Heroes of Zootopia

Chapter 4 "Trust in Me"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Peter barely breathed as he stared through three levels of magnifying lenses mounted on his glasses. "There we are." The boar chewed on his lower lip as he armed himself with precision tweezers. "That's it now. Red to blue and blue to red." He tilted his head to see where his wires were going.

"Hey Peter!" The loud voice almost sent Peter flying skyward.

"Crystal!" The boar quickly recovered from the miniature heart attack he was pretty sure he just had. "Don't sneak up on me when I'm working on explosives! One crossed wire, even one wayward drop of sweat, and kablooey!" He glared at the floating tank top and cut off jean shorts. "What is it?"

"Meeting time."

As Crystal strode out of the lab, Peter muttered to himself. "Sorry gargantua, I'll be back for you." Carefully setting down his latest project, he followed Crystal to the conference room.

The Empire's headquarters had been set up it what was once the abandoned cliffside asylum. After most of the structure had been gutted, the structure was brought back up to code. Other features were added such as containment rooms, labs, living quarters, several conference rooms, an armory, a bomb and weapons testing range, vaults to secure power artifacts and weapons, a helicopter landing stip on the roof, a quantum computer, and of course, a cafeteria. The facility was isolated on the edge of a cliff surrounded by cascading waters that disappeared some hundreds of feet below into the river, and the only way by foot or car was the bridge that stretched across the falls. Its dark history warded off many who were once curious. Armored guards were placed at every corner and every entrance. It was a fortress, if anything.

Peter groaned as he plopped down into one of the rolling chairs that surrounded the main conference room's long table. "What's on the docket Jack."

The jack rabbit tapped a stylus against his tablet as he looked down the table. "New recruits. It would seem," he stopped as Adam Wolff rushed in and took a seat, "it would seem that a few extraordinary individuals like yourselves have sprung up. They operate on their own. Obviously, illegally. I've been approached by several high ranking officials about the issue."

"More vigilantes?" Dawn glared at Adam. "Isn't one enough?"

Jack cleared his throat to assume everyone's attention. "Though their activities have been declared illegal, they've proven themselves to be effective. It has fallen to my shoulders to legalize them. A couple police precincts have even expressed interest in additional help from us, especially precinct one."

Peter pursed his lips in thought. "So, we're working local now?"

"Not necessarily, Mister Hogbop." Jack picked up a remote to activate the projector. "You lot are good for away missions. These particular individuals know their own lands, respectively."

Crystal hummed to herself. "Why send in the guys without a map when you got soldiers that already know the lay of the land?"

Jack nodded. "Precisely." He clicked the remote. "Here's a list of animals that police and central intelligence have given me." The first picture appeared. It was a blurred photo of a red eyed black mask with a filter. "Several snitches, who've cooperated with the police, call this guy the Moth." Jack clicked on to the next picture which showed a figure in the dark gliding between buildings with what looked like wings and a trail of blue flames. "He's mostly been targeting dealers who handle contraband. He's been around about eight years, but he's gotten sloppy with hiding. So, the police have only known about him since last year."

"What exactly does he do?" Peter asked.

"Well from what we know about him, he can make animals hallucinate and see gruesome nightmares, even in broad daylight." Jack scrolled down the list on his tablet.

Dawn seemed to sink in her seat. "Wow. That's terrifying."

"I'll say." Peter pulled his lucky flask out of his vest and took a quick swig before noticing Jack's glare, that told him to put it away.

Jack clicked his tongue as he smiled. "He can electrocute animals when he punches them. He's skilled on a motorcycle which he has evaded police with too many times to count. And, as you can see by his picture, he can fly between buildings. Apparently that's a newer trick of his."

Peter scrutinized the picture. "He might just be hopping buildings with a glider system boosted by jets. Just a thought. Who else?"

Jack let out a stiff sigh as he continued. "This next animal has no direct name or associated title. But, civilians have called this vigilante the ghost." The next picture showed a smaller figure in white roundhouse kicking a jaguar in the face.

"Oh," Crystal leaned back in her chair, "I like this one. La Fantoma!"

Peter grumbled. "Put the cat back into its cage."

"I need a new toy. You tried to blow me up," Crystal pointed to Adam, "and wolfie over there has his own cat that doesn't like to share."

"Enough!" Jack slammed a fist down that surprisingly shook the table. "This ghost vigilante has no regard for criminals or police it would seem. The latter being a problem."

"The ghost doesn't play well with others?" Crystal asked.

"No. Which is why the ghost is at the top of our to-do-," Jack looked over at Adam who seemed to stare finally at something other than the table, "Mister Wolff? Something to say?"

