"Admit nothing, deny everything, launch counter-attack." - Roger Stone
*BONUS QUOTE*
"Happiness can only exist in acceptance." - George Orwell
11:13 A.M
Foxes and rabbits working together... Who could have imagined it?
Certainly not Nick or Judy, for that matter.
Back before they were married, and even before the two of them met, Nick and Judy had both been told by those around them that foxes and rabbits were mortal enemies, and that the two respective species were never truly meant to coexist in peace and harmony. This idea was thought to be true for many different types of mammals: Wolves and sheep, lions and gazelle, bears and deer, and of course, foxes and bunnies.
It was thought to be completely normal for prey to fear, to despise, and even to hate their predatory counterparts.
So of course, when Nick and Judy first became partners on the force of the ZPD, their unique relationship was the source of much speculation, controversy, and conspiracy.
The public couldn't believe that a shifty fox, a former con-artist to boot, would ever be able to stand being around his counterpart partner: It simply didn't make sense.
Judy herself dismissed such ideas, at first: Nick was her friend, and she was far from afraid of him. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before she began to feel a tad bit antsy around him whenever he flashed his pointed canine teeth, or if his claws begun to extend a little bit too far in her general direction. She didn't blame him for it, quite unlike how the public did by constructing scape-goats: She simply blamed herself.
Most rabbits, having never set foot outside the burrows, barely knew anything about foxes aside from what their parents and grandparents told them, about how foxes were menacing, and conniving creatures, outfitted for nothing but malice and ill-intentions. They would tell their children stories about how fox's used to slaughter and devour their ancestors, and how despite being evolved mammals, still contained that primal and predatory sense of ambition, causing them to be malignant, viscous, and untrustworthy.
Judy was no stranger to such stories, exaggerated and falsely-replicated as they were. She remembered having grown up in a community where most predators were considered unwelcome, at best... Foxes especially. Perhaps it was that long-buried, primal sense of fear that every prey mammal had deep down within them. Thankfully for her, that trait slowly evaporated over time, and now, she feared absolutely nothing about her partner, mate, and friend.
On the other hand, there's Nick Wilde: An individual who grew up and matured surrounded by prejudice, racism, and bias toward predators.
Unlike his prey counterpart, he didn't develop any irrational fears over anything in particular, but instead, fed an ever-growing fire of hate and anger toward society. He didn't meet very many rabbits in particular, since his mere likeness and presence was enough to deter them from sparking conversation, or even things as simple as eye-contact and walking distance between the two parties respectively.
Though, after meeting Judy, much like her own narrow-minded traits, he soon found himself lacking that same sense cynicism and hate that he had once held on to. Just by simply being around her, all of his core beliefs that centered around rabbits and even prey in general started to change: Judy wasn't afraid of him, unlike nearly every other rabbit he had ever met, or even seen before then. In fact, Nick soon realized that Judy's feelings for him went even deeper than toleration and appreciation.
Despite being a rabbit, despite having grown up being told that foxes were nothing but trouble, and could do no good in this world, Judy Laverne Hopps loved him.
He thought it was impossible. Who wouldn't? Two different species, predator and prey, no less, falling in love with one another? That idea was about as wild as it got. Nick himself could barely comprehend the fact that a prey species, a bunny, had fallen in love with him. Likewise, he also couldn't believe that he had fallen in love with her too. It was that sudden realization, that one true moment of discovery, that ultimately pushed out Nick's original beliefs and ideas on bunnies, and prey as a whole.
He started to even like being around other bunnies, particularly Judy's family members, since they all were so jovial, and cheerful, and fun to be around. He loved touching them, playing with them, talking with them, and simply being around them. He grew to love the smell of rabbit, since it always reminded him of Judy, the one true love of his life, the one who had accepted him when other's did not.
All of these factors, combined, ultimately changed Nick's outlook on life for the better. He was still cynical, yes, but far from the way that he was before meeting Judy, and going on the adventure of a life-time. Sure, there had been some tough times, and some rough waters, but in the end, they always made it through just a little bit stronger than before.
But in the face of all that he had grown to love and cherish, one abominable rabbit had flipped it all back upside down.
