Hello, and welcome! So, here we have what will be a collection of one-shots! This first one will be a reposting of my old one-shot, Time To Face Up, with some minor editing to reflect changes in my writing style since this was first published, five years ago. The inspiration to make this the first in a collection is in part down to the release of Zootopia+ - the next one-shot will be directly inspired by that, so look forward to it!
Disclaimers before we begin: Zootopia is owned by Disney and not me, and any character likenesses to real people are purely coincidental.
ZOOTOPIA
TIME TO FACE UP
Nick Wilde was usually such a prideful fox, at least in appearance. He always wore the crispest shirts he could find, and was always armed with a disarming smirk that made him appear mildly amused. His emerald eyes would glint as he came up with his latest money-making scheme. It didn't matter to Nick that everybody else saw a tacky, shifty fox: to him, he looked professional.
In truth, Nick was anything but proud. For eleven weeks, Nick had been unable to pull off any hustles whatsoever. Finnick, his fennec partner, had expressed worry many times, even against Nick's insistence that he was fine. He hadn't even returned to his apartment much in the past month, preferring to spend time at the lot in the Docks that he had acquired several years ago. Once upon a time, Nick had visions about opening a predators-only theme park in one of the disused warehouses on the lot. Heck, the hustles were even supposed to help fund the idea, but the idea eventually fell by the wayside. Offers had been made for the land, all of which Nick had turned down.
Lately, Nick's thoughts had been turned towards what had happened eleven weeks prior. He had met a bunny cop who he initially dismissed as a sufferer of delusions of grandeur. And she had done everything to prove that she was more than what he had assumed her to be. The little fluffy whirlwind had blustered into his life and changed so much for him… and then she had let him down, after he had stood up for her.
The words echoed in Nick's head often in the past few weeks.
Reverting back to their primitive, savage ways.
I just stated the facts of the case. It's not like a bunny could go savage.
Nick leaned back into his deck chair, set up beneath the bridge nearby the disused warehouse that once held his dream. His eyes were hidden by his sunglasses, a cheap plastic pair he had owned for a while. His mouth was set in a frown upon the memory.
'Figures,' Nick thought despondently, 'Nobody really thinks I'm so much more after all.'
A buzz in his pocket broke Nick from his thoughts. He fished for the source, pulling out his phone. Raising it to eye level, Nick glanced at the caller ID. It read 'Finnick'. The display also showed the 57 missed calls that Nick had ignored – all of them from her.
Putting the phone to his ear, Nick slid the screen to answer.
"Hey, how's my favourite munchkin?" Nick greeted.
"Call me that again and I'll use your head as a holder for my bat," came the low voice of the fennec on the other end.
"What's up, buddy?" Nick asked.
"You ain't been hustling for a while, Nick," Finnick observed. "It's got me worried."
"You? Worried? I'm touched," Nick snarked. "I could just come over there and hug the cute right off of you!"
"Do that and I'll bite your face off," Finnick growled. "And don't call me cute! I'll shove the baseball bat in a place you really don't want it!"
"Okay, okay! Geez, touchy!" Nick chortled.
"I'm serious, Nick," Finnick said. "What is up with you lately? That bunny cop got you in twists?"
Nick's ears fell. Though they were hidden by his sunglasses, Nick's eyes widened.
"Yeah, that's it, if your silence is an answer."
"And how do you know that? I could be thinking of the next hustle," Nick asked.
"If you wasn't upset over the bunny cop, you'da had a snappier comeback," Finnick pointed out. "Look, just go to the Precinct and ask for her. If you want to do nothing else, scream at her for Gods' sake. Howl at her! Just do somethin', 'cause this affecting you."
Nick sighed.
"Why should I go looking for her?" Nick demanded. "She should be the one to apologise to me!"
"Gotta say, Nick. You've disappointed me," Finnick remarked. "The Nick I know wouldn't have just walked out on her without giving her a chance to explain herself first. You lost your cool mind over all this."
Nick froze at Finnick's words. He was right. Nick knew it: he should not have just walked out on her.
There was just one small problem.
"Hate to break this to you, Fin, but I'm a fox and there's been a massive anti-predator sentiment lately," Nick said, "so walking into the centre of Zootopia, right into the lion's den is the dumbest thing I can do right now. I'm very lucky nobody else knows I'm here, because I'm sure some of those sporting young prey would just love the opportunity to beat me up, on the account of me being both an untrustworthy fox and a predator. Yeah, I have to thank Carrots for that one! And you think I should wander across the city right into said lion's den and give her another chance?"
For a moment, there was no response.
"Damn, Nick," Finnick said. "I gotta see if you got a ring on your finger to be sure, 'cos you sound just like a fox who just got himself jilted at the altar!"
"… what?!" Nick stuttered.
