"There are demons in all of us. Sometimes, you have to confront them and let them loose to find your place." - Peter Mullan
1:00 A.M ; Precinct One...
It had been roughly three hours since the ZPD's Precinct One had infiltrated the warehouse of the Sahara-Square's topmost ranking criminal leader, Shahaz the Stinger.
Upon arriving back at the ZPD head-quarters, chief Bogo and officer McHorn (wearing a pair of oven mitts) dragged the struggling pangolin straight to the interrogation room: There were answers to be had, and the chief had already ordered both Nick and Judy to be the ones who would try to get them. Meanwhile, the fox and bunny alike were preparing for their interrogation session: The two of them stood outside the lone door that separated them from the Pangolin, and were pondering the questions that they would pose.
All the while, Nick himself couldn't help but notice Judy's twitching and cloth-banded paw. It was pretty clear to the fox that she was trying hard not to think about the pain that she was feeling, but he knew that she was a tough bunny: If anyone could handle a scratch like that, it would be her.
But still, that did not stop the fox from inquiring about her current state.
"Hey, Carrots, how's the paw holdin' up, huh?"
The bunny glanced over with a pair of raised ears and a single twitch of her nose. Despite their rather serious situation, she had a victorious smirk plastered on her muzzle.
"It'll take more than a few sharpened shingles and a pair of claws to bring down this bunny, mind you!"
The bunny's bandaged paw had been stitched up by medical officials at the scene of the raid, but admittedly, it still itched with a slight stinging sensation whenever she tried to use it effectively. She didn't let Nick see that much, though.
Soon enough, the chief leaned around a nearby corner and called out to the two tiny officers.
"Hopps! Wilde!" The buffalo grunted, knocking his knuckles on the wall in an effort to get their attention. "He's ready for you."
Both fox and bunny looked to one another instantaneously, and an agreeable nod surfaced, along with a few smiles. Nick flicked open his favorite pair of shades before resting them atop his muzzle, opening the iron-barred door for Judy and stepping inside after her.
The fox took to examining his new environment, even though he knew what to expect: One metal-plated table in the center of the small room, with a total of two chairs on opposing sides of the table. The table's surface was free of clutter, with the only connection being the pair of cuffed paws that rested upon its surface. Shahaz sat down in the chair on the opposing side of the table, slouching glumly over the edge and staring with anger at the two officers who had just entered. His claws had been dulled, and were cuffed together so as to restrict movement.
Since practically his entire body was a hazard, the officers that had cuffed and placed him in the security room had taken to going as far as to cuff his legs and even his tail to the chair and table, with specially designed hand-cuffs that could wrap around pretty much any sized width.
Nick did notice one thing in particular, though: One thing that should not have been necessary.
The Pangolin's snout was tightly clamped shut with a barbed muzzle: The kind that they used on the most aggressive predator criminals and suspects. As far as Nick recalled, Pangolins didn't even have teeth, despite the fact that they were still predatory by qualification; so the muzzle was completely unnecessary. The fox could easily tell that the muzzle must've been both tight and uncomfortable, since Shahaz scratched at it with his own shoulder scales, and even used his long tongue in an attempt to readjust it. Upon closer inspection, the fox noticed that the muzzle's barbs were being pushed beneath the scales on Shahaz's neck, face, and shoulders, where they poked at the sensitive flesh beneath them.
Staring in bewilderment at the sloppiness of the way that the muzzle was put on, Nick came to a sudden realization that made his stomach churn with disgust. This was purposeful abuse.
Nick locked eyes with Shahaz as he strutted over to the Pangolin and undid his muzzle, which was slipped off of his head and tossed into the corner of the room. Nick then looked into the blackened one-way window, glaring harshly at whoever was inside. His expression was that of disgust and anger, for he knew that someone had ordered this.
Soon enough, the monitor up in one of the corners of the roof buzzed to life.
"WILDE! PUT THE MUZZLE BACK ON HIM, NOW!" Bogo's voice thundered.
The fox stared into the blackness of the one-way window, knowing that Bogo was in there somewhere, watching his every move. He shouted out loudly in retaliation;
"With all do respect sir, that muzzle was not only completely unnecessary, but was purposefully equipped in a way to cause pain to the prisoner!"
There was a deafening silence for a count of five seconds, and then without warning, Chief Bogo resurfaced on the intercom.
"Proceed." Was all that he said before the buzzing subsided and the silence returned.
"Thank you. That was very... Considerate of you to do, officer." A flaky voice muttered from behind.
Turning himself around and facing its source, Nick saw Shahaz, still sitting in his chair like he was before; With the only difference this time being that his muzzle had been removed. The fox calmed himself down and took a few deep breaths before walking up to the secondary chair, and turning its seat away from the table. He sat down and rested his arms on the top of the chair's metal back, and faced Shahaz once again. While doing so, he caught a quick glance at Judy, who had positioned herself right behind Shahaz, though still out of reach of his barbed tail, which slowly swung from left to right just a few short inches off of the floor.
Nick didn't know what to expect, really: Some interrogations could take hours on end. For all he knew, they could be here until noon of tomorrow.
