The new tales from Zootopia

by Vindictive456

This story is a well thought out work of fan-fiction that will cover in moderate pace how Judy came back to the force and convinced Nick to be her partner, Nick's training to become an officer and his days at the academy, a weird new case involving corrupt mammals and a new dangerous drug, all of that sprinkled with the growing love between Zootopia's favorite pair of officers.

10. Episode 10: Academy life

Author's note: Hello guys, Valiant here once more, ready to deliver a new chapter of fan-fiction fresh out of the press, i did not expect this chapter to get this long and i also did not expect this story to take so much out of me, plenty of important things happen on this chapter, new characters, new goals, new surroundings and most of the following will be solely focused on Nick. As a side note: I a trully grateful for all of your support, this story has been growing and my ideas just seem to be more enjoyable to put on paper as time goes on. I have been trying to keep myself entertained these last few weeks with other things besides writting, playing some RPGs, watching some anime and even getting some other drawings out of the way. How are you keeping busy during the isolation? Are you enjoying the story so far? If you have anything to say, my comment and review section is always open. Now... Onwards with the story!

Episode 10: Academy Life

Nick was sitting over a bench located by the side of platform sixteen, he had a medium sized duffle bag all nicely packed resting on the seat by his left and was just waiting the next train that would take him to the state of Crovan, the largest state of the Tri-burrow county and home of he esteemed Zootopia police academy. He already had everything well handled by then, his training period with Judy was concluded, his belongings were well organized, his mother even stopped by his apartment to help him pack and organize his luggage on the previous day and he felt more than well prepared for his depart. He had his wallet in his left pocket, his cellphone well stored and safely tucked inside a pouch, his lucky deck of cards properly stashed away, he had plenty of extra clothes and supplies packed tightly and now, all that was left for him was to board the train and go on his way.

Anxious about the train's arrival at the station, his foot began to tap repeatedly on the ground while his tail swayed from side to side, he was excited to go but there were still a few lingering worries in his mind, his training was finished and he felt like he had already come a long way with all that he learned, but he also thought that his new life at the academy was not going to be as easy as Judy made it all to be. By her own words prior to his departure day, he was not only have to contend with obstacles on a track, he would also have to interact with other mammals who would share the whole experience with him. Talking with other mammals was easy for him, it came naturally, trusting others… that was not as easy.

He decided that he needed to calm down and relief his nerves, the fox took a deep breath before tossing his head back over the bench and letting the breeze that was blowing over the platform on that nice clear day, brush past his fur. Suddenly there was a little voice in the distance, mixed with all the sounds of the mammals coming and going around the station, Nick caught a familiar voice calling out to him:

- Nick.

He turned his head to the right and saw Judy walking towards him, Finnick was following close to her and she was carrying a small plastic Tupperware container in her paws, they got closer and he raised his body from the bench to cumpriment them both:

- Hey carrots. What are you two doing here?

Judy's ears twitched to the side and she looked right in the fox's eyes as she answered:

- We came to see you off you goof. Did you really think I was going to let you go off to the academy without seeing you off at the station?

Finnick raised his paw and spoke in subtle protest to that previous answer:

- I actually came here so the fuzz could give the key I lent to her back, as for the you being a 'goof' part, I am in total agreement with that.

Nick directed an eye at Finnick and his only answer was one dotted with sarcasm:

- Wow, Finn. I'm touched.

Finnick had a smile on his face and Nick immediately got that repaying it with a smile of his own, even though neither of them admitted it openly both had a lot of care for one another. Judy took that moment to check if Nick had everything he needed with him for the trip and to bestow a little gift upon him, the fox's curiosity was peaked as he received the little plastic box that had a sweet smell emanating from within:

- What's this fluff?

- It's… something I made for you. No big deal.

Nick opened the little container now resting over his paws and found round pieces of pastry neatly stored within it, there were about twelve of them and each was colored differently but all of them had a sweet, alluring scent to them. He picked one of the treats from the box and asked her with a little smile on his face:

- What are these?

Judy gestured over the contents of the box and answered him:

- It's mochi.

- 'Mochi'? Never heard of it.

Judy took her time to explain that exotic dish to Nick before he decided to eat it:

- It is a type of rice cake usually filled with red beans at its core, however, I found a different recipe for it online, I substituted the original filling with strawberries and figured you might like it since you like sweets so much, I hope you enjoy it.

Nick gently pressed the treat with his fingers and took no time at all shoving it in his mouth after that, as his teeth bit past the squishy crust, his tongue experienced an amazing sensation of bliss that soon flowed on to his cheeks. There was a taste in that initial bite that he hadn't felt in quite a long time mixed with something else, simple but appreciated. As he continued munching on the treat, he spoke out with wide eyes and a portion of it still being chewed:

- Oh… My… God!

Judy revealed a sour face believing that her home made cooking was nothing short of a disaster after witnessing Nick's reaction to it, she approached him reaching for the plastic container with the intent of apologizing:

- You hated it, didn't you? Is it the amount of sugar? I knew I should've used less.

- NO!

Nick saw as she was just about to reach her paw over the box and taking it back for herself, his reaction was to promptly remove the sweets from her reach and release an objection almost yelling in defiance, lucky for them there weren't a lot of mammals around that heard Nick's dramatic outburst. The fox made an awkward sound as if he was clearing his throat and explained that he actually enjoyed her gift quite a lot:

- These are just great carrots. I haven't tasted strawberry in the longest time.

Nick said so as he grabbed another sweet little cake from inside the box to eat, delighting his palette with a second helping of the amazing taste:

- I could eat these all day!

Judy saw the evidence of his claim as Nick's face of pleasure confirmed that he was about to devour all of the little cakes in what could only be assumed as a matter of seconds. She dashed into his line of sight and stopped him from continuing to ravage the treats by holding on to his right arm and impeding it from moving further:

- I can't let you do that, unfortunately.

Nick looked at her, holding one of the newly discovered sweets in his paw, and waited for her to explain why he couldn't just continue to enjoy the gift at that moment in time, Judy signaled to him pointing a finger to the insides of the box and speaking:

- The food at the academy is nutritious but also plenty atrocious in taste, so… you're going to have to make these last you for a while. I'm glad you liked it but don't just eat them all in one sitting, I made these so you could enjoy.

Nick showed off a face of disappointment but he also understood what she meant by that, he placed the one treat he had in his grasp back into the box before closing it and turning back to her as to properly thank her for the delicious gift:

- You're the best carrots. Thanks a lot.

Judy could not even hide the little blush she was experiencing right then, she placed her arms down and smiled as Nick showed his appreciation to her from a moderate distance, she wanted to hug him right there, wish him good luck for when it came time to face his new life at the academy head on. She didn't have the time however, before she could come closer to him there was a loud clanking sound that her ears detected in the distance, the train was coming closer to the station, gradually diminishing in speed as it approached the platform. Nick looked to the train getting ever so closer and said:

- Well… looks like my ride is here.

He went on to pick the duffle bag by the strap and sling it over his back, he came closer to Judy to await a bit longer so that he could finally board the train but she couldn't resist asking just a few more questions to make sure he had everything he needed for the academy. She poked his arm and asked:

- You remember to bring your notebooks?

The fox didn't look her way, his sight remained directed at the train approaching in the distance as he answered her:

- Yes, I remembered.

She decided to ask something else:

- You got all of the documents in case you need them.

- All stored right here.

He answered as he hoisted the bag a little higher to point out his confirmation a little better, she returned to asking:

- You're not bringing any of your comic books with you, right?

This time Nick turned to her to bring out an honest to goodness answer:

- No carrots, I am not bringing any of my comics with me. You don't have to worry. I'll be by the academy, get my things checked out and tear through the classes in no time.

Judy tapped her foot once on the floor and felt like she had to remind Nick of a crucial detail about the academy:

- I know how capable you are Nick, but being at the academy will not only be about you. It's true that you will have to leave your own mark as a recruit, but not even you can do all of the things that will be asked of you alone.

Judy took in a little bit of air, the train was getting much closer, she would have to summarize what she wanted to say:

- You will need to get accustomed with the social part of your training just as much as the other classes and learn how to interact with the other recruits. Don't forget it, being part of a team is also a big portion of the ZPD experience.

Nick understood where her concerns laid in regards to that particular subject, he was a little worried about meeting other mammals who may have a few differing ideas about what becoming an officer is all about. He was only going through this as a way to better himself and help Judy, it rarely came to him that he was going to be forced into socialization with other individuals. Trying to give himself a boost in confidence and not wanting to worry Judy unnecessarily, Nick spoke out:

- Don't stress it out carrots. I know how to interact with other mammals. That does remind me of one thing…

Nick turned around to face Finnick, the little fox was leaning nonchalantly over the wooden bench just a few steps behind them, Finn was just messing around on his cell phone while he waited to say his farewells to him. Nick called his friend's attention and issued a warning:

- Finn, if you pass by my place needing anything, please don't mess around with my comics, okay? I just had them organized.

Finnick directed his eyes right at Nick and dismissed his comment by saying:

- Chill out Wilde. I'm not going to mess around with your little comics, my preferable reading material is way more sophisticated.