"Oh, yeah, you like the rabbit, don'tcha?" Finnick continued.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Nick denied the accusation.
"Deny it all you want, but she is the reason you've been down in the dumps lately, isn't she?"
"Okay, stop me if you've heard this one before. Naïve little hick from a carrot-choked podunk comes along and convinces everyone she's a cop, even dragging a sly fox along for the ride. Said sly fox stands up for the rabbit cop and saves her hide from her big bully boss, who clearly set her up to fail, and she claims to believe in him so much that she suggests he becomes a cop too. Only to find, whoopsie, she doesn't really believe in him. And that suggestion of being a cop? Double whoopsie, because the ZPD isn't going to hire any sort of predator, much less a fox. And whoopsie number threesie, rabbit cop goes and makes it clear she feels threatened by the big bad fox, going so far as to go for the fox spray she's had on her belt ever since the day she met. Her prejudice is revealed, predators all suffer for it and the fox is left in mental and emotional turmoil because he mistakenly believed that she saw more in him."
"Damn, Nick, you got it for her hard, even if you don't realise it yourself," Finnick laughed. "Ain't nobody been able to get you on a rant like that before."
"What I got is a deck chair in the middle of nowhere, an apartment I haven't spent a lot of time in and no drive to go and hustle," Nick answered. "And is Fluffbutt to blame for that?"
'Yes. Yes, she is,' Nick wanted to say. Yet, for some strange reason, Nick could not bring himself to actually say it.
Nick sighed.
"Look, if it'll get you off my back, I'll go try and talk to her," Nick said. "But I expect you to pick me up from the hospital when I'm jumped on by prey supremacists."
"Ain't gonna come to that," Finnick replied. "I'll pick you up myself and drive you there." A brief pause. "And how many missed calls now?"
Nick gritted his teeth.
"Fifty-seven. And almost as many voicemails," Nick said.
The ride to the ZPD took an hour in Finnick's van. There was nothing said between Finnick and Nick during the journey, which took them through some of the back streets to avoid the protests (Finnick termed some of them 'riots') against predators. Once they got to the parking lot in front of ZPD's Precinct One building, Finnick stopped the van and turned to Nick.
"If you gonna do this, better do it now," Finnick urged Nick, who turned to face Finnick.
"Why am I here, Fin?" Nick asked. "Why did I even agree to do this?"
"You askin' me?" Finnick turned to Nick. "All I know is you got bunny on the brain. You gotta close it. So go in there, ask for the bunny and talk to her."
Nick let out a breath through his nostrils. He shook his head for a moment, before opening the van door and hopping out. He casually strolled across the parking lot and to the front doors of the ZPD. There were so few police officers around – Nick had heard that the ZPD had been forced to suspend all of its officers who were predators as a precautionary measure after one officer (a lion by the name of Delgato, if Nick recalled correctly), went savage. The ones that were left were all prey.
Nick entered the revolving door and stepped into the lobby of the Precinct. It looked no less massive than it did the last time Nick was here, but there was something missing from the place.
Before Nick could dwell on it too much, he reminded himself why he was there and headed toward the front desk, expecting to see the chubby cheetah there. Instead, there was a stoic-looking zebra. And an oddly familiar one at that…
The ghost of the muzzle from the past crept up on Nick, almost causing him to have a panic attack.
He knew the zebra. It was him – he was part of that gang that muzzled him when he was a kit.
Nick was broken from his stupor when the zebra glanced at Nick and spoke.
"Can I help you, sir?" the zebra asked. Nick glanced at the zebra's name tag (which read Stripeford, confirming Nick's identification of the zebra) and then took a moment to collect himself. He put a grin on his face (Nick thought it was a little uneasy) before he made his request.
"Ah, yes you can, Officer!" Nick said, as smoothly as he could muster. "I was wondering if I could have a talk with Officer Judy Hopps, please."
The zebra looked down at Nick. He raised one of his eyebrows.
"Judy Hopps no longer works for the ZPD," The zebra replied. "She resigned yesterday."
Nick's grin fell.
Judy was gone.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Nick continued on.
"… resigned?" Nick queried.
"Yes," The zebra confirmed. "As I understand it, as soon as she left the meeting with Mayor Bellwether and Chief Bogo, she headed home to pack. She's returning to her home town."
'So, that's it, is it?' Nick thought to himself. 'Officer Judy Hopps is going to give up and go home? After everything? After she didn't even back down from all the roadblocks I put in her way?'
For a moment, Nick considered walking away. Instead, he continued on.
"If she's not a police officer any more, then maybe you can tell me where she lives?" Nick asked. "It's really important."
The zebra shut his eyes and snorted. He opened his eyes again and stared down at Nick.
"I'm sorry, but that would be a violation of data protection policy," The zebra explained. "I cannot give out information on the whereabouts of an employee of the ZPD, past or present."