He started with the very basest question that he had on him;
"Alright Sharp-Stuff," Nick began, causing the Pangolin to let out a small chuckle. "Spill for us: What's your deal with Jack Savage, and Vladzotz?"
The question seemed to take Shahaz by surprise, but he soon recomposed himself and answered calmly;
"Ah, now how do you know about Fangpyre? As far as I recall, he's been hiding out as of late. Apparently, everyone thinks he's dead. Again. How did you find out?"
The Pangolin leaned back in the chair and placed his cuffed paws on his lap, clearly pleased with himself judging by his gloating expression.
"That's none of your concern." Judy piped up from behind the Pangolin. "All you need to know is that we know you've been working with both him and Jack Savage. Explain."
Shahaz sighed heavily and slumped even further into his seat.
"Fine. I got nothing left to lose, anyways... For starters, well, I've been doing business with Vladzotz for years, at this point: My work with him is nothing new..."
He smiled slightly and stifled a hearty chuckle.
"Then, well... A few years back, we came into contact with this young and prideful rabbit. Mr. Savage had only just recently inherited his bank business, and was, to be frank, quite inexperienced. Naive. Ill-prepared for such a high-ranking position. We started small... Investors, fake accounts with messages in them. Eventually, we managed to meet with him, and from there, it was easy: We all struck a nice three-way deal. Jack allowed us to set up a shelled account to transport our profits through. That account eventually evolved into the Sahara-Square Sundries."
He tapped his dulled claws against the metal surface of the table for a few seconds, breathing in deep before exhaling and continuing his explanation;
"Savage must've gotten cocky, after some time. He became greedy and overconfident. He came to Vladzotz with a new proposition: Savage wanted a loan from him to sponsor and patronize a new emerging business. I forget what it was, but it flopped. Horribly. All of Vladzotz's money went down the drain, and Jack found himself backed into a corner. Jack, instead of telling Vlad, tried to execute a Ponzi-Scheme on him, and took money from the shelled account, thinking Vlad wouldn't notice. He did. If there's one thing I know for certain about Vladzotz, it's that he doesn't like being played or cheated: He hunted down Jack, and punished him for his lies. Vlad threatened to finish the job unless Jack paid back the money that he had lost. And ever since, Jack has been scrambling to repay the money that he owes to Vlad on a monthly basis."
"What about now? How'd that work out for him, huh?" Nick added hastily before Shahaz could continue.
"Well..." He hesitated momentarily. "Jack is irresponsible. He's been slow to act, but has still managed to pay back a good portion of what he lost."
"And what of Vladzotz?" Judy found herself asking, at which the notion of, caused the Pangolin to snort.
"For some time, he disappeared... And when he came back, something horrible had happened to him. His voice was a bit hoarser, one of his eyes was missing, his fur had been signed away, and his skin burned. He told me his story, but refused to explain everything in precise detail: All he said was that his house had caught fire, and burned to the ground with him in it..."
Judy looked up and locked eyes briefly with Nick. The both of them knew the answer to that, but they need not let Shahaz know. The Pangolin's voice spoke aloud more;
"He escaped though... His wings were badly burned, but he managed to flap away from the scene by hiding in the cloud of smoke that rose from the ruins... That was his claim. His voice was affected when he breathed in the flames, and the smoke that he hid in to escape certainly didn't help, either. He also lost an eye on the journey, too. Since then, his burns have healed, fur has grown back, and his voice is getting better, but I can tell that it was more than just his appearance that was altered in the fire."
Nick had been listening with intent ever since Shahaz had first opened his mouth: Shahaz was being incredibly cooperative, giving out all this helpful information.
It seemed a little too good to be true, but Nick didn't question the Pangolin's motives. He listened as the crime-lord continued;
"At the time, though, Vlad needed refuge, a safe haven, and some medical help. When I found him, he was half-dead on the spot. He'd flown all the way to our compound back at that old warehouse, and we took him in. His injuries weren't that bad, with the exception of his eye and some of the burns that he had received. We took him to a medical hospital, but spared the details. As soon as he was able to leave, Vladzotz assimilated himself into my mob, since his was no more. He recovered very quickly, and once he was able to fly again, the first thing he did was revisit Mr. Savage for their monthly business meeting. And from there, business has been business. That is all I have to tell you."
The fox had removed his sunglasses from his muzzle, and now dangled them loosely in his fingers as he stared at Judy from across the room. He noticed that the rabbit was staring at the Pangolin's back with a look of confusion. Since Shahaz had basically told them everything they needed to know for the moment, Nick took to asking one personal question of his own.
"Shahaz," He started softly, the Pangolin then raised his head and eyeing Nick suspiciously "What do those markings on your back stand for? Do they have a hidden meaning?"
The Pangolin chuckled deeply and shifted his weight in the chair before answering.
"You know... After all these years, you're the first mammal to ever ask me about them." He shrugged. "I see no problem in telling you, honestly."
Nick shook his head in approval, and momentarily spared a sideways glance at the black-tinted window to his left before training his gaze back on Shahaz, who was now talking;
"The symbols tell a story... An old story from the before times, when Zootopia had yet to erect its gleaming skyscrapers."
He hesitated briefly and flexed his back muscles, causing the rows of scales to ripple and shift around like tectonic plates.
