"Sometimes the best way to move forward is to start over." - Anonymous
More or less, it was back to square one: Where it all began, and now, where it would all end. Once again, the failures of the present bring the past back and into light.
Judy Hopps herself never could have imagined that she'd visit her old training grounds again: The Zootopia Police Academy, where she had learned, laughed, and cried for nearly an entire year as she was trained to become an officer of the law. There were good memories, such as when she beat a fully-grown rhino in a boxing match, and there were bad memories, like the time that she had unintentionally fallen into a toilet, but in the end, the rabbit's stance on the academy was nothing but positive: It had been a rough experience, for the most part, but the endeavor had forged her into the most prominent police officer that the ZPD had had in years. And for that, it was all worth it.
But still; Even with all of the many treasured lessons and prospects that she had underwent, Judy could never forget the humiliation that she had suffered at that academy.
From the minute that she had set foot on those training grounds, a target was on her back: The first ever rabbit officer to enroll in the academy. For weeks on end, she was subject to discrimination, prejudice, and humiliation. Though she had come out stronger in the end, thinking back on those memories hurt, admittedly, though the bunny would never admit it. To her, the pain and humiliation was just another part of her journey: Indeed, in spite of all that was set against her, Judy's desires to make the world a better place drove her to come out as the head valedictorian of her class at the ZPA. She cherished her achievements, though the thought of returning to the ZPA was fickle.
At least this time, she would be the one in charge. That was a thought that counted for something. Judy was highly determined to be the best trainer that she could be.
Chief Bogo had promised her and Nick that during their time at the ZPA, which was expected to be anywhere from a few weeks to several months, the two of them would retain their rank and status as officers of the ZPD, much to their delight, and that they would also obtain special privileges as the sires of the next batch of ZPD recruits. This time, they would be the teachers, and Chief Bogo made sure to fully elaborate on the responsibilities and expectations of such a title. Once finished, he deemed them ready to take on this new adventure, if only to appease the ire of the other district chiefs, and to prove once and for all just how truly productive of a team that the duo could be.
Indeed; Their opponents back home were powerful enough already. The last thing they needed was another situation like the one in The Canyonlands, last month...
Latran had every right to chew them out for operating outside of their assigned jurisdiction without permission: The only thing that led to the coyote's downfall was his own over determined desire to punish Nick and Judy for it. In the end, all of the different mammals involved had walked away having learnt a valuable lesson, though the two tiny officers themselves made sure to keep their toes in line from now on: The last thing that they wanted was another situation blown out of proportion, just like this recent one.
From now on, they would have to tread even more carefully, if only to avoid the ire of the other district chiefs.
Nick and Judy's latest endeavor may have been unexpected, to say the least, but the two tiny officers quickly warmed up to the idea: The thought of helping teach the next generation of ZPD recruits was a true honor, especially for Judy herself, who always hoped that her impact on the world would inspire the likes of other mammals. To her, this was the perfect opportunity to do exactly that, alongside proving those over-cautious police chiefs of her strengths as an officer of the law. Nick, on the other hand, was happy as long as he was with Judy. He'd never been one for staying in one place for too long, anyways, and welcomed the idea of getting out of their normal routine: For the past two months, ever since they had gotten back from the Deciduous-District, things were pretty normal, with no big cases or exploits for the two officers to take part in.
This new adventure would surely be an inciting opportunity to spice things up in their daily routine. Besides, just about anything was better than parking duty, as it were.
And to that, both Nick and Judy respectively, could agree.
6:30 P.M ; One week after the chief council meeting...
"So, what was it, exactly, that Chief Bogo had said about our sleeping area?"
Judy rolled her eyes upon registering her partner's inquiry.
"You weren't paying attention to his briefing, were you?" She deduced with a chiding tone to her words.
"Well, I had this nasty little hangnail that I had to deal with during the talk, so-"
"So you weren't paying attention to his briefing."
"More or less." The fox claimed.
