I'm back! Sorry I deleted my story. I had to deal with some issues with school. I was rushing this whole thing and just had to slow down. So, I decided to do a little revision. Here we go.
I almost totally forgot. Zootopia belongs to Disney. Elements borrowed from Spider-Man belong to Sony.
A cordial greeting was what the old Chief received as he walked through the door to the dull but bright office. Whether the greeting was one of mere cordiality or of obsequiousness it didn't matter to him. His mind was too fragmented to listen anyway due to the intense fatigue that weighed his body down like a ten-ton weight. He hadn't been this tired for a long time, though intertwined in that fatigue was a sense of hope that everything would be just fine, as his hard work never failed to yield a payoff greater than the strain he faced.
Nonetheless, every step was torment.
Inside the office was the motley collection of councilmammals, one belonging to each district. Presiding over the meeting was Zootopia native Councilmammal Hurdle, a bunny who was the same species as the tired Chief's most effective officer. Known for his articulate and bold personality, his tenacity allowed his popularity and influence to spread far beyond his jurisdiction. Less known was his compassion, which was often underrated by his obsessed-with-political-ladders colleagues.
On Hurdle's left was Councilwoman Greene, a native of the Arctic circle, who was in charge of overseeing the Canal District. The canals were the primary source of the city's fresh water. Because it was the least-populated district, it was considered more of a reservoir, so she functioned more as a businesswoman than an official.
To her left was Councilman Kade, a kangaroo. Among the more idealistic in the room, Kade was committed to funding the research invested in developing lower-cost innovations for climate maintenance.
To his left was the mayor's seat. Mayor Douglas Kenten was sworn into office three years prior, after his predecessor, Australian zebra Equore Stirip, declined to run for a second term due to his low ratings at the end of his first term. Mayor Kenten was... quiet, to put it simply. He was a leopard of few words, and that was clear from the moment he began running for office. Bogo personally believed that he was most popular not due to impressive credentials, skill, or even political aspirations. Rather, he was most likely voted into office due to his nonthreatening personality, which was a breath of fresh air for the city, which was tired of liars, tyrants, and heavyweights. However, despite his lack of gusto, he seemed to be expertly familiar with the city's inner workings nearly to the point of clairvoyance. His track record of public policy behind the scenes was unmatched, if not publicly known. He and the Chief's wife were the main proponents of economic innovations that stabilized a horrendous recession within months.
To his left was an empty chair, which belonged to Chief Bogo. If he could be summarized in one word, that one word would be "indomitable." Stubborn, relentless, stoic, yet possessing an almost childlike whimsy that few ever got to see, the old Chief was a multitude of layers and catacombs of complexity underneath a roiling well of muscular power and unyielding determination. His relatively lackluster skill at public relations notwithstanding, Chief Bogo was an imposing force both physically and in his role as leader of the city's police network. His only real downfall was his refusal to acknowledge his own limits, leading to his current and severe fatigue in such a time ruled by fear of the unknown.
To his left was Councilwoman Marie, a Zebra. Her jurisdiction was the Meadowlands, the northernmost district in the city. Because it rarely rained in Zootopia, the Meadowlands got its water from its neighboring districts: melting ice at the fringe of Tundratown and routed irrigation ducts from the Canal districts. The meadows were the city's primary source of organic food production, particularly in the Savannah. The only crime committed in the meadowlands was produce theft, so regulation in that district was present but minimal by comparison.
To her left was Councilman Dirk, Nocturnal District. Gruff despite his small size, the pika carried out his duties in his district with an iron fist, which unfortunately was not enough to dent the criminal underworld (pun intended) with much effect.
To his left was Councilman Amman, Sahara Square. As Kade was an avid advocate of climate control research, Amman was active in the political front, lobbying to equalize the cost of climate modulation across the city. Out of everyone in the room, he was the most bitter, having been rebuffed by majority vote, including the Chief himself. However, his concern was forcefully shifted by the sudden spike in criminal activity in the city, particularly the Savannah.
To his left was Councilwoman Lumin, Rainforest District. A new synapomorphy in the evolutionary tree of life, this okapi exhibited a mild bioluminescence due to a certain gland that sprouted from a limited number of hair follicles and would cause her to glow in the dark whenever her fur stood on end. Much couldn't be said about her career, as she was hot off the presses, but her general disposition was what the mayor often described as "complacent but content," in that Lumin felt that the district was "just fine the way it was." The Rainforest District was the most affected by City Hall's economic intervention, which led to some resentment toward the district.
The last was Councilman Polarim, Tundratown. Known more for being snide and sarcastic than diplomatic, he was a polar bear who preferred to the point over flavored rhetoric. This would get him into plenty of trouble, were he not an affluent politician in his district and in the city as a whole.
It was late at night so the room was just a mite above silent. Everyone there was eager to get home and go to sleep, especially the less important councilmammals. So tempers were shorter than usual.
Out of sync with his usual style of starting important meetings...
"I know you're all aware of why we're here, so I'll skip the formalities and get straight to the point."
"We're all out of coffee?" snarked the walrus by the name of Kathy Greene.
He exhaled grimly, looking down for a moment, making a valiant effort to resist losing his temper. Chief Bogo's droopy eyelids raised slightly at the bunny's trepidation, considering he was about as optimistic as Hopps. "...I don't know how else to put it. There is no other way to put it; we're on the brink of all-out chaos. Ever since the Missing Mammals Case, it's been one thing after another and predators and prey refuse to be within twenty feet of each other. And I know that no one wants to hear this, but I feel like we've let this happen, in a way."
The silence in the room was palpable, as if the bunny had suddenly declared nuclear war. Except for the Chief and the Mayor, this was news.
"Well I haven't noticed anything like that," said Lumin.
"You're fresh out of the bucket; you don't really count yet," said Polarid. "Besides, the Rainforest District has essentially ceded from the current urban climate."
"That's unnecessary, Jack," said Hurdle.
The polar bear turned back to the bunny. "Maybe we should take the advice of someone who's actually been here for more than a few months. I say that the police aren't doing enough to stave off the crime rate. I say we need to bring the hammer down on Bellwether! It's obvious she's still getting word out to her teammates."
"If I may object, Councilman," interrupted the deep voice of Bogo. All eyes turned to his baggy ones. He appeared as if all the fatigue in the room was gathered up and focused into one mammal. Yet it wasn't enough to extinguish his determined gaze. He spoke slowly, hesitantly. "Thhhe problem, Councilmammal, is that there isn't enough evidence linking Bellwether to the crimes. Any action brought against her..."
"I need some action," someone interjected quietly with a smirk in their voice. Once again, they were ignored by the more serious amongst them.
"...would be rash and unethical. The problem is, frankly, I don't think I've ever seen anything like this, even when that sheep was in office."
"Are you suggesting that you cannot handle the situation, Chief?" asked Polarim seriously, an eyebrow raising above one of his piercing eyes. The Chief couldn't help but feel that the polar bear was obliquely accusing him of incompetence.
"I didn't sssay that," he virtually slurred.
"Yeah, despite the fact that you look like you've had a few too many," said the polar bear.
