"Watch your character; It becomes your destiny." - Lao Tzu
3:00 P.M , City Hall
Destiny calls.
Throughout her entire life, Judy Hopps had been training to become a police officer of the ZPD. It was her passion. Her dream. To her, it meant the whole world to become an officer of the law; To protect and serve the citizens of Zootopia. She had learnt and accomplished much over the years, from completing the academy to taking down entire criminal syndicates, but there was nothing to prepare her for what she faced now. Perhaps the greatest challenge of her entire career lay waiting at the end of this hall-way.
But she preferred not to think about that too much.
Ever since she and Nick had returned home from their little getaway in Sahara-Square, the bunny herself had been counting down the days until the upcoming city council meeting, of which she was being forced to attend alongside her partner and even Chief Bogo. There, all twelve of the city's police chiefs would meet to discuss the events that had taken place over the past few months, Nick and Judy's involvement in them, and just what it meant for the future of Zootopia, and the two officer's respective careers.
Indeed, it was quite safe to say that everything that they had ever accomplished throughout their careers as police officers has been leading up to this very moment in time.
No pressure. Judy thought to herself. This is just like any other meeting... Only with high-ranking superiors that could terminate your career on a whim, instead of coworkers.
The rabbit shook her head from side to side, clearing her head of anxious thoughts. Get a hold of yourself, Judith! Just relax, and go with the flow. She mentally settled upon.
Breathing out a considerably relieving stream of air through her mouth, Judy felt her heartbeat slow down a little bit. There was nothing to be so darn worried about. She had everything to gain from this upcoming meeting, and nothing to lose... She hoped. Shaking her head again, the bunny spared a brief glance at her partner, husband and mate, Nick Wilde, who strolled calmly beside her with his paws folded behind his back. With him at her side, she could not possibly fail. Straightening herself out a little bit, Judy proceeded to clear her throat aloud before looking up to her large superior officer, Chief Bogo, who himself had asked her and Nick to accompany him on this meeting of his.
"Say, why did you want us to join you in the first place, Chief Bogo?" She asked, if only to further distract herself from her own anxiety.
The buffalo was silent for a short time. "This meeting needs the insight of mammals that are more active out in the city. Officers. You two were the best pick." He finally said.
"That's not it though, is it?" Nick added, to which Chief Bogo sighed. He continued;
"No, it isn't. Since you both were the ones who witnessed the confrontation in The Painted Labyrinth, and have a better understand of the city's crime-lord's than just about anyone else, the city council ultimately decided that you needed to attend the meeting to explain yourselves, and help us brainstorm some sort of solution for our problems."
"Problems?" Judy asked curiously.
"Yes; Problems. What happened in the Deciduous-District was a heavy reminder for us all, especially since it was nearly destroyed by that reckless tasmanian-devil. With the archive at the ZPD head-quarters having been burnt to a crisp, Iluka Rombahe expanding his range of influence into other city districts, the death of Grygorri Ratsputin, and Vladzotz Fangpyre's sudden return to the criminal underworld, the other chiefs and I have come to realize that we need a plan of action. There are still more foes out there for us to deal with, and we have to be ready for whenever that happens. This emergency meeting was scheduled, and we were all summoned to city-hall in order to discuss the possibilities for that plan, you two included. But don't get your hopes up too high, now: We're also here to discuss you and your rather particular antics of engagement."
"Right." The bunny glumly muttered.
"Well, this should be fun." The fox claimed with an undertone of sarcasm to his words.
"Just don't screw anything up, and I'm talking to you especially, Wilde!" Bogo growled. "Speak only when spoken to, don't interrupt, and keep your answers to the point."
"You got it, boss." Nick stated with a half-hearted salute.
Soon enough, the trio of mammals reached the end of the corridor, where a large set of wooden double-doors blocked their path. Behind it, muffled voices could be heard.
This was it. Moment of truth.
"I'm so nervous!" Judy stifled.
"Hey, don't worry, Whiskers," Nick reassured her. "This'll be nothing but smooth-riding from here on out. Relax, and enjoy yourself!"
Staring up at his smiling face, and registering his honeyed words, it was hard not to give in and believe. Judy tried doing exactly that. Exhaling once more in an effort to calm herself, she felt a satisfying chill work its way up the full length of her spinal cord, causing her gray fur to stand on end, and her large ears to perk up towards the ceiling and tingle with sensation. It was now or never: This smallinkling of courage likely wouldn't last too long, so it was all up to her to soldier through and do what needed to be done.
"Alright. I'm ready." She stated with confidence.
From there, Judy, along with Nick and Chief Bogo, pressed against the doors and entered the space before them. Each mammal proceeded to take in the fantastic sight.
The room was large, and circular in structure, with a massive, smooth-wooded table with twelve sides ringing the perimeter; Each individual side brandishing a single chair, a glass of water, and a shiny name plate. Nick and Judy both noticed that the side farthest away from them sported Bogo's personal name-tag, and had two smaller, additional chairs flanking the larger seat, undoubtedly brought for the two tiny officer's special visit. It reassured Judy that she would be sitting right beside Chief Bogo, a familiar face, rather than being singled out amongst the crowd of superior officers. Nick would be on the buffalo's opposing side, but still just close enough for added comfort, thankfully.
Those two facts, if anything, calmed her electrified nerves more than any self-motivation possibly could, and for that, she was truly grateful.
Admiring the large table, which had a twelve-sided cut-out center, the fox officer himself noticed that on each of the name plates, a small number was gilded so as to inform onlookers of the district behind the name. Chief Bogo's plate, which displayed the number one, was a symbol for Savannah-Central, along with all of the other numbers, each one rising in a clockwise order. The plate with the number twelve, which was directly to Bogo's left, held the name Gabi Euchor, and was positioned next to a minuscule chair on the surface of the table; Clearly the seat of Little Rodentia's chief of police, which was reserved for only the smallest of mammals, it seemed, judging by the chair's size.