"Yeah," Peter waved at Adam, "you alright?"

Adam squinted at the image of the ghost vigilante. Something familiar dug at his memory, but he dismissed it. A pain flared up in his shoulder. "It's nothing." He massaged his bandaged shoulder until the pain flickered away.

Jack clicked his remote again to show another photo. "This one is my personal favorites."

Adam whistled as a small chuckle broke his stoic stance. "Woah. What's with the Creature from Bat Lagoon?"

The pictures were all blurred but obviously of the same thing. "We don't know what it is, only that it exists in the waterways of the Rainforest District." Jack looked over to Adam. "I'd keep an eye out for it if I were you. It appeared some three years ago when it stopped a ram from stealing a tiger's purse. Ever since, it's been popping up all over the Rainforest District. It's always the same thing. Someone is in trouble, it comes to their aid. Thankfully it hasn't killed anyone yet." He clicked the remote again. "Thankfully."

"Oh my," Dawn covered her mouth as the pictures almost made her release the contents of her stomach.

The images were of injuries inflicted on a polar bear. His arm had been bent in half at two places. A bite mark circled around his paw. Jack scrolled through notes. "The only other eyewitness was a little girl, a lion cub who was walking home from school. She said that the polar bear had been following her. The moment he grabbed her, it came to her rescue."

There was a knowing silence between them all.

"Next is a bit more of a mystery." Jack clicked on past the gruesome images. "He's an internet favorite who's been jokingly called the quickster."

Adam furrowed his brow as he held his paw out. "Like the comic book hero? My son read those comics."

"Yes." Jack nodded. "Only this is real. Look at this." A black and white security feed came up. "This was at a gas station only a week ago." The footage was drastically slowed down. It showed what looked like the robbery of a gas station. A hooded figure who was looking at candy watched the counter from a distance. Frame by frame the footage played. Only a few frames passed, and the hooded figure had reappeared across the room grabbing the robber. In the next couple of frames, the robber was gone along with the hooded figure. "We think our quickster here might have been a gazelle. The owner of the gas station said he saw a horned figure in a hoodie that day."

"Is that all?" Adam asked abruptly.

"These are the few that have been proven to not be hoaxes and have been considered by myself and the two authorities over those precincts I mentioned earlier." Jack caught wind that Adam seemed detached. "That is all, unless you have any recommendations."

Adam tapped the table in thought. "I would recommend Adam Hobbes, but I know your stance on him."

"He's a criminal of the state and a wanted fugitive." Jack set his tablet down and turned off the projector. "He jumped ship when he lost control over his Post Office Battalion."

Adam frowned as he crossed his arms. "He was a hero that was betrayed by the disloyalty of animals who put their lives above others. He deserves a second chance. For goodness sakes, do you know how many lives he's saved?"

"I am perfectly aware of the good intentions of Mister Hobbes. It doesn't change the fact that he ran away like a coward after realizing that he raised an army at a premature speed which resulted in the formation of new gangs that branched off to fulfill their own nefarious purposes." The jack rabbit made his exit. "I know he helped stop the Raven, and he may have helped save your life. But, you mustn't let bias blind you. The world isn't fair, Adam." Jack straightened his jacket. "There are rules now, as opposed to ten years ago."

Jack was gone as Adam buried his face in his paw.

"Hey." Peter made his way around to Adam. "What's eatin' you?"

Adam shook his head. "Why do you care?"

Peter grabbed his shoulder and smiled. "Because, you did."

Crystal rolled onto the table. "Come on darling, let it out. Something is obviously stressing you out."

"It's multiple things." Adam figured that he might as well vent it now than vent it later. "I get called out here in the middle of my daughter's last soccer game, my son is fighting other kids, and I'm tired of my life being put on hold."

"But you can't complain about it, because the needs of the many are supposed to come before the needs of the few." Crystal's tone was not at all teasing, but sincere and understanding. She had kicked into counselor mode. "You need to remember why you sacrifice your time, for your family."

Peter smiled at one of the few times that he could agree with Crystal. "Yeah. We do this so others don't have to."

"Because someone has to, and I'm one of those animals." Adam rolled his eyes. "I just feel like things are falling apart when I'm not home."

"You're talking about Daniel?" Crystal probed.

Adam explained the whole situation as Crystal and Peter gave their own input. Dawn said nothing.

Peter couldn't help but smile. "Like father like son if you ask me. But, I sorta get where you're coming from. My dad demolished buildings for a living. And like him, as you well know, I have the same deadly attraction. He nearly blew himself up one day, and he didn't like the fact that I was heading down a possibly similar path. I think it was five years ago when I almost lost my foot in that premature blast that I understood how he felt. If I ever have a son, I think I'd encourage him to explore less explosive activities."

