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.

24. Episode 24: New pieces

Author's note: Salutations, dear readers. It is I, Valiant, and I have returned with another chapter of my Zootopia Fan-fiction. It doesn't feel like that long ago since I published the last chapter, this one just flowed on to the page and a lot of important things happen during this one, including the return of agent Donovan from the ZBI and the official introduction of Jack Savage as a part of this story's cannon. Agent Savage has always been an intriguing piece of Zootopia lore, I don't have extensive knowledge about him but I did wish to give him a spotlight in my story, trust me, he leaves a mark. Did you like the poll I put on the last chapter? It was something I did to break the routine of other chapters introduction. I also wanted to say that I heard a few concerns about the lack of 'romantic' points in the story, but worry not, the romance between our two main carechters is building up as the chapters go along, my take on this is that it is meant to be built like a slow burn on the page, have patience, it will happen. With all of that out of the way: ENJOY THE READING and remain awesome!

Episode 24: New pieces.

Zootopia was seeing a brand new day, the sun had barely poked its circumference over the horizon, and already, there was nefarious doings on the works. Somewhere, inside a dark executive's office, a cellphone rang loudly alerting its owner of an important message from one of his most trustworthy lieutenants, the blinds were closed and almost no light from the morning sun could penetrate through the window but the owner of that office liked it that way, his isolation allowed him to have a better self-contained monologue and understanding of his schemes. From behind the huge revolving chair, a paw reached over the table to grab the device and promptly pressed the little green icon on screen to answer the call. The call had been answered and, a voice came forth, asking ominously:

- Yes?

From the other side of the line promptly came a voice to answer, from an undisclosed alley somewhere in the savanna, an ocelot with a peculiar scar on his face was calling his superior, avidly holding on to his cellphone next to his left ear and taking care so that his voice wouldn't sound too loud as he delivered the news to the one that had asked of him to keep every tidbit of information in check. The bobcat spoke up as his right paw was carefully placed by the brick wall closest to him:

- Sir. It's Andersen. I called because there was something that I needed to say to you right away. I didn't wake you up did I?

The feline only added that considerate question to the end of his reply because it was still very early in the morning, the warmth of the sun had not engulfed the streets just yet and it was still cold outside. Andersen adjusted the zipper on his woolen hoodie before his attention turned back to the phone and he heard the thunderous voice of his superior so close to him that it sent a sudden wave of heat down on his back:

- I have been awake for a while now Anders, I've been keeping tabs on some other ventures that are of interest to me. Progress doesn't take breaks and neither do I. Tell me what is wrong, you sound nervous.

The bobcat went straight for the honest answer right after he took in some refreshing air into his lungs:

- Those morons that you entrusted with the second tank of freezing junk, they just got clipped by the ZPD earlier today. My sources say that the one that made the arrest was the bunny cop.

The was a little breath of surprise coming over the phone, it was brief but noticeable and Andersen was not sure if it was a good or a bad sound. The voice over the phone released a quick puff of air that was very close to a laugh before saying:

- Judy Hopps is finding new ways of surprising us all. I suppose it won't be too long until the media throws the story at the public. Our bunny officer will once again be the center of attentions. We might have to move a few of our appointments ahead of schedule.

The ocelot clutched his teeth inside his mouth and swallowed some saliva, he was not so concerned anymore, he figured that his superior was in a good mood due to the tone that was used over the phone but he still did not know what his new orders would be, no description of a grand plan was divulged to him. There was a silent pause from the other side of the line that was nearly unbearable but the stern voice came to give commands soon enough and inform about the positive points of the ploy at hand:

- The doctor already assured me that the canister in his possession is more than enough for what we have planned, we have rationed the dosage for the experiments and it shows promising signs. We will have a report about the full extent of the results in the near future. Take note of this and inform our associates at the Rainforest.

- Yes, sir.

The confirmation that the given order would be followed came quickly but there was still more to be done:

- I'll reschedule my last given meeting to attend another one with a few friends, they can be of use to our future efforts. Do make sure that accommodations at our main firm are up for it, do not skip on anything.

- Right away, sir.

The ocelot was being meticulous as he took mental notes of everything and he made sure to remember to write it all down after the call ended so that he would not forget anything. Another rule came through the line and it would sound like the last one for the time being:

- Also, check in with your boys at the transport depot. It is about time we moved our assets from there. Mark the routes on the map and run them by the supervisor, he will know which driver to give each route to.

- Sure thing, sir.

The bobcat waited for the call to end, he did not wish to stop listening until it was confirmed that the last words had been given by his superior. The shadowy presence was just about to turn his phone off and end the call but one last piece of though came into his mind and he decided to send off one last message:

- Oh, Anders.

- Sir?

There was a short pause for breath before it continued:

- One of the 'morons', as you put it, was fiercely dedicated to Bellweather and to the savage way of thinking. Figure out what you can about him and where he will end up. There might be a place for him in our organization in the future.

Anders already knew which one of the pawns was being referred to by his superior, the unstable feline that served as the chaotic enforcer of the group that was arrested. There wasn't a quick confirmation and there was some concern coming from the other side of the conversation, the quietness was broken as the thunderous voice came once more to ask:

- Is something the matter, Anders?

The ocelot's heart gave a little jump after hearing that, he turned his eyes to the phone screen before answering with the outmost promptitude:

- No! No, sir. I will get right on it. You can count on me.

With his trust and the assurance of his employee restored for the conversation, the commanding voice lowered his volume and said:

- Very good. Take care of it all, Anders. Keep some feelers out on the street and do not let a single fact slip you by. Zootopia will experience a few loud weeks before calming down again and this will be the prime moment to conduct our business without being interrupted.

Silence came as an answer form Anders' side of the call but the figure in charge knew that everything was in good paws and that he could worry about far more important things that had to be managed someplace else. The bobcat heard as the call was ended from the other side and he turned his phone off as well, the feline peaked his head out of the alley corner he was hiding behind, ZPD patrol cars were coming through the front streets by the pairs, it was time to leave. Anders adjusted the hood over his head, covering even his ears as he tried to make himself look like just another simple citizen out for an early jog.

Many gears were turning behind the scenes but the focus of the ZPD was centered on the most chaotic of presences in their radars. Chief Bog was alerted early in the morning by the other precincts about the arrest and about the great scene surrounding Nick and Judy during their stake-out. What was supposed to be a simple surveillance task turned into a full out brawl in the middle of the savanna, he already knew that the press was going to be all over him and asking about what had occurred, it was time to face the music.

---

Someplace else in the savanna, some hours had already passed by and, inside Judy's apartment, the bunny was beginning to wake up. It was a long night, a long survey, a long battle and she had woken up from what it felt like one of the best slumbers she had experienced in her entire life. Judy tossed the top of her sheets away from her body and stretched her arms and legs while still laying over the mattress, she looked around and noticed the small beam of light penetrating her room through the curtains, the bunny didn't want to feel the oppressive rays of the sun suddenly blasting over her so she left the curtains closed, letting herself get calmly accustomed with the light.

Judy rose from her bed and took a look at her cellphone, the time marked that it was already pass nine in the morning and that did not feel right for her, she was not used with waking up so late in the day, but she also figured that after the night she had it would be alright if she reported a little late for work. Judy walked out of her room and into the living room of her apartment, she still felt a little groggy with sleep but the feeling was slowly subsiding with every step she was taking in the direction of the kitchen. Judy paused for a moment and looked at her self, realizing that she was still dressed in the clothes that she used during the stake out, she rationalized that if she had slept in those clothes, it would have stood to reason that she did not bathe before going to sleep.

Now a bit more awake and determined to start the day with a far more upbeat rhythm, Judy walked with a rushed set of steps towards the bathroom, took off her sweaty clothes and got into the shower, she gave herself the longest and most thorough scrubbing of a bath before stepping out of the bathroom with a renewed stance as she walked and a wide smile of satisfaction on her face, Judy felt so refreshed after walking out of the bath, it felt like all of the vestiges from the previous night had been washed away from her body. While wrapped in a cozy white towel and walking through the hallway leading to her room, Judy heard a loud knock on her front door that made her heart jump, she was definitely not expecting any visitors at that hour.

Judy walked on to the living room, leaned her body to the right as her eyes were fixated in the direction of the door frame, placed her paws over the spot on her body where both ends of the towel met and wrapped itself around her, took a single dash of breath into her lungs trough her mouth and asked:

- Who is it?

A familiar voice came from the other side of the door with the answer:

- Carrots, it's me.

Judy had her ears standing straight up as she asked:

- Nick?! What are you doing here?

The fox leaned against the door and answered:

- I just came by to check on you. You looked pretty tired out after the stake out last night and I wanted to come by to see if you were okay. Didn't you get the text I sent you saying that I'd be stopping by?

Judy looked around and her cellphone was nowhere to be found, she left it on her night stand and didn't even check the notifications on screen after checking for the time. Judy turned back to face the door and answered:

- I didn't pick up my cellphone to check on anything yet. I just woke up.

Nick placed the palm of his right paw over the door frame and asked:

- So… are you feeling alright?

Judy had her ears twitching after hearing that question, she wasn't sure how to answer it for a second but the answer came right after she took another long breath. Judy took one step closer to the door and answered:

- I'm feeling great.

Nick smiled after hearing those words, the sincere assurance that his partner was alright gave him some relief but he also noticed that he was still standing outside and asked promptly:

- Hey, listen, it's a little hard to talk to you with a door in the way. Could you open up?

Judy became suddenly nervous, her ears bent down and her breath locked down inside her throat, she wasn't even dressed yet. Judy began to walk rapidly in the direction of her room and the towel nearly flew away from her body as she began to cross the living room and hurry to the hallway, she turned her head back towards the door and spoke up as she ran to her room to pick up a fresh set of clothes:

- Nick, just stay right there, I'll be right back to let you inside.

Judy was already gone to get dressed and she didn't even hear Nick's response as he said:

- Alright… I'll wait.

Judy tossed her towel over her bed and opened her closet to search for some clothes, she did not even care if the colors would match or not and she would not give a second thought if the fabric was comfortable, she only needed something to wear. After settling for a simple set of underwear, she picked a blue shirt with no sleeves that also covered her entire torso and a pair of long pants that had a fabric color resembling beige, she returned to the living room while passing the palms of her paws over her fur along the way to make sure that there were no stray strands sticking out after her shower. Judy approached the door and turned the nob, finally pulling the wooden frame and revealing the image of the fox, leaning against the left edge of the threshold while he waited.

Nick had his eyes closed and was relaxing while he waited for Judy to open the door, when he heard the sound of the latch being undone and felt the door finally opening up, he opened his eyes and stood straight to get a look at Judy, she seemed fine and very glad to see him again. Nick was dressed in a buttoned up T-shirt that was completely black in design, he did not have a tie on around his neck and he was wearing a nice pair of Jean pants, the fox looked very imposing but his choice in clothing did not diminish to the fact that his friendly smile was always a welcome sight to her. Judy opened way and gestured with her right arm pointing to the inside of her apartment, Nick nodded his head as he accepted her invitation and went right in.

Nick wasted little time with the bit of news that he wanted to personally deliver to Judy, he gestured in her direction showing the palms of both his paws to put some emphasis in his words and he was not even five steps in the living room before taking a breath and saying:

- So… I took a swing at precinct two and the officers around there are super friendly, I got the word on the four new additions to their lock up and they will send out a transferring notice very soon. They will still be behind bars but we will be able to keep a much closer eye on them, same can be said about the freeze juice they brought along with them.

Judy showed with the slow closing and opening of her eyes that she was still feeling a little sluggish that morning. She signaled with her left paw pointing in the direction of Nick and asked:

- Are you seriously going to call a piece of circumstantial evidence 'Freeze juice'?

Nick shrugged that question off by raising and lowering his shoulders before he answered:

- I figured that there is a more scientific name for that stuff but I'm also guessing that I wouldn't be able to pronounce it right out of the gate, so I'm making it easier to identify. The other two choices I had were 'That freezing gunk' and 'Compound F'.

Judy leaned her head to the left as she said:

- I would have gone with 'Compound F'.

Nick pointed a finger of his right paw up into the air before saying:

- I knew I should have gone with that one.

Judy smiled and continued to walk around until she was paced in front of her couch, she tossed her behind over the cushion and got comfortable as she waited to hear if Nick had anything more to say to her. Nick took a breath and walked slowly until he was standing next to the couch arm by the left and in clear view of Judy, he pointed a finger out the window, slightly turning his body to the left while keeping his face directed at his partner, and said:

- I also took a quick jog to precinct one, I found chief Bogo already waiting there for me and for what I had to say. All the other officers were either busy or hadn't arrived for their shifts for the day but he informed me that the report situation over there is already under control. He also said that it is alright if we want to take a little time to rest after the night we had but we need to get back to work right after we're feeling good and rested to go.

Judy was very calm after hearing that, she released a soft hum as she stretched her arms and rotated her shoulders while seated over the couch, she was excited to get back to the precinct deep down but she was mostly alleviated by having the necessary time to recharge her batteries. Nick remembered that he had left a very important piece of Bogo's message out of his words and he tried to remedy that right away, he called to Judy's attention once more as he said:

- Oh, Chief Bogo also told me that it is very likely that the story might leak to the press, word tends to travel throughout Zootopia very quickly, however, he is going to keep the media on a need to know basis relating to the entire ordeal until we are ready to say anything to them. As in the two of us agreeing on what to say, if we don't want to say anything at all, that's cool too.

Judy raised her upper body from the repost of her seat and her ears shot up as he heard that. Sha sked for confirmation:

- The two of us, as in… you and me?

Nick nodded once and confirmed what he said before:

- We both made the arrest, officially speaking. If the reporters begin making any questions we have to both be down with answering them.