Nick took note of the chair's occupant; A tiny female jerboa, who smiled and waved upon locking eyes with him. He chuckled before returning the simple gesture of greeting.
"All twelve police chiefs of all twelve districts are here." Bogo stated proudly, surveying the room.
Both Nick and Judy had their eyes filled to the brim with different mammal species, and so, to get introductions underway, Bogo began pointing out each of his counterparts;
"Sitting beside us to the right of our seat is Chief Tarrak Hadfield, of Precinct Two's Tundra-Town." He informed.
The two tiny officers took in the sight of a bulky musk-ox, whose massive amounts of fur nearly obscured his uniform and ZPD-issued windbreaker coat from sight. His eyes weren't visible behind the piles of fur, but his horns, which were much like Bogo's, except longer and more droopy in shape, jutted out prominently. The musk-ox sported a considerably sizable beard, with three bundles of fur weaved together in pillars that dangled beneath his neck and chin. The very tip of each bundle was enwrapped with a small, circular ornament that held the fur together. This mountain of a mammal was as large as Chief Bogo was, but appeared even more so due to his thick winter fur coat!
As Nick and Judy registered the sheer might of the musk-ox, Bogo continued to explain his particular position in the ZPD;
"Not the brightest bulb of the bunch, but his 'officer lives first' strategy has earned his district of operation the highest officer mortality percentage in the city. Tundra-Town has low crime-rates in comparison to the rest of Zootopia, and that's in no small part to Tarrak's work as chief of Precinct Two. He's a fine mammal with a fine track-record."
"Pretty big guy... He could probably give you a run for your money in the fine art of arm-wrestling." Nick quipped, to which Bogo snorted in distaste.
"I'd like to see you try arm-wrestling someone a fraction of his size." He retorted.
"Is that a confession of defeat?"
"Okay, enough of that, you two." Judy intervened. "Let's just find our seats, okay?"
"Right." Bogo agreed flatly before clearing his throat with an audible grunt.
Leading the trio of mammals to their rightful spots at the table, the water-buffalo pulled out the chairs for his two guests, allowing them to sit down first before finally seating himself, the chair creaking slightly beneath his weight. Once the three of them had settled down, he took the time to resume his introduction of the other mammals present.
Bogo then pointed towards a scrawny coyote leaning against the corner of a nearby wall, with his arms crossed broodingly against his chest, and his condescending gaze set upon Nick and Judy: Chief Jesse Latran, of the Sahara-Square's Precinct Three. The water-buffalo cleared his throat before continuing his introduction of the other city chiefs;
"Chief Latran; Though, I'm sure you're already familiar with him by now, if the phone calls that I got the other day were truthful with their claims."
"Yeah, we've met him before." Nick confirmed in a quiet voice, if only to keep the coyote from eavesdropping on them. "Not a fan."
"Being a predator in a large-prey majority field, and one of only two predator chiefs, I'm sure you can understand the pressure that he deals with." The buffalo explained.
For a moment, Nick actually found himself sympathizing with the coyote. He himself had been victim of workplace discrimination in the past, and being a predator himself, truly could understand the pressure that Jesse must have dealt with throughout his career as chief, especially since he was such a high-ranking officer in comparison to him.
The fox shook his head, clearing the thoughts that clouded his mind. "Isn't an excuse to be so rude, though." He grumbled lowly.
Nodding his head, Chief Bogo seemed to understand Nick and Judy's apparent disdain for the coyote.
"His volatile personality makes him hard to get along with, but he does his job well. He was actually in the running to become chief of Precinct One, some time ago, but being a predator in a prey-majority field, especially during such divisive times, well... They hurt his chances. He's been the police chief of Sahara-Square ever since, which is a very demanding title, since that desert is one of the most crime-riddled regions in the city, alongside being a highly-populated primary district. You should give him some slack."
Taking one last glance at the coyote, who sneered back at her with a distasteful expression, Judy sighed before steeling her resolve.
"He doesn't seem to like any of us... Yet you've worked with him for years." She began. "How do you put up with that?"
"Having lost to me in the appointment of Precinct One, I'd guess that Jesse holds a bit of a grudge. He frequently pesters the mayor about my decisions as chief, but she never gives in to his complaints. Chief Latran and his supporters have always been my biggest critics; Voicing in opposition of my choices during every council meeting. I put up with him, as you put it, because he's a colleague of mine and a trusted member of the ZPD. Don't forget that. Jesse is more than worthy of his title as chief: His tough policies and long-term social reforms have drastically reduced the crime rate in Sahara-Square since he first took office. In fact, he's the one that forwarded the raid on the sundries compound that Shahaz Pholmok was using in his racketeering schemes. Remember that? Without his help, we never would have caught that pangolin so easily."
Judy pursed her lips, and her long ears drooped in shame. "Maybe we should give him some slack." She softly admitted.
Her foxy partner, on the other hand, didn't show any visible signs of guilt, but deep down, he shared her beliefs to the fullest.
"A wise choice." Bogo concluded calmly.
Once the tension had smoldered down, the water-buffalo singled out another associate of his, this mammal being a lean-looking anteater with stringy brown fur and healthy green eyes, much like Nick's very own. The anteater had a long snout, as expected of his species, and wore a floppy red beret hat. His police uniform was tight-hugging and formal, blue in coloration, with a thick black belt wrapped around the waist. He sat quietly at his assigned seat, delicately sipping away at the glass of water he had received.
