Every time I post a new chapter, the story statistics just go off the charts - and you know what that means! More thanks.

So here I go again. Thanks to everyone who has stayed with us over this story - I hope this kind of support will continue in times to come!

After the support from Chapter Three, I felt that I had to give you all something quickly. Something evocative...

Without too much more chatter, here's the next chapter to Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction.

Arctic One wasn't exactly a luxury hotel and neither was his 'cell' on the boat but compared with both of those the darkened, secluded cell he was in now was heaven. Or as close to it he could get for the time being. This place still wasn't a thousandth as nice as his warehouse but it would do well enough as long as he remained savage. Maybe it was his attitudes which had put a positive spin on his surroundings. It had been one- no, two... possibly three days since his talk with Judy on the boat.

Since then his mind had been at relative ease. The ZPD had sneaked him off the ship in a sealed wooden crate, one of many which were unloaded from the research vessel. Over the noise of his rattling restraints and the harsh lapping of the waves his keen ears had caught some words from a nearby officer.

"Keep it outta sight," the gruff voice had said, "This crate'll be 10-19."

"So what's in it?" a lighter voice replied. Even through the thick wood, Nick heard a hostile growl. The gruff voice responded a little harsher.

"Don't matter. Official police business. Just make sure it gets 10-19."

10-19? He had thought. Thank gosh Fluff had made him study up on police radio codes. Return to headquarters.

It would be his first time in- DAMNIT. Everything he would do in now would be his first time he had done it in two years. Those words had to stop coming up in his head! But it was the first time he had been to work in two years. Though he felt that he would only see a very specific part of the workplace. A few rough movements of someone picking up his crate and throwing it down carelessly and he was on his way to the Precinct One Headquarters.

The ride to the Precinct 1 building felt as fast as a bullet speeding toward an unsuspecting victim. Nick was pretty sure his savage self was hopping in and out of consciousness- the entire drive was just a blur of half-heard honks, bright lights projected through a tiny hole in his crate, and the unmistakable smell of gasoline. Sometime during the trip he knew that he passed out. There had been darkness and nothing else.

In what felt like only moments filled with nothing but black the vision returned to normal – all of the joy and sunshine within it still intact. But instead of being in a crate he was instead where he was now. ZPD headquarters – Savage Mammal Cell 1.

The room was about twice the size of Bogo's office; a ridiculously thick glass panel ran through the middle of it and small holes along the bottom of the glass allowed sound and fresh air to pass between the two sides. On the side opposite him was a chair bolted to the center of the floor, the exit on the wall behind it leading to a hallway and other confinement cells. The concrete walls were awfully bland – but that's what you get when you're in custody. The appliances in his cell weren't too advanced either. A tap with an indent in the concrete floor below it, which acted as an indestructible bowl, as well as a small feeding hole in the glass with a metal flap covering it were the only objects in what he would consider to be his kitchen. Any officer on the other side could put food through for him. Besides those necessities, there was also a cot and a toilet stationed right next to each other. He smiled when he first saw those – he didn't think he be needing anything like that as long as he was savage.

The ZPD had built this and another half dozen other cells like it in the months Nick had been at the academy. Although there had been no other cases of predators going savage after the Night Howler Incident some right-wing prey put forward a petition to have the city construct high-security cells should a situation like that ever arise again. Mayor Lionheart, recently pardoned for his unlawful confinement of savage predators and up for reelection, begrudgingly accepted their demands. The election had been close but his mayorship continued, and when Nick returned a hallway previously filled with vacant offices was instead a block of empty cells. Now, because of him, the city's expensive investment hadn't been in vain.

His legs stuck out in front of him while he leaned onto his palms and stared out his savage self's vision. His eyelids were half closed, leading him to believe he was about to pass into the realm of sleep once again. This had been all he had seen for the many previous hours he spent watching. Just the chair on the other side of the bulletproof glass. His mind was absolutely blank. Of course he was bored - which mammal wouldn't be? But the blade of boredom lodged in his head was edged with worry. Not of what he would do to other mammals, but of what other mammals weren't doing to him. On occasion a small trickle of water would refill his water 'bowl' but the department had yet to fed him. The sound of his stomach screaming for something to digest filled his ears endlessly. Thank the heavens he couldn't feel what his savage self was feeling right now.

They're trying to starve the secrets out of me! He sarcastically thought as he grimaced. But what they don't realize is that a fox never snaps!

The night on the gondola flashed into his mind, his message to Judy ringing in his ears. Never let them see that they get to you. Those words were more true now than ever. His smile closed, his teeth held behind his slightly elevated cheeks. The rabbit had seen him with all his safeguards down that night. That had only happened twice since then – both within the last week, and he made himself promise that he would be the only one to ever see himself like that again. It wasn't him. Rabbits were supposed to be the emotional ones, not foxes! He was right here – sarcastic, sly, and forward looking. The past was gone. His memories were just that - memories. But that didn't mean they couldn't haunt him.