"Jack, shut up," said Hurdle.
"Yes sir," he said with a low grumble.
Kenten held out his hand to allow the Chief to continue.
"What I mean is we need some more help. Indents... that is, incidents involving NH-Plus, occur on a daily basis. Half of the time, my beat officers are overwhelmed with emergency calls. My detectives and even the captains of other districts aren't able to provide extra aid in another jurisdiction. We're stretched thin to the point that even our best detectives are unable to continually follow reliable links to Bellwether or her cronies before they evaporate. We need to find a way to give them clear space to work."
"Would the fact that you can barely sit up explain this?" asked Councilwoman Marie. "Because let's be honest here. Out of everyone in this office, you're the only one about to collapse, not just now, but the whole police system is overwhelmed, except for the rainforest and the smaller districts."
"In spite of any misgivings of... my condition at the present moment, I have no intention of slacking in my evolution during this crisis," said the Chief with whatever firmness he could muster.
"Evolution...?"
"Forgive me, involvement. Involvement. I'm not taking a step back until the city is safe."
"So if it's not the sheep... if it's some knock-off... then what?" asked Polarid.
"No..." Bogo muttered. "Nighthowlers are Bellwether's MO. But I don't know under what circumstances they're being distributed. There have been witnesses who say that moments before a victim went savage that they see a sheep or related mammal drop something into the victim's drinks or food or whatever it is."
"Are these claims verified?"
"Nnnot yet..." he admitted with his eyes closed.
Polarid gestured in a way that said, See? Told all of you, didn't I?
"So what do you suggest we do, Chief?" asked the mayor.
The question caught the old Chief off guard, which was surprising to him. Not the question in itself, but his reaction to it. He found himself at a loss for words. He honestly didn't know. Sighing, he said, "I'm trying to figure it out. Honestly, I don't have an answer yet."
"I don't know anything yet. But something just isn't right here because these attacks are coordinated. That's been clear from the beginning. Whoever is doing this seems to be able to predict every move we make days in advance, or even weeks. Every lead we follow, it comes to a dead end. Every strategy we formulate comes crashing down. Every advancement we make in defense, we encounter criminals with the exact same weapons. We grow, and criminals grow right beside us. In fact, firearms are the best example. Not two months after the Primal X2 was issued for officers, we find bullets that match our guns. That's not something that can be ignored or brushed aside. We invest this money to keep citizens safe, but it seems all we're doing is giving our enemy an ever-growing arsenal." He turned toward Polarid. "I'm beginning to wonder if a police state might have to be a viable option," he said grimly.
"I disagree. I mean, imagine how the citizens might react to that." said Greene. "If you need a problem taken care of, you take care of it. Plain and simple. And you all know it. A police state should be our last line of defense. The city is already scared enough as is."
The Chief sat back, having nothing to say in addition. The walrus continued. "What happens when the problem is taken care of and they leave the city thinking that they're left with an ineffective police force? Or what if the city is put under Marshal Law by the military? When they're is called to solve a domestic issue, it's because the established system has been declared unfit. I'm not ready to make that leap just yet."
"If we're on the brink of chaos, then I think it's past time to make that leap! I mean, look at you, Bogo, you're so tired you can't even get your words straight!" The Chief scowled at the polar bear.
"Let's take it down a notch, Councilman Polarid," said Hurdle. "We're dealing with a very real problem here, and it's delicate. I agree with Councilwoman Greene; martial law wouldn't help. That should be a last resort."
Councilman Amman cut him off, standing up from his chair. "Yes, well, I've been trying to take care of a rather serious problem, one in which could be solved very easily if-"
"I swear, if you all get started about your stupid turf war..." said Marie.
"Stupid?!" growled Polarid. "Do you know how much it costs to..."
"Have you listened to anything we've been talking about here?!" she grated.
"Yes, I've been listening, and it's a bunch of bull!"
The other councilmammals, as well as the Chief, offended at the previous remark, stood up and joined the fight, with most of the anger directed at Amman. The only two who remained seated were Councilman Hurdle and the mayor, who watched the infighting with a glazed-over frown. Hurdle, on the other hand, put his hand on his face in dismay. He wondered what the mayor would say to him later. Finally, he too stood up, shouting over the cacophony of voices.
"Will you all shut up!"
All eyes in the room fell on the bunny, who leaned onto the table with his hands, his eyes wide and furious. Almost simultaneously, every mammal silently sat back down.
"Apparently," began Hurdle tersely, "I was a little rash in having this meeting so late at night. I'll set up another one at a more reasonable time. You're dismissed."
There were a couple sighs and murmurs of relief, and then they began to shuffle out of the room, muttering as they went along about how much of a disaster this meeting was and/or the fact that the city was doomed. Chief Bogo remained seated until only he and Hurdle remained.
"You all right there, Chief?" Hurdle asked him sympathetically.
"I need a vacation," he answered, getting a chuckle out of the bunny. He also gave a more or less dry one.
"Something I've been meaning to ask... why do you work so much?"
The Chief set his elbow on the desk and supported his cheek while he rested his eyes for a moment. He was having trouble getting his thoughts together. In fact, he could have fallen asleep right there. "..."I've been on the force almost twenty years. Served in the marines for fifteen. Over that time, I've been asked that question more times than I can count. I've always believed there's an answer to every problem, no matter what was thrown at me, at the city. Frankly, the only time I've ever felt any inkling of desperation was during the Crisis, when things started to collapse. It taught me that you can't always solve a case with power or brute force. That's always been true, even when I couldn't see it." He thought back to a certain long-eared officer and how he greeted her on her first day. "And quite frankly, it was easier before when I didn't have a family. But the thought that what happened to my wife could happen again... I want them to be able to know they're safe in this city."
Councilman Hurdle looked at him intently, absorbing his words. He had seen on the news what had happened. After something so traumatic, it wasn't any wonder that he would mitigate his worry through his work. He walked over to him and squeezed his shin, giving him a firm but reassuring smile. The Chief returned the smile tiredly. "We need you, Chief." Bogo nodded. "But not like this. Make sure to take care of yourself, too." With that, he patted his leg and left the room, leaving the old Chief there.
Chief Bogo barely remembered the trip home and found himself climbing into bed next to his sleeping wife. The softness of his bed pressed firmly into his senses and immediately sent him careening toward the blissful forgetfulness of sleep, the first chance he'd gotten in nearly three days of agonizing wakefulness. The last thing he remembered was turning onto his side and massaging his wife's hardly stirring body, stimulating their love for each other in both of their physical forms that, were they not so relaxed, would have led to a much more memorable night.
Claire pulled the covers up to her daughter's cheek and gently patted the edge of it where her shoulder was.
"Happy birthday," she whispered, putting her forehead up against hers, "my little Lily." The toddler giggled. "Did you have fun today?"
"Yeah," she responded cheerily. "Best party ever!"
"What was your favorite part?"
"It was... mm... when my friends got into a fight over the last piece of cake. That was funny!"
"That was funny," she laughed. "I'm glad you had a good time, Baby..." As she got up to leave the room, her daughter sat up.
