Hey, everybody! I'm back from my two-month break and I just decided to go ahead and kick things off with a single chapter before heading back to my other chapters. Trust me when I say this, the other chapters are going to get a little epic until I finish them! However, it may be a while before I'm done with them and I'm not sure how long it'll take. So I'm going to have ask for your patience.

Other than that, I don't own any of the characters within the Disney universe, especially Zootopia since I'm starting-off here. Those go to their respective owners. Now for the main character, Tracy, half of the credit goes to retro mania for creating her name and a small description while the rest I did myself. Sparx and any of the original characters belongs to me.

Enjoy!


Chapter 9: Classified Secrets

Former Mayor Lionheart remained seated to a steel chair, his paws still cuffed to the table. Right now, someone wanted to question him about some things. While he waited, a male doberman dressed in a black suit and tie with sunglasses over his eyes appeared in the interrogation room. He watched the doberman go over to the top corner and unplug a camera, then he opens the door and tilts his head. Chief Bogo comes in as the doberman closes the door behind him and Lionheart asks him, "So, what do you wanna know?"

"It's not me you should be asking." This confused Lionheart. He watched as the chief bent down and picked up a female tabby cat, who is actually Tracy who followed him to the interrogation room, and sat her down on the steel table. "This little cat here wants to talk to you privately." With that said, he leaves the interrogation room.

Lionheart could automatically tell who the tabby cat was due to the coat she was wearing and the bag she had with her. He watched as the tabby cat walked towards him and reached her paw out, greeting, "I know we haven't officially met yet, but I'm Tracy Kaden, nice to meet you."

It was a little odd for Lionheart to see a young girl being polite, especially now that he was a prisoner wearing a blue prisoner uniform. Being the polite gentle mammal that he is, despite his gruff demeanor, he took his fingers and shook the young girl's tiny paw. He points at her with his other paw and says, "You're the kid that arrived here in our world without using the private train."

"That's me." She backs away from him a little while sighing, then she said, "Listen, I know it's late, but there are some things I need to get off my chest. The first question I need to know is why?" Lionheart was confused by what she meant until she continued, "Why did you imprison those savaged predators?"

Lionheart smiled a little as Tracy was getting right to the point. Leaning back on his chair and keeping his paws clasped, he answered, "I have my reasons."

"And let me guess. One of those reasons was not only keeping your job, you were just trying to protect the people of this city."

Lionheart became a little surprised when she easily caught on quickly. It seemed that she was both reasonable and a bit more clever than he thought.

"I understand you were trying to do what you think is right, but you do realize that word will eventually get out about this." She starts pacing while continuing, "So why couldn't you just put them in a hospital or something, rather than making them prisoners and at the same time calmly explain to the people what's going on?"

She stops pacing as Lionheart answers, "Those are some pretty good concepts, young lady, and like I already said, I have my reasons. Although, you are right about one thing, word would've gone out eventually, but I wanted to do this at the right time where the situation is contained and controlled. Doing this too soon would've caused society to get out of control and the city to collapse. Now, to answer your other question as to why I falsely imprisoned those predators. Haven't you experienced a non-savaged predator in this world?" Tracy shook her head truthfully. "Well, to explain this to you, predators have strength, agility, and very sharp claws and teeth. Like so…" He unsheathed his claws and gave a grin, showing off both his teeth and fangs. Tracy looks at her paw and unsheathes her own claws. Compared to hers and his, he was more of the dominant predator because he was the bigger cat than anyone else in this world. However, she wondered about herself. Was she a small predator no different than anyone else, or was she a helpless meek little prey? Maybe she was a bit of both. Putting that out of her head, Lionheart continued, "Let's think about your idea and put this in the 'what-if'. If there was one predator that went savage, we can easily keep it contained and place it in a hospital for observation so we can find out how the predator went savage. But what-if there was more than one predator we have to deal with? If they were to get out, there could be lives in danger that could risk someone getting hurt or worse killed, because a predator in his or her savaged state is far stronger and a bit more aggressive than a predator in a non-savaged state. Worst of all, if word were to get out too soon than expected, there would be massive panic everywhere across the city. Haven't you at least thought of that?"

Tracy cringed and answered, "Yea-No, I can't argue with that."

Lionheart did make a lot of valid points. Even if the savaged predators were to be kept contained in a hospital, there was no telling how long it'll be before they escaped. Because unlike Cliffside, their cells are more fortified and can handle savage predators. Hospital doors and rooms can barely do much, and thus would be useless unless certain measures were taken beforehand. Worst of all, as Lionheart had already said, if word were to get out about these savage predators too soon, then things would've gone bad-nuts crazy as people will do terrible things when they're scared. So the only known option was to keep them in their holding cells until a cure was found while keeping their mouths closed till the situation was fixed. The thought of it was bad and she was even thinking about it. On the other hand, it does have merit despite it being bad as it's actually good. Lionheart actually thought everything through, even though what he did was wrong. Still, there was something else that was concerning her. With a sigh, she asked her next question, "What do you know about 'The Night Howlers'?"

Once again, Lionheart was confused. "'Night Howlers'? What's that?"

"It's something that me, Nick, and Officer Hopps discovered while helping her solve this case. It has to be connected to why the predators went savage. Somehow you might know something about this like: Is your team of timber wolves called The Night Howlers, or do you have any information you've been holding out on concerning these Night Howlers?"

Lionheart gave a small snort before saying, "Well, first-off that question is silly. And to answer that, no, the timber wolves I've hired aren't called The Night Howlers." He raised an eyebrow while looking up at the ceiling and thinking out loud, "Although, I wouldn't be surprised if they did call themselves that since they have a tendency to always howl." Looking back at her, he waves it off and continues, "Anyway, to answer your second question. If I even knew about these so-called 'Night Howlers', why would I waste my time in trying to hire the best medical specialists who can give me an answer to that? When it's clearly obvious that I don't know anything about this. I'm sorry to tell you this, but you're asking the wrong mammal."

Lionheart was right, Tracy was asking the wrong mammal. In fact, this now confirmed her suspicions. If he knew about Night Howlers beforehand, then maybe he would've done something about this. Unfortunately, he was telling the truth, which she could already tell from the way he genuinely acted and spoke, as he knew nothing about them or what they were. This means she needed to ask someone else who does. Looking back at the case, she remembered Otterton was a florist. Does this mean that Mrs. Otterton might know about these Night Howlers? She'll have to ask her about that once she gets the chance. "Maybe you can tell me about something else."

Lionheart was confused for the third time. "And that is?"

"Three words: The World Key."

"What does that have to do with it?" Lionheart shrugged.

"Simple." She starts pacing again. "I already found out that a thief came in a well secured building while bringing these creatures called Daemons, took out a bunch of well armed security guards, and stole The World Key. Now I find that a bit strange that a thief could just waltz in without knowing the place or knowing about the security codes. That leads me to one conclusion." She stops pacing again and looks at Lionheart with a serious look. "Someone gave the thief the information and who else has the information than the mayor of this city."