Nick raised a brow at that affirmation and countered it by saying:

- Oh, I am very much aware of how "sophisticated" your reading usually is.

- Bite me Wilde!

Judy was a bit apprehensive about that conversation, by Finnick's tone of voice it did seem like he was legitimately mad at Nick, but her worries disappeared as they came closer to one another and clasped their paws together to say a sincere farewell:

- Show them what you can do buddy.

- Thanks pal. Stay well.

Judy thought that was really sweet of them, moments like that always showed her that even if they played around like they didn't care, those two were still great friends. The train halted at the edge of the platform right on time and a couple of passengers came by so that they could get in and find nice seats inside one of the train carts, Nick was about to say his final farewells, but he felt the sudden urge to extend that moment make it even more remarkable. Looking at Judy's face and noticing that this was a rather bitter-sweet moment for her he called out:

- Hey carrots, come over here.

Judy's right ear twitched as she heard her name being called, she gave a couple of steps in Nick's direction and asked subtlety:

- What is it Nick?

Nick gestured pointing a finger to her and asking:

- Give me your phone real quick.

Judy wasn't sure what he wanted to do but she complied with his request, she grabbed her phone from her right pocket, turned the screen on and handed it over to Nick, he began to fondle and swipe his paw over the screen in search of a particular application and Judy decided to ask what he was up to at that time:

- What are you doing?

He held the phone with one paw and gestured for her to approach him even more with the other, she cautiously walked a few more steps as he gestured towards her and that was when he answered her openly:

- We need to capture this moment, come here and get in a picture with me.

Nick got down in one knee to better approach the bunny's size difference in comparison to his own, he prepared the camera application on the phone and adjusted the settings to better capture the morning light on the snapshot so it wouldn't appear too blurry or too dark, Nick looked to the side and saw Finn just watching it on the corner, not wanting his cohort to feel left out of the moment, he called to him as well:

- Yo, Finn! You wanna get in on this?

- Pass. I don't feel like getting my picture taken today.

Nick made a dismissive gesture with his free paw and spoke to Judy with a whisper:

- Don't mind him, he's always been camera shy.

Nick had the camera ready and on standby, held on his left paw and adjusted for a optimize setting for the image to be flawlessly captured, Judy appeared willing and excited to record that special moment, then again, from Nick's point of view, she always seemed excited about something or another. At any case, she scuttled near him to get into the focus and even showed off a little peace sign with her fingers along with a little smile, Nick found that adorable, but the real spotlight for the picture was just about to occur. In an attempt to catch her off guard and get an even better expression out of her for the picture, Nick reached his arm around Judy and pulled her closer to him, her left cheek smooshed against the fuzzy fur from his face but her smile was still well visible as Nick took the chance to press the icon on the side of the screen and take the photo, Judy bellowed out to him:

- Nick!

'Click'

The picture was taken, Judy pushed her body away from Nick and his smug expression, she would've been quite crossed with him if it wasn't for the fact that it was all in good fun for the fox. As he showed her the phone, he pointed a claw to the screen and spoke while showing off a toothy grin:

- The pictured turned out great carrots.

Judy picked her phone and saw the new image recorded on the screen, it wasn't bad at all, she was still smiling in the photo and showing off the peace sign with her fingers, but most importantly, both of them looked like they were having lots of fun, she directed her eyes back at Nick and said:

- I'll be sure to keep it saved, for now anyway.

Nick smiled and raised both of his brows at her after hearing that, he wished time could stretch a little bit more so he could talk with Judy for a while longer, but the train was already reeving up to go off and he had to say his final farewell so that he could board it in time. He decided to do just that by coming close to Judy and giving her one last, quick and warm hug for the time being, which she was very much ready to receive. After breaking apart from the embrace, Nick heard as Judy wished him luck:

- Good luck, Nick. Keep in touch.

The fox delivered a friendly salute to her as he began embarking the train and spoke out:

- I will fluff. Don't save the city until I come back! Okay?

Nick watched as Judy smiled widely and went into the train to find a comfy seat for the long trip ahead. The fast moving trains from Zootopia were quite the efficient mode of transportation, taken by many mammals all around as the absolute best way to travel into and out of the city, Nick was not accustomed with that particular way to travel but he found a nice seat to take and a cozy space to put his luggage in one of the cars close to the back of the train in no time. As the train departed from the station roaming in the direction of Crovan, Nick saw the last glimpses of Judy and Finnick, staying behind along with Zootopia itself.

As the scenery outside the window started to move increasingly fast, Nick tapped his claw over the plastic armrest of his seat in expectation for the train's final stop at the tranquil town of Gloversville, with the subtle clacking of the train over the rails under him, Nick tried to distract himself with some other thoughts about how the academy would really be and how well he would adapt to the new environment, but he wasn't worried, he quickly fell asleep and time passed by as the train rushed out of the city and into the horizon.

---

After the train hit its final stop, Nick had to familiarize himself with the new surroundings, the town of Gloversville was nothing too remarkable so it had clear paths and routes that were very easy to recall. Nick passed by a convenience store near a gas station managed by a tall orangutan, an electronic shop that specialized in repairs of various home utensils according to the sign at the front and finally a conjunction of stores that became a sort of mini-mall by the side of the main road.

Quite the walk was spent for Nick as he crossed the town's main square housing a huge post office and, just a few blocks further, the city hall, following the directions provided by a few mammals that he crossed paths with, he found himself going past the inner city limits and coming to the outer walls of the Zootopia police academy campus. To say the place was immense would be the understatement of a lifetime, the entrance was constituted of many cobblestone bricks that were molded to make the main gates, plus the huge sign on top of it assured that he was definitely in the right place, the huge patch of grass that made the space by the entrance was almost the size of an amateur soccer field, there were a few vehicles parked near the front doors of the central building, there were also various housing structures around the premises made to serve as the habitational spaces and regular living quarters for the cadets.

The size of the main building in front of him was staggering and there were quite a few mammals of differing species, most of them bigger than Nick, getting to do a few simple exercising routines at the front lawn of the academy. Nick scratched the bottom of his jaw and analyzed the terrain around him for a minute or two before heading into the main building, after crossing the front door he encountered the face of a tall feline with large fluffy ears listening to music by the front desk, her headset was arranged over her head and adjusted with intense volume, he could hear the rock and roll tune from where he was standing but he couldn't make out the words being spoken in the song, sounded like a regular headbanger by the way she was bopping her head in accordance to the rhythm.

Nick came closer to the front desk and gestured, waving his paw so that he could get her attention:

- Hi, excuse me.

The feline removed the left piece of the headset from her ears and looked around before checking over the edge of the desk, the sight of the small vulpine walking her way filled her mind with curiosity and alerted her to focus more on the work ahead. She leaned her body over the wooden surface and Nick could get a much more assertive look out of her, upon closer inspection the huge cat turned out to be a brown furred lynx, her ears were quite big and had cute little tuffs of fur placed on their tips, they adjusted over her head moving from side to side out of reactionary reflexes during a few seconds for the reason that the headset was not hindering their movement any longer and the big dark green pupils within her eyes sparkled with the lighting coming from the field out the door. She got a good look at Nick and spoke out:

- Well… the rumors were true. A fox got into the academy.

Nick was quite surprised with the fact that there were already rumors about him, he didn't let that hinder his stance, he placed his right paw over the edge of the desk and said:

- Nicholas Wilde, it is nice to meet you.

She placed a paw over her chest and introduced herself:

- Nicole Sabershiner, but everyone in here just calls me Saby. I take it that you're here to get your very own cadet care package.

Nick nodded his head, confirming her educated guess. Nicole turned around and roamed over the contents of a cabinet placed behind her, she retrieved plenty of objects and placed them over the desk proceeding to tap her right paw over it and present each of them to explain their respective functions:

- Here's everything you will need to get started at the academy, we were informed that there might be a few recruits on the smaller size when it comes to clothing this year, so we got new academy standard uniforms perfect for your size, there are plenty of these so you don't have to be afraid of getting them damaged or dirty during training. That being said, if dirt and grime become a bother to you, we have a laundry room that stays open all week, just remember to wash your whites separately.

Nick grabbed the stack of clothes and she continued her explanation shortly after:

- This book has all of the itinerary for classes of various academic interests, you don't have to take all of them, just mark the ones that best fit into your schedule, there are also a few free slots that you can fill out with recreational activities or extracurricular courses if you wish to do so. Inside you will also find a pamphlet with a map depicting the entire academy, that way you won't get lost. There were quite a few additions to the campus since last year.

Nick grabbed the book and placed inside the duffle bag beside him so he could get a better look later, Nicole proceeded with the final details of her explanation

- Finally, here is your keycard.

Her paw extended over the desk and she gave Nick a blue plastic card with a bar code and a serial number stamped over it:

- This is the official magnetic card with the ZPA stamp on it, it will give you access to your living quarters and a few other services around the installations like the bathrooms, the gear registry, the library and the cafeteria. Always carry it with you and never lose it, otherwise it might take a long while to print a new one just for you.