"That's Chief Roberto Myreme, from the Rainforest-District. Precinct Four, to be precise. He's one of the ZPD's finest: Cunning and deliberate, inquisitive and optimistic, all traits that are needed when having to deal with the drug industry, of which his district of residence harbors nearly fifty percent of all exports. Because of this, he's a very busy mammal, and a considerable workaholic, always trying to stay one step ahead of Al Catpone. Also a bit of a perfectionist, too. He and the mayor get along quite well."
"Neat!" Judy exclaimed. "Sure sounds like he's got his work cut out for him."
"Very much so. As I said, one of our finest." Bogo concluded before gesturing towards a nearby female koala dressed in a standard police uniform. The buffalo continued;
"The koala over there, Louise Koobor, reigns as the chief of Precinct Five over on Outback-Island. Very nice and friendly, she does the best job that she can on an island isolated from the mainland city, and raving with con-mammals and treasure hunters. Always the calming voice in the room whenever these meetings get too confrontational, which happens more often than you think. With her criminal counterpart, Iluka Rombahe, having been brought down by you both two months ago, she's begun to focus more of her efforts toward the mainland precincts, now that her biggest adversary is finally defeated; Helping us deal with our own criminals by sharing resources, and intelligence."
Staring over the koala's overall appearance, Nick took note of the quadruple golden stars that were pinned to her collar: The mark of a police chief. She was a rather short, very fluffy, and considerably pudgy sort of mammal, but if she was as qualified as Chief Bogo claimed that she was, then Nick wasn't one to judge. He nodded a single time.
"So, who's next, then?" He inquired of his superior, whom promptly directed his attention towards a mammal that was perhaps among the strangest in the animal kingdom.
Nick and Judy's eyes gazed over the form of a plump little creature, that was possibly just a little bit shorter than Judy herself. Undoubtedly male, it took a few moments for the bunny to finally realize that she was beholding the likes of a creature that was rarely seen on the surface: The star-nosed mole. Usually residing in the Nocturnal-District, star-nosed moles had one of the most peculiar noses on the planet, hence their name. Slimy and pink, a total of twenty-two fleshy tendrils ringed the circumference of the mole's nostrils. They quivered and slightly twitched about like the tentacles of an octopus out of water. Supposedly, they were supposed to help them feel around in the dark.
Despite their evolutionary advantage, Judy thought that they were absolutely disgusting. Nick, on the other hand, couldn't have been more amazed.
"Wow, they're almost hypnotic..." He mumbled, effectively causing Judy to elbow his rib-cage.
"Nick! You can't just stare at a star-nosed mole's nose like that!" She chided quietly. "And don't talk too loud; He might hear you."
Not wanting to continue looking at the mole's rather unorthodox proboscis, the bunny officer diverted her attention toward his other physical features. Just below his chin, the star-nosed mole chief sported a small, pointed goatee of fur, and he brandished a pair of large, circular glasses that covered his tiny beady eyes, which appeared much larger than they really were due to the magnification of the considerably sizable lenses. His fur was dark gray, and he wore an all black ZPD overcoat with furred collars around his flabby neck. The secondary collars above his sternum displayed his shining chief stars, and he brandished the insignia of the Nocturnal-District's precinct on his left arm: The only true colors visible on his uniform. As expected, the mole's claws were large and built for hard digging, with the bare flesh on his paws glistening pink just like his nose.
One of the arms of the chair that he lounged in held an oil-black officer's hat, the very middle of which showed off the same logo that was patched onto the left sleeve of his jacket. He must have taken it off once he had entered the building out of courtesy, and judging by the calm and collected that way he sat in his seat - completely still, with his large claws folded across his lap - Judy reasoned him to be a more gentle, quiet sort of mammal. And from the order of the chiefs that had been introduced thus far, she thought it safe to assume that he was the head chief of Precinct Six, down in the depths of the Nocturnal-District. Definitely not her favorite place, but she respected the job.
"That's Chief Bertolt Condy. He is an honest, and very intelligent mammal, but unfortunately, incompetence mars the quality of his work: Lazy, and indecisive, he's practically let his district become one of the most crime-infested places in the entire city of Zootopia, though, being underground and difficult to support from the surface world, the Nocturnal-District itself is partially to blame. His officers are low in number, morale, and motivation, and Bertolt himself is seemingly terrified of Vladzotz and the power of his Nocturnal-Mob. He constantly asks for support from the city, though seldom receives assistance due to budgetary restrictions, and prioritization policy on part of city-hall."
"Prioritization policy?" Judy inquired curiously.
"Yes; The focusing of resources and finances toward the primary districts of the city; The ones with all the glitz and glamour. There's a reason why they're so well-developed compared to the secondary districts, like The Docks, or the Nocturnal-District. It's a damn shame, but ever since the plight of the Night-Howler crisis all those years ago, the city government has begun to step up its game, and direct more money into the lagging districts. Because of that fact, they've started growing more financially robust and visually appealing, too. In a way, they all have you two to thank for that. Your open-mindedness has shown the city the error of its ways, and the true power of its potential."
Nick felt his left eyeball twitch in a brief moment of irritation. He realized that if this mole would have done his job better, then Vladzotz would never have been able to rise to power so easily, far less commit all of those criminal atrocities throughout the depths of the Nocturnal-District. The fox suddenly felt the urge to slap that mole across the back of his ham-fisted head! Thankfully for him, though, Nick managed to keep his cool, and quickly recompose himself: Assaulting a superior would definitely be a big no-no.
"If he's so incompetent, then why is he still in office?" He found himself asking in a quiet yet strained voice.
