Hey Everyone! :)
Real quick here, I just want to take the time to quickly apologize for the rather lengthy amount of time that it took to bring this chapter to the public, on top of the fact that it isn't a very long chapter, either. My motivation has been somewhat lack-luster as of late, so I hope that you can forgive me for such.
Because of that, I decided to make this chapter a bit shorter than usual; So that you lot will get some more of your well-deserved content a bit extra early, and so that I can work out the remaining details and other important bits of story and plot and whatnot for the imminent future chapters, which will be comin' your way soon. Though for now, this short chapter focuses a lot on Nick and his own personal problems, alongside some philosophical mindsets.
So yeah, I apologize if this brand new chapter isn't as long as some of you would have liked it to be, but soon enough, I'll make a nice and lengthy chapter!
It may be short, but this new chapter really focuses a lot more on Nick's own personal situation, which will be expanded upon in the coming chapters.
So that's a bonus, if ther ever was one in the first place, I say! xd
Regardless, I certainly hope that you lot will find some enjoyment out of this new chapter, which will be concluded with more chapters here soon enough! :)
Without any more further ado, I give you chapter 59 of When Instinct Falls,
Enjoy...
"Hide nothing, for time, which sees all and hears all, exposes all." - Sophocles.
Keep your emotions in check.
Fake it 'till you make it.
And don't let anyone in.
Those were the rules that Nicholas Piberius Wilde lived by for roughly two full decades, all by himself, alone in the world, with no sturdy shoulder to lean on in desperate times.
Was he a fool for being so reclusive and bitter, so deceitful and conniving, so arrogant and egotistical? Perhaps... He certainly didn't consider himself such, even after meeting Judy. Maybe that fact simply proved it in the first place, but in the end, it wasn't something that the fox reminisced on for very long: He didn't like being distracted from the present.
Nick had always been convinced that the best way to deal with his problems was to bottle them up and try to overcome them on his own terms, which quite frankly, often led to them never getting solved at all. He would push them to the back of his mind where they couldn't bother him; Bound in chains and tossed into an abyss. His devil-may-care attitude had always been a facade wrought only for the purpose of dissuading his true thoughts from the outside world. He didn't want anyone to know what he was really thinking, how he really thought, how he really saw the world around him, and why, above all else.
Cynicism, he liked to call it... In truth, it was nothing more than bitterness, resent, and spite, all of it directed at the world, and those who inhabited it, himself being no exception.
The fox remembered how he had spent his days on the streets all too well. Back and forth, this and that; Complete clockwork mindset. His days consisted of step one, two, and everything after until he at last fell asleep and could escape his problems, if only for a little bit. He numbered his days throughout the years, and when Judy finally helped him clear his cynical and oppressive state of mind, he had encountered a brand new problem: His past was catching up to him.
With the return of his old problems, ranging from long-forgotten scam-artist victims, to vengeful mob-bosses hot on his tail, his old mindset started to return as well.
So, he dealt with them the best way that he knew how: By bottling them up and hiding them from the entire world. The only real exception in recent memory had been his heart-to-heart with Judy over what he had done to Vladzotz and his family, all those years ago. He remembered sparing no detail to the wind, and for a scary moment, he thought that it had almost cost him his entire marriage. Thankfully, it was nothing more that another step on the ladder of life, just a little bit steeper than usual.
Together, Nick and Judy had done some amazing things. They were a team, and a perfect match: Functioning like a well-oiled machine, bent on progress and productivity.
So why did the fox want to hide his most recent bout of emotional turmoil?
Ratsputin, in short, had humiliated him. Nick's most recent convergence with the rat had left him with addled thoughts and a disarranged demeanor: He hadn't expected the rat to be so domineering. The fox had allowed himself to get sloppy and ill-prepared, making him an easy target for Ratsputin to apprehend. Nick wasn't thinking that the rat would slap his tranquilizer gun right out of his hand. He wasn't expecting to get forced up against a wall, and held hostage with a two foot blade disguised as a simple cane.
It had cost him a little bit of his ego, that experience in the bathroom... And of course, he didn't want anyone to know about it...
Nick decided that he wouldn't tell Judy what had happened between him and Ratsputin back in that bathroom: He didn't want her, Jack Savage, or anyone else to know about it. Grygorri had gotten to him, one way or another, and the fox intended to uphold his own personal motto of 'never let them see that they get to you', so as to keep those around him from finding out. He didn't want to look weak, sloppy, immature, and every other term for amateur under the sun. Ratsputin had given Nick a taste of his own medicine, and in an ironic sort of way, taught him a lesson: That the most personal of problems are best solved by yourself, with nobody else to bog it down all the while.
