Hello dear readers! At least those of you who are still around and interested in the story. Hope you're all doing well. Its been a while since the last update, and I'm sorry for keeping you guys waiting, but a combination of real life, writer's block and procrastination has slowed things down much more than I would have liked. I have lesser time to work on the story than I would like, so I'm sorry to say that updates are going to be very slow. I was holding off on posting this chapter until I could make significant progress on chapter 13, but I feel its been long enough already. Anyway, I hope this chapter will keep you guys sated till I can finish with the next one, hopefully soon. Enjoy.

Later at Precinct One

Bogo massaged his temple as he studied the two patrol reports laid out on his desk, one written by Nick and the other by Kevin, of their patrol together. What confounded Bogo was that the two reports chronicled the same events, but in vastly different ways. For example, one line Bogo read in Kevin's report stated;

"Was ordered by officer Wilde to fire on the perpetrator while he was using a hostage as a shield. Did not fire due to high risk of injury to the hostage."

The same event in Nick's report read;

"Ordered the rookie to take out the perp. Rookie did not fire, even upon repeated instruction, forcing me to take the shot instead. Rookie disobeyed a direct order, risked a hostage's safety and showed hesitation in taking action during a serious situation. Recommend rookie be scheduled for disciplinary action and further combat training."

"Wilde…" Bogo groaned. He had known Nick long enough to know that his reports weren't exactly… 'accurate'. He needed to speak to him about this. There was a knock at his door that Bogo was expecting. "Come in!" He responded. Nick entered, followed by Kevin, and they stood side by side before Bogo's desk.

"You called for us chief?" Nick asked.

"Yes. Could either of you explain to me what the hell happened out there?" Bogo growled.

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Nick replied.

"Elaborate."

"W-Well sir…" Kevin continued "… we encountered a mugger attempting to steal a lady's purse in a back alley. When we confronted him, he t-took her hostage threatening her with a knife. Officer Wilde instructed me to approach and distract the p-perp while he snuck into the building behind to flank the perp from one of the windows. He couldn't get a c-clear shot so he gave me the signal to fire, but I was afraid I'd hit the hostage so I didn't fire, and officer Wilde had to reposition to shoot him. I'm… I'm really s-sorry for not shooting sir, but I was so worried that I could… I-I might have…"

"No, its alright Leggett, you did the right thing." Bogo assured, leaving Nick shocked at his response.

"He 'did the right thing'? How? If he had fired, he could've ended it sooner than it did!" Nick protested. The way Kevin's ears drooped suggested he felt Nick's words, but he decided not to challenge his superior. Bogo frowned and glared at the fox.

"Leggett, you're dismissed, I'll debrief you later. I need to have a word with Wilde." Bogo said. The trembling lynx complied, saluting the chief before leaving the office. Moments after the door had shut, the chief spoke up again, this time louder than before.

"Wilde, what in god's name do you think you're doing?!" He yelled, leaving the fox puzzled. "You've violated more regulations on this one patrol than most officers do in their entire career!"

"Like what exactly?" Nick asked. Bogo quickly browsed through the reports.

"Well first off, the two of you attempted to take on a hostage situation alone when regulations require at least two patrols, that's four officers, to safely resolve this."

"Hey, I said we could handle it! Besides, waiting for another patrol to get there would've wasted time and allowed the perp to escape." Nick countered.

"Additionally you ordered officer Leggett to confront the perp, whereas regulations state that rookies under training are only to be used for support roles until their training is complete."

"Well the kid is gonna be a real cop anyways soon, right? He'll be doing all this stuff on his own one day so why not prepare him for it? And besides, whats the point of having a partner if they're just gonna sit around and watch?"

"Thats what the first regulation is there for, so you'll have two other officers supporting you incase the third is a rookie. On top of that, you ordered the insufficiently trained rookie to fire on a perp using a hostage as a shield, and then blame him for hesitating. What if he had accidentally shot the hostage?"

"The guy was a freaking bear! That hostage wasn't protecting him all that much. Even a mole who's never fired a gun before could score a hit!"

"And finally, you left a rookie all alone in charge of a hostage situation with a potentially dangerous suspect while you attempted to flank said suspect."

"It was only for a few minutes until I got into position!"

"Things can easily go horribly wrong in a matter of a few minutes, Wilde. I would expect you to have learned that in your time in the force." Bogo finished. Nick stayed silent for a few moments.

"Okay look, I'm sorry for not following the rules to the letter, but I did what I could to end the situation. Maybe if Judy was still there with me and not, you know, 'reassigned' elsewhere, she'd have done everything by the book." Nick ended in a bit of an accusing tone with his arms crossed. Bogo sighed.

"Ugh, not this shit again, we've been over this already Wilde!" He groaned. "I've already got my hooves full with a heist and a homicide for which we have almost no useful leads whatsoever and the public and city hall are breathing down my neck for answers! Dealing with your crap is the last thing I need right now!" He yelled slamming his fist on his desk.

"I understand you and Hopps have almost always been together on your assignments, and yes, I realise you have… 'intimate' relations with her as well, but I think you need a reality check here. The force DOES NOT CARE for such things. Assignments are given based on rank, capability, availability and the force's requirements. Currently the force needs officers like Hopps to shape the less experienced rookies into capable ZPD officers, which means you'll have to make do with Leggett at certain times. My advice to you is to get rid of the habit of leaning on Hopps's shoulders all the time, both literally and figuratively, and try to be your own officer if you want to advance up the ranks. And try taking things in a positive light. Get to know Leggett better. He may be inexperienced… and a tad nervous… but he seems eager and willing. Train him properly, and he might make a better partner than you thought."