As soon as the statement had reached her sensitive ears, the bunny couldn't help but shake her head from side to side, even though a minuscule grin of amusement still tugged at the edges of her lips. Sometimes she wondered if Nick acted dumb on purpose just to mess with her. No matter the cause, she took to explaining the highlights of Chief Bogo's aforementioned briefing session from the previous night, where the water-buffalo himself had rolled over the expectations and responsibilities of their latest endeavor with about as much excitement as a DMV photographer. Judy recalled how Chief Bogo had made mention of the fact that her and Nick would be staying in their own separate room, away from the common sleeping quarters where all of the other recruits would be piled up in bunk-beds. That, if anything, was something to look forward to.
Throughout the whole briefing, the water-buffalo had seemed a bit on the disgruntled side. Knowing that his two prized officers were being sent off on yet another mission probably didn't bode well for him, though with plenty of other good cops to pick up the slack while they were gone, this was understandably of little overall concern to him. However, while Nick and Judy had sat down and listened to Bogo's explanation of their latest task, they could tell that he was considerably agitated: His desk was messily strewn with paperwork, the air had a peculiar taste of anxiety to it, and the thin fur on Bogo's large head was matted, as though he had been running his hooves through it.
It was quite apparent that Nick and Judy's superior wasn't exactly expecting this new adventure of theirs to take place. That, the two officers could tell with ease.
Bogo had never anticipated having to result to sending his two best subordinates back to the ZPA, even if they were serving as instructors, rather than new recruits. The whole scenario was all so sudden and without warning, that the water-buffalo himself had to scramble in order to prepare for the endeavor. At the chief council meeting, the other district chiefs had agreed to give Bogo one week to ready Nick and Judy for what was to come, but as organized as the buffalo liked to be, even that was pushing him.
Whatever the case, there was nothing that could be done now. The two officers were already sixty miles past the city limits of Zootopia, packed into a ZPD cruiser filled with luggage, paperwork, and other physical essentials. Their destination, the Zootopia Police Academy, lie halfway between the big city itself, and the Tri-Burrow County, where Judy's old hometown of Bunny-Burrow resided. This rather particular positioning made the ZPA the perfect middle-ground for any police recruits coming from either direction: A place of rest, training, and success with roughly an equivalent distance from every single major mammalian community in the span of nearly two hundred and fifty miles.
Be it rural Bunny-Burrow, the rarely mentioned Deerbrooke-County, or even the city of Zootopia itself; All newcoming police recruits could make the trip with little troubles.
Judy herself recalled her own first trip to the ZPA, all those years ago. At first, she had found it strange that the academy itself wasn't actually in the city limits of Zootopia, even though it was a popular training grounds for new ZPD recruits, but she soon realized that the property's location allowed for a wide variety of recruits from all different directions and townships to have easy access. Besides, having the academy located at a reasonable distance from her hometown was definitely a plus. It made visits back to her parents and beloved home all the easier to accomplish, and as a bonus, it made her first train ride into the actual city of Zootopia all the more awesome for her to behold.
The only real downside of the academy being in such a neutral territory was just how little there was to see.
Once the skyscrapers of the big city had vanished over the horizon, there was nothing but roads, forests, and hillsides to break the emptiness. Judy would have thought that her recent trip to the Deciduous-District would have prepared her for such stark bleakness, but it was all too often that she forgot just how barren the real world could be in comparison to the shiny bright lights and colorful, towering buildings of Zootopia. Soon, the woodlands that surrounded the outskirts of the city began to disappear as well, slowly replaced by wide open countryside and vast expanses of healthy green grasslands, only poked through by the intermittent little lake, boulder pile, or patch of trees.
In other words, it was quite a boring experience.
As the landscape rolled by, both of the mammals within the car took to passing the time through the likes of idle conversation, objective recollection, and even the occasional game of 'I Spy', though, there wasn't exactly much else to spy out other than grass. The two of them soon began to gather an appreciation for just how fast the Zootopian monorail system was, in comparison to driving. But alas, to the academy, they needed to go by road. It was the most efficient way to reach their destination with all of their essentials in tow, especially since they planned on staying for an extended period of time at the academy, training the latest batch of recruits in the ways of being an officer.
