Power Struggle
"Jack..." Jack slowly walked forward in the darkness. He looked over the rails and listened to the terrible roars in the streets. Red and yellow flashes, accompanied by rumbling booms, bubbled up in different parts of the city. Sirens shrieked in his ears as firefighters and officers began to thread through the sudden chaos. Jack knocked the rails with a fist.
"What a fine time for us to be without our gear and covered in sex." He rolled his eyes.
"I regret nothing," Judy swiftly replied. She stared down at the streets with him. The night sky provided poor light as he tried to find any sense in the chaos below them. Jack's throat went dry. He shook as he tried to speak.
"Judith, stay close." She grabbed his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. Jack warmed to the touch and responded in kind by squeezing her paw. He found a calming breath.
"The whole city is in a frenzy!" said Judy.
"Shh. Just...listen." He gave her a dutiful look. She stared back with terrified but understanding eyes. "Just breathe with me. I'm scared too. But we need information before we can act. All we can do here is observe." Jack smiled, proud of his level-headedness. Mrs. Tirales rushed to the lounge in the darkness.
"Is everyone alright?" Jack turned and said,
"Yes and no. Please. Wherever you feel safest, head there now."
"What's happening?"
"A lot of bad things. Just go. We will see ourselves out. You might want to take that firearm you keep concealed under the bar." Mrs. Tirales gasped and rushed behind the counter of her bar. When Jack heard the click of her pistol, he sighed with relief. She would be better off with her instrument of self-defense. Sounds around him dulled as thought strangled his senses. He tried to think of a starting point. Judy stood by the parapet. Her ears swiveled upon a new sound murmuring up the streets. Snapping back to attention, Jack caught the look of surprise on her face.
"Do you hear that?"
"What?" Jack walked back to her side. His ears searched for Judy's sound. Lights hummed back to life as the disrupted power grids resumed their duty of illuminating the darkness.
"Are they growling?" asked Judy. They listened to the strange snarls and shouts, thankful for the restored power. "Look!" Judy pointed to the left, up the street from the Sky Lounge. Jack followed the direction of her finger.
A pack of mammals, mostly predators it seemed, were running through the street in similarly dressed padded clothing. Jack then looked over the buildings from their high vantage point and followed the flashes of lights across the districts. He couldn't recognize all the locations that were hit. But in the distance, he managed to catch a glimpse of a blast coming from somewhere in Sahara Square. Jack looked at Judy, proud to see the serious and thoughtful look on her face. She was mentally taking notes as well.
"What do you see?" he asked. "Tell me what you notice."
"It looks like they're all wearing police gear. There are a lot of predators. And they all seem to be in some sort of frenzy." Her breath quickened. "What's happening?" Jack hugged her. He needed her contact. She squeezed him tight.
"Please don't crush me," he wheezed.
"Sorry. Sorry..." Judy and Jack's phones chirped wildly with text alerts and personal ringtones. There were messages for missed calls that blinked behind current ones. Jack took large steps away from her and plugged his free ear with a finger as he answered his phone.
"Jack! It's Gregory. The docks in Sahara are swarming with a bunch of lunatics!" Jack could hear crashing and shouting over the phone.
"Greg! Are they way out there too? So, this is more widespread than just Savanna. Listen to me. I want you to stay hidden, but tell me about everything that happens. Am I clear?"
"Yes." Jack shook his head. He wanted to go back out to sea for a second attempt to find Big's dumping ground. It will have to wait. But a second discouraging thought struck. Does it even matter now? The low roar in the streets was carried by a wind that buffeted against his thoughts. If Big is attacking the docks...
"Gregory. This is going to be a fight..."
"A pig is here. Jack, I go-" Gregory's voice suddenly cut.
"Hello? Shit!" Jack lowered the phone. If Big took control of the docks, the city would be completely crippled.
"Chief? Where is he?" asked Judy. Jack gasped,
"Bogo?"
"Damn it. Alright. I'll try." Judy looked at Jack as she lowered the phone to her side.
"That was Clawhauser. The Chief is in trouble. We need to get to the station. It's being swarmed by rampaging predators. They are targeting cops!"
"We have no equipment and no support. What can we do?" The popping noise of a helicopter overhead drowned out their voices. Spotlights blinded Jack as they raced over the city like panicked eyes. The logo of ZNN could be seen on the side of a helicopter. He looked at Judy as she stared in thought.
All the months of hunting for leads to bring down Arthur Big were looking to Jack like a complete waste of time. The unfamiliar sting of failure made itself known. It was humiliating. Jack now believed he was watching Zootopia crumble before him.
"We finally know most of what we need to."