Nick didn't trust Jack from the very beginning. The fox remembered meeting the aforementioned male rabbit for the first time, back in his spacious, clean office those many weeks ago. He recalled how suave Jack had acted, which wasn't very formidable as it was, but Nick, being the cynical person that he was, believed that Jack had simply fashioned that demeanor as a shell to hide his true self: A promiscuous and money-laundering crook.
Jack's horrible and despicable actions, especially those that he had burdened upon Judy, had caused Nick Wilde to break a little bit on the inside.
The fox had to remind himself that the world was a cruel, and unforgiving place, and always would be, regardless of how much he cherished his current way of living. Jack had given Nick a much needed wake up call, in a certain way. Before, and even after the event, Nick simply couldn't believe that anyone would ever violate his Judy: She was sweet, forgiving, and intelligent. Beautiful and clever, and witty in her own dumb-bunny ways. He loved everything about her, from her fluffy cotton-tail to her buck-teeth.
But Jack... Jack didn't care about any of that. He wanted her for nothing more than her body, which he planned on violating, and claiming for himself, before discarding like a used tissue. That rabbit truly didn't care about any of Judy's character-traits, qualities, beliefs, or even thoughts. To him, she was just a tool built for his own sadistic pleasure.
All the while, Nick had to come to terms with and accept the fact that this monster; This abusive, lustful, and avaricious little rabbit... Would be working alongside him...
C-C-C-Click!
The sharp and prickly-sounding noise of the hand-cuffs being locked together brought a distasteful frown to the male bunny's white and black colored face.
"Is this really necessary?" Jack Savage droned. "I can handle myself!"
"Afraid so, Mr. Savage... It's for safety reasons." Chief Bogo replied flatly before taking the other cuff and locking it around the fox's left wrist.
"I still can't believe that I have to drag this around on the investigation." Nick claimed, his lips pursed and eyes narrowed as he gestured toward the rabbit.
"And I find it hard to believe that you're giving them weapons, but not me." Jack stated broodingly.
"Don't be stupid, rabbit: We wouldn't even give you a toothpick if your life depended on it!"
"Quiet, the both of you!" Bogo demanded sharply. "Now I know that this isn't exactly the most savory method for either one of you, but it's either this, or not at all."
The water-buffalo turned around, placing his hoofs on the metal-plated table in the center of the room before sighing and saying aloud;
"As for you, Mr. Savage, you need to realize that this isn't intended to be, and likely won't end up being a hazardous mission, at least when it comes to your health and well-being. The three of you will just be going to city-hall to perform some investigating, so it's not like there's going to be some shoot-out in the middle of the council room! My officers are armed so that they can protect themselves, you on the other hand are not only expendable in my eyes, but a threat as well. You will receive no weapons."
"Yes yes, I know, I know... I just find it a little unnerving to be walking into all this with no fair means of defending myself!" The male rabbit admitted with spread palms.
"That's what officers Hopps and Wilde are for, obviously."
Chief Bogo cleared his throat and looked over the papers that he had lain out across the table in preparation for the investigation.
After freeing Jack from his cell, the water-buffalo then promptly lead Nick, Judy, and Jack to the armory, where they suited up and armed themselves for the coming case. All except for Jack Savage, of course, who was far from trusted when it came to weapons. Adorned in their usual police outfits, Nick and Judy stood out in comparison to Jack, who wore only his black slacks and wrinkled white button-up, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows: Definitely a drastic difference from the suave, formal, and regal Jack of one month past.
Now, the four mammals double-checked and reviewed over their acquired information, all the while steeling themselves for the simple challenge of getting along.
"Alright, let's go over this one last time-" Bogo started, but trailed off when the male rabbit groaned audibly.
"C'mon, chief! We already know what to do! Let's just go!" Jack whined.
"It's just regulation, Mr. Savage. Besides, I'd rather you lot actually know what you're doing, than waltz up into city-hall with your thumbs up your asses! Shut up and listen!"
The water-buffalo cleared his throat once more before starting his explanation.
