The next day

The door of the bullpen opened to reveal a familiar fox and rabbit entering the room. The atmosphere in the room was as they had expected, gloomy and depressing, much like they themselves were feeling. They took their seat and waited for the chief, who arrived a few minutes later, right on time as always. There was no thumping on the tables and no commotion like there often was, and Bogo understood the reason. He walked over to the podium and placed the folder he was carrying on it, addressing the officers with a sigh.

"Morning gentlemammals. I'd hate to have to start the day with bad news, but it's best to get it over with. I'm sure you're all already aware of this, but yesterday we lost one of our finest. Officer Brian Kellaway of the Zootopia Police Department Precinct Three in Tundratown was killed in the line of duty last night. Of course, this comes as devastating news, as we rarely ever lose officers in the line of duty. Kellaway was a good officer, and with the force already facing a lack of experienced officers, his loss will be greatly felt throughout the ranks. I know you are all anxious to know what exactly happened, so I have with me a report made by officer Doyle, Kellaway's partner, about the incident." Bogo opened the folder and donned his reading glasses, focusing on the document.

"According to this, at 11:00 hours a caller reported a disturbance at Horizon labs. At 11:05 dispatch radioed for any nearby officers to respond and Kellaway and Doyle offered to investigate. At 11:15 Kellaway reported their arrival at the scene. At 11:35 the two officers completed a search of the outer premises and proceeded to investigate inside. They found the guard unconscious and radioed for backup. At 11:43 they encountered two suspects who fled upon being confronted. This is where the two officers split up. Doyle proceeded to the front entrance to intercept them just in case while Kellaway pursued them out the back. At 11:46 Kellaway radioed Doyle to arrive at his position. While running there, Doyle reported hearing a loud bang coming from Kellaway's position. Upon reaching there, he found Kellaway laying on the ground bleeding heavily from a wound in his chest. Doyle says he has no idea of what could have caused the wound but he suspects the noise had something to do with it. He reports the suspects had fled the scene by then. At 11:56 hours… Kellaway expired. At 11:57, backup and paramedics arrived at the scene. Afterwards, officers secured the area and Doyle, the night guard and Kellaway's body were evacuated from the scene."

When Bogo finished, all those present in the room had a look of either shock, horror or sorrow. Bogo removed his glasses, stowed them in his pocket and closed the folder. He waited for a moment to let everyone absorb the information, as well as just in case anyone had any questions. One officer raised his paw.

"Do we have an ID on the perps?"

"All we know is that they were cheetahs, but that doesn't help all that much considering the number of citizens that fit that description. We still need more information if we are to narrow the results." Bogo answered, only to be faced with another question by a different officer.

"Any idea what the perps were doing at Horizon labs?"

"None, unfortunately. Officers reviewing the scene found evidence of the perps trying to force open the elevator doors. Beyond that, nothing else as of yet. Without any further evidence, we can only treat this as a robbery attempt, although I have no idea what anyone would want to steal from a pharmaceutical laboratory." As soon as Bogo finished, another officer raised his paw.

"Did they find out what killed Kellaway?"

"As you heard from the report, Doyle doesn't know, but he tried his best to describe it. The only other clue we have is the initial coroner's report. According to him, something penetrated with high velocity and force into Kellaway's chest cavity, tore through his heart and left lung and made an exit wound out of his back. However, perhaps we'll know more once we have the full report by the end of the day. Any other questions?" Bogo asked. When nobody else spoke up, he continued.

"Indeed a very tragic turn of events, but rest assured, we are investigating the incident, and Kellaway's killers will be brought to justice. There will be a funeral held tomorrow. Attendance is mandatory for all officers. Now, onto your assignments for today…"

Bogo handed out the assignments one by one. Of course, as was usual, Nick and Judy were the last ones to receive theirs.

"Hopps, Wilde, a bit of change for you today. Precinct Three were in desperate need of an experienced officer to replace Kellaway, so I had to transfer one of ours there. Precinct Two in the Rainforest district have agreed to spare an officer as replacement, but he's a rookie, just joined a week ago, by the name of 'Kevin Leggett'. He should be arriving here soon. I'm assigning him to you two. I want you two to show him the ropes, show him how we do things here at Precinct One, and take him with you on your patrols. In short, train him. Do you think you can handle it, Corporal?" He asked, specifically addressing Judy.

"Absolutely sir! You can count on us."

"Yep, we'll whip him into shape for ya." Nick followed. Coming from him, that didn't sound very assuring to Bogo, who groaned and rolled his eyes before dismissing them, praying that he wouldn't regret this decision.