Judy thought for a bit about that, her eyes deviating far to the left and into the blank void of the wall, it took a little while for that new bit of information to hit her but it made sense that they would have to prepare for the questions of reporters wishing to spread the news about the hits on the eateries around Zootopia and about the arrest of the criminals responsible for it, it made even more sense that, whatever Nick and her wanted to say, they should agree to say it together. Judy adjusted her legs over the seat, tucking in her right leg while her left one kept hanging over the edge of the seat, she turned to Nick and asked for his honest opinion:

- What do you think we should say to the reporters, slick?

Nick placed his right paw on the back of his head and gave it a slow scratch as he took the time to think it over and answer her, taking a small pause among the first words of his answer:

- I'm not really sure of that myself actually. Maybe you should take the time to come up with some lines so you can be prepared to tell the reporters when they come banging at the precinct door.

Judy placed her head back on the repost of the couch, she was far more confident in her skills to speak with the media but it still left her a little nervous, she had the sinking feeling that she would feel sick if there were to be any food in her stomach. Nick approached Judy a little more, he raised his right leg and leaned his body back until he was comfortably seated on the couch, little more than one cushion away from Judy. The bunny was somewhat intrigued by Nick's suggestion to have a few words ready for the questions that might come in the future, she tucked both of her legs and now her body was completely placed over the couch, she turned her entire body to the left so that she would be facing Nick but she did not remove her head or her back from the cozy comfort of the repost. With her body repositioned and her sense of comfort unchanged, Judy directed her eyes back at Nick and asked:

- What do you have in mind for preparations?

Nick reached into his pocket to grab his cellphone and answered with a wide smile while saying:

- Easy, we practice. I'll get a question ready for you and you'll give me your best answer.

Judy took a deep breath through her nose and said:

- Sounds good, slick. Let me hear it.

Nick held on to his cellphone in his right paw and treated it like it was a microphone or a professional recording device for an interview, he did not turn the screen or any application on as he placed the device close to his mouth and spoke up with a new turn of voice that would make him sound like he was stepping into the shoes of a professional reporter. With his new temporary role stablished, Nick asked:

- Officer Hopps, Nick Wilde, Zootopia Gazette. You are a badass bunny cop who just put four dangerous low-lives behind bars, you also have a handsome fox officer as your partner. Do you have any comments?

Nick directed the 'microphone' at Judy once his performance related inquiry was put out but all that she placed as a response was placing both of her paws in front of her face and letting her ears down on the back of her head. Contrary to what it might look like, Judy was not hiding her face to groan with embarrassment or grunt with anger, from the way her shoulders were bouncing up and down it was easy to see that she was actually laughing. Judy slowly revealed her face once more, passing the palms of her paws and moving them to the sides of her head, she opened her eyes to look at Nick and say with a smirk that communicated that she was glad but also a little annoyed:

- I sincerely cannot take you serious right now.

Nick placed his cellphone close to his mouth once more as he spoke up, refusing to drop his character traits just yet:

- I resent that! I am a very serious reporter from a very serious newspaper.

Judy retreated from Nick's smug look but she did not unmake her smile. Nick placed his cellphone down as he believed that one good laugh like that out of Judy was enough for the time being. Judy relaxed her body over the couch but Nick did not stay still for long as he raised from the couch and began walking around as he began to speak again:

- I just got back from precinct one and I'm gonna have to go out again to get some other things sorted out. Doctor Pura will no doubt want for us to debrief her on what happened last night. I doubt she is not going to want to have a look at the stuff in the canister that we confiscated

Judy leaned her head in Nick's direction and said:

- That's a given at this point.

Nick turned his body around as he began walking in another direction, he imagined how the resto of their day would pan out and he could feel his own tension growing while the list of tasks inside his mind grew exponentially. There would be reports to fill, files to rearrange, entirely new rows of evidence to transport around the precinct and he could already feel the strain over his body, before the fox realized it he was pacing around the bunny's apartment and letting his heavy steps over the living room carpet disrupt her peace and tranquility. Judy was doing her best to relax, she wanted to enjoy as much rest as she could with Nick by her side until it came the time for them to go to precinct one but she could feel the strange energy emanating from Nick as his levels of stress became apparent, his stance as he walked around communicated perfectly how anxious he was becoming and that was really not like him.

Judy raised her upper body from the couch repost, she looked at Nick and showed him the palm of her left paw as she said:

- Nick, take a second to breathe and rest. We can relax before the time for work comes around again.

Nick directed his eyes at her and made a simple gesture with his right paw as it made a small and slow moving arch in the air, he spoke up while trying to keep a controlled volume and tone to his voice:

- There's still so much left to do, carrots. You always say that the sooner we can get work out of the way, the sooner we can get to enjoy some time of leisure.

Judy closed her mouth and moved her eyes slightly to the right as she answered to those words:

- That's not… exactly how I say it, but you need to slow down.

Nick turned to Judy with a bounce to his step that was very unnerving to her, Nick was excited all over again, the energy coming out of him changed from one side of the spectrum to the other in a second as he showed his open arm and said:

- I can't slow down now, fluff. Ever since last night's arrest, I have been bouncing up and down the walls of my apartment looking for something to do and make our task easier. Staying still at home didn't seem very productive to e so I just… took off to check on things.

Nick's voice was controlled in volume, but some of his words came out with increased speed of pronounce and intonation. Judy raised from the couch, her feet were now touching the floor as she walked slowly towards Nick, she raised both of her paws and made a slow gestured as she lowered them and raised them in a sort of waving motion, she looked at Nick while processing silently inside of her mind every detail about the fox's presence in her apartment and all of the things that he just said. His stance, his steps, the look in his eyes, once Judy had studied every detail of Nick much closer and attentively, she noticed that he looked tired but was not showing any physical signs of slowing down. With a voice of concern and now placed much closer to her partner, Judy looked at him and asked:

- Nick. Have you slept since last night? At all?

Nick lowered his arms and raised his ears, his fingers fumbled around on each of his paws as he answered right away:

- Well… no, I haven't. After we took those robbers out and climbed on to the roof to grab our stuff, I dropped you off, ran home to get a shower, change clothes and walked off again to check on the other precincts.

Judy had her ears raised up in surprise after hearing that, no wonder the fox looked and sounded so differently than usual, according to his words, he didn't have a moment's rest after all of the exhilaration from the past night that ran all the way through the morning. Judy leaned in Nick's direction, her eyes sparking up with worry and her paws slowly reaching in his direction as she said:

- Nick, you got to get some rest. Depraving yourself of sleep in any dose is really not healthy.

Nick shrugged that off as he laughed a single time, waved his right paw in a horizontal fashion from left to right and said:

- I don't feel like sleeping, carrots. I have been going strong since the sun rose up and I feel great. I have been going on at full steam while filled by energy drinks and that sweet adrenaline. I feel like I can't get enough of it.

Judy walked one step closer to Nick, she knew what it was like to have so much energy stored up at once, what was like to drive on at full speed and still have so much to do that it felt like slowing down and breathe was an unlikely possibility. Judy tried to further reason with Nick, she placed her paws over his left arm and her sudden touch caused a little bit of surprise in Nick, he looked at her and at her face, staring at him with what would look like a blank expression but with her eyes conveying so much more than anything else. Judy tugged on Nick's arm without pulling on his fur as she did so, she nudged her head in the direction of the couch and telling him:

- Come. You need to rest.

Nick had a slower breathing to him after hearing that, the tasks cluttering his thoughts gave room to Judy and her sweet voice, asking of him to just stop moving for a moment and take a break. Nick tried fighting it by just looking her way, taking a short breath and saying:

- I don't really feel like resting, carrots.

Judy looked straight into his eyes and spoke again, her voice was not harsh or commanding, she spoke with the same volume as before while putting a little more emphasis on how really concerned she was with Nick. Judy kept tugging on Nick's arm while she said:

- Nick, you need to rest.

Nick, became silent, his body continued to move, being gently guided by Judy pulling on him while she was softly placing her paws around his wrist for better leverage, as she walked closer to the couch and the fox kept his eyes on her. Judy hopped up and placed her bottom over the center cushion of the couch, she did not let go of Nick as she continued to pull on him, Nick did not feel any discomfort or pain from Judy's pull but that was very strange for him to experience. Once Nick was close enough to the couch and was prime for seating on the cushion to her immediate left, Judy let go of his wrist and let him sit down, he adjusted his back and his tail to get a little more comfort as he finally sat down, he did not even know how tired his body was until he finally took a moment to think on it.

Nick let out a long dose of air from his mouth, his shoulders clicked, his knees gave away and his paws lowered over the seat, he closed his eyes and let his ears down over his head, Judy was close to him as she placed her right paw over his chest as to make sure that his heartrate and breathing would slow down and that he would not attempt to get up from the couch any time soon. With Judy by his side and his body getting used to that sensation of coziness, Nick let another fresh bit of air into his lungs before he spoke up:

- Damn…

Judy raised her ears as she felt like he was about to say something important right there, Nick closed his eyes and continued by saying:

- I keep forgetting how soft this couch is.

Judy let out a sigh and smiled, she relaxed alongside Nick by tucking her legs in and leaning her body over his right arm, she didn't mind his company at all at that moment and the direct contact with his body just made that entire moment much more enjoyable. Nick moved his eyes from left to right as he took a survey of the room around him, he still felt some remnant of franticness inside his chest but he was quickly reminded to take it easy thanks to the warmness deriding from Judy placed herself gently by his side. It felt that their roles had been reversed for a moment with Judy being the laid back one while Nick was the one stressing over doing a good job right away, it brought a little smile to his face before he placed his head back over the repost behind him and tried to let all of the things that still worried him melt away.

Nick leaned his head to the right, seeing Judy placed next to him like that, with her eyes slowly closing and her face showing a satisfied smile, sort of reminded him about the one day a long while ago when they rode together, she was hurt as they rode to the hospital and he thought that the adventure would have been over once the parted ways, he thought how great it was how that was not the case. Nick nudged his body over the seat to get himself straightened out over the cushion and that made Judy pull herself away from him, thinking that something was wrong, she looked at him with her right paw over his arm and asked:

- Oh… is something wrong?

Nick looked at her and answered with a voice of reassurance:

- No. This is fine. Just placing my tail over the seat a little better.

Nick stopped moving as soon as he found the nicest seat position that he was looking for, he raised his left arm and placed it behind his head as he let out a short sigh and said:

- This is actually really nice. I guess I really needed to rest for a bit.

- Told you so.

Judy said that with a low volume to her voice that communicated how she was more glad than smug about how Nick finally managed to slow down, she poked Nick's chest with a finger of her right paw, Nick did not think that her poke would bother him that much but it ended up bringing a sudden pinch of discomfort to his torso, he placed the palm of his right paw over his belly and moved it up and down over the fabric of his shirt, the kick he received from one of the robbers was just then starting to hurt, he took one long breath to try measuring the expense of the damage done to him but it did not feel that bad. Judy kept looking over Nick while still placed over her portion of the couch, her eyes still had some concern directed at him and he noticed that. The fox looked at Judy and said:

- That deer I tangled with last night wasn't very strong but he was actually really fast. Bucked me down square in the gut.

Judy was reminded that the viciousness of the fight could have affected Nick more than he had previously realized, she tried to offer him some support as she asked:

- Do you need some ice? Maybe some water?

Nick smiled and waved his left paw at her before answering:

- I'll be fine, fluff. Honest. He didn't hit me that hard and he missed my ribs, plus, I did get him back for it.

Judy closed her eyes and let out a short breath of air after hearing that, she opened her eyes shortly after and spoke up as she recalled every detail about their victory:

- You were incredible.

Nick showed a toothy grin before looking at Judy with what began as a mere side glance before evolving into a direct stare followed by a quick gesture of his left paw as he said:

- *You* were incredible.

Judy took that complement in stride, she moved her legs over the seat as she scooched only a couple of inches to the right, giving Nick and herself more space to move over the couch. Nick adjusted his shoulders a little bit before staying still over his seat, Judy decided to try leaning close to him once more and placing her head on the side of his right arm, she did not close her eyes all the way that time and she also did not place her paws over Nick's torso. Judy took a little bit of air into her chest as she recalled the one point of the night that demonstrated how quick to thought Nick was and how efficient he could be in a battle scenario, she pointed at him with her left paw without putting a lot of pressure on her own words as she said:

- You were the one with the quick thinking. At that moment, when that puma was coming right at us and my shooter was jammed, you took the initiative to extract the dart and use it yourself.

Nick had his eyes opened wide and the fur on his tail sparking up as he recalled that, the fox placed his right paw on his neck as he said:

- Oh, crap! I'm so sorry about your shooter, carrots! You had so much work getting it all custom made for yourself and I just tore it apart like it was a piece of plastic.

Nick sounded very upset and he showed a lot of regret in his eyes for breaking Judy's sidearm, she did not look too saddened about that. Judy showed the palms of her paws without moving her arms too forcefully in Nick's direction as she said:

- Nick, calm down, it's alright. I can always get another sidearm for myself. What you did last night saved us. You just keep finding new ways of surprising me with your sharp mind.

Nick returned the compliment as he said:

- Well… you keep finding new ways of surprising me with how limber you are in a fight. That flying kick you performed was something straight out of a fighting game. Do you think you can teach me how to do that?

Judy smiled and answered with a brimful look in her eyes:

- Sure, if you think you can keep up with me.

Nick released a laugh and said:

- Oh, you know I can keep up, fluff.

Nick pointed a finger at Judy as he showed her smile, he returned to reposting on the couch after getting his point across and feeling very with the fact that Judy was not mad at him for breaking her tranq shooter. Nick kept himself seated and at ease next to Judy, there was a nice silence taking hold of the apartment and it really felt like they could both relax without losing too much of the day on that. Judy decided to break the silence, she spoke up without talking too loud, blurting out a comment without expecting an actual answer from her friend as she said:

- I had a lot of fun yesterday, before we had to go arrest the thieves. Camping out on the rooftops was actually very enjoyable.