"The three of you are to take one of the cruisers and make way to city-hall. There, you'll need to speak with the head receptionist, and tell them that you're there for an internal investigation. From then on out, you should be granted near-full access of the capitol building and it's sub-sections. You're to question workers, examine records, and gather as much information as you can on Grygorri Ratsputin's private visitations. Alongside this, you'll need to seek immediate consultation with the mayor herself, whom you will interview over the very same topics."
Bogo glanced toward Nick and Judy, nodding at them a single time before continuing.
"Officers Hopps and Wilde, you're to keep Mr. Savage out of trouble, and within close proximity at all times. You've been given permission to silence, apprehend, and use physical force against him if necessary, using whatever means within your power to do so."
"Wait, what?" Jack stammered, but was then immediately cut off by the chief.
"If you encounter the suspect, Grygorri Ratsputin, while investigating city-hall, you are to immediately notify dispatch, who will stand by to send back-up if needed. Try to avoid communicating with the suspect unless the situation calls for it: We all know that his words are his weapons. Also, make sure that Mr. Savage here has absolutely zero contact with the suspect while investigating at city-hall, outside of visibility. He will not talk with the rat, signal him, or communicate with him in any way, shape, or form! Understood?"
Both Nick and Judy gave the water-buffalo a stead-fast salute, of which he returned instantaneously.
"That is all that I have for you three. Good luck... Dismissed!"
Concluding their standard form of salute, the fox and female bunny, with Jack Savage in tow, set out for their cruiser, all the while readying themselves for what was to come.
11:22 A.M
Making sure to lock the doors as she started the cruiser, Judy promptly manned the wheel while both Nick and Jack crammed themselves into the passenger seat.
"Might I ask why we're taking the car when city-hall is literally right across the park?!" Jack Savage hissed, clearly irritated. His comment earned the attention of Judy.
"Jack, you're a criminal now. One that people actually know, and will recognize, since you stole millions of dollars from not only corporations, but individual families and investors as well! Do you want to risk walking across that pasture, where anyone with a bone to pick might suddenly just try to attack you? Besides, we need a place to store our gear."
"Well, like the chief said, that's what I have you two for, ah?" Jack stated cheerfully, his lips parted in a wide smile. "To protect me from rapscallions like that!"
"I think I'd rather throw you to a pack of angry wolves than bother trying to protect you from them." Nick grumbled, his gaze far and blank into the distance.
"Aw, so you do care about me!"
"Oh can it, Savage!" Judy hissed from the driver's seat. "We're not here to be friends, so keep your head in the game!" She looked up "We're here. Welcome to city-hall."
"About time..." Jack muttered sarcastically. "Still a waste of gas, if you ask me."
Steeping out of the car and onto the asphalt pavement of the city-hall's parking lot, the three mammals stared up at the tall, and pristine building with awe.
The city-hall of Zootopia wasn't the tallest nor prettiest sky-scraper in Savannah-Central, but it was no doubt the most influential. Through clean, blue-glass windows, and long, white plates that covered the sides like armor, was the highest seat of power in the whole city. Down the front of the building, a small, but wide water-fall streamed down from multiple stories and welled up in a crystal-clear pool at the ground level, where the sun's rays broke through the water droplets and created prismatic fields of light, ranging from blue, to red, to green, and even yellow.
It was a beautiful sight, but all three mammals knew that this very same building has also housed some of the most devious, deceptive, and disappointing minds in the entire city.
Dawn Bellwhether and her bout of corruption, Leodore Lionheart with his lying and cover-ups, and now the latest contender, Blair Lyncon, the bobcat drowning in scandals.
Roughly six months prior, she had been elected into office after a very close concluding election with her runner-up, who had used Blair's record of drunk-driving, substance abuse, and other accusations against her. Though in the end, the female bobcat pulled through with the nomination for mayor, and has been the city's head of state ever since.
There wasn't very much proof of her previous bouts of DWI, but just it's mere existence was all that she needed to have attracted the attention of Grygorri Ratsputin.
Now, Nick, Judy, and Jack were at last ready to face the roots of the entire problem, at the roots of the entire city.
After strolling across the back parking lot and maneuvering themselves to the front of the building, they promptly ascended the smooth, pink-granite steps and entered through the sliding-glass doors. Setting foot inside the building's interior, the three mammals then immediately set out towards the large receptionist desk on the far side of the lobby.