"Bertolt may have his weaknesses, but the sparse and rare times that his job is done to the fullest, he does it with viciously effective results; His smarts crafting all kinds of clever strategies that result in the bad-guys getting caught with minimal negative aftereffects. It's almost unbelievable. Chief Condy's record of efficiency is nearly spotless and his propositions at these meetings are always well-thought out and innovative. He's a vital and very useful member of this team, and we all do our best to aid his cause."
The fox sighed. "Whatever you say, Chief." He suddenly perked up. "Wait a minute... If the line-up is in order, then the chief proceeding Precinct Six would be-"
"Chief Urzo!" Judy called out with volume across the room, towards the other side of the massive table.
Proceeding Bertolt Condy the star-nosed mole, the rabbit officer smiled wide and warmly as a large male grizzly bear came into her field of attention.
And there he is. It's nice to see him again after so long. She thought to herself. Precinct Seven comes after six! Of course Tom Urzo would be here.
"Precinct Seven; Chief Tom Urzo." Bogo dubbed simply. "Enough said."
The grizzly bear waved at his old associated with a big smile on his face. He guffawed heartily as Nick proceeded to shoot him a single slick finger-gun gesture in return.
"Glad to see some familiar faces, at least." The fox then stated.
"Chief Urzo certainly seems to have warmed up to you two." Bogo muttered observantly. "Not the original intention, as you likely know, but I see no reason not to approve."
Nick snorted in amusement at the buffalo's comment. He found it somewhat ironic that Chief Urzo, the very same mammal that had been assigned to torment them during their stay in the Deciduous-District, was now a dependable associate of theirs. If it weren't for the excursions of Iluka, the duo never would have gotten to know him so well.
Turning their attentions away from their grizzly bear ally, Nick and Judy observed intentfully as Bogo pointed out the next mammal in the large ring of police chiefs.
"Next is Chief Abraham Pinnip, of Precinct Eight, over in The Docks on the south side of the city. He's almost as big a cynic as you, Wilde." Bogo stated aloud.
Nick and Judy admired the form of a chunky sea-lion in a blue police uniform. His long whiskers were combed in an orderly fashion, and the soggy fur around his mane curled forward down the length of his cheeks and over his upper lip to form a sideburn mustache. He looked older than the other mammals, judging by his wrinkled facial features.
After eyeing over the sea-lion's appearance, Nick turned towards his boss with the intentions of retorting to his previous comment.
"As if." The fox quipped.
"You should give him more credit, you know: He's an old-timer here at the ZPD, and is responsible for the creation of the precinct in his home district." The buffalo retorted.
"Really?" Judy asked softly. "That's amazing!"
"Indeed. Before The Docks was a full fledged district, albeit more of a secondary one, nowadays, it was a simple shipping port. A sleepy fishing town. Problem was, the crime was atrocious. Once the place got big and important enough to be granted the title of a sub-district, Abraham worked tirelessly to establish an eighth precinct; To store ZPD marine equipment, train new officers, and most importantly, to protect the inhabitants of his hometown. He's a hardy and generous mammal. Among the ZPD's finest cops."
"Impressive." Nick mumbled.
"So cool!" The bunny officer nearly shouted, clearly having some trouble on holding back her excitement. A few of the other mammals gave her dirty looks, Jesse included.
She giggled nervously, her ears drooping in embarrassment. "Sorry." She stifled softly.
"It's alright, but please; Try to stay composed when the meeting begins." Bogo said.
"Sorry." Judy repeated. "It's just so cool!"
The water buffalo actually smiled: A minuscule quiver of a grin pulling at the side of his lips.
"I can understand the enthusiasm. You've always had a strong love for police work, haven't you, officer Hopps?" He questioned.
"Does that even need an answer, by now?" Nick interjected jokingly.
Bogo snorted. "Granted."
"Yeah, I guess I always have. I just think it's so fascinating that all these high-ranking officers have accomplished so much in their lives... Practically creating whole districts."
"Chief Pinnip certainly earned his worth. His reforms have allowed The Docks to become a vibrant, peaceful sub-district inhabited by the city's marine mammal populace."
Bogo sighed, as though he had just remembered something rather unpleasant. He voiced his thoughts;
"Despite that, Abraham has a very strong distrust of the central government, including Precinct One, and in turn, me, because of our tight-knit ties to city hall."
"What?" Nick muttered. "Why?"
"Same reasons as Chief Condy: The city government and its incompetence. Much like the Nocturnal-District, The Docks has had some, er... Problems, in the past."
"What kind of problems?" Judy asked.
"Outside prejudice. Failing infrastructure. Lackluster maintenance." The water-buffalo replied in a quiet tone of voice.
"Oh... Those kind of problems..."
Bogo nodded. "Compared to the primary districts, places like The Docks and the Nocturnal-District are severely wanting of improvements." He claimed.
"I thought that after Bellwether was arrested, the new mayor promised to help funnel more funding toward those places when she was elected? Why haven't they?"
"Like I said: Outside prejudice. The past three mayors have all had hidden agendas of some kind, including our current one, as you know. It's easier said than done to keep campaign promises, so skepticism is always a must-have when dealing with these sort of mammals. After all, why waste time and money on things that aren't yours to own?"
"In short, not everything is fine and dandy in Zoo-City." The fox added cynically. "And in conclusion, we really need to get on the mayor's tail over this, sometime soon."
Judy's ears drooped even lower. Sometimes a cold, hard slap of reality right to the face was definitely not what she needed. Bogo, noticing this, chose to lighten the mood.
"Though, that's not to say that achievements haven't been made. A few months ago, city-hall began some major road renovation work in the Nocturnal-District, you know."
"This is depressing." Nick grumbled. "Can we please get back to the roll call?"