"It's a common fable among Pangolin culture, and tells the tale of an unnamed Pangolin who was lost in the desert, but using the positions of the sun and stars, was able to find his way back home. Our species is so few in number, so I decided to forever have the story immortalized upon my scales."
Judy had repositioned herself aside Nick, who was now standing up. The two of them were at awe at the amount of information that they had learned: This was truly it. Now, all that was left was to get the arrest warrant for Jack printed out so that they could throw him behind bars.
"Thank you for your time, Shahaz." The bunny started before turning to Nick and whispering. "Let's go."
At that notion, Nick looked at the window and made a slit across his throat gesture in an attempt to symbolize that they were done here. Thankfully, they got the message, as the door soon unlatched and the fox and bunny pushed their way back into the hallway. There, Bogo was already waiting; Leaning up against a nearby wall with his meaty arms crossed and his muzzle brooding low.
Judy honestly thought that chief Bogo was going to tell off Nick for removing Shahaz's muzzle, but instead, he simply sighed, pinching the bridge that connected his nose to his forehead. Soon after, he leaned down and said aloud to the fox and bunny;
"You two did good work in there: That will be all for now. You've had a long night, so why don't you go back home and get some rest... You'll be needing it for tomorrow."
Nick and Judy looked to each-other and then back to the water-buffalo, who had begun walking away, but was stopped when Judy piped up for his attention.
"Chief Bogo! Um, do you want us to go back to Jack's building tomorrow, sir?" She asked with concern lacing her words.
"Don't worry Hopps... I'm sure you've just about had enough of him as I have, but just stick through it for one more day: By tomorrow morning, we should have the arrest warrant ready, and the two of you can drag him back to the station before noon. But be warned: We have reason to believe that Vladzotz might be there as well. Stay alert."
He was beginning to turn around again, but stopped mid-way and faced the bunny cop below him, singling her out before speaking.
"I recommend that you go in extra early, just to make sure that Jack doesn't try anything funny. It's only a matter of time before he finds out that one of his largest investors just got taken into police custody."
Judy gave a steadfast salute to the chief before he lumbered off in the direction of his office, disappearing behind a nearby wall.
After that, the fox and bunny did what they were told to: They went home. Gladly.
The drive back to their apartment complex had been a short one, as there were barely any cars on the streets at this time of night. Upon arriving back at their hotel, they promptly crashed, and became one with the folds of the mattress. Much to the great relief of both mammals, they had only one day left before they could finally move out of this hotel and back into their apartment, as crappy as it was.
Sleep came easy, as their minds were very much ready for well earned rest.
7:00 A.M ; Downtown Zootopia...
It wasn't often that she awoke this early to conduct business with Jack Savage. Her job hours were quite lenient, but she considered chief Bogo's idea of her going in extra early so as to keep Jack in line for when Nick came with the arrest warrant later that morning.
It was a good plan, and after preparing herself for her final day working under Jack Savage, she promptly set out for his building, intent on meeting with him one final time before he was ultimately sentenced to a near-lifetime of imprisonment at the Zootopian County Jailhouse.
She figured the least he deserved was a little bit of company and comfort beforehand... What could go wrong?
After leaving Nick with a smooch on his sleeping forehead, Judy immediately set out in search of a cab. Soon enough, she hailed one and off to Jack's building.
Eventually, she arrived at the foot of the complex. Stepping out after paying the cab-driver the respective fee, she promptly entered the lobby and did her usual take of the scene around her before beginning to make her way towards the elevator section at the far end of the lobby. The lobby was nearly completely deserted, and the only other mammals in the vicinity were the ones walking outside on the street, and the desk receptionist, of course, who Judy had just distanced herself from quite considerably.
Surprisingly enough, she spotted Jack rear around a nearby corner and set out towards the very same elevator that she was planning on taking. He didn't appear to notice her, as he kept his eyes trained forward as he talked audibly on his phone. His other paw was stuffed into one of his suit jacket's pockets, with a newspaper clutched in the space between his arm and his side.
Judy was about to call out to him, though she wasn't sure just why, exactly, as he did appear to be rather busy, and she didn't want to end up interrupting his call. However, a few choice words, along with Jack's seemingly agitated body language, caused her to hone in on his conversation. Seizing the chance to gather one last bit of evidence, she quickly pulled out her carrot-pen recorder and aimed it at Jack while thumbing down the button. She kept a good distance behind him: Without being seen, of course.
"You're joking... No. Are you sure?" He asked seriously, a period of silence following his question. Then, he spoke out once again, his voice dangerously rigid, but incredibly soft.
"Captured?" He hissed before quickly stammering his next few lines. "We need to lay low... They'll be after all three of us now, especially the bat."
Another brief period of silence in which Judy took the time to check to make sure her carrot-pen was still recording: Thankfully for her, it was. Jack's voice spoke out again;
"No, you should be fine... Those tossers at the ZPD shouldn't be able to retrace your part in all this: Not through our system, of course. And you do remember your part in all this, yes? I wouldn't want you to not uphold your end of the deal, Ratsputin. Just keep fiddling with the mayor for now... I'll talk to you when this whole thing blows off. Cheers."