Just another day in the life of Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, it would seem.
Eventually, the two officers at last reached the confines of the academy. Pulling in to the gated property, the both of them felt an abrupt pang of nostalgia: Nick and Judy respectively had spent months on end training at this very facility. Towering symmetrical structures branched off in various directions. The main building itself was large and dark; Almost oppressive, some might say. It radiated discipline and strictness. The grassy courtyard in front of the main building was clear of any obstacles, save for a lone polar bear standing in the middle of the open space. She was dressed in a simple blue ZPD T-shirt and basketball shorts, and sported an identically shaded baseball cap on top of her head. A shiny whistle hung around her thick neck, and she clutched an old, dilapidated clipboard in one arm, all the while watching Nick and Judy intently as they exited their vehicle and approached. The polar bear had a large grin on her face, and as the two officers closed the distance, she opened her arms out in a welcome gesture.
"Well, if it isn't officer Fuzzy-Bunny!" Major Friedkin guffawed.
Judy smiled. "It's been a while."
"Indeed it has! How have ya been holding up?"
The bunny shrugged nonchalantly. "Tired. It was a long drive here."
"Well, it's great to have ya here, sergeant Hopps."
"Don't forget me." Nick added coyly, causing the polar-bear to chuckle.
"How could I? Those tricks that you pulled on the other recruits were the bane of my daily existence, back then." She claimed.
Like old friends, Nick and Friedkin shared a hearty laugh amongst themselves. It had been ages - Years, to be specific - since any of the three mammals had encountered one another. They all relished the opportunity to catch up once more. Chatting idly for a few short more minutes, the topic soon trailed back to proper business and career work.
"So, when do we get to meet all of the new recruits?" Judy asked.
She especially was quite curious to begin working with the next generation of ZPD officers. The bunny hoped that she could teach them all to help make the world a better place. Throughout the whole car ride to the academy, Judy had been wondering about what her trainees would be like. Personally, she pondered over the idea of some of them having been inspired to join the ZPD by her! She had always wondered what it would be like to have subordinates of her own. And so, she listened to the bear's reply;
"First thing tomorrow, at six o' clock, the crack a' dawn, we'll all file in and meet up here in the courtyard. That's when you'll get to meet all the recruits. They're a fine batch of mammals. I have a good feeling that this year may produce some of the best new cops that the big city has seen since you two first arrived! You'll see. For now, though..."
The polar-bear smiled heartily and motioned with her arm in a gesture to follow her.
"I'll show you two around; Give ya the whole tour. The academy's gotten some brand new installments since your last run through. Come on!" The bear requested.
Friedkin beckoned the two officers forward towards the main building, and began pacing towards it calmly. Nick and Judy both scrambled in pursuit. The former asked;
"What do you mean by new installments, exactly?"
The major nodded her head upon registering the fox's question. "Oh, just some new expansions to the building, a few extra vending machines here and there..."
A mischievous expression steadily grew across the polar bear's thick, white muzzle.
"Not to mention some additions to the obstacle course, as well."
Nick coughed. "You're kidding, right?" He muttered. The fox recalled quite well how humiliating his first few runs through the course had been. He pitied the new recruits.
"No jokes here, fox." Friedkin claimed proudly.
"Please tell me these new additions that you're talking about don't involve any hoops of fire... Do they?"
"No promises here, either."
The scary thing was, Nick couldn't tell if the major was teasing or not.
Judy seized the moment to clear her throat, if only to prevent her old instructor from filling them in on more of her favorite torture methods.
"Let's just start the tour, shall we?"
9:00 P.M
All's well that ends well.
Once the meeting and the tour had reached its conclusion, Nick and Judy both retired to their assigned sleeping quarters. The two of them had their own special little room situated far away from the bunk-beds that all the recruits would be piled in. They appreciated the privacy, at the very least. It was definitely preferable to sleeping in the barracks. Their room was small, but cozy, and had only a dining table with two wood chairs, a wall-mounted television, and one decently-sized bed. It could have been worse.