Lionheart was in disbelief by what Tracy just accused him of. "Wait, are you saying that I'm the one who let the thief in?"

"Nobody else has all the top-secret information than the one who's in power."

"You got it all wrong! I never gave the thief any of the information!"

"Well, who gave the information?"

"I don't know. It could be anybody within the premises and each of them who are close to the classified intel are considered suspects."

"But you already know about the thief."

"Yes, I won't deny that I know about the thief. That doesn't mean I'm connected to this thief. This happened long before the predators went savage, or you appearing in our world." He took a deep breath before continuing, "Listen, you have to understand that not only was it my job to consider the safety of this city. It's also my job to protect the secrets that the world isn't ready to know about, and that key is no exception. Whenever our world is in danger and we can't handle any threats coming from different worlds outside our own. That key is our only chance to find the Guardians. Unfortunately, with the pathway destroyed, we're completely defenseless without them. That's why you're our only hope in finding The World Key and saving our city from whatever threat we're about to face."

Tracy gave a small sigh and nod as she was already reminded of the situation. Getting back to the here and now, she said, "Alright. How about explaining the mammals wearing black robes?"

"'Mammals wearing black robes'?" Lionheart raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about?"

"There are three black robed mammals," she held up three fingers to simplify what she said. "One is an arctic wolf, another is an Elemental Guardian by the name of Sparx as he's being controlled by dark magic, and the last one remains ambiguous. Each of them must be somehow connected to the thief. However, the first two I already mentioned attacked me and my friends as they were trying to get this grimoire that I have. Now, again, I find that a bit strange that the arctic wolf knew exactly who I was and was trying to find me. This leads right back to you. The main suspect."

"Why only me?"

"Because, Bellwether took a picture of me a couple of days ago. Somehow, she must've given you the photograph. Which in term, you must've given them the-"

"Now hold on!" Lionheart interrupted while slamming his paws flat and standing up from his chair, his face already turned to a scowl from Tracy's accusation and pointing a finger at her. "I'm gonna have to stop you right there, young lady! First of all, Bellwether never even gave me the photograph of you! She must've forgotten or possibly didn't have the time! Second of all, I never even knew about you until now! Have you forgotten about that?"

Tracy smiled and answered, "Nope." She took both of her paws and shook his finger. "Thank you for the help."

She hops off the table while Lionheart is struck oddly from that. "W-What?...Huh?" Tracy walks over to the door and knocks on it three times. Chief Bogo opens the door and Lionheart manages to shake off his stupor before saying, "What was that all about?"

That was never said to Tracy as Chief Bogo had already closed the door. She takes out her badge and taps the screen on it a few times. What Lionheart didn't realize was that before Tracy stepped into the room, she activated the recorder but set it only towards recording his voice and not hers. When that was finished, she saved the recording and an icon of a disk appeared below the envelope icon. Putting it back in her pocket, she goes towards Nick and Judy who were waiting by the wall to finish her talk with the former mayor. "So, how'd it go?" Nick asked.

"It went well," Tracy answered. "He gave me the answers I needed."

"Guess this means you're feeling better now, are you?"

Tracy sighed and looked down to the floor. "No. Honestly I feel worse. 'Cause now I'm left with more questions that hadn't been answered."

Judy and Nick looked at one another before the fox went next to the teenaged cat and wrapped his arm around her. "Well, why don't you think more about it tomorrow? You'll think clearly better if you get some rest."

Judy nods in agreement as she, Nick, Chief Bogo, and the male doberman start walking her out. However, Tracy was thinking about something before Chief Bogo took her to the jailhouse to have a talk with Lionheart. What is it that I'm missing? She thought. There has to be more than what I'm suspecting.


Several Hours Earlier…

Chief Bogo had already pulled away from the squadron of police mammals after leaving Cliffside with their arrested cargo and the rescued but still savage predators. Judy, Nick, and Tracy were sitting at the back of the police car, waiting to be taken to a hotel for Nick and Tracy while Judy was going back to her apartment. It had been a long hard two days since any of them rested, and they deserved it. Tomorrow is going to be a big day and they were going to be a part of it. However, the three mammals noticed the hotel they just passed. Were they going to Judy's apartment first? This confused the fox as he said, "Uh, chief, you just passed the hotel."

"We're not going to a hotel, fox," Chief Bogo said.

"So…" Judy said, also confused. "You're taking them to my place? I can show you where I live."

"We're not going to your place either, Hopps."

This now confused the three mammals even further. "Where are we going?" Tracy asked.

"There's something I need to show you three."

The three mammals looked at one another. Each of them wondered where Chief Bogo was taking them. For now, all they could do was just sit on their tails and wait to find out for themselves. However, it didn't take no more than several minutes to arrive. To surprise the three of them, they came back to City Hall. They wondered why Chief Bogo would bring them back here? The chief looked at them and said, "Alright, once we step out of this vehicle, I'm going to show you three something completely secretive. This means, no matter what, none of you must ever say a word about this. Do we have an understanding?"

They were silent for a few seconds until Nick broke that silence by saying with a shrug, "Okay. I mean, nobody is going to believe us anyway after everything we've seen so far."

The chief turned his attention away from them while saying, "Fair enough."

As he got out of the car, Tracy shrugged. She couldn't blame the chief for being a little cautious and telling them to keep quiet for what they're about to see. Like Nick said, no one is going to believe them, even if they did tell someone. So it was best to keep it to themselves. Getting out of the car, the three mammals followed Chief Bogo inside City Hall. He leads them to a door that has stairs that goes downwards. Taking a right turn on the hall, they see an elevator that was guarded by two male dobermans that had black suits and ties with sunglasses over their eyes. For Nick, Judy, and Tracy, they appear to look like agents that work for the government.

Chief Bogo goes to one of them and whispers into the ear while tilting his head towards the three mammals behind him. With a nod, he allows the chief to press the button, calling on the elevator till it arrived and the doors slid open with a chiming sound of a ding. The chief tilts his head for the three mammals to follow him inside as he presses a button and the doors of the elevator slide closed.

As the elevator was taking the four mammals down to whatever it was they were going, they heard soft music playing in the background while each of them stood side by side, waiting patiently. They remained quiet for about a minute or two until Nick broke that silence as he asked curiously, "So, uh…What's the place like?"

Chief Bogo didn't look at Nick, but did smile a little and answered, "You'll see."

It didn't take long as the elevator came to a stop, then after chiming another ding, the doors slid open behind them, making them turn around. Nick and Judy's eyes widened, but Tracy's jaw dropped, as they were in complete shock at what they saw. Chief Bogo steps out of the elevator first and motions his arm while saying, "Ladies and gentlemammals, welcome to Facility 77."