The male rabbit finished his final sentence the exact second that the elevator doors closed shut, carrying him to his respective floor. Judy, who had been tailing and recording him all the way until he entered and left via elevator, was beyond ecstatic at the new information that she had just acquired. Smiling from ear-to-ear, she stared down at the recorder in her paw, twirling it between her fingers before tucking it away back into the folds of her dress's chest cavity.
As she waited for another elevator to return to the main lobby floor, she occupied her time by pondering the conversation that she had just recorded. Jack had mentioned a name: Ratsputin, he had said. It didn't ring any bells in Judy's head, but she made a mental note to ask Nick about it later on, given the fact that he knew many mammals just by their names alone.
Eventually, she managed to catch an elevator and hitch a ride to Jack's floor, which upon stepping foot inside, she immediately felt a peculiar sense of solitude: Sure, his floor was nearly isolated in comparison to the rest of the building, allowing Jack frivolous amounts of privacy. But this time, she felt as though this floor and its hallowed rooms were the only world she'd ever known.
Shaking her head from side to side and ridding herself of those menacing thoughts, the female bunny began her approach to Jack's large office, which was positioned near the end of the hall-way that she was currently walking down. Upon reaching its large and glossy wooden doors, she knocked twice and allowed herself to enter, closing the door cautiously behind her as she did. The whole room was dark, and she saw Jack standing by his alcohol compartment, which had been replaced with brand new bottles, since his temper-tantrum on the night that Vladzotz came had left him without any glasses to store his favorite drinks.
"Glad that you were considerate enough to come in early this morning, Alaina. I was actually hoping that you would, believe it or not." He muttered without facing her.
Jack lifted a glass of scotch and downed the entire thing before setting it back down atop the compartment, taking a few brief seconds to breathe and recompose himself.
"You know..." He mumbled, wiping at his mouth with the cuffs of his jacket. "I really appreciate all the good business that you and I have conducted over all this time, Alaina."
Surely enough, after he had gathered his bearings, he poured himself a second glass, which he drank just as quickly as the first one. He set the glass down and let out a wheezing spasm of coughs. Judy was about to edge closer, but noticed that he had his hand raised in a gesture of reassurance.
"I-I'm fine, just a little hard on the throat, that's all." He coughed again. "And to think, I still have yet to truly repay you for all the work that you've done for me... With me."
"Oh... Well, it's my job, sir. I'm just doing it according to your whims." Judy claimed with a warm smile, of which caused Jack to return in favor.
"See it as you like, my dear... But there is no denying the fact that you have done me a great service," He took her paws in his own. "Which is why it pains me to-"
He stuttered and came to a stop as he noticed the female bunny wince in discomfort and retract her paws from his. Judy looked down at her own paws and then back up at Jack's narrowing eyes. She suddenly realized that she had pulled away because Jack had touched her stitches, effectively causing her to retract on instinctual reaction.
"Oh, uh, sorry about that, sir. I-I just cut my hand the other day... It's nothing, really." She stammered quickly, watching with intent as Jack took a step closer.
He was now personally a little too close for comfort to Judy, who didn't exactly have anywhere to go, as she was near-backed up against a wall. With pursed lips, Jack looked her up and down with his piercing blue eyes, eventually setting them upon her own purple ones.
"May I see, Alaina?" He requested calmly, his muzzle adorned with a slight smile. "I'd at least like to know how my favorite secretary got herself hurt!"
Judy hesitated at first, but she admittedly didn't see any harm in letting Jack take a look at her wound. She raised her injured paw and presented it to him; Opening her fingers wide so that he could easily see the scratch mark. Jack took her paw and examined it, looking over the cicatrix and gently sliding his own fingers down its length.
"So, how did you get this, exactly?" The male rabbit inquired, his crystal-like eyes shining with concern.
"Well, It's nothing really... My paw just slipped when I was doing some cooking..." Judy responded untruthfully.
Jack seemed to buy it, as he raised his eyebrows and nodded his head in understanding.
"Ah, well that's unfortunate. Does it hurt very much?"
"It was fine earlier, until you grabbed it, and well... I mean no, it's fine! Well, it hurts a little, but... Ugh. You get the idea." She quickly muttered.
The male rabbit seemed to take amusement in Judy's flustered demeanor, and smiled to himself as she stumbled over her own words in an attempt to formulate an answer.
"Don't worry Alaina, I completely understand. But still, I do suppose I owe you something for accidentally gripping it a bit too hard..." Jack reassured her.
From there, he lifted her paw to his lips and gave the back of her hand a soft kiss, of which left a lingering and tingly feeling.
"My apologies." The male rabbit stated after removing his lips from her paw.
Meanwhile, Judy's long and floppy ears had lowered themselves to her cheeks, where they failed to hide the growing blush that was beginning to show through her snow-white fur. Jack took note of this, and with a raised eyebrow accompanied by a triumphant smirk, he teasingly asked her;
"What, rabbit got your tongue, Alaina?"
Judy didn't quite know what to say: His gesture was innocent enough as it was, but she still didn't want to give in to his charm too much.