"Huh?" Judy curiously blinked at him.
"Big's targets. All the data I collected these past 4 months. It's finally coming together. I just wish we weren't so far behind. Big is targeting the support beams of Zootopia. He's stealing businesses, trying to strangle the economy. He's attacking law enforcement. And I just heard he is invading the docks in Sahara. This is him making a power play. He's nothing but a terrorist!"
Judy stepped forward to Jack. She carefully placed her arms around him and looked at him with saddened eyes. He could feel her breath on his face. They stole a moment to breathe calm into each other as the choppers flew past.
"Zootopia is lost," said Jack.
"Don't you dare!" Jack flinched in surprise when Judy swiftly tapped him on the nose with a finger. "Say that again and I'm throwing you over the roof." Jack smiled,
"I wish you would."
"Never know when to quit, Jack." But even now? During all of this? It wasn't so much the noise in the streets or the violence. He worked as an investigator alongside armed guards in unstable lands before. No, it was his inability to think of what to do next that hurt him the most. He could not conjure up an idea. The sudden thoughtlessness made him feel inadequate.
"Judy, we're stuck on a roof, cut off from everybody else. What could we possibly do?" Judy nodded. He admired her as he watched the gears turning in her head.
"Let's start grouping up. Find other officers."
"Fine." With urgency, the rabbits rushed out of the lounge and into the chaos tearing through Savanna Central.
"Over there!" Fangmeyer pointed at a tall figure from her window as McHorn drove through eastern Savanna Central. A large armored mammal two blocks in front of them stood over a dead female goat in the street. McHorn spotted to his right a pack of small predators chasing down frightened prey. From the rearview mirror, two Hyenas chased their car.
He skidded to a stop upon noticing two fallen mammals bleeding in the street in front of his car.
"More casualties." Fangmeyer stuck her head out the passenger window and looked behind them. Several mammals joined the hyenas on the chase.
"We don't have enough cuffs for this many assholes!" she said. McHorn reached under his seat for a taser then looked at his partner's gear before placing his hand on the handle of the car. She looked ready to go. As always. He smiled grateful for such a strong and competent partner. The pursuing mob surrounded the vehicle and pounded on the doors. They beat on the trunk and climbed the roof.
The car rocked like a boat on unsteady water as mammals beat on it from all sides. Within a minute, the space around them began to shrink as their car slowly crumpled under the weight of the mob. They briefly nodded at each other. Then kicked open their doors.
"Now!" Stronger and larger than Fangmeyer, McHorn's kick fully opened the driver's door, sending the attacking weasel in front of it flying into a metal gate of a civilian home. He bounced back up almost as quickly as he fell and relentlessly resumed his attack. McHorn's mass was enough to protect him, but the strength exhibited by the crazed weasel was impressive. From McHorn's sides, larger mammals approached and flanked him. He knocked back the weasel in front using his horn and shoulder barged the attacker on his left. He kicked back the attacker behind him, sending the mammal rolling backward.
"They...don't stop!" McHorn quickly knelt by the weasel and hurried to handcuff him. He looked to his partner. Fangmeyer slipped past the two hyenas as they chased her. She tasered the closest one and jumped onto a car.
"Stay close to our vehicle! Protect it," instructed McHorn.
"Right!" He tried to aid her, but was blindsided by a massive weight slamming into him. He fell backward, his insides spun from the blow. Winded, he looked up to see a large armored mammal snarling and stomping toward him. He was dressed in what McHorn figured to be custom SWAT gear and he had white fur. McHorn bounced to his feet at the last second.
"It had to be a damn bear didn't it?" McHorn took a step back, cementing a fighting stance and avoiding a swipe. The posture of the bear seemed familiar. But he had no time to think. A squeal from Fangmeyer's direction caused McHorn's ears to twitch. The hyenas were down, but she fell to her knees exhausted and wiped blood that leaked from her nose.
"I'm alright!" she said. McHorn saw the bear lunge forward from the corner of his eye. He jumped back and slapped the bear's helmeted head. He repeated this action as needed. Gracefully avoiding the bear's repeated lunges. He continued to slap the bear on the head in an attempt to disrupt his vision like a boxer jabbing before following up with a harder blow. McHorn scrutinized the bear's armor, searching for vulnerabilities.
"Fang! Can you come over?"
"I'm here. Damn it!" One of the two hyenas stood up and tried to bite her.
"To hell with this." She tasered the hyena with max voltage. The beast convulsed and drooled before crumpling in front of her.