All around them were a variety of mammals, each of them sitting down on desks with every computer in front of them and every mammal side by side with headsets and microphones over their heads as they were working around the clock while others were walking about doing whatever it is they were doing. Right in front of the dozens of mammals were a multitude of screens, each of them showing different parts of the city of Zootopia which held hidden cameras that many of the citizens were currently unaware of as they watched everything. "Wow," Nick said, astonished, coming out of the elevator next after shaking off his stupor. "This is high-tech!"

Judy shook off her stupor next and looked at Tracy. She closed her jaw as it helped her snap out of her trance. The two girls followed Nick while looking around with Tracy saying with astonishment, "This is incredible."

"Hey, look up there."

Judy and Tracy look up to where Nick was pointing. Their eyes widened when they saw a holographic space-like world filled with lines, but couldn't tell what they were due to being a little high-up because of their small-sizes. "What is that?" Judy asked curiously.

"That is the map of the multiverse," Chief Bogo answered. "If you three want to get a better view, follow me to the second floor."

They followed Chief Bogo from the crowd of working mammals till they came to a case of spiraling stairs, walking upwards to the second floor. When they got a better view of the holographic map, it was spacious and enormous. The lines they saw were actually pathways that lead to spiraling tunnels, openings to new worlds that left them wondering what they led to. "What you three are seeing is only a fraction of the multiverse we're allowed to see," Chief Bogo explained. "The multiverse is vast and endless, but that is not our main problem to explore the vast regions of every world. Our main concern…" He points as they look. "...is that."

What they were looking at was a cut-off line and right at the end on the far right there was another spiraling tunnel but right at the top said "Our World". "Whoa, it seems that pathway looks broken."

"It's more than just 'broken'," Chief Bogo said to Nick. "It's destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Judy said, confused. "By what?"

"One word, Hopps: Magic."

"Seriously?" Judy's eyes widened, then pointed at the destroyed pathway. "Are you telling me a magic of that magnitude can destroy a pathway?"

"Well, that arctic wolf guy we encountered did say a Guardian can destroy a city with one spell," Nick said to her before shrugging. "Who's to say someone with that kind of power can destroy a pathway with a single spell."

"Yeah, you got a point," Judy nods in agreement, remembering what the arctic wolf said to them a while back. "Still," she turns her attention back to Chief Bogo, "is there a way to fix the pathway?"

"There's only one way, and that's The World Key."

"World Key?" Nick said confused. Judy felt the same way, she's never heard of anything called "The World Key". "What's that?"

"I think you should be asking your little cat friend there."

Judy and Nick looked at Tracy. The young tabby cat knew it was time to tell Judy about this since she made a promise to help her with the case and in return help her find the key. Now that Nick was roped into this, she might as well give it to him straight. He too had a right to know what was really going on and why she was here. With a sigh, she took out the king's grimoire and said, "I was hoping to show you guys tomorrow after everything we've been through, but now that Chief Bogo mentioned this, maybe you guys need to see what this looks like." She opens the book and flips through the pages while adding, "Oh, and in case you're wondering why I'm here, this is the reason why."

She shows them the image of The World Key. Judy and Nick looked at it closer with intrigue in their eyes, then the fox gave a small whistle and said, "That is one weird looking key."

Judy takes the grimoire from Tracy, her eyes not leaving the image of that key. "So this is what you need my help with?" She asked curiously and looked back at Tracy. "Just to find this?"

"Mm-hmm," she nods while taking back the grimoire and putting it back in her bag. "But I think it's time I uphold my end of the promise."

Nick seemed confused until Judy explained, "You weren't there, Nick, but Tracy made a promise to tell me everything that she knows once the case was finished."

"Well, we already know that she's from somewhere across the multiverse and she's some kind of alien cat from another dimension. What more is there to know?"

"Actually…" Judy and Nick looked at her. "There is something more to me than you guys don't really know."

"What is it?" Judy asked.

"Well, um, you see. I'm not exactly a cat."

"You're not?" Judy was confused, and so was Nick as he crossed his arms from this confession. "Then what are you?"

Tracy sighed at this. How was she going to tell them? Under normal circumstances, she could say "I'm human.", but how could she explain that? Tell them that she wasn't a small cute little cat and is actually a six-foot tall human teenager, who can easily pick them up with her long arms and carry them like the small animals they were. That would be hard to describe and their reactions would be shocking. Something that she can't blame them for after what they've seen so far. "It's…" Her eyes turn away from them awkwardly while rubbing her right arm. "It's sorta complicated to explain everything in detail."

"If it's that hard to explain. How about telling about this later when you're ready or if you're about to leave this world," Nick said.

Tracy looked at him, a smile already formed on his muzzle. Judy also looked at him and asked, "Nick are you sure about telling her that? We could learn about who she is."

"True." Nick shrugs while uncrossing his arms. "Tracy can tell us if she wants, but if it's hard to explain, let her wait till it's the right time to tell us. I mean, it's not like she's staying here forever. She's only staying here until she finds that key and the multiverse isn't going anywhere."

Judy and Tracy nod in agreement. Nick did have a point, Tracy had no intention of staying in this world when there's so much more to be done in the other worlds. The multiverse can wait till after she's done in this world.

"Y'know, speaking about the multiverse." Nick turns to Chief Bogo with Judy and Tracy looking at him as well. "I have a question for you, chief. If you knew that Tracy wasn't from this world and even knew about the multiverse," he motioned his arm to the facility and everyone who was in it while continuing, "along with all this. How come nobody else outside City Hall knows about the multiverse?"

"Maybe I can answer that in two simple words, fox," a deep sonorous voice said behind them. "Absolute deniability."

The three mammals turn around and see a male German Shepherd wearing a brown trench coat, exposing a little of his white dress shirt and black necktie, and black jeans as he was walking towards them after coming up the stairs before stopping, but right next to him was none other than Bellwether herself, much to their surprise. "Assistant Mayor Bellwether," Judy said. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hi Judy. Just thought I'd drop on by and check some things here, but I didn't expect to see you or the other two again. Although, unlike your otherworldly cat friend over there, I should probably apologize."

This raised an eyebrow from the rabbit cop. "Apologize for what?"

Bellwether looks at the German Shepherd and nods at him. "It's really nothing personal, Officer Hopps," the German Shepherd said, much to Judy's shock that he knows her name. "Yes, I know who you are. We've been watching." His eyes turn to look at Nick and Tracy. "And I even know who you two are; Tracy Kaden and Nicholas Wilde." The fox and cat looked at one another, surprised that he knew them. Somehow they must've been spotted by one of the hidden cameras that recorded them. He digs inside his trench coat and pulls out two things: A pair of black government-issued sunglasses and a small silver cylinder-like object. "Oh, and young lady, be sure to call-in M2 once I'm done. He probably doesn't know what's going on here and we may need his help." He puts on his sunglasses while adding, "Bellwether, if you please."

With a nod from the diminutive sheep, she went over to Tracy, placed her arm around her waist, and led her away from Judy and Nick while telling the young cat, "Come on, Tracy, don't want you to get in the way."

"Get in the way of what?" Tracy asked, confused.