Clearing his throat audibly, the male rabbit said aloud;
"So, remind me again as to why we want to meet the mayor with this sudden surprise visit that might get us kicked out, when we could have just scheduled one before-hand?"
Rolling her eyes, Judy took to answering his question.
"Because Jack, the mayor is pretty stringent when it comes to public meetings, so booking one with her beforehand would've not only been very difficult, but very time consuming as well. Besides, if she really is working with Ratsputin himself, then catching her off guard might be the ideal scenario. Not to mention that this whole assignment of ours is rather sudden."
Nodding his head in seeming understanding, the male rabbit swiveled his head around, taking in all the sights of the city-hall.
"I've never been on an investigation like this before..." Jack stated with wide eyes. "So exciting! Do you two do stuff like this very often?"
"Of course we do: We're police officers... It's just another part of the job. And speaking of job, we have one to do here, so can you please focus?" Nick muttered quickly.
"Focus? I'm completely focused, mind you! I'm just enjoying the moment, that's all... Nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"The only problem with it is that-"
"Can you two please keep from drawing attention to yourselves?" Judy suddenly hissed. "I need you both to focus!"
"Madam, I am hand-cuffed to another mammal, who, might I add, doesn't like me, and is dragging me around through the middle of city-hall..." The male rabbit retorted flatly.
"Well, you were the one who signed up for this field trip, sport, so you are gonna have to be the one to-" Nick started, jabbing a finger at Jack, but was interrupted moments later.
"Nick, cut it out!" Judy ordered, gesturing towards the receptionist desk. "We're about to see the receptionist: I'll do the talking, you two... Just try not to kill each-other..."
"Aye aye, captain.." Jack grumbled, rolling his eyes and thumping his foot rapidly against the tile-floor.
Meanwhile, Nick leaned rather casually against the receptionist desk, all the while trying to ignore the irritating feeling of being hand-cuffed to Jack. Judy had strolled up to the front of the marble desk, of which she had to stand on the tips of her toes to reach. She tapped the little yellow bell on the side of the desk's surface, which caused a sharp and reverberating ding to capture the attention of the head receptionist, a female sheep, who looked down and smiled at the trio of mammals standing at the base of the desk.
"Hello! Can I help you today, ma'am?" The sheep asked politely to Judy, who smiled back warmly as she spouted her coming lines.
"Good afternoon! I'm officer Hopps of the ZPD, and this is my partner, Nick Wilde. We're-"
"And Jack Sav-Ow!" The male rabbit started, but was quickly cut off by Judy, who stomped hard on his foot, effectively silencing him.
"We're here for an internal investigation," She continued, pointing to her badge. "And would like to seek immediate consultation with Mayor Lyncoln."
"Immediate? Hmm... I'm afraid you'll have to speak with the mayor's secretary, Megan Fawkes. She should be able to give you an appropriate time slot to speak with the mayor."
"Great! Where can we find miss Fawkes?"
"Her work-space is located on the same floor as, and is right next to the mayor's office," The sheep claimed. "On floor 13, room 147."
"Floor 13, room 147..." Judy repeated slowly, writing the address in her yellow-colored notebook. "Alright, got it! Thank you!"
The female bunny then started off in the direction of the elevators. After giving a casual salute to the sheep receptionist, Nick followed Judy, pulling Jack along by his cuffs. Pressing the button to summon an elevator, the three mammals waited rather impatiently before one finally arrived. Setting foot inside, Nick tugged harshly on his cuffs, causing Jack to stumble as he entered the elevator cart. An awkward few seconds of silence ensued, accompanied by the sound of slow, soothing elevator music.
"Hey, it's the Velvety Pipes of Jerry Vole!" Nick sputtered, chuckling all the while. "I love this guy!"
Jack coughed audibly, and Judy rubbed the back of her neck tenderly while smiling at Nick.
Soon enough, the elevator doors slid open, revealing a large and spacious room, with clean-red carpet lain across the floor, and a tall ceiling that could accommodate for even the lengthiest of giraffes. Promptly exiting the elevator, the trio of mammals strolled over in the direction of a pair of thick wooden doors positioned at the end of the hall-way. Judy, having been there before, recognized them as the entrance to the mayor's lobby, where visitors would first check in with the mayor's secretary, which in turn connected to the mayor's office.