"Yes, of course." The water-buffalo agreed, all the while clearing his throat awkwardly. "I'll make it quick, since the meeting is about to start."
Finally, the last four seats, all of which were occupied, in the order of a lanky muskrat, sturdy bighorn sheep, pudgy beaver, and tiny jerboa, were explained by Chief Bogo.
"And the last four seats belong to Chief Zibeth, from Precinct Nine, Chief Denard; Precinct Ten. Chief Castor, eleven, and Chief Euchor, twelve." He told to his subordinates.
Bogo paused for a moment, thinking over the four mammal's corresponding districts, before at last, he finalized;
"The Marshlands, Meadowlands, Canal-District, and Little Rodentia, respectively. All may be secondary districts, but they still play their part accordingly."
"Lotta new names and faces to remember." Nick mumbled to no one in particular.
Every single police chief in the room was now sitting at the big table; Even Chief Latran, who had been broodingly leaning against a nearby wall when Nick and Judy had first walked in. Each of the mammals had a golden row of quadruple stars pinned to their collars, signifying their status as high-ranking officers in the police department. Leaders.
The amount of political and social power crammed into this one room was almost unbelievable. Each and every one of the mammals that sat before Nick and Judy held a great amount of influence in their respective districts, and overall field as a whole. Judy herself had spent nearly her whole adult life training to become a police officer, but never could have imagined that she would become prominent enough in her line of work to be summoned before the city council itself. Perhaps she really had wound up accomplishing her longtime personal goal of making a difference in the world around her, to have attracted the attention of all these high-ranking officers and their opinions.
Now, she could only hope that said opinions were favorable.
Judy recalled how that confrontational coyote, Chief Latran, had accused her of being reckless, and departed with a bitter warning: That the other city police chiefs might not view her and Nick in a very positive light, for whatever reason. Sure, Judy had long since acknowledged the fact that she had a bit of an impulsive-action problem when it came to dangerous and risky situations, but she always did what she thought was right; For the greater good, and to catch the bad guys that threatened her and the city. If Chief Latran couldn't see that, then Judy would just have to deal with it as best she could. Not everyone in this world was easy to please, she often found out the hard way.
Hopefully these other police chiefs wouldn't add to that list.
However, amongst the crowd of mammals, it felt as though someone were missing...
"Say, where's the mayor in all this?" Judy found herself asking. "Doesn't she attend these meetings too?"
"Yeah, I'd think this meeting would have started by now. Where is she?" Nick added.
Bogo hesitated, almost as though he didn't want to answer that question. Eventually, he gave in;
"Mayor Lyncoln won't be attending this particular meetings. The other chiefs and I decided that the topics we intend on going over are less of her concern."
The bunny wasn't so sure what to make of that, but before she could decide, her water-buffalo superior cleared his throat loudly and addressed the room once more;
"Officer Wilde does bring up a good point. It's time to initiate what we came here for."
At that, the room quieted down almost instantly, with entire conversations coming to a halt before silence enveloped the room and all of the mammals within in.
"As you all know, this meeting was scheduled for us to discuss the possibilities of the future, and what it holds for us all. Within the span of a mere eight short months, two high profile criminal figureheads, crime-lords, have been captured, both by the same two officers, who are here with us now. Officers Hopps and Wilde, introduce yourselves."
Judy felt her face heat up in slight embarrassment. Clearing her own throat with an audible grunt of discomfort, she waved to the other mammals in the room.
"Hi." She greeted simply.
Meanwhile, Nick gave a lazy salute to the crowd. "Pleasure to be here." He proclaimed nonchalantly.
Chief Bogo nodded, clearly pleased with his subordinate's introduction. Once the attention had faded away from Nick, he decided to continue his explanation.
"With the near-destruction of The Painted Labyrinth in the Deciduous-District, I've come to realize that our enemies are far more technically capable than we first thought. All these years, the crime-lords have been building their empires in the criminal underworld right beneath our noses, and there may come a day when we'll regret not being as upfront as we could have been. That being said, there are two crime-lords safely behind bars, Shahaz Pholmok and Iluka Rombahe, and another two, Vladzotz Fangpyre and Mr. Big, that are showing relatively little criminal activity, at least, according to our sources. That leaves one mammal as the center of attention: The jaguar, Al Catpone."
An uncomfortable silence followed the water-buffalo's monologue. All of the mammals present knew of Al Catpone's power and influence. If there was any criminal figurehead likely to step out of line next, it would be him. They all recognized this concept, and so, further discussed the many possibilities of preparation for when that day finally came.
The conversation went on for some time. Having never dealt with Al Catpone, both Nick and Judy had little to say in regards to the current topic, and so, kept themselves quiet, save for a few simple questions that slipped their minds here and there. Having learnt a thing or two about not crossing her boundaries by now, Judy herself especially refrained from painting herself as a target for these police chiefs to pick apart, especially that nasty coyote, Chief Latran. The last thing she wanted was him calling her out.
Names were thrown, questions were asked, and answers were given. Although Nick and Judy had relatively little to add in this particular discussion topic, it was clear to them that all of these other mammals had their fair share of experience dealing with crime and politics. They had all been in the force for entire decades on end; Completely overshadowing Judy's mere five years of service to the ZPD. Here, even despite being one of the department's best officers, she felt very, very small. Exposed: As though her whole career could be brought up and dissected by these powerful police chiefs at any moment. It unsettled her, but she kept calm by focusing on Nick and Bogo's presence.
Time passed, and before she knew it, a whole half-hour had slipped by, yet it only felt as though she had been present for a few short minutes.
