invitation this evening," he finally said to Nick. "Mr. Pawson, could I interest you in a game of Hold'em? I have an available seat now at my private tournament tonight. The buy-in is twenty million dollars."

It took considerable effort for Judy to not cough or become wide eyed at the mention of twenty million dollars. Nick, on the other hand, made a smirk as if this was pocket change to Mr. Pawson.

"I would be delighted, Arthur."

"Excellent. We will begin in one hour. If you would be so kind, you may prepare your buy-in with Mr. Camille, the camel in the red vest, by the playing table. He will take care of you," Felisky informed and pointed with his drink to the mammal in question.

"Thank you. I'll do just that. See you at the game," Nick nodded.

The margay watched the couple head back towards the table with continued interest. A small well dressed female capybara appeared next to Felisky and patiently awaited his attention.

"Maria," he greeted. "Were you able to check on our unique new guests?"

The small secretary leaned over, "Yes, Mr. Felisky. The Pawsons check out. It would seem Mr. Pawson is of considerable new wealth. I have never known a fox to be so successful, Sir."

"And most thought the same of a margay, my dear. Still, I am very intrigued by both of them," He swished his expensive red wine around in his paw. "Let us see how our Mr. Pawson handles himself at the table. Perhaps after the game, he may become a new asset in our business network," Felisky mused and stole one last glance towards the fox and bunny before waving the capybara away.

"Yes Sir," she replied and left to continue her tasks.

As the Pawsons approached the table, they were greeted by a well dressed mammal who identified himself as Mr. Pawson's financial keeper. Nick nodded and the undercover MBI agent followed him to speak with Mr. Camille to stake his buy-in for the tournament. Once Nick's seat was secured, he and Judy took the opportunity to mentally prepare for their task at a nearby booth.

Leaning back in the booth and finishing his mojito, Nick's eyes wandered around the card table area, looking at the mammals nearby, trying to spot the ones he might be playing against shortly. Judy on the other hand, was looking at Nick, watching him concentrate on his own thoughts. She smiled to herself. Her partner and best friend, the clever hustler, working his craft.

The bunny's ears perked at the sound of the classical music that quietly played in the ballroom and she turned her head to watch several mammals slow dancing on the marble dance floor. Judy always loved to dance, from any dancing events at school, to all the Bunnyburrow hoedowns and shindigs, and bunny weddings she had attended. It reminded her of how much fun she had dancing with Nick at the Gazelle Unity concert. A part of her didn't want to interupt his musings but the other part wanted to help Nick relax with a little bit of fun before the game. An opportunity to be so formally dressed and in such lavish surroundings may never happen again.

"Oh, Daniel?" she called for his attention in a sweet tone while in character.

"Yes, Dear?" he answered turning his gaze away from the table and towards her.

"Would you have this dance?" she asked with lidded eyes and held her paw out.

"Did you already forget how terrible I am at dancing from the concert?" he smiled while trying to deflect her request.

"Don't be like that! Besides, it'll really sell the story. After all, you didn't get to wear your cowboy hat," she teased him.

Nick chuckled and whispered back. "Hah. Taking notes I see. Aren't you the master apprentice, Fluff?"

Judy wasn't budging. She simply closed and opened her paw a few times in rapid succession, gesturing for him to take it, "I did learn from the best. Or maybe the worst!"

The fox made a mock exasperation of a wounded heart but finally relented with a sigh and gently took her paw and lead her out of the booth and onto the dance floor. They clasped paws and Nick placed his other paw on the small of her back, while Judy hooked her other arm along his taller arm and shoulder. Their height difference did make it slightly comical but the two managed to move and sway gracefully to the sounds of a classical waltz.

"It feels like I'm dancing with your torso," the bunny laughed while whispering up to his chin.

"Well, you are a cute short bunny. Just don't step on my tail this time," Nick teased her by swishing his tail around to lightly brush up against her side.

This earned him a light thump on the shin. Judy peered up at him with a lidded mock scowl and a small smile on her muzzle, "Don't call me cute! And maybe you should learn to keep that thing in it's place."

"What can I say? It has a mind of its own," he whispered back.

They both laughed and continued to move around in comfortable silence.

Wolfard came up to the bar while Brian was shaking a drink in his mixer. The smaller gray timberwolf looked across the ballroom to see his old classmate dancing with his partner and smiled.

"You see it too, huh?" Wolfard asked while peeking back over his shoulder.

"Yeah. I can 'perceive' it," Brian replied with a cryptic choice of words and an amused grin.

The darker timberwolf chuckled. "I hear you." He pretended to scratch his chin while tapping a finger to his nose. "It's funny they don't seem to."

Brian loaded up Wolfard's server tray with the latest orders and he left to deliver them. Soon the hour was up and the players began to take their seats.

Coltson spoke up again through the mic, "Everyone is in position and standing by. Bring him in, Wilde."

"You got it, Colts," he quietly replied knowing that Coltson hated that nickname.

Judy gave him a good luck hug, smiled, and whispered into his ear, "Go get him, Slick." Then she departed his side to watch the game from the allowed spectator's area.

Nick took a seat directly across from Felisky while a staff member delivered his chips. It was game on.


Another camel in a stylish black collared shirt and Palm Hotel & Casino vest took his spot at the Dealer's seat and began to shuffle the cards. The seven other players at the table were a variety of dapper mammals that included a koala, who sat on the Dealer's left, followed by a moose, ewe, zebra, panda, Nick, cheetah, and even a female rodent, before ending at Felisky who was seated to the right of the Dealer. Several of the players shot disapproving glances at Nick. He expected it. He knew what their eyes were saying.

