Thanks for the reviews and views guys, its cool to see people take an interest in this story. If it appears to cut off at the end I apologise, but I'm actuaally going on holiday for a week and wanted this posted before I left. I'll resume properly when I return.
Also, I was recently informed that there were apparantly hints that Birds may have evolved as well, but I didnt pick up on them and wrote this under the assumption that mammals were the only thing that evolved and thats what I am sticking to for this story. It just makes explanations a bit easier.
Anyways, please enjoy and I'll see you in a week.
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"What size is this supposed to be again?" asked Barry, as he ran his eyes over the noodle box that currently occupied the whole, back left seat.
"Medium," replied Nick.
"Are you sure?" he replied. "Only, I'm sure this could feed a family of four for a week."
"It did come off the menu for large mammals," replied the fox. "I'm just glad you didn't actually order a large, we wouldn't have been able to get it in the car."
Nick turned the car towards the apartment he shared with Judy, while the rabbit was finishing her telephone call with Fru Fru.
"Thank you for setting this up, give my love to little Judy, of course I'm still free for next week. I'll see you then, byeee."
She put away the device and turned to Nick.
"Fru's spoken to her father; he's willing to see us tomorrow afternoon."
"That's good news, now we might get a clue why he's being targeted."
"Just so I understand," said Barry. "Fru Fru is the daughter of one of this city's most notorious mob leaders, and Judy is the godmother to her child."
"That would be correct," she replied, turning to face him.
"How does that happen? I mean, doesn't it conflict with your job as a police officer?"
"Sometimes, but for the most part it's been quite helpful to the ZPD. I saved Fru Fru's life not long after I started, and Mr Big loves his daughter more than anything, so it got us some leverage when Nick and I worked our first case. Since then, Fru and I have kept in contact, even more so since her baby was born."
"Which gives you a contact in one of the highest places in the underworld," finished Barry. "I can understand how useful that its, but aren't you worried that you might end up as another dirty cop?"
"Nope," this time it was Nick that spoke. "Cottontail here has one of the strongest personalities I've ever seen, nearly got us iced the first time she met Mr Big in person. She has made it clear that we don't want to be part of his organisation, and he respected that out of love for his daughter."
"It's not an ideal relationship," continued Judy "The information he does give us ultimately helps him in one way or another, but the trade-off is that crime levels have either stabilised or dropped significantly not only in Tundra Town, but across Zootopia as a whole."
"True enough," replied Nick. "Besides, we'd rather deal with him than a few of the other mobsters in town."
"Better the devil you know," said Barry, knowingly. The CCPD had been forced come to similar arrangements with organised crime in the past. Heck, he had once tried, and failed, to do something similar with Captain Cold.
"Exactly, anyway, here we are."
Barry looked out the window as the vehicle pulled up next to a brick apartment building. It wasn't anything too grand, a simple structure with four stories and two staircases out front, one leading up to the entrance, and another to the basement level.
Getting out of the car, Nick headed to the basement staircase with the two smaller orders, while Judy helped a struggling Barry with his 'medium' box. Taking out a key; the fox unlocked the door and pushed it open, with Barry and Judy staggering in behind him.
The apartment had a low ceiling, at least for the human; he imagined it was reasonably high for the two mammals. The main floor consisted of a combined living/kitchen area, which had wooden cabinets and a black lino floor. A counter worked its way across two walls and down the centre of the room dividing the kitchen on the right from the living space on the left. This had a faded grey carpet and a sofa with a worn coffee table. There was a decent sized TV and some small cabinets lining the back wall, and Barry saw a hallway leading off into the rest of the apartment.
"Home sweet home," said Nick as he placed the smaller boxes on the counter. "It's not much, but Carrots and I realised early on that we could both have a half decent place if we became roomies."
"I'm sure he just agreed to it for the free housekeeping," said Judy, as she and Barry dropped his takeout box on the coffee table.
"At least I stopped leaving the milk out, I don't just do that for anyone," he replied, rummaging through cupboards for plates and cutlery.
"Only because I threatened to stop bringing back blueberries every time I visit my family."
"Those berries are heaven in a basket."
Barry couldn't help but smile as the two playfully bickered back and forth, they got along really well together and it was clear they cared about one another, a lot. It reminded him of how he and Iris had been before they realised their feelings ran much deeper, and he wondered if the same were true for the two mammals in front of him, despite their earlier protests.
"Take a look around if you like, bathrooms down the hall. I need to remember where I left the cups," said Nick.
"They're in the sink where you dropped them this morning," moaned Judy, as she went to assist her partner.
Barry chuckled to himself as he left them to prepare things, wandering over to the cabinets and examining their contents.