Nick let out a puff of air through his nose before he said:

- I stored the camping gear we used back in its regular spot. It'll all be there, ready for use, if we ever need it one day.

Judy though on that and she made a sudden decision on that, she just wanted so much to experience what it would be like to go on a camping outing with Nick without the urgency of a police assignment, that was something that sounded so appealing to her. Without thinking any more than she already had on it, Judy just blurted out:

- We should do that.

Nick turned his head to the right to look at her, just about seeing the top of her head as he did so. He raised his ears and asked:

- Do what?

Judy turned her face up to look at Nick and she also leaned her body away from him to place herself straight and show that she was actually serious as she suggested:

- We should go camping someday. We keep the gear stored and grab it to use again once we have the time saved up to go camping.

Nick showed a smile that looked a little awkward, he wasn't sure where that suggestion was suddenly coming from. He pointed the thumb of his left paw away in the general direction of the window and said:

- Well… we would have to scout out for a rooftop that would be free for us to…

Judy made a dismissive gesture with both of her paws as she added to her previous line of though by saying:

- I'm not talking about a roof in Zootopia. I'm talking about an actual camp site, some place out of town.

Nick was definitely not expecting that from her, but the idea of hanging out with Judy in a more nature oriented environment sounded actually fun for him, the one taste that he ever had of a true wild setting was of the Rainforest district and he could bet that not even that would get close to a true, all natural, landscape. The prospect of leaving Zootopia behind for a short period of time and enjoy the peaceful yet challenge embrace of a camping trip filled Nick with excitement, he was almost giddy, he was rarely giddy. It was hard for Nick to hide the excited smile on his face that almost evolved into a laugh, Judy heard the sound of air escaping through his mouth and looked his way to witness the fox holding on to his lips with both paws, she leaned closer and asked:

- What is it?

Nick directed his eyes at Judy, he tried to play it cool while answering her question as to not reveal to her right away how eager he actually was:

- Well… it's just that… now, don't get me wrong, carrots.

It was easy to see that Nick was procrastinating with his answer, although Jud was not certain why. Nick took another bit of air and let lose an excuse that would sound better for him:

- You are great and tough, I don't even need to say that much, and camping out for real with you sounds like one hell of a good time, but I can't really imagine you in the wild, actually 'roughing it' to survive.

Judy sounded a loud gasp before speaking in clear protest of Nick's words:

- I'll have you know, mister fox, that I can be resourceful and cunning while placed on a 'no commodities' type of environment.

Nick raised a brow and asked:

- Is that a fact?

Judy pointed a finger of her right paw at her own chest before answering:

- I'm a country bunny, Nick. I was roughing it before it was cool.

Nick looked up on to the ceiling before looking back at Judy and saying:

- I'm pretty sure roughing it was always cool and mammals just forgot about it.

Judy adjusted her body over her seat on the couch once more, this time she was leaning herself away from Nick and placing her body over the repost cushion next to her, she placed her left arm over her thighs and let her right arm rest while her legs untucked and were placed over her seat. Nick did not change his seating composure but he was starting to feel a little hungry at that time, his thoughts floated in the direction of the kitchen and to the possibility of a nice breakfast, if Judy were to allow him to handle her kitchen utensils. Nick turned to look at Judy, she was preoccupied with looking at another direction but she heard his entire bod hastily shifting itself over the couch, Nick took a quick breath and asked of her:

- Hey, do you know what would be really great right now?

Judy slowly turned her head to the left to check on Nick and say:

- No. What would that be?

Nick answered her with a decisive gesture of his paws as he pointed at the kitchen and said:

- Pancakes. Pancakes and orange juice.

Judy had her ears placed in parallel to one another as she heard that answer, a well prepared breakfast sounded very appealing to her and she was clearly on board with it but one detail bothered her on that. Judy raised her paw to halt Nick's train of thought as she said:

- Oh, Nick, I don't have any pancake batter.

Nick raised from the couch and said:

- No worries, we'll just make our own.

Nick made a waving gesture with his right paw, asking Judy to follow him to the kitchen, the fox had already figured stuff out in his mind, he only had to pick the ingredients and mix it all together. Nick quickly placed himself in the kitchen area and waited for Judy to catch up to him, she arrived only a couple of seconds later to be placed by his side and he asked her with the full intent of getting his paws busy:

- I don't suppose you have an apron I can borrow real quick?

Judy reached to a small vertical locker and grabbed a cloth that was neatly folded into a square, with a quick vertical fling of her wrist Judy revealed a simple white apron that showed no signs of tear of stains. It really looked like it was rarely used at all, either that or Judy was just very careful to not spill anything on it while cooking. Nick placed the central lace over his head and let it fall until he could feel it touching the back of his neck, he reached for the flexible ends of each strap and tied it behind his back with a simple knot, the apron was very small, it did not fit over Nick's entire chest and his shoulders were very exposed but it still fit him and it would do nicely for the task. Nick turned over to Judy and she smiled after seeing how unevenly the apron fitted his figure, he tried his best to adjust it around before asking:

- Let's get to it. Do you have any flour? Some east and salt can make it good too.

Judy pointed down and answered:

- Bottom door, left side. East is on the top drawer

Nick followed the simplified directions and found just what he was looking for, a big bag of flour that was closed by a piece of string firmly tied around its mouth, he grabbed the bag tying his left arm around it as to safely hoist upwards to the kitchen counter, as well as a medium sized plastic bowl that was going to be just perfect to mix up the ingredients. Nick let the flour and the bowl rest up over the counter, he turned over to Judy who was still standing still at his right side and asked of her:

- Milk? Eggs?

Judy pointed to a spot behind Nick and answered:

- Fridge. I'll grab the sugar.

Nick nodded and proceeded to open the fridge door so that he could retrieve a carton of fresh milk and some eggs. Judy stretched herself as much as she, placing herself at the tip of her toes, so she could pick up a cylindrical plastic container where she kept the sugar, she gave so much effort to reach the container up on the shelf that she felt victorious after grabbing it, she also released a little sigh and questioned her own judgment for placing it so high up. Nick turned to Judy once more while still having the milk and the eggs in his reach to call to her attention and ask:

- Any sign of an eggbeater anywhere?

Judy opened a drawer next to her and found an assortment of measuring cups, spoons, knives and other kitchen tools, she roamed around and picked the set of measuring cups she spotted right away as soon as she opened the drawer as well as the requested eggbeater which was placed at the very back of the drawer. Judy handed over the tool to Nick who promptly picked it up and paced over the counter alongside the rest of the things he had gathered in order to begin cooking. With everything in place, the fox decided to start right away.

Nick started out by placing flour into the bowl, he made sure that the quantity of flour to prepare the batter was just right by slightly tapping the palms of his paws over the flour mound until it was placed nicely and even inside the bowl, he did not even bother with the fact that the fur on his paws was now covered in flour. The fox proceeded to pour milk straight from the carton into the flour, he did not use any measuring cups and merely took a guess on how much liquid was necessary to prep the mixture, Judy figured that he had everything well under control on his side and decided to start preparing some orange juice. Judy grabbed some oranges that were stored and well visible on a fruit drawer at the very edge of the kitchen, she placed about seven oranges inside the sink and went on to grab the juicer.

Nick could hear Judy moving around and getting right ahead to preparing the second part of the breakfast, he only tossed the idea about preparing some food for themselves into the air but he was very glad to see that she was on board. With the milk and the flour already mixing nicely, Nick figured that it was time to toss some more ingredients into the mix, he grabbed a single egg with his right paw, held it between his pointing finger and his thumb, tapped the shell lightly against the edge of the bowl and certified that it was ready to be cracked open, with a face that showed an extreme level of concentration, Nick split the shell with both of his paws and dropped the contents egg into the bowl, he proceeded to grab another egg and do the exact same thing soon after.

Judy had her focus split between the task she had given herself and the fox moving around in her kitchen, she had no problem with Nick tinkering about with the ingredients and she had no doubts that he was very much capable of cooking for himself, it was just so interesting to her seeing Nick like that. Aside from a few melodious humming that correlated to a song she did not recognized, Nick was silent for most of the time, he kept adding ingredients, checking tools, measuring doses, he was in a zone all of his own and every one of his actions kept calling to Judy's attention. It was unusual for her to have someone else cooking and helping her out but she absolutely enjoyed having the fox around and she appreciated the fact that he looked far more relaxed and his thoughts appeared more focused on the present than before.

Spent some more time in the kitchen, Judy had already washed and cut the oranges to press them down on to the juicer while Nick was mixing up the batter into the bowl with methodical circular motions of his right wrist as he guided the mixing tool around with care as to not spill any of the batter around but with just enough strength as to not let the mix simmer and become rubbery. Nick and Judy moved around inside the kitchen as if they had cooked together many times already, they exchanged utensils, passed ingredients down to each other and managed to organized everything with the minimal amount of effort. While Nick was carefully placing the readied batter on a frying pan and tossing the done treats on the plates, Judy was placing the juice on a pitcher and readying the table with two seats so they could enjoy the meal together once it was done, she admitted in silence that the pancakes prepared by her friend smelled very nice and she was already anticipating taking the first bite.

Nick had prepared two full stacks of pancakes, five for him and five for Judy, their circumference was not very big but they were more than enough for a great meal, he brought the breakfast treats to the table right after he placed the used utensils in the sink to wash them, Judy asked of Nick to leave it there so that she could wash it all later but Nick insisted on cleaning everything that he used to help her out. Judy didn't argue with Nick as he turned the water on the sink and began washing the bowl and the beater, she figured it was one of those chivalrous moments that her mother warned her some males were known for. After the table was set and everything was sorted out, Judy sat down and Nick followed soon, right after he took the apron he was wearing off and folded it to store away later, he pulled up a chair for himself that was placed at the opposite end of the table from where Judy was seated and began digging into the pancakes with great satisfaction.

After Nick sat down and started eating right away, Judy took her time to pour herself a glass of juice and drag the chair closer to the table, she grabbed fork and knife to begin cutting off a small piece of food for herself, she used her fork and brought a bite to her mouth and was wonderfully surprised after getting a taste. Judy grasped the fork and the knife with her paws, her eyes opened wide and showed a spark of wonder, her cotton tail wagged from side to side frenetically and she sounded off a short hum as soon as she assimilated the feeling of the scrap of food on her teeth. Nick noticed how Judy sounded and the way she suddenly froze over the seat, he stopped eating, looked at her and asked while leaning slightly over the table:

- Too much sugar or not enough butter?

Judy swallowed the bite she just had and answered with delight in her voice:

- It's delicious! It's so sweet and puffy. This is amazing!

Judy proceeded to cut another piece and she could not wait to continue savoring that meal. After getting a fresh new bite to go down her throat, Judy looked at Nick and said:

- Nick, you are a wizard in the kitchen.

Nick showed a little smile before turning his eyes to the plate in front of him, he was not sure how to handle that complement from Judy, he already knew that he knew how to cook and make a fulfilling meal but he did not know if his friend would enjoy it that much. Nick tried to shrug the complement off without sounding conceded bout it as he said:

- I used to help my mom cook a lot, plus I had to figure some things out alone for a good portion of my life. It's nothing too great.

Judy swallowed another bite and said:

- Well, I think it's great, I might just eat these every day if I could.

Nick showed a smile that could be seen as bashful as he lowered his ears and looked to another direction after hearing those words. After they were done with eating, Judy sat still and with a satisfied smile on her face as she happily passed both of her paws over her belly, she released a sigh as she closed her eyes for a moment and spoke up with a calm tone of voice:

- I really needed this.

- I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Nick said so as he slowly rose from his chair and began walking over to the living room, Judy accompanied him with her eyes and saw as the fox was pointing his body in the direction of the front door, she called to his attention and asked:

- Are you… leaving already?

Nick turned around to face Judy, he pointed his left thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the front door and said:

- Yeah, I'm gonna head on back home, get myself some good hours of rest. I'm set to meet Finnick so we can share a quick word, he's turning over a new gig as he heads off to Sahara Square later today, then I'm heading off to the ZPD again.

Nick lowered his paw and kept his eyes on Judy, the bunny got down from her seat and walked only two steps in his direction, she stayed silent. Nick took a quick breath before he asked:

- See you there?

Judy nodded her head before answering:

- Of course. I'll be there.

Nick took that as his cue to leave, he waved his right paw at Judy before exiting through the door. Judy felt satisfied, she had a wonderful morning and she was looking forward to getting back to work later that day, she tossed herself on the couch, laying over her left side and looking at the television, she grabbed a lose cushion that was left near her and embraced it as she got cozy, she wished for Nick to remain there with her a little more, it was always nice to be with him but she didn't want to held him back, he really needed to rest up on his own bed before heading off to work.

The hours passed and the afternoon rolled by as Nick and Judy had completely different mornings separate from each other, the fox joined his small comrade so that they could talk about what had happened on the night before, Nick told about the epic battle without exaggerating on any of the details, they shared a soda and a few laughs before the stablished time had come for Nick to put on his uniform and head off to precinct one. As for Judy, she spent most of her time relaxing at her couch, checking her phone for any other shred of news relating to the robberies and making sure that she would be ready and alert once the time came to get back to the ZPD.

Nick and Judy arrived at the ZPD around the same time, they met up at the base of the stairs leading up to the front doors and decided to go inside together, there was a big surprise waiting for them on the inside. As soon as they entered through the front doors, Benjamin saw them and gave out the signal of their arrival, Wolford, Delgato, Fangmeyer, along with a few other officers came around to receive Nick and Judy with a quick round of applause, Fangmeyer was the first to approach them and say:

- You two are already making splashes on the scene. Great job last night.