Ignoring them with his usual smug smirk, the fox looked around the table making initial observations about their attire and body language. The panda looked very relaxed, his chips sloppily arranged, while the cheetah seemed high strung. The ewe looked to be disinterested in general. The impatient looking koala appeared to be lost in thought rearranging his chips, while the zebra, moose, and rodent appeared very eager to begin. Their hooves and paws flexing near their chips. Glancing back over at his main opponent seated across the table, he observed Felisky casually thumbing a chip clockwise in his paw while gracefully leaning on his elbow. The margay's chips were meticulously stacked.

Nick made his own nice stack of chips in front of him. Leaning forward on his right arm, he would occasionally, though consistently, drum his claws on the table. One of his few strategies to look casual and fake a tell of his own. He was very adept at maintaining his usual foxy smug smirk which often made him hard to read, applying his own creed of 'never let them see that they get to you' on each hand played.

The Dealer signaled for everyone's attention and spoke up to announce the start of the game, "Good evening Ladies and Gentlemammals. Tonight's game is no limit Hold'em, five communal cards, two in the hole, small blinds start at ten thousand. We will begin."

The small blind began with the koala, while the moose got the big blind of twenty thousand. The dealer dealt the first round of cards beginning with the ewe going clockwise, followed by the second round. Nick didn't bother to check his cards yet. He subtly scanned the table looking for any early signs or tells as the other players checked their cards. No reactions from any of the mammals. The zebra and the cheetah folded. Putting his right paw over his cards, Nick took the opportunity now to check them by lifting the edges. A King of Diamonds and a Three of Spades. Memorizing his cards, he decided not to fold and called to keep his hand in play.

Everyone else also called and the dealer proceeded to discard a burn card and then slid the Flop, three face-up communal cards, onto the table. There was a pair of Kings, Heart and Spades, and a Queen of Hearts. Not bothering to look at the Flop yet, Nick was spying his fellow players once again.

The first potential tell came from the ewe as Nick noticed she began to pluck some of her wool from behind her cards and then raised the bet.

"Forty thousand," she said while sliding her chips over.

Without checking his cards again, the panda who was sitting with his arms crossed on the table, called the ewe's raise. Nick called as well, while drumming his claws, so he could continue his observations. Glancing over at the small rodent to his left, she didn't give any noticeable signs yet and called. Finally, it was Felisky's turn. He was still flipping the same chip in his paw and also called. The fox noticed the margay watching him closely as well. The koala and moose also called the ewe's bet.

Burning another card and then placing the fourth card, the Turn, the Dealer revealed a Six of Hearts. He waited for the players to make their next moves. This round the ewe checked, however the panda raised, "Sixty thousand," he softly announced after what Nick perceived to be a barely discernable eye twitch.

Nick continued to drum, deciding to raise, to test reactions, "Eighty thousand."

A tiny ear flapped and the rodent player called, "Eighty thousand." The fox took note of the gesture.

Felisky remained neutral but raised the bet, "One hundred thousand."

The koala quietly rearranged his cards and called, something the fox took note of. The moose held his cards tightly and called. Another possible hint, Nick thought. Coming back around to the ewe, panda, Nick, and the rodent, all four of them called again.

With the final burn card being discarded, the Dealer dealt the River, showing the last communal card, a Two of Clubs. All the mammal's eyes were on the final card except for Nick and Felisky who momentarily caught each other's gaze.

The ewe checked by knocking on the table. The panda raised to one hundred twenty thousand. That twitch was there again. Nick called it and so did the rodent. With eyes on Felisky again, he detected what appeared to be the slightest tug of a lip curl. The margay tried to play it off by simply leaning on his paw and looking thoughtful.

"Two hundred thousand," Felisky raised.

The moose, ewe, and koala folded this time. The panda, followed by Nick, and the rodent called. No more raises and everyone checked. Finally, the fox looked at the five communal cards on the table. Nick suspected there may be a Full House or two amongst the remaining other three players.

The rodent revealed a Ten and Jack of Hearts, giving her a Flush. The panda spread his cards to reveal a pair of Queens, Spade and Clubs each, giving him the Full House and a better hand over the rodent. Nick just smirked and tossed his cards showing his King of Diamonds and a Three of Spades. He only had Three of a Kind. The panda was still in the lead. All eyes settled on Felisky, who halted thumbing his chip, and casually flipped his cards over. The fourth King and Queen cards of the deck. The other possible Full House. It was stronger than the panda's hand, King's high over Queens. The first pot of the evening went to Arthur Elliot Felisky.

"Well played, my friends," he complimented the table.

The panda had a slight look of disappointment and huffed.

Nick glanced over and decided to make some small chit chat of his own, "You had a good hand there. Tough deal in the end, huh big guy?"

His commentary was unwanted as the larger mammal turned his head with a look of contempt, "Keep your mouth and your eyes to yourself fox." He stressed the word 'fox' as if it was a slur.

All eyes at the table now flicked to the fox and panda. Mr. Pawson kept his perfect composure and just smiled back. Judy, who was watching from a short distance behind Nick, was able to listen to all the table chatter, scowled and shot the panda a vicious glare. If they weren't on duty and undercover, she would have walked over and given that chubby mammal a piece of her mind.

Felisky directed his attention to the panda, "Mr. Chanda, please, I rather appreciate my guest's affable demeanor." His eyes narrowed and ears slightly flattened. "Please apologize to Mr. Pawson for your crass manners."

Judy's ears twitched. Something was different about how the margay spoke those particular words to the panda. The bunny couldn't understand why. She blinked away the confusion to look back at the table.

For a brief second, the panda also blinked, then he turned to face Nick with a somewhat blank daze, "Mr. Pawson, I apologize for my behavior. Please forgive me." Mr. Chanda bowed and he turned back to his chips.