Adam half laughed at Peter when he opened his arms for a hug. He caved and stood up for it. A pain shot through mostly his shoulder as the boar nearly hugged the life out of him.

Crystal had changed her position so that she was sitting cross legged. "Your son will come to understand that there's more to life than fighting. He'll find other things to distract him."

Adam never thought he'd hear something like that from Crystal. "What about you? What distracts you from...well…"

"Being so sensual?" Crystal pulled gloves out of her pockets and put them on. "I wasn't always this way, you know." She seemed to look at the form of her paws beneath the gloves. "The process of being invisible is difficult. And so far as I know, it's permanent until I can find a cure. The first month was horrible. My hormones were unstable. Bottling up just made things worse. I was stupid enough to try it. Imagine being in heat while on night howler. Not a pretty picture. Letting it out by acting the way I do helps to moderate chemical imbalances." Crystal wrapped her arms up as if she were holding a baby. "I should tell you, I've kept it a secret for so long that it hurts. I have a son, somewhere."

Adam raised his brows. "You have a son?"

"Yes." Crystal stared at the empty space in her invisible arms. "My little Renato. I don't know where he is. I was so young when I had him, that I never told anyone about him. He was always hidden from the world. So when I, pardon the pun, disappeared - I lost him. I do not know where he is. I can scarcely recall what he looks like. I just remember his green eyes."

Peter tried to hide his tears, but he failed horribly as he pulled up a chair next to Adam. "I suppose I got a secret too. Okay guys, don't laugh, but I like to sing."

"Well let's hear it!" Adam encouraged Peter.

Peter groaned as he shook his head. "I can't, though."

Dawn finally joined the conversation. "What do you mean you can't?"

"I'm a horrible singer. But I still love it. My mother used to sing with me when I was little. But, that was before she-." Peter shrugged his shoulders. "I've never sung around anyone else, I guess because I've lost my touch. I would give anything to be good again. Who knows, maybe if I'm not too old, I'll get back at it. Maybe I'll sing in a jazz club or something."

Dawn stared vacantly at Peter. "You'd give anything?"

"Yep." The boar smiled. "Anything."

"Even blowing stuff up?" Dawn had to ask.

"Even that, this." Peter took in a deep and calm breath. "Because there's more to life than blowing stuff up."

Dawn retreated her gaze to her lap. She thought about her secret. She thought deep and long about it. It still haunted her. That face still haunted her. The friendship bracelet that was torn apart by her father seemed fresh in her mind once more.

Adam cleared his throat. "Oh to be young again, in a place where time had not robbed us of our dreams. To say we know what is real despite what they tell us. Oh to have our dreams born in reality that we might have suffered a little longer." The wolf looked back and forth between the members of audience to his performance. "I forget the play it's from."

Crystal gave a little clap. "Imagine that, Adam Wolff, the esteemed actor."

Adam laughed a little at that. "I still read scripts to Lily." He eyed Dawn who was avoiding them all. Her taming collar had gone yellow, but not because of anger. "What about you, Dawn."

The sheep straightened her glasses. She remembered what she had almost forgotten. "I didn't always hate predators." She looked to Crystal, remembering her sessions of psychiatric help. "I always wondered what happened to him. My first friend. I don't remember his name. I just remember calling him by some stupid nickname." She didn't really believe it was stupid. "My father," Dawn's collar flickered red for a split second, "drove us apart. And I never saw him again. So, I guess there was more to life than being a monster."

Adam stepped into Jack Savage's office. "Sir?"

Jack had his jacket off with his top button undone as he bent over files that he scrutinized before writing notes in the margins. "Yes, Mister Wolff."

"I need to apologise for my behavior earlier." Adam straightened his posture with his paws behind his back. "I let the stress of home come here and that was wrong of me."

"Your son lashed out at you?" Jack stopped writing and stared directly into the wolf's eyes.

Adam nodded. "How did you know?"

Jack shrugged. "Like father like son." He went back to writing. "You believe, rather than know. You hope, rather than speculate. Those are some of the reasons I admire you. It's also one of the reasons why I've put your name in as my replacement."

"Sir?"

Jack smiled at the wolf. "Mister Wolff. One day, everyone will die. It's a fact. It's our job to prolong that fact so that animals can live the fullest lives possible. There's a reason I've pulled you away from your family so much. It goes along with the reason why I've had you lead the missions these past couple of months. One day, I'm going to expire. And, you're the mammal I trust most to take my place."

Adam fumbled for the words. "I don't know what to say."