Nick held the little plastic card between the fingers of his right paw and placed a lot of emphasis in his head about how crucial that object truly was, he took out his wallet and placed the card inside a very convenient place so that he wouldn't lose it easily. As a finishing touch, Nicole handed Nick a small package filled with hygiene products:

- You might also need these. If you need more towels, soap or pillows you can take it up with Max, he is the responsible for the supply room right over there, just show your card and he will hook you up, no problem.

Nick had an entire new load of resources to carry alongside his own luggage, holding the bundle of generic brand products on his arms, he popped his muzzle over it to ask of her with a jokey tone of voice that also showed how much effort he was placing with holding on to and keeping track of it all:

- Neat. Do I get a mint on my pillow every morning as well?

Nicole chuckled and got how that was a clever play on the fact that she was resembling the assistant of a hotel in terms of speech and presentation, she pointed a claw at him and commented about his own way of taking things:

- Good, you got a sense of humor. Most cadets that come around here are a bunch of stuck up snobs.

Nick sighed as he placed the pack in his arms near the rest of his baggage:

- Guess I can look forward to a very dull stay here if that is the case.

As he got around to carrying all the things he had in his possession, Nicole made a gesture with her paw to call his attention back to her and comment:

- Don't get your expectations so down. Keep that humorous nature of yours for as long as you can, it might do wonders when taking on a monotonous environment like this, especially for everyone else spending their time in here.

Nick thought for a second and delivered her a little smile and a nod of his head, promptly assuring her that he would keep her counseling in mind, he began to move away from the front desk but he slowed his walk down as he turned his head left and right searching for the correct way to go, he heard Nicole's voice projected from back the way he came saying:

- Turn a right and walk to the big white building, that's the living quarters, you are looking for room number 107.

Nick waved his paw to her thanking for all the information and went on his way, after he was out of her sight, Nicole decided to return to her original routine, she picked her cellphone, adjusted her headset once more on her ears and returned to listening her song on the Spawtify app. After a few seconds of loud song in her ears she thought to herself:

"Never thought I would see the day a fox would get into the academy."

Nick found the building Nicole was referring to, a long, two stories tall building that, to the perspective of Nick and his mind, resembled the quaint form of a roadside motel, going by the directions given to him by his new acquaintance, he was looking for the seventh room on the first floor. He walked passing each door by his side while counting the numbers placed on their frames inside his head:

"104, 105, 106…"

Until he came to the front of the door marked with the number 107, he grabbed the keycard that he had placed inside his wallet and inserted it into the black slot located over the doorknob, in just one second he heard the loud sound of a metal latch being moved aside and the door was unlocked, Nick stored the card back in its spot inside his wallet and gave a light push on the door revealing the location right behind it. To his immediate astonishment, he was faced with the fact that he was not the only mammal inside that room, there was the presence of two voices in there and they were in the middle of a fierce discussion.

Nick made notice of a gray wolf sitting on a revolving armchair placed in front of a work desk on the far side of the room, the big canine had light-green eyes and possessed a nice contrast on his fur separating the gray and the white areas of his coat, he was wearing a run-of-the-mill ZPA shirt and just wanted to focus on the reading material he was holding in his paws, he spoke with a soothing but also authoritarian tone of voice to the other presence within the room:

- Samuel, for the last time, get down from there! You are going to fall and really hurt yourself.

On the left side of the room there was a bunkbed, the tall piece of furniture was bolted to the wall closest to it and, hanging upside down from the edge of the topside bunk, being supported only by the strength of his legs, was a strong looking brown spotted deer, he had a hazelnut colored, short coat of fur with a few darker spots over it located on key locations and also a short, but nicely maintained, pair of antlers on top of his head. He was also wearing the same type of attire as the wolf, he dismissed the previously stated commentary of his roommate by saying:

- Dude, relax. I'm not going to fall. I'm just here trying to strengthen my core, you should get your nose out of those books and do the same.

The deer kept lifting his body up making so that his head would get as close to his knees as he could and then lowering himself down, he did that same series of movements for a few short intervals at a time while still suspended by his legs, the wolf merely kept up his solid argument returning his eyes on the subject placed in the pages of the book he had in his grasp:

- I do not need to "strengthen my core", the classes will start on the day after tomorrow and exams for the force will be coming by soon enough. The one thing I need is to focus on for the time being is improving my mind.

Nick walked a few steps into the room, closing the door behind him and was convinced that the two mammals didn't even realized he was there, he approached them and spoke out:

- Ahm… hi there.

The attention of the two mammals immediately shifted towards Nick, the deer of unknown name was still upside down as he pointed at Nick and yelled with surprise:

- Oh, shit! There is a fox in our room.

Although Nick was not expecting that kind of reception, he still tried to keep the tension in the room from escalating any further by his account, he placed his baggage carefully on the floor and shrugged that comment off by gesturing a paw over his own figure in a silly way and saying:

- That's right. It is me: "a fox".

The wolf raised from the chair he was sitting on to introduce himself properly and politely to Nick while apologizing for the conditions of the reception:

- Please excuse my roommate, half of the stuff that comes out of his mouth is complete nonsense!

The deer didn't even mind that, he kept hanging upside down on the top bunk and shrugged that off with a smile not even bothering to correct the wolf or protest against his commentary, the wolf extended a paw to Nick and said:

- I'm Alfred Lupus, I am a ZPD course student. The meat head over there disturbing my studying session is my roommate Samuel.

The reversed positioned deer waved his hoof in the air and introduced himself with his full name:

- Hey there, Samuel Balcknert, it's nice to meet you.

Samuel did one elaborate set of moves to get down from his elevated training perch and come back to ground level so he could shake Nick's paw, the fox cumprimented the pair and disclosed his name:

- Nicholas Wilde, I didn't know that I would be sharing a room with more than one mammal cadet. This is a little… unexpected.

Alfred dropped a long sigh in the middle of the conversation and explained the reason why they were forced to share that room:

- This manner of living was proposed by the board of directors from city hall in charge of the academy. Something about promoting cooperation between cadets of different species by placing them in the same living space for the duration of the academy.

- Which is complete and utter bullshit, I might add!

Samuel dropped that right in the middle of the explanation and delivered his point of view:

- This is just a way for the mammals in charge to cut back on costs when it comes to the inhabiting qualities of the academy living spaces. At least they did expand the individual rooms so they could be better utilized as a plus.

Nick took a look around to study the room, it was nothing too special, by his guess, it looked the same as any other room in the building, by his account, the cube shaped chamber had the bunkbed on his left, the work desk and the chair in front of him, a single story bed by his right side and a door half-open by the right wall which lead to a modest bathroom. There was also a small door that lead to a simple supply closet but he didn't take too much note on it. He approached the bunkbed and pointed a claw over the bottom mattress to ask:

- Is the bottom one taken? It is much easier for me to use.

Samuel came by to climb to the top bed and deliver Nick an answer:

- It's vacant. Knock yourself out.

- Thanks.

Nick tossed his duffle bag over the mattress, sighing with relief by the fact that a huge load was lifted from his body, he climbed on the bed with little effort but was soon hit with a horrid realization:

- Holy… Crap!

The fox spoke after getting his entire body up on the mattress, Alfred turned to him and asked worried that something seriously urgent might have just occurred to him:

- What? What's wrong?!

Nick bounced his body over the bed for a couple of seconds before answering that:

- This is the most uncomfortable bed I have ever laid upon.

The deer on the top bunk laughed out loud and the wolf agreed with that statement by pointing a paw to each of the mattresses in the room and commenting:

- All of the beds of the academy were made like this, better get used to it and get as much sleep as you can on it because everyone wakes up pretty early in the morning for drills.

Nick adjusted his body, while sitting over the mattress he reached for his bag and began to unpack the essential things that he thought he might need, starting with his cellphone, two notebooks he had brought with him and the book he had just received from Nicole by the front desk. As he opened the book a small pamphlet fell from the pages over his lap, just as the lynx had said before, it was a map depicting the entire academy and the key aspects that were present in it, Nick started to pour his mind over the informative script in his paws, but, before getting too much into it, he turned his attention to the two mammals in the room and spoke out loud so that he could ask them:

- Have you guys been here at the academy for a long time? Are there any supplemental classes that I am not aware of?

Samuel popped his head over the edge of the top bunk to project his voice towards Nick and place an explanation for their prolonged presence out in the open:

- I have been here for two weeks, there have been mostly orientation seminars and small training exercises to get the first arrivals like me ready for the big stuff. "Wolf boy" over there arrived last week, hasn't been doing much except reading up on something new every day.

Alfred didn't gave a lot of mind into the last piece of the explanation but it was still evident that he was flustered with it, he released a warm puff of air from his nose and placed the book he had in front of his face to hide the scowling expression he now had plastered on his face. Nick could do little more than smile to that, the dynamic between those two mammals was something to behold, similar to how he and Finnick used to argue and banter, if nothing else it guaranteed that he would at least have a moderate amount of entertainment during his time there.

After an entire day indoors checking for anything that called to his interest in the academy schedule and revising the last couple of things that he needed to do, along with conversing with his new cohorts about what he should expect the during the extent of his new found academy life, the time to turn off the lights came later at night and Nick was all set to fall asleep. Although slightly different from his usual resting conditions back home, the bed was spacious and the pillow was sufficiently comfy to accommodate his head with a more appropriate felling of comfort he was used to, before the lights were turned off and they went to sleep, Nick felt the need to say:

- Hold on a second.