The place reminded the two mammals of the hotel that they had been staying at while they were working on the case involving Jack Savage, all those months ago. It had been ages since either of them had thought of that particular outing, but neither were bothered at all by that fact: Best to keep their eyes forward and on what was to come.
After breaking out their luggage and getting accustomed to their new home, Nick and Judy then lounged on the bed, watching the news for a few hours until, at last, they deemed themselves fit to sleep. They had a long day ahead of them, and as the rabbit herself had stated, they would need all of their energy for it. At that, they chose to call it in early, if only to get a good night's sleep before the early call of tomorrow's scheduled activities acquired their attentions and efforts. Until then, though, they would rest.
And rest they did, indeed.
Midnight ; Somewhere in the Rainforest-District
It was far past closing time.
The Green Mill Bar, as it was known by, held no suspicion towards the wicked. Being well over sixty years old, the place had witnessed the likes of all kinds of different mammals over the years. The old, the young, the calculating, and the temperate; Yet none were as famous nor as notorious as the mobster Al Catpone. The feline kingpin had grown accustomed to the ancient bar, and often used it as a place of rest and recovery in between jobs. The owner of the Green Mill was a friend of his, and was always happy to loan the place out for a night of private drinking, planning, and whatever else the jaguar crime-lord had in mind. It was his favored bar and restaurant, and was graced by his presence almost on a weekly basis. The back rooms, basement, and private hall were commonly used by Catpone as a place of rest and planning over his work.
Even though the property was currently off-limits to the public, at this hour, the jaguar himself knew the value of worktime privacy: The private hall was his makeshift office.
Inside, the dimly-lit room gave off an almost dangerous sense of comfort, as though it were inviting you to come and doze off in one of the finely fashioned booths, yet never open your eyes again. To come and enjoy the sweet, lemony scent of the gilded wood walls, yet also choke on the residual smog of nicotine that swirled through the open air.
The whole atmosphere reeked of sleaze, silence, and an almost weary sense of relaxation. It was the sort of place where large groups of mammals with a rather old fashioned sense of decor gathered over fine food and cold drink, but now, there were only two occupants seated at one of the booths. Niether spoke, but both displayed much thought.
One was a large, heavy-set spotted jaguar dressed in a dirty black overcoat and slacks. The other was a portly tapir in a simple vest and bowler's cap. The two mammals had a pile of papers lying upon the rounded wooden table before them, though at the current moment, they relaxed; Lounging back in the leathery-satin folds of the booth, each mammal holding a single lit cigarette, of which they occasionally brought up to their lips, inhaling deep before slowly breathing out a thick stream of curling, ash-gray smoke.
Their job had been finished. Hours of careful scheming over their work had at last subsided for this brief, but nevertheless appreciated, moment of tranquil rest.
But even still, the curiosity of what lay before the two mammals couldn't be quelled. The tapir found himself mumbling in a simplistic, speak-easy accent;
"This brew of ours seems pretty straight, boss, but are you sure it'll work? We don't want to be takin' any wooden nickels, now do we?"
The jaguar lazily looked up from the brim of his fedora. He had an irritated look on his face, for he was enjoying the peace and quiet, that was, until the pesky tapir piped up.
"Of course it'll work." Catpone grumbled. "Whatdya think we've been sittin' around here for the past three hours, for? Makin' sure things work, that's what!"
"Yes, yes, of course, but this whole thing just seems so... Sudden." The tapir stammered. "So hasty and risky."
Al's lips curled in a distasteful sneer: Now he was starting to get annoyed.
"We've been over this, Donnie." The jaguar stated. "We've got a real sockdollager of a plan, here. Don't jinx it up with your doubts."
Donnie just sat there, kneading his hooves together.
"Wouldn't it be better just to lay low and keep exporting?" The tapir asked timidly. "We can still make money off our current route, right?"
Al Catpone growled and furrowed his brow. "You need to learn a thing or two about power-plays, Donnie." He muttered.