A huge bang drew his attention back to what lay before him, which flew open as fast as his own did. In it's dozing his savage self hadn't noticed the entrance of a tiger. Now the predator opposite him stood just beyond the glass, his paw resting on the thick surface. Savage Nick uncurled from his position and stood, his head bent toward the ground as if he were being threatened. His limbs were spread wide in a defensive stance while his wild eyes stared into the tiger's calm ones. Nick observed the lab-coat wearing feline in silence without moving from his relaxing lean.

He assumed it was a tom. It had the jawline of a male, but in today's society it was entirely possible that he was absolutely wrong. Lots had changed in twenty years. The tiger's muzzle was graying and one of his ears had a small split through the top of it. Nick pried his eyes for any information about his character. Most mammal's gaze held their personality within. That was something he had learned over his years on the streets.

The tiger looked tired, but his crystal blue eyes were filled with wisdom and curiosity. As his stare continued, his jaw visibly tightened and his pupils shrunk slightly. Nick winced. Dread? He thought, shaking his head in an attempt to reassure himself.

"No, that's not dread," he said out loud, a grin on his face yet his ears back behind his head and eyes still wide, "Just surprise. I really should've practiced more on my vacation."

The tiger took his paw off the glass and fell into the bolted chair behind him, his back straightened against it. It was only then that the intelligent fox noticed the blatantly obvious pen-and-clipboard resting in his hands. Their eyes were still locked but Savage Nick moved so that he and the feline were face to face. Nick studied the situation for a little longer, mind whirling, until the tiger began to speak.

"Mr. Wilde, I'm not going to bother with pleasantries. I simply must to take some notes on your condition," He said, his thumb moving to click his pen. Nick watched on. Wow. Not even a name for a little kitty like you?

The staring between them finally broke as the feline moved his eyes down to his clipboard, his paw making numerous and quick strokes across it. This continued for several strained minutes. Nick looked over the feline again during that time, his mind hard at work to decipher the strange glare he had given him. It had been a dreadful gaze, no matter how he would try to twist it. There had been lots of dreadful glares thrown at him before he joined the ZPD, and even some after. Surely this one was nothing to worry about! But on the side of the tiger's lab coat was a familiar insignia. Nick leaned in, his paws taken off the ground and his legs curling up towards him. In the middle of it was a large red plus. Along the top it read:

Zootopia General Hospital

While along the bottom:

Serving prey since 1931

Serving prey since 1931. Predators since 1969, He thought bitterly. OK. So he had gotten a strange stare from some doctor? Big deal. He had been to the hospital a few times in his life, usually for nothing serious, and all doctors had that 'You're going to die a horrible death' face after a day of working. Brushing his worry away, Nick looked over the doctor one final time.

There were visible muscles under his patch, and at a closer look they were protruding from all his clothes. But this was normal for all tigers. What wasn't normal was the stiff movements the cat had when moving his head up and down to look over certain parts of his savage self. Whoever this tiger was, he was old. Probably sixty or sixty five. He could never guess the exact age of anyone but he was always pretty close. Judy would be 28 now, and he would be... How old would he be this year? Nick did the math in his head. Rabbits were great at 'multiplying' but nobody could beat a fox at adding! He would be thirty six if he counted the year and a half he had been dead.

"Mr. Wilde, I'm going to perform a test on you in a moment. Whether or not you give your consent doesn't matter."

Nick looked up from the darkness and for the second time today he saw the doctor standing above him, much closer to the glass than before. Nick heard a growl from his savage self, who had moved back several steps from the glass. Nick gave the feline a lazy smile.

"Go ahead, stripes."

The tiger had left his pen and clipboard on the metallic chair. His arms were behind his back, his old gaze flicking up and down his now frightened self, half cowering under the cot.

One moment he was calm. In the next his paws were up against the glass, claws unsheathed, while his head was bent lower towards his savage self. All of his teeth fit together with one another in a picture-perfect snarl. Nick's smile continued. The sudden move hadn't scared him, but the vision shifted dramatically as his savage self stumbled and crawled under the cot. His head was the only part of his body protruding from the hanging bed and his savage self released a scared snarl from it's wide open mouth.

The doctor sheathed his claws and turned back to the chair. Nick watched as he scribbled some final notes onto the clipboard and made his way to the door.

"What's my diagnosis, Doctor Purr?" He called out as the feline stood in front of the doorway, still looking down. "Besides high blood pressure."

The feline stopped scribbling and stared at the savage beast beyond the glass one last time. His paw gripped the door handle tightly, and Nick could see the tensity in his jaw as it clenched once again. Nick locked eyes with the feline the moment before he stepped out into the hallway.