Nick barely raised an eyebrow but maintained his smirk and a friendly tone, "No apology necessary, Mr. Chanda. Let's get back to the game, shall we?"

"Yes, indeed." Felisky answered for him.

Glancing back over again, Nick noticed the panda seemed to be sitting in a small moment of confusion before leaning back over the table, ready to continue playing. His words felt hollow and insincere. Nick shrugged it off for now and directed his attention back to the game.

The blinds moved over and the next round began. The fox continued his strategy, slowly bleeding chips by staying in till the River, to pick up on all the tells, signs, and patterns he could catch, several of which began to repeat themselves depending on good hands or bluffs.

The ewe played with her wool or looked bored. The zebra had a double glance or a lip bite. His favorite panda pal had his eye twitch or poked his sloppy chips. The cheetah had a whisker twitch or would bet nervously with a good hand. The rodent tried to conceal a subtle tail swish or an ear flap. The koala would rearrange his cards from top to bottom or adjust his neck tie. The moose liked to hold his cards tightly or his nostrils would slightly flare.

Nick also picked up on the smaller prey animals being more aggressive, as if the game gave them the rush to feel like a predator at the table, particularly the ewe and the rodent. The panda enjoyed taking risks as well. Felisky, on the other hand, was the most difficult to read. His lip curl didn't seem to offer much since he repeated it on good hands and folds and he was always playing with a chip in his left paw.

After forty minutes of observation, his opponents must of thought of Mr. Pawson as a newbie, easy money on the table, ripe for the picking. They weren't the only ones who entertained this thought.

Coltson's irritated and brash voice came through the specialized hidden earpiece again, "Wilde. I've been told you haven't won a single hand yet and you're just losing our money. I'm warning you fox, you better step up and show it wasn't a mistake to recruit you for this mission."

All Nick could do was ignore the clydesdale. Knowing her partner couldn't answer and defend himself, Judy found herself scowling once again. She excused herself from the onlooking crowd and headed to the Ladies room. Stepping inside, the bunny checked that no other mammals were present before quietly speaking into her concealed mic.

"Agent Coltson, this is Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde knows what he's doing. He has a strategy. I've witnessed him do it a couple times myself. He will win. You need to trust him, Sir," she said with a very stern tone.

The fox smiled when he heard her words. To his surprise, Judy wasn't the only one to speak up.

"I concur with Officer Hopps, Sir. I've seen Officer Wilde play as well," Brian said as he ducked behind the bar pretending to look for a glass.

Their only reply was a snort followed by an unconvinced tone, "That's enough chatter. Get back to your positions."

Judy shook her head, exited the restroom, and returned to her place in the crowd to watch Nick and Felisky. Another hour passed. Nick was down a cool six million from his twenty million stake but he was feeling confident. The fox noticed the same patterns with the raising, folding, and bluffs of the other players. While he still wasn't one hundred percent certain about Felisky, he did notice the feline becoming much more chatty with all of the players at the table. No matter for Nick, it was time to go in.

The following round had Nick against the rodent on the River. The pot was eight hundred thousand. The fox had seen the tail swish. She laid down her cards. Two pair, Aces over Jacks. Nick had three Tens. He collected his win.

Judy smiled and did a small thumbs up. Wolfard shared a glance with her as he dropped off a fresh drink. Brian was mixing another drink and curled a half smile. They all knew what was coming and internally cheered for their fellow officer.

The ewe was looking bored. Too bored. She made a bet. Nick doubled it to call her bluff. She folded and he took the win. Felisky kept his eyes on Nick with a small lip curl while playing with his favorite chip. The fox just smiled back.

The fox's favorite buddy, the panda, casually poked at his chips. Quite casually. Nick responded in kind with a triple raise. The panda had nothing. He beat his bluff. Nick enjoyed a stretch to peek around the room and locked eyes with his pretend wife. Judy smiled and Nick winked back.

Felisky leaned back in his chair feeling rather amused with Mr. Pawson's sudden change of luck, "It would appear that Madam Luck is finally smiling your way, Mr. Pawson."

"I am married to a bunny. That's double the lucky rabbit feet, Arthur," Nick quipped back.

Judy heard him and rolled her eyes.

Nick drummed his claws and raised on the next hand after the koala adjusted his necktie. Another bluff. Another fold. Another win. Smiling as he added the chips to his stack, he had nothing but didn't show his cards to conceal his own bluff. The fox was gaining his money back quickly.

Another test. Nick began to drum his fingers early and watched everyone fold. It was almost comical to him. Casually looking to his opponent across the table, Felisky's energy gave a vibe that he was rather not so enthusiastic anymore about having a real challenger at his table. Nevertheless, the margay smiled in Nick's direction once again and returned his eyes back to the new hand being dealt.

Now Nick was pitted against the moose who was holding his cards tightly. The fox saw this tell several times earlier tonight. More bluffing. To his credit, the moose became brave and refused to back down when Nick doubled his bet. In the end, the fox still took the moose's hand. Four of a Kind beating Two Pairs.

With twitchy whiskers, the high strung cheetah raised on the Turn. Everyone folded. Nick called. He tried to raise again on the River. Nick drummed his claws and doubled the bet. His cheetah opponent folded his bluff and the fox took the pot again.

Now the zebra was staring him down. Nick saw the ever so subtle lip bite. Another bluffer trying to pull one over him. Everyone else folded already. He got him to the Turn and Nick managed to get him to raise some more before tripling his bet. The zebra angrily folded.

The Dealer called for a short fifteen minute break. The nine mammals at the table got up to stretch or get more drinks. Many of them walked away with sideway glares at their fox opponent. Nick loudly drummed his claws on the table one last time to rub it in, stood with his usual smirk, and sauntered over to join his lovely 'wife' waiting in the crowd.