"Uh, power-plays, sir?"
Snarling once more, the jaguar lept out from his seat and rose to his full height. "Yes, power-plays!" He then began a vehement rant, all the while pacing back and forth;
"The ZPD made their first big move when that rat got himself killed. I ain't ending up like him. This plan we got cookin' up is our first big move. Sure, we could sit back and keep doing what we've been doing, as you so daftly suggested, but sooner or later, the ZPD will make another move, and we'll lose ground. Lose men. Lose money. I don't like losin', Donnie. Aside from old Fang-Face down in the noc' district, and Big-B over in T-Town, we're all that's left. I won't see the Rainforest-Outfit get wiped off the map."
From there, Al turned back towards the table, and eyed over the written papers that were stacked in piles before him. He smiled, knowing the potential of his handiwork.
"With this move of ours, we bring the fight to the ZPD, and we remind all those air-heads at Precinct Four who's really in charge of this jungle!" He roared.
At that, the jaguar stamped one of his balled-up paws onto the surface of the table, causing it to slightly tremble, and for the corresponding sound to shatter the otherwise sleepy atmosphere of the room. There was a strong moment of silence that followed the jaguar's tirade, with the only sound filling the space of the private hall being that of Catpone's labored breathing. He had made his point efficiently. Yet still, to the big-cat's utter irritation, his ears soon registered the sound of the tapir's nasally voice blurting;
"But didn't Iluka Rombahe technically bring the fight to the ZPD, first?" Donnie piped up. "I mean, he was the one that set up the arson attack in the archive, so-"
"You're a special kind of stupid, ain't ya, Donnie?" Catpone interrupted flatly.
The tapir trailed off and slouched in disappointment. "I'm sorry." He stifled.
Al waved him off irritably with one of his meaty paws.
"Don't matter." The jaguar claimed. "Just stop ruinin' my monologues!"
"Yes sir."
Grining as though that solved the whole problem, Catpone exhaled heavily before seating himself in the booth once again. He soon finalized;
"Right, then... Break time's over, Donnie. These blueprints of ours are a good start, but not enough to seal the deal. Not yet, anyways."
"What more is there to do?" The tapir asked curiously.
"We still gotta make sure that the Linear-A Formula reacts with the dependent variables smoothly. You know what happened in the last trial: Failure isn't an option this time."
"No sir, it isn't." Donnie agreed. "Should I return to the compound to prepare the test subject?"
"Yeah, you should. Make sure they're down under before you inject them with Linear-A. We don't want another savage-fueled accident in the lab, do we? I'll catch up later."
"You're staying here longer, boss? What for?"
The jaguar smiled lazily.
"I just need one more drink. It's been a long day."
Hey Everyone!
Okay, this new chapter was kinda short, I admit it.
I know that I said that about the last one, but I just wanted to take the time to clarify that this one was very much intended to be so. It didn't have much to tell, as it was more so supposed to serve as a transition sort of chapter, you see, but that was the plan all along. The next upcoming chapter (94) is going to be much longer, as Nick and Judy's next big adventure starts with a lot to tell! I can't wait to get started on it. I reckon you all will find some enjoyment with what I have planned. Until then, do stay tuned, and feel free to leave me a review here, explaining your thoughts on this latest chapter of ours, and what you think of the seventh story arc so far. I'd love to know! All reviews are greatly appreciated, just as much as anything else. Thank you very much.
Alongside that, if you haven't already, feel free to favorite and/or follow the likes of this story. Every new reader is welcomed. :)
Secondly, I'd like to clear things up a bit: Some of you have inquired me as to the purpose of Nick and Judy being sent to the ZPA, and I'm happy to shed some light on the plot details. Nick and Judy go all over the place in this story, but it's worth keeping in mind that there was a sizable time skip of two months in between the sixth and seventh story arcs, so they aren't just jumping into the ZPA right after getting back from the Deciduous-District. At the ZPA, they'll work as instructors for the next batch of ZPD recruits; Teaching them their ways, and how to be a good cop. It'll be a learning experience for them: Something that all of the district chiefs hope will strengthen their appreciation for the ZPD engagement protocols, as we saw last chapter.