"Mommy?"
"Hmm?"
"Why couldn't we go out to eat like we always do every year?"
The lioness' brow furrowed at the question she'd dreaded all day. Was there a good answer to give to a five-year-old? There wasn't any easy way to put it, one that wouldn't scare her. She hated the thought, but it was better than her one day being exposed to that. Sitting back down on the bed, she formulated her words carefully. "Do you remember what I told you about how there are good animals and bad animals?" Lily nodded. "Bad animals do bad things. And one of those bad things is they might put something in your food that turns animals bad when they don't want to be. I don't want that to happen to you." Claire stroked Lily's cheek softly, seeing the subtle confusion on the innocent girl's face. "Maybe one day, when all this mess is sorted out and we can go out safely again."
She nodded in response. "Ok... Still the best birthday ever."
"Mm, I'm glad," she said before kissing her forehead again. "Go to sleep."
He kneaded on her forearm and purred with his eyes closed as she petted the top of his head with a relaxing gentleness.
"That was pretty fun, wouldn't you think?" asked the ocelot, kneeling at the jaguar's bedside. "Watching you pummel that dummy is... cute and profound at the same time."
"I told you, I'm not cute," he almost whined, though he didn't stop kneading.
"Yes..." she prowled onto the bed on her hands and knees, causing the kitten to fall on his back "...you..." her eyes were wide and evil, accompanied by a wide grin "...are." She then ripped the covers off of him and proceeded to tickle him mercilessly. She knew all of his weak spots, and she attacked them relentlessly. The kitten yelped and squirmed under her. Sarah couldn't help but laugh with him.
The boy's name was Danny Arcturus, a young black jaguar who had not yet outgrown his baby fur, yet who was taller than most panthers his age. His large, round, blue eyes and small muzzle gave the eleven-year-old a very youthful appearance, perhaps between seven and nine. Sarah wasn't technically his caretaker, nor was she the one who found him as an orphan on the street, but she might as well have. The two of them were inseparable.
"Sarah! Stop!" Danny laughed. But she only tickled him more zealously. She stopped, and he lay on his back, swatting playfully at her while purring noisily. He grabbed her hand and held it close to his chest, gnawing on it and licking her fur as kittens do. As they played, a lion approached the small jaguar's room.
"You're never too old for this, you know that, right?" she said before continuing to tickle him. He squealed and mewled, trying to crawl under the covers. "Uh-uh, you ain't getting away that easily!"
He let out a deterring growl, though it sounded more like a raspy groan. "Oh!" she exclaimed in a half-laugh. "You're so cute!"
"No I'm not!" he said, wrestling with her through the covers. "Let me get ready for bed, please!"
"No hay tiempo para eso, me temo," an accented male voice cut into the fun. (No time for that, I'm afraid.)
The kitten pulled the covers down enough for his eyes and nose to be seen, the latter twitching at the scent of the arrival of his maned caregiver. "Tenemos que irnos ahora? No puedes esperar hasta manana?" (Do we have to go now? Can't it wait till tomorrow?) Sarah merely sat quietly, not being fluent in the language they communicated in. But she knew the gist of what was going on. It was time for Danny's second run.
"La noche es siempre el mejor momento. Levantate. Vamanos." He gestured to get him moving. (Night is always the best time. Get up. Let's go.) Danny groaned quietly. John didn't hear him but Sarah did. "Sarah, remember to-"
"I know, I'm a programmer, I know how to log the cash, so don't you forget to punch in when you get back," she shot back in the slightest bit of annoyance, though Danny missed it.
The kitten appeared a bit disappointed he wasn't able to get to sleep after a whole day of training. Luckily, she had a way with the little boy.
"You'll be fine. Get it over with and then you can rest, ok?" she said. Her voice encouraged him and got him moving.
"Ok," he said as Sarah got up to leave the room so he could change into his black body suit.
"I'll be here when you get back." He smiled and nodded at her. But the smile dropped when the door closed. He was nervous he would mess this one up like he did the first one.
"Danny," she said. He turned toward her. He couldn't hide his reluctance from her. "Don't think too hard. Let your strength take care of itself."
A moan escaped his lips at the sight of the storm clouds beginning to move in.
"I think it's about time to get going, Fluff," he said while massaging his wife's lovely hip, his other hand stroking one of her long ears. "Looks like a storm's coming."
She hugged his tail tighter. "Mmm... five more minutes?" she mumbled into the fur. "Your tail is so comfortable... and you rubbing my side isn't making it any easier."
He lay back down, actually somewhat relieved to hear her say that. He could wait five minutes. Or hours, whichever one came first. But alas, the bad weather likely to strike within the next half-hour or so said no.
Their second day of vacation had been spent just doing whatever, watching a movie or two, messing with their neighbors (actually that was just Nick), driving to Fincher Park for a picnic... They had finished eating well over two hours ago. Afterward, Judy and had fallen asleep on the purple blanket with her back pressed up against the fox's side.
Her fingers stroked his tail tenderly and rolled through the fur. She'd become a lot more clingy over these past couple years. It's not much of a wonder, he realized. All the disappointing work they'd scrounged up in this case, only to get nowhere with every step... it was all catching up with both of them. Though he knew the bunny was having it much harder than he, being the perfectionist she was.
Finally, he managed to get her up after gentle prodding and they trudged (or Nick trudged at least) the whole way back... all twenty feet to the car.
He snorted at the feeling of Judy's fingers once more combing his fluffy appendage with a gentleness that made him shiver. He loved the feeling, but she seemed to think that it belonged to her. That was confirmed when she snatched it and hugged it.
"Ah! Carrots! That's mine, you know?" He stepped back and grimaced at the Charlie horse that was forming in his tail. He flexed his tail in the opposite direction of the errant muscle to get it to relax. Once it did, he kept it low to the ground in order to prevent the same muscle from tightening spontaneously all over again.
"Are you sure? Your tail's been telling me different. Like, ever since we got married."
"Oh, you traitor!" he turned and said to his glorious, mischievous accessory. "You and I are gonna have a serious talk. Come here!" He ran in a circle on all fours and grasped for the flopping appendage. "Bad boy! Get back here!"
Judy rang out a high-pitched giggle at the show. "Y-You're a mess you know that right?"
He stood back up and dusted himself off. "It took you seven, eight years to figure that out? Hon, I've been a mess since long before we met."
"Trust me." She nodded with a scrunched up face. "I know."
"But seriously, it hurts when you mess with it for such a long time."
"Oh, sorry! I didn't know that. Why didn't you tell me?" She patted it delicately.
"I have told you! Several times." She reached out to pet it again. "Ah, let's just leave little Nick alone for a while to rest. He's a little limp."
Judy made a face at that.
"You know what I mean." He made a face back at her.
They both got into their car and Judy inserted the key into the mechanism and turned it, causing the car to roar to life. Nick had always wanted this car growing up - a Catoyota Llorac, and finally it was in their greasy, overworked hands. Too bad they didn't have much time to enjoy it, neither did he have much time to work on it.