Alfred was just reaching for the light switch on the wall to call it a night when Nick halted him halfway to it, he turned his eyes to the fox resting on the bottom bunk and asked:

- What is it?

Nick pointed to the two of them and asked:

- Before we go to sleep I need to ask: Do any of you snore? Because that is a serious deal breaker in my book.

Albert looked right at Samuel sitting on the top bunk and answered while pointing a claw at his own ears and making them flop around over his head:

- You don't have to worry about me, but I sleep with ear mufflers, so I wouldn't know if he snores or not.

At that point, Samuel bopped a hoof over the top bunk's mattress to call to Nick's attention down below and press his own answer into the talk:

- You can both relax, I'm not a snorer.

Nick nodded his head, giving Alfred the okay to turn the lights off, the three cadets fell over their respective beds and got ready to sleep for the night, before falling asleep however, Nick sought his phone and messed around with a few things on the screen until he adjusted the phone settings to wake him up in precisely the right time so he could get the day yet to come started in the appropriate manner. After storing the phone safely under his pillow, he got as comfortable as he could and got carried into sleep while letting one final thought cross his mind for the day:

"I hope I'm ready for tomorrow, that's when the real work begins."

---

The morning came and every single cadet had woken up, each one of them a shining example of a law enforcement officer in the making ready to start the day, Nick was right in the middle of that huge crowd of mammals, all of them bigger than him, but he didn't feel discouraged in the least. He was there just breathing the morning air and stretching his muscles as he prepared his body for the day he had ahead, unbeknownst to him however, he was attracting the eyes of a few of the recruits who thought the presence of a fox of all things among the recruitment line-up was very unusual.

The recruits all turned around when a gruff voice of command sounded off with thundering volume, ordering all of them to get in line:

- ATTENTION! EYES AHEAD AND LOOK ALIVE, NOOBS!

After every one of the cadets noticed the drill sergeant calling them in order to shape up, all of them rushed and got positioned side by side in no specific order, brown bears, polar bears, five tigers, three lions, two elephants, a few wolves, two deer and only a single fox, they aligned themselves up with Nick amongst the last few in the line-up. The sergeant was a tall looking bloodhound, his fur was dark with only a few clear spots, he was dressed in the navy blue regulation from the ZPD and being followed closely by a young and slim looking male aardvark, the long nosed creature was wearing thick glasses and holding a clipboard in his paws, not an easy thing for him to do considering the size of his claws. The two mammals walked in fairly different manners, the dog walked with both paws behind his back marching onward as he passed quick looks over each recruit, the aardvark merely followed him awkwardly.

The blood hound had a clear distinctive look in his eyes and he had a small scar over his nose, he had clear signs of age but his ears appeared a lot shorter than any regular dog of his breed, they didn't flop and sway around as he walked, they remained firm and alert over his head. The old canine stopped his walk and made sure every mammal could see and hear him clearly:

- It is nice to meet you recruits, my name is Major Grover Growlowits and I would like to officially welcome you to the Zootopia police academy. You're all standing on the grounds of the institution that has been building the best law enforcers that have ever lived and went on to defend the greatest city in the world since 1925.

He began to walk again while still launching his words over every one:

- Over the next six months you will do nothing more than improve yourselves, every single hour of every single day you will all learn the different ways in which this academy will raise you up and knock you down. My job is to make sure that will happen without a hitch so that you will all be capable of handling anything the big city can throw at you.

He walked a few more steps over the grass and pointed to the side field where the training course was located:

- If you would, follow me to the west side training course. It is about time I see what you're all about.

All the cadets followed the bloodhound to the appointed destination within the academy walls and they were astonished to see an immense track course with obstacles that were separated by noticeable borders, each one with their own climate setting, from Nick's eyes that looked almost like a big diorama depicting the different parts of Zootopia, his mind could not hold back a little jolt showing that he was very impressed:

"Wow! This is actually really cool!"

His walk was halted suddenly when he accidentally collided with the aardvark that was in the middle of the crowd of mammals trying to follow Major Grover's steps, the sudden impact made the aardvark drop the clipboard he had in his paws, Nick gasped and immediately began apologizing:

- Oops! Sorry there pal, I wasn't paying attention.

- N-no, it is alright. I'm f-fine.

The aardvark reached his claws down to grab the clipboard from the floor and scrape away a few specs of dirt that got over the paper, Nick watched as the shaken mammals went off to rejoin the drill sergeant and he decided to get back in the crowd of cadets that got together to hear the commanding dog's words once more:

- As you might be aware of: Zootopia is home of twelve unique ecosystems and this track was specially design to teach you how to deal with each of its main ones. This training course will not only push you to peak physical conditions, it will also force your minds to quickly adapt for every eventual possibility that you may have to face when engaging or pursuing a criminal element throughout the streets of Savanna Central, Sahara Square, Tundra Town and even the Rainforest District.

Major Grover started to move again in the same way as before, marching slowly with both his paws placed on his back to see and judge the posture of every single mammal placed in his class, Nick placed himself by the very end of the newly formed line-up, it was the only spot that he could arrange in the short time it took everybody to get organized once more. Once the dog in charge walked to the left most side of the line-up he caught a glimpse of Nick and was utterly underwhelmed by his presence, being the shortest mammal of the lot made Nick a prime target to get shot down by the drill sergeant:

- Well… and what do we have here? Stevens!

The aardvark rushed to the dog's side to present him with the clipboard that was being carried this whole time, after glossing over the small stack of pages placed on the board and taking a look on all the names written on the paper, Major Grover turned over to Nick and said:

- Cadet… Wilde, is it? The form right here in my paws says that you came to be here via a recommendation letter from an officer at precinct one.

Nick felt a smile coming to his face, that is when Grover brought his expectations down:

- Bet you think you're something special don't you? Just because you got to skip all of the hoops unlike everyone else.

Nick was left without really getting the question, not sure how to answer to that he tripped over his words:

- I… no, wait… What?

Major Grover returned the clipboard to the paws of his assistant with such speed that the poor unprepared aardvark nearly let it fall to the ground again, the dog gave one step closer and pressed on Nick to give him a plausible answer:

- It's a simple 'yes or no' question son, which one will it be?

Not being able to get a read on the canine in front of him, Nick just said what came naturally to him:

- Which one is going to make you… less angry?

That was definitely not the answer the dog was looking for, with a little growl being released from his mouth, Grover hovered over Nick and spoke out so that all others would hear it:

- Well, it looks like we have a comedian in our midst. I do not care for comedians. Do you think that you have a chance to get by the academy with that sort of attitude towards authority?

Nick only had to think for a short time before letting out an honest answer to that:

- Actually, sir, for a long while I didn't think anything I did would make a difference, I didn't have any high beliefs about the ZPD myself during quite some time.

Touched with resentment by that last comment on the part of Nick, Major Grover asked him with an audible shout:

- Then why in blue blazes did you even come here if you don't even have any principles in it?!

Nick breathed deep and answered, this time with a bit more discipline in his words, but still making out the words like they were a part of some casual conversation:

- Because I made a promise, sir. And a big part of that promise included giving my best at the academy.

Major Grover stepped back, keeping his analytic look over the fox, determined to keep making his point about the academy not taking it easy on anyone, he said:

- An honest speak like that would earn you a pat on the back kid.

Nick smiled and said:

- Thanks, sir.

The major dashed his hopes, however:

- Unfortunately, your little joke from earlier will also earn you a lap on our brand new training course. Now, get moving cadet!

Major Grover stepped away leaving Nick to get himself over the starting line and get started on the course. Samuel, who was standing right by Nick's left side during the line-up, whispered:

- That was exactly and not at all how I expected that to go for you.

Nick simply smiled to that and said:

- Yeah, things tend to go like that around me most of the times.

Every mammal watched as the major pointed Nick in the direction of the course and signaled for the others to just sit back and watch while saying:

- Pay attention rookies! You are about to catch a glimpse of our spanking new track being tested by a new cadet. Better get that popcorn ready.

Nick walked to the starting line with tranquil steps, he positioned himself over the white marking painted on a big concrete tile and was intrigued when the assistant of the major came closer to him to certify that it was all in order. As the aardvark assistant began to make tweaks on a control panel close by, Nick called his attention and asked:

- Stevens, right? Am I really the first one to test this track out?

The aardvark looked at the fox and gave him an answer, although it was kind of hard to discern his words at first since he talked with such a low volume in his voice:

- Technically speaking, you are the first recruit to try this course out. The academy received a small boost on the budget this year so they modified several portions of the track itself, plenty of other mammals tested it out before you to make sure it was safe, but I don't believe any of them made it to the finish line.