"I see you like horror movies," he said, scanning an impressive DVD collection.
"You can blame the bloodthirsty bunny over there for that one," replied Nick, pointing a thumb at Judy.
"It's true," she replied with a grin. "I can't get enough of them, the way the tension builds as the monster closes in on its prey, the slow dawning of realisation on their face before…"
She snarled and pretended to pounce on an imaginary victim, before reversing her role and swooning dramatically.
"Blood, blood, blood bloooood, and…death!" she waved her paws as 'blood' spewed from her 'wounds', before dramatically falling to the floor.
Barry chuckled.
"I prefer a good action flick myself," continued Nick, setting some plates on the coffee table.
"It turns out slick Nick is actually quite squeamish," replied Judy, getting up.
"I am not," he protested. "I just think that much blood should stay inside a mammal's body."
"You do realise that you might see worse as a cop, right?"
"She's got a point," said Barry. "Although experience doesn't really count given what you can see on the job."
"Yeah, well, you're in the same boat as me Fluff, horror movies or not," replied the fox.
"Then I guess we can go through it all together, can't we?" she replied with a smile. "Now, let's eat these things before they get cold."
Settling down on the sofa, Barry and his hosts opened their takeout boxes and dug in, the human at a surprisingly slower pace. This was not because he was being polite, but because his box was so large it took a bit effort to get the noodles out of the box and onto a plate.
"Do you mind if I ask you something?" he said.
"Shoot," replied Nick.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but if predators and prey mammals are living together in Zootopia, how do you not eat each other? I mean, predators need a source of protein from somewhere, right?"
Nick and Judy shared a look before they burst out laughing.
"What?"
"Sorry Barry," said Nick between guffaws. "But it's kind of funny you haven't noticed."
"Noticed what?"
"That it's only MAMMALS that have evolved, birds and fish are still on the table. Which means even a 'savage fox' like me can enjoy a 'meat lover's special' now and again, although I wish they used more crickets."
That's stopped Barry in his tracks.
"Crickets?" he said in disbelief.
"Yeah, I like it when their roasted with some sesame oil and salt, delicious."
As the fox licked his lips, Barry felt himself turning green.
"I take it humans don't eat insects?"
"No, well, not where I come from anyway."
"What do you eat exactly?" asked Judy. "When I first saw you, I noticed that your teeth were flat, but I also saw a set of canines."
"Humans are omnivores, we can eat both meat and vegetables," he replied. "It has to do with how we evolved on our earth."
"On that subject, how did your species come about anyway?"
"It's something of a long story."
So, as they ate their meals, Barry told them about his earth, about humans, and humanity. He wasn't kidding when he said it was a long story, as the conversation lasted several hours, not counting moments where Nick and Judy would interrupt to ask questions or have him clarify something. As the time ticked on, he moved from humans in general to his own history, about how his mother's murder motivated him into becoming a cop, when everything changed in a flash of lightning, and how becoming The Flash meant he was able to finally able to bring the man responsible to justice.
"Wow, that's definitely something straight out of a comic book," said Nick.
"Sometimes I wish it stayed in the comics," replied Barry. "Every day I find myself facing threats that get worse and worse. The Tachyon Enhancer I showed you before, was created so I could face another speedster, Zoom, on a level playing field, but even then, I'm afraid I won't be fast enough to stop him. He broke me once, paraded my body in front of my friends and my city, he's made it clear he'll target anyone I'm close to. Some days, I just want to hang it all up and quit."
"So, why don't you?"
Barry gave him a determined look, and the fox swore that lightning sparked in the whites of his eyes.
"Just because he beat me once, doesn't mean he's going to do it again. Just because you lose once, doesn't mean you give up. Zoom has intimidated or killed anyone that might stand up to him; I'm doing this because I'm the only one who is fast enough to stop him. The next time we meet, I intend to win."
Silence fell as Barry finished, almost like the significance of what he had just heard deserved some time to settle.
"Wow, determination like that puts Cottontail here to shame," said Nick.
For once, Judy didn't feel like slapping him for being cheeky.
"It's because I have something to fight for, something worth protecting," said Barry.
"Yeah, I think we've all got something like that," replied the fox, his gaze wandering to the grey bunny that sat next to him.
"I wish we could help," said Judy.
"I'm sorry, but you can't," he replied. "No offense, but without super powers Zoom would beat you both in a split second."
"Then we will make a full effort to get you home after this case, your earth needs you!" she replied, eyes shining with her infectious determination.
Barry smiled.
"Thanks guys," he repleid.
"Its no problem," replied Nick with a yawn. "Guess all this heavy talk wore me out."
"It is kind of late," replied Judy. "Barry, Nick and I will clean up if you want to wash up, there's a spare toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet."