Pacing down the length of the hall, Nick continued his way toward the mayor's office, where he would meet back up with Judy and Jack before continuing their investigation.
All the while, the fox thought over what had to be done next: From where they stood now, they had many different choices on where to continue their work, ranging from small-scale questioning of the various employees and other workers around the city-hall, to an all-out investigation analysis. The choices were plentiful, but Nick decided that it wouldn't be him to make the choice: It was a team effort, after all, so Judy's opinion and preference mattered just as much, if not even more in the long and short term.
Unfortunately, Jack Savage had his own say in the matter too: His acclaimed knowledge could prove to be quite useful, if used in the right way.
Even though the male rabbit was a part of the investigation, and even though his assistance was nearly required at this point, if there was one mammal Nick hated more than any other, it had to be Jack: Over the years, Nick had dealt with robbers, murderers, scammers, thieves, brigands, mob-bosses, and vigilantes, but none of them churned his stomach quite like Jack Savage did.
Aside from being being just your average asshole of a mammal, Jack was a lying, cheating, filthy, and deceitful thief, guilty of fraudulence on the highest of scales. The male rabbit had swindled millions of dollars from all sorts of investors and associates, ranging from individual families to the most powerful corporations in all of Zootopia.
Jack Savage's range of destruction and discord had spread far and wide, but to Nick, the worst of it all happened to be the most personal of it all.
The male rabbit had crossed the line one hundred fold in regards to what he had done to Judy. It was an unforgivable crime, and the fox had no intention of ever sparing Jack from his actions, regardless of how much he needed him or not. Having to work alongside Jack has since served as no easy task, and although the two seemed to be getting along decently, Nick reasoned that it was only a matter of time until another fight broke out between the two of them, over whatever reason.
So despite it all, the fox simply had to soldier has way through, hoping every step of the way that nothing bad would happen.
Nick breathed in deeply through his nostrils, closing his eyes and calming himself for what was to come.
Pressing his paws against the oaken door, Nick stepped back into the receptions lobby that bordered the mayor's office. Past the piles of paper-work, Nick noticed that Megan had returned to her post behind the oval-shaped desk, and was now casually typing away at her computer key-board, all the while chatting with a small shrew that was walking across her desk surface, soon vanishing as the tiny rodent slipped into a nearby green-colored suction tube.
The whole scene looked as if she'd never left her spot in the first place. The male fox grew slightly suspicious, since the last that he had seen her had been when Ratsputin had pointed at her and said something just out of his hearing detection.
Seeing the chance to gather some useful information for his internal investigation, Nick decided that questioning her wouldn't hurt.
Walking up to the edge of the desk, Nick leaned onto the counter-top and rapped his knuckles against the hard granite surface, effectively earning the attention of the vixen, who glanced at him briefly before looking back towards her computer monitor, all the while making a sort of humming sound to signal to the male fox that she was listening.
"Hey there..." Nick started quickly, clearing his throat audibly. "Whatcha up to, foxy?"
The vixen sighed softly and turned towards the male fox, whom she locked eyes with before replying steadily in a very casual, and matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"Oh, I'm just rescheduling the mayor's meetings and other activities for the next month. That's all."
"Rescheduling?" Nick repeated with raised eye-brows. "Implying that something changed, huh? Might I ask just what, exactly?"
"With all due respect, it's nothing of your concern, officer Wilde." Megan stated flatly as she turned back towards her computer monitor.
"It can be... I am on an internal-investigation, after all... I have the right to question you as I see fit." He retorted.
"Yeah, well I have the right to remain silent, don't I?"
"You know your stuff, don't you now?" The male fox asked, a coyish smile plastered on his russet-colored muzzle.
"More or less... "
Nick pursed his lips and looked away momentarily, all the while rubbing at his scruffy chin. He thought back to what Megan had claimed earlier... How she was rescheduling the mayor's plans for next month. The male fox recalled how Ratsputin had mentioned that he visited the mayor roughly ever month or so, and how the rat had hissed something toward Megan on his way out from the office. Suspicious, at the very least...
He shook his head slightly from side to side before turning back to the vixen, who seemed to be ignoring him.
"Listen Megan, I'm just curious, but why did you try to lie to us back when we first met?" Nick inquired, causing the female fox to don a brief expression of guilt and regret.
"I don't have to answer to you, officer..." She muttered lowly, avoiding eye-contact.
"Yeah, you're right... You don't have to, really..." Nick agreed calmly. "I'm not gonna push you into anything that you don't want to do, but I'd like to know why, I really would."