Judy gave him a hug and whispered a tease in his ear, "I knew you'd start turning it around, Danny-poo."

"Ugh. Didn't we agree we weren't going to be one of 'those' couples, Honey Bunny?" he shot back.

They both snickered and enjoyed the moment of levity together.

"I still haven't gotten a full read on our Mr. Felisky. I'll admit, he's good at hiding his moves," Nick said looking back towards the table.

"Then it's a good thing we brought a sly fox to the poker table. Don't worry, I don't think he has anything on you either," she reassured him.

"Well, I will take that vote of confidence, see Nathaniel for a drink, and get back to it," he gestured with his snout.

Judy nodded, squeezed his paw, and watched him go.


Back at the table, all of the players returned to their seats, and resumed the game. Nick got a bad hand and decided to fold right away so he could watch Felisky more closely. This hand came down to the margay and the rodent. He saw the tiny ear flap which meant she had a potentially strong hand. Felisky was doing his usual chip thumbing. They both raised the bets substantially on the Flop causing everyone else to fold. Once the Turn was played, the rodent went all-in but Felisky called it. Then came the River. After looking at both opponents, Nick checked the cards. A pair of Aces and a Seven, Eight, and Nine of Hearts. A possible Four of a Kind or a Straight Flush was in play.

Before the rodent could show her hand, the margay addressed her in a direct pleasant tone, "Mrs. Ratowski, you did a marvelous bluff, my dear. I kindly thank you for playing tonight."

There was a moment's hesitation, a blank stare, she folded, nodded, and left the table. Judy's ears twitched again and she brought up a paw to her forehead. She kept her eyes trained on the floor before recovering her senses.

Everyone at the table watched the rodent walk away except for Nick who had a lot of trouble keeping his expression neutral. He was shocked. While Felisky collected his sizable pot, Nick tried to see the rodent's cards when the Dealer collected them. The fox managed to catch a glimpse of a Ten and Jack of hearts. She had the Straight Flush. There was absolutely no reason for her to fold that winning hand at the very end like that with everything on the line. His eyes darted back to Felisky who was casually smiling.

The remaining eight players continued to play their hands. Nick watched as the koala lost a sizable pot to Felisky and the small mammal was eliminated from the game. Judy felt another strange sensation listening from the crowd. She had a growing concern while Nick's confusion continued to linger.

After a few more rounds, Nick had a fantastic lucky hand with his own early Straight Flush. It came down to Felisky and himself with six million total in the pot. Judging from the cards on the Turn, even if Felisky had a possible Straight Flush of his own, Nick would have the higher hand. Just as the River was played, the margay locked eyes with him and directed his voice to the fox.

"Mr. Pawson, surely you jest. Kindly withdraw that foolish bluff," Felisky smiled with a dismissive gesture.

Again, Judy's mind felt a skip. She shook her head once more and immediately looked at her partner. Nick had just about flipped his winning hand over when he hesitated for a long moment. The bunny saw him fold. Judy's jaw dropped.

Everything went blank for that singular moment as if time had stopped. The fox saw his cards in his hand. Nick was in motion to show them and then nothing. When he blinked, his cards were already folded on the table and the pot was taken away. He just lost several million dollars. What in the hell he thought to himself unable to hide his wide eyes. Nick did his best to regain his composure and smirk but he returned a subtle hard stare to the feline across the table.

"Better luck next time, my friend," was the margay's response.

Nick simply stayed quiet as if nothing happened, nodded, and was ready to go again. Now was not the time to let his opponent know he got to him. He won several more hands and was able to eliminate the cheetah himself. Now six players remained: the moose, ewe, zebra, panda, Mr. Pawson, and Felisky.

Time passed as more hands were played. Getting another bad hand, Nick decided to not risk bluffing this round and folded immediately to sit back and once again observe the feline. They were the only two predators at the table now. Watching the ewe, the fox knew she had a bad hand from her tell and she was playing an aggressive bluff. Felisky was staying in and raising as well. Nick wondered if she might be able to take this hand away from him by making him back down. There was almost four million in the pot. Little did Nick know he was about to be mistaken again.

The margay turned to chat with the ewe, bearing a predatory smile on his muzzle, "Mrs. Ramsey, let us make this more exciting, shall we? Let us raise the stakes by going all-in and show our hands."

Placing his arm on the table, Nick pretended to lean on it so he could place his paw over his snout to cover his pursed mouth. He knew this couldn't be good. In the corner of his eye, he now noticed Judy, who looked light headed. Nick saw her long ears twitch and she appeared to place a paw on her forehead. Instinct made him want to leave the table and go to her but he couldn't. He forced himself to divert his eyes back to the game.

The ewe slid all of her remaining chips into the pot and Felisky matched her raise. Now there was over twelve million on the line. Their cards were laid out onto the table. She really was bluffing and had a weak hand. The margay took the pot with just Two Pairs, Aces high over Jacks.

Glances were exchanged. Nick very slowly exhaled through his nose as he watched the ewe stand up with a short blank look on her face before it transformed to shock. She looked positively crushed. Taking a curt bow, she left the table without a word.

Nick decided to try something on the next hand. Before the hands were dealt, he pretended to stretch and placed his paw inside his suit jacket to roll his left shoulder. As the round commenced, he raised just enough to make the zebra and moose fold so that only himself, Felisky, and the panda remained. The two predators locked eyes waiting for the River. Within his field of vision, Nick could see he lucked out and had a very strong Four of a Kind, Aces high. No one raised and it was time to show their hands. Once again before he could show his hand, the feline addressed him and it made him pause.

"Mr. Pawson, please fold your hand. It is not befitting of a mammal of your caliber to feign such a ruse."