Judy and Nick were also confused, but the fox noticed the German Shepherd pushed the top part of the silver cylinder, revealing a glowing red light. He points at it and asks, "What is that thing?"

"Sorry, but that's classified, Wilde. Just know that once this is over…" He points the red light at the fox and rabbit. "I'll make sure Chief Bogo escorts you both out. Don't worry about Tracy. Will take care of her."

Chief Bogo's eyes widened as he knew what was going to happen. Right before the German Shepherd pressed a button that was behind the cylinder, he quickly moved his paw up with his hoof while saying, "Wait!" There was a small flash from the cylinder, similar to how the lenses flash from a camera when taking a picture. "There's no need for that!"

"Bogo, you know I have no choice. These two know too much and this is standard procedure in case something like this happens."

"I understand that." Chief Bogo released the German Shepherd's paw. "But I can assure you they won't say a word about any of this."

"I can't take that chance, Bogo. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't use the mind scanner on them?"

Tracy was a little surprised by what he said. Did this mean that he too was a Guardian, the same as Sparx and those other two? No, he didn't have a badge like hers. So how did he manage to gain the mind scanner which was from the Guardians? "Because," Chief Bogo said as she was brought out of her thoughts, "there's more that I haven't told you from what Tracy told me about the riddle which concerns Hopps."

Judy and Nick were now more confused. What was the chief talking about and why does this concern the rabbit?

Chief Bogo looked at the young cat and said, "Tracy, tell them."

All eyes looked at the teenaged cat with Nick saying, "Tell us what?"

Tracy sighed a little before saying to Judy and Nick, "Guys, remember when King Mickey said that he placed a Foretelling spell inside the grimoire?"

Judy and Nick nod their heads. Come to think of it, they haven't had a chance to ask about it.

"Well, I asked M2 about it and he told me that it can predict certain events that may happen."

This took them both by surprise. "Hold on," Judy said. "Are you saying that the book can show the future?"

"Like everything that's happened that led us here?" Nick adds.

"Not exactly. The spell can't foretell everything, but it did give me words in the form of a riddle ever since I arrived in this world. It said: Seek out the rabbit who is clever and has a heart of a hero who will help you gather allies. Find a creature who is soft and looks innocent but has a heart filled with darkness."

Judy had no idea what that meant, but Nick was in his thoughts for a moment…then something clicked. "'A rabbit who is clever and has a heart of a hero'..." His eyes look at Judy. "Carrots, the book was pointing to you!"

"What?"

"Don't you get it? It makes sense! Why would Tracy need your help? Because you're the rabbit who wants to be a hero and is really clever. You're the one that has managed to gather allies that'll help Tracy find The World Key. Just think about it. It was you who managed to find me," he simplified what he said by placing both paws on his chest before motioning an arm towards Chief Bogo. "You even have the ZPD who can help." He motioned both arms to the facility. "We were even led here so they too can help which leads right back to you." He placed both paws on her shoulder. "Carrots, you're the one that the book was talking about."

Judy's eyes widened with complete astonishment. She was speechless and didn't know what to say except…"Whoa." It all started to make sense. First, it started with Tracy meeting her in Little Rodentia during the weasel chase incident. Next, she remembers Nick talking about a "rabbit heroic-seeker" when they met again which led him to being the first member to help them on not just the case but to also help in finding the key. The last thing was Chief Bogo as he not only has a police force who can help, he even knows about the multiverse and even led them to this facility. Every event that just happened all started with her and she never even knew about it. A small rabbit who always wanted to be a cop and be a hero to the people. This was a lot to take-in for her brain to handle after everything that happened in just a short two days and her mind had already processed about Tracy using magic, the multitude of different worlds, and everything else.

"So," the German Shepherd said as Judy was brought out of her thoughts and he was directing his attention towards Nick. "You're telling me that this rabbit is the one the book spoke about?"

Nick nods his head truthfully.

"Is it true, young lady?" He asked Tracy. "Is she the heroic rabbit you were looking for?"

Tracy nods her head.

"What about your fox friend," he tilted his head to signify Nick. "Is he a tagalong?" Tracy immediately shook her head. "So he's with you two ladies?" Tracy nods her head while he adds, "Hm?" She continues to nod her head, then looks at Judy as she nods to her. Getting the gist, she too nods her head. The German Shepherd gives a small sigh before removing his sunglasses. "Alright, I'll make an exception. Just this once." He puts both his sunglasses and the mind scanner back inside his coat. "As long as you two don't say anything about everything you've seen or heard."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Nick said. "Are lips…" He made a zipping gesture in front of his mouth. "Are sealed. So, since you know who we are. Mind telling us who you are?"

"Maybe I can answer that, Wilde," Chief Bogo said. "This is the Head Chief of Facility 77. He's both an agent of the government, top of his class, and leader of a military force that deals with otherworldly threats within the multiverse. Commander Samuel Shepherd."

"Introductions aside," Commander Shepherd said before looking at Tracy. "Ms. Kaden, if you please."

Tracy nods and opens the bag. "M2, come on out."

M2, in his ball form, floats out of the grimoire. "Tracy, what's going on here?" he asked. "Where are we?"

"We're in a secret facility underneath City Hall. Long story short, Chief Bogo brought us here to show us this place."

Commander Shepherd clears his throat and M2 floats towards him until he is at his face. The commander tilts his head a little while raising an eyebrow and crosses his arms, saying, "Huh, never thought the king himself would create something like this. Especially a clone that possesses a little of his power."

"Actually, more like a fraction than a little," M2 clarified. "The reason why King Mickey created this little form you see before you…" He floats backwards a little before spinning and returning back to his physical form, arms already crossed. "Rather than letting me keep this form is because what-if a world can't comprehend a round-eared mouse walking amongst the people of any world. Especially this one as it might cause a little chaos."

"Hm. Smart." Commander Shepherd uncrosses his arms.

"Indeed," M2 agreed while smiling a little and uncrossing his arms as well.

"Is that form of yours permanent?"

"Not exactly," M2 shook his head. "I can't remain in the physical realm forever as I'll run out of magic and return back into the grimoire as stated by the king's contract who created me."

"How much magic do you have and how long do you have before returning inside the grimoire?"

"Plenty, and I've got two months to remain in the physical realm. Just as long as I don't use a drop of magic. 'Cause remaining in this form slowly takes away my magic. However, if Tracy were to continue putting me back in the grimoire to recharge, I can remain by her side for as long as she pleases. But I doubt you're interested in the details about me or wanting to know about everything else I can do. You're not the type who wants to waste time when there's so much work to be done."

"Clever," Commander Shepherd smiled. "You catch on quick. I like you." M2 floated down to the floor while the commander continued, "And I know you're wondering why I didn't ask Tracy to summon you here?"

"Of course, you must know where The World Key is and who took it."

Tracy was a little surprised to hear this from M2 as she asked him telepathically, How did you know about that?