As the bunny officer mentally wrapped her head around the current topic, which had apparently moved on from Al Catpone, she listened in carefully on Chief Koobor's voice.
"Chief Condy, have you anything to add over this?" The female koala asked the fat mole that sat beside her. He swallowed nervously, thumbing his palms before speaking;
"There are so many things that need to be addressed... Al Catpone is still out there, along with Mr. Big, and my own arch-rival, the vampire bat, Vladzotz Fangpyre..."
Bertolt winced as though the thought of dealing with his criminal counterpart made him somewhat unsettled. Quickly recomposing himself, he proceeded;
"The crime-lord Vladzotz Fangpyre went missing for some time, as I'm sure you all know, but what's most worrying about that is not his absence, but his return! My officers have been returning with r-reports of criminal activity believed to be linked to the Nocturnal-Mob, which had been dormant during that cruel vampire's leave, yet is all of a sudden rising back into power, albeit slower and more conservative, undoubtedly in an effort to refrain from attracting too much unwanted attention. This is very worrisome."
Chief Myreme leaned forward. "Could you elaborate on that, please? I am not very up to date with the work involving Vladzotz." He stated, tilting his head slightly to the side.
The anteater had a discernible accent behind his words, much like Iluka Rombahe, but somewhat more exotic, and tasteful. It was almost soothing to listen to. Bertolt said;
"Certainly. The Nocturnal-Mob lost a lot of power with the vampire bat's sudden disappearance, and from what my sources claim, the group nearly wiped itself off the map from the chaos that followed. But Vladzotz returned, and took control once again. The syndicate is now just a shell of its former self, but still a force to be reckoned with."
"True, but we should still focus our resources on the biggest threats." The beaver - whom Nick identified as Chief Castor of the Canal-District's Precinct Eleven - added.
"Agreed. The last thing the city needs right now is an upfront threat." Bogo verbally approved. "Though that's not to say that we should completely ignore the lesser ones."
The musk-ox "Prioritization is key. My officers have already been having enough trouble dealing with that confounded shrew!" He bellowed lowly.
Upon registering Tarrak's previous comment, Judy felt her ears dip slightly in shame. Being a Godmother in the Big Family was a secret that she hoped never got out. It would cost her everything: Her career, her life, and her reputation as a whole. The fact that she had collaborated with him and his cronies back when she was trying to wrap her head around the Night-Howler case was a crime that wouldn't be punished lightly. Just like Nick's arson accident, she had her own demons that needed to be restrained.
She then shook her head from side-to-side, clearing her conscious from the thoughts that ailed her: Best not to zone out for too long, especially over such depressing topics.
Meanwhile, Chief Bogo's booming voice acquired her attention once more. If anything, the bunny was grateful for the distraction from her own hidden guilt.
"Has there been any notable progress with Mr. Big?" He asked flatly.
The musk-ox sighed heavily. "Nothing worth bringing up. Just more dead-ends and false hopes. Big is a real slippery one." He broodingly grumbled.
"At least that shrew is one of the less violent crime-lords." Bertolt the mole added. "Vladzotz is incredibly dangerous, making him difficult for my officers to pursue."
"Perhaps. As we agreed upon, prioritization is key. I'd be happy to temporarily displace a few of my officers to aid the two of you with your troubles." Chief Koobor claimed.
"Bless your heart, Louise!" The musk-ox cheered. "Ever since that devil went behind bars, you've been nothing but helpful to Precinct Two. Thank you."
"Your consideration is most appreciated." Bertolt said simply.
"Okay, so we've covered Mr. Big and old Flappy-Bat, but what about that jaguar dude in the rainforest?" Nick interjected inquisitively. "Al Catpone, right?"
"Thank you for speaking up for me, Mr. Wilde. I was hoping that we'd be able to cover him soon enough" The nearby anteater claimed.
Nick nodded. "Just figured that we should cover all of our bases, here, right?" He stated.
"Good plan." Chief Condy said. "Roberto, I understand that you've increased monitoring on Al Catpone, no?"
The anteater nodded in confirmation. "That is correct."
"Anything out of the ordinary?" Judy found herself asking.
"Not as of yet, but I am keeping watch alongside my officers to the best of our capabilities."
This back and forth conversation continued for some time. Options were weighed, possibilities were discussed, and conclusions were suggested, all in the name of progress.
Throughout the meeting thus far, Nick himself had noticed that the loudest voices in the council were those of the primary district chiefs: Bogo from Savannah-Central, Tarrak from Tundra-Town, Latran from Sahara-Square, Myreme from the Rainforest-District, Koobor from Outback-Island, Condy from the Nocturnal-District, Urzo from the Deciduous-District, and Pinnip from The Docks; Precincts one through eight, respectively. Perhaps they all spoke more often than the other chiefs because their assigned districts of operation were more populated and prominent, and thus, had more to cover. It made sense, but Nick couldn't help feeling as though some mammals at the table weren't getting the proper chance to speak up and address what was on their minds. Maybe they just didn't care, since all of this big-district stuff had little to do with them.
Whatever the end case, it was quite clear that the loudest voices had the highest say, and in turn, the greatest power. Nick wasn't too sure if that was a good thing or not.
Eventually, the discussion about the crime-lords and Nick and Judy's recent achievements began to dwindle down. All of the chiefs seemed to agree that they did a good job capturing Iluka Rombahe, among other accomplishments, such as bringing in Shahaz Pholmok after a successful police raid, solving a hedge-fund plot in one of Zootopia's largest city banks, putting a stop to Ratsputin's nefarious schemes once and for all, and disrupting the Nocturnal-Mob's criminal empire in the depths of the Nocturnal-District.