Judy's eyes opened in lucidity. "Oh, Nick, I forgot to ask, can we stop somewhere really quick? I need to pick something up."
"It isn't another 'birthday gift,' is it?"
Judy's mouth pulled up into a half-smile. Her eyes darted left and quickly returned, causing Nick to smirk. "No...?"
"I'm sure you remember that I used to be a hustler, Sweetheart. I can tell when you're lying."
"I'm not lying, I just knew you wouldn't believe me. Besides, I'm sure you remember that I hustled you, Sweetheart. And every time I outhustle you, life gets a little sweeter," she finished saccharinely.
"Fair enough. I wasn't surprised you planned that out."
"I still can't believe Chief Bogo, no less, joined in!" laughed Judy. She looked at him with wide eyes. He wore his usual suave smile but amusement alighted behind his gaze.
"The only thing I could think was, 'Well, wouldja look at that. Within twenty-four hours, I go from being hip n' now to...'" he gave a perfect impression of an old man voice "'...Oh my back!" He moaned melodramatically while grabbing his lower back. He ended with a chuckle and relaxed back in his seat while listening to his wife's wonderful giggle. She sat there, still not really feeling like driving off just yet. Nick wasn't complaining. "Y'know, we're gonna have to frame some of those pictures everyone took of our little party and put it up on Bookie."
"Honey," she smirked, "you don't know how way ahead of you I am." She reached to the backseat and pulled up a small photo album.
"Oh, Carrots, you are absolutely-"
"Incredible, I know, I know." She held her hands up as if she was calming down a crowd who stubbornly refused to stop cheering.
"I was going to say stunning, wonderful, beautiful, gorgeous, amazing, did I say stunning?" He stroked his chin. "I'm pretty sure I did. But hey, incredible fits."
Judy unbuckled her seat belt and crossed over to sit in Nick's lap, her legs straddling him. "You know I don't care how old you get, right? When you say things like that to me... oh, I just wanna mmmmm!" She smushed her lips up against his comically. His eyes widened in surprise. "Mwah!" Nick's face switched back to its default half-lidded state. He stroked her cheek softly with the back of a finger.
"I love you," he said in a low voice.
She pulled herself closer and pressed her forehead against his. "I love you too, Baby." She kissed his forehead and hopped to the other seat.
"Now, let's get home. You're still damp and I think the whole of Zootopia and the surrounding area could smell you."
"Carrots, if my musk could make it past your perfume, I don't think a shower would do much good."
"Oh-ho-ho. No. I'm serious, Honey, please take a shower when we get back. You really smell bad. And I've had to deal with that for hours." He pulled his slightly damp shirt away from his chest. "Yeah, it's that really... damp... musty... fishy smell. Maybe a little moldy."
"You about done?" he asked with feigned annoyance. "Don't blame me for my smelliness. Blame that truck that dumped a dozen buckets' worth of water on me. I was your de facto umbrella today, Carrots. Don't forget that."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the first few raindrops started to fall, sooner than Nick had anticipated.
"Did you see...?" Judy said suddenly. Nick looked up to see Judy peering out the window, focusing on a point in the distance, as if she was trying to bring a small object into greater resolution from far away.
"See what?"
"I could have sworn I saw... ah, it must have been my imagination. I'm really tired."
"I'm with ya there, Carrots." They kissed again.
"Any off-duty units, need some help. Going down Bleeker-"
Their lips smacked apart and they looked at the radio sitting on the dash.
Suddenly, a car whizzed by, with a shooter leaning out the window, followed by a speeding cruiser. The two looked at each other, simultaneously rolled their eyes with a groan, and glumly put a makeshift siren on the top of their car. "Bleeker definitely fits, doesn't it?" asked Nick. His wife didn't respond.
A few minutes later, they were escorting the shooter into the back of Higgins' cruiser. The hippo thanked the duo profusely, though both of them were a bit worse for wear about having to step in during their day off.
The rain fell harder and harder until it was a torrent. The fox and bunny ran back into their car and took off toward their house. They could barely see out the windshield which forced Nick to drive slower down the highway. "Fine day, huh, Carrots?" asked Nick.
"We should go to the beach. Perfect weather for it." Nick snorted with a content smile and lay his hand across the threshold separating their seats. Judy took his hand.
"I'm having an amazing break with you, Judy. Even if it has a couple interruptions here and there."
Athena was just getting into her house as they passed by in their car. Judy saw that she as soaking wet. She must have gotten stuck out in the rain while out on a walk of her own. Nick closed the garage door and threw his shirt into the hamper. At the same time, he knocked a graphic novel off of the dryer. Picking it up, he looked closely at it. The Shadow. Once the most popular superhero in Nick's childhood. Now he was vintage. Over the hill. Forgotten. It gave him a sense of nostalgia for those days, even if they were "Bleeker" days.
"Wouldn't it be nice? To have someone like that on our side to help us catch these guys?"
"We have all the heroes right here," she said as she put on a sweatshirt over her matted fur. "At the ZPD."
"Don't feel like much of a hero at the moment," he muttered.
"I don't think anyone does, Nick, trust me. But..." she sighed "...we gotta try. Right?" she asked with a reassuring smile.
"Right," he affirmed. Though inwardly there was more than the barest hint of doubt. Things were getting worse - had been getting worse for a while now. The situation had since past the severity the city experienced under Bellwether's reign. And the ZPD, while knowing what to expect, just didn't have the mammalpower. While Nighthowlers were once a carefully-dispensed bioweapon utilized by a small group, now it was as widespread as a popular street drug - the kind that buyers would dispense into the drinks of their enemies. The perpetrators ranged from gang leaders attempting to undermine the power of a rival gang, to a petty prey animal wanting to spite the predator population or even start a civil war. The result was chaos that more than outmatched the confusion during Bellwether's time in office.
Nick and Judy had desperately needed this break, lest their jobs break them. It also seemed that their Chief was nearing his breaking point. They'd heard from officers such as Fangmeyer and Trunkaby that the past several briefs saw the old buffalo mixing up assignments, repeating sentences, mispronouncing simple words and phrases, and doing double takes at nothing. He looked like he rarely got any sleep. It was painful to watch, but thankfully, the Chief was gracious enough to not force his officers to go through the same thing. If only he did the same for himself.
"Oh, here's the album," said Judy as she set down the bag of extra ingredients she had needed to pick up from the store. "Can you put it up while I get started on this pie?" She handed him the photo album.
"On it," he answered as he took it and turned the corner upon entering the living room toward their special bookshelf, modestly adorned with a few of the most precious memories of their five years of marriage (so far). Nick hadn't been much for the lagomorphic tradition at first, but he was aware of it: Normally, in the old days at least, bunnies kept one room uninhabited in a burrow full of all of their memories and photos, so that the whole place looked like a shrine. Nick and Judy were both apprehensive to that tradition at first, but being the bunny she was, and unwilling to completely depart from tradition, Nick suggested a hand-crafted piece of furniture for the most special commemorations. Here it has stood, since their first anniversary.
