Chapter 5: The World Doesn't Want Us/A Casual Conversation Between Prey And Predator Police Officers


WARNING: Mild gore warning, implied physical and verbal child abuse, discrimination/racism.


It had been one year since Arie and Alex had met at the orphanage. Ever since then, the two had formed a very intimate bond with each other, considering each other their true family. Alex stood up for her and protected her from any bullying, and shared his food with her when the cafeteria refused to give her food on account of her being a predator/prey hybrid.

They were practically inseparable from each other, hardly ever being in separate rooms of the orphanage unless one of them had to use the bathroom. They played games, drew, wrote stories together… for the first time in his life, Alex felt happy. He finally had someone to care for, someone who actually gave a damn about him, and someone he would put his life on the line for.

The kind of love they felt for each other was akin to that of a sibling's; they treated each other as brother and sister. And Alex would move mountains for his tiger-bunny little sister. One such time he did so was shortly after she had lost several of her teeth. It all happened on one single, fateful evening, after everyone had gone to sleep…

Alex woke up to the smell of blood, and the sound of crying. "Oh god, oh god, oh god!" He heard Arie's voice squeal. Alex ran up to her bed and saw the crimson-stained sheets, and the blood on her paws. She was frantically running her paws across the inside of her mouth, crying as she felt her teeth missing. Her face was covered in the crimson liquid. Many of the animals were now waking up and seeing this, terrified. "M-MONSTER! SHE ATE JIMMY!" One of them shrieked. Jimmy was the kangaroo joey who slept in the bed next to Arie.

Alex knew that Arie hadn't harmed anyone, however; it wasn't in her nature, and all of the blood that he could smell with his canine nose was distinctly Arie's. "Arie, we have to get you help!" Alex cried out. "She doesn't need help! She's a monster!" Another orphan yelled. They started throwing pillows at Arie, and Alex knew they had to get out of there fast, before the situation escalated into a physical altercation.

Though Arie was the sweetest and kindest cub in the orphanage, many treated her poorly due to her hybrid nature, and if they hurt her… well, she would attack back in kind, and she was extremely aggressive when her instincts turned to fight. Alex scooped Arie up into his arms and ran out of the building with her, the bunny/tiger hybrid wrapping her arms tightly around his stomach.

Running through the streets, Alex knew there was an urgent care facility that was open at this time of night, and hurried there. There wasn't much time left. He knew from watching his father butchering innocent animals that if Arie didn't get to a doctor soon, she would run the risk of bleeding out.

There was almost no one at the medicare center, just a young lemur who was sitting at the front desk wearing a white lab coat. "She needs help! NOW!" Alex snarled as he burst through the doors, carrying a sobbing and sniffling Arie. The lemur doctor was jolted awake, startled by the sudden entry. Then the smell of blood hit his nostrils, and he leapt to his feet. "What's her symptoms?" He asked, before realizing the animal who brought this strange hybrid in was a very young wolf pup. "In simpler terms, what's the cause of her bleeding? Please tell me she didn't attack anyone." The lemur doctor said, rephrasing his question in such a fashion that it would be understood by Alex.

"I… I'm not sure, doctor. I woke up and she was bleeding from the mouth. Her entire bedsheet was stained crimson… she's lost a lot of blood. And she's not the kind of animal who would bite someone without proper reason." Alex answered. The doctor nodded his head, getting a flashlight and shining it in Arie's mouth. Arie gripped Alex's paw tightly, and he squeezed it back for reassurance. "I've seen a few cases like this before… you're lucky that I've got prior experience with hybrid patients, especially of the predator and prey mix variety. She's teething." The doctor told Alex.

"Is she going to be okay?" Alex worriedly asked. The doctor nodded. "She should be fine. Did anyone see her bleeding?" The doctor asked. Alex cringed, remembering a ton of the orphanage children had seen her bleeding and they believed that she had attacked someone. "Y-yeah… they thought she had attacked someone." Alex sadly said.

"I would say don't go back there… but if you don't have a home, then I say you should." The doctor advised. Alex looked at Arie, and he thought about the nonstop bullying that she had been a victim of for being a hybrid. The next morning, Arie looked back at Alex. "If we don't go back, we'll never get adopted…" Arie sadly said.

"Arie… I don't think we'll ever get adopted. No one wants us. We're outcasts, rejects. We'll be better off on the streets. Come on, sis." Alex said as he lifted her up in his arms, and they walked out of the doctor's office together.


Present day, Zootopia Police Department…


"How's Sheila, Clawhauser?" Alex asked. Sheila was Clawhauser's daughter who lived in the distant town of Cherryton. "She's good! She just joined the drama club at the academy, she's putting those dancing skills of hers to use!" Clawhauser enthusiastically answered. "Hi!" A female voice suddenly piped up. Alex looked down and Clawhauser peered over his desk to see the gray rabbit officer in her uniform.

"Oh! My! Goodness! They really DID hire a bunny! Heh heh! I gotta say, you are even cuter than I thought you'd be!" Clawhauser exclaimed, letting his flabby cheeks rest on his paws. "CLAWHAUSER!" Alex hissed, knowing that she would take offense to being called 'cute'. Many years of observing other animals while living on the streets had taught him that it was a general rule to not call animals outside of your own species 'cute'. Judy winced in response.

"Ooh, uh, you probably didn't know, but a bunny can call another bunny cute, but when other animals do it, it's a little…" Judy said. Clawhauser's eyes widened. "I am SO sorry!" The cheetah exclaimed, extremely sorry for stereotyping her like that. Judy smiled. "It's okay. And it's nice to meet you." She told the cheetah.

"Judy, glad to finally see you here at the ZPD. I've been waiting for this. I think you'll do many good things for the ZPD." Alex remarked, smiling at her. Judy smiled back at him. "Really? How so?" The bunny excitedly asked. "Your positive energy is rather infectious. I think you'll lift the spirits of the whole department with that positive can-do attitude of yours." Alex told her.

"I wonder what my first assignment will be?" Judy wondered. Alex chuckled in response. "Reel your expectations in, rookie. You're likely going to get something much more mundane for your first assignment, like parking duty. New recruits ALWAYS get parking duty for their first day on the job; Bogo's been doing that for years." Alex told her.

Judy's ears drooped a little in disappointment. "Then how am I going to make the world a better place?" Judy asked. Alex put a paw on her shoulder reassuringly. "Cheer up, rookie. I'm sure you'll find a way to help someone during your shift." Alex assured her. He then motioned for the new recruit to follow him. "Come on! Bogo's about to give out assignments for the day!" Alex urgently said.