Pushing against the thick wooden doors, Jack, Judy, and Nick found themselves inside a medium-sized, but spacious room, with decor consisting of fake potted plants and several expensive-looking paintings. On the other side of the room, which itself was filled with benches and chairs for guests to sit upon, a small, semi-circle desk was pushed up against the wall. It's gray-granite surface was cluttered with stacks of papers, seas of paper-clips, and enough pencils to make an entire tree out of.
In the middle of it all was a female fox, a vixen, with reflective blue eyes, and slightly disheveled burnt-orange fur. Her ears were curvaceous and pointed, sticking up almost like Bogo's horns. The vixen had a long and smooth-looking tail, the very tip of which was crooked and twisted into an irregular shape that almost looked like the top half of a heart. She wore a close-fitting, navy-blue office jacket, and a lighter colored office-skirt wrapped itself around her narrow waist-line.
"Well well, looks like you got some competition there, sweet-heart." Jack mumbled quickly into Judy's ears, wiggling his eyebrows and elbowing her before Nick tugged him away.
Approaching the desk, which this time around was more appropriately sized for small mammals such as themselves, Judy stepped forward once again, but just like the previous time, still wasn't noticed until she tapped the golden-colored bell, which caused the vixen behind the counter to jump slightly in her seat, no doubt startled from the sound. She hurriedly recomposed herself before looking over the edge and down at the female rabbit, who stood fortified with her paws placed firmly on her hips, and her head held high.
"Uh, is there a problem officers?" The vixen begun, her voice smooth, but with a very slight under-tone of boredom. "I haven't done anything, if that's what you're here for."
Snorting at her sarcastic comment, Jack earned himself another glare from Nick, who positioned himself between the male and female rabbits respectively.
"No, we're actually here to speak with Mayor Lyncoln." Judy corrected politely. "I take it that you're miss Fawkes?"
"Yeah, that's me..."
Megan momentarily hesitated, in which she took the time to scan over the trio of mammals on the opposing side of the desk. Her eyes quickly glided over both Judy and Jack, but briefly rested upon locking vision with Nick, who stared back with a single raised eyebrow. Blinking and pursing her lips, she turned her attention back to the female bunny.
"Wait, you said that you're here to speak with the mayor?"
"Yes, that is correct." Judy confirmed instantaneously, nodding her head as she did.
"Well, I can check the mayor's time-slots today, and see if you're on the list... Do you have a reservation to speak with her?" The vixen asked, sliding over to her computer.
"No, actually. The three of us are here for an internal investigation on behalf of the ZPD, and were assigned by the chief himself to seek immediate consultation with the mayor."
"So, you want to talk to her right now?"
"Affirmative." Judy confirmed formally.
Megan visibly winced upon hearing the bunny's request, and begun anxiously tapping her fingers against the surface of her desk.
"The mayor doesn't have any appointments between..." Megan briefly stammered before looking to the nearest clock. "11:30 and 12:30 today... I'm sorry, but you'll have to-"
"Now hold up, is that true?" Nick found himself asking as he leaned heavily against the counter-top.
The vixen locked vision with Nick once again, and rapidly blinked her eyes before slightly shaking her head from side to side and responding to the male fox's inquiry.
"Mayor Lyncoln is very busy at the moment, and won't be able to see any visitors for another hour."
"We need to-" Judy retorted, but was cut off when Nick snapped his fingers together in an effort to silence her.
"Listen, Megan, we're here to speak with the mayor, yes, but it's for a very important reason... An internal invest. She needs to hear what we have to say. Besides, I don't think she'd like it very much if she found out that you rejected a pair of ZPD police officer who simply sought to speak with her, no? Can you just let us visit her, real quick? Please?"
Megan was silent to a count of five, when she swallowed hard before sighing heavily.
"Alright... Just go... Just go..." The vixen finally muttered, waving the trio of mammals off in the direction of the mayor's office.
"Thank you, Megan." Nick concluded.
Nodding toward Judy, who returned the gesture of readiness herself, the both of them pulled Jack along and set off for the hallway that led to the mayor's office.