Judy looked at her colleague and thanked her for the kind words along with everyone else:

- Thanks, you guys.

Nick was a little taken aback by that, Delgato and Wolford came close right next to one another to give Nick a few pats on the back and tell that he was by far the most dedicated rookie they ever had in the precinct. Nick and Judy heard chief Bogo's voice, calling out to them from a far:

- Hopps. Wilde.

Their ears turned to the sound of the thunderous voice that eclipsed all others in the lobby, their eyes followed soon after and they saw as the buffalo was standing near the hall at the right side with his arms crossed and asking of them:

- Are you two done receiving your accolades yet?

Nick turned to Judy, moving his eyes around before asking out loud:

- Are we?

Judy walked a single step in Nick's direction, nodded her head once and answered him:

- We are.

After exchanging looks and smiles, Nick took his eyes away from Judy and directed his attention at the chief as he said:

- It would appear that we are, chief.

Bogo nodded his head and kept his arms crossed as he called on to Judy:

- Hopps, I'm going to need you in my office for a bit. We have to talk about your stake out and about what you discovered. Wilde already gave me a quick description but I have to fill another form before making sure it is safe for this story to hit the presses.

Judy nodded and began to slowly walk in the direction of the buffalo, she turned her head around to the left to make sure if Nick would be following her, he was indeed walking right behind her and they took off with matching speeds in the direction of the chief's office. Bogo was still standing by the same spot and he noticed the fox coming closer alongside Judy, he uncrossed his arms and revealed that his left paw was holding on to a small filing folder which was previously completely concealed by his right biceps, he presented the item to Nick and said:

- Wilde, I'll need you to take a quick copy of this and file the original in our archives, if you have any doubts just check it with Grizzolli, he can point you in the right direction.

Nick was a tad hesitant to take the file from the buffalo's paws but he already knew that such tasks were a common part of the ZPD routine, since other precincts were involved during the investigation and the apprehension of the suspects it was necessary to keep registers and documents in order for later reference. Nick took the file and confirmed that he would get right on his assigned task by giving the chief a quick salute with his right paw, he turned his eyes over to Judy and spoke up:

- See you in a bit, carrots.

Judy waved her left paw and answered to that:

- See you, slick.

Judy saw as Nick took off in the direction of the west corridor, as soon as he was out of sight, she turned around to look at chief Bogo. Judy walked right behind chief Bogo and the buffalo opened the door of his office for her as soon as they arrived, to Judy's surprise there was someone else present inside the office. Seated on a chair in the office there was a well-dressed zebra waiting for the two mammals to come inside so that he could get up and salute them.

The zebra was only a little shorter than Bogo in terms of height, the suit in which he was dressed was very well designed and it was colored in a dark blue hue that could be seen in nice contrast with the black and white coloration of his fur, his mane was short and bristled slightly as he moved around same as his tail which was trimmed neatly so he could move around nicely while suited. The zebra raised from the chair and turned his entire body to the direction of the door to receive them with a cordial tone of voice:

- Hello, officer Hopps. It is always a pleasure.

Judy had her ears raised as she heard that familiar voice, her eyes moved upward to look at the owner of the voice and she smiled before saying:

- Mayor Zeinheart, you're here.

The mayor made a gesture with his arms as he pointed to his entire body to silently and enthusiastically announce his presence in that office. Bogo walked through the door and spoke up as soon as it was closed behind him:

- The mayor came through just this morning, looking for some answers about what had happened. I told him that he should be asking you about the details. He also didn't want to make a scene so he came without a big security detail accompanying him.

Judy turned her head to face the mayor again as he said:

- Chief Bogo has been keeping me in the loop about any outrageous happenings around the city. He told me that four dangerous malcontents and an illicit substance that can freeze glass are now in the ZPD custody. According to our good chief here, you are the one I should extend congratulations for the arrest.

Judy gave one step back and gestured with her two paws in a quick and dismissive way as she said:

- Not all of the credit should go to me, mister Mayor. My partner, Nick Wilde, did so much and it was thanks to him that the stake out was such a success.

The mayor searched in his memory until the name popped suddenly and was related to a face, he turned back to Judy and asked:

- Wilde… the fox that you honored at the graduation ceremony.

Judy nodded her head positively and answered:

- He's my partner. He provided the stake out location, supplies and support as we took the criminals down. Without him there would have been no stake out, there would've been no arrest.

Mayor Zeinheart had his ears raised as he heard that, he looked around the room and asked while his face was turned towards the door, his body leaning slightly to the left to get a look at the door behind her and ask of her:

- And where is officer Wilde? Sounds like he should be here right now getting some praise himself.

Judy took a quick look at the door leading out of the office and answered while pointing her right paw at it:

- He's filing a few copies of the documents that will lead to the full arrest of the apprehended criminals. I can call for him if you…

Zeinheart moved his paws around as he spoke up, he did not mean to interrupt Judy as he said:

- That won't be necessary. I only stopped by to personally get briefed on this whole window shattering affair. I'll be heading off back to city hall in a matter of minutes.

The mayor was already on his way out as he walked past Judy and reached for the door knob, however, he turned his body around to say a few last words before leaving:

- Keep up the great work, it feels like Zootopia will soon become a far safer place to live thanks to officers like you and mister Wilde.

Judy stood at attention and answered to that as she nodded and said:

- We shall stride for our best, sir.

The mayor gave a single positive nod with his head before stepping out and leaving. With the door closed once more, Judy and chief Bogo were left alone in the office and the buffalo went right to the point as he asked:

- I do recall giving you and Wilde the permission to stake the restaurant that was most likely to be hit by the robbers. However, do you recall me saying anything about engaging the robbers without the proper back up?

Judy placed her paws together before she took in a bit of air and answered while looking straight at Bogo:

- Sir, Nick and I planned to only delay the thieves as the requested back up arrived but the thieves did not make it any easier for us. One of them tried to escape while the other two threw one attack after another at us. It is a good thing we went in prepared. I'm really glad we came on top after that encounter.

Bogo released a sigh, he was not being aggressive as he questioned Judy but he had a lot of concern related to the way she and Nick decided to act. He pointed his hoof over to the desk frame as he spoke with emphasis:

- Your partner doesn't even have a tranquilizer gun of his own, Hopps.

Judy showed the palms of her paws and pointed both of them at the door as she answered to that:

- I requested a single dart shooter for Nick to use in case he needed it, I cleared all of the documentation at the equipment counter. It was actually very useful.

Bogo placed both of his paws over the frame of his desk while Judy continued to speak, she decided to deliver a bit of bad news from what happened during the fight with the criminals:

- Unfortunately, my own shooter was broken during the fight, the dart got stuck in the chamber and Nick had to disassemble it to use the ammunition.

Bogo released a sigh and said:

- I see. Is there any way you can fix it?

Judy thought back on how Nick separated the pieces of the shooter, it was scattered apart and she managed to collect every single part she could find after the arrest was concluded, there might be hope for her to see her sidearm in one piece again. Judy looked at the chief and answered him:

- I believe so sir.

- Good.

Bogo looked over his desk and his paws roamed around as he looked for something, he pulled out a single piece of paper and spoke up while having his eyes over the printed document:

- There will be a brand new shipment of parts coming by tomorrow, a lucky break for you, Hopps. You can feel free to put on a new request to have your shooter repaired, this should be a quick one, make sure Wilde gets one of his own as well.

Judy nodded to the chief, showing that she understood perfectly what was asked of her, she had already given Nick the filled out forms for him to request a shooter of his own so there would be no need to stress over documentation later. Bogo placed the document that was in his paws aside and turned his sight back to Judy as he continued speaking:

- The four culprits are enjoying a nice little stay at precinct's two jail, their cells are much bigger than the ones we have here in our lock up. The thieves and their confiscated belongings will be transferred to our custody shortly, it will give us a chance to extract information from them, maybe even find where they have stashed their loot.

Judy took a quick glance at the door before turning her eyes back to the chief, that quick move of her eyes showed that she was excited to leave and tell Nick everything that was communicated to her without leaving a single detail out but she was still paying attention to the chief and to everything that was still being laid out for her. Judy nodded without leaving her spot and said:

- I'll let Nick know about it sir.

- Very well, Hopps. You may go on your way.

Judy turned around and walked in the direction of the door, she hopped upwards to grab a hold of the knob but, before she could exit the office, Bogo called out to her one more time:

- Oh, Hopps.

Judy stopped her own exit, holding on to the recently opened door frame with her right paw as her body leaned to the left and her head turned to look at the chief, he nudged is head in her direction and said the last thing he wished to discuss with her:

- I have been very impressed with how you and Wilde have been performing as a team. More than the number of arrests, you two have been breaking the mold when it comes to police work.

Judy placed her left paw over her chest while her right paw pressed tightly over the door frame, her ears twitched for a fraction of a second before stopping still over her head, she kept her eyes over the chief as she said with a lot of appreciation in her voice for the unexpected compliment directed at Nick and at her:

- Thanks, chief. I really thought I had to show Nick the ropes for a whole lot longer but he came into work order very nicely on his own.

Bogo took a breath before saying:

- Doesn't change the fact that he is still a huge pain in my tail.

Judy nodded her head affirmatively before speaking without letting the smile on her face fade away:

- I know that, sir.

Bogo took another deep breath as his mind turned away from Nick and back to Judy, he renewed his stance over his seat and continued:

- At any case, you efforts are definitively worthy of commendation, if you keep that up there could be a promotion in your near future.

Judy was not ready to hear that, her body turned entirely around to face chief Bogo and her right paw nearly let go of the door, her tail wagged excitingly and the only words that could come out of her mouth after making an effort to not jump up with exhilaration were:

- A… promotion?

Bogo nodded and answered to that, noticing that Judy was really not expecting to hear that:

- I mentioned it to Zeinheart and he agrees with me, taking into consideration the time you put into patrol and investigations, you are a shoe-in for a promotion.

Judy let go of the door, she let the door close all the way and looked at the buffalo as she said:

- It was not all me, sir. Nick and Pura helped a lot during the whole deal.

- Yes, Hopps. I'm well aware of it.

Bogo spoke up, already aware that Judy did not like to take too much credit. The chief made a subtle sound as if he was clearing his throat and spoke again:

- Wilde is obnoxious but I can't deny that he is a clever one. You two have this strange blend of wisdom and recklessness that just seems to work very well.

Judy never thought that her dynamic with Nick could he put in words like that, she admitted silently by leaning her body slightly to the right and then placing it straight up once more that it was an interesting but accurate way of putting it. Bogo took in some air as he said:

- You are a great cop, Hopps, and you do a great job. You guide, you inspire, you take the time and you do what you are good at, you help out and you keep mammals safe.

Judy smile and took in a breath of pride as she said:

- It's the thing I love doing, sir.

- We all do, Hopps, that is why we are here. I started out as much the same, diving into my work and doing a huge splash on the scene, the trick to keep at it is to not let the work related part of your life take a hold of everything else.

Judy's smile downgraded as her face turned blank, Bogo always looked consumed by work but his words also sounded relatable. The chief turned his face down to the table in front of him and said:

- Go out there and do your work, Hopps, just keep it well in focus and make sure you don't let yourself get too dug up on it, there might be some trouble digging yourself out of it, I know it better than anyone.

Judy thought a little on it and nodded her head as she agreed with the chief, there was still a lot of work to be done and a lot of road to travel but she also knew that she could not let every bit of her work define her life, Bogo had the right idea on it. Judy reached for the door again and said farewell to the chief before exiting the office for sure and heading off to find Nick in their cubicle, the fox was carrying small stacks of papers back and forth, placing them over the work desk that he and Judy shared with their documents and computers. Judy arrived at the cubicle entrance and watched Nick working, figuring that he would notice her presence sooner or later, the fox turned with a quick glance and saw Judy, he skipped back and placed his right paw over his chest and said:

- Damn, carrots! Where did you come from?!

Judy opened her eyes wide and was also a little surprised by Nick's reaction, she showed both of her paws to him and said:

- I just came from the chief's office. I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I'm sorry.

Nick waved his left paw as he laughed and said:

- Nah, I'm alright. This back and forth was getting me sleepy and you just perked me up better than a shot of coffee.

Judy showed Nick her smile before coming into the cubicle and sitting over her work chair, she placed her arms down and watched as Nick grabbed one last stack of papers before sitting down on his chair, he did not even gave her a full minute of rest before he spoke something about the investigation that was nagging in his mind up until that point:

- I've already read most of these files that just came through from the incarceration of our four thieves, quite the picture for each of them.

- What do you mean?

Judy leaned her body forward over her seat as she asked that, Nick tossed four different spreadsheets over the desk as he pointed to each of them:

- The deer, computer technician before he was fired for stealing parts for himself so he could build a work of the line personal computer; The bull, assistant at a local college until he was accused of selling drugs to the students for a quick buck, he was kicked to the curb before any proves were brought up for the charges; The opossum, barista and professional driver until he was fired for harassment of all kinds towards his clientele.

Nick finished his supposed list before he took a long breath and spoke again:

- Each one of these guys had the grounds of a minor criminal, they could have been brought up on charges but they got tossed aside before anything else could have been brought on them and they just fell through the cracks. The files we were able to fish out on them only list minor offenses and it also says that they left Zootopia behind to start working somewhere else.

Judy nodded her head slowly before she said:

- They returned to get payback on Zootopia for treating them so poorly?

Judy sounded confused, she knew that her question most likely wouldn't have a positive answer but she was only covering the most likely possibility. Nick showed the pointing finger of his right paws as he swung it from side to side, giving Judy a solid negative as his left paw reached for another file that was left closed by an adhesive lock on its side, the fox looked straight at his partner as he said:

- That was the first thought that popped into my head as I read all of the files but something like that doesn't fit in this scenario. For one thing neither of them talked about seeking payback on their previous work environments and there was nothing connecting them before they returned to Zootopia.