It happened again. After a moment, Nick found himself staring down at his folded cards in front of him. There was no holding back the look of shock and anger on his face. Felisky's hand beat the panda's and he took the win. The fox found himself getting dangerously low on chips as he watched the pot move over to the margay's growing stack of chips. The fox reached back into his inner suit pocket.

Judy recovered once again. Her own frustrations and confusion gripped her emotions. She looked up at Nick and noticed his expression and knew what just happened. The bunny saw his pain and felt it too.

Without warning, Coltson's angry voice came through the mic, "Wilde! What in the hell is going on? I should have known it was a mistake to bring you in."

Taking a deep breath, Judy immediately moved with purpose from the crowd, walking right up to Nick, placed a paw on his arm, and leaned over to him, "Sweetheart, you look like you need a break. Join me for a few minutes?" Her sweet voice sounded full of need and she made sure to smile politely to Felisky that she desired her husband's attention.

Before Nick could speak, the feline replied with a grin of his own, "Yes. I concur with Mrs. Pawson. We have been playing for some time. Let us enjoy an intermission. One hour."

The Dealer along with the moose, zebra, and panda nodded and gladly took the break. Felisky stood and left to mingle with the crowd, while keeping at eye on the fox and rabbit. Nick shook himself and let Judy guide him outside of the ballroom and down the hallway. She found an empty balcony where they could have some privacy.

"Wilde, answer me, fox. Are you able to beat him or not?" Coltson demanded.

"I can beat him, Colts! I had two winning hands earlier but… I don't know what the hell happened? He started speaking to me and the next thing I knew… I had folded my cards. It doesn't make any sense! There's something going on…" was all Nick could muster in frustration while he angrily waved his paws in the air.

"What do you mean something is going on?"

"He's right, Sir. I can barely hear it. It's something in his voice. I can't really explain it… but sometimes when he speaks, I can feel it in my mind, it's..." Judy supplied.

Coltson interrupted Judy's explanation, "You two better get your acts together or I will…"

Suddenly Coltson cut out with a loud shuffle and angry shouting could be heard in the background. An unexpected but welcome voice bellowed through their earpieces.

"That's enough, Agent Coltson! If my Officers suspect something, then you should have every reason to believe them. Hopps. Wilde. If something is going on, figure it out, and bring his mammal down. I know you can do it. Clear your heads and get back to it."

Judy smiled, "Yes, Chief Bogo. We will, Sir." The bunny turned to her partner. "Nick, what do you think? Is there anything you can do to ignore him?"

The fox leaned over the railing, "I'm not sure, Carrots. I could try to shove some plugs into my ears but I need to hear what's going on at the table too. Plus it might look too suspicious to him."

"You're probably right."

"Hold on, let's see if we can hear how he does it." He paused and reached into his suit pocket and took out Judy's carrot pen.

"You brought my pen?" she asked mildly amused.

"The pen is mightier than the badge, Fluff." he wiggled it in front of her. Nick looked around to make sure they were still alone before activating the rewind function and playing back the last hand.

The bunny smiled with a dramatic eyeroll, returned her gaze to the pen, and listened intently.

"Mr. Pawson, please fold your hand. It is not befitting of a mammal of your caliber to feign such a ruse."

She looked at Nick and shrugged. He didn't feel anything either and played it back again.

"Mr. Pawson, please fold your hand. It is not befitting of a mammal of your caliber to feign such a ruse."

His partner sighed, tapping a paw on her chin, "Nothing. Looks like it doesn't work through a recording. There's a very subtle shift in his vocal tone when he's doing it. I don't hear it now."

Leaning back against the rail, Nick let out a sigh, "Well, I guess I should be thankful I'm not fighting an urge to fold some cards every time we play it back. Though listening to it again, he sure sounds so snooty saying it."

After a moment of thinking, he turned back to Judy, "Wait… I only saw him using it on one mammal at a time so far. And never back to back either. When I was watching him speak to that ewe, I noticed you looked like you heard it too, and had a paw on your forehead. You're able to tell every time he does it?"

"Yes. I feel a strange sensation every single time."

The fox formed a half smile, "I didn't see anyone else picking up on it and there's no other bunnies here but you. It has to be your hearing then."

"Wait! Nick, what if… I warn you every time he's doing it through the mic? I can sit in one of those booths near the table so he doesn't see me talking or signaling to you. I should still be able to hear everything from there," Judy suggested with a small bounce.

"That's a great idea! However… I'm not sure a warning will help if I'm the one on the receiving end," he frowned.

"No…" the bunny narrowed her eyes in thought and then smiled, "But what if I can give you something else to focus on! Like if you listened to my voice instead?"

Nick afforded himself a joke at this point and smirked, "Are you trying to tell me you have me wrapped around your little finger, Mrs. Pawson?"

Judy was about to naturally protest but caught herself and gave it right back to him with a pointed finger, "Maybe you should be, Mr. Pawson."

"Meany wife."

"Clueless husband."

There was a brief pause before they laughed at the absurdity of their last quips.

"Alright, Carrots. Let's get you into the closest booth and go from there," he said.

The bunny smiled and nodded in agreement, only to raise an eyebrow a moment later, as she watched Nick shove his paw into his right pocket and pull out his handkerchief with a bunch of Hopps Farm blueberries wrapped inside. He tossed a few back into his mouth before offering some to his partner.

"Seriously Nick? I don't know whether to be more surprised that you brought those with you or that there were even anymore left."

"Are you saying I have no self control? Wow. You're on a roll tonight," he smirked with a cheek full of blueberries."

Her reply was a clean straight jab to his arm that any boxer would be proud of.