Outside in the lobby, the pair waited for their new arrival, choosing to spend the time conversing with Clawhauser at his desk, made all the more difficult by the constant noise of the construction work taking place nearby. Nobody was happy with the commotion, but it was probably a sign of an improvement to the station so they endured it. After a while, the three spotted an officer they didn't recognise entering the station. It was a grey-furred lynx, wearing large round spectacles, about the same size as Nick, and a very nervous looking one at that. He timidly walked to the middle of the lobby and stood there awkwardly, looking here and there at his surroundings and the other mammals around.

"Ten bucks says that's our guy." Nick began.

"No bets, I'd agree." Judy answered as the two walked over to him.

"Hi there! You must be officer Kevin Leggett. Welcome to Precinct One. I'm Corporal Judy Hopps and this is my partner officer Nick Wilde. You're gonna be with us for a while."

"Uh… y-yes ma'am! Officer Leggett reporting for d-duty ma'am!" He blurted out, immediately standing at attention and giving her a salute, all the while trembling uncontrollably. Nick barely contained his laugh, ending up sniggering instead, and Judy was left bewildered.

"Um… okay… well, it's great to have you on board, Kevin." She finished awkwardly, though trying to be as nice as possible.

"At ease there Private Panicky, no one's gonna court-martial you here." Nick grinned, with Judy glaring sideways at him.

"S-sorry sir. I-I can be a little nervous at times. On top of that, I-I wasn't even adjusted back in Precinct Two and I've b-been transferred here. T-this is a bit… o-overwhelming for me." He replied, still shaking slightly.

"So… you've always had the shakes?" Nick asked, to which he nodded.

"How the heck did you even pass the police induction test?"

"You know, I've always wondered the same thing about you Nick." Judy countered, earning an annoyed frown from Nick.

"Anyway, Leggett is a member of Precinct One now and it's our job to get him adjusted." She continued, then turned her attention back to the lynx. "So follow us and we'll show you around."

"Uh… b-by the way, i-if you don't mind me asking, what's all that noise? I-Its making me nervous."

"Oh, yeah we've had some construction work going on since the past week. I heard they're expanding the station with a new wing, as well as building a helipad on the roof." Judy answered as she led him further in.

"Better get used to the noise pal, I think it's gonna be a while before they're done." Nick added.

"Oh hey, you haven't met Clawhauser yet, let me introduce you to him…" Judy piped up.


Meanwhile

Eli once again found himself navigating the jungle within Shere Khan's office. This was his second visit so far, the first being the one on his first day here, though he had come to know that Mr. Khan didn't call mammals up to his office that often, very much preferring his privacy and solitude. He found the tiger at his desk working on his laptop and walked up to him, stopping right in front.

"You called for me, Mr. Khan?"

"Yes, indeed I did. Have a seat, dear boy." He replied, though his attention was still focused on his work. Eli sat down as instructed, patiently waiting for him to continue.

"Now then, how are we today?" He finally continued after a moment, looking up from his laptop to Eli.

"As fine as can be, sir."

"And how are you finding your training? Everything going well?"

"Admittedly, it's a bit exhausting. But on the plus side, I'm picking up a lot of interesting things."

"Wonderful to hear that. I receive regular reports about your progress, and you've been learning fast and performing well. Your instructors are quite pleased with you, as am I."

"Thank you sir." Eli smiled.

"Which is why I feel that you're ready to take on something a little more challenging. I'm sending you out into the field." Khan revealed. This immediately wiped the smile off of Eli's face.

"B-but sir, my training isn't finished yet. And the equipment isn't ready either."

"I'm aware of that, and I have already taken those factors into consideration. You won't need them for this operation. The skills you possess should be more than enough."

"… Alright sir, if you say so. So what do you need me to do?"

"A simple retrieval task." Khan said, as he picked up a remote from his desk drawer and pressed a button on it. It caused a TV screen to emerge from the floor behind him. Another button press and the image of what seemed to be a beautifully coloured and brilliantly cut red gem appeared on the screen. Khan turned around in his chair to face the screen as he spoke.

"This is the 'Blood Diamond'. Don't be fooled by the name though, it's basically an oversized and very valuable ruby. It was discovered in the nation of Kusari, located in the far east, in ancient times by the natives, who named it as such since they hadn't previously encountered rubies and had no word for it in their language. The gem holds a significant place in Kusari history, as it was for a long time passed from emperor to emperor as a symbol of their power. However, years ago the gem was stolen and the culprit never found. Despite their best efforts, the authorities could not find it again, and the gem was considered forever lost… that is, until today." Khan paused and pressed the button again, changing to the next slide, which showed a photograph of a finely dressed panda.