The vixen closed her reflective blue eyes and exhaled slowly through her nostrils, causing her pinkish-colored nose to quiver in response.
"I wasn't lying... I-I was just..." She hesitated. "Just trying to keep my job, that's all... Mayor Lyncoln doesn't exactly like things out of order, like unscheduled meetings..."
"That can't be all, is it?" Nick added.
"No, it isn't. Aside from specifically telling me not to let anyone else enter her office without permission, the mayor also instructed me to stay silent in regards to her most recent meeting."
"With Grygorri Ratsputin..." The male fox concluded.
"Exactly... I know that something isn't right... That something's going on between the two of them... B-because Mister Ratsputin keeps telling me to be quiet... To not talk..."
"Well, that's what the ZPD is here for, Megan..." Nick reassured the vixen. "We're here to investigate why Grygorri keeps coming here, and we'll figure it out eventually."
The vixen ever-so slightly nodded her head a single time.
"I'm sorry for not telling the truth... I just don't want to lose my job..."
"Hey, it's alright. Don't worry about it." Nick's eyes settled on the very tip of her tail. "Say, I've been meaning to ask you, but what exactly happened to your tail?"
Megan's tail swished around on the red-carpet surface of the floor, the very tip of which flopped around crookedly and rather awkwardly. The vixen smiled and stifled a slight laugh;
"You're the first person to ask me about it in a long time... Well, I'm pretty clumsy, and my tail keeps getting caught in doors, filing cabinets, and things like that... I guess it just kinda molded itself into that shape over time, really..."
"Interesting... I think it suites you well..." Nick claimed with a warm smile as he stepped away from the counter. He cleared his throat and spoke aloud;
"Well, I best get back to my partner... We have work to do, after all. Thanks for bein' honest with me, Megan."
"Oh, it's no problem... Good luck with your investigation, officer Wilde." The vixen said with a warm smile.
Nick nodded to her before turning around and heading off in the direction of the large oaken doors, bent on reuniting with his lapin partners.
Hey Everyone!
Aw, poor Nick... Having a bit of a personal dilemma, now isn't he? Don't worry though, he won't be having it for too long, I assure you! :)
But yes, remember how it was mentioned that Ratsputin likes to play mind games on his victims, like he did with chief Bogo? Well, I wouldn't be surprised if the rat half-expected for Nick to try to bottle up and hide what happened to him in that bathroom. So in short, yes, It's all part of the plan: Ratsputin had a feeling that Nick's stubbornness and arrogance would prevent him from telling anyone else what Ratsputin did to him, so it allowed the rat free reign over his actions.
Now, the fox is trying to hide all of his insecurities, just like how he did before he met Judy.
Fear not, though! Soon enough, Nick will come around to, and will realize just how important it is to have a helping hand and a sturdy shoulder to lean on in desperate times. He and Judy will have a nice heart-to-heart eventually, and I think it will be a lovely scene: I'll have Nick remember just how much he needs Judy, and vice versa, so he'll have a flash-back to when he helped Judy in her own time of need; After Jack attempted to rape her some time ago.
Judy had her emotional problems with Jack, and now Nick has his own with Ratsputin... Good stuff! xd
Anyhow...
Back at it with another story-line chapter for you lot! I hope that you all enjoyed it, of course: Do feel free to leave a review detailing your thoughts. I always adore knowing what you all think of the many chapters, since feed-back is always a blessing! Alongside this, I'd very much appreciate any additional favorites/follows toward the likes of this work. Every single one counts, and I have some more cool ideas and concepts for the next bonus chapter, so the sooner we get to 900-ish favorites, the sooner we can get to work on narrowing down the options for the third bonus chapter, which will be comin' your way soon!
Speaking of comin' your way soon, do expect chapter 60 (Can you believe it?) to arrive here soon enough... Do stay tuned for it, of course! :D
Secondly, I'd like to point out that I have just received a gorgeous piece of fan-art from an artist on Tumblr! It's a lil' sketch of Vladzotz's locket, and I absolutely love it! There's even a cute little baby bat! If you'd like to check it out in all of it's artistic glory, then you can find it (along with all kinds of other drawings and posts, including a lovely art-piece of Ratsputin) on my Tumblr account, which is labeled identically as this one here on fanfiction: upplet
And last but certainly not least, I do apologize for the shortened and rather abrupt chapter, but fear not, for it will be expanded upon with another chapter here eventually, which will bring all sorts of new answers, and maybe even a few more questions along with it, one way or another! Do stay tuned for it, of course!
Regardless, that's all that I have for you lot when it comes to news, for now... Thanks for reading, as always! :)
'Till next time...
Peace!