"Good job!" McHorn was punished for his compliment. A dull ache pulsated through the center of his head, beginning from the base of his horn. He shelled up, not wanting to take another headbutt. Fangmeyer was busy wrestling a cheetah that had run in from the back of the group. "Get his armor off!" shouted McHorn, unaware of Fangmeyer's paws full. Fangmeyer punched the cheetah in the throat, causing him to choke. She followed it up with a hard punch to the head that sent him flying back. Satisfied he wasn't getting back up, she rushed over and carefully closed in on the massive bear.
"Now!" McHorn pushed forward, slamming his mass into the bear. Fangmeyer clung to an exposed strap on his armor from behind and worked to unfasten it.
"Getting after it!" McHorn peeked around the bear's sides, watching as Fangmeyer wrestled with the straps. "Argh! It has to be lifted over his head!"
"Damn it." The bear squirmed and wriggled, trying to break free from McHorn's grasp. "I can't hold him much longer. Getting winded," said McHorn.
"Fuck!" Fangmeyer jumped on the bears back and tugged the armor upwards, hooking his arms. The bear's belly was exposed. McHorn went to work striking him several times. He snarled and huffed. And while McHorn was on the assault, he couldn't shake the feeling that this polar bear was familiar.
Trapped in his armor, the bear couldn't retaliate as Fangmeyer tugged his vest upward. She choked him with it. He struggled for air as he tried to remove the wolf from his back. McHorn did not relent on his front. With the second wave of body blows, the bear fell to his knees, limp. Fangmeyer let go, and the bear fell forward, face first.
"D...damn." They sat together near the bear catching their breaths.
"Not the most legal way to take down a suspect."
"This...is an unusual circumstance, Jennifer. And our lives were in danger," McHorn countered.
"I know." Fangmeyer unstrapped the helmet and hovered her paws over it. She flattened her ears then sat back down. "We probably still are." McHorn tilted his head curiously at her reluctance to remove the helmet. He eagerly reached over the bear and pulled it off. He jumped back when he saw the bear's face.
"Grizzoli!"
"What?" Jennifer rushed over on her knees to see the unconscious bear. She looked at him like she was examining an unfamiliar object. Her face scrunched up angrily as she shouted, "You stupid fuck!"
She stood up and stepped around him to get to the car for a large set of handcuffs and a muzzle. McHorn searched Grizzoli. He dug into his pockets and under his shirt, hoping to find something that might shed some light on what was happening. His fingers touched something wet and sharp in the bear's right pocket. He pulled out a broken syringe. Little fragments of the broken vial stuck to his fingers, glued on his skin by the blueish liquid coating them. He warily sniffed the substance and shook his head. It smelled of earth and something that made him dizzy.
McHorn guarded the bear and kept a close watch on his surroundings.
"Jennifer. While you are over there, get me an evidence bag. I found something."
"Alright." The moans and low wails that hovered in the air mingled with the crackling fires through the city. The music produced by this noise made the rhino shudder. Grizzoli stirred, prompting McHorn to react. He pinned down Grizzoli by sitting on his chest. Fangmeyer returned with the restraints and secured the muzzle. She handed McHorn the bag. He placed all of the shards of the broken syringe into the bag and wiped off as much of the liquid as he could inside the walls of the bag. They locked Grizzoli's arms a special pair of cuffs made for larger mammals.
"Why?" asked Jennifer, staring with pained eyes at Grizzoli. The bear glossed over her. He probably didn't understand the question. McHorn placed a paw on her shoulder,
"We'll have to wait for answers." She only gave him a brief glance to communicate she heard him. But she continued to lament,
"You're an officer..."
"He won't be one anymore," sighed McHorn. They hauled Grizzoli to the police car and placed him in the back. When they sat him down, he started thrashing again.
"For Family!" he shouted behind his muzzle. "Zootopia belongs to Big!"
"That fucking rodent," said Fangmeyer.
"Hold on." McHorn looked at him through the broken window of their damaged car. He was encouraged to hear Grizzoli speak a coherent sentence. "What is it? What do you want?" Grizzoli shook his head and rocked in the back seat. He lied on his side and began kicking the reinforced car door.
"Serum!"
"Wait, what is that?" Fangmeyer rushed to the radio of their car.
"Medicine! Fix me! Fix...m..." Grizzoli's voice began to fade and he slowed his thrashing. McHorn rested his hands on his hips and spat to the side. His back ached. What a night this was becoming. Big now stuck in every officer's mind. Maybe I should contact Judy. Fangmeyer's words buzzed in his head,
"...the station is under attack." He wearily turned to his partner and snapped,
"What?"
"I said we have to get back to the ZPD! The station is under attack!"
"Ah!" He clenched his fists and ran to the drivers seat.