Judy placed her left paw under her chin as she thought it over for a moment, she drew another conclusion as she completed her idea from before by saying:

- Something or someone brought them together to do all of these robberies.

Nick lowered his arms and nodded his head as he agreed with that idea but something bothered him about it and he said it out loud:

- That deer guy was smart enough to keep the others in check, the thought of someone smarter than him pulling the strings gives even my tail the shivers.

Judy looked at Nick and soon at all of the files placed over the desk, she looked at the fox again and asked of him:

- Wait, this is only three of them, what about the fourth?

Nick showed Judy the file that was sealed and he revealed to her that it was actually opened a while back, the adhesive lock had been cut off and the fox answered to her as he handed off the thick stack of papers brought together by an archiving binder. Judy picked the filed up from Nick's paws as she gently took the papers into her own and pressed her fingers firmly over it as to make sure that not one of them would fall, she opened it and there was a picture of the puma placed on the first page of the file along with a long list of felonies that Nick listed as Judy read up on it:

- He was the wildest card among them. We're talking pilfering, assault, grand theft, vandalism, general mayhem, the guy was incarcerated plenty of times going all the way back to juvenile hall. For all we know he only joined that group because he felt like causing some ruckus. I told you he was crazy.

Judy passed her eyes over the files and was near horrified by the things she had learned, the psychic evaluation of the puma showed that he was not only a short fuse but absolutely prone for ferocious outbursts. Judy closed the file and handed it off over to Nick, she revealed a small side smile as she corrected Nick by saying:

- I believe *I* was the one that said he was insane, not crazy and your exact words were: 'Then let's get him a nice padded cell somewhere.'

Nick opened his jaw but no sound came out of it as he saw Judy smiling and presenting him the file back, the fox grabbed the file, closed his jaw and said:

- It stills baffles me just how clever and attentive you are.

Judy leaned her head to the left and admitted to being just that great as she said:

- I do pride myself on my attention to detail.

Nick grabbed the remaining files and bundled them all together as he prepared to take them all to their proper place so the investigation could continue in other fronts by other officers. Judy rose from her chair and her feet touched the ground once more as she decided to stand up before telling Nick what had happened inside chief Bogo's office. Nick tapped the files over the desk frame to place all of the papers nice and neatly against one another, he did not turned over to Judy but he knew she was still very close by so he decided to ask right away:

- So, what did the chief want to talk about with you? Did he want to tell you something that we missed during the hit or something like that?

Judy stopped herself and was a little surprised to hear Nick asking out to her exactly what was in her mind, she adjusted her stance before answering:

- Nothing like that, I was just called to report the finer details that were left out.

Nick continued focusing on his organizing task but he could still hear Judy loud and clear as she spoke up while pointing at the direction she came from previously:

- I just had a quick word with the mayor, he stopped by for a quick visit.

Nick slowly turned around to face Judy while still holding the files in his paws, he looked at her and asked while showing his wide eyes:

- For real? The mayor was here?!

Nick did not increase the volume of his voice as he asked that, he was very surprised to hear that, sure, but he kept it cool as he asked that. Judy nodded her head before answering:

- He stopped by to congratulate us on the effort to stop the thieves, he didn't have an escort or anything of the sorts as to not call too much attention for himself.

Nick only thought about that for a full second before he leaned his head to the side and said:

- Makes sense.

Judy took a little moment in silence before she said:

- Chief Bogo told me that there might be a promotion in my future if our work routine keeps going like this.

Nick turned around with wide eyes of surprise, he gestured in Judy's direction with both paws as he said:

- Carrots, that's huge? You're getting a promotion?!

Nick didn't ask that too loudly, he didn't want other officers to hear that and make a ruckus before getting a sure confirmation from Judy. The bunny showed the palms of her paws and answered to that:

- Bogo brought the subject up but it is nothing definitive just yet.

Judy lowered her arms and placed her paws over her knees, her eyes deviated into the distance as she said:

- I often imagined what would it be like to receive a promotion in the precinct, I knew there was a possibility, I just never thought it could be brought up just like that.

Nick leaned closer and asked of her while having a smile on his face, he didn't sound forceful to know what was in her mind and he thought about being fully suportive if there was indeed the chance of Judy being promoted as an officer. Nick took in a quick breath of air through his nose and asked:

- Do you have any preferences on your promotion? Do you know what you might want to get involved with in the future?

Judy thought those were very good questions directed at her, she had put a lot of thought on her future as an officer of the ZPD, she had thought about it ever since shewas accepted into precicnt one, but her life had taken a few unexpected turns since then and she hadn't thought about that for a long time. Judy pressed her lips together and swallowed some air before she answered:

- Well... I did put a lot of thought about becoming a lieutenant. Maybe getting more experience in relating with other officers from other precincts, placing more items on the docket, assigning new cases for other officers. I imagined it could be a great way to advance as a law enforcer, it would be the most logical course to follow.

Nick nodded his head and spoke shortly after Judy finished with her words:

- 'Lieutenant Judy Hopps'. That does sound like quite the step up for you.

Judy didn't give that thought that Nick had aired out a lot of time to set in as she continued speaking:

- Although, what I really wish to do, is to become a detective. I could receive and tackle my own cases on my own time, develop sources and contacts, even have my own office. Can you imagine that?

Nick raised a brow and showed an immutable smile as he said:

- '*Detective* Judy Hopps'. Now that has quite the ring to it.

Judy showed the palms of her paws as she stopped Nick from saying anything else on that trail of thought, even if his supportive tone was very much apreciated, she looked at him with her ears slightly lowered over her head as she said:

- But, as i said, nothing about that is definitive or confirmed. I still have plenty of time to think about what my future at the ZPD holds.

Nick nodded his head slowly and spoe up confidently:

- I don't need to look too further ahead to know it's going to be grand.

Nick smiled and raised from his seat, figuratively putting a pin in that conversation, he turned around and started to walk off right after he spoke those few words that assured Judy how much confidence her partner had in her, once he was a few steps away but still within Judy's field of vision, he turned around and spoke up while having the pile of files held close to his chest:

- I'm gonna take these files to the records department, let them know we already got all of the information on these guys on lock. Do you need me to bring something here to keep the work going?

Judy thought on that for a bit but she simply decided that there was already enough information on the suspects and that they should focus on other things after all the data they had accumulated was compiled and ready to be archived separately. Judy shook her head slowly from left to right and answered:

- No, I think we're good to move it along. Thanks for the talk. It was nice.

Nick nodded his head a single time before giving a wink and answering to that:

- Anytime, fluff.

Before Judy could say anything else to him, Nick was already going on his way. After a whole hour in a work shift that moved quite slowly through the afternoon, Nick and Judy moved together towards doctor Pura's lab so that they could talk to her and give a more informed insight on what really happened, the panther was quite perplexed once she heard a live accounting on the true potency of the freezing agent responsible for shattering the display windows of the stores. The day of work at the ZPD moved slowly but it was nice and manageable for the two officers, Nick and Judy remained inside the precinct one building for the duration of the day, picking files, returning calls and making sure that they would be ready to speak with reporters by the chief's instructions.

The ending of their shift rolled around, it was time to head out. Nick was taking a quick once over at the showers before changing out of his uniform and heading out for the front doors, he actually brought a change of clothes with him and he was promptly ready to leave. Nick walked through the hallways of the ZPD until he entered the lobby and saw Judy leaned next to the front desk and talking something with Benjamin, she was not dressed in uniform and was wearing a long sleeved whine red shirt but both of the sleeves were folded until her elbows, the shirt was beautiful and made to fit her size nicely, the lower part of the shirt was not even tucked as most of her clothes usually were. She was also dressed in a pair of pants with a navy blue color the resembled her uniform but was clearly made of a different material upon closer inspection and was next to a plastic bag with unknown contents that was resting close to her on the floor.

Nick approached, his steps were short, he came closer to Judy and it did not take long for the bunny to perceive the sound of the fox's steps getting closer. Judy looked to the side as soon as her conversation with Benjamin was finished and waited for Nick as he stopped his walk next to her and asked:

- Hey there, you guys. How are you doing, Benjamin?

Benjamin leaned over the counter as he placed his elbows over the solid surface frame to support his chin on both of his paws and answer to his question while nudging his head in Judy's direction as he spoke up:

- Oh, I'm just fine. I'm just listening to Judy over here telling me how you make the most amazing pancakes.

Nick shook his head while showing a toothy grin, he turned over to Judy a few seconds later before saying:

- Wow, carrots. If you let the word spread by, soon enough everyone is going to want me to cook for them.

Judy gave a single step closer to Nick and gave his left arm a soft bump with her right paw, she didn't wish to make him stop what he was saying or dissuade him of some contrary idea, her sudden bump was friendly and called more to his attention as she positioned herself right alongside him and said:

- I'm just saying how much of a talented fox you are in the kitchen. Whenever you find new ways to surprise me like you did this morning, it gets me wondering what other talents you may have hidden under your sleeves.

Nick released a muffled laugh between his lips before he answered:

- Fluff, you can fill a whole book with all of my 'hidden talents'. However, you can always have a lot more fun discovering them for yourself.

Judy smiled and leaned her head to the left as she looked at Nick, what he just said called to her attention as it was true how much fun each of them had discovering new things about one another in any kind of situation, be it at a casual conversation or during high pressure encounters. Nick moved his eyes quickly over Judy, he decided to make a quick mention on her wardrobe choice, her clothes outside of the precinct were usually far less subtle, with a quick move of his right claw he pointed in her direction and spoke up like it was no big deal at all:

- You're looking mighty sharp today, fluff. Is that outfit brand new?

Judy took one look at herself and was a little surprised to hear those words from Nick, she hardly understood anything about fashion, Fru-fru was the one with better knowledge on that subject. Judy took a little breath of air through her lips before answering:

- These aren't actually my clothes. I think these belonged to one of my sisters and my parents sent it by mistake during the move. I barely noticed it this morning, I just grabbed the first thing I saw in my closet before heading off to work.

Nick scratched the left side of his muzzle before saying:

- Well, you picked a winner.

Judy looked away for a moment and released a small giggle that faded away quickly as she turned back to Nick and asked of him:

- Are you… heading out now?

Nick nodded his head and answered:

- Just about.

Judy pointed to the front doors and spoke up to that:

- I'm going too. Do you want to head out together?

Nick nodded again and answered promptly in the same tone as his previous answer:

- Sure thing.

The fox and the bunny started walking to the front doors with matching speeds, Nick was strutting about like a cool guy, having both of his paws resting in his pockets as he moved ahead and Judy hopped alongside him until she was positioned nicely over his right side, she did not match paces with Nick right away because she took a moment to wave goodbye to Benjamin for the day. Judy turned around while still walking in the direction of the front door and said:

- Until tomorrow, Benjamin.

Nick followed her lead as he turned his upper body in the same direction and showed the cheetah a two finger salute with his right aw before saying:

- See you later.

Benjamin answered to that with a simple paw gesture of his own, he waved goodbye for the pair and was delighted to see them walking together on their way out much like they did at the end of most days. As they were just outside and taking a nice stroll through the green park in front of the precinct before heading out on their respective ways, Nick noticed how much the movement had grown on that end of afternoon, the park was usually nearly empty but there were many groups of mammals gathered around as they walked together, talked, exchanged looks, most of them looked happy. Judy took a notice of the movement around her as well, her ears caught wind of the different voices and of the various subjects floating in the air around them, it was quite noisy to her sensitive ears and she wanted to reach a calmer spot on the square before talking to Nick.

There was a bench just ahead, no one was sitting on it and Nick stopped his walk just at the right side of the bench as he placed his left paw over the armrest, looked in Judy's direction and said:

- We didn't even go out on patrol today and I'm beat.

Judy stopped her walk and turned her ears to focus on Nick's voice, she looked at him and released a sigh before speaking to him:

- I know what you mean. After all that happened leading up to now, I don't think there is enough sleep that can get me rested enough for work tomorrow.

Nick removed his paw from the bench resting spot and placed it back in his pocket, he raised his brow at Judy and asked:

- So… you're still tired?

Judy lowered her ears before answering:

- Of course I'm tired.

Judy did not have any forceful tone in her voice, she did not wish to make a solid point or belittle Nick's words. Judy took a quick breath through her nose before completing her previous idea by saying:

- But… I'm also really happy.

Nick showed her a little smile as he said with the same dose of volume and tone to his voice:

- I'm happy as well, carrots.

Nick walked a couple of steps to the left as he positioned himself to take a seat over the bench, it was clearly made to support mammals much bigger than him so he had to hop up and scooch over to get more comfortable over it. Judy saw as Nick sat himself and decided to do the same so she could approach him and continue talking, she walked past his frontal field of vision and he accompanied her walk with his eyes until she stopped by his left side and placed her paws over the bench with the intent of jumping and grabbing a seat of her own. Nick saw the pause that Judy had taken as she looked to the surface of the seat, he extended his left paw in her direction and asked:

- Need a little paw to get up, fluff?

Judy looked at her and politely refused his help as she said:

- I'm fine, thanks.

Judy showed the palm of her right paw as she said so before giving herself enough of a boost to climb on and sit over the bench. They remained seated for a short time as they watched and felt the movement all around them, the streets around the square in front of the precinct were not usually that busy, Nick crossed his arms and leaned his back on the repost as Judy was placed with her upper body leaned forward and the palms of her paws placed over the seat. Nick took a long breath through his nose as he enjoyed that nice moment of piece, there was no urgent task in the itinerary for the rest of the day, he leaned his head to the left, unsure if Judy would be able to hear what he was about to say with all of the noise propagating all around them, he made sure to increase the volume of his voice to a moderate degree as he said:

- Today was a really good day.