Nick was appreciative of the mammal's honesty and insight, after hearing every word he was also a bit worried, he noticed that there were plenty of other portions of this new track that twisted and turned in different and unexpected ways, his probabilities of falling on his face and embarrassing himself in front of everyone else raised considerably. Even with the odds stacked a slight amount against him, Nick still felt confident that he could do it, he took a deep breath to get some confidence within his chest and get his thoughts in order, he nodded his head to the aardvark, thanking him for the tip regarding the obstacle course. Stevens finished checking if it was all ready for Nick to start his run, but he decided to exchange a few more words with the fox:

- Don't take what the major is making you do too personally, he likes to make a big scene to show the recruits off, it's all just an act.

Nick gestured with his paw and reassured the mammal in front of him:

- Don't even worry about that. I've been training for this every single day for a month and I'm going to kick this course's ass!

Stevens looked at Nick with a bit of admiration, wishing he had half of the fox's courage in order to undertake such a challenge, he rushed out of the borders of the track and positioned himself near the major once more, he adjusted his glasses over his nose and asked the dog in charge if this was, indeed, the best course of action:

- Sir, are you sure about this? I know how you're all about pushing past the limits, but this guy is still just a rookie. Not even one of the volunteers that tried this course out were able to get past all the obstacles.

Grover showed the back of his paw to his assistant and waved subtly to calm him down before speaking:

- Every cadet needs to go through this entire course to see what they are truly capable off at the start of the training. That is how I like to do things, I break them down to build them back up. I just want to see what this fox is made of Mr. Stevens, you have to know the limits before getting past them.

Major Grover shouted so that Nick could hear him loud and clear:

- Start whenever you're ready cadet Wilde.

After getting into position and catching a few more doses of air inside his lungs, Nick gave a strong push with his feet and dashed over the track with great efficiency, any untrained eyes would've seen nothing more than an orange blur crossing the field, the major's eyes, however, were locked over the fox and taking notes of his running stance along with every single one of his movements:

"Nice posture, reduce wind resistance, bettering control, keeping himself to the center of the track to avoid unforeseen surprises on the side, he's obviously practiced for this."

After leaving the starting line and performing one sharp turn to the left, Nick found himself at the first group of obstacles on the track, simple things like tiles with tires to run with long and skilled steps, orange cones placed so he could serpentine around them, duck and crouch on the dirt so he could get under a lengthy stretch of metal wire, all simple barriers along the way that Nick crossed without slowing down. After traversing a long jump that took him to a long straight stretch of the track, he looked far ahead and found the imposing ice wall waiting for him, after seeing the nature of the barrier placed ahead of him, with the moat and the ventilation machines sprinkling snow over the track, one thought crossed his mind:

"Carrots was right, it looks much bigger in person."

Every mammal expected Nick to not make it, Major Grover crossed his arms as he watched Nick push through the first barriers and fully expecting him to trip down by the wall and get it over with, he got the same line of thought from the other cadets as his ears caught a pair of the recruits speaking:

- You think that he can do this?

- No way. No one makes up the ice wall on the first try.

Alfred and Samuel were among the other cadets, they were also watching as Nick ran by the track and they heard what the others were saying about his chances, considering his size many considered the odds of him making all the way were not all that good, but the pair still believed and placed a lot of faith on the fox. On the other side of things, Nick was barreling towards the wall and doing as Judy taught him, making the path in his head before he jumped over the moat of freezing water:

"Up, right, left, left, right, up…"

Once he reached the edge of the moat, his legs propelled him into the air, he raised his arms while in the air and smacked his body against the wall, clamping his claws against the ice so that he didn't fell down into the icy waters, he began to climb after getting a feel for how his body was handling the ice, speaking to himself as he took the directions he set to himself just seconds before:

- Up! Right! Left! Left! …

During the climb, one of his paws wasn't able to reach the desired spot, Nick's grasp closed without stablishing the required purchase and his body slid down. He stopped his descent on the wall by slamming his paw over the cold surface and digging his claws deeply into the ice, his claws left a trail carved on the wall as his descent was slowed down but, in the end, he was able to fully halt his fall. Nick looked up, seeing the top of the barrier, very much out of his reach, he gritted his fangs and shouted internally:

"Not this time!"

He began to climb all over again not even caring how the cold was affecting the palms of his paws, he growled with every step of the climb and ignored the effect that the freezing air was doing on him having the single clear goal of reaching the top taking a hold of his mind. The major was clearly impressed with that great recovery by Nick's part, there were even a few gasps sounding off amidst the crowd behind him as they watched the fox nearly fall, but ultimately, conquer the wall. Nick swung the lower half of his body up with all that he could spare after the climb to get to the top and tossed himself down at the other side of the obstacle, eager to tackle whatever came next.

The other cadets looked in utter awe as he kept going, for most that felt very close to seeing a pro in action, Samuel turned his head to Alfred, both of them doing their best to not take their eyes off the action, and asked:

- Did… did that just happen?!

The answer came pretty soon from the wolf next to him:

- That just happened!

Nick kept going, after hitting the ground and quickly rubbing his paws together to bring a bit of warmth to them, he darted forward recuperating his momentum, but he was not incredibly prepared for what was just beyond the ice wall. Only few meters ahead there was a big lake of ice with only a few safe spots for him to secure a safe foothold for himself, he jumped over the biggest piece of ice that he could find but the sudden hit of pressure atop the slippery piece of glacier made the water under it produce small waves to the sides, Nick stuck his arms out to get some balance and stop himself from falling.

He looked to the other pieces of ice floating in front of him, this was clearly going to be a tad more complicated than the wall, trying to remember a few times in his past when he had to cross the real frozen streets and rivers of Tundra Town to elude Mr. Big's goons, Nick decided to apply a fraction of the knowledge to that situation and see how it went. He began to hop from platform to platform, sliding to the sides, moving his tail to the sides so that he could keep his own balance and prevent any part of his body from touching the water, even taking risks half of the way by jumping over the pieces of ice that looked too thin to support a lot of weight, those moments were when the fox's size worked in his benefit.

Nick's performance left the cadets floored, the major had his face unchanged but he was impressed with his efforts. The dog thought he tossed a fox that couldn't make over the first obstacle into the challenge, he was wrong, he had placed a mammal with a clear drive to win on the track and he didn't even know it. Nick was just a few jumps form claiming the other side of the ice lake, clearly confident in the thought that he could do it, he thought:

"This is a lazy stroll across Tundra Town for me! What else do you got?"

As he landed on the last platform, his ear twitched to the side as he caught the sound of a sudden 'crack' originate from right under him, Nick hopped away from the platform, his leg sunk into the ice and his foot touched the water underneath it, that unexpected shock of temperature climbed over his leg and made the fur on his tail stand up on end. Lucky for him, his leg found just enough support to launch him safely to the margin of the lake, Nick shook his wet foot in the air to get the feeling of numbness out of it and thought while sounding off a sharp inhale between his teeth:

"Lesson learned! Don't get cocky!"

He kept running, gradually gaining speed as his body did its best to shake off the cold feeling that nearly swallowed him whole, it was time to tackle the desert. Stevens turned to the dog right next to him and said:

- He actually did it! He crossed the ice portion of the course.

- He's got potential and good reflexes. Doesn't mean he's going to do it.

Nick saw the big sandbox in front of him with the big spinning fans on the other side blowing sand and making a miniature sandstorm, Nick took a few steps of his run to get set for the wind and the aggressive sand, everyone thought he was slowing down to access the situation so that he could slowly and calmly make his way past the sand, that wasn't it. He made a checklist in his mind as he pulled his shirt up to protect his muzzle:

"Ears down, tail tucked, protect your nose and HANG ON!"

Nick dived forward, tossing his body against the scorching sands with unbelievable determination, squinting his eyes to protect against the flying specs of soil and crouching down to decrease air resistance against his frame, he rushed across the heat and the wind like they weren't even that much of an issue.

"Hum. Now that I have actually faced the real thing, this isn't that bad."

That thought crossed his mind but he still didn't let overconfidence slow him down like before, a strong slap of wind and sand smacked him bringing the fox down to his knees, the closer he got to the fans on the other side the more aggressive the wind became, half of the cadets were expecting to see the fox fly away like a kite, but he emerged on the other side of the sand box still keeping on track like nothing was capable of stopping him for good. From the perspective of the spectators at a distance, it looked like he tossed himself into the sandstorm without a plan as he moved around over the shifting sands in an aimless way, dragging his body around over it, he was actually looking for a spot where the wind didn't hit him as strongly and he could sink his feet into the sand more firmly, facilitating his movements. He proceeded without much problem after finding the most appropriate spot to trail ahead.

The other recruits were astonished with what they were witnessing, major Grover could hear all of the voices as they mumbled just behind him:

- Oh, my God! Did you see that?!

- He's actually doing it!

- Fuck! Who is this guy?!

Fed up with all the talking, major Grover yelled out:

- EVERYONE OF YOU, SHUT UP!

After every mammal behind him stopped yammering he finished his thought with a softer tone of voice:

- This isn't over yet.