"We'll probably earn more battle scars tonight," said Fangmeyer as she entered the car. She threw a worried look at Grizzoli through the rearview mirror.
"I'm going to contact Judy," she said.
"I'm sure she is on her way over to the station." Grizzoli sat up in the back seat and groaned.
"You'll...die. Don't go."
"Go fuck yourself..." Fangmeyer muttered.
McHorn slapped his steering wheel,
"Jennifer!" She looked away and fumed silently in her seat. McHorn was desperate for answers. He turned sad eyes to Grizzoli.
"Officer Grizzoli? Are you in there somewhere? We need you, pal." No audible response but for labored breaths. "It's no use."
"I'm going to send Judy some texts. My paws are too shaky right now. I just...I just want to sit."
"We'll get through this," McHorn said. He muttered it once more to himself, hoping that saying it enough times would make it true. He wasn't so sure anymore.
The loss of power in Nick's home was abrupt and unwelcome. He dropped a sketchbook from which he was drawing a Ferris-wheel and got off his couch. He stumbled through the darkness with no sense of urgency and wandered to the closet in the living room. Just as he was opening the door to his closet, a loud boom bounced off the walls of his home. He yelped in fright and twisted his torso as he peeked around his closet door. The sudden snarling noises in the streets made his fur bristle. The sounds were close. He dared to look out the window in his living room and saw mammals circling the apartment building.
"What is this?" He watched the mammals for a moment and noticed they looked like they were searching for something. Or someone?
Nick used his furniture to barricade the doors in his home, saving his room for last, and squatted by the corner of two walls near his bed. He avoided the high-set windows and listened to the chaos, hoping that whatever madness started outside his home did not have to involve him. But with my luck...
He reflected on the past two months of ups and downs. The recent past trauma of being assaulted, threatened, arrested, and then kicked back out on the streets like nothing happened, left him with the uneasy feeling that the city was just setting him up for more torment.
To block out the calamity, he let his mind wander to calm his nerves. He thought about Jennifer and her heroine-like figure. He pictured seeing her when she chased down the goats. And of the very recent time when she walked him home. Or when she, Judy and McHorn came to his room in Savanna Medical. Finally, he thought of the hard-headed Finnick. Though he was still sore with the fennec fox, he couldn't exclude him. There was just too much history with Finnick that he cherished.
Nick counted twenty minutes before the power returned. But the noise hadn't ceased. His phone began to ring and Nick rushed to answer it, speaking in hushed tones.
"Hello?"
"Nick! Get your ass out of Savanna! The only safe space is Tundratown. We gotta go! I'm coming to pick you up." Nick removed the chair he used to block his door and raced to the closet in the living room without arguing. He grabbed an old duffel bag he purchased and began to stuff some clothes and other supplies into it. He added some books to pass the time and a flashlight. He placed two pocket knives into his pants, expecting to count on the variety of uses they could serve. Curiosity growing, Nick asked,
"Why Tundratown?"
"Because it's the only place that hasn't been hit," said Finnick. He walked to his nightstand, noticing the crumpled ticket given to him by Finnick. He read the words, 'When you are ready' just as he has done nearly a hundred times and stuffed Judy's number into his pocket.
"What is going on out there?"
"There's some sort of invading army out here," said Finnick. "Mammals are acting like savages and attacking each other. Police and firefighters are everywhere. SWAT is out too." Nick shook his head and draped the bag over his shoulder. He jumped with fright when a loud thud came from the window in his bedroom. Outside, a raccoon and a zebra were shouting incoherently, trying to break into his home.
"Finnick get here now!"
"Already in the van. Just ten minutes. Run outside if you have to!" Nick's blood ran cold when he heard the zombie-like zebra call out from his window,
"Nick..." A sudden spark of familiarity hit him.
"Luis?" The zebra's ears flicked in recognition of his name. Nick snarled. Luis was one of Big's fences in the Rainforest District. "Damn you..." Trembling violently, Nick unplugged his small television. When the zebra broke his window and began climbing down, Nick lifted up the television and tossed it in his direction. Luis grunted and fell forward when the side of the television caught him on the back. His scream sparked a speed in Nick he didn't know he possessed. He sped to the couch he placed on his door and glanced back to his room to see the raccoon climbing over the still downed Zebra. Nick struggled to free himself from his own trap.
"Come on!" The raccoon sped toward him.
"Big wants to see you!" said the raccoon.
"Shit!" He finally got the door open just as the raccoon closed the distance. and slipped through the opening. He slammed the door on the intruder's arm. The raccoon yowled as his arm was crushed.