I'm connected to the king's grimoire. M2 answered. I already saw the riddle the moment it appeared inside right when you arrived in whatever world you got to.

That made a little sense for her. He was already informed to seek out the key, the same as her, and to find the one who took it.

"That is correct," Commander Shepherd said, "We already have information on the thief who stole it."

"Hold on," Chief Bogo said. "If you knew all along who the thief was, why was I not informed about this before Tracy appeared?"

"Well, for two reasons, Bogo. One: We had to give you a small bit of the truth to tell Tracy about this, then we could tell her the rest. And two: You already had your hooves full on the missing predators that went savage, so there was no reason to add-in more to your problems." The moment he mentioned the savaged predators, Chief Bogo glared his eyes at him while Judy, Nick, and Tracy figured that he knew all along about the predators that went missing and how they were going savage. Before any of them could ask, the commander raised a paw and said, "In case any of you are wondering. Yes, I know about the predators going savage and I figured that they were being kidnapped, but I couldn't figure out the connection for the past two weeks. That wasn't until I watched that little incident back at the Rainforest District with Hopps, Wilde, and Kaden, and how that jaguar named Manchas was taken by the same timberwolves I saw two weeks ago. As for if I know about how the predators are going savage, I'm afraid I ain't got anything on that. Even if I did know what was going on, I would've told Chief Bogo about this and made this easier for him. After all, I still owe him for what he did for me years back." Chief Bogo sighed as he softened up a little. "Although to be honest," the commander continued. "I never would've thought that the missing predators that went savage would lead straight to Lionheart. I'm not sure what his motives were in doing what he did but now's not the time to ponder about that."

Unfortunately, Tracy had already started to ponder about this. So far, she already knew that his motive was to keep any predator that went savage imprisoned and at the same time, keep anyone from knowing about this while keeping his job. However, she was still left with the question as to if he knew about the Night Howlers.

"What we're dealing with," the commander brought her out of her thoughts for the moment, "isn't just some ordinary thief who stole an important relic of our world. We're dealing with someone who knows the system."

Tracy was confused by what he meant by that. "Excuse me, but what do you mean by 'know the system'?"

"That is a good question," Judy said, having felt the same way.

"Allow me to show you." Commander Shepherd looks downstairs and says to the mammals on their computers, "Bring up the video feed from two weeks earlier!"

"Yes sir," a male mammal downstairs says.

It didn't take more than a few seconds as holographic videos appeared on the holographic map of the multiverse, each one at a different angle, showing them a large circular room that was guarded by doberman agents and right at the center was a pedestal with The World Key inside a glass case. The commander, Chief Bogo, Bellwether, and the three mammals watched as they saw red lights blaring on the videos and the doberman agents stood at attention while one of them placed a finger towards the ear, probably receiving information of what's going on. They started gathering towards a steel door entrance, pistols out and pointing straight at whatever it was that was about to come through. The steel doors opened slowly, much to the doberman agents' surprise as they expected more of a dramatic approach. Instead, it seemed that someone knew the code to open the door. However, they didn't have time to ponder as the doors opened all the way.

To the shocks of Judy, Nick, and Tracy. What they were seeing was beyond imaginable. Standing before the doberman agents as they started firing their pistols with each of their shots blocked by round shields were non-animal-like creatures. The ones holding the shields were dark-gray skinned creatures with yellow pupiless eyes and had black armor and helmets, horns exposed, and had wings, and each of them carried either a spear or sword. Behind the winged creatures were small green-skinned creatures that jumped over them while a few of the winged ones started flapping their wings until they were in the air. The green-skinned creatures had pointy ears, long crooked noses, had the same yellow pupiless eyes and black armor but lacked the helmets, and each of them carried either a club or short sword.

The doberman agents could only separate as they were starting to get overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of these creatures. They could only try to either shoot or fight back against them, but it was all in vain. Their shots were either missed or blocked by the winged creatures, and the small green creatures easily maneuvered the shots thanks to their small sizes, and the agents were either dogpiled by the small creatures and were beaten by clubs or stabbed by their short swords, cut down or stabbed by the winged creatures who were on the ground while those still in the air used their spears to stab an agents shoulder or back, so a small creature or a winged creature finished them off until all the agents were dead.

Tracy had already covered her mouth with both paws after watching in absolute horror at how those poor creatures were all killed by those monsters. Judy felt the same way as her eyes had already widened from watching everything that just transpired. As for Nick, he couldn't deny to himself that he was absolutely scared just by looking at those monsters. It seemed to him like they came out of the deepest depths of his nightmarish dreams and have come to life in the real world. However, he couldn't help but wonder aloud as he said, "Alright, will somebody please tell us what the heck were those things we just saw?"

"Those things you just witnessed," M2 said as the three mammals looked at him, his face had already turned serious at how dire the situation had now turned. "Those were Daemons."

The three mammals were completely taken aback. "Daemons?" Nick said. "As in monsters that come from, uh…" He hissed through clenched teeth and cringed. "H. E. Double hockey sticks."

"Not quite." M2 gave a small shake of the head. "These creatures come from a dimensional place called The Spirit Realm, and they are from the deepest depths known as Purgatory."

Judy and Nick were confused. What was this Spirit Realm? For Tracy, she knew what that was after reading the book. "Are you saying those things are spirits?" she asked while Judy and Nick looked at her. "As in the ones who can form contracts with Guardians?"

"That's right," M2 nods. "You've studied well."

Judy and Nick looked at each other oddly. What were they talking about? "Hey, look!" Bellwether said as she pointed a hoof at a holographic video showing the steel door entrance. "Somebody's coming."

They turn their attention back to the holographic video, and low and behold someone was coming from out of the shadows and into the room. The individual was small and it was a raccoon. It wore silvery-gray armor and had a helmet with a white pom-pom. Right behind the armored raccoon strapped around its waist was a bag similar to what Tracy has. However, Judy and Nick noticed something. Whoever this was, this wasn't a raccoon, despite both its face and tail looking exactly like one but had a mask and fake add-on tail to the back of the armor. They watched as the armor clad raccoon strode forward towards the pedestal, then the bag suddenly opened and out floated a silvery-gray grimoire, but couldn't actually see the symbol on the front cover. The book opens as the pages flipped and stopped, and behind the armored raccoon, four silver-gray chains with spikes at the end appeared and lifted up the armored raccoon as it continued straight towards the pedestal, like a spider heading towards its prey. It lifted up the glass case, tossing it to the side, and took The World Key.

The last thing they saw before the videos went static was the armored raccoon looking at all the cameras that recorded everything, almost like it knew where they were, and waved at them, then with a flick of an arm a spiked chain struck the cameras. As the holographic videos disappeared, Nick said while crossing his arms and having an unamused look, "Okay, I don't know who that was, but I would either call it ironic or just plain insulting to predators. Because that right there was not a raccoon."

"I agree," Judy said with a nod. "Aren't raccoons supposed to be a little bigger than that? This one seems more like a teenager in that size rather than an adult."