All eyes returned to Nick once more as he approached the final portion of the track, as a final challenge before the finishing line, he was bombarded with a wide-spreading shower of water originated from a sprinkling system made to resemble the rain and muddy soil made to emulate the terrain from the rainforest, it was a bit harsh to race through there but he was determined to make it work. After arriving on the set of monkey-bars, Nick climbed up a few stairs and started to hang from an uneasy position, the thick bamboo bars above him, on which his paws were precariously hanging, shook around a lot and the water being poured over him really didn't help. One paw after the other he made his way above and across the mud pit bellow, as he got to the last bar, he swung the lower half of his body back and forth so that he could gain the necessary mid-air momentum to reach the other side safely, he did just that but, after touching down on the ground, the fox started to feel tired, really tired.

Nick's breathing was heavy and fast, he was starting to notice how much real pressure the course was placing over his body. Doing his best to push past the exhaustion, the fox swallowed some air and drew long breaths as to pump more oxygen into his system while still staying on the move, he found that he was just a few steps away from what could be the last obstacle of the track. Nick found a long set of stairs that lead to a structure that looked like a watchtower, up on top there was a long-reaching platform that lead to a trail of ropes suspended in the air, ending on a similar structure to the first one on the other side, he figured that it was just a simple matter of hanging on to the ropes and perform a series of small swings on each of them until getting to the other side. A simple but complicated task.

After climbing the set of stairs and getting to the top of the towering structure shaped like a tall trapezoid, Nick extended his arm ahead after positioning himself at the edge of the platform as to grab the rope closest to him and get enough speed to swing to the other rope on the line, he stretched his arm as far as he could but apparently the obstacle was made for mammals with reach far longer than his. Determined to not slow down and surrender, he took a few steps back on the suspended platform, got a running start and jump off to the first rope. Hanging to the line almost as if he was hugging it, Nick tried to use his acquired kinetic energy to reach to the next one during his swing, it wasn't meant to happen.

The artificial rain still pouring down over him made his initial run rather slippery on the wooden platform, his cautious jump did not earn him a lot of speed and the rope in his grasp was thick and hard to get a grip on. Trying to hold on to the rope with just one paw proved too much for his exhausted arm, Nick started to slip down with increasing speed, he tried to return his other paw to its original position to get more altitude on the line, but it was far too late. Scraping the palms of his paws and the legs of his training uniform over the rope made it harder for him to get a significant hold on the line and he fell down, landing on his side over the mud bellow. The entire class was very surprised to see that happening, major Grover didn't seem too concerned, he figured the course would take him down, he only thought it would've been much sooner.

"Hum, it was still a good try."

He thought so after confirming that Nick had fell down for good in the track. As the major, his assistant and the other cadets raised from their seats and traversed the grass to come over to Nick who was still getting back up from the muddy floor, the dog leading the group made sure to pay due respects to the fox as he came closer:

- I have to admit kid, you got guts. You lasted far longer than I expected, props to you.

Nick raised from the dirty, soggy ground but he didn't pay much attention to what his instructor was saying or to the deplorable condition of his brand new training attire, he was supporting himself with one paw clamped in the mud while the other one was placed on the side of his torso, a little bellow his left arm pit. The major watched as the fox struggled to get up and asked with concern:

- Cadet Wilde. What's wrong with you?

Nick got back on his two feet and answered with noticeable discomfort in his response:

- I think I just landed on a rock.

Grover's eyes shot open with incredulity, after seeing Nick's face he was sure that what he was feeling was absolutely not any unnecessary drama to get out of training, especially after that performance, the fox was not only tired but in serious pain. The major hopped inside the mud, not even caring if his feet were going to track dirt around for the rest of the day, he placed both paws inside the general area of the ground where Nick had fell down and searched around for any sign of foreign debris. Sure enough, after a few seconds of subtle digging, he pulled a rock from the ground, the scrap of granite was not big enough of a bother for any large mammals, but, for a cadet the size of Nick, it looked like it could do some serious damage, particularly factoring in the speed he had on him when he hit the ground:

Grover walked out of the mud with heavy steps with a look in his eyes that was established to put the blame on somebody. He called his assistant so that he could get an explanation for that:

- Mr. Stevens.

- Y… yes, sir?

The major extended his paw holding the stone, both still covered in a thick layer of mud. He asked:

- Care to tell me what is this?

- It's… a rock, sir.

The major came closer, placing a dirty paw over the aardvark's shoulder to pull him closer and spilling mud all over his shirt before saying in agreement:

- Very good. Now, care to explain to me what this dangerous piece of debris was doing in the middle of this training course, which I was *assured* by you, I might add, was completely free of impediments that were not correlated to the main obstacles?!

The volume of the major's voice raised considerably as he was getting to the final parts of his questioning, Nick felt bad in two ways, the first was his left side, still running sore from the rock he landed on; the second was concern for the bashful aardvark, he didn't have the intention of getting the guy to get into any trouble because of what seemed like a minor inconvenience. Stevens tried to ease the dog's nerves by attempting to place the burden on someone else:

- Sir, I was assured that the course was clean and ready for trials just yesterday. This rock shouldn't even be in there.

- You got that right! So, you're going to hold this and go straight to whomever assured you this course was ready and tell them they did a shitty job. YOU GOT THAT?!

Stevens took the dirty rock in his paw and ran away while saying his guarantees to the superior officer:

- Yes sir! Right away, sir!

After Stevens made his hurried way out of the training course, the major turned over to Nick as the fox just managed to get out of the mud and walk his way into the group of cadets without getting mud on anyone. Grover extended a paw to Nick and asked him:

- Do you need to go to the infirmary, cadet?

Nick breathed deeply and answered the dog with conviction:

- No sir. Just… give me a moment, I'll be ready to go again in no time.

Major Grover bumped Nick on the shoulder and reassured him by saying:

- That won't be necessary cadet. Shake it off and head to the showers so you can get out of that dirty track suit. My guess is that you have already showed the rest of the class plenty on how to handle the training course. There is no need to overexert yourself on the first day.

Nick took a look around and found all of the eyes from the other cadets hovering over him, they all wanted to know how he took on the obstacles in the course, he wasn't too thrilled about that new feeling, then again, it might have been just the fatigue of his body talking. Nick nodded to the major showing that he understood what the dog had meant at the moment and slowly head out of the course as well, after the fox was a set distance away from the group, Grover moved around and ordered each of them to get started:

- As for the rest of you, quit gawking and get going! Pick a portion of the course you see most fit and get started on it, as for those recruits who don't feel like it, worry not. I got a nice set of push-ups, chin-ups and sit-ups with your names written all over them. Now get going you slackers!

With a collective "Yes, sir!" the class went on to do their exercising routine, most of the recruits chose to do the set of push-ups stablished by the major and only a few of the most daring decided to take on an obstacle from the course. Even so, all of them still had the fox in their minds in some way or another, many thought that he only had luck to get that far, a few others even got into the thought that he cheated somehow, but a select few were merely intrigued by him and wandered what kind of officer he was grooming himself to be, one gray wolf and one deer among them.

---

A few hours ran by after the morning drills were over, it was about lunch time at the academy when all the cadets gathered in the cafeteria to get their dose of nutrition, there were various groups of mammals banding together to eat and talk, some even brought books to get some study details out of the way. Nick was walking out of the main service area of the cafeteria with a plastic plater of food in his paws, he had grabbed a serving of two small turkey sandwiches, one serving of chili with rice, a little cup of pudding and one bottle of juice, Judy had told him how bad the food at the academy was but all of the things that he had gathered for his meal looked and smelled rather scrumptious for consumption.

He walked out of the hallway with a small line of mammals behind him who were also looking to grab some grub for the day and he went on to look for a place to sit, unfortunately, most of the tables seemed to be occupied already. He scoped attentive for an empty spot where he could eat and think in peace, no luck, that is when one thought scrolled past his mind drawing an unsettling comparison:

"Oh, God! I'm back in high school! This is my nightmare!"

He kept walking past the tables and the rowdy mammals who were occupying them, trying to see if there was any vacant spot for him to sit down and not be disturbed, that is when a voice called out to him:

- Hey! Wilde!

He raised his head, looking for the origin of the call, and he found Albert and Samuel sitting on a table by the corner of the cafeteria, the wolf was sitting on the furthest side facing the main hallway of the cafeteria as the deer raised his entire body from the seat to wave his hoof at Nick and subsequently point out to the table where he was sitting. After getting Nick's attention he justified his call by saying:

- Come here. We saved you a spot.

Nick showed a little side smile, it looked like his search for a seat was not necessary after all and it also seemed like he was well on his way to making some new friends at the academy. The fox walked past the small pockets of mammals that were busy eating, talking or just merely slouching around over at the eating tables until he arrived at the last table of the left side of the mess hall, Alfred scooched over, moving his own plater of food along with him, to give Nick enough room to sit, the fox placed himself and the plastic item used to hold his food at a nice position and thanked both of the mammals for their consideration:

- Thanks for the spot.

- No worries.

Samuel said so and returned to fiddle around with his phone as he was doing before seeing Nick, Alfred was silent, just eating his lunch in peace and feeling very curious, wanting to ask Nick about his ground breaking performance at the obstacle course. After swallowing the little bit of food in his mouth, Alfred went ahead and turned to Nick so he could ask his question, but Samuel beat him to the punch:

- So… how did you do it?

Nick was chewing on a satisfactory bite from his sandwich and his ears twitched after hearing that inquiry directed at him, he raised his head and asked with a small bit of food being chewed in his mouth still:

- How did I do what?