Nick ran out into the darkness and yelled. He waved his arms in the air, hoping someone sane was near. The bag over his shoulder bounced on his side and resisted his flailing. Nick finally saw a familiar orange van speeding up the street.
"Yes!"
"Over here, buddy! Watch out!" Nick dropped his bag then jumped out of Finnick's way. Finnick's tires screeched to a halt after a meaty thud. Nick turned his dazed eyes to the scene. The raccoon that chased him was left a disfigured mess on the road. And the zebra on the other end had his legs crushed. Nick unexpectedly found himself laughing. The surrealness of it all was short-circuiting his already fragile emotional state. Finnick backed up the van to Nick and shouted,
"Come on!" Nick picked up his duffel bag, glad that Finnick missed it and hurried into the van.
"I hate Zootopia." He tugged on his ears and buried his back deeper into the seat. Finnick drove west for several minutes, searching for a clear route to Tundratown. The barrier of silence between them left Nick fidgeting in his seat. Police blockades occupied several streets up from where Finnick had turned a corner.
"Shit. The roads are cut off all over."
"How widespread is this? We're trapped in a horror movie."
"I don't know. We have to get to Big. He'll figure this out." Nick looked at Finnick incredulously. He positioned his bag behind his seat and said,
"I think Big caused this."
"No way!" Finnick shouted. "The hell makes you think he'd be this nuts? He's just a sleazy tycoon."
"That zebra you ran over was Luis. I sort of knew him. He worked for Big. He said Big wants me."
"I'm not good with faces, how the hell would I know? Big said Tundratown is safe."
"We can't go to Big."
"He'll keep us safe. He just sent them to pick you up. Just trust me." The uncertainty in Finnick's voice was obvious. Seeing an opportunity to argue back, Nick pounced,
"Then why did you run them over?"
"I..." Finnick abruptly stopped the car. "Damn it. They were chasing you. I didn't know. Nick, we have to survive this!"
"Then we'll do it my way."
"And what are you going to do?" Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled ticket. "I'm calling Judy." Finnick laughed and rested his head on the steering wheel. He avoided looking at Nick, settling for staring at the wheel.
"The hell do you think she can do? The cops tried to throw us in jail. Remember? What makes you think they won't try that again?" Nick shook his head and growled,
"We were helping that fat fuck of a shrew steal business goods. That's why we were arrested. Remember?" Silence filled the van. Finnick hid his face behind his ears while Nick dialed Judy's number. He scoffed at the sound of a busy tone. Figures. A low whimpering noise coming from Finnick drew Nick's attention.
"I don't know what to do," said Finnick. His eyes were moist and his voice cracked. "I can't do anything right."
"This isn't our fault."
"We've been fighting with the city for years, Nick. Whether it's cops or other mammals or whatever. And we argue all the time now." This has become so obvious that acknowledging the shift in their friendship no longer disturbed him. He couldn't think of anything to say that would help comfort Finnick. He opted to merely offer the truth,
"I'm not how I used to be."
"I see that. And it sucks. Ever since you left my store and started running your own thing as a food vendor. Ever since Big became more interested in what we do, it's been different. And now with these cops, you're a total stranger. And I sleep with a fucking baseball bat under my bed."
"Because of the police?" Nick asked with some surprise.
"No. Because of everything!" Nick turned his focus away to something trivial and avoided looking at Finnick. "I want us both to get our shit together. But we won't do it like this if we're always arguing." Fighting an inner war with his panic, Nick unlocked the door to the van. He fought the urge to jump out. There was nowhere to go. He was stuck in the van where Finnick's heart began spilling out his mouth. "I meant what I said in the bar. That no matter what happens, you would always be my family."
"We're a pack of two, bro," whispered Nick. "Finnick, hopefully, your shop is still standing after all of this. It's the one good thing you do have. But you looked for shortcuts out of your short-sightedness when your business hit legal troubles. And look at where we've gone from there." Finnick punched his steering wheel. He looked around the streets trying to figure out where he would go next. There didn't seem to be any clear paths to take. But he didn't want to admit they were stuck in Savanna Central. Even worse, as they drove further up, Finnick passed another blocked street where officers were fighting against a mob of mammals.
"I can't force you to go somewhere you don't want to," said Finnick. "And it is looking like we can't really go anywhere. Take this opportunity now to make one final request. What do you want?" Nick glanced at his phone, seeing Judy's number on his 'recent calls' list.
"There is only one request I have. But it's a crazy one."
"What?"
"Take me to the ZPD. I need to find Judy or Fangmeyer. Please." Finnick went slack-jawed at the request.
"You've lost it." Nick stared hard at Finnick.