"Clever," Commander Shepherd said. "You two catch on quick."

"Aren't there anymore videos concerning our little friend who took the key?" M2 asked.

"I'm afraid not," Commander Shepherd answered. "Most of the security cameras were shut down, except for the vault which holds The World Key."

"Shut down?" Judy said, confused. "Who shut down the security cameras?"

"We think the thief must've shut it down before arriving at the vault."

"Who's in charge of the security of this place?"

"A ram named Moses. He's the one in charge of all the security feeds."

"Have you managed to question him about the thief?"

"No, he was already knocked out unconscious by the time we found him. So I doubt he knows anything about what happened."

"What about the rest who came in contact with the thief," Tracy asked. "Surely someone must know."

"I'm sorry, but anyone close to the vault is considered K.I.A."

Tracy sighed at this. It seemed that they hit a dead-end. There was no telling who this thief was that stole The World Key and is out there somewhere. All that they knew was that this thief was small, that's all. It looked like it was going to be hard to find at least another clue to the identity of the thief. That was until Chief Bogo said, "Have you at least managed to figure out what species this little thief is?"

"Ah, now that's a good question, Bogo. Bring up the image of the thief!" A holographic image of the armored raccoon appeared before the mammals. "Notice anything out of place?"

"Not really," Chief Bogo admitted by shaking his head a little. "Except that I already know, thanks to those two," he tilts his head to Judy and Nick, "that mammal isn't a raccoon. For all we know, it could be anybody behind that raccoon mask."

"Hold on," Judy said as she squinted her eyes at the image. Observing it closely, she noticed something different out of all the pieces of the armor and pointed at the pom-pom. "Right there on top of the helmet. Is that part of it?"

"No," Commander Shepherd said, smiling. "Again, you catch on quick."

Nick's eyes had already squinted as he too was observing the image closely, but he seemed to recognize something on the pom-pom. "Hey, I recognize that. It looks just like wool from a sheep." His eyes started to widen. "Hold on. You don't mean that-"

"Exactly. Bring out the files!"

Immediately, files of sheep with pictures on them, both male and female alike, appeared before them. Chief Bogo and Nick were both finding this hard to believe as the fox said, "You have got to be kidding me?"

"The thief is a sheep?" Judy said, also finding it hard to believe that an innocent-looking creature would do this.

"Yes, and thanks to your cat friend over there." Commander Shepherd pointed at Tracy. "We managed to figure out the riddle as it said: 'soft and looks innocent'. What creature is the softest and most innocent-looking to every mammal? The answer is a sheep as their wool is the softest in all the mammal-kind and their appearances look innocent, but behind all that some of them can commit crime. Some of the files you see here harbor criminal records while others used to be criminals that went straight. However, all the other files are citizens as that is the most difficult part. I've already sent out the agents on a Code Green alert to hunt this sheep thief down and find that key." He sighed as he pinched the ridge of his nose. "To be honest, we're spread out too thin and it could take us awhile to find the thief responsible for all the trouble it caused us." He looks back at them, continuing his explanation, "On top of that, not only do we have to deal with the Daemons, we also have to deal with not one but three black robed individuals, and yes I know about them, which we can thank God that it wasn't pushed to either Code Yellow or Red yet. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what their motives are or what they want. I also don't know who they are, except two of them are Elemental Guardians."

"Maybe I can answer that one, Commander," Tracy said. "The Elemental Guardian that uses Thunder is actually Sparx. He's being controlled by dark magic. As for what they want…" She pats her bag that contains the book. "They're after the king's grimoire."

Commander Shepherd became confused as he crossed his arms and said, "Why would they want a simple book?"

"That's the part," Tracy shrugged. "I don't know. The king entrusted it to me, but he never told me why his book is important. So your guess is as good as mine."

Commander Shepherd brings a paw to his chin, humming in thought, wondering what was so important about that book. Why would those otherworldly visitors dressed in black robes go through all this trouble for just one book? What's so special about it that they would literally come after just one kid? His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Nick say, "Um, excuse me. Not to change the subject or anything, but I'm at a loss. What do these color codes mean? 'Cause I have a feeling that they don't mean anything good."

"Why don't I explain it to you, Mr. Wilde," Bellwether said. "Code Green means whenever something of value within this facility, like The World Key for example, is stolen, agents are sent to find the relic and return it, or in a different case scenario…" She motions her hoof to Tracy. "...send in the Guardians to find it. Now for Code Yellow, it means we have visitors from a different world but not quite sure who they are. If the visitors seem harmless, like Tracy for instance, they need to be brought in and have to be given a new identity." She looks at both Chief Bogo and Commander Shepherd while adding, "Which of course you can thank Chief Bogo for bringing in the girl and informing the commander about her, and the commander creating a file for her. Am I right, Commander?"

"Yes," Commander Shepherd said. "Her files are already taken care of." He looks at Tracy and smiles at her. "Consider yourself a resident of Zootopia, Tracy Catman."

"Catman?" Tracy had a weird look from the last name that was given to her.

Nick laughed a little before saying, "That last name fits perfectly for you. You're cute, adorable, and a cat. So 'Catman' suits you."

"Anyway," Bellwether said, continuing her explanation. "If any visitor isn't exactly harmless and is considered hostile in a residential area. Commander Shepherd sends in a team of agents to deal with the problem while using the mind scanners to erase any known memory from any witness. That's why every mammal in this facility keeps watch on any visitor that hasn't used the private train to arrive here in our world."

"What's this private train and what about Code Red?"

"Sorry, but that part is classified. As for Code Red…" Bellwether gives a smile. "Commander Shepherd sends in the military force, brings in the big guns, and cleans up the mess. In short: Search and destroy."

"You mean there's a way to destroy those Daemons?"

"Not through conventional means, Nick," M2 said. "The only way to destroy a Daemon is with magic."

"But there is no magic in this world."

"That's not entirely accurate," Commander Shepherd said. The three mammals looked at him oddly. "The magic of our world has already been lost centuries ago. However, that doesn't mean we can harness the energy frequency through the magnetic flows. To put it simply; we can create our own kind of magic through unconventional means." He starts digging inside his coat again. "Similar to tranquilizers, shock, and taser weapons, we've developed advanced weapons not seen to the public, and these weapons…" He pulls out a pistol as Tracy gasped and her eyes widened. "Can put either a Daemon or a mammal not from this world down in one pull of the trigger."

The pistol was unlike anything Tracy has ever seen. Even to both Judy and Nick as they have never seen a weapon like that. It looked similar to that of an ordinary pistol that can reload mags from Tracy world, except this one looked different. The grip and the trigger were both black, and the top part of the weapon was silver with small glowing blue bars on the sides. "Is that what I think it is?" Tracy said. "Is that a Magi-Gun?"

Judy and Nick looked at her oddly as the rabbit cop said, "A Magi-what now?"

"It's a weapon used by the Guardians."