Ever since he had caught her off guard that one time, she'd been telling herself again and again that when she would see him next, that she wouldn't fall for his charm the slightest bit. But, now, here she was, like a deer in the headlights; With Jack still waiting for an answer, his piercing bright blue eyes staring her down with intent and a strange sense of gravitation.
Unsure of what exactly to say, her conscious instructed her to change the conversation, thus putting the ball in her side of the court: She didn't want Jack to swoon her over with any sort of charm, or leverage.
"Erm, so I saw you down in the lobby this morning." Jack's smile immediately melted into that of apprehension. "You seemed pretty stressed... Did something happen?"
Upon finishing her entire question, Jack crossed his arms and looked to the left, turning on the balls of his feet and pacing like he did whenever he was thinking something over. She noticed Jack slowly pace over to the office's entrance, which he locked, effectively sealing the two of them inside. Judy wasn't entirely sure why he did that in the first place, but didn't linger on the thought for very long, as he had begun to explain himself.
"Yes, actually. One of my assets, a long time account that went under the guise of Sahara-Square Sundries, was just sanctioned off by police. Apparently, there was a ring of criminal activity surrounding one of the warehouse compounds, and the ZPD had to get involved. On the phone, I was talking to a shareholder, who was informing me that I might end up being questioned by the ZPD, just to tie up any loose ends revolving around my financial connection to that business."
All while speaking, Jack had done a full lap around his rotunda of sofas in the middle of the room, and was now making his way back to his alcohol compartment when Judy asked him yet another question: She inquired him of the origin behind his apparent 'shareholder', whoever that was. She recalled the name Jack had mentioned: Ratsputin.
"So, was this shareholder of yours a very big one? If the business was shut down due to criminal involvement, wouldn't all the shareholders be informed and affected?"
"Why yes, they all would be affected one way or another, I suppose." Jack said tugging at his collar as he poured himself a third glass of scotch, emptying the bottle.
"I wouldn't call him a very large investor at that, but he plays his part, just like everyone else." The male rabbit muttered as he brought the glass to his lips and began to sip.
That last statement caused a red flag to shoot up in Judy's head: He was referring to this investor of his as if he personally knew them, and as if they worked alongside him.
"Hmm." Jack muttered to himself as he downed the last few drops of his liquor. He slowly turned his head and eyed Judy suspiciously. "Say now, Alaina..." He began.
Uh-oh...
"You seem to know quite a good deal about the ZPD, don't you? Why is that?" He plopped onto one of his couches and kicked his long legs up on the coffee table in the center.
"Oh, well, I do have a cousin that works there, actually..." She started slowly, but soon realized that she was going to paint herself into a corner at the rate that she was going.
You can do this, Judy: You just have to be smooth... What would Nick do if he were in my place? The female bunny asked herself mentally.
"And besides, I do my research!" She said with a wink, biting her lower lip and shooting Jack with an imaginary finger gun. She placed her other paw on her hip, which she threw out to the side.
That must've done the trick, because she noticed Jack's eyes flicker with some sort of hidden light. It unsettled her, because it reminded her of Vladzotz, whom had that same sort of secret way of viewing things...
The only difference being, that Vladzotz's eyes burned with a psychotic flame of anger, and Jack's eyes seemed to let out a more soothing, dim glow of... Something else...
In the end, she wasn't sure which one was more terrifying.
"Oh do you now?" Jack's smooth voice answered in response to her previous statement. "Perhaps you would make a good police officer!"
At his last comment, Judy felt herself beginning to blush again: It was starting to unnerve her, so she decided to spark some sort of conversation to keep the fire from going out.
"Jack, you don't think those bullies at the ZPD would arrest you for simply providing that business finance, would they?" She asked, feigning naivety and curiosity.
The male rabbit seemed to ponder that over: Judy noticed his face scrunch up in concern as well, as if he had been thinking that exact same question.
"Let's just say: Hopefully not, my dear." Jack said with a coy smirk plastered over his face.
Judy saw through the veil.
Jack was actually terrified: He knew that the ZPD were going to be after him now that his Ponzi-Scheme had been uncovered and gutted. It was only a matter of time, at this point. She positioned herself right next to Jack on the same couch that he currently reclined on, spreading her arms and relaxing. Meanwhile, Jack leaned over behind his arm of the couch, and pulled out a large bottle of champagne, and two glasses right along with it. He placed the drink and the glasses on the coffee table before turning to Judy.
"As I was saying earlier, Alaina... I'm actually, well..." He hesitated and frowned before continuing. "I'm taking a rather sudden trip away from Zootopia, for some time."
So chief Bogo was right about his hypothesis: Jack must've been trying to book the first transit outta Zootopia to try and avoid capture! He was planning on fleeing the city!
The male rabbit's voice demanded her attention once more as he asked her a rather sudden question that took her by surprise, admittedly.
"So, since this might be the last time I see you for a while," He grinned from ear to ear. "I was wondering if you'd like to share this lovely bottle of champagne with me?"
Judy wasn't quite so sure what to say this time around either: She didn't see anything too deceitful with enjoying a little bit of alcohol, though. And she was kind of thirsty.
"Uh, sure." She claimed distastefully before realizing she was undercover, and didn't have to act like a good-goody around him. "Why not?"