On his way out of the lobby room, Nick pretended not to hear Megan's voice as she quietly chided herself behind him.
"I'm so fired..."
The male fox tugged at his collar, and kept his gaze trained on the red-carpeted hall-way ahead of him, which led to a large set of double-doors big enough to accommodate for someone of chief Bogo's size. Judy, who was in the lead of the trio, suddenly found her ears shooting up to their full height upon detecting the double chords of two very different voices, both of which were emanating from the other side of the thick wooden doors. As they closed the distance to the double-doors, the sounds grew louder and louder.
Looking back with raised eye-brows, she momentarily locked eyes with Jack Savage, who also had his long and floppy ears raised high, and perked with detection. He himself donned a confused and slightly bewildered expression upon his face, and it was quite evident to the female bunny that he must've been hearing the two voices as well.
Slowing down their pace and pressing one of her fingers to her lips in a gesture of silence, Judy stopped directly in front of the twin doors, which themselves were slightly ajar, and pressed her sensitive ears up against the smooth surface of the wood. She closed her eyes and lightly held her own breath, listening intently to everything that she could hear.
"-You've been here for over a half-hour, just chatting, acting like there's nothing wrong. Acting like you're not here for a reason... What is it that you want from me?"
The first voice was unmistakably female, and sounded as if it belonged to an older mammal: Mayor Blair Lyncoln, no doubt.
"Have I not made myself clear, or are you just daft? You know exactly why I'm here, and exactly what I want from you. I would think that all of my previous visitations would have accounted for at least something! I may not have spoken with the most candid of tones the first few times, but I reckon that you've long since gathered my purpose."
The second voice was male, by the sound of it. Croaky, but sharp. Knife-like. Low-pitched, yet incredibly piercing, and almost discomforting to listen to, even.
"Yes... Yes, I understand..." The mayor's voice confirmed slowly. "You're playing a dangerous game... Those documents were never meant to be seen!"
The second voice chuckled wheezily and coughed a few times before piping up once again.
"Spare me the details of what I already know, madam. The both of us know exactly what those records are capable of... After all, they can save your career..."
"By ruining lives!" The mayor yelled back, to which the second voice scoffed audibly.
"I assure you, the vox populi will approve! I've seen the numbers, I've done the calculations! If you give them to me, I will ensure you that your promise of nearly one year past will be maintained, and made law! To be frank, you've done a pretty awful job of keeping said promise: The public still doesn't feel safe! I can change that! We can change that!"
"Not like this... Not like this..."
"The vast majority of this city's citizens feel as if you haven't followed through with your promise, as of yet. You promised them safety, and stability: A community free of weekly protests and public discord. Looking around at what's been happening as of late, I would say that said promise still hasn't been enacted very effectively just yet, wouldn't you?"
Mayor Lyncoln's voice didn't respond, simply choosing to stay quiet as the second voice continued it's explanation.
"The only reason that you got elected into office was because you catered to the whims of the pathetic, those who thought that you could actually get this city to coexist peacefully. Well, news-flash, nobody gets along here! Everybody hates somebody! For example; The predator-prey protests of four years past, the Nocturnal-District riots that ensued after that wretched bat was cooked to a crisp, the Outback-Island and marsupial movements that demanded inter-species relationships be made illegal, and outlawed. That fracas between county-deputies and civilians in the Deciduous-District over predator rights, and not to mention the statistics that were drawn from the recent polls-"
"Enough!" Lyncoln cried out, silencing the opposing voice.
For a few short seconds, there was nothing but tranquil silence, with both of the two voices breathing audibly, but straying from any form of verbal communication.
The second voice sighed deeply, and cleared it's throat before finally breaking the silence.
"Look... You're stuck between a rock and a hard place. The public is scared of it's own shadow, and needs something to hold on to, a helping hand. A form of reassurance. A signal from the city government, that says yes, we are listening to your pleas... Yes, your voices have been heard... And yes, we have the answer to your problems."
Mayor Lyncoln was silent nearly to the count of ten, but suddenly muttered softly;
"The only reason that they're so afraid is because you tell them to be... You fuel that fire with your lies, and your cheating! You're not immune to blame, Ratsputin..."