Commander Shepherd gave a small chuckle before answering, "Not really, Tracy. Our weapons are based on the Magi weapons the Guardians use, but this weapon I have here is called a Pulsar Pistol. It fires highly concentrated energy rounds, similar to that of a shock pistol except this one is mainly to kill. Unlike an ordinary shock pistol that uses batteries." With a downward flick, out popped a mag-like glowing blue object that was cylinder-shaped and was connected to silver bars that seemed to be removable for the cylinder object while the glowing bars on the weapon instantly died. "It uses canisters that are filled with highly concentrated magnetic energy that lasts longer." Pushing the canister back up, with the bars instantly returning back to its blue glow, he continues to explain, "The bars you see here," he points to the bars to simplify, "indicates how much energy is left before the weapon loses power." He smiles and puts the Pulsar Pistol back inside coat. "Other than that, we have enough advanced firepower to take out even the toughest of otherworldly foes."

The three mammals were impressed by this. Nick gave a small whistle and said, "Wow, that's really cool."

"Oh, you haven't seen nothing yet, Wilde."

Judy cleared her throat, getting the commander's attention as she said, "To put this little matter aside, I have a question. Do you think there's a connection between the thievery of The World Key and the predators going savage?"

"There is a possibility, Officer Hopps, but as I already said about the predators going savage I don't have an answer for that."

"What about Night Howlers?" Tracy said.

The commander had an odd look while Chief Bogo looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Night Howlers?" he said. "What's that?"

"It's the wolves, sir," Judy answered. "It's something that we've discovered on the case."

"I don't think it's the wolves, Judy," Tracy said.

"How can you say that?" Judy looks at her. "I mean, you were right there with us when it happened."

"I can't explain it, but I have this feeling that we're missing something."

This took Nick by surprise as he asked her, "What are we missing?"

"I don't know. That's the problem." She looks at Chief Bogo and Commander Shepherd as she asks them, "Do either of you know anything about Night Howlers?"

Chief Bogo shook his head truthfully as he knew nothing about that while Commander Shepherd answered, "Not really. Never heard of anything like that."

"Well, can you look into it and find anything closely related to Night Howlers."

"I can try."

"Chief Bogo, can you send any of your detectives and do the same?"

"I can," he said. "But you'll be sending them on a wild goose chase and I highly doubt anyone knows about these Night Howlers."

"I do. There's only one mammal I know who was tied to the savage predators."

"You mean Lionheart?"

"Yes, he may have some answers that I'm looking for."

"And you want to question him before the night's over?"

"Yes."

"Tracy-"

"I have to do this!" Tracy cuts off Judy, knowing she was going to try and talk some sense into her. "This has to be now rather than later. Besides, I have to know. Commander, will it be alright if we borrow an agent? Because I'm going to keep M2 out of the grimoire, just for precaution."

"Sure, I'll see who I can find. Go wait by the elevator and an agent will be there with you shortly."

Tracy nods as she and the other mammals, with Bellwether accompanying them, go downstairs and wait by the elevator they just came through. While they waited, Nick decided to strike up a conversation as he said, "So, how long have these guys known about the multiverse?"

"For a long time, I guess," Bellwether answered. "They've been studying the multiverse and finding new ways to gain knowledge. Hopefully to find a way to explore more of the vast regions of every world."

"What about you, Chief Bogo. Are you some kind of secret agent that works with the government?"

"Not exactly, Wilde," Chief Bogo answered. "I'm more of a special case."

This confused both him and Judy as she asked him, "What does that mean?"

He smiled at her and answered the rabbit cop. "That's a different story I'll tell you about when the time comes."

Judy and Nick looked at one another, wondering what he meant by that. Now for Tracy, something was bothering her. She couldn't explain it as again it was another feeling and it wasn't concerning the Night Howlers…it was concerning Bellwether. So with that, she looked at her and asked, "Bellwether, I have a question for you." The diminutive sheep looked at her. "Don't take this the wrong way and I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but how come you weren't on the list of suspects who stole The World Key?"

"Tracy!"

"Oh, it's okay, Judy," she assured her, noticing the surprised look on her face that Tracy would suddenly ask a question that was so bad to her friend. "There was no harm in asking, she was just wondering." She looked back at Tracy and continued, "Anyway, to answer that question, I have diplomatic immunity so the government can't touch me unless they have anything that I've done that was illegal. Speaking of which," she looks at the other mammals before her, "I wanted to thank you all for a job well done on solving the case." A doberman agent suddenly walked towards them and pressed the elevator button, meaning that he was the one that Commander Shepherd sent while Bellwether finished by saying, "Anywho, even if they were to put me on the list, it's not like I've got anything to hide. Besides…" There was a ding as all the mammals who were near the elevator turned towards the sliding doors. "I'm as innocent as a doe."

Tracy becomes stunned for a moment, then looks at Bellwether. "Excuse me. What did you say?"

"I said 'I'm as innocent as a doe'. Nobody has seen me do anything bad and I'm as clean as a fluffy new sheep."

Something dawned on her when Bellwether said "innocent" and how she explained it. She remembered that the book said "innocent" and "heart filled with darkness". So far, she already knows that the thief who stole The World Key is a sheep and Commander Shepherd has all the files related to sheep but does not have Bellwether's as she has diplomatic immunity. Could it be that she was-

"Tracy, come on," Judy said, interrupting her thoughts as she and the other mammals were already inside the elevator.

Tracy quickly went inside the elevator and the doberman agent pressed a button. As the elevator doors started to close, Bellwether smiled and said while waving, "Bye, I hope we see each other again." She places both hooves at her back, her smile never faltering. "Very soon."

Judy waved back, just as the doors closed and the elevator started its ascent. Tracy, however, felt uneasy from Bellwether's smile as it seemed to be directed towards her and not her friends. M2 sensed her distress and asked her telepathically, Is there something troubling you?

Yeah, in fact there is, she admitted. She looks at the mouse clone and adds, But I'd rather not talk about this yet, especially when we're around Judy. She tilts her head a little towards the rabbit cop.

I understand, M2 nods.

One other thing. When we leave here so I can have a talk with Lionheart, I want you to stay in the car but keep both an eye out and your guard up. If any Daemon or if our armored friend somehow appears while I'm inside. Do what you were made to do.

It'll be my pleasure, he smiled.

Before leaving City Hall, the three mammals followed the doberman agent to a black van while Chief Bogo went back into his police car and waited for them. When they were all set, they followed Chief Bogo behind them as he led them to the jailhouse. The place where the former mayor of Zootopia, Lionheart, resides.


Present Time…

Tracy was looking at the window, her mind filled with thoughts from before. So far most of her questions had been answered, but now she was left with more questions that remained unanswered. And that was concerning Bellwether. She may have fooled Lionheart into thinking that he was responsible for letting the thief in and giving him or her the information about the facility and where The World Key is, and of course giving the mysterious black robed mammals along with Sparx the information on who she is and that she was the keeper of the king's grimoire. The real truth was that she had already figured that the ones in power who knew about the multiverse and Facility 77 weren't just the mayor. It was the assistant mayor as well.