Samuel gestured with his hoof pointing into the distance in the general direction of the training grounds, he slapped the table and raised his body slightly up to give the question a small touch of urgency:

- The obstacles by the training course. How did you get past them so easily?!

Nick laughed it off and swallowed a bite before answering to that with a sizeable shred of confidence:

- Trust me, none of that was easy.

Nick kept on eating after giving an answer that was, most definitely, insufficiently placed to appease the curious minds of the two mammals seating beside him. Alfred was the one that spoke his mind this time by asking :

- Everyone has the same question on their minds so just tell us, is there any secret way to get across that track?

Nick's eyes and paws were preoccupied with opening the bottle of juice he had brought with him, without giving the wolf a lot of attention he answered:

- No secret, just a lot of grit and determination. Besides, I didn't make it all the way, remember? I fell.

Nick kept eating his meal but with a new air to his actions, from an outside perspective, the sigh he let out made it sound like he had been defeated in a way, but Alfred was not going to let that be the end of the conversation. He gave Nick's shoulder a poke and spoke up:

- You still made so much further than anyone ever thought possible. By the way, did it hurt a lot? Are you sure you're okay?

Nick saw the point of his body that the deer was referring to, he passed the palm of his free paw over the place that was damaged by the rock and answered with calming tone of voice:

- I feel fine. That was just a bruise.

Reassured that the fox was feeling fine, Alfred turned to speak once more:

- There were a bunch of recruits who tried imitating what you did at the desert portion of the track and they didn't even came close to your clear time.

Nick looked straight at the wolf seated alongside him, trying to understand what that was all about, Alfred showed a small stopwatch with a digital display that encapsulated the time Nick took to conquer the sandbox:

- Thirty-nine seconds! Just enough past half a minute! That is how long it took for you to get across a miniature sandstorm.

Nick looked at the wolf and at the small time device with a touch of surprise in his eyes, unexpectedly, his first instinct was to ask:

- You timed bits of my run through the course? Why?

Alfred already had an explanation prepared for that:

- Scientific curiosity. I like to make sure that what my mind takes an interest on is properly analyzed and quantified.

That was a very unusual thing to hear, much less to say, but it did struck Nick that this wolf in particular was far from average and even further from foolish. Samuel was the one to cut into the conversation and call the attention of the both of them by saying:

- Do you have any idea how "Mad scientist" you sound right now?

Alfred stored the stopwatch away, safely tucked inside his shirt, and returned his eyes to Nick so he could explain:

- Look, I *need* to graduate at this academy as a police officer, there is a lot placed on the line for me and I really don't want to screw it all up. After seeing you dash through the track I just know you're the right mammal to help me get past this thing.

Nick put his paw into making a dismissive gesture, there was a lot being fired his way right there and he needed a second to clarify it all, he spoke to Alfred with a meek laugh:

- Woah, now! That is a lot of pressure thrown at me and I really do not appreciate it!

Alfred lowered his ears after hearing that, he lowered his head and apologized for that sudden talk, realizing that this was possibly not the most appropriate moment for all of those details to be discussed in such a rushed manner, he said:

- I'm sorry! That came out in a bad way. The point is: I need help and… I think you're just the mammal to help me, at least with the physical part of the course.

Samuel cut into the conversation again by pointing a hoof at himself and asking:

- Hey! I've been trying to get you to join me for training sessions since you came by here and you chose to go with his help after seeing him in the track only once?! No offense Nick.

Nick turned his eyes to Samuel after hearing that last bit and spoke with a smile in his face:

- No, I think you're on to something here. Why do you need *my* help specifically Alfred?

Alfred gestured placing his paws perpendicular to one another and pointing at Nick before explaining:

- Because, out in the track, you were ready for anything. Even with the obstacles that looked foreign to you, you didn't back down and you plowed through them without wavering. That is what I want to achieve. I need help to prepare myself and it needs to come from a mammal who actually knows what he is doing, not someone who just goes with the flow.

With that final bit of information, Alfred's eyes twitched in Samuel's direction, the deer was still sitting close, listening to every word, that last bit of commentary about his harsh nature didn't seem to faze him, however. He just leaned his head to the side and admitted to that with an air of laughter in his voice:

- Yeah, that's fair.

Nick instinctively let out a laugh after hearing that, he gave a little slap over the table as he showed his teeth in a healthy smile, after his laugh ceased for a bit, he spoke:

- You guys are a riot! I was not expecting you two to be so chill.

Samuel boasted to that:

- Oh, I'm chill like an igloo. This guy on the other paw is strictly unchill! I give less than three days before he gets all up in your case about keeping your mess on your side of the room.

To that, Alfred reputed:

- You keep leaving cookie crumbs all over the floor! The least you can do is clean it up!

Nick went on to laugh again and decided to cut a deal with the two mammals, making a beneficial arrangement for the three of them:

- Hey, I know. What if we all helped each other out?

The wolf and the deer had their brows raised with that proposal, Nick went ahead and explained:

- I'll go on and lay the cards on the table: Part of the reason why I performed so well is because I got training tips for the academy straight from the source. You two recall what the major said about me right?

It wasn't too long before Samuel laid down the answer to that:

- That thing about you coming here via a letter of recommendation?

- That's right. I met an officer at the ZPD and this… mammal in particular… told me about all of the training barriers of the academy. Do have in mind that I don't know everything about the classes being listed in here, only the basics. So, I figured that if we just combine all of our efforts we'll have a much better chance of coming out on top.

Samuel didn't even have to think too hard about that before tossing his proverbial hat into the circle:

- I'm in!

Nick was happy for that but he also wanted to make sure his new associate understood all that was being placed in that offer:

- Wow! Are you sure? Not even a moment of hesitation?

- Hey, I don't think too much, I just go for it.

Contrary to his room mate impulsive behavior, Alfred actually took more time to think about it, he considered different angles and made a face that, to Nick, looked a lot like Judy's expression when she thought too hard about something. After nearly an entire minute of deliberating, Alfred decided to give his confirmation:

- Very well. If we can all agree to work together then I believe this will be a mutually beneficial. But as we work together we all must concur with making our part accordingly.

Samuel already knew that jab was directed at him:

- Okay, fine. I'll clean the room. My side at least.

Nick recalled how the bunny had spoken about making allies in the academy so that the entire experience would be easier and more enjoyable, he figured that he would find someone that would peak his interest when it came to socializing, it might as well be the mammals that were placed in the same room as he was. The three mammals agreed on how each should do their part on helping each other be it with the classes and analytic nature present in each of the subjects or with organizing training sessions to get pass the obstacles of the course or to simply become stronger.

Nick continued to take bites out of his sandwich, Alfred also returned to the meal he was having prier to the conversation, Nick saw as Samuel, sitting on the other side of the table wasn't eating anything at all, the fox swallowed the piece of the food he just had and asked:

- Aren't you going to grab something to eat?

- No need. I already got my lunch down before sitting here. I can't eat at the same time as Alfred.

Believing that this was something related to a discussion his two new friend might have had before meeting them, Nick decided to ask:

- Why not?

- Because he eats fish every time we sit to eat! Just the smell makes me lose my appetite!

Nick turned to Alfred as he was consuming a small plate of salmon bits on the side, eating the dish with all the calm in the world with fork and knife. Nick returned his face to Samuel who was clearly showing disgust with the wolf's culinary choice, this sort of thing was expected, predators needed meat and protein to keep their bodies working right while prey could subside with fruits and vegetables without any problem, even so most differing species still have major nausea over some types of food. It is a clear example since many vegetarian mammals cannot withstand the smell of sea food. Nick returned his attention to Alfred and asked:

- You like fish too? I'm a really big glutton when it comes to flounder and bass meat. What about you?

Alfred swallowed the food he was chewing and got around to answering Nick's inquiry with politeness:

- I like salmon most of all. I was actually surprised and delighted when I heard that they had added it to the cafeteria menu.

Alfred and Nick just went back to eat their respective meals ad clean their plates after exchanging that little bit of information, Samuel released an annoyed grunt after the two canine were done eating and complained:

- Geez. I really do not get how you guys can stand the smell of fish. It smells like death mixed with salt water.

Alfred felt the need to retort to that:

- Your nose must not be working right. This salmon was clearly a fresh water fish.

- It doesn't matter, it makes your breath stink to high heaven all the same.

Nick delivered a little laugh after hearing that, but, as the wolf was about to launch a new, may haps even aggressive response, his expression changed abruptly. Alfred's eyes were wide open, his jaw was left hanging for a few seconds and his tail was restless, Nick couldn't get a read on that, it was like he was seeing a beautiful scenery and having a horrible case of heartburn at the same time, the wolf immediately lowered his head almost as if he was trying to hide away from something or someone. Nick was not sure what was going on, he looked all around to identify what Alfred might had seen to get so startled at that time, not being able to find what was wrong, Nick opted to ask Samuel:

- What's wrong with him?

Samuel's ears twitched to the side as he heard Nick's question, he already knew all too well what Alfred had seen, he pointed his right hoof over his left shoulder and requested that Nick looked over in the general direction he was gesturing towards:

- Look right over there. You'll understand in a second.