With steadied minds and even steadier results, the council agreed that for now, there was little that they could do about the remaining crime-lords, save for waiting for a given opportunity. Until then, the entirety of the ZPD's forces would continue work as usual, unless something extraordinary or considerably special came up to deal with.
But there was still more to discuss. Despite all of the successes that the two tiny officers had bestowed upon the world, there were still the opposing failures that enticed talk.
"It's settled, then." Chief Latran decreed. "Now that our first topic is concluded, I'd like to take a moment to address the elephants in the room."
The other chiefs looked around, seemingly searching for elephants even though there clearly weren't any.
Jesse growled. "Not literally, you mouth-breathers! I'm talking about Chief-Bogo's little accomplices; Officers Hopps and Wilde."
"What's on your mind, Chief Latran?" The koala chief of police asked.
"I haven't forgotten that little ruckus that they fired up in Sahara-Square; My district of operation!"
Oh great, this again. Judy thought to herself.
"A laceration of protocol over assigned jurisdiction lines can be a complicated offense." Chief Condy muttered, scratching at his tiny goatee. "But nothing too serious, I think."
"They did manage to capture Iluka Rombahe, didn't they?" Chief Myreme spoke out in Nick and Judy's defense. "If anything, that fact should lessen any counteractions."
"You were the one who dealt with that tasmanian-devil, Chief Koobor," The coyote began, gesturing towards his koala counterpart. "Tell us your thoughts on the matter."
The koala sighed before folding her paws across the table in front of her, delicately tapping the smooth wooden surface with her small black claws. She seemed to think over her thoughts and beliefs for a short while before at last turning towards Nick and Judy with a peculiar look in her eyes: Not quite disappointment, but far from appreciation.
Finally, she spoke her mind to the others;
"Although I'm very grateful that you two managed to finally capture Iluka Rombahe, whom I've been battling across the Outback for the past decade, I have a strong belief in the protocols that the ZPD has been using since its first inception; Protocols that the two of you have broken and manipulated time and time again to suit your own agendas."
Judy felt her face heat up. "Our own agendas?" She repeated sharply. "Everything that my partner and I do is for the good of the city! To make the world a better place!"
"Yet in doing so, you've cost the city time, money, and even lives." Chief Latran retorted, his eyes narrowed in seeming contempt.
"Everything we do is with good intentions!"
"The path to hell is paved with good intentions, officer Hopps." The coyote snarled back at her.
The bunny was beyond frustrated. She had never, and would never take the life of another mammal. Ever. In her eyes, there was always another way. The casualties that the coyote had mentioned were truthful, yes, as there had been a few mobsters that were flattened when Castle Fangpyre collapsed down in the Nocturnal-District, not to mention Ratsputin dying before their very eyes, but none of them were her or Nick's fault: As she recalled, it was Vladzotz himself that had started the fire in his manor, and Ratsputin had committed suicide by his own hand. Not a single incident involving fatalities was of their own accord. Chief Latran was setting them both up to be the bad guys.
Chief Latran was even more dangerous than Judy had originally thought.
"That's not true!" She exclaimed. "Nick and I have never caused any of our colleagues to get hurt, much less killed."
"Maybe so, but it's clear that your recklessness has led to much chaos throughout the city and its districts." Chief Pinnip declared.
"By hook or crook, it's only a matter of time before you cause more damage." The coyote chief of Precinct Three added. "I suggest that we remove them of their duties."
Judy nearly gasped aloud in sheer surprise.
Furrowing his brow, Nick realized that this was getting out of hand, and raised up one of his paws in a subtle gesture of objection, that was, before voicing his mind;
"Sir, with all due respect, my partner may be a bit restless at times, but she always has the bigger picture in mind, and would never purposefully do anything to hurt anyone. Judy is brave, intelligent, and good at what she does... Taking away her job would be a disservice to the city of Zootopia and the mammals that live in it. Because of her and her skills, countless criminals are behind bars where they belong, and the city is that much safer. Perhaps the whole 'following protocol' idea thought could use some work, least to say, but in the end, there's absolutely nothing that Judy won't do to protect the people, uphold the law, and serve the city. If you can't see that, then I can't help ya."
The fox's sudden outburst had been deep and meaningful, yet also strong and insightful. The entire room was silent to the count of five before Chief Urzo finally spoke out.
"Officer Wilde is right." He claimed. "When he and officer Hopps were under my command, they performed outstandingly in even the simplest of tasks."
"And they also took down two crime-lords in the span of half a year. Just what else could they accomplish?" The musk-ox stated.
"Indeed." Chief Myreme agreed. "Imagine what the two of them could accomplish if we slackened the already tight restraints that bind them."
"Ludicrous! You always were a lax when it came to rules, Roberto, but suggesting that we give these two hooligans special privileges? That's just unthinkable!" Latran yelled.
"Completely ridiculous!" The bighorn chief of the Meadowlands bellowed.
"That's putting it lightly." Bertolt the mole interjected.
"I say these two young officers should be punished!" Chief Pinnip growled.
"We've been over this, Abraham," Chief Bogo claimed. "That's what they were sent to the Deciduous-District for."
"I can vouch for that." Urzo added.
"Clearly it wasn't thorough enough, considering their hoedown in The Canyonlands last weekend." The coyote chief snarled back in respite.
"Everyone please, calm down." Chief Koobor demanded sternly, yet to relatively little effect.
All of this arguing and disagreement over Nick and Judy? It nearly made the latter of the two sick to her stomach. Here everyone was debating over her actions as though she was a suspect in a criminal case. She was like any other mammal: She made mistakes sometimes. Trusting Ratsputin to save their own hides was a mistake. Following that raccoon in the Nocturnal-District only to get knocked out was a mistake. Jumping into dangerous situations with admittedly little forethought was a mistake, too. All of her past failures and misgivings came rushing back to her in that moment, and she felt as though all of her good deeds were for nothing, that was, until a booming voice spoke;
"I will not fire my two best officers to suit your own whims!" Bogo decreed with volume, silencing the entire room and effectively ending the rather heated argument.
