This fic, for me, is different. For one, it's already finished. I'm intending to upload a chapter every Saturday and Wednesday until it's all online.

For two, I set myself a restriction: chapters must always be less than 1000 words. I thought it a rewarding exercise, and like the results. Hopefully you readers agree.

This fic follows on closely from Gazelle Unfettered, and picks up on elements from other fics in my Zootopia series, so you might want to read at least GU before this one.

Content warning: this fic touches on sensitive themes, including bullying, suicide and child abuse. Further warnings will be posted at the start of relevant chapters. Proceed with all due caution.

Nick set himself on one side of the alley entrance, Judy the other, then the fox activated his radio, talking quietly. "Wilde to Control. Suspect's gone to ground in a dead-end alley. Still no sign of weaponry, so going in for the capture."

"Acknowledged," Clawhauser's voice answered. "Snarlov and Delgado can be on scene in five minutes if backup needed."

"Understood. Will call when perp's secured." Switching off the radio, Nick locked eyes with Judy.

She nodded, raised a paw, counted three fingers, then in unison they leaned out, staring into the alley. It was fairly short, and quite narrow, and cluttered with crates, boxes and dumpsters. The only sounds were the muted background rumblings of the city, and nothing stirred. Her ears bolt upright, the rabbit led the careful way in.

Step by silent step they moved along, following the scent trail of their target, until they reached a small pile of wooden crates right next to a dumpster, fresh fractures visible in some of their slats. Another glance was exchanged between fox and bunny, then the former shifted to the other side of the dumpster and gripped the lid.

"Come out, Slapston," Judy ordered. "You're under arrest."

She got no response.

"Come out or we pull you out. You have five seconds."

Still nothing.

Judy readied herself, gave a short, sharp nod, then Nick wrenched the lid open and she grabbed the rim to look over. As her head crested it, she found herself staring down the barrel of a handgun, at point-blank range, for a second that seemed to last forever, before it was fumbled out of view. A bang set her ears ringing, a searing pain erupted in the right side of her chest, and she hit the ground hip-first.

It took a couple more seconds to shake off the shock, then the bunny hurriedly looked herself over, relieved to see no blood, and no damage to her claw-resistant vest. Eyes snapping to the dumpster, she found a new, sharp little bulge in its flank, and her nose twitched to a coppery scent rising from it. "Nick...?"

"He's shot himself," the fox reported, from inside the bin. "The bullet must've ricocheted into him. Call in the medics. You all right?"

"Just bruised, and it'll be a while before my hearing's fully back." Judy flicked her radio on. "Hopps to Control. Medics needed urgently. The suspect's seriously wounded. He had a gun." A curt exchange ensued, by the end of which Nick was sitting beside her.

"Done what I can to stabilise him. It'll be touch and go, though." The fox held up an evidence bag with a gun and a magazine holding a sole bullet inside. "He'd better pull through, as I have a lot of questions, the first of which is: why's a two-bit shoplifter toting this little life-ender?"

"Eight illegal weapons in under a month, and now a lethal one." Judy frowned. "Bogo is not going to be happy..."