She watched Jack as he gripped the bottle and shook it before popping off the cork, which in turn flew across the room, causing both rabbits to laugh profusely at the action. Jack poured Judy a full glass of the dew-colored drink. Unsurprisingly, Jack downed his before Judy had even taken her first five sips. Unlike her last experience drinking alcohol with Jack, she didn't recoil at the rancid taste of this drink: She hated scotch, but actually quite liked champagne and various kinds of wine.
All the while, both mammals reveled in idle and small-talk, ranging from all sorts of diverse topics and subjects. Judy began to notice the slight but gnawing symptoms of intoxication in both her and Jack: The male rabbit started to sway more heavily, with his ears drooping and his face relaxed, but wound up and ready to laugh at any moment, and Judy began to feel an almost nauseating feeling pulling at her chest, and a sense of drowsiness that she wasn't quite used to.
They weren't that inebriated, but certainly enough to see the very basest of effects.
Throughout the ordeal, Judy failed to notice how Jack continually refilled her glass with the foaming drink.
Jack, however, had actually noticed Judy rubbing profusely at her neck and shoulders, as if they were aching in some way. Rising shakily from his side of the sofa, he trudged over behind Judy and leaned against the back of the couch, staring her down with intent as he questioned her for approval of his coming actions.
"Alaina, I noticed that you seem to be a little tense in the neck and shoulders area... You wouldn't mind if I were to lend my assistance, would you?" He asked.
Before Judy could formulate a coherent and relevant response to Jack's request, the male rabbit had already placed his paws upon Judy's shoulders, and had already started to knead his thumbs against her shoulder-blades. The female bunny felt her toes curl up in a pleasurable response to his gentle touch, but still felt rather uncomfortable.
"That feel good?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, it feels... Good. But I think that's enough, thank you." Judy murmured in response.
Jack continued his massage all the same, eventually raising his paws up to her nape, which he pressed his thumbs into. Judy heard her own neck vertebrae pop suddenly.
"That's enough." Judy said more sternly, this time around.
The male rabbit relented, this time, releasing his hold on her neck before calmly pacing over to the front of the coach and rejoining his female counterpart.
"Sorry about that. But hey, don't forget that us rabbits know how to please other rabbits! You wouldn't get this out of anyone else, sweetheart."
"What, do you mean like an inter-species relationship?" Questioned Judy. Now, she was getting irritated. It was almost as if Jack was making fun of her. It set off a red flag.
Jack, on the other hand, grit his teeth and mentally cursed before shaking his head and donning his facade smile.
"Not exactly, my dear... I just think that there are very certain perks to being in a relationship within the boundaries of one's species... Like us rabbits, of course!"
Jack patted her hand, but his grip became harder - almost discomforting - with each passing millisecond.
"Jack, I don't think-" She began swiftly but was interrupted when the male rabbit asked a question of his own.
"So Alaina, do tell me: Why come here, of all places? You said you're from Bunny-Burrow, yes? I've seldom heard of does as intelligent and beautiful as yourself ever leaving the Burrows to search for work opportunity... It seems that culture really does get in the way, doesn't it? Most bunnies, does
especially, will most often stay in the Burrows because they're maternally-competent and all that bullocks... So what brought you here, my dear?"
This was a rather touchy subject for Judy to consider at any time, really: She'd striven so hard to break the chains of the stereotypes and negative viewing that held down the bunny species as a whole. But most of her species, her own family included, just simply refuse to branch out and make themselves into something greater than what other mammals expected. For bucks back at the burrows, there was really only one option: Being a carrot farmer. It's even worse for does, who are both naturally and culturally expected to be a literal breeding machine; Churning out litter after litter of kits until you eventually found yourself drowning in a sea of buck-teeth and cottony fur.
Oh, she had her answer.
"Don't even get me started, Savage! I-I've been through so much to make people see me as something other than some carrot farming dumb bunny... Everyone thinks us rabbits are just that... Just carrot farming dumb bunnies. It really gets to me, especially since there are rabbits out there like you! You're so successful a-and smart and great at what you do!"
As she continued her tirade, Jack had seated himself next to her, and was listening with noticeable patience and intent. When she had calmed down and stopped talking, she slumped into the soft cushions of the couch: She felt weak and rather tipsy, but what was she to expect after drinking two full glasses of champagne?
"Alaina, I'm glad that you told me all this..." Jack began. "I know how you feel, I really do: It was difficult to get to the position of where I am today, and I had to relentlessly strive to attain my goals... Even going as far as to acquire rather questionable assets..."
"Questionable?" Judy slurred. She did not like the sound of that.
"Oh, never you mind, my dear. Just relax." The male rabbit proposed, his honeyed words flowing over Judy sweetly, causing her body to relax.
As soon as she did, she noticed Jack scoot closer and put his paw on her kneecap.
"I've never really considered trying to find a mate of my own... I was always so busy. Besides, I wouldn't say many does find alcoholism very attractive, do they now? But then again, whenever those depressing thoughts find their way to my mind, I realize that you stayed: You've been with me this entire time, and we've done great business together, Alaina. Yet after all this time, I still feel as if I haven't repaid you for all the help you've offered me. I want to... To reward you, but I'd still say that there's a bit more to it than just that."