"This is Mr. Napoleon Hwong from Kusari, a supposed 'businessmammal' and an avid collector of antiquities. Background information on him reveals he left his country shortly after the Blood Diamond was stolen. Coincidence? I think not. He's been hiding in Zootopia avoiding capture by posing as a businessmammal running a company for the last few years. We believe he has the ruby in his possession and is planning to auction it off at a secret meeting at the Palm Oasis hotel. This may be the only opportunity we have to retrieve the gem before we lose it forever. Your objective is to 'liberate' the ruby from Mr. Hwong's filthy paws and bring it back here so we can return it to the Kusaris."

"Wait, why haven't the police moved in on him in all these years?" Eli asked.

"As far as they are concerned, Hwong's business practices here are perfectly legal, and they are unaware of what he had done in his home country. The police aren't even aware of the existence of the ruby or its significance, so they can't really arrest him if they don't know what he has stolen."

"I see. So, the Palm Oasis huh? I've passed by it often, but only saw it from the outside. Dad said we're too poor to 'defile it's luxuriously sacred grounds and offend it's vastly opulent patronage'. He always had a way with words." Eli chuckled.

"Well then, consider yourself lucky. You've won yourself a one-night stay at one of the luxury suites, all expenses paid by me. So have fun and enjoy. But remember you have work to do there as well."

"And how am I gonna go about this? I doubt I could just waltz in there and take the thing."

"Absolutely not. You're going to have to get creative about this. You're not alone however, we will provide whatever assistance we can. Firstly, you'll need to be able to mingle among the guests, for which my tailor will provide you with a fine suit. You will also have the use of my limousine and chauffeur, who will drop you off and pick you up the next day. The hotel's receptionist is also working for us, and of course, Anya will be your coordinator, monitoring your progress in the background and providing guidance where needed.

Once you reach the hotel, contact the receptionist. He will inform you of Hwong's suite number and provide you with a small case with a hidden compartment to store the ruby. Once you find your room, you're free to spend the day however you wish, but remember to find the time to scout out Hwong's room and routine, and any possible ways you can obtain the ruby. Try to make your move at night, it's the safest option. It is likely by the next morning Hwong will raise the alarm, so you should exfiltrate before noon. Once you've left, the receptionist has access to the security room and will assist Anya in altering any security camera footage of you. Afterwards, he will remove your name from the guestbook along with any other evidence of your stay before the police arrive. To ensure your anonymity, you'll be staying there under a false name, which will also double as the password for the receptionist to recognise you."

"Okay, got it. And when do I leave for the hotel?"

"Tomorrow, first thing in the morning when you get here and change into your new suit. And remember to speak with Anya before you leave today. She will discuss further details with you. Now, do you have any other questions?"

"None that I can think of at the moment."

"Then that is all. You may return to your work." Khan finished, retrieving an elegant and expensive looking pipe and tobacco from his desk drawer and placing it into the pipe, then lighting it up with a match, smoking away casually as he reclined in his chair. Eli observed for a moment as he got up slowly, realising he had never actually seen anyone smoking a pipe in his life. Who even did that in this day and age? As he turned around and left, the tiger watched him carefully, as if thinking something. Shortly after he left, Khan pressed the button on his desk phone to connect to Anya's office. Immediately her voice came through from the other side.

"Yes Mr. Khan?"

"Have the brothers arrived?"

"Yes they're here Mr. Khan."

"Send them up to my office. I need to have a word with them."

"At once sir."

A while later, Khan's office doors opened to allow two nearly identical looking cheetahs in. Reaching Khan's desk, they saw him standing further back next to his window, staring out at the scenery outside, his back towards them, paws behind his back and his tail twitching in an agitated manner. He was holding a rolled up newspaper in one paw.

"How may we be of service sir?" One of them spoke, announcing their presence. Khan didn't move or turn to regard them at all, continuing to stare out the window.

"Come closer." He said simply. This confused the cheetahs, but they obeyed and stepped past the large desk until they were a few feet away from him.

"Closer." He insisted again. The two smaller cats gave each other looks and hesitated, but eventually took a few more steps until they were almost right behind him. In what felt like a flash, the tiger roared, swiftly spun around and smacked the cheetahs across from the right. His paw impacted both cats, claws unsheathed, and with enough strength to send them flying back and on the floor.