However, as we witnessed with that final scene involving Al Catpone and his tapir crony, there will be threats. Al is planning something big, you see; Something that will earn the attention of our favorite bunny and fox duo. But until then, Nick and Judy will continue their work at the academy. So yeah, you can expect the later half of the seventh arc to have a more dangerous feel to it, what with yet another looming threat on the horizon for them to battle. He's been waiting in line for a while, but Al Catpone will soon enough get his own time in the limelight, something that I'm sure a good number of you guessed earlier, since at the chief council meeting, he and his potential for threat were brought up as a topic of discussion among the various district chiefs.
You all will eventually learn of what Catpone speaks of during his final moments in the scene above, but until then, expect plenty of Nick and Judy content!
Also, just to clarify: Chief Jesse Latran isn't a villain. He's antagonistic in the fact that his character is an obstacle for Nick and Judy to overcome, but he isn't intentfully villainous, and doesn't have an evil hidden agenda, or anything like that. He's just a cynical coyote that's very strong-set in his beliefs. Some might say a bit too strong-set, even. He's the kinda guy to push his beliefs in the pursuit of power and influence, but knows when to back down, as we witnessed in the last chapter. Jesse isn't planning anything behind anyone's back: He just hopes that Nick and Judy won't screw up, but if they do, that it embarrasses Chief Bogo.
If anything, he's like Severus Snape from the Harry Potter franchise! He opposes the main characters, which makes him antagonistic, but is not intentfully villainous (Even though Snape killed Dumbledore. What? Too soon?) with his ways. Yeah. He's a bit of a hardass, as we all know by now, but in future chapters, you'll be learning some more about his better character, and how it applies to the job that he does, and his relationship with the other chiefs,
I hope that that clears some of your burning questions up!
With all that covered, I'd like to now address the reviewers out there: Tell me what you think of this chapter, and your thoughts on what's to come! Also, I'd like to know which of the various district chiefs that we were introduced to in the past few chapters was your favorite. I'm just a curious guy, really.
Next up, WIF has just recently reached 1500 follows, and is about to reach 1,800,000 views. That is incredible! Thank you all very much for your interest in my work! What all started out as just a simple experiment has grown into something so much greater. Again, thank you all for sticking with me, and I hope that you will continue to stick with me as we wrap up the remainder of this story. I couldn't have asked for a more loyal and awesome group of followers!
Last up for announcements, I'll have you know that there's a TON of new fan-art available for viewing on my Tumblr and DeviantArt accounts, ranging from some interpretations of the new police chiefs that were recently introduced, to Nick and Judy chilling with Ivar. Also, if you feel like contributing to the fan art gallery, just let me know, and I'll be glad to build some bridges to help you out. I adore seeing people's depictions of my story in the form of cool art!
Anyhow, that's all that I have to say for right now, really. Thanks for reading, and do stay tuned for chapter 94, coming your way soon!
'Till next time...
Peace!
PS: Okay everyone, this last-minute announcement is VERY IMPORTANT, both to me, and the story as a whole! Although the remainder of the seventh arc still has content much to offer, I do believe that WIF is soon coming to an end. I want the story to have a stable conclusion, and I believe that the seventh arc might be the last arc: The conclusion of the story. It's gone on for quite a while, indeed, but nothing lasts forever, good or bad. One of the main reasons that WIF has gone on this long is because I've always thought that as long as there was more story to tell, that it would keep going: Loose ends in need of tying up. Topics and concepts in need of exploration, if only to prevent confusion and regret from surfacing at the very end. I'm sure that's understandable.
And so, I do apologize to any who feel that this story may have gone on for too long as it is. I suppose I just had a lot to tell, in the end. Sure, I could have split up the narrative into multiple different stories, but I didn't see the need to, in the past. The story will be ending sooner or later with a fitting bang that you loyal readers deserve, though! So stick with me for what's to come - You won't be disappointed, that much I can promise you. ;)