"Not meaning to doubt your keen eye chief, but haven't you noticed? The guy's an absolute train wreck! I've never seen any officer like him on the force, and I don't mean that in a good way!"

"I could say the same about you too, Wilde. Yet, here you are. Perhaps this is actually a good thing, you can finally feel my pain and suffering." Bogo countered with a slightly satisfied smirk. "Now I've already wasted enough time and patience with you, I've got other things to do. You're dismissed." He finished. Nick opened his muzzle to protest, but chose not to push the issue any further. Oooh how he hated it when the chief got the upper paw on him! Instead, he just balled his fists in frustration before he left.

A few days later...

Eli entered the familiar environment of Khan's office, once again summoned to the service of the feline. No matter how many times he came here, it was just as intimidating as always, like a beautiful hidden jungle that held all the wonders of nature yet also many forms of traps and dangers for the unwary trespasser. Only this time, there was the faint sound of someone playing a piano somewhere. It was a pleasant tune although one he hadn't heard before. Then again Eli didn't listen to piano music all that much. He couldn't pinpoint the source as the sound seemed to echo within the vastness of the office and the jungle within. Traversing the jungle section, he arrived at the end where Khan's desk was located, only to find that the tiger wasn't sitting on his chair. Curious, he looked around, but saw no sign of him.

"Uh… M-Mr. Khan?" He called out. As soon as he did, the piano music playing in the background stopped.

"Upstairs. Use the elevator." Came a faint reply from the familiar voice before the piano music resumed playing. It was only then that Eli looked up and noticed the balcony and walkway close to the roof of the office. Apparently there was another floor up there, perhaps part of the hundredth floor Anya had mentioned where the tiger had his personal quarters. Eli had to look further to the side of the office to find the elevator. It was a small one, just enough for one or two mammals, and had a keypad next to it that required a passcode to unlock it, although the green light indicated that it was already unlocked. The young man stepped in, pushed the button and ascended to the upper floor balcony, using the walkway to reach the nearby doorway. The further he went, the louder the piano music became, until it was clear as day once he entered the room beyond.

This room was large and spacious, with tall bookshelves lining most of its walls, full of books of all manner of subjects. Some comfy looking sofas, chairs and tables were arranged in certain places, as well as a large desk comparable to the one in Khan's office with its own chair. On the other side of the room in a spacious clearing, Eli found the source of the music: a grand piano being played by none other than Khan himself. He walked over and stood behind and to the side of the tiger, noticing how his ear swiveled in his direction as he approached. Khan was aware of his presence, but continued playing while Eli listened until the song ended a few moments later.

"Nicely done." Eli commented.

"Thank you." Came Khan's reply.

"Didn't know you could play the piano so well. Haven't heard this tune before though."

"Oh I imagine you haven't as I composed it myself. I've had plenty of practice as I have been playing since my youth. Piano was always my favorite, it has a certain elegance in the notes. Would you like to give it a try?" The tiger offered, making room on the bench for him. Eli didn't have the faintest idea about playing the piano, so he didn't know why he agreed to the offer, but regardless he sat down next to Khan and placed his hands on the keys where Khan's paws guided them to play the correct keys. It was only then that Eli really noticed how large they were compared to his hands. In fact, sitting this close to him, he could truly appreciate the size of the tiger. As if he wasn't intimidating enough from further away, this proximity could easily instill instinctual fear in any mammal.

"I… I think I'm gonna need a lot more practice before I get anywhere." He chuckled once the 'lesson' was over.

"Of course. Mastering any musical instrument is a long journey of patience and persistence in itself." He stated as he stood up and headed for his desk on the other side of the room with Eli in tow. "But lets return to the business at paw, shall we? I have an assignment for you that will be a bit more challenging than your last assignment. You will need the full use of your equipment as well as the skills taught to you during your training. Are you confident you're up for the task?"

"I'm sure I can handle it sir."

"Excellent, thats what I like to hear." Khan said as he sat down at his desk. "We've been monitoring the activities of a businessmammal by the name of Leon Ortega. We're suspicious he's got something dirty up his sleeve but we're not sure exactly what it is as he's very good at covering his tracks. However, lately we've discovered he keeps a record of his transactions in a special encrypted laptop that he keeps locked away in a vault located in the Bank of Zootopia. Your objective is to infiltrate the bank, gain entry into the vault, access the laptop and recover the information. Anya will be your coordinator of course. You will be given a remote uplink device that will allow her to hack into the laptop. Additionally, a few days ago I made a deposit in one of the bank's lockers of a case containing a special set of tools you will need to access the vault. You'll probably need a security guard's card to access the locker vault. Once you've obtained it, procure the bank manager's keycard and the treasurer's keycard. Both are required to unlock the main vault. Once inside, find the laptop, attach the uplink device, remove it once Anya is done, dispose of the tools, then leave. Oh, and do try to avoid the temptation to steal anything in there, we're not thieves after all." He finished with a smirk.

"Alright, when do I leave?"

"We will be finished with preparations by tonight. Meanwhile you can use the time to practice employing your new tools. Speak with Anya first, she will give you the details, then feel free to head downstairs to the workshop when you're ready." Khan said. Eli nodded, stood up to leave and began making his way towards the entrance.

"Oh and… if you're ever interested in further piano lessons, come visit me anytime I'm off. I'll be happy to tutor you. It would also help take my mind off of the daily stresses of management as well." The tiger called out from behind, grinning.

"Uh… thank you for the offer Mr. Khan." Eli replied before continuing on. Khan watched him leave with a smile. He silently wondered if he was getting soft. He never recalled being this friendly with any of his employees before, but there was just something about Eli that made him such a lovable person, and even Khan had to admit to himself that he was growing rather fond of the boy.