Nick's shoulders drooped and his ears went back.
"Fine," Nick sighed heavily. "Thanks anyway."
Nick turned to leave. The zebra watched him walk a few steps before speaking again.
"Hey, do I know you from somewhere?" The zebra asked.
Nick stopped, but he did not turn around. His tail went rigid.
"I know everybody," Nick replied, facing the door. "I've been around. Maybe you've seen me on your patrols. Good day."
And with that, Nick walked out of the ZPD.
"Damn," Finnick said. "What next?"
"What do you mean, 'what next'?" Nick asked. "There's nothing more I can do. She's gone. She's run away back home to her carrot-choked little hometown, and left me to stew with the rest of the city. Should I be busting my gut trying to find her after that?"
"So you gonna give up?" Finnick raised an eyebrow. "You just gonna throw in the towel?"
"What else do you want from me?" Nick asked, "I tried going to her work. She quit, and they won't tell me where she lives in Zootopia so I can try and…"
"There's someone who might know," Finnick said, starting up the van. Nick looked at Finnick curiously. Then, when the realisation struck him, Nick's ears went back against his skull and his eyes widened.
"Fin, no. No," Nick warned him. "No way. I barely got away the last time I was there! And this time, there's no Carrots to save my hide!"
"Big is bound to know where the cop lives." Finnick pointed out, "After all, Fru Fru became pals with her really fast, and Big owes that favour."
"Yes, Carrots saved Fru Fru's life, and Big already repaid that debt," Nick pointed out. "There's nothing he's gonna do for us, except maybe dunk us into the icebox!"
"You know a better way to find the bunny cop?!" Finnick snarled. "I'm quite happy to just kick you out right here and now."
Nick crossed his arms. He glared at Finnick.
"Fine," Nick said. "But if we get iced, I'm gonna get you back."
Tundratown was cold by nature, but the Big House seemed particularly cold. The house's grounds were deserted, though Nick knew better than to assume nobody was home. He carefully padded towards the door at the front of the house. Before he could reach for the doorbell, the front door opened and Nick was unceremoniously hauled inside by a gigantic white-furred arm that pulled him to eye level with an angry-looking polar bear in a dark tracksuit and a band-aid on his muzzle.
"Kevin!" Nick grinned. "How's it going?"
"Why are you here?" Kevin demanded. He had a Russian accent, though it wasn't the heaviest Nick had heard.
"I need to see your boss," Nick said.
Kevin growled in response, then dragged Nick into the main room. Sat at the desk was the much larger polar bear. Nick knew the polar bear as Boris Koslov, Mr. Big's bodyguard and enforcer. They had known each other from before the days of modern Zootopia, when Big had rescued Koslov from a rhino mob boss. He looked none-too-pleased to see Nick, though it was difficult to tell since he always looked grumpy. But Nick's attention was drawn to the desk, where there was a tiny chair, and sat in that tiny chair was Mr. Big, an arctic shrew.
Nick had worked for Mr. Big at one point, but that relationship had turned sour. In fact, it was only because of Judy that Nick was still alive after his last encounter.
"Meh," Mr. Big held out a paw. Nick stepped forward and gently kissed the ring on Mr. Big's paw.
"Why have you come here, Nicky?" Mr. Big asked, raising an eyebrow. "You have avoided me ever since trying to find Otterton."
"Mr. Big, sir…" Nick began. "I'm only here because I need to know where Carr… I mean, Officer Hopps lives."
"Mmm…" Big tilted his head curiously. "You pay me a visit for something a simple phone call would have sufficed for?"
"Well…" Nick put a paw behind his head in embarrassment.
"This bunny means a lot to you," Big remarked. It was a statement and not a question. "It just so happens I can tell you where she lives, but I don't know if she is still there. My sources tell me that she has left the police and intends to return to her native Bunnyburrow."
Nick's ears slid back.
"That's why I have to try." Nick replied, "Have you ever known me to leave something unresolved?"
Big raised an eyebrow.
"Do the words 'skunk butt rug' ring any bells, Nicky?" Big asked. Nick blanched. Big let out a small laugh. "Relax, Nicky. The past is the past. But you should have come to me sooner, ragazzo mio."
Nick sighed.
"That pride of yours will be your downfall someday, Nicky," Big warned. "I will give you her address. She lives in the Grand Pangolin Arms Apartment Complex in Savanna Central. If you're lucky, you might catch her before she leaves."
"Thank you, Mr. Big, sir," Nick said. "I owe you!"
With that, Nick left. Mr. Big watched him go.
The Grand Pangolin Arms building looked like the average Savanna Central apartment building, though it did look a bit run-down.
"Damn, rabbit cop livin' here?" Finnick said as the van pulled up. "I'll stick to livin' in my ride, thanks."