The intermission was quickly coming to a close. After informing the rest of the team of their plan, Mr. and Mrs. Pawson returned to the ballroom and headed over to the booths next to the bar. Unfortunately, all of the booths were occupied and they didn't have much time. Nick spotted a single beaver sitting alone in the prime booth to put Judy in.

"Wait here," he told his pretend wife and sauntered over to the booth and hopped into the seat across from the mammal.

"Um… can I help you?" came the nervous greeting.

"Greetings, Sir. I just saw you sitting here all by your lonesome and wanted to say hello. Hello! My name is Daniel. But you can just call me Dan," he said in an overly jovial tone that would make Clawhauser proud while leaning forward on an elbow.

"I..I..really would rather be left alone…"

"Don't be like that, buddy. Can I call you buddy? It's no fun enjoying a fine party such as this alone. Let me buy you a drink. One second." Nick turned to get Wolfard's attention with a wave. "Garcon!"

Wolfard raised an eyebrow and wondered what his co-worker was up to. He came over and greeted them.

"Hello again Marcus! I wanted to buy my new friend here a drink." Nick turned to look at the beaver briefly, then back to Wolfard. "He looks like a fine wine kind of fella. How about your best red merlot, please?"

The fox and wolf exchanged eye contact. Nick nodded and gestured with his eyes to the beaver and back. Wolfard smiled affirmatively. "Yes, Sir. One moment please." He quickly left to get the drink.

"No. Really, please… just leave… Mister Dan…"

Nick ignored him and continued his harassment while reaching for his phone, "Have you ever been to the Mystic Springs Oasis? It's one of my favorite spots here in Sahara Square! You'd love it. Here, let me show you a few pictures!"

"What!? No!"

Wolfard was back with the wine on his server tray and was about to place it on the table when Nick stopped him.

"Oh, allow me, please!" He took the glass and slid it to his new beaver pal only to 'accidentally' spill it all over his nice suit. "Oh, whoopsie! I am so sorry there buddy! Let me help you…"

"No. No. No. You've done enough!" The frustrated mammal immediately left the booth and waddled towards the restroom as quickly as he could.

It took all the willpower in the world for the fox's three co-workers to hold in their laughter. Wolfard, clamped his snout shut as best he could and brought over a server rag, "Let me clean that up for you… Sir," he drawled in between suppressed chuckles.

Poor Judy had her muzzle in both of her paws having seen and heard the entire exchange from where Nick left her. She bounced between glaring at him and genuinely fighting back tears. Even Brian had glanced over and saw what happened. The small gray timberwolf ducked behind the bar and chuckled into his arm to muffle his laughter.

Nick waved her over once Wolfard cleaned the table and he hopped out so she could take the seat.

"I can't believe you, Daniel!" she loudly whispered at her partner. He could hear the mixed ire and amusement in her voice.

"Hey, I got the booth didn't I, sweetheart?" he smirked and looked to the poker table. "Alright, looks like they are starting up again."

Judy took a deep breath, "Okay. Let's do this. Come here, crazy fox."

The bunny reached over, tugged him closer, and hugged her partner. She smiled and he returned a wink before turning around to join the table.

Wolfard came by again with two drinks. A new refreshment for Judy and a second alcoholic drink to give the ruse that the other empty seat in the booth is preoccupied. They exchanged nods and Judy turned her focus to the table.

Mr. Pawson returned to his seat and found Felisky already seated and acknowledging his presence with a bit of a smug grin of his own. That smugness only fueled his own as Nick smirked back. The fox was ready for round two.

The blinds were increased again. Small blind was now one hundred thousand and the big blind became two hundred thousand. Nick had already folded a bad start and was waiting. It didn't take long before Felisky began his manipulation again. This time it was directed towards the panda. The fox had seen the eye twitch so he knew the panda held a good hand. Judy, sitting in her booth, shut her eyes while keeping her ears trained on the table. They twitched. She did her best to ignore the odd sensation and spoke into the mic.

"Nick!" her voice quietly caught his attention from the hidden earpiece. "He's doing it again."

"Mr. Chanda, would you please…"

Nick decided, in the heat of the moment, he was going to take every chance to throw the margay off his game. The fox knew the feline was trying to make the panda fold. He remembered how Felisky was appalled earlier by bad manners and crude behavior. "Hey, Mr. Chanda, wanna hear a bad joke?" he interrupted. "Which side of a cheetah has the most spots…? The outside!"

The lame joke was enough to break the intended redirect and caused the panda to show his hand properly by slamming it on the table first and glare at the fox next to him. Deep hatred and bad jokes to the rescue, Nick thought.

The Dealer checked the hands and the panda beat Felisky and took the large pot. Felisky was not pleased at all. He stopped thumbing the chip in his hand and scowled with flattened ears at Nick who winked back at the feline.

"Mr. Pawson…" he began.

"Nick! Listen to my voice… did I ever tell you that at my first day at the Academy I 'died' over forty times. I even fell into the toilet at the end of the day. The Drill Sergeant was using the next stall. 'You're dead, Fluff Butt' she told me. That's where I got the idea to use the toilet to escape from Cliffside when we were trapped in the cell there after you said we were dead…"

"You seem to be very excitable right now. It is very rude to interrupt a fellow Gentlemammal. Perhaps you need another break? You should take one now, my friend…"

Nothing. There was a long pause as Felisky eyed Mr. Pawson with a confused stare. The fox was not getting up from his seat. He merely sat there, eyes focused on nothing in particular in front of him, with a happy smug grin.

Suddenly, Nick's eyes flicked up and looked right at his opponent. "I'm good right here, Arthur. Thank you for your concern. However, I would love another drink. A nice hot cappuccino. You fellas want anything? It's on me," he asked the rest of the table while waving Wolfard over.