There were a couple of keepsakes, such as the bottle of fox repellant - the very same one Judy had carried when she'd met Nick; the carrot-pen Judy used against both Nick and former Mayor Bellwether; their original badges, now replaced by detective's badges; the tie Nick wore the day he met his wife; a few decorations set up by Judy; but his personal favorite was a booklet kept on the bookshelf where he was to set the photo album. It was a small notebook of encouragements that Judy wrote for Nick once a day over the course of a year after his mother passed away. Those simple, less-than-ten-word encouragements were what he looked forward to every single day. It kept him going at a time when regret nearly consumed him for time that he could never get back, memories that he was never able to form. The booklet was open on its last page, and he had not turned a page back since he'd reached the end of it. Before he turned to head back to the restroom, he read the final encouragement she had written: Every bad season is just preparation for a better one. You'll see. Love you, Babe! That one page was the final catalyst in ridding himself of his old ways and helping him to grow into maturity after decades of stunted development.
"Don't you worry about our case, Nick. We'll get him," Judy said after a few moments of silence. Nick heard a cake pan being set on the counter. "I know we will. Oh, and by the way, no... this is not a hustle, Sweetheart." Nick stifled a chuckle. "We don't have enough money for that. So don't worry. I'm going to bake you a normal blueberry pie, just the way you like it. The way Gideon makes it." He turned to look at the pan and remembered the prank the station had pulled recently.
3 weeks ago
It was Nicholas Piberius Wilde's fortieth birthday. His thirties had waved buh-bye with a teary handkerchief. It was a sad-happy... no, wait... bittersweet, that's the word. It had been a bittersweet day.
At least it was for him.
It was their day off, a normal one. Nick was opening up his birthday cards from his colleagues. He'd made detective a few weeks prior (somewhat overdue for his caliber, especially since Judy had been a detective for about a year) while Judy was reviewing a ridiculous amount of notes she'd written on their case, trying to find links to Bellwether.
Ding-ding-dong! Ding-ding-dong! The musical tone of the doorbell alerted them. "Uh-oh, there's that truckload of presents. Can you tell 'em 'We don't want any' for me, Hon?'"
"Hold on, I gotta see who it is first," said Judy.
Nick heard the door open. He heard a loud SPLAT. Then, nothing. After about thirty seconds of sitting there in silence, he began to get a little worried. "Carrots?" He got up. "Honey?"
Walking out into the living room, the front door was barely open. From what he could see of the front yard, there was nothing going on. Hmph. She's probably talking to Athena. He stepped outside to see where she was- SPLAT! Something hit the side of his face. He heard the squishy something hit the porch. For some reason, it had been so sudden, so inexplicable, that he wasn't startled. Somehow. He just stood there in confusion. SPLAT! Another mysteriously squishy object hit the other side. Looking from side to side, he saw that Judy was... oh boy. She had been reduced to a pile of... white, smushy stuff. Only her ears were visible.
"Wilde!" A bunch of his casually-dressed colleagues walked out from the side of the house onto the front yard, each of them carrying a package of cupcakes. Even... Bogo?! Nick reached up and tasted some of the substance on his face with his finger. Yep, it was the delicious taste of frosting. Ooh, white frosting, his favorite!
Fwooeeeeeeeeoot! He looked up at the cheetah blowing the party favor between his grinning lips. It dropped from his mouth and he shouted, "GET 'IM!" Nick turned to go into the house but the door shut before he could get in.
"Hey, open the door! Whoever you are-AAH!" Cupcakes began pelting him from behind. Blocking his face, he looked at Judy, who rested her elbow on the pile of cake, her lips curved up in a smile as she said, "Didn't forget that I'm a master hustler-slash-prankster, did you, Sweetheart?"
"You..." he muttered before the officers came and dumped the rest of the cakes onto him, making an even bigger pile than Judy's. His tail stuck out the back. The frosting made him look like a snowfox. He refused to move out of sheer discomfort as everyone went by him, wishing him happy birthday one by one. Ben lingered a second.
"Finally, the big forty! How's it feel, eh?" Don't worry, you'll get used to it." He patted his flat belly for emphasis and remembered what wasn't there. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Never mind."
Nick licked away the frosting around his mouth so he could talk with a monotone voice. "Good to see you, Claw, and thanks for the... birthday wishes."
Needless to say, it took forever to get all that stuff off of themselves.
He couldn't wait until Judy's fortieth birthday, only seven years away. He was going to get her back so much.
Present
He came out of the memory and, leaning out into the door frame, said, "I guess this means you're not going to join me in the shower?"
She turned her head and gave him that sultry look that twinkled with the slightest hint of longing.
They ended up not even making it to the shower. Or the bed. Approximately forty minutes later, he lay his ruffle-furred self down on the couch to take a nap and let his sore muscles rest while his wife continued her work in the kitchen. A shower could wait.
It was only his second mission, and already he was beginning to wonder if he would make the cut. Why the Shark demanded he be an enforcer, he wondered almost aloud. He stopped himself just in time. The last thing he needed was to imply that he was anything but prepared.
"Listo, Danny?" (Ready?) asked his caretaker and trainer, looking intently at him. He gripped the empty duffle bag to keep it from swinging.
"Yeah, I'm ready when you are," he responded somewhat drily. He was unable to hide his apprehension fully. Not that he didn't enjoy it. If he could just get it right the first time.
"Mantenlo in EspaƱol. Podemos mantener todo entre nosotros de esa manera." (Keep it in Spanish. We can keep everything between us that way.)
"Bien," (Right) he replied.
John leaned out from the alley and looked both ways. Danny's heart beat a bit faster. He was definitely not ready, but was still going to give it his all. He had to.
John signaled that the streets were clear. They sprinted across the road and planted their backs against the opposite building. John pulled Danny to the shadier part of the wall, furthest from the traffic lights. It was the dark of night. Nobody else on the streets. Still, the two had to be extremely careful. Both of them knew the door was locked. Why wouldn't it be? They'd have to take a more... fun way.
The only way to sum it up was like this: this guy had not paid off his loan in time. Dorian Biggles was yet another piece of evidence that the order of pachydermata was losing its genetics associated with sharp memory. Sarah had recently told Danny about a place called the Mystic Springs Oasis that featured a yak and an elephant who were a living paradox. The only way to experience it was to visit the establishment, according to her - though Sarah was quick to tell Danny that, er... a place like that? Not exactly, in her own words, "the best place for an eleven-year-old."
Shaking his head to get himself back in the game, he followed John to the side of the building.
"El despacho de este tipo esta en el piso inferior, asi que no sera demasiado duro," John whispers. (This guy's office is on the third floor, so this won't be too hard.)
Danny nodded, but when he stepped in front of the window, he hesitated. His chest felt cold. He flashed back to his first assignment two weeks ago, when he had nearly gotten the two of them caught. John had tried to assure him that that happens often, "Oh, it was just a small mistake..." Yeah right. He said that he would make sure he'd get the job done just fine, but Danny wasn't sure who he was trying to fool. Danny'd known he had been lying. He wasn't ready, but what choice did he have? His fear was just that small price he had to pay to survive.
Clenching his eyes shut, he threw a punch.