Now, she wasn't the type to point fingers without any evidence, but her feelings were telling her that this was too well connected. Was it possible that…that Bellwether was the thief and she was the one who sent both that arctic wolf and Sparx after her? That couldn't be. Could it? She didn't seem bad and didn't look the type, and was really friendly to her and Judy. Not to mention, she didn't have a bag that contained the same grimoire she saw on the holographic video which would've been a dead giveaway. However, looks can be deceiving and she learned to never judge a book by its cover. On top of that, the connection was leading to her and that right there was giving her a little bit of doubt. Even though she had known Bellwether for only several days, that didn't mean she had her suspicions, innocent or not. It was still a fifty-fifty percent chance that she could be right or wrong, which she hoped for the latter. The last thing she needed, since she knows that Judy has become good friends with the assistant mayor, was a misunderstanding between Judy and herself. For now, she would have to keep it to herself and reveal her suspicions to Judy when the time comes.

Unfortunately, her main concern right now wasn't just the thief, those guys in black robes, and Sparx. It was the Daemons. So far, they haven't appeared yet, which she could thank God that they haven't. However, the strange thing about it was why they haven't shown up now. Heck, they could have appeared during the scuffle at the Rainforest District while she and M2 were being chased by Sparx. Worse case scenario, they would have appeared when they were at Mr. Big's instead of that arctic wolf and Sparx before they even left. That thought right there scared her a little as she became a little worried for Fru Fru's safety against those monsters. What made it a little worse for her, those Daemons could've attacked her anytime they wanted, even when she was helping Judy with the case. Not to mention, with Chief Bogo already leaving them, they were left alone and exposed.

That was when a new realization dawned on her as she remembered that harrowing warning about the darkness seeking to destroy her. At first she thought it was both that arctic wolf and Sparx, but it became clear it was much more dire than she could possibly imagine. Now she understood what M2 and King Mickey meant about the difference between life and death. Her life and death. This was the reason why she must be prepared for not just some battle for one world. It was a great battle that may take place soon. She didn't know if it was going to happen sooner or later and she wasn't the type to just simply wait for it to happen. So with that, it was time to stay a step-ahead for preparation for the upcoming battle that may lie ahead as she whipped out her badge and started sliding on the screen until she was at the SHOP section. Looking up at M2, who sat right in front of her with Judy next to him, she said to him, "M2, how many weapons can you use?"

"A lot," he answered. "Other than creating swords using my magic, I even have my own dimensional store space which I can store any weapons I can use."

"Really! Show me."

Nick, who was sitting next to Tracy, along with Judy watched as M2 brought up open palms, then rune circles with the same mouse symbol but had a Roman numeral of two at the center appeared on both hands. Tracy became astounded when she saw that. Not only does M2 possess his own storage space to use whatever weapon he stores in those palms, but he can also carry her weapons for her while at the same time use said weapons she's given him. It was both a win-win situation for her and he wouldn't have to worry about using his magic to create swords.

Speaking of weapons, she went back to the SHOP section and tapped on it. From there she was taken to three choices:

WEAPONS - ACCESSORIES - ITEMS

Tapping on the "Weapons", she was taken to the same list she had already read from the book. From the list she chose only the low-grade sword and low-grade Magi-Gun, two of each. Luckily they were cheap as they cost like five currency each. Which meant she used up twenty currency and has nine billion, nine-hundred and ninety-nine million, nine-hundred and ninety-nine thousand, and nine-hundred and seventy-nine left. Whoever gave her that much currency for her to use, she would have to thank later. After buying them, she was given a choice in the form of two white circles with symbols. One was a hand symbol that said on the bottom: Do you wish to equip yourself? The other was a chest symbol as this too was said on the bottom: Do you wish to place your weapons in the STORAGE section? She chose the latter as she wanted to put it in storage for now until they get to the hotel. When that was done, she tapped on the yellow back arrow and was brought back to the three choices. This time she tapped on the "Accessories". Looking at the list, she chose the black armlet. Just like the low-grade swords she bought, that too was also five currency cheap.

While Nick watched her suddenly buy these things, Judy now noticed the same glow from when she brought out those vials of Potions and Ethers. Only this time, she saw a black armlet with a gray jewel that Tracy took out from the ball of light before it returned back to her badge and she placed it on her wrist. Just like what happened before with the pendant, it glowed a light-blue and her body glowed the same color. "What're you doing?" she asked, wondering why Tracy was buying an armlet, especially this late at night.

"Getting prepared," she answered while already opening up the "Items" list and scrolling down until she was at the Mega-Elixir's.

"Getting prepared for what?"

"Isn't it obvious." Tracy started buying Mega-Elixir's which cost ten-thousand currency much to her surprise, though she didn't show it in front of Judy. "The Daemons, those guys in black robes, that armored sheep thief, and Sparx. Just in case we ever run into them." She held down on the up arrow until it was at nine-hundred. She needed to have a stockpile of the best whenever her strength or magic was depleted.

Nick's eyes widened at how many of those Mega-Elixir's she just bought as that cost like nine-billion currency and still have millions left while Judy said, "Aren't you being a little paranoid?"

"No, it's called staying a step-ahead." When she has finished storing all those Mega-Elixir's, she gives her badge over to M2, after he had already closed off the rune circles on his palms, and says to him, "Go ahead and equip yourself with the weapons I've chosen for now, then before we arrive at a hotel, I want you to-"

She felt a shock go through her head, only this time there was a loud buzzing, then without any explanation her head darts here and there. Nick and Judy became concerned by Tracy's sudden behavior as the fox asked first before the rabbit cop, "Are you okay?"

"What's wrong?"

M2's face became serious as he said to Tracy, "You sense something, don't you?"

Tracy, Nick, and Judy looked at him confused. "Sense what?" the rabbit cop asked.

"Hopps!" came the radio frequency of Chief Bogo as the three mammals, the mouse clone, and the doberman agent listened, but the frequency was on the fritz. They could barely hear words from him like: "...hear me…", "...do you…", "...need to get out…", and "...coming…"

M2 felt the loud buzzing. He brings out a ball of light and clasps it, creating a sword. "We got company."

Before Judy and Nick could wrap their heads around what was going on, they heard a loud thump and the doberman agent could only gasp as the winged Daemon landed right in the front of the vehicle, then the creature thrusted its spear right at the front windshield, causing Tracy to yelp.


Uh-oh, looks like trouble has arrived. Will Tracy and her friends survive against the attack of the Daemons? Who is the identity of the thief who stole The World Key? So far, they already know it's a sheep, but who is the one who hides behind the armor? Tracy has her suspicions that it maybe Bellwether. Could she be right? Who knows. Join me next time as the epic showdown against the Daemons and the soon-to-be long awaited fight for Tracy and Sparx to begin.

Till then, I'll see ya'll later now!