"I have to see Fangmeyer and Judy. I just want to see them one more time. To convince myself that they are real. To remind me that there are good mammals out there. If we're stuck here and have to fight, let's at least fight with the right people." Finnick wiped his brow. Officers shouted at them from across the street. He looked out the driver's window and drove in reverse, speeding away from the officers and the mammals that engaged them. He turned to Nick,
"When Judy spoke to me in the hospital, she was all rosy and righteous and optimistic. I know she might be a good cop. But just listening to her made me feel sick. Sick because I knew almost right away that I'll never be as good as she might be. And that hurts because it means I know I fucked up my life. And maybe yours as well. Yet you're still by my side. After every failure and every bad decision."
"Geez, Finnick..." Nick rested a paw on his shoulder. Finnick's body rose and fell under his paw with trembling breaths.
"Alright. I'll take you to the ZPD."
Chief Bogo limped out of the rear exit of the ZPD. The light from the rising flames in the station colored the walls orange. The flames ate greedily at anything they could devour in the station. Three armored mammals pursued Bogo through the blaze and out of the building. They shouted promises of his death. He pulled out a grenade he snatched up from the lockers, knowing he had no protection from the gas and dropped it by his feet.
The grenade hissed as yellow smoke rose with ill intent. The gas thickened in the rear lot and sat heavy in the air. Chief Bogo reached for the electric prod strapped to his good leg. He turned and carefully balanced himself with the prod held ready.
A spark of blue danced through the clouds like lightning. He blindly stabbed forward, blinking the smoke and tears from his eyes. He was rewarded with a satisfying yelp from one of the zapped attackers. A lucky hit. He coughed and worked to control what little air his lungs held.
"Protect the chief! This way!" A squad of officers urgently marched onto the scene. They braved the irritating smoke and engaged Chief Bogo's pursuers. Unable to see, Chief Bogo listened to the sounds of fighting. He listened to the cries of pain from one of his officers. Then another. But before he could stuff down the agony from his injuries and aid his team, the fight was done. The smoke finally lifted, and Chief Bogo saw that his attackers were down.
Chief Bogo counted four officers by his side. The officers outnumbered Bogo's pursuers by one and successfully dispatched the threat. But they suffered a surprising number of wounds. One officer rubbed his eyes as he looked at the motionless bodies in the lot.
"They fight like crazed savages."
"Sir?" An otter approached Bogo. The Chief tried to stand tall to conceal the extent of his wounds. But when he tried to straighten up, a hot shock of pain ran the length of his left thigh and up through his back.
"Ah!" He spasmed forward, falling to a knee. His damp pants clung to his leg with the warm stickiness of blood.
"Chief!"
"Go..." The buffalo held up an open hand. He panted and tried again to stand. When he failed, he settled for a knee. "Go and unlock the cells," he rasped. "Release the prisoners we have here at the station."
"But-" Chief Bogo interrupted the officer immediately,
"I know!" Now was not the time to tolerate any modicum of disobedience. They all had their duties. And whatever protest his officers dared to make, needed to be silenced. "The station is on fire. I will not allow my holding cells to be used as death traps." The honking of an approaching firetruck grew in volume. "Finally. Assist the fire department." The officers looked toward each other, then to the Chief. "Our duty is to enforce laws. Not seek vengeance on hooligans." With that, the officers straightened their posture, and in a strong tone that surprised Bogo, they responded with a loud and solemn,
"Sir!" He nodded with pride. Still on a knee. There was simply too much pain. Three of the four officers hurried inside. In the brief silence, Chief Bogo noticed the emptiness in the lot as he looked around. Were there really that many vehicles out on patrol all at once? There were usually two dozen cars stationed out here. And a separate section for SWAT vehicles. But Bogo only counted two cars left in the lot. The heat from the flames and the sickly fumes began to overwhelm him. He turned to the otter and said,
"Oats. I've been bitten and stabbed from behind. Help me out of the lot. I'll circle around the commotion. I can't do anything like this." Oats offered the Chief his shoulders for support. The difference in height and mass made leaning on Oats awkward. But they managed to get a good motion going. Officer Oats was fairly muscular, thanks to the standard fitness requirements for police officers. But he was slender and shorter than Bogo.
The Chief was careful to not overburden Oats with his weight as he was helped out of the lot and past the fire trucks. When they were clear enough away, Chief Bogo gently shuffled away from Oats' shoulders and sat on the sidewalk.
"I'm not going to make it to a hospital like this, am I? There aren't enough trucks for everyone. Not this night. Ow!" The Chief lied back and rolled to his good side. He lifted up his shirt and lowered his pants a bit, revealing the wounds underneath. "How...bad is it?" Officer Oats grimaced at the wounds. He swallowed his disgust and said,
"Most likely, sir, it looks worse than it is."