He had always enjoyed staying after hours to count money. No, it was not that he was greedy. He was the kind of mammal who enjoyed peace and quiet after a hard day's work. Especially as a manager in charge of the income of every one of his workers flowing through every two weeks, absolute precision was non-negotiable. If only certain of Zootopia's citizens hadn't made a deal with the devil. Every thinking mammal understood that whenever a shark smells blood, they fall into a frenzy to catch their prey. And yet, counterintuitively per his reasoning... guess who made a deal with the devil?
Totally deliberate. He wouldn't have the mind to deny it. He had concordantly struck a deal with the ZPD and the mayor's office. Free of charge, of course, though he wouldn't mind if his bank got a little extra time on stage because of his generosity. And the fact that he was an elephant? Ha! Perfect setup strategy, considering most elephants nowadays were abject imbeciles. He was among the last defining such a synapomorphy, the remnant of a line of elephantids who had comprised the primaries of mental acuity and the greatest of intellectual giants of old. Unfortunately, those days were long gone. He had always appreciated such a privilege, having access to this kind of raw, remarkable potential. He was glad to be able to put it to good use in such a time as this.
He looked at his watch. Seven pm. Just about time.
"And... three, two, one..." he mouthed, before pointing up dramatically.
He smirked when he heard the crash at the exact moment his finger finished its flourish. He had been exact in his prediction after all. He had hypothesized that based on the average time at which a shark, as they're called here in the city, began a... collection, one might say... depends on a number of factors. Simply taking those factors into consideration, he generated a randomized confidence interval and drew up a simple scatterplot that yielded a fine correlation. Then, he calculated the residual for previous Fridays and based his prediction on the most practical result. Why'd he do it? Because he could! Why not? And, as he knew very well, it was better to cover every angle than to go in blind, as it were.
The office he was currently sitting in was that of a subordinate. The money he had counted was technically counterfeit - not that he was going to deposit it; it was simply a placeholder representing x dollars and y cents of legitimate currency safely locked away in his boss's private vault somewhere in this exact thirty-seven story building. Even he didn't know where it was. Luck favored the prepared, as was rightly the saying among those who were actually prepared.
The good thing was, none of the "victims," he guessed they might be called despite the fact they were stupid enough to put themselves in that situation... he digressed. The good thing was, none of the victims were ever severely harmed. Oh, they might get a little beating, but he was an elephant! A rather large one, too. He was no fighter, but only a fool would think to go toe-to-toe with a seven-foot tall, eight-hundred-pound elephant.
He reached for his phone and opened it. After pressing a digital button on the touchscreen, a live feed of the intruders popped up on his zPad. They had just entered and were now slinking into the first floor of the building. He leaned back and crossed his hands behind the back of his head, idly pendulating his trunk. And - he was surprised to see that one of them appears to be only a few feet tall. That... against an elephant... what was this guy thinking?! He could hear the intruders infiltrating the building. He snorted at the thought that he, uh, might have altered the listed room number of his office in the records that he gave the Shark. With permission, that is, from the chair. Yes, he and the directors were fully aware of the situation. Apparently they're more afraid of the Shark than of, well, anything else, really, with regards to their interests. They wouldn't have agreed to perform this game of Mouse Trap.
At that moment, they reached the third floor and he decided it was high time to spring the trap. It was too perfect. They really thought that no one would ever catch up with them, but that couldn't be further from the truth. He stood up and walked casually to the door. He could hear their footsteps slinking up the stairs. Courtesy of having such large ears.
As soon as he heared the door leading into the stairwell open, he opened the door to the office.
Danny jumped slightly at the sound of a shout. It wasn't John.
He looked in the direction of the voice. John was sprinting down the hall toward a door that had just finished closing. A faint clicking sound indicates he has locked it.
He tried the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. "Ai, you idiota! Should've paid on time!" he yelled with a slap to the door. He turned toward Danny and knocked on the wood with a knuckle. "Tu quieres hacer los honores-" (You wanna do the honors-)
"FREEZE! ZPD!" a loud, commanding voice ripped through the air. Danny's blood curdled at the voice. John yelped and turned around fully.
Danny walked tepidly to John and hid somewhat behind his leg to face whoever was speaking. A large figure stepped into view in the darkness. Danny could see him with his night vision, but it took a moment to register what the owner of the voice was.
"On your faces, hands on your heads."
Oh. A rhino.
"Danny, stay close," said John quietly.
Danny nodded silently, though he had to restrain himself from running away right then and there.
"Shut it!" said someone else behind the rhino before coming into view. "Don't make this harder than it's gotta be." It was a smaller mammal. A canine.
Two of them. There was no time to argue. "Coge el dinero," said Danny out loud. (Get the money.)
Danny wound up and turned to slam his fist into the door with a grunt. The thick wood exploded, breaking in half and spraying numerous splinters into the air, which spun and gradually came to rest on the floor. A loud scream erupted from within the office at the loud noise echoing down the hall.
The broken pieces of the door swung uselessly on the hinges. Danny heard another shout coming from inside. Sounded like the elephant was a little surprised by that... just a little bit.
John placed his hand on Danny's shoulder. "Recuerda, puedes hacer esto." (Remember, you can do this.) After saying this, he rushed into the office.
He turned back toward the rhino with a deep breath, focusing on what Sarah had said before: "Let your strength take care of itself."
Calm down... let your strength take care of itself, he echoed to calm his nerves. He took another deep breath and tried to think.
"I said get down..." Rhinowitz tried to command, a little hesitantly. He was more than a little perplexed concerning what had caused that door to just burst. But the little burglar - he hadn't moved since then. He just stood there with his arms tucked in timidly. He couldn't help but notice the obviously feline features accentuated under his black outfit. Probably a smaller feline species.
Rhinowitz was beginning to think this would be an easy arrest after all. All he had to do was get him cuffed. Seeing his partner rush into the office and hearing the beginnings of a brawl, he figured it would be an easy arrest on his end.
Reaching him, he holstered his gun. "Turn around and put your face against the wall," he said as he did so, calmly but with authority. But the cat didn't move. He could see this close that the cat's body shape was not similar to any mid-size cat species... this was a kitten. He furrowed his eyebrows at the realization. Slowly, he dropped to one knee. "Son, what are you doing here?" He drove back the urge to tell him it was past his bedtime. At the same time, he reached out to take off the kitten's mask.
Just as his hand strafed the top of the mask, the kitten gripped his wrist and held it firm. "Ach!" he groaned, more in alarm than in pain. He grabbed the kitten's arm with his free hand, but that one was wrenched away as well. The rhino tried to stand up. The cat jerked him back down and tightened his grip on his wrists with immeasurable force, warping the joints underneath. Rhinowitz squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced in pain. The moment his mind began to register the utter impossibility of the situation, he looked the kitten in his eyes, which were wide and focused - and now a light, shimmering sky blue.
Rhinowitz found himself being launched backward a dozen feet. He had to take several steps in reverse and wave his arms to keep from falling.