Judy's eyes widened, and she withheld the urge to gasp aloud: The suspect, Grygorri Ratsputin, was here! The female bunny reached for her radio collar and was about to thumb down the button, but Nick caught her paw just moments before she did. Locking eyes with him, she saw him shake his head from left to right. Nodding, she released her hold on the radio. If she would have called back to the ZPD Head-Quarters to notify them of the suspect sighting, then their cover would have most likely been completely blown away.
Quickly seizing the opportunity, Judy whipped out her trusty carrot-pen recorder and pressed down on the button, activating the recording device.
All the while, the twin voices of Mayor Lyncoln and Grygorri Ratsputin argued back and forth.
"I'm fueling that fire? Well, perhaps your statement does ring with a tiny bit of truth, but you must understand that I'm only telling them what they want to hear! The public adores reading over the papers that list reasons why predators are more prone to violent behavior. They completely eat up the stocks of news-papers that explain why inter-species relationships are bad for the economy, population, and the social community. The public know what they like, don't they?"
"Beats me as to why... Your papers are nothing but lies..." Lyncoln grumbled.
Judy then released her hold on the button, thinking that she'd gathered enough. Stealing a glance at Nick, she could see him bearing his teeth while listening to the converse.
"They're not lies! I never print full lies, madam... You underestimate me, truly. I always back up my news stories with facts and data from acclaimed sources! Predators, despite being only ten percent of the total city population, account for nearly forty-seven percent of all prison populations and forty-three percent of all recorded annual crimes. Predators also make up roughly sixty-five percent of all recorded homicide offenders. You tell me, mayor, do those statistics suit your fancy? They seem to work on the public, at least."
The rat snickered audibly and very quickly in an almost maniacal fashion.
"As a point of fact, the public also just loves it whenever my papers print on the latest scandals, and other juicy bits of drama." Ratsputin claimed. "Delicious to read, isn't it?"
"What are you getting at?" The mayor questioned gruffly.
"What I'm getting at, is the fact that ruining you would be a completely trivial situation. The public hates you, and all that I would have to do is give you a little push forward."
The rat chuckled.
"Besides, you're a predator, so that factor makes it a tad bit more easy to work with."
"You having nothing on me that the public doesn't already know about..." Lyncoln stated. "Whatever proof you have is useless."
"Proof? I don't need any proof. I'm in news, you moron... I don't have to prove it, I just have to print it. The public will believe anything I tell them, facts or not."
"And what would you tell them? About me?"
"Oh, I'm thinking something along the lines of cheating on your husband. Ha!"
"You wouldn't dare!" The mayor huffed. "Nobody would ever believe that garbage!"
"Would they though? The public mindset is just too good: Oh, I read it in the papers, so it must be true. Ha! I love the news... So easy to manipulate..."
"That wouldn't-" Lyncoln stammered, but was cut off when the rat hissed beneath his breath.
"Oh, it would. I'll make it happen. I'll burn your will to live, if I have to... Unless, of course... You give me what is rightfully mine..."
"I will NEVER give you those documents!"
A knocking sound pierced the air. Glaring to their left, Nick and Judy stared down Jack Savage, who was just retracting his paw from the hard surface of the wooden door.
"Go in there and put a stop to it!" He whispered quickly to the two officers, who both swallowed hard upon hearing the rat's harsh voice speak aloud;
"What was that?!" Ratsputin hissed.
Seeing that they had nothing to lose, and everything to gain, the female bunny pushed against the door, which swung open wide and revealed the interior of the mayor's office.
Large floor-to-ceiling windows lined the back wall, providing a rather scenic view of the southern city-scape. Standing behind the smooth, black-colored desk, an older mammal gazed at the female bunny with a variety of expressions listed across her face. Mayor Blair Lyncoln was undoubtedly a bob-cat, with her short beige fur, and her cat-like face.
Standing next to the mayor, a comparatively small rat stood with his head held high and his face donning a look of confusion and bewilderment. Quickly eyeing him up and down, Judy took note of his strange little outfit, which consisted of a long and old-looking court suit with strange, golden designs etched into the fabric around the edges. He held a lengthy ball-top cane in his right hand, and the hair on his head flowed down in haphazardous directions, tipping off near the base of his tail, which itself was bare and very long, laid limp across the red carpet floor.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Blair questioned, to which Judy was about to answer but trailed off when Ratsputin grunted audibly, effectively silencing her.