Judy heard him, and added her own words to that as she said with a smile directed forward on to the street and clarity in her voice:

- Today was a great day.

Nick turned his eyes in her direction and was very satisfied to hear that from her, he turned his eyes ahead to look over the street and check on the movement. Judy waited for a moment, the sun was close to setting all the way past the horizon and the temperature around that time was quite pleasant across the savanna, she turned her eyes over to Nick once more and found the fox adjusting the collar of his shirt with his right paw. Judy decided to talk to Nick as soon as she noticed how the bustling noises around them diminished in intensity:

- I didn't catch wind of any reporters who wanted to ask us something about the stake out.

Nick turned to her and answered to that:

- Yeah, I was kind of glad about that, actually. I didn't have any good quotes on me to tell the reporters if they stopped by the precinct.

There was a short pause before Nick asked of Judy while making a subtle gesture with his right paw:

- Why do you think that is?

Judy leaned her head to the left as she imagined one possible explanation for why they were not stopped by any press informers trying to snag the full story out of them, she returned her head to its original position and turned her eyes at Nick as she answered:

- It might have been that chief Bog has already disclosed the main details of the investigation to the mayor and he, in turn, has already informed any reporters about what happened.

- I see.

Nick turned his eyes to the sky before saying:

- I really don't mind if we don't get to show our faces on the news. We took down those thieves and that was really cool, I was riding that feeling for quite a while after last night.

Judy recalled just that morning on how Nick showed up at her apartment and looked electrified with all of the excitement that was coursing through his mind, how he looked nervous and exhilarated at the same time, that memory from a short time before made her laugh while covering her mouth to muffle the noise. Judy turned back to Nick after her laugh had subsided and she took a second to breathe before telling him:

- Yes… I remember that. You are usually far more composed. I thought some other fox had come to my home for a moment.

Nick picked up on the humorous nature of her words very fast before he pointed to his own chest and said:

- I was excited.

Judy relaxed a little more over the seat as she leaned her body back and scooched a bit to place the upper half of her back by the repost, Nick kept facing her as he said:

- I got to admit, having the other officers praise us when we came through the doors like that was really cool.

Judy nodded her head once as she agreed:

- It was.

Nick gestured with both of his paws, hovering next to his chest as he pumped himself up over his seat and said:

- It sort of… added to the feeling I had before, but it was a little short lived. Is this what being famous feels like?

Nick tossed that question in Judy's direction as she was the one mammal he could ask that out right in that moment, the bunny sitting right beside him was one of the most famous officers in the entire city after all. Judy leaned her head to the right and pressed her lips together as she thought hard about the answer she was going to give Nick, she turned to her partner once more and answered with a decisive tone in her voice:

- Pretty much. Yeah.

Judy nodded her head rapidly as she answered that, Nick placed his right paw over his chest and showed a face that made it look like he had just ingested something sour and spoke up:

- That… is such a weird feeling.

Judy nodded her head a single time as she agreed with that statement. Nick took another look at the street and noticed the movement beginning to die down, it was getting late and he could hardly wait to get back home and relax for a couple more hours, his body was still sluggish due to the little time of sleep that he had since the previous night. Nick got down from the bench and back to ground level, he turned his body around to look at Judy, he pointed his left paw in the direction he was about to head out before he said:

- I'm heading home for the day. Do you think the chief will need something more to complete the investigation or anything of the sorts?

Judy shrugged that question off as she raised and lowered her right shoulder before saying:

- I'm sure he will let it know if there is anything more we will need. I'd say that this case is closed.

Nick took heed at Judy's words, he still felt like there was some other things to handle before letting the case take its place amidst the ZPD archives but he trusted Judy and he was sure that they would resolve any other remaining thing that could be left for them at a later time. Nick nodded affirmatively and walked slowly in the direction he pointed out previously, he turned his face over while keeping a steady pace ahead and spoke up while waving goodbye to his partner:

- See you tomorrow, carrots.

Judy answered to his wave with one of her own as her left paw moved in the air and she spoke with a calm tone of voice:

- See you tomorrow. Rest well, Nick.

Judy got up from the bench and started her walk home, she kept thinking on what Nick said before about being gratified and congratulated on their accomplished assignment but it turned out to be a fading feeling, she did not see any issue with that. Judy was satisfied on a job well done and she knew that Nick would come to feel the same way in no time, with the reported arrest and all of the filing done, there was little more to do but wait for the next major assignment.

---

Come the next morning, Nick and Judy were back at the precinct and working in their cubicles but it was a slow day with patrol shifts yet to be assigned and, with the file sorting already done the day before, the two officers now had some free time before they needed to head out on patrol. Nick was seated on his chair, messing around in his computer, checking for any important notifications online while also organizing his digital landscape, Judy decided to pass the time with some quiet leisure and a small book of crosswords, she was leaning over her work chair and filling space after space with the answers that rapidly came into her line of thought.

Judy was almost done with the page of word puzzles in front of her but there were a few clues that escaped her, she was chewing the pencil held tightly in her right paw as Nick asked of her:

- Stumped on something, carrots?

Judy lowered the book held in her left paw and pointed the pencil over the page as she asked:

- I could use a word with eight letters for… "Ancient structure designed for worshiping old deities", ends with the letter 'T'.

Nick thought on that for a short time and gave the answer he believed would best fit that profile:

- Try… Ziggurat. Z-A-double g-U-R-A-T.

Nick's spelling came in really handy as Judy wrote down the letters in each of the squares and it turned out to be a perfect fit for the puzzle, she lowered the book once more and placed the pencil over her side of the work desk before saying:

- Perfect fit. I would have never thought of that.

Nick smiled and placed one final clicking note on his computer screen before he said:

- That is because you have never read any high fantasy tales, fluff. It's a great way to expand your horizons.

Judy turned to face Nick as she spun her chair in his direction and said:

- My horizons are expanded.

Nick shot a side glance in her direction and asked:

- Really?

Judy thought on that for a quick second and answered:

- I would say… mildly so.

Nick nodded his head and turned his attention back to his computer screen as he said:

- If you say so.

Judy squinted her eyes and leaned in Nick's direction as she spoke up with a slightly more forced tone in her voice and pressed o the subject by saying:

- I *do* say so. Also, I'm not sure I like your tone.

Nick stopped working on his computer and turned his chair around until he was facing Judy completely, the expression in her face was inquisitive and not in a forced way. He suddenly felt like the subject of interrogation and he was not sure why. Nick raised his paws over the resting arms of his revolving chair and asked:

- What 'tone'? I'm not using any 'tone' with you.

Judy kept looking at Nick in the same way and she adjusted the positioning of her ears over her head before she said:

- It definitely feels like you used a tone that did not sit well with me.

Nick looked into her eyes and spoke again:

- I swear, I did not use a tone with you.

Another voice came into the conversation as a heavy set of steps approached the cubicle and the thunderous voice of chief Bogo spoke up:

- Don't blame her, Wilde. With your constant joking is frankly hard to tell when you are not using a 'tone'.

Nick and Judy turned to face the entry of the cubicle and the bunny was very surprised to see the chief come by since he rarely stepped into the office area of the precinct, he often placed digital requests for documentation from his computer and he had a working copier in his office so there was little need for the buffalo to come by that part of the precinct. Judy repositioned her ears and quickly undid her inquisitive face as she raised from her chair and saluted the chief, Nick got up from his seat shortly after and Bogo wasted little time in telling what was the reason behind his visitation:

- We're having an emergency assembly right now, all of the officers are gathering at the bull pen and you two are the only remaining that did not get the memo. Fangmeyer let that one slide. Come quickly.

Bogo left, he walked in the direction of the exit corridor as soon as his message was delivered, Judy peaked her head out of the cubicle to watch as the chief left and she soon turned to Nick with a whisper filled with concern:

- An emergency assembly?! That could signify a code nineteen-sixty eight.

Nick took a step closer to her and asked:

- Is that… a bad thing?

Judy looked at her partner and answered promptly:

- It could mean that a government representative will be coming by to give the precinct an important notice.

Nick had his ears raised and his eyes open wide with surprise, by the tone Judy used in her answer, her body language along with it, that sounded very serious. Nick leaned next to her and asked with a whisper of concern directed at her:

- Has… this code ever been implemented before?

Judy thought a short time on it before answering with the same volume as before:

- Only a pawful of times in the recorded history of the precincts. I was not even born yet when the last emergency assembly was called in precinct one.

Judy turned around and looked outside the cubicle one more time, she and Nick were the only officers left inside the office space of the building, the remaining cubicles were empty and there was a sound of steps from the distance from other officers going towards the bull pen, apparently they were already notified. Judy turned to Nick and extended her left arm to grab a hold of his right wrist, she could not even get her fingers around the fox's arm and her grip was not that strong but Nick let her get a hold of him as she said:

- Let's go, we better take our seats in the bull pen before we're late.

Judy guided Nick out of the cubicle and on to the corridor chief Bog had taken before as they took the shortest route available to the assembly room. Judy kept guiding Nick by holding on to his right arm and the fox did not really mind it, she was not pinching his wrist or tugging forcibly on him so he would move quickly, she was gently guiding him to the side door in the huge room that would lead them out. Judy let go of Nick as soon as they were faced with the door, she hopped up and turned the metal knob using both of her paws to grip it tightly before coming back to the ground and swinging the frame open and reveal the path ahead completely. The hallway on the other side of the door looked empty at first glance but there were still sounds of movement echoing across the walls, the other officers had already gone to the bull pen and were grabbing their seats for the assembly, Judy dashed ahead and Nick followed close, trying to accompany her speed with wide steps as they moved in the direction of the next door by the end of the hallway.

Judy and Nick entered the bull pen and could already see the other officers on their seat and each of them showing different levels of anticipation for whatever there was in store for that assembly. Nick stepped slowly while Judy forged ahead and quickly secured her seat up front on the chair that was usually the one she picked next to , Nick followed soon and hopped on to the seat to place himself by Judy's left side, adjusting his tail as he scooched over the seat and placed his paws over the table in front of them. Judy lowered her ears and placed her arms next to her body as she kept her head facing forward and her eyes on the side door where she wagered the chief would be coming through at any second, Nick poked her left shoulder and asked of her:

- Feeling nervous, carrots?

Judy turned to him and answered:

- No. Just… anxious for what the chief may come to tell us. There could be a crisis situation just around the corner.

Nick gestured by raising both of his paws then lightly tapping them over the table frame, his ears twitched back as he spoke up:

- Could be, but let's not just go assuming anything right away.

Judy heard Nick's words and understood that he was right to not put any unnecessary stress or anticipation into that moment. Judy took a deep breath through her mouth, trapped the air in her longs and released it soon after as she calmed herself down and placed her back on the chair repost to wait for the information that chief Bogo would bring, whatever it might be. After five minutes of waiting, give or take, chief Bogo emerged from behind the side door and took his place behind his podium, he was carrying a thin stack of files in his left paw and didn't even bother putting his reading glasses on as he opened the file holder and spoke up:

- Good morning, everyone. I'm sure you are all anxious to hear what this is all about. Don't worry, your questions will be answered.

Chief Bogo made a sound of clearing his throat before he turned his eyes to the piece of paper in front of him and began speaking once again, Judy leaned her upper body over the table frame to lock eyes on him and listen attentively yo his words:

- A few days ago I was informed that an agent of the Zootopia Bureau of Investigations would be visiting us, as you already know, we have been working in partnership with city hall and other advanced subsidiaries of safety to come up with better gear as well as better equipment to be used as we patrol the streets and keep our streets safe.

Nick and Judy exchanged a look, this was not the first time they heard the ZBI being mentioned in the precinct, they had met one agent already in their employment, their minds wondered if the sympathetic wolf had anything to do with that notice. Bogo pointed a hoof at the paper, pressed his eyes as he struggled to read the smaller typing without his glasses and continued to speak shortly after:

- If you are not familiar with the bureau, that is alright. They originated right here in Zootopia and they employ dedicated mammals who work together in order to keep the citizens of this city, as well as cities from all around the world, safe. The bureau and its agents have been a great part of Zootopia for a very long time, even if most of you have never heard of it.

Bogo took in some air through his nostrils and eased the pressure on his eyes as he continued to read:

- We've received several notices saying that there will be a brand new batch of gear delivered to us and it has finally arrived. The ZBI sent us a truck filled with vests, pouches and shooters that were all made to order. You'll all be cleared to get your new gear shortly.

The officers in the bull pen gasped, they knew that novel pieces of equipment would be arriving in the precinct thanks to the better connection stablished between the ZPD and city hall but none of them could ever guess that so much effort would be put into it all. Nick was very excited to get himself some amazing new tech that would make him a more efficient officer in the field while Judy's thoughts were running wild simply with the prospect of learning more about the new devices. Bogo showed the palm of his right hoof as he calmly asked the officers to hold on and wait for the next part of the announcement:

- Today, we'll have an agent of the ZBI come up to the stand himself to tell about all of the new items that were brought to the precinct, he will be answering questions and presenting us with gear updates from now on. After that is done you will all be free to get your licensing for the new gear, those who have already picked and filled on the correct documentation will just need to consult the equipment deployment provided by Ellegard right over here.

Bogo said that as he gestured with his right paw in the direction of an old boar that was seated close to the front row of officers, he had a big pile of binders placed by the desk in front of him and a pair of thick glasses on his face, though the detail that called to the most attention was the fact that his left tusk was broken and jagged near its tip, an old scar that never went unnoticed by others. The boar had a thick cover of fur around his body and was dressed in a maintenance attire that also had a ZPD badge pinned to his left lapel, he was not a patrol officer anymore, he was in charge of gear archiving and deployment but he still showed how he carried the pride of the police force along with him wherever he went. The boar noticed all of the eyes in the room turning to him and he just answered with a simple smile and a wave of his left paw, Nick looked at the mammal that was pointed out by the chief and spoke up so that only Judy would hear to his genuinely surprised tone:

- Oh, so *that* is Ellegard.