"Just what, exactly?" Judy asked.
Without warning, Jack grabbed Judy by her good paw and pulled her upright until their noses nearly touched. This action shook Judy from her alcohol-induced drowsiness, but the effects were still there, as her arms still felt somewhat weak. Her crystalline purple eyes stared into Jack's piercing blue ones, and once again she saw that primal flicker of... Something, hidden in his eyes, deep inside and beneath his lavender irises.
"Oh, just this." The male bunny said before wrapping his paws around Judy's head and pulling her into a kiss.
This was the second time he had tried such a move on her. Despite being undercover, Judy knew that she couldn't do this, even for the sake of maintaining her identity. It was wrong, and she had no intention of letting this rabbit take advantage of her like this.
"Stop, Jack!" She said as she pushed him away.
Jack stumbled back. "Alaina, I want you to come with me," he confessed. "We can leave Zootopia together, start a whole new life!"
"I can't." Judy firmly told him.
Leaning forward and trying to grasp her paw, Jack didn't seem surprised when Judy slapped his wrist away with her own. His face darkened with a frustrated grimace.
"Come on! Don't do this to me! You're the one good thing I've got out of this job! I'm losing everything, Alaina! The money, the office, all of it - gone! I can't lose you too!"
"I said, I can't." Judy repeated in a stronger tone. "I'm staying here, and I'd pull yourself together if I were you."
Jack's expression hardened, like he was coming to terms with a grim acceptance that he had been denying for a long time. "Fine." He whispered.
Judy watched as he grabbed the nearest bottle of scotch by the neck and shattered the bottom half across the rim of the coffee table, turning it into a razor sharp weapon. Gasping, Judy backed away, her basic knife-training instincts that she had learned at the academy beginning to take over. She watched as Jack slowly approached her.
"I gave you your chance," he growled. "But if you're not coming with me, then you're just a liability. Sorry sweetheart."
Jack took a swing at her with the bottle. The female bunny ducked with ease, shifted her powerful legs, and then kicked Jack square in the nose with a satisfying crunch, causing him to topple over and break the coffee table.
Knowing that he wouldn't be going anywhere, Judy immediately bolted for the exit and sprinted out of Jack's office, down the hallway and to the elevator section, where she reared around a corner and came into sight with Nick, dressed in his regular undercover clothing, walking down the hall alongside officer Howlerton, one of the wolves from Precinct One.
"Nick!" She shouted. "He's in the office! Armed!"
"Copy that." Nick replied, gesturing to the wolf beside him. "You heard her. Take it slowly."
Officer Howlerton went inside first, stepping in and looking around cautiously for any signs of activity. Nick cleared his throat.
"Jack Savage, this is the ZPD! Show yourself!" Nick shouted, but was met with no immediate response. "Jack! Where are you?"
"Here!" The male bunny's voice screamed from the fox's left.
There was a soft crash, and the wolf immediately fell to the ground with bits of glass and drops of blood dotting the fur on his head. He had been knocked out cold.
From behind one of the doors, Jack Savage emerged with a broken bottle neck, which he dropped to the ground upon seeing the fox and rabbit. The male bunny turned tail and ran all the way over to his office desk, which he positioned himself behind in a futile effort to distance himself from the two officers.
"Felix?!" Jack cried out. "What is this?!"
"Sorry Savage, but you've got the wrong guy. I'm officer Nick Wilde, and this is officer Judy Hopps," He announced. "And you're under arrest."
"What?! No! That's not possible! Y-You're the bloody office c-coordinator, on the lower floor!" Jack sputtered, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Reality hurts, Savage."
Jack sunk to his knees and slowly raised his arms above his head. Approaching him from the front, Nick cleared his throat again.
"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law!" Nick said as he approached the rabbit, but a flicker of movement in the distance made him stop in his tracks altogether. Outside the window, right behind Jack, Nick saw a dark shape growing in size. There was something oddly familiar about it.
Wait a minute... Didn't the chief mention that Flappy-Bat was supposed to be here? The fox thought to himself.
He only had enough time to duck and cover before the window-panel exploded in a shower of glass shards.
After the carnage had subsided, Nick looked up from the couch that he had ducked behind. A single brick has been tossed through the windows, shattering it wide open for the mammal that had carried it to enter.
Apparently, Vladzotz had decided that now was just the perfect time to crash their arrest of Jack Savage. With his fur still colored gray, Nick had a silent hope that perhaps the bat wouldn't recognize him. With Wolford out cold and no other weapons on them, Nick knew he'd have no way of defending himself or Judy if the bat got any ideas.
What on earth is this cartoon character of a mammal doing here, especially now? Jack must have summoned him, Nick thought to himself.
Vladzotz hadn't noticed Nick yet. And the fox hoped to keep it that way by obscuring himself behind one of Jack's couches. Thankfully, Judy had the same idea.
The bat was dressed as impeccably as always, in his sleeveless black vest and undershirt, though his new missing eye ruined the image - A sunken pit of scar tissue and overgrown fur - a mark of his survival from the fire that had destroyed his manor. Vladzotz stood a few feet shorter than Nick, but carried himself with as much confidence and determination as the largest of mammals. Despite being a small mammal, Vladzotz grabbed Jack and started pulling him out from his hiding place under the desk. Jack kicked him away and scrambled back on all fours, panting heavily.