There it was. No matter how much he denied it, it was still there. The doctor's eyes were swimming in it.

Dread.

"Well if it's any consolation, your friend isn't savage."

Judy's already huge gaze widened. What did the doctor mean Nick wasn't savage? She had forgiven him because he had attacked her. While he was at the academy she was working her butt off back at headquarters. Someone had to finish all the paperwork which came out of the Night Howler Incident. She knew what a savage mammal looked like, and Nick was savage!

"He's not savage?" she exclaimed. She shook her head back and forth and raised her paw. "Then what do you think is wrong with him?"

Doctor Zdanskyi had clearly expected this reaction. He remained calm and collected, even as her outraged gaze burned into him.

"Your friend is not savage Ms. Hopps," He said as he moved into the center of the hallway, both his paws gripping his undersized clipboard tightly. "If you only look at his aggressive behavior then he may seem savage, but to my trained eye the-"

"I'll ask again. What's wrong with my partner, doctor?" Judy interrupted, her foot thumpthumpthumping the ground endlessly. The doctor continued to contain himself.

"I will discuss that when the chief arrives," He finished.

Judy didn't ease her defiant gaze. She rejected the doctor's diagnosis. Not rejected - she didn't even consider it! She knew what a savage mammal acted like. For turnip's sake, she was the one who had found all of the missing mammals restrained by Mayor Lionheart! All Nick needed was the antidote. Once the doctor realized that they'd be solving cases in no time –just the two of them making Zootopia safe again. Nick was her best friend, and he'd trust her to make the right calls if he was unable to. He just needed the antidote.

As if on cue Chief Bogo stormed through the huge doorway at the end of the hallway. He snorted as he slid his access card to seal it behind him. Something had clearly ticked him off. His normally stoic hoofsteps fell heavy, weighted by some unknown anger. He rubbed his eyes with his hoof as he approached Judy and Zdanskyi.

"Well, Doctor, I could use some good news today," he said as his eyes met Zdanskyi's, "What's wrong with Wilde? Savagery?"

The doctor shook his head.

"No, Bogo. Not savagery."

Chief Bogo's eyes widened at this, his hands tightening around each other as they hung behind him.

"Not. Savage?" He repeated shocked. Judy watched a surprised expression grow on his face and raised her paw again, outraged words spilling out of her before her years of police discipline could stop them.

"Chief Bogo, Doctor Zdanskyi may be one of Zootopia's finest medical professionals but Officer Wilde shows all the symptoms of being savage. Even the youngest kit in Bunnyburrow coul-"

"Shut your mouth, Hopps!" Chief Bogo shouted, startling and silencing her.

"So if not savagery then what, Zdanskyi?"

The doctor's gaze moved back to Judy.

"You said that when you found him he appeared to be deceased?"

Judy nodded, her jaw clamped shut so she couldn't say anything else she might regret.

"And that he seemed to be stalking you before you tranquilized him?"

She nodded.

"And that once he was restrained he let you touch him without attacking you?"

She nodded. Doctor Zdanskyi sighed and briefly skimmed his clipboard before his gaze quickly flicked between her and Chief Bogo.

"Are either of you familiar with Trunklin's lost expedition?"

Judy nodded, catching Chief Bogo doing the same out of the corner of her eye. Most educated mammals in Zootopia knew about the ill-fated expedition of the explorer.

"What does that tragedy have to do with Wilde's condition?" The chief asked.

"We all heard the end of the story when we were at school. Trunklin was the only survivor of the stranding and when the rescue crew finally found him he was completely out of his mind," Zdanskyi summarized, his finger tapping on his clipboard. "But what our textbooks didn't tell us are the details of his insanity. And because of my contract with the city I'm not at liberty to tell you either."

Zdanskyi gave a big huff, his gaze finally resting on Judy. His blue eyes failed to calm the churning emotions built up within her amethysts.

"If I were you, I'd look into the city's records. Whatever Trunklin's syndrome was is what's affecting your partner now."

Silence overtook the group as the doctor finished. Chief Bogo sighed, staring down the hallway past him.

"Thank you, Doctor," He said, placing his hoof on his shoulder. "You can leave us now. I'll join you outside in a moment."

Zdanskyi nodded and walked between them, his tail lingering for a moment longer before disappearing. Judy's eyes turned up to Chief Bogo but he was still deep in thought, a frustrated expression on his face. She kept her solemnly organized gaze as she finally began to process the doctor's words.

"First Lionheart's slip up and now this?" Chief Bogo exclaimed suddenly, his hoof reaching up to massage his eyes. "Whenever that damned predator messes up I'm the one who always gets the backlash."

His hoof came down and hung at his side, his huge eyes analyzing the straightened officer before him.