For the first time in his life, he was shaking. He'd never been subdued so easily before, even by fellow rhinos, much less a small feline child. Still, he had a job to do. He charged forward with a shout and the kitten stepped back, putting his hands up to guard his face. The child grunted as he was shoved against the wall. Rhinowitz grabbed his handcuffs, turned him around, and managed to snap them over his wrists within four seconds. Forcing him to the floor, the old rhino huffed in self-satisfaction.
Time to go and help Wolfard who, he realized, sounded like he was having a hard time putting this boy's... partner? whatever?... down.
Chink!
He froze at the sound as he approached the office. Turning around slowly, his eyes widened at the sight of the boy, whose arms were free. The cuffs were still on his wrists, but the chain had snapped. He was standing up. Now thoroughly shocked, he pressed the kitten down to the floor. He found himself forcing him down with his shoulder, then using his body weight to hold him down, almost screaming at himself for doing so. He pulled out two more pairs of handcuffs, but both he and the boy suddenly flew from the floor, causing him to gasp in surprise, and his back crashed into the ceiling. As soon as they landed, with the rhino still on top of him, the boy wriggled around onto his back, put his feet between himself and the officer, and shoved.
Rhinowitz was launched off of the boy. His back crashed through the drywall and concrete to the outside world. Unable to react, unable to scream, he simply watched the hole in the building fall away as he plummeted to certain death. But suddenly, a black blur appeared through the hole in the wall. Something that could only be described as a white string appeared and zoomed toward him until it latched onto his belly, jerking him painfully to a stop. His neck was going to feel the whiplash in the morning. For the briefest second, Rhinowitz could see the boy clearly - sticking to the wall of the building - holding the rope that suspended him above the ground. He had no time to process this as he swung toward the building like a pendulum until his rear made contact. He then dropped the remaining ten or so feet onto his back. He grunted from the shock of the impact.
He sat up in alarm and began fumbling the... whatever this is... some kind of tensile rope or something... with shaking hands, trying to pull it off. But seconds later, it seemed to calcify - it became brittle and plain white, then virtually disintegrated in his hands. There was hardly anything left of it, except for a small amount of residue on his stomach.
Confused, he looked up toward the massive hole he'd created with his body. No one was there.
Danny crawled on the ceiling toward the office where John and that wolf were still fighting.
From what he could tell, John was getting tired. The wolf was managing to tire him out enough to wear him down. The wolf blocked another punch sent by the criminal, retaliating with a kick to his knee, which sent the masked man down. Then, he finished him with one more strong blow to the face. The masked thief flew backward onto the floor and covered his face with his hands.
Wolfard blew his fist dramatically with a lopsided grin. He had a few bruises from this extended brawl; this guys knew what he was doing, but he was getting the situation under control.
"John!" a childlike voice called out, drawing Wolfard's attention toward the source.
He saw a black figure drop into his line of sight from above. The last thing he remembered was the pain in his jaw, followed by the sensation of falling to the floor. The next time he woke up, he'd be in the back of an ambulance.
The elephant, who minutes ago had been so confident, now sat trembling before the intruders standing in his office. The shorter one, a cat based on the ear stubs protruding from his mask and his short muzzle, appeared to be trembling. Biggles heard somewhat erratic breathing coming from him. The small feline knelt down and shook his partner, who patted his shoulder assuredly and stood up with the smaller cat's help. He was left alone with them with no one to protect him.
Biggles had not counted on this.
"D-don't hurt me, pl-"
The larger burglar stepped up onto his desk and grabbed him by the collar. He let out a terrified yelp.
"The money's right there! Take it!" He pointed his shaking hand frantically at the "money" on the table. At least it's not the real thing.
Slowly, the cat's head adjusted. His eyes looked down at the cash as if studying it. Biggles hoped against all hope that he couldn't tell it was fake. It was identical to real money, yet feline eyes were able to see things that he couldn't. The other intruder walked over and gathers the cash before stuffing it into the bag he'd had with him. Then, the cat let him go and they both rushed from the room without a further sound.
He couldn't relax. He never could have guessed... how did a cat his size beat a RHINOCEROS! he screamed inwardly.
Stopping Danny, John peeked out from behind the corner leading to the lobby and waited a moment. He sighed and he waved him forward, limping on his left leg. He stopped again to stretch it before head further into the lobby and turning toward the exit.
"Hold on," John said, stopping once more and pulling Danny's mask off. He could tell the boy was shaking, even if he didn't want to admit it. "Estas bien?" (You ok?)
Danny scoffed, noticing that one of his eyes was swollen. He was a good fighter, but... yeah. "I should be ask-"
"Espanol," he chided.
"Yo deberia preguntarte esa pregunta," he said with the slightest tremble. (I should be asking you that question.)
"Hey, me importa, nephie," he said. (I care, nephie.)
Danny rolled his eyes at the nickname. He had always considered John to be a kind of uncle/mentor to him. He'd taught him Spanish, protected him, practically raised him... though Sarah did most of the hard work: playing with him, giving him candy, teaching him important lessons like which block goes in which indentation... that kind of stuff.
"Pero cuando estamos en mision, intenta no usar mi nombre, no?" (But when we're on assignment, try not to use my name, all right?)
Danny's eyes widened. He slapped his forehead very, very hard, making a loud kapping sound. He had said John's name.
"Yo soy muy malo en esto." (I suck at this.)
"No, no. Necesitas practica, eso es todo." (No you don't. You need practice, that's all.)
John made his way to the door, signaling for him to follow. Danny huffed in frustration.
"Los errores ocurren. No te pegues." (Mistakes happen. Don't beat yourself up.)
"Yo solo... y si Boss descubre que casi he fallado dos tareas seguidas?" (I just... what if Boss finds out that I've almost failed two assignments in a row?)
"Entonces tendra que pasar por mi." (Then he'll have to go through me.)
Danny looked up at him and smiled thankfully. He was safe.
"Deberiamos ir si queremos traer este dinero a Jefe a tiempo," he said as he opens the door. (We better get going if we wanna get this money to Boss on time.)
Danny flinched when he saw the large figure in front of John, who turned around slowly. The rhino stood right there, his fist cocked. He had just been about to break it down, it looked like. The rhino raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture when he saw the two burglars, especially the smaller one. He was obviously not about to get in another fight he couldn't win. He looked at the boy cautiously and slowly sidestepped his way into the building past them. John jerked his head toward the stairwell and the rhino ran to it to get to the third floor.
Though Rhinowitz got a good look at the kitten's face, who then put his mask back on.
"Come on, vamanos," said John before the leave the bank to get the money to their boss.
He turned the water off and shivered, turning it right back on long enough for him to dry off a little. He was definitely not a lover of the cold. Being relatively close to the climate wall separating the savannah from the desert made the region a bit warmer than was intended. He was very used to a warm climate. Unlike somebunny - ahem, somebody in this very house who liked freezing the tod out of his fur.
Turning the water off again, he stepped out while finishing getting his fur dry. He couldn't wait to stuff his muzzle with that blueberry pie...
Hold on...
He noticed something in the little trash can next to the toilet. Is that...? He tepidly moved a wrapper to the side with the towel and... yep. Pregnancy test. Negative.