"Thanks Judy," he replied, stretching as he stood up. "You know, I think I might actually be full."
"Given what we saw earlier I didn't think that was possible."
"I'm sure I'll burn through them in about five minutes, I'll be back in a moment, and thanks again."
As Barry headed off to get ready for bed, the two police mammals tidied up the boxes and started scrubbing the plates.
"Hey Carrots," said Nick passing Judy a damp plate. "What Speedy said has me wondering, about fighting for something."
"You want to know what I fight for?" she replied, dishcloth in paw.
"I guess…I guess when I first came here it was to prove something, and fulfil my dream. I've wanted to be a police officer since I was a child, but everyone always said a bunny could never be a real cop. So I set out to show them that I could, and would, be the best cop that I could be. I beleived I could do that in Zootopia, where eveyone got along and anyone could be anything."
"And now?"
"Now...now I've been here a while, I'd say I dont have anything left to prove, at least to myself. Life is messy, but its like what I said at your graduation, 'change starts with all of us', so thats what I'm fighting for, the chance to change Zootopia into the dream it is to me and every other mammal."
"And now, here you are, not only one of the best police this city could ask for, but with a roguishly handsome partner to boot."
Nick gave his partner a cheeky wink, causing her to lightly slap him with the tea towel.
"You know you love me," he replied, without missing a beat.
Judy blushed.
They finished the dishes in good time and started getting the sofa-bed ready for Barry, Nick pulling out the base, while Judy retrieved a spare duvet and pillow set from a cupboard.
"What about you?" she asked. "Do you fight for anything?"
The fox paused.
All his life he had been nothing but a sneaky and untrustworthy foxy, because that's all that society would ever see him as. It wasn't until Judy that he realised he could be something more. After their first meeting she had supported him throughout his time at the police academy, offering help and encouragement whenever he felt like quitting, pushing him to break the mould he had been in for years
If it weren't for her, he'd still be selling pawpsicles out of the back of Finnicks van
"Yes, yes I do" he said, quietly.
Judy was about to ask what it was, when he quickly spoke again.
"Did I ever, thank you?"
"For what?" she replied.
"For believing in me, for helping me pull my life out of the gutter," he said, with more sincerity than she had come to expect.
Judy's expression softened as she crossed to the fox's side, laying a gentle paw on his arm.
"Nick, do you remember what I said, after you defended me in front of Bogo."
He smiled.
"You said I was so much more than what society thinks of me."
"And I meant every word; you helped me when no one else would."
"I think you blackmailed me into that one Carrots," he casually quipped, causing Judy to smile.
"Maybe," she replied. "But you could have walked away once I gave you the recorder, even after I apologised for…how I acted during the press conference, you could have left."
Nick saw some tears beading at the corner of her eyes, so he placed a comforting paw on her shoulder, although he was surprised when she nuzzled into it.
"You don't know how happy I was when you forgave me, because it wasnt until then that I realised, I didn't want to lose you Nick."
She started softly crying, so Nick he pulled her into a hug.
"You bunnies really are emotional," he said softly.
"Only around you… dumb fox," she replied between sniffles.
Nick felt his cheeks flush as Judy looked up from where she had buried her face in his shirt. Her lavender eyes sparkling as they locked with his own, the world seemed to just, fall away.
Nick found himself leaning in close.
"Judy…I-"
"Sorry for taking so long."
Barry's voice broke the moment, as the two mammals released each other in a panic.
The humaan paused awkwardly as they tried to appear nonchalant.
"Er, was I interrupting anything?"
"No!" They both sreplied, just a bit too quickly.
"Uh…Okay then...I'm just going to go for a quick run before we settle in, I'll be back in a little while."
With that, he edissappeared the flat in a gust of wind and flash of light, leaving the two mammals in an uncomfortable silence as they processed what might have been about to happen.
"Judy," said Nick. "I-"
"I know," she replied, wiping her eyes. "Let's just, talk about it later, we've got a case to solve and we won't be of any use to anyone if we're fighting sleep. Maybe we might catch a break tomorrow," she said, heading towards the bathroom.
"Yeah, maybe," he muttered quietly.
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The next day, breakfast was somewhat subdued as both Nick and Judy mulled over what almost happened the night before. However, the mood had more or less evaporated by the time they had got to the ZPD as their minds moved to the case at hand, but neither really knew how to break the tension that seemed to have descended.
Then Nick saw Clawhauser.
The cheetah was slumped; face down, on the dispatch desk, a bubbling glass of Seltzer fizzing away near the microphone. An untouched box of doughnuts nearby.
The fox just couldn't resist.
With a sly grin, he sauntered casually up to the desk.