Jack smiled as he set down his pen to flex his wrists. "I took the liberty of paying off the parents that wanted to press charges against your son Daniel."

"Why are you doing this?"

"New recruits are going to ask you that one question one day. What are you? Thirty six? I think I remember being that age. I was still a young agent all the way to thirty nine. Then you hit forty. Then you feel it, age." Jack eyed the picture on his desk. Picking it up, he looked into the gentle eyes of the fox that filled the frame. "Things are going to change. And, I want to get those recruits in before the manure hits the fan. I've already got a driver, Penelope Einswine, who's going to help you guys pick up those new recruits."

Adam could see how worried Jack looked. "What's wrong?"

"Mayor Swinton is breathing down our backs as we speak. It's no secret that an elite task force has been going on missions to maintain peace. She aims to expose us." Jack looked at his watch. "She's going to give her speech any minute."

Adam shook his head at what he was hearing. "She wants us to be public knowledge?"

"She's going to make us public knowledge when she rallies the citizens together to vote." Jack pulled a remote from his desk and turned on the television hanging in the corner of his office. "She knows it's going to cause problems for us. I think she's planning something bigger."

Adam turned his attention to the screen. "If it's any consolation sir, I did not vote for her." He shuddered at the sight of the large crowd that was ready to listen to their mayor. "I didn't trust her." The horrifying thought struck Adam. If the Empire was exposed, his wife (the editor in chief of Zootopia Times) would certainly be the first to know.

Both Jack and Adam stared at the screen as the current mayor of Zootopia, Mayor Swinton, Stood at a pulpit to address the city. "Citizens of Zootopia. It has come to my attention that our streets are no longer as safe as you have been led to believe."

Adam grabbed at his shoulder as intense pain coursed through him. "Ah!" Jack rushed to the wolf who had collapsed.

Hundreds if not thousands of animals had gathered near city hall to hear mayor Gloria Swinton who was now in the first year of her second term. She played her cards well to get where she was. The fact of how she played the election game this year planted a deep root of distrust in Nicholas Wilde. The fox cop slumped against the police cruiser that he had grown accustomed to being the side passenger of. His partner Judith Hopps came his way. The rabbit carried two coffees with her. "She start yet?"

"No." Nick scowled at the crowd that was filled with both reporters and Swinton's devout supporters. He took his coffee from the rabbit. "Thanks Judy."

"Alright grumpy ears." Judy laughed. "I didn't vote for her either. We're not here to be political. We're just here to make sure no one does anything stupid. It's just crowd control. Besides, Swinton's probably just going to preach about how she'll fix that park she promised to fix five years ago."

Nick tried to not think about Swinton and how she played the prey support card. It reminded him of what Dawn Bellwether had said about prey outnumbering predators ten to one. "So, how was your family reunion?"

"It was good." Judy recalled the party she attended over the last weekend. "I wish you could have gone."

"Eh, you're parents already get enough of this sleazy fox." Nick shrugged.

Judy jokingly punched her partner in the arm. "They would have loved to have you. Jacob and Theo asked about you. So did Gideon Grey."

Nick was careful to force a fake smile. He knew who Gideon Grey was. The pie maker started out in Judy's home town in the burrows. Eventually his business spread to Zootopia. He moved to the city so he could better manage his business. Ever since, Nick continuously began to be more and more annoyed with him. The other fox had gotten close with Judy. It ate Nick alive, but he didn't let Judy see it. He was happy that Judy was able to make peace with the one who once bullied her. However, Nick found himself plagued by the green eyed savage of jealousy.

Nick had once opened up to Judy. He expressed his deepest feelings to her. When things didn't work out, the drinking started. He almost lost his job at the ZPD. Thankfully Judy was there to pull him back. Some weekends he'd still slip. But, he was better. It was all thanks to her. His whole life was better thanks to her. It hurt him every day to pretend he didn't love her the way he wanted to. They were once again partners. "How's mini Jude?"

"She's doing well in school. I'm sorry that I don't have more of my time to give Judy, but she seems to be really understanding of that." Judy Big was Judy's goddaughter. She had come under Judy's care after her parents and her grandfather, Mr. Big, were killed by Novus Purificatio. "I'm glad Gideon was able to pick her up today. This crowd might give us a long day today."

Nick felt a sickening depression hit him. He clenched his jaw tight as he forced his most convincing smile. "Mhm."

Judy looked up at her partner. "You alright?"

Nick looked down at this rabbit who had been his friend for the past decade. He couldn't help but smile every time he saw her. As long as she was there, "Yeah." Nick felt his smile swell into a real one.