"Oh, I know exactly why they're here..." He hissed.
Ratsputin's coal-black pupils dilated to minute pinpricks upon locking eyes with the fox, his corneas searing with an almost stinging sense of disbelief and anger.
Following the rat's piercing line of sight, Judy found herself looking at Nick, who was trying his best to appear unfazed and confident in Ratsputin's presence. The rat continued staring down the fox until he finally noticed Jack Savage, who simply waggled his fingers at Ratsputin, causing the rat to bare his teeth and grind them together harshly.
"Mayor Lyncoln, these... These interlopers are here to steal the documents! Call security now!" The rat claimed, jabbing a crooked and clawed finger toward the fox.
"No no, wait! We're here from the ZPD! I'm officer Hopps, and this is my partner-"
"I know who you are!" Ratsputin growled, pointing his cane at Judy. "We know who you are!"
"Grygorri, calm yourself... They're police officers, and they're not here to cause any trouble..." The mayor mused, staring down the trio of mammals.
"I concur! They've been sent to spy on us by that blasted buffalo!"
"That's enough!" Lyncoln demanded. "Grygorri, I think I've heard plenty... Leave us..."
"What? Leave?! B-but I-"
"Leave!" The bobcat snarled, pointing towards the exit.
Growling lowly beneath his breath, the rat paced towards the pack of mammals before pushing his way past, all the while glaring at Nick with a sense of rage and confusion, as if he was thinking about the best way to strangle him. Upon Ratsputin's departure, the mayor sighed heavily and trudged over to the large black chair on the opposing side of her desk, of which she sank into and pinched the bridge of her nose tenderly while gesturing her guests to step forward.
"While I don't particularly condone the sudden and eventful entrance, I'll grant you leniency and immunity for the moment, officers... I need you now more than ever..."
Hey Everyone!
As usual, I certainly hope that you enjoyed this latest chapter! Do be sure to leave a review telling me whatcha think, since I absolutely love those, and if you haven't already, I'd very much appreciate a favorite and/or follow! We're so close to quadruple digits when it comes to our follower numbers!
We can do it, team! :)
That being said, I really only have two more announcements before I bid you all adiue for now, of course.
For starters, I'd like to thank the deviantART user, Ruffu, for giving me permission to use their OC as a character in my story! They have tons of cool drawings and paintings, including some of Megan Fawkes herself! So if you'd like to go and check out their work, along with perhaps giving yourselves a better idea of what Megan looks like, then you can find all of their work on devientART, of course! I hope you lot didn't mind the foxy new character, because we'll be seeing some more of her in the future! And yes, in case you are wondering, Megan is the very same fox that made a brief, but unmentioned appearance back in chapter 51, when Nick and Judy were in Pawaii on vacation.
Another tip of the ol' hat to you, Ruffu! Thanks! :D
Hmm... While on the topic of fox's, I'd also like to mention that the incoming (Yet still being planned out) sixth arc has one as well! I have some pretty good ideas cookin' up here at HQ for what I want to do with the sixth arc, and I can't wait to put them all together for the big reveal when it finally arrives!
Though of course, we still need to deal with Grygorri Ratsputin and all of his dirty work, now don't we?
Now, onto announcement number two: I'm considering gifting you lot with another bonus chapter when we at last reach quadruple digits for our follower count! I've always been an author who enjoys listening to community feedback and ideas, and this time is no different, friends! Just recently, I posted a brand new poll for you all to vote on what scene you want acted out during the second bonus chapter.
Do keep in mind that your votes in the poll will end up dictating what happens in that bonus chapter, whenever it comes. Choose wisely.
This story is yours as much as it is mine, so do feel free to place your vote on the poll, which should be available on my account right now!
There are a total of five different choices, each one very different in tone, mood, and setting.
Well, that's just about all that I got for you now, my friends! Stay tuned for chapter 57, comin' your way soon! :)
'Till next time...
Peace!