"You made a promise, and I made you one as well, Savage." Vladzotz began. "You betrayed my trust once before, but now, your knavery has cost us EVERYTHING!"
"There's no n-need to be jumping to c-conclusions, old friend-" Jack stammered, but was stopped when Vladzotz interrupted him with his own defiant shout.
"I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND, VERMIN! Your sloppiness has cost us our entire operation! It's all-your-fault!" Vlad jabbed one of his freakishly long talons into Jack's chest, emphasizing each word.
"N-No no! W-we can recover from this, Vlad!" Jack hastily assured, tugging at his collar. "I've got more plans, a-and this is just a minor setback and a simple operational-"
Vladzotz took a large step closer, causing Jack to whimper. "I-I still have Ratsputin's endorsement! That c-counts for something, right?" Jack swallowed hard. "With a little bit of time, I'm sure the three of us could-"
"No more lies, no more trickery, and no hard feelings, Savage... After all, it's just good business." Vladzotz said as he raised his claws and prepared to strike.
"WAIT! Vlad, stop!" Nick shouted as he revealed himself from his hiding spot.
Thankfully, the bat lowered his arms and turned away from Jack, but unfortunately, now had his full attention on Nick and Judy. There was no communication between any of the mammals in the room for a few short seconds, though each tick of the clock felt like an entire century in the mind of the fox. The bat had a surprised look on his face, as though his brain was still trying to register Nick's sudden appearance. He definitely hadn't seen him when he first broke in. Closing his eyes, Nick reached into the pocket on his breast, and pulled out the one thing that he had carried with him every day since the beginning of this whole mess. Truthfully, he was amazed that he still had it with him.
Held gingerly by the chain with two of his fingers, Nick carefully took a step forward, the locket dangling like a hypnotic stopwatch. Nick saw Vladzotz's single red eye widen, and his facial expression soften to that of confusion and bewilderment. Reasoning that he wouldn't need to get close to the psychopath to give him back his locket, Nick tossed the locket with an underhand, hoping that Vlad would catch it. Instead, it plopped to the floor carelessly at the bat's feet. Nick cursed himself, forgetting that Vladzotz's eyesight was probably bad enough on its own, but now having to deal with depth perception issues due to only having one eye probably didn't do him any favors.
But still, Vladzotz reacted the way that Nick hoped he would: He reached down and plucked the locket from the carpeted floor, holding it directly in front of his single eye, and opening the pendant, in which he stared into for a solid count of three before turning his attention back to Jack Savage, who was still sniveling pitifully on the floor at his feet.
"You!" The bat clamped his talons around the rabbit's throat. "Change of plans! You'll be going with them now!"
At that, Vladzotz used all his might to push Jack toward Nick and Judy, causing the rabbit to flop to the carpet with a grunt.
"Hopefully, prison will be equally as hellish as death for you, Savage. You will serve as a living epitaph to all whose ego goes unchecked!"
Nick locked eyes with Vladzotz for a moment, and although no words were passed between the two, a certain understanding seemed to flow through them both. Vladzotz tucked his locket into his breast pocket, which appeared to be located directly over his heart.
"Another time, fox." He sneered before turning around, leaping from the window and taking to the rising sun of the morning sky.
Nick immediately made a break for Wolford's tranquilizer, grabbing it before racing to the broken window's edge and pointing it out, hoping for a good shot on the retreating vampire bat. But he was already gone.
Nick took a few seconds to breath in deeply before whirling around, facing Judy, who had distanced herself from the stirring body of Jack. The male rabbit lifted his head up and eyed the scene around him, taking in the sight of the fox holding a tranquilizer dart to his head.
"Stay down, rabbit. It's over. You've lost." Nick told the male bunny the bitter truth before cuffing him and dragging him away from the piles of broken glass and furniture.
The fox walked up to Judy and embraced her in a tight but brief hug, rubbing her shoulder effectively before turning his attention towards officer Howlerton, who had just begun to wake from his glass-nap; Clutching at his head and shaking the bits of bottle from the fur on his head. Nick and Judy immediately helped him to his feet, and smiled directly at one another as Howlerton made the final call back to the ZPD head-quarters, notifying them of the success of their latest mission, all after months of hard work.
"This is officer Howlerton at the arrest scene with officers Hopps and Wilde... Yeah, they're alright, Clawhauser. Can't say the same for Savage over here, though. We'll bring 'em back to the station. I have a feeling that he's got a lot of explaining to do."
Hey everyone!
Hooray! Final chapter for the Savage (4th) arc! And what a way to end it, indeed! Fear not though, for I have concluded that a 5th arc will be on its way, focusing around the repercussions of the 4th, and bringing to light new topics, brand new and interesting characters, and a whole new plot for your prying eyes to enjoy, all building off of what happened in this one. Stay tuned for that! Also, for those interested, you can see some new fan-art up on my tumblr/DeviantArt accounts, if you'd like.
That's all I really have for now, I suppose. Thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to do so. :)
'Till next time...
Peace!