"You utter imbeciles! Do you realise what you've done?!" Khan roared, absolutely furious. The cheetahs cowered on the floor as he took a few steps closer until he was looming over them. The right one had taken the full impact of Khan's paw, and so sported four scars from his claws on his left cheek, while the other one took the lesser impact resulting in only two scars on the left side of his muzzle. Khan flung the newspaper he was carrying at the two cats. It unrolled after smacking them, allowing them to glance at the headline written in bold on the front page. 'ZPD mourns it's first loss in years.' It read.

"Not only did you fail in your mission, you killed a police officer!" He emphasised with bared teeth. The brothers could only mewl and tremble in fear, until one of them gathered enough courage to speak.

"B-but we… we had to!... He was following us… we couldn't r-risk him-"

"Have you idiots looked at yourself in the mirror lately?! You two are cheetahs! You should've had no issues outrunning him!" Khan countered. The brothers remained speechless.

"That firearm you've been issued is not a bloody toy! I gave it to you for a specific purpose, and you end up using it to shoot, of all the bloody mammals in the world, a police officer!" Khan snarled. The brothers didn't speak for fear of retribution. The tiger sighed out his remaining frustration and buried his face in his paw, his head shaking.

"This is going to complicate matters. The police will be more involved in the investigation now that it's a personal matter for them. My worry is that this could end up placing me in their spotlights. All my efforts into staying discreet could potentially be ruined thanks to this one incident. I'll have to be much more careful in the future." He moved to his chair and sat down while the cheetahs picked themselves up and cautiously moved to stand in front of his desk, their scars dripping fresh blood onto it.

"I would have gutted you two if you weren't valuable assets to Vanguard. However, I am revoking your firearm privileges. From now on you'll be going in unarmed. Consider those scars a reminder not to get on my bad side. Disappoint me again, and I'll aim for your throats next time. Now get out of my sight!" He finished. The cheetahs said nothing and simply obeyed, leaving the angered tiger alone. Khan noticed the spots of blood on his desk and wiped them off, staring at his now red stained paw, then proceeded to lick the blood clean off of it. The taste was satisfying, pandering to the wilder primal predator within him.


Later

Eli heard the main door of the house opening and immediately brightened up. As expected, a particular uniformed bunny entered past the doorway of the living room, followed by a familiar fox, although the man noticed both of them were a little less cheerful than they usually were. Their expressions changed upon seeing him sitting on the couch however.

"Oh, Eli! You're back early today. How are you sweetie? Everything fine at work?" Judy smiled as she and Nick walked up to and hugged their son.

"I'm good mom. Just the usual day at work." He answered, after returning the hug. "Although, just to let you guys know, we're lagging behind on our project, so I've been asked to stay the night there tomorrow to get in some extra work hours and catch up. So yeah, I won't be coming back home tomorrow."

"That… seems kinda weird for an employer to keep his employees past their shift." Nick noted.

"I know, but on the plus side he did promise to pay us extra for the added hours." Eli finished, though Nick didn't seem entirely convinced but dropped the matter for now.

"What about you guys? How'd it go? You don't look as upbeat as usual. Rough day?" Eli asked.

"No honey, it's just that… well… an officer was killed on duty last night. The news came as a shock to all of us, since we haven't lost an officer in a very long time. We're going to attend his funeral tomorrow." Judy sighed.

"Oh… gosh, mom… I'm… I'm really sorry..." Eli apologised, and was immediately struck with a tinge of worry as he remembered his parents were also in the same profession and had just as much chance to go. He didn't even want to think of the prospect of what he would do if something happened to… no... he shoved even the very beginnings of such thoughts aside.

"It's alright Eli. I suppose that kind of risk, however small, does come with the job." Judy consoled, stroking his arm.

"What happened anyway? How'd he die?"

"Details aren't all that clear, but his partner said he heard a loud bang, and arrived to find the officer with a hole in his chest."

This immediately rung a bell in Eli's mind and he was lost in thought for a moment.

"A bang… and a hole…" he muttered.

"What?" Nick questioned, snapping the young man out of his trance.

"Uh… n-nothing dad. I'm just… uh… shocked at the news myself. Anyways, I better go and get ready for dinner." He declared, then went off to his room. Nick and Judy watched him leave before Nick spoke up.

"You ever feel like something weird is going on with that kid?"

"He's probably just stressed out, Nick. After all, he has to stay the night at his workplace, and he just learned of an officer's death. Not exactly things you'd be relaxed about."