He sighed and let his head fall forward. How many is that now? Judy, why can't you talk to me about this?
If only she wouldn't try to hide it, as if he didn't already know! She couldn't keep her eyes off of children when they were out shopping or dancing or doing anything, really. She had even stopped to ogle three infants in a stroller during their walk earlier today, and he could tell very clearly that she was attempting to hide her longing. And the more desperate she becomes, the more affectionate she is toward him, and therefore, the more they mate, and the more pregnancy tests. It was patently clear where her heart was:
She wanted to be a mother. Very, very much. Turned out that the very same thing that drove her to do well in all parts of her life - it also weighed on her when she couldn't even cross the starting line. She chased after her desires with a tenacity he had never seen from anyone. And the stress of their current lives in a city that was currently plunging into hell was only making it monumentally harder for her to deal with.
There was just one problem, besides a rising crime rate. A problem that he had been thoroughly aware of ever since he first fell for her. And he knew she was fully aware of it, too. He could never give that to her. He could never provide her with children. The thought, painful as it was, was the hard reality.
But it hurt worse that she would hide this kind of desire from him. It wasn't like it didn't affect him either. He liked to think of himself as being a Dad one day, especially as he straightened himself out over the past few years; why wouldn't he want to? But the fact that Judy wouldn't involve him in this... that was more than a little hurtful.
He had felt like she needed to be the one to start that conversation. But the fact that it was getting more intense, he could tell, especially as her thirties were beginning to pass by... He was just scared to bring it up. He couldn't exactly figure out why. Regardless, they had to talk about it. Maybe... maybe they could adopt? If they could somehow deal with raising a child in the middle of all this, then it was worth at least looking into.
"How long will it take to get a new place?" she asked her foster father, hoping for some good news.
"Oh, couple weeks, maybe."
Though she didn't want to admit it, she felt more and more that his tone was indicating exactly what she'd feared - they wouldn't be coming back for her. Just like the others.
Love...
That was all she could ask for from anyone. She had never deliberately harmed anyone, never committed such atrocities that would have given her such infamy as she has seen. The entire population of Zootopia knew who she was, and she wished that she could be invisible. Because ten percent of that population wanted retribution against either her or her mother.
She wasn't stupid. But she was nine years old, so no matter what she could say or do, she "wouldn't understand." That was exactly what she was hearing now as her foster father gave her very specific instructions for which train to board and how far to go, where to walk afterward, and which address to stop at.
Arya sat quietly on her backpack all the while near a bench in the train station, trying not to shiver from the draft wafting down the back of her shirt. Her lack of wool gave her a heavy sense of embarrassment, despite the fact that the station was nearly empty. Those few mammals not too far away were sufficient.
She knew those animals recognized her, because most of them were obviously trying to pretend she wasn't there.
"Dad?" she asked after a long silence. "When can I come home?"
"...You'll be fine. I promise," was all he said before the line cut off.
Arya held the phone away from her ear and looked at the screen. She felt that at the second the call cut off, the sense of having some kind of anchor, some chance she could live something approaching a normal life, evaporated in a flash. She lowered her phone to her thigh and did the only thing she could do: take it like a champ.
This was her third foster family in seven years. The third time she had been ripped from a home due to drug use, neglect, and arson, each in succession.
She sat quietly with her back flat against the seat, her hands clasped neatly in her lap.
After an indeterminate amount of time, she heard the sound of brakes squealing, jolting her awake. It had arrived, finally. She stood up to extend the handle of her luggage and ran toward the door of the train. Her cloven toes pitter-pattered rapidly on the concrete. She got in line, and a few others joined in behind her. At the front, a wolf met passengers, letting them on board. She didn't know where she would go, but she had to get out of here, at least, and into safer territory.
"Fifty cents, thank you," the wolf said repetitively, like a mantra as each passenger showed him their phone or handed him change. Arya's heart sank at this. Her family... her former family hadn't even given her something to pay for a train ticket?
"Fifty cents..." he said to Arya, leaning down to present his open hand.
She stood there, her eyes looking around for a second. "I... I don't have..."
"Then please step out of the line," he said, standing up straight.
"No, please," she pleaded, "is there anything I can do? Like..."
"Unless you can pay your way, you can't come on the train. We're not a charity."
Arya's shoulders sank before turning around in dejection.
"Here," someone above her said. She looked up and an arm was extended toward the wolf, holding a phone. "That's for her and us."
"Thank you," said the wolf. "You can go," he said to Arya and the woman behind her.
Surprised, Arya turned. An adult female black panther smiled down at her. Two smaller panthers were behind her, one also smiling at her. But the other looked like he wanted to boot her off the train himself. Her swell of gratitude drove her to ignore the latter.
"Thank you!" said Arya in elation, running into the panther's leg and hugging it. The woman chuckled. "Come on, let's go. There's mammals waiting back here."
Arya followed the family to a seat near the front of the car where they'd entered. The car was nearly empty, seeing as it was post-rush hour. She found herself sitting next to the woman's daughter, across from the mother and her son. The girl appeared to be about her age, maybe slightly older. Her brown eyes were wide and curious, as if she never found anything boring. She had sunflower earrings that glistened in the light. She had shed her baby fur, but had yet to develop a fully-grown muzzle. So that would put her just past the kitten stage into the cub stage.
"What's your name?" the girl asked.
"I'm Arya. What's your name?"
"I'm Angel. Why were you out there all by yourself?"
Arya hesitated and tried to find the best way to answer the question. Angel caught on.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Arya was relieved to hear that, but she began to fall into a sullen silence. After a few seconds, she gestured to her left temple and asked, "What's that mark on your face?"
Arya looked a little flustered. "I... I..."
"Sorry," said Angel suddenly as she caught on to Arya's discomfort. "I was asking because my friends and I like to compare scars and stuff."
"Oh..." she answered quietly. "I... I had brain surgery," she said.
"Really?!" She turned toward the lamb in great interest. "What happened?"
"Brain cancer."
Angel exhaled. "That's horrible."
"Yeah," she breathed before wiping her eye. "It was."
"Well... I think you have all of us beat."
That made Arya burst out laughing, a preemptive tear falling down her cheek. Angel laughed with her. Arya honestly didn't know why she was laughing, but she chalked it up to joy to be alive. They calmed down after a moment and began chatting.
"Do you watch movies?" asked Arya at one point.
"Who doesn't? What kind do you like?"
"I like anything and everything. Action, romance, drama, horror..." Angel cringed a bit at the last one. "What do you like?"
"I also like a lot of movies, but my favorite are foreign movies, especially French movies. I've always wanted to learn French, but none of the schools I've gone to teach it."
"I don't think I could focus enough to learn another language," said Arya.
"I'd love to learn!"
They talked the whole way to the panthers' house. Arya found that she enjoyed talking with this girl, even if her first inclination was not to even try being friends with her. Predators usually either disliked her or outright tried to attack her on a regular basis. But Angel didn't do that. Arya found herself drawn to this girl. She found herself feeling a sense of hope again. What she didn't know, however, was that at the same time, a pair of red eyes were glued to the back of her head the whole time.