Nick said nothing. He got out of the van, walked up the steps and entered the foyer of the building. There was an old armadillo at the door to one of the apartments.
"Can I help?" she asked.
"Uh… I'm looking for Judy Hopps," Nick asked.
"Hopps?" the armadillo raised her eyebrows in suspicion.
"Yeah, I'm a friend," Nick replied.
"A rabbit with a fox friend," The armadillo said. "Not the strangest thing she's done. I'm afraid you're too late though. Just missed her. She left with her backs packed about two hours ago."
Nick's ears fell. So this was it.
'So, you prove me right and run that fuzzy-wuzzy tail right back home when the going gets tough…' Nick thought to himself. For a fleeting moment, anger overtook him. Then it dissipated as quickly as it had come.
"Right, well… thanks," Nick said, turning around to leave.
A week had passed since Nick's failed attempt to find Judy. Nick had spent a lot of time at the lot. He had reverted back to his pre-search melancholy, and still had not been out on any hustles. He even refused to go to a bar with Finnick.
He was disturbed from his thoughts by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He pulled the phone out and saw the caller ID.
"Hey, Fin," Nick answered the phone.
"You about to get your wish," Finnick said. "The bunny's back in town, and she's lookin' for you."
"You didn't tell her where I was, did you?" Nick said.
"What kind of pal do you take me for, pal?" Finnick replied tersely. "Yeah, of course I did! You been moping about her for three goddamn months now, and you gotta face up to her sooner or later! She's on her way to you now. You can either wait for her to get there, or you can run with your tail 'tween your legs again."
"Gee, thanks," Nick groaned.
"Might as well be today. Get it out of the way," Finnick advised. "Then you can move on."
Nick let out a breath through his nostrils.
"Okay, fine, whatever," Nick said. "Thanks for the advice and the warning."
Nick hung the phone up and shoved it back into his pocket. His paw fished for something in his other pocket and he pulled it out.
The carrot pen that he had never given back to Judy. He had only just figured out how to work it. He tried to figure out what he would do next: should he welcome her back with open arms? No, of course not. Perhaps he should demand an apology.
All of that went through his mind over the next hour. Before he knew it, he could hear a vehicle pulling up into the parking lot. Sitting back in his deck chair, Nick knew the time had come.
And sure enough…
"Nick?" called a female voice from above. It sounded like she was on the bridge. "Nick?"
Nick felt a brief wave of anger, then shame, wash over him.
"Oh, Nick!" Judy had spotted him after leaning over the bridge. She started down the hill towards him.
"Night Howlers aren't wolves! They're toxic flowers!"
'Oh, you gotta be kidding me…' Nick thought to himself. 'She finds me and the first thing she thinks of is how to save her own butt? What does she think I am?'
"I think somebody is targeting the predators on purpose and making them go savage."
Nick had heard enough. He raised himself from his deck chair and flung his sunglasses on a nearby plant pot.
"Wow," He deadpanned. "Isn't that interesting."
Nick walked under the bridge. He should have been angry at her. He should have snapped at her like he did at the press conference, but he couldn't bring himself to do any more than walk away from her.
Again.
"Wait! Wait!" Judy came after him. "Listen… I… I know you'll never forgive me, and I don't blame you. I wouldn't forgive me either!"
Nick stopped in his tracks. His paw fumbled into his pocket, the one with the carrot pen.
'Don't let them see they get to you don't let them see they get to you don't let them see'
"I was ignorant and irresponsible and small-minded," Judy continued her voice beginning to crack. "But predators shouldn't suffer because of my mistakes. I have to fix this. But I can't do it without you."
Judy's voice was breaking as she tried to hold back tears that refused to stay put. Nick stood still, unsure of exactly where this was going.
'Is this bunny trying to further her career, or apologise? I can't decide which you is you right now.'
"And after we're done, you can hate me," Judy's voice shook as she began to cry. "And… and that'll be fine, because I was a horrible friend, and I hurt you, and you… and you can walk away knowing that you were right all along – I really am just a dumb bunny!"
Nick released the carrot pen in his pocket, listening to her pathetic sniffles. Taking the dictaphone from his pocket, he pressed the button. A scratching sound emitted from the tinny speaker, and it played back Judy's last words.
"I really am just a dumb bunny!"
Nick pressed the button again, this time holding the pen up for Judy to see.
"I really am just a dumb bunny!"
Nick turned around, smiling in spite of himself.
"Don't worry, Carrots," Nick said. "I'll let you erase it… in forty-eight hours."
This particular one-shot is one I wrote this a really long time ago as the prologue to a long-defunct story. I think this sole chapter stands on its own, so I decided to take it out of storage and post it on its own.
So, consider this slight retooling the first in a series of whatever one-shots I come up with! The next one is probably going to be the one inspired by Hopp On Board, so stay tuned for that. See you folks real soon!