"Hurts like all fuck."
"I can't tell how deep the wound is. But if the wounds were cleaned, it probably wouldn't look that bad. I see claw and bite marks. It looks like your clothing took most of the force."
"Good lad. Thank you." Bogo rolled onto his back and stared at the night sky as black smoke floated upward. The noxious smell was so strong in the air that it probably carried for several blocks.
"Chief, I can use one of the cars and drive you to the hospital." Chief Bogo remained silent. He took in the smells of burning rubber and brick. He listened to the shouting in the distance. Some sparse gunfire, crashing, and panic. When Oats hovered over him quizzically, the Chief flatly said,
"No. I need to stay here. Not yet. I won't leave my officers."
Oats swallowed his nervousness then said,
"I have news."
"Regarding what?"
"Clawhauser, Francine, and Wolford are dead. We ran past them as we were chasing the mammals hunting you." The Chief sat up and squeezed back an angry whimper. Gunfire erupted near the station again. Oats immediately drew his weapon and ran forward.
The Chief watched helplessly, albeit with pride, as his officers continued to fight back. A beat up police car rushed to the station. The battered vehicle waddled up the hill, past the station lot. It parked in front of the Chief. Fangmeyer and McHorn hurried out of their car.
"Chief Bogo!" He was getting sick of hearing his name being called out. He turned his good side to the approaching officers to avoid alarming them.
"Is this everyone?" asked McHorn, looking toward the station.
Bogo cleared his throat, but his voice was ragged,
"So far. You two look like you ran into some trouble?"
"We were ambushed by wild mammals. Everyone is going crazy. We think this was Big's doing."
"Why do you say that?" Fangmeyer scowled and pointed to their vehicle. Bogo leaned to look behind her and noticed Grizzoli in the car, muzzled and rocking back and forth in his seat.
"What?" He clenched his fists angrily and against his better judgment, tried to stand. His body responded to the effort with a blast of pain that knocked him back down. "Ah! Damn it all!" Fangmeyer noticed the wound.
"Chief! There should be a medical kit in one of the SWAT vehicles. I'll be back!" McHorn knelt beside Bogo.
"We've been betrayed by too many of our own. And Big is responsible for it. He doesn't even keep it secret anymore. Grizolli says so. And others say his name in the streets more and more. Judy has been working with a Jack Savage from the Mammal Intelligence Center to bring him down." Bogo blinked and snorted in surprise. Judy? The insubordinate and clumsy, hard-headed but optimistic rabbit? That Judy? He lowered his head without comment, noticing the blood on the edge of a pant leg. Rustling in the bushes behind them caused McHorn to start.
"Who is it!?" Chief Bogo gingerly turned around on his butt. McHorn stood in front of him.
"I come in peace, big guy!" said a soporific voice.
"No way..."
"Your big ass better believe it. I didn't want to, but this red fuck doesn't know any better." Finnick and Nick pushed through some bushes. Before McHorn and Bogo could even utter their surprise, Fangmeyer was returning with an ajar silver case and shouted from behind them,
"Nick!? Why? Get somewhere safe!" The foxes stood with flattened ears and limp tails in front of the officers.
"Chief!"
"More?" Yet another voice called to him in alarm. Everyone's heads turned to see Judy and Jack, covered in blood, running past the station to join up. They covered their noses to guard against the fumes.
"McHorn, lift me up," grunted Bogo. "It's time we start sorting out this mess!" The crowd of mammals huddled around Chief Bogo. He counted the heads around him before speaking to the bewildered group. He eyed a bloodied Jack Savage and Judy Hopps. Those two have some explaining to do. He gave Nick Wilde and Finnick Brone a suspicious glare. Yet another pair that needed to be sorted out. He passed a quick glance at Fangmeyer and McHorn.
"We all need to get to safety," said Jack in response to Fangmeyer.
"Everyone stop!" The Chief bellowed. The fullness of his voice, a body blow to those next to him. Firefighters continued to battle the flames as officers around the station guarded it against any further threats. A handful of inmates Chief Bogo ordered released were seen rushing out of the station. Some of them stood by and helped injured officers. The Chief noticed them from beyond the group in front of him. He softly spoke to McHorn as he was supported, "Remember what we see here tonight. In the worst of times, we're capable of coming together for what is truly good." McHorn smiled when he noticed what his Chief was referring to.