Nick squinted his eyes to get a good look at the hallway to the side of the cafeteria, given a few seconds the image of a new mammal emerged from the hallway, the image of a beautiful white tiger. The female feline was definitely an amazing sight to behold, her soft and silky coat of fur would've been completely blank if it wasn't for the dark stripes located in symmetric spots over her, she had eyes that glistened in the light with a marvelous blue glow and a tail that swayed from side to side in a fluid manner as she walked. The feline was noticeably smaller than any other average creature of her type and was carrying a small plater of food in her paws as she slowly walked across the place in search of a lace to sit, with his head boiling with curiosity, Nick turned to both of his new friends and asked:

- Who is that tall glass of water?

Alfred could not believe in Nick's attitude, the raised his head to look right at the one sitting next to him, surprised that he had asked that question in such a cavalier tone, but it was to be expected. Nick was not aware of all the other mammals taking the academy course that year, not even the ones that had acquired fame after the entrance exam. Alfred leaned closer to Nick as he whispered to reveal every major detail about the tiger's identity:

- That is Helen Clawshmit Felidaen, she is the brightest cadet in the entire academy.

Alfred sounded a little sigh before continuing his explanation:

- She is a top graduate in psychology and psychoanalysis from a credited college by the outskirts of Zootopia, she was selected from a long list of other graduates and invited to enter the academy after publishing an extensive report studying the behavior of the minds of criminals. Most students paid to get into this academy or just got sent via a recommendation, that tiger earned her place here all on her own.

Nick let out a little whistle signifying that he was rightfully impressed with that, he looked at Alfred and launched a simple question:

- Is that a big deal? It sure sounds like a big deal.

- It's a freaking HUGE deal!

Alfred looked away from Nick for a fraction of a second and noticed that the tiger who was the focus of the conversation was getting closer, his mind was usually very calm but the mere sight of that mammal in particular made his brain go into full alert. It was easy for Nick to see that Alfred already had a crush within the academy walls. Not wanting to attract any unnecessary attention for himself as the female tiger passed by, Alfred returned his head to its original lowered position and didn't notice that she came right by the side of their table to ask:

- Excuse me, but… is this seat taken?

Her voice was so sweet and smooth, the sound of her words sent shivers down Alfred's spine all the way to the tip of his tail, it was his first time actually hearing it, Nick looked at Helen and answered to her question while giving the others a chance to do the same:

- I wouldn't mind if you took the seat for yourself. Do you guys mind if she sits here?

Samuel looked away from his phone for a little bit to look at Helen and gesture his right hoof over the seat right next to him, he said as such:

- I don't mind it, go right ahead.

The two of them looked at Alfred, awaiting for his insight as well, the wolf appeared to be chocking with his own words before blurting it out:

- Sure… no problem.

Helen smiled with the given confirmation that she could take the free spot for herself, she placed the plater over the table and Samuel scooched to the left so that she could have more than enough room to get comfortable. After she sat down and started to check the items on her plater she began to eat with slow and methodical bites, she looked distracted, thinking about something else as she ate, she looked around to exchange words with her new company after getting half way through her meal, Nick just sat with his arms crossed, Samuel kept playing a game on his phone to pass the time and Alfred's nerves were firing in all directions with the mere presence of the new mammal that joined them on the table. Alfred's eyes were directed down to avoid staring at her for far too long but, during a few instances, he would shoot a quick look at her while she was preoccupied with finishing her meal.

Nick looked at Helen and decided to break the silence on the table during that moment, he extended his paw to call her attention and asked:

- So, are you enjoying the academy?

Helen turned to him and answered:

- Everything in here has been so incredibly great! I heard that there will be many assembles to comment about different crime scenarios and hypothesis about engaging in criminal interrogation. I am looking forward to it.

Alfred's heart was practically melting into a puddle after hearing all of that, the evidence of his above the charts exhilaration from being in the tiger's presence was clearly seen as his tail wagged frantically from side to side. The wolf tried to sent a command to his tail to stop moving, but it was no use trying, Helen looked around and, only after a few seconds of deliberation, she noticed who was the mammal sitting right in front of her:

- Oh, my goodness.

Nick's ears twitched and positioned themselves upwards after hearing that. Helen pointed a claw at him and spoke:

- You're the fox! The fox that chewed through the obstacles of the new training course! Every mammal at the science lab was talking about you right before lunch!

Nick released a little sigh to that as he thought:

"Word travels fast in here."

Helen only then realized that she didn't even introduced herself, she stretched her arm over the table to reach for Nick and shake his paw to properly cumpriment him:

- My name is Helen Felidaen, it is nice to meet you.

Nick responded to her gesture by reaching his paw forward and grabbing on her paw to give it a little shake:

- Nicholas Wilde, also known as "The fox", but you can call me Nick. These here are my pals Samuel and Alfred, I have also heard quite a lot about you from them.

- You… have?

Nick moved his paw and gave a little nudge to Alfred's left shoulder, he kept passing his paw over the wolf's shoulder making him even more uncomfortable in that situation. Nick continued talking as he kept gesturing over his friend:

- My friend Alfred here was just telling me how you were specially selected to join the academy thanks to a very impressive written publication.

Helen directed her bright blue eyes to the wolf who looked like someone just shot an arrow through his shoulder, Helen's cheeks were very red during that time, she scratched the fur on the top of her head and her little ears moved up and down as she bashfully spoke to that:

- Oh… I didn't know if anyone else knew about that. I made a piece about the in depth study of the criminal mind, most of it was a rushed jumble of words to skip a few classes back home and get a spot on a symposium about breakthroughs in psychoanalysis. It wasn't that big of a deal.

Nick gave Alfred's shoulder a hardy tap and spoke out:

- Funny, the word around this particular table made it sound like it was a HUGE deal.

Alfred wanted to disappear from the face of the Earth after hearing Nick's tone of voice making a clear reference to their previous conversation. Samuel was not even bothering himself with helping out or adding anything to the subject, he just kept to his own seat, holding off his laughs while Helen leaned her body forward for a bit to speak:

- Anyway, I actually wanted to ask you something… Nick.

Nick gestured his paw in her direction and signaled that he was listening to her, Helen continued:

- After hearing how you made through the obstacle course I've been wanting to ask for your help.

- Don't know if it would do you much good, I fell down and hurt myself on the final obstacle.

Helen insisted on speaking her mind after hearing that:

- Even so I could use all the help that I can get. I have a great handle on the classes but I am still nowhere close to tossing myself into the track, I am total garbage when it comes to the actual physical aspects of the academy course. I have been trying to find anyone that can give me some assistance with that, but I had no luck so far, everyone else seems to be busy with their own agendas. Do you think any of you could help me?

Nick looked to the others and saw that as a prime opportunity to add a new member to their study group, with a single glance at Samuel subtly nodding his head in agreement to that Nick had surely made his decision. He looked back to Helen, seated and bracing herself for the answer whichever it might be, and said:

- You are in luck, Helen. We were just talking about making a study group to go over the bits of the training track that are giving us trouble and get past a few basics from the other classes. You are welcome to join us for a few training sessions, if you want to that is. We'll get together, throw a little talk to the wind and get a lot of things done while we're at it. What do you say?

Helen's heart was skipping with excitement, she could not believe her luck, she had been walking around aimlessly hopping to find someone that might be able to help her with the toughest parts of the training but everyone she talked to only seemed to be out for themselves. She took her time to get a read on Nick before deciding anything however, the fox's smile told her that he was a guy who knew how to keep things balanced, someone that could juggle between work and fun without a lot of issue and his posture revealed a lot about his confidence.

Knowing that she could take that chance and get a lot out of her studies, Helen extended her paw and answered in agreement:

- It would be a great idea to work as one. I can give you my cellphone number and you can sent me a message with a schedule that works for everyone.

Nick spoke without letting go of his charismatic smile:

- Sounds good.

Helen brought out her phone and Nick received her contact information in no time at all, she raised from the table and walked away with joyful expectation in each step, after she was gone, Nick turned to Alfred who was apparently astonished by the ease the fox handled that conversation and even managed to get the tiger's cell number in a matter of minutes when he hadn't been able to do anything close enough to that on the full week he had been at the academy. Alfred looked at Nick and said:

- You… are my freaking hero.

Nick let out a toothy grin before raising from the chair and going off in the direction of their room, another class was about to start in a few minutes and he wanted to grab all of the material to get ready for it. In the end, Nick's official first day at the academy was quite remarkable to say the least, he was dong just as Judy told him, interacting with others and doing his best to leave his mark in his own way, but it also showed how much he still had to grow in order to get it all done, good thing he had a solid group to help him now. Nick would blaze a trail across the training course while being followed by an energetic deer, a clever wolf and a motivated white tiger, if nothing else, his stay at the academy was going to be very interesting.

Author's note: WOW! That was a lot of stuff done. I think i'm going to take a little break from the story to focus on some other things for now. But, fear not. The next chapter is already on the works and it promisses to deliver even more details about the academy and Nick's new comrades. Until next time, stay awesome and keep safe.