Judy turned over and was frankly astonished that Nick had never met the mammal responsible for providing support for gear during the whole time he had been an officer there. The attention of the officers returned to Bogo as he took a little more of their time to say:

- I was told that he would be here shortly. Benjamin told me that he gave an arriving notice earlier today.

Bogo said so as he took a quick look at the hour on his cellphone screen, the buffalo and the other officers did not have to wait any longer on that because the sound of the bull pen door opening up was heard, followed by a soft set of steps along the ground and the sound of a bamboo cane clacking against the tiles. Nick and Judy turned around as soon as their ears recognized the sound of the friendly mammal making his way across the room but they couldn't see the wolf until he came up to the very front row and saluted all of the present mammals by adjusting the left lapel of his brand new suit and speaking up:

- Salutations. Is everyone doing alright today?

Judy put her paws over the table and hopped up from her seat as she stood up over the chair and asked:

- Agent Howlbert?!

There was no scream or sign of urgency in her voice, she was still very surprised to see the wolf agent that asked her to join the ZBI not that long ago. Donovan smiled as she turned around and extended his right paw to properly greet the two officers he already knew all too well:

- It is really nice to see you two again.

Judy opened a wide smile as she avidly shook the paw of the wolf agent, not everyone in the room was ecstatic to meet the well-dressed canine, however. Chief Bogo slowly placed his right hoof over his forehead, nearly putting it over his horns as he did so, and saying with palpable sarcasm:

- Great. Dozens of experienced agents and they sent you of all mammals?

With both of his paws holding on to the handle of his cane and a soft smile on his face, agent Howlbert turned over and greeted the oldest acquaintance he had in that room:

- Well… it is good to see you as well, BB.

Nick and Judy, as well as the other officers in the room, were shocked to hear that kind of talk coming from the two mammals. Chief Bog never struck anyone as the type of mammal who would take lightly on having a nickname, also, it was apparent to see that he was definitely not happy by being addressed in such a manner. Donovan walked a couple of steps closer to the podium but his movements were halted by the sound of a voice asking out loud:

- Wait a sec. You two know each other?

Donovan turned his body around once more to meet with the owner of the voice, it was Nick, pointing his right claw forward as the question left his lips and his eyes shot a glance of inquiry and his mouth became stuck in an awkward smile while he waited for any satisfactory answer. Donovan was quick to give his reply, he figured that Bogo would be in no hurry to answer that question so he simply gestured towards the hearty buffalo and said:

- Surely. Everyone in the ZBI knows the tale of 'Bogaloo Bogo'.

Nick cold not disguise that the very mention of the name out loud made him want to laugh with all of his strength, he tried to hold it back, pressing his lips together and stopping his tongue from moving around by folding it to almost the back of his throat. With a small bit of laugh still present in his voice, Nick asked for further clarification with his lips turning inward to his mouth and his voice struggling to make coherent words:

- I'm sorry, what?

Judy wasn't sure if her partner should have pushed the subject forward, she was half tempted to poke him with her right shoulder and make him stop that but she admitted to herself on being a little curious about that as well. With his right paw hanging on to his cane and his left paw gesturing toward their 'audience', Donovan asked Bogo:

- You've never told them?

To which the buffalo replied with:

- Please, don't.

That simple request fell on deaf ears as the wolf made a wide series of gesture with both of his paws and changed expressions while he told the riveting story of chief Bogo and his younger years as an officer of the ZPD. The true mentions about how the buffalo made his mark on precinct one came in an abridged version that had most of the officers at the edge of their seats, Judy had her ears hanging high to listen to every word while Nick leaned over the table with his elbow supporting his head as he relaxed and heard the story with a prideful and slick smile on his muzzle. Donovan kept at it while his words merely flowed through and hit every corner of the room:

- You see? A long while ago, your chief was a young and one of the most ambitious officers in the force. He decided to work undercover to bring a gang of mammals who were smuggling all sorts of illicit products around the city into the light. He remained undercover for over six months, more than one hundred and eighty days amidst some of the worst thugs in the city. His own partner didn't recognize him.

Every mammal in the bull pen was enthralled by the pull of that story, there weren't many details about fights or internal dramas but it was all included in the simple gestures and in the tone of voice that Donovan used as he told it. With another breath, Donovan kept at it as he recalled the most important details of the story and told it to the audience:

- Twenty-five arrests in a single night, along with piles of confiscated loot and items. One of the most significant busts in the story of the ZPD is thanks to this guy right here.

He turned around and gestured with his left paw as he pointed in the direction of Bogo, making as if the chief was a marvelous icon of the city itself. Judy almost felt the need to clap her paws as a sign of appreciation for the chief, but the best part of the story was yet to come. Donovan turned back to the audience as he said:

- Of course what other officers and agents talked about for months was the disguise he chose to wear as he infiltrated the inner circles of the criminal syndicate. I mean, you all should have seen it: That jacket; those pants; that wig! MY GOD, THAT WIG!

There was no visual aid to support the exaggerated way that Donovan chose to tell the last bits of the story but, by the way that he gestured with both of his paws hanging over his head, as his ears and tail moved about as he stepped in front of the other officers, thoughts could only run rampant as every officer wondered and laughed internally as they imagined how extravagant Bogo must have looked in his disguise. Not even Judy could hold it back from imagining it and Nick nearly lost control as he leaned completely over the table to hide his smile from everyone around him. Chief Bogo was embarrassed beyond belief as he placed both of his hooves over his face and implored the wolf to cease telling the story by speaking loudly but with his voice being muffled:

- Please, stop!

Donovan turned to face the buffalo and was a little concerned with the gesture that he was showing, he had no intention of placing the chief of precinct one in an embarrassing situation, it was merely a humorous retell of a great time in Bogo's carrier. Donovan remedied the situation by showing the palm of his right paw to the chief and spinning a quick apology as he said:

- You're right, not my story to tell.

Donovan turned his expression to the audience, a more serious tone but still showing a trustworthy smile as he spoke up:

- We have witnessed amazing strides by the officers of the ZPD, some of the brightest minds of our time working in conjoint with our most dedicated law enforcers in order to bring new hope, new perspective to the lives of mammals everywhere. I come to you all here today to tell you that we at the ZBI are glad that our partnership will be more reliable and open with all of the mammals of the force.

Donovan said so as he made a wide and slow gesture towards the audience using both of his paws as his left paw gently gripped his cane as it touched the ground once more. The wolf turned to the right and gave three short steps ahead as he continued to speak:

- We have read all of your reports and all of the posted concerns about public safety, as well as safety around the work environment, your gripes are heard loud and clear. Our contacts reach all over the city and to all of the precincts and yours will be the first one to receive this new batch of gear, proudly revised and designed for you thanks to minds like your very own Doctor Pura Saonai.

Donovan demonstrated another gesture of his right paw as he pointed to Pura who was placed at the left corner of the room, collected, silent and almost unseen by all the other officers present for the assembly. The panther heard the mention of her name and how her credit for the redesign of the equipment was duly noted, she was dressed in her regular stripped shirt and lab coat while holding to a clipboard in her left arm and closely to her chest, she showed an excited waved of her right paw as she noticed how some eyes turned to her and Judy waved back at her friend as the bunny raised her left paw while keeping the palm of her right paw over the table frame next to her. Donovan waited for all of the officers to turn back at him before continuing:

- And now, to show all of you the advancements in police gear that we brought over today, I would like to call upon one of my most trusted colleagues from the ZBI…

At that moment, as that verbal cue was given, the front door to the bull pen was opened once more and a cart carrying a sizable pile of items was seen rolling across the room. At first, no one could see if there was some mammal pushing the cart on its path but the image became far clearer as it reached the front row, everyone was surprised to see as the image of the mammal guiding the cart became available for all to see.

Right behind the cart and pushing it ahead until it was positioned next to Donovan, who wished to finish introductions and continue the presentation, was a gray furred male bunny. The lagomorph was dressed in a fancy attire similar to Donovan but it was modified and stylized to fit him very nicely, there were also no visible stripes on the fabric which accentuated the natural color of his fur rather well. The suit that the male bunny was wearing was tinged in a much brighter blue than the one worn by the wolf and it was buttoned out to reveal a white shirt as the inner wear along with a more casual look. The buck had a dark gray coloration to his fur disrupted only by some distinctive horizontal black stripes on the back of his head that gave him a mature and stout appearance, he had strong paws that moved and adjusted his suit as soon as he stopped walking, passing their palms over the fabric as he placed his body in a stance of attention, turning completely towards the audience and revealing his deep blue eyes before putting his paws calmly behind his back and waiting for his superior to introduce him by name and vocation:

- Ladies and gentle mammals, I would like for you to meet Jack Savage, specialist of weapons and armaments, field operative and one of my closest cohorts at the ZBI.

Donovan clacked his cane over the ground as he walked two steps and gestured with his vacant left paw as he introduced the buck to the officers in the room. Everyone was shocked to see and hear about the bunny, Judy most of all, she was unaware that there were any other bunnies that entered the law enforcement world like her. Jack scanned the room right after his name was spoken and he didn't have to look hard at all to find the one officer that he was searching for. Jack's eyes locked themselves over Judy and he soon found impossible to look at anything else, seeing the bunny officer that he had heard of for so long and noticing her beautiful amethyst eyes over him was a nearly overwhelming experience. There was a moment of silence before an inevitable question came from the audience:

- Hold on! I thought Hopps was the only bunny officer around. Where did this guy come from?

Jack did not dismiss the question with any words of his own neither did he let the smiled in his face be undone by that question. Donovan was the one to explain it as he stepped forward to better project his voice to the whole audience, took one breath and said:

- That is a good question. You see: Jack here has been in the employment of the ZBI under my tutelage for almost seven years, his record shows that he has received advanced training as both a field agent and a law enforcer. Although he did not collaborated in any emergency responder unit since joining us, be assured, he had to jump through the same hoops as your own officer Hopps to become a fully-fledged agent.

Jack stopped listening to the words being spoken by Donovan, the male buck showed little interest in his own description as walked slowly in the direction of the chair Nick and Judy were seated, Judy kept her eyes filled with curiosity as she watched him approaching, Nick had a look of strangeness bordering on untrusty. Jack stopped his movement right next to Judy as she turned her body and placed her legs to hang by the left edge of the chair as the buck extended his right arm and spoke up:

- Officer Hopps, it is an absolute pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh.

Judy hesitated on it for a moment but she eventually thought how impolite it would be to not greet the agent properly, she extended her right arm to shake his paw and say:

- It is really nice to meet you too.

Judy did not fell a strong grip coming from Jack's paw, she was very surprised to feel a gentle tug and watched as the buck brought her paw closer to his lips to give a little kiss while still maintaining eye contact with her. A gentle gesture that may have been somewhat old-fashioned but it still called a lot of attention to his level of socialization and his probable intentions towards Judy. Nick held his breath and opened his eyes wide with surprise since he was definitely not expecting that to happen, the buck's presence so near him and Judy felt somewhat uncertain, wrong in a way. Jack wanted to impress Judy, show that he was interested in her line of work and, more specifically, in her, so he spoke up after letting go of her paw:

- Your report on the apprehension of the purse snatchers at the rainforest was a phenomenal job. I was gripping the page as I read through it.

Judy showed a bashful look as she heard that, every officer in the bull pen could hear the conversation between the bunny officer and the agent, to Jack it was almost like there was no one else around but him and Judy. After lowering her ears and taking a bit of air before speaking and pointing both of her paws over her shoulder:

- Well, that was a group effort. This is my partner, Nick Wilde, he helped me a lot during that encounter.

Jack leaned his body to the left to catch a better look at Judy's partner, he also heard a lot about the fox and he was truthfully not impressed with what he could catch at first glance. The look Jack showed as he saw Nick was cold, almost like an artist staring off blankly into an unremarkable landscape, Nick answered to that with a stare that looked much the same but the fox was still cordial and controlled enough to display a little smile as he said:

- Hi there.

To which Jack replied with:

- Hello.

There was a cold instant of silence after that but it did not remain long enough to go noticed for anyone else rather than Jack and Nick. After taking a little air to continue speaking, Jack turned over to Judy and asked out right:

- So, officer Hopps, I have been meaning to ask if you would like to have a quick conversation about protocol and maybe learn more about the work we do at the ZBI. How about we exchange a few ideas during lunch, maybe?

Every officer in the room was taken aback by that, jaws were hanging open, agent Savage casually asked Judy out on a work-related date as if it was no big deal at all and he did so after not knowing her for more than a minute. The buck just asked Judy out and he did that with such ease that it was almost scary. Judy did not know how to answer to that, she felt like it could be a nice opportunity to discuss advanced law enforcing tactics and regulations with someone who might have had different perspectives and training than her, she fumbled with her fingers as she tried giving a simple answer:

- Well… I mean…

Judy could not give an answer right away as the conversation between her and Jack was cut short since Donovan spoke up, calling to Jack's attention and pointing a claw out to the immediate task that they were there to perform:

- Now, Jack, remember: Work first; socializing later.

Jack turned his head around and let out a slightly disappointed sigh from his nose, it was time for him to get right back to work but he knew that there would be time to talk with Judy later. The buck turned back to the bunny officer and spoke in a soft whisper:

- We'll talk later.

Jack walked towards the cart that he had brought into the bull pen, Judy accompanied his movements with her eyes and turned over her seat back to her original position while having an intrigued look in her eyes. Nick had a bit of un uncomfortable feeling raising from his stomach, he closed his right paw and passed his thumb over his pointing finger as he thought hard about what had just happened. Jack unveiled that the cart was carrying some useful items that he wished to demonstrate to the audience but he first had to set up a slide projector that would aid in his demonstration, he turned over in the direction of the podium where chief Bogo was still standing in wait and asked while making a gesture by moving his left paw and waving it from left to right as he asked:

- Chief Bog, could you please move for a moment?