The subtle roar of the spectators drew Nick and Judy's attention to the main spectacle of the Mayor who gracefully waddled her way up to the pulpit. The pig cleared her throat before speaking. "Citizens of Zootopia. It has come to my attention that our streets are no longer as safe as you have been led to believe. Gang activity is at an all time high. Extremist predators have infected our streets ever since the attempted conquest by Novus Purificatio. These gangs that have risen in their wake have terrorized us long enough. Now, I know you are wondering about who is to blame. Do we blame the cops who lay down their live for our safety? Of course not!"

Nick muttered to Judy. "Always one for theatrics."

Judy hushed Nick as the mayor continued. "Part of me wants to take the blame for not taking action sooner. But, no more. It is time that I stop blaming myself and start taking responsibility for the city I love." Some members of the crowd cheered. "Citizens of Zootopia, I propose that we turn over a new leaf. So long we have focused on ourselves. We can no longer afford to be so selfish. It is time to be selfless. We need to think of the needs of society. What society needs must be placed above what the individual needs. And right now, our society needs it's safety ensured. We need more police patrolling our streets and taking down these hooligans and fiends who disturb the peace. Is that not what we want for our city? Peace?"

Now it was Judy's turn to groan. "Ugh, we don't need more cops. You can't speed up police work by throwing more officers at the problem."

Swinton switched around the index cards she had the key point of her speech printed on. "There is more I have to tell you. There have been many rumors spreading on the internet and across social media. Rumors of an elite task force have been posted everywhere from discarded tabloids to blogs." Swinton stared down at the crowd.

Nick shook his head. "You're kidding me."

"I was told not to disclose the fact that these rumors are all true." The crowd began to buzz with excitement. "This elite task force has been in operation for nearly ten years without your knowing. I have personally read the reports on what is known as Project Empire. They are a collection of special individuals with awesome abilities. They have the skill. And, by skill I mean to say that these animals have super abilities. My fellow Zootopians. We have the need. Our streets have a disease. And instead of lending these unique individuals to aid us in clearing our streets of crime, the higher authorities have hoarded these animals. They've been hidden away from us when we needed them most. We need these superheroes who have lived in the shadows long enough."

Gloria Swinton smiled to herself as she entered her office. The sound of the crowd still echoing questions made her lips curl into a more sinister smile. "And the next one." She laughed as she pulled off her jacket and threw it at the coat hook. "Sebastian!"

A midget of a horse tumbled in through the door. "Yes miss?"

Swinton gave him a deceptively kind smile. "My lunch, please."

The little horse quickly ran off and returned with a box with holes in it. "Here you are miss!" Sebastian slicked back his greasy blond mane out of his eyes. He knew something was wrong with his boss, but he couldn't argue with what she paid him to keep quiet. It was business as usual. Though between this term and last term, Sebastian noticed the changes. At first it was subtle. He figured she must have had a bug, the flu, or something. Then she seemed forgetful, or she would know things that seemed impossible. Now, lunch was the most bizarre change.

Swinton narrowed her eyes down at Sebastian as she opened the box with her lunch. "I hope you don't mind my," she pulled out a bag of live crickets, "indulgences. I know I shouldn't really be eating predator food, but it helps with the stress."

Sebastian nervously smiled. "It's perfectly fine." He forced himself to smile so he didn't gag when Swinton downed the whole bag of crickets. A chill went down his spine with each crunch from Swinton's mouth. He thought he might pass out when he thought he heard the squeal of a cricket. "It seemed like the crowd enjoyed your speech."

Swinton swallowed and then laughed as she pulled out another bag. "The average voter, er citizen, is just plain stupid. They're easy to manipulate. That's the easy part." She downed another bag. "But," she snatched a cricket that almost escaped, "you're not one of those people. You're not stupid, Sebastian." Swinton stepped up to the little horse and tickled the bottom of his chin as she stuck the loose cricket in her mouth and bit down on it. "My loyal friend."

Sebastian thought about it. Leaving. He didn't want to put up with it.

"I'm giving you another raise." Swinton devilishly smiled.

Sebastian cursed as he caved. "Thank you Miss."

Swinton pursed her lips as she tilted her head. "Call me Gloria."

Sebastian chuckled nervously as Swinton went for another bag. "Okay, Gloria."

"Ah!" Swinton blissfully moaned as she downed her third bag of live grasshoppers. "I like the way you say my name." After settling down into the chair at her desk, she stuck her legs up on her desk. "Stick with me Sebastian, and you'll have everything you ever wanted."

"Peace, everything society needs, right?" Sebastian said nervously.

Swinton burst out into laughter before losing all facial expression. "You're cute."

Sebastian hated that word.