The zebra, moose, and panda exchanged glances, took the offer, and began to order some drinks. Felisky sat back in mild shock becoming unsettled before narrowing his eyes and quietly growling.

"Yes! It worked!" Judy quietly eep'ed in her booth corner, brimming with joy. "We can do this!"

The tournament proceeded. Judy continued to talk to Nick each time she detected any hint of manipulation directed his way. She shared several stories about Bunnyburrow, ranging from her large room that she turned into a giant mock detective's office to play pretend cop when she was younger, to the trouble some of her younger siblings always got into, the large family dining hall filled with many rotating dinner tables to continuously feed the entire Hopps clan all day long. He even got to learn a little bit about farming and plant husbandry.

When she couldn't think of something to say right away, she simply hummed a sweet lullaby that her Mom used to sing to her when she was a baby rabbit. The same melodious tune she would hear being sung to her younger siblings as she grew older. Nick wished he was able to tell her how much he really enjoyed hearing her hum the lullaby.

Hands continued to be played into the night. Felisky was bleeding money now back to his opponents without being able to rely on his trickery any longer. Nick aggressively disrupted every attempt to sway the other players with bad jokes and foolish behavior.

"Why do skunks argue a lot…? Because they like to raise a stink," was a line that saved the moose's hand.

"What's big and gray and protects you from the rain…? An umbrellaphant," Nick assisted his panda buddy again.

"What do you call a show full of lions…? The mane event," in defense of the zebra.

Emotions began to flair and the margay played a few sloppy hands before recomposing himself. Nick gained a substantial amount of money back and even managed to knock the zebra out on a daring all-in bluff. Only four players remained: the fox, margay, panda, and moose.

Having a harder time quelling his anger, the margay had begun to look around the ballroom and noticed that Mrs. Pawson had been absent from her usual place in the crowd. Most of the evening she had been behind her husband and cheering him on. This had given him a rather enjoyable sight to occasionally admire. He pretended to stare at the bar when he noticed her alone in a booth from the corner of his eye, her head slightly turned to the side, eyes closed, and ears up.

Judy's poor voice was getting a bit hoarse and dry but the bunny endured. Wolfard began to bring her plenty of water to help. Felisky decided to get some water as well. Wolfard had been walking by with a fresh tray of refreshments when the margay abruptly called to him, "Marcus, would you kindly hand me that glass of water."

It made the timberwolf stop for a moment before turning around and handing the water, that belonged to some other mammal, to the feline. "You may go now." He was dismissed with a paw wave. Taking a long gulp, within his field of vision, he saw Mrs. Pawson's ears twitch and she fidgeted. His mind grew curious.

Soon, the wealth was redistributed enough that while Felisky still held the largest pot, Nick was right behind him, followed by the panda, and finally the moose. One hundred eighty million dollars was sitting between them. Felisky tried another command and was thwarted by Nick yet again. However, this time he kept Judy in the corner of his eye and saw her ears twitch again, followed by her lips moving as if she was talking to herself.

After a third confirmation when he tried to sway the panda and Nick had piped up with another colorful comment to anger the panda, he wondered if Mr. Pawson was somehow getting aid from his darling bunny wife. But he didn't know how. The smug fox hadn't been looking her way at all nor could the margay spy any sort of hearing aid in the fox's larger ears. He wasn't able to hear any evidence either.

The next hand began and Nick was the big blind while the panda had the small blind. The Flop was placed on the table: Ace of Diamonds, Eight of Hearts, and Ten of Hearts.

The moose checked his cards. He held a King and Queen of Hearts. The panda lifted his cards to reveal a pair of Tens, Spades and Clubs. Giving him an immediate Three of a Kind. Felisky and Nick eye one another before checking their hands. The feline had an Ace of Spades and Eight of Diamonds. Two Pair. Nick thumbed his cards, peeked, and placed them back down.

"Sixteen million," Felisky raised.

There is a moment of silence and everyone matched. The Dealer put down the Turn. A Six of Hearts. Nick saw the moose check his cards.

The moose's nostrils barely flared, "All-in." Adding in his full thirty-two million dollars.

Everyone matched again. Now the Dealer lay the River, the final community card. The Ace of Hearts. The fox simply stared at Felisky before glancing down at the River, deducing two possible Full Houses and a Flush. Felisky suddenly waved one of his bodyguards over, the tiger, and whispered something into his ear before the larger feline disappeared back into the crowd behind Nick. He wondered if Judy picked up what was said but nothing came in through his com.

Nick saw the panda's eye twitch, noticed him looking confident, and put all of his chips in, "Forty million."

"Forty million," Nick called.

Felisky flipped his chip around in his paw and paused at his turn.

Judy sat patiently waiting. Her hearing let her know that this hand could be the last one. There was already one hundred fifty-two million in the pot. She breathed slowly with her eyes closed. A shadow suddenly appeared through her lidded eyes and her nose twitched at the presence of another mammal. The bunny opened her eyes and looked to her left to see a well dressed tiger standing in front of the booth with both paws behind his back and a smile on his muzzle. She recognized him as one of Felisky's three bodyguards.

"Is this seat taken, Miss?" he asked gesturing to the empty booth while ignoring the other glass of alcohol across from Judy.

"Actually, yes it is. I am waiting for my husband to return," she said in a disinterested tone, hoping the tiger would go away quickly.

"Ah. But what kind of mammal would leave such a fine beauty as yourself alone? Perhaps I could keep you company till he comes back? I just love chatting with pretty ladies such as yourself."

Before she could say anything else, the large cat simply sat down in the booth, pushed the drink away and clasped his arms on the table and leaned forward. His friendly smile turned subtly vicious.

The bunny kept a straight face, not letting herself get intimidated, "Sir. I kindly ask you to leave me alone right now..."