Bogo looked behind him, he saw the blank board that usually served as the spot where he would extend the map of the city with all of the most important details for patrol routes, and he was quick to give away for agent Savage to place his presentation:

- Sure, go ahead.

The chief said so as he stepped aside, walking to the left of the stage and leaving his podium behind as well as the thin stack of papers that he had brought along with him into the bull pen. Donovan went ahead and adjusted the slide projector over the cart while Jack grabbed a flash drive from his left side pocket to plug on to the projector and get the presentation started, in half a minute, the lights diminished and the device was already showing the title in big letters and an exaggerated font about big changes in the ZPD. Donovan and Jack stepped over to the stage, the bunny placed on the right and the wolf on the left, as the presentation officially began:

- The priority of the ZBI was always to lend support to law enforcers around the globe, provide intel, support, top of the line gear for all of the mammals who share our drive to protect others. Thanks to our new communications array which gives us a way to contact and exchange information with other agents all around the globe, we finally have the means to keep our agents in the loop with all of the major emergencies and advancements that are made continuously in order to make our sole porpoise easier.

Jack's words were clarified by the showing of a picture for the presentation, a slide of a massive antenna was shown along with the graphics that showed how the communications system operated with the conjoint operation of the antenna and a trio of satellites. The slide changed and Donovan was the one to hop into the conversation as he spoke to the audience:

- We have all the intentions of making big strides that will make all of you better officers but, for now, we're going to start small with our first item: The armored belt.

The next slide in line was one showing a leopard fully dressed in a swat uniform and having his waist area highlighted, the main item of his suit was the belt which was equipped with pouches that contained a variety of tools and holstered not only his side arm but other support tools. Jack pointed to the projection on the wall and said:

- The armored belt will be the newest wearable asset for any officer that joined the Special Forces and SWAT, without the hassle of changing pouches or the worry that they will be damaged during a high risk fight, the belt is durable and will support incredible strain while providing safe storage space for a variety of items.

The slide changed to a list of pouches that could be attached to the belt, Jack continued as he pointed to each one showed on screen:

- Ammunition, evidence, breaching explosives, first aid; every pouch can support these and so many more useful kits to be deployed inside and outside the field. The holster for side arms can also be exchanged and modified as the wearer see fit and these come in line for both left pawed and right pawed mammals. These beauties bring a brand-new meaning to the phrase 'Fashionable and Functional'.

Nick was looking at the projection and was actually very interested in what the agents had to show, he wanted to turn to Judy and let it slip to her that what they were seeing so far was very nice but she was occupied. While Nick was slouching slightly over his seat and basing himself in a relaxed stance over the seat as he listened to the presentation, Judy was placing all of the major points of the presentation in writing as she filled the pages of her little notebook with annotations about the type of gear that she was seeing and further comments if she should get one fitted for herself in the future. The presentation continued as the next slide came up and Donovan spoke up:

- Another of the items that we would like to present to you have already been placed on the gear registration for your precinct. This is the Pocket-sized Amarudo model Radio. PAM-R for short.

After the description of the device was spoken by Donovan, Jack reached beneath the cart to reveal the device itself, a small radio unit that looked very fancy and even had a digital display screen over its microphone space. The device was compact in design but it had a lot of dials and buttons and the explanation for those was to follow as Jack pointed at it with his left paw and said:

- Compact and powerful, these radios have amazing battery life and can be left activated and in continuous use for more than five days before they need to recharge. Every waveband on the device is listed right on the instruction manual that accompanies it and it can be paired without any issue to your cruisers and smartphone devices with the simple and easy to access aid of Bluetooth.

Donovan stepped into the presentation once more as he described some of the most technical parts of the device:

- The display screen lists incoming messages from different wavebands and the device itself can be set to ten different communication channels, all of them set for standard police frequency. Short waved and long range, you can be certain that your messages and codes will be safely transmitted and well received at any part of the city.

Jack spoke up as he told the one thing that he loved most about the device:

- And, here is the best part…

He proceeded to toss the radio on the floor like it was nothing more than a pebble in his paw, that shocked the officers in the bull pen as the little yellow radio collided against the floor before getting picked right back up by Jack who showed with a confident smile that the device still worked perfectly before confirming:

- The plastic cover it double reinforced and the inner circuits are impact as well as water proof. This little thing can handle every climate and rough break in the city.

Judy smiled as she witnessed that and proceeded to write it down on her notebook, Nick was impressed as well as he could hardly wait to figure out how one of those little radios worked for himself. Jack stored the radio used for the demonstration back in the cart, the projection got blank, Donovan stepped forth as he spoke up:

- Accessibility and communication are just about covered for now thanks to what was shown to you, so it is time we talk about safety. The most important concern we at the ZBI have is safety and it makes us proud to bring to you what may be one of our greatest advancements to date. We give you the best armor vest in the market as of today: The Tech Savilla.

The slide projector showed the design of the spoken vest as the image depicted it from different angles and even showed its inner layers with a very detailed graphic. Jack stepped next to the wolf agent and spoke with moderate enthusiasm about the vest and about the long period of thought and manufacturing that went into it:

- The Tech Savilla is the name we gave to this new model of safety vest that is five times more durable than any other security armor and half as heavy thanks to the new material that was implemented between its textile layers. A miraculous ligament that hardens when it senses impact. This substance is called Rhino Plate.

Officer was rather intrigued to hear mention of that substance, his ears twitched and his eyes opened up but he did not change his posture over his own chair. Donovan raised a pointing finger of his left paw as he intervened on the presentation:

- Contrary to what the name might suggest, no rhinos were used for the manufacturing of this substance, it is just a joke that the boys in the lab came up with as they explained how the substance works.

Donovan pointed his cane to the projection and continued his explanation as Jack changed the slide into the next one, showing the inner layers of the vest in action as they responded to the incoming impact of a blunt object:

- When harsh impact is detected, same with any tear in the outer layers of the vest, the Rhino Plate hardens and repels the attacking object, assuring that the tissue beneath the vest will not be penetrated.

Jack gave the final assurance of the vest as he listed the result of various tests:

- A vest with Rhino Plate is guaranteed to stop blows from punches, bats, pipes and even stabbing strikes from horns, claws and knives. You will be safe for sure with one of these.

Every officer exchanged an enchanted look after hearing that, the safety vest sounded like an amazing tool to be added for their arsenal. However, Donovan clarified some very important details about it soon after:

- Even so, it is important to remember that just because this armor is tough it will not make any of you completely invincible. Enough tears on the vest will wear it down and cause the inner layers to lose their tension, as such, reducing its effectiveness in a combat scenario. Adding to that, since the suit itself is manufactured with a thin carbon fiber mesh placed on some of its outer layers it will not stop electrical attacks completely. That is something our lab fellows are still working on.

The expectations of the officers were seriously diminished by that. Judy placed notes of warning about the vest on the corner of the page she was writing on and Doctor Pura put her brain to work promptly as she made a personal mental note to see if she could come up for a solution to that particular limitation of the vest at a later date. Jack turned the slide projector off and Donovan made the lights in the room return to their original setting, the presentation was nearly over. There was still one thing left to discuss as agent Savage grabbed a small case that was left locked under the cart. The bunny agent placed it over the cart, right next to the projector, and spoke up:

- Before we're done here, there is one last thing we would like to show all of you…

He took a long breath before continuing:

- With the sudden incline in risk factor around the globe it has been hard to come up with any significant tool that would level the playing field. An 'Equalizer', sort of speak. As a weapons expert and utilitarian myself, I racked my brain coming up with new ideas in security armaments for the ZBI. As such, after many days of planning and work, I bring to all of you the next best tool that will help level the playing field for sure.

With that introduction out of the way, Jack reached up on the cart, opened the case and revealed a sidearm that symbolized the culmination of design and functionality. The sidearm appeared clunky at first since it didn't even fit entirely in agent Savage's grip, he grabbed the handle with one paw and the barrel with the other as he revealed the newest model of security long distance tazzers to the officers of the ZPD, one item on the list he was particularly proud of since he was the one that helped design it. Jack hoisted the item up as he held it with both his paws and spoke up:

- This is the Zachnell MK-9. Focus chamber model six, semi-auto tazzer fire, glow in the dark sights, rechargeable clip *and*, from this day on, your new best friend.

Nick was definitely interested in what Jack had to say after seeing the weapon in the agent's paws, Judy dropped her pencil over the paper and her ears dropped to the back of her head as she saw her partner scooching forward over the seat and almost drooling at the sight of the sidearm. Jack gave another step forward as he explained the fine points behind the use and keeping of the weapon:

- Most electric dischargeable weapon models use simple blasts of electric force or thin wires that have limited reach to deliver a stopping force of a few volts to a target, this weapon has none of those limitations.

Jack popped the clutch on the back of the sidearm and a loud whizzing sound was heard coming from it, the audience was curious to know what would be spoken next. Jack held the weapon firmly with his right paw as his left paw pointed to it and he continued to explain:

- After the trigger is pulled a massive bolt of electricity is released out of the clip, focused through the barrel thanks to the specially designed rotating piece and launched straight at a target that can be up to thirty-nine feet away, the bolt loses some intensity after said distance but it still packs a punch hard enough to stun any target. The grip on the handle can be detached with the use of a small tool, same thing for the sights and the trigger, you can modify the weapon as you see fit.

Jack turned the item around and started holding it a little higher so that the other officers would see as he pointed to a small pin switch located right above the handle as he said:

- This here is the safety lock and it can be easily pressed to lock the weapon down, with a quick push to the side and down the clip carrying the main power source will just pop right out.

Jack demonstrated that as he removed the clip that was stored in the handle of the side arm, he held on to the piece with his left paw and turned over to the audience as they saw a small green gauge at its side before continuing his explanation:

- The clip itself is easy to remove, easy to charge, easy to replace, each clip can store up to a total of five shocks, after one clip is emptied out you just eject it, grab another and pop the clutch.

He did just that and another humming was heard as the weapon became ready to fire once more:

- When you hear that sound is the sign that the weapon is ready to go. Any questions?

No paws were raised and no questions were asked by the audience, the demonstration was over. Jack continued to hold on to the sidearm as Donovan stepped closer to Jack continued to hold on to the sidearm as Donovan stepped closer to finish it up with his words:

- If any you wish to grab some of these for yourself, belt and vest included, you need only submit the same kind of requisition form as your other equipment. Check in downstairs soon after this presentation and we will be sticking around to provide you with any questions you may have in the future. Thank you all for listening and for coming to this assembly.

Jack decided to finish it off with a quick ice breaker as he raised his arms and said:

- Party favors for everyone!

He said so as he waved his arms in the air a single time and that made Donovan worry for a second as he winced to the side and shielded his face with both of his arms as well as his cane and warned the buck:

- Goodness Gracious, Jack! Careful where you aim that thing!

Jack looked at the wolf and saw that he was still holding on to the sidearm that he showed during the demonstration, he wasn't worried about that. The buck showed off the item as he aimed up and assured his superior:

- It's fine, boss. The safety is on. See?

Jack pointed the weapon upwards and squeezed on the trigger but what soon followed was very not intended and surprised everyone in the bull pen. The weapon fired with a loud 'ZZAP', the barrel flashed and released a bright blue bolt of electricity that sparked all the way up to the ceiling, Donovan, Chief Bogo, as well as all the other officers, ducked down as soon as they heard the weapon fire off and everyone yelled in distress for a fraction of a second as they witnessed firsthand what the weapon was capable of.

By the time the scare had died down, every officers looked towards agent Savage and to the ceiling right above him soon after. A big and round scorch mark was left on the ceiling, similar in design to the scorch mark left on concrete as its hit by lightning, Donovan was in utter disbelief and chief Bogo was left both mad and impressed by that. Jack quickly put the sidearm away and turned over to Donovan without knowing exactly what to say, the buck placed his paws behind his back and tried speaking something in his own defense:

- Woah! That… hum… this thing has quite the hair trigger on it.

Donovan reached for the bunny agent and confirmed without saying any words right away that Jack would not get away from that without some stern words. With a sharp look in his eyes and his right paw putting a firm grip on his cane, Donovan reached for Jack and grabbed the tip of his right ear with the thumb and pointing fingers of his left paw, pulling the rabbit away from his original stance and causing quite the level of pain as he tugged at him with clear disciplinary intentions. Jack yelped out as he flailed his arms in a futile effort to shake himself free:

- Ouch! Ouch! OUCH!

Donovan leaned in closer and said in a menacing whisper:

- You and I are going to have a long conversation about tools and safety on the work environment.

Treating Jack like he had just behaved like a kid who disobeyed, Donovan dragged the buck in the direction of the exit while hanging on to his ear. As soon as Donovan and Jack got to the door and opened, the wolf turned over to face Bog and spoke up:

- I apologize for this BB. I'll cover the damages. This assembly is over.

Donovan exited the room with Jack pleading to the wolf to ease up and let him go but that was not going to happen, the door of the bull pen closed and all of the officers were left inside wondering what had happened. Judy figured that there was some kind of student-master kind of relation between Jack and Donovan, she closed her notebook after finishing with her notes and turned over to Nick before saying:

- Well, this was a very eventful assembly.

Nick turned to her with a big smile on his face and answered to that:

- You can say that again, carrots.

The ZPD officers exited the room with a lot in their minds and most of them, Nick and Judy included, moved to the gear registry downstairs to get their forms for the new gear filled and ready. Nick was the first one in line to fill out his form and be fitted for a new sidearm, Judy had already helped him with most of the paperwork from long before so the requisition was a mere formality, Nick was very glad. One case had been closed and now there were new tools to be used, what else could the future hold for the ZPD?