He took in a careful breath then spoke,
"There is far too much going on this night for us to put our heads together here and now. And I am badly injured. So let's keep statements brief and to the point." Eager to start with fresh information, Bogo began with the two rabbits. "Judy and Jack. What do you want me to know?" Judy made to speak then stopped herself. She pushed Jack forward.
"Big is attacking the city and is targeting law enforcement and the docks. He wants to throw the city into chaos and overtake Zootopia. If he takes control of our docks, the city will be crippled. He has high influence supporting him. If we are going to get to Big, we'll need to take out his powerful supporters. The mayor's cabinet is corrupt." Chief Bogo fumbled for an obscenity. His heart drummed in his ears. He squeezed McHorn's shoulder hard enough to make the rhino squirm in discomfort.
"Why haven't you spoken to me sooner?" Jack sighed then coughed from the fumes in the air and said,
"If it were that simple, I would have. Nobody at the MIC knew what I was doing. They wouldn't support me, so I started my investigation alone. It's not like you were having any success convicting his goons." Fangmeyer wandered over to Nick. Bogo's ear flicked to their voices behind him.
"I wanted to see you. To see Judy. I didn't know what to do. I still don't know. But I want to help. And I need it too. I have information." Jack nodded somberly and walked to Finnick and Nick. They turned to him with some surprise.
"Wait a second..." Nick looked at Jack with familiarity. "So you're the lasagna!"
"I'm the what now?" Jack gave him a puzzled look. Chief Bogo gingerly turned around and snorted at the foxes. he gritted his teeth and said,
"You really expect me to trust you two?" Fangmeyer intervened quickly. Her white muzzle quickly filled his vision as she stood close to him and softly pleaded,
"Chief. Please, let them help. I'll keep a close eye on them." Bogo sighed. But what if they were lying? Could he take that risk? Would they attempt to murder him? He looked at the officers around him. Though they all have seen quite a fair share of work this night, he couldn't deny their professionalism. They were his best. The streets began to spin. He shook his head and breathed deep. The group murmured amongst themselves.
"All of you, quiet!" Chief grunted. His breathing labored. "We can't stay here. I need a place to recuperate."
"Captain!" Bogo turned to Jack's sudden sharp tone. "We are better off only trusting ourselves. This night will bleed into the morning and perhaps even beyond. The city's borders are being locked down, as you are probably aware. My home has state of the art security. You are all welcome to stay and recuperate. We'll have more time to process all of this there." Chief Bogo looked around, noticing the sparse number of vehicles. The one SWAT vehicle in the lot could fit three of the larger members of their group. But Bogo wanted weapons. He wanted to bring defenses.
"What are we going to do about equipment? We'll need to arm up. The one SWAT truck isn't going to fit all of us and weapons."
"Finnick's Van can help carry some stuff," said Nick.
"Nick! Hell no!" Finnick shoved him and grumbled. Jack looked at the panicked fennec fox and smirked,
"Splendid idea. And it isn't a cop car so it won't draw attention."
"Nobody drives my van but me!"
"So drive it. Even better. We can hide in the back," said Fangmeyer, her paws on her hips. Finnick grumbled and argued with Nick and Jack as Fangmeyer approached Chief Bogo.
"Chief," Bogo turned to the wolf, "I can stitch you up if we get going. You have a serious limp." He snorted, humbled by his injuries. He thought about the remaining officers out in the streets, attending to who knows what other mayhem going on. Recognizing he needed to tend to his wounds and that the station was in ruins, Bogo weakly nodded.
"Let's get going already!"
"Finnick?" Judy approached Jack and stood by him, hoping to charm Finnick into submitting to the request. She added smugly, "If you don't let us use the van, we'll commandeer it without you and leave you here. And don't think I'm feeling charitable either because right now I'm covered in dirt, blood, and cum." Bogo's ears flicked. His head turned to Judy unsure of what he just heard. Finnick blinked then averted his gaze.
"Damn, Judy." He looked at Nick, then to the other officers. With a heavy sigh, he relented. "Alright. Get in the van."
"I'll get the SWAT vehicle with Bogo" said McHorn.
"Thanks, Finnick," said Nick in almost a whisper. Finnick looked at the station and the mayhem around him. His ears sank to his sides and he asked,
"Did Big really cause this?" In almost one big voice, several of the officers quickly said,
"Yes." Finnick sheepishly turned away from them.
"Then...I know whose ass to stuff with my baseball bat." Jack laughed,
"Get in line." A low beeping noise drew Jack's attention. He lifted his phone to see a message. Bogo watched as his ears suddenly jerked straight up. But the sounds around him began to muddy. Before Bogo knew what was happening, he lost all awareness and sensations and the world spun into black.