Meanwhile, Felisky glanced over and saw his bodyguard talking to Mrs. Pawson. He looked back over to Nick, "Forty-four million."

Nick noticed the subtle body language shift and the side glance. He darted his eyes quickly in the direction the margay peeked and suddenly saw a tiger harassing Judy. Despite keeping his smirk, he felt a small degree of panic. His target may have caught on to their tactic.

At this point, Nick couldn't fold. Feeling defiant, he drummed his claws on the table, "All-in." The fox lowered his head, closed his eyes immediately, and shoved his chips into the middle.

Felisky stopped thumbing his chip and slowly placed it into his pile with a dramatic flair while pushing his chips into the pot, "All-in."

The immediate area around the table went silent as the tension rose and everyone strained to see the final hands. The full one hundred eighty million was riding on the line.

"Just leave," Judy ordered the tiger without raising her voice too loudly to cause a scene.

The two mammals stared at one another. Judy heard the bets and needed to be ready. She was running out of time. Wolfard was attempting to come to her aid but it was too late.

The Dealer looked around the table, "Gentlemammals. Please show your cards."

Felisky formed a predatory grin and looked back over to Nick, "Mr. Pawson, would you kindly..." The margay paused mid-sentence in confusion. His fox opponent was leaning back against his chair, with a goofy smirk, eyes closed, fingers in his ears, quietly humming some sort of lullaby, and looking very pleased with himself.

Judy's ears twitched when she heard Felisky begin to talk again. She went into a panic and hopped out of the booth, trying to squirm through the crowd to get to Nick but all of the larger mammals were blocking her way. Before she could try to squeeze underneath, a large paw caught her arm and the tiger stopped the bunny in her tracks.

The moose was the first to flick his cards down, "Ace, King, Queen Flush."

Smiling, the panda spread his cards next, "Full House. Tens full of Aces."

Rearranging the cards in favor of the panda, the Dealer waited for the remaining two players, "Mr. Felisky? Your cards?"

Felisky, flustered eyes still on Nick and unable to savor his hand, flipped his cards over. He had the other Full House.

"A superior Full House. Aces, full of Eights." The Dealer paused to look at the fox. "Mr. Pawson?"

Felisky spoke up in frustration while jabbing a paw in direction of the fox, "It will not be necessary. We know Mr. Pawson is bluffing. Look at him. He appears to be in some sort of childish stupor."

The Dealer was about to react to the persuasion when the fox's eyes suddenly half opened. He returned Felisky's stare with the biggest Nick Wilde signature smug grin and quickly flipped his cards face up with two fingers. Only the first card was visible showing a Nine of Hearts. The margay's mouth pursed.

"My bad. Were you saying something, Art?" Nick asked as he spread his two fingers to reveal his second card. A Seven of Hearts.

Silence hung in the room. The Dealer looked down after a moment. "Straight Flush. Six through Ten of Hearts. The high hand. Mr. Pawson wins."

The surrounding mass of mammals erupted in indistinct conversations and chatter. The tiger had let go of Judy at the announcement of his boss losing. She bounded between the mammals, sliding through, and leaped onto Nick. They shared a fierce victory hug.

"You did it, Slick" she whispered into his ear.

"We did it," he squeezed back.

Wolfard was smiling and shared a glance with Brian who did a thumbs up. Shortly after, Coltson picked up the mic, "Good show Wilde. You and Hopps can move out. The rest of the ZPD team and Agents… keep eyes and noses on the target and stand by to bring him in."

Arthur Elliot Felisky slumped in his seat. His three bodyguards appeared near him. He glared at the predator and prey couple in front of him, specifically at the vile red fox who cost him the precious millions he needed for his investors. The margay immediately turned to one of his goons and whispered something. The lion and bear moved away behind the crowd.

Nick and Judy stood. The fox took one of his five hundred thousand chips and tipped it towards the Dealer with a wink. The Dealer nodded in appreciation.

Without looking back, they began to leave when they noticed the exit to the ballroom was closed and suddenly all the lights went out, plunging the giant room into near complete darkness. Panic hit the crowd as several mammals gasped or began to shout in confusion.

"Sir, the lights just went out," an agent's voice could be heard in the com.

"What? Get control of the situation now! Do not let Felisky out of your sights." Coltson frantically exclaimed. "ZPD team, what is your status?..."


Author's Note: Hey readers! Many apologies on how long it took to write this chapter. A mix of IRL happenings, some writer's block, and a lot of different scenario brainstorming on how to go about it. This chapter also contains the most descriptions and exposition written due to the nature of the game and visiting a new location that was...but wasn't in the movie. The descriptions are based on the concepts illustrated in the Art of Zootopia artbook.

Special thanks to a buddy of mine who helped with the beginning poker bits so that readers who play or don't play can follow along. Readers who play, please feel free to point out any errors in the game mechanics or numbers incase I still missed something after many proof reads, and I will fix as soon as I can.

Hopefully, our villain's unique ability doesn't feel too outlandish within this fanfiction. When searching for the right mammal to be the villain, I wanted a small predator and I came across margays. Reading this small bit of info: "known for their physical agility, but this vocal manipulation of prey species indicates a psychological cunning that merits further study" and "Margays can also imitate the sounds of other animals" gave me inspiration to not only expand it to other predators (albeit to a lesser effect) but also to amp up it to include short term persuasion.

Because of this, I almost entertained the plot twist of Judy being forced to play in Nick's place because only prey animals were being allowed to sit at the table but nitpicking shot down the idea since there wasn't a believable enough way for Nick to be able to see the cards and players to relay to her what to do, but she still played her part in helping her partner win. There is no Wilde without Hopps and vice versa.

As always, I appreciate all the comments, reviews, and criticisms. Till next chapter's conclusion!