Judy wanted to hug him. Even in tough moments, he still came to her and Nick's side.
Chief Latran scoffed. "Big words, Chief Bogo." He growled. "But don't forget that your power is equal to ours."
The water buffalo's eyes widened in realization. "No... You wouldn't dare."
"Me? Oh, no, I would never be able to properly punish your officers for their misdeeds on my own, no..." The coyote's grin widened. "But this is a group meeting, after all."
The chief of Precinct Three turned to his fellow associates before raising his paws into the air and proclaiming out loud;
"It's clear that there is only one way for us to put this matter behind us for good. Let the council decide the fate of these two officers, then!"
All of the mammals at the table nodded their heads in agreement, some muttering amongst themselves and beneath their breath about the coyote's previous statement.
"Bogo, what does he mean?" Judy asked of her superior, even though she already had a sinking feeling about its true meaning.
The water-buffalo swallowed hard before responding. "In the wake of an unresolved conflict or decision, the council votes to decide what must be done."
"And what does that mean for us?" Nick questioned, his russet fur standing on end all the while.
"It means that the council will hold a raise of hands to..." Bogo briefly hesitated. "To determine whether or not your careers... Will be permanently terminated."
Hey Everyone!
Cliffhanger ending! Oh, the horror?
We haven't had many of those, have we? Just a few at the beginning, really. I'm not a fan of them, as they oftentimes break up the narrative in places that shouldn't be divided, but for this chapter, I figured that one would best suit the sheer worth of the vote at hand, you see, and so, decided to place one here.
Also, it's fun to mess with people, sometimes.
I apologize for it. Trust me, I know how it feels to get really invested in something, only to have the rug swiped out from under your feet. Don't you worry, though! I promise that in the coming chapter, we will get to learn the chief's verdict, and what they plan for Nick and Judy, alongside some more additional scenes afterwords that take place at a later date. Indeed; In the next chapter, the true plot of the 7th story arc will finally begin, and I can't wait to start it!
Until then, though, I hope you enjoyed this one!
Honestly, I'd say this is one of my personal favorite chapters thus far. I had a blast writing it up for you all, despite its considerable length (Which itself is actually once of the reasons I like it so much, I admit), and certainly hope that you enjoyed reading it, of course. For me, getting to see Nick and Judy's characters develop even further, along with the introductions of brand new ones, I might add, is a treat to think over. We all know that Judy herself is very protective and considerate of her career, for the most part, so I found it quite fitting to write her up as somewhat anxious over the likes of this meeting.
Fun stuff! Don't worry though; She'll be having plenty of more uplifting moments with Nick in the many coming chapters. Stay tuned!
Alongside more Nick and Judy shenanigans, you can expect to be seeing some other faces, both old and new, in the coming chapters, and will be getting to know some of the other city police chiefs a little bit more, too! I've always wanted to explore the concept of even more police chiefs for the many different districts of Zootopia, and today, my little goal has been reached at last. You'll see more of them all in future chapters, especially Chief Myreme, in particular.
Don't expect to see much of the last four chiefs, however: They are not very important to the current path of the plot, and were primarily added in last minute so that I wouldn't get people pestering me about why I didn't include the Marshlands in the meeting, or the Meadowlands, or something like that. The chiefs that you will be seeing more of in the future, for the most part, are just the first eight, more or less, with some standing out more than others. I didn't want there to be too many chiefs to take attention away from Nick and Judy, though, so the last four won't be playing important roles in the story.
I didn't want this latest new chapter to be an OC extravaganza, after all.
In short, you can tell which ones are the most important by how big of an introduction Bogo gave them in the beginning, or how much dialogue they had. :P
It is those mammals that you will be seeing more of in future chapters.
Be ready for those when they arrive! Until then, tell me your thoughts on this latest update of ours: I'd adore seeing a review explaining what you think about the various city police chiefs, and Nick and Judy's interactions with them. Alongside that, if you haven't already, feel free to follow/favorite this story.
All new readers are welcomed and appreciated greatly, that's for sure. :)
Next, I'd like to let you all know that a few of the older chapters have been though some minor revisions, and a few more were even paired up with some corresponding music suggestions for new readers to consider and enjoy. You're more than welcome to go back and find them to take a gander, if you'd like.
Last up for announcements, I'd like to make mention of the fact that even more fan-art is available for viewing on my Tumblr and DA accounts. You're more than welcome to check them out, if you'd like. A special thanks to all the generous artists behind them, of course! Your contributions are most appreciated.
If you yourself are an artist, and are considering an artistic contribution for the likes of the story, feel free to let me know. I am grateful for the interest.
Anyhow, that's all that I have to say for now, really. I do hope that you all enjoyed what this latest chapter had to offer. Stay tuned for the next one! :)
'Till next time...
Peace!
PS: Also, in response to anyone who believes that the police chief voting is unjust, take a moment to consider how each of them are equal in power. During times of tension and disagreement, no one chief has more political influence than the other, especially when it comes to matters brought up at their table. Zootopia is one city; Not a whole country, as far as we know, so you cannot always say that things from real-life cities would apply to this fictional one. This city council is the highest body of mammals before the mayor and assistant mayor themselves, so to keep order, they occasionally vote on dividing matters.
I hope that makes sense for you all. I will be covering this some more in the next chapter, which won't be as long, but will be much more eventful. Stay tuned!