"Hey Benny, how's it going?"
Clawhauser groaned in response as Nick plucked a few doughnuts from the box.
"You sure you don't want any," he said, taking a bite from one chocolate covered pastry, slowly chewing as he savoured the sweet flavour.
Clawhauser looked up, his chubby cheeks still tinged of green. He took one look at the fox, deliberately over-relishing in the flavours of the pastry, before grabbing the waste bin from under his desk and heaving into it.
"Nick!" scolded Judy.
The fox looked back at her with his trademark confident smirk, before offering her a doughnut that had a carrot printed in the icing.
Judy hesitated for a moment, looking at him and the offered treat incredulously, before she gave in and snatched it from his paw.
"I'm still upset you did that," she muttered.
The tension was lifted, for the moment.
When Clawhauser had recovered, passing off the rest of the doughnuts to an eager Barry, he handed them a note from the crime lab, before heading off to empty the waste bin.
"Is that good news?" he asked, already finished with the box.
"Hopefully," replied Judy. "It says that Honey wants to see us straight away, she's cleared it with Bogo so we can miss roll call."
"Well then, let's go."
Returning to the crime lab, they found the badger had a visitor, in the form of a platypus in a trench coat and fedora. The pair was oblivious to their presence as they pored over some documents on a clipboard.
"Are you sure these results are accurate?" he said.
"Positive," replied the badger.
"That's…not good."
"What isn't?" asked Nick, gaining their attention.
"I see you got my message," she replied, before waving a paw at the platypus. "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. This is Agent Percival from the Zootopia Investigation Agency."
"Call me Perry," he replied. "Everyone else does."
"Nice to meet you," said Judy.
"And you, Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde," he replied as Barry stepped forward.
"I'm Barry Allen," he said, offering a handshake.
"Pleasure," replied Perry, returning the handshake. "So when do I get to see you whizzing around in that red suit of yours?"
Barry was stunned.
"Does everyone know who I am around here?"
"You should probably be used to it by now," chuckled Nick.
"If I'm honest, it wasn't hard; you're a weird alien that shows up at the same time as The Flash, I'm just amazed the common mammal hasn't made the connection yet."
"That might be because he's never seen in public without his red pyjamas," quipped Nick.
"Yes, yes, we all know each other now, can we get back to business," interrupted Honey, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Indeed," continued Perry. "Honey called me in early this morning. I'm afraid there has been a development."
"What sort of development?" asked Judy.
"Firstly," said Honey. "The drug lab was able to conclude their analysis of the Night howler serum that you recovered."
"Did you find anything?"
"Indeed, we discovered that the serum had been mixed with a powerful stimulant whose chemical signature was similar to Cocaine, which made it harder to find."
"Because the Night Howler serum is also derived from a plant," concluded the bunny.
"Exactly," continued Honey. "From our testing, we believe that this concoction would have not only caused the serum to be absorbed into the user's blood much faster, it would have increased the effects."
"Great, as if we didn't have enough to worry about," muttered Judy.
"Then this may cheer you up," said Perry. "We may finally have a lead on your enhanced mammal. Honey completed the analysis of the materials that your suspect's spines were made of."
"And when I was unable to find a source, I called in Perry."
"The ZIA has been investigating sightings of these 'enhanced mammals' for some time," explained the platypus. "When Honey told me you had managed to catch one, I was assigned to assist in any way possible."
He pulled a file out from inside his coat and handed it to Nick.
"As we suspected, the materials used in those spines were not only high quality, but unique," explained the badger. "The ZIA were investigating the disappearance of specialist materials from businesses and government facilities from around Zootopia, in relation to the enhanced mammal sightings. Cross referncing our data, we found that the thefts started shortly before the first sightings began circling the city."
"Combining her analysis of the materials with our list of thefts," continued Perry. "We were able to find their source, Zootopia Bio labs."
"Never heard of them," replied Nick.
"That's because the owner has a reputation for secrecy, and so they have remained out of the public eye. It is a privately run and privately funded facility, with some of the tightest security outside of a bank vault. But here's the interesting thing, they specialise in experimental implants and prosthetics for deformed or crippled mammals, officially for the medical and cosmetics industry."
"But something like that could be easily weaponised given the right skill," finished Judy.
"Precisely, I suggest you head over their immediately, the address is included in the file."
"Thank you," replied the rabbit. "We'll get on this right away."
"Excellent," exclaimed Perry. "Now, my superiors have advised that you both work best when left to your own devices, furthermore I have my own leads to follow, but I expect to be kept in the loop about whatever you find over there."
"Don't worry, Agent P," said Nick with his trademark smile. "We'll let you know what we find."
"It's Perry," he replied, but they were already out the door.