"Our beloved mayor has irreversibly complicated this whole situation by acknowledging that Officer Wilde had a funeral yesterday."

Judy's clenched mouth dropped slightly so that a strip of white from her front teeth could be seen. The mayor told the press that Nick was dead? What had he been thinking? Bogo frowned as she became visibly furious, the anger which had been welling up inside of her beginning to spill out.

"Officer Hopps, I'm just as irritated as you, but Mayor Lionheart ha-"

"Tell me, Chief, did he know that Wilde was still alive or was he just being absolutely careless?" Judy demanded. Her fuse was about as short as her tail today.

Chief Bogo growled but Judy remained stubborn, her ears straight up in defiance.

"He was well informed of the situation, Hopps. And stop interrupting your superior or your badge will be on the line!"

Judy shut her mouth for good measure. Chief Bogo was short tempered but if her domineering attitude continued for any longer she was pretty sure the materials inside him would ignite.

"Now then, if I am able to speak," He spat, "Mayor Lionheart knew that Wilde was alive but he kept the public in the dark so we wouldn't have to deal with a repeat of the Howler Riots."

Judy remembered the riots he spoke of and suppressed a shiver. In reality they weren't riots but violent protests led by a group called the 'National Assembly for Zootopia's Isolation'. Essentially they were a huge speciesist cult, but even they had the right to peacefully assemble. What they DIDN'T have the right to do was assault every predator who happened to come within a three block radius of their march! Thankfully she didn't get to see any of the violence – regardless of her recent accomplishes during the Night Howler Incident she had only been an officer for a week and a half when the three day long nightmare began. She was instead back at headquarters, trying to keep the press from storming the building.

"At the time the best call I could make was to call Nick a savage mammal. And because half of the mammals in Zootopia still don't support him as mayor, Lionheart thought it would be best if the spotlight was turned away from Wilde. For good."

The Chief turned and began to walk away from Judy.

"So with Wilde's lack of savagery those of us who know of his condition will be in a compromising position if we don't keep this under check. I don't have the time or the resources to continue to manage the ZPD, keep knowledge of his existence under wraps, AND begin his 'healing process'. That last one is up to you, Hopps."

Bogo swiped his access card and opened the bulletproof door ever so slightly, beginning to walk through. His head disappeared for a brief moment before reappearing. He looked back at Judy and her perked ears caught a small sigh come off him.

"I know this whole situation is difficult but I'll sort out the mayor. This ordeal will run very efficiently if we both do our part," He said, his words not laced with annoyance or any other emotion, for that matter. "Wilde isn't savage, whether we like it or not. I've worked with Zdanskyi for nearly my entire career and he's the best when it comes to strange cases like your partner's. I'd take his advice. Go down to the National Library on 8th and 14th and pick up a copy of Trunklin's medical evaluation. Take the rest of the day off – go read it over some carrot juice or something."

Judy managed a small nod. Nick wasn't savage. They couldn't just apply the antidote and be done with this whole complication. This would be quite the journey for them both, whether they knew it or not.

Judy pried Bogo's eyes for something, anything, as he put an end to their conversation and turned to look back out the door. While she had rubbed off on Nick a fair amount he had attempted to grind some of his abilities into her. The only one she succeeded at mastering was the reading of other mammal's gazes. Some of the other skills he taught her felt wrong to use. At her heart she was still a young, polite, and caring mammal.

Through her inference of his large eyes Chief Bogo was still that at heart as well. He reflected some deep feeling of worry with such intensity Judy hadn't even thought about associating with him. Maybe there was a feeling, emotional mammal underneath all of his thick skin. But Judy didn't dwell on the thought too long – he disappeared the same moment she had seen his expression. The door slammed shut and she was alone.

She didn't realize she was leaning against the cell door until the cool touch of metal flowed down her back. Just beyond the six inches of steel was her partner. He was no longer her savage friend but instead her naked friend, the thought making her shiver in amusement and a small smile cracking onto her face. She predicted there would be more than one awkward moment between the two of them within the weeks to come. But she had to help him get better. Yes, It would be a far more difficult path since he wasn't savage, but she was ready. Her mind rose to the challenge. But first she needed that report. Her paw gently tapped against the door before she followed her boss's path out the door.

She had Nick Wilde. Now she had to turn him back into the sly and cunning vulpine she had come to know.

Judy was on the verge of collapse. Not out of a slight feeling of fatigue but out of absolute exhaustion. Her legs ached from all the standing, her ears hurt for being perked too long, and her feet felt utterly skinless. For the past 6- no, 7 hours she had been on the longest wild goose chase any rabbit from the Triburrow Area had ever been on. She had taken the Chief's advice and went to the National Library where the very helpful front desk zebra told her that Trunklin's record was being kept at a different branch all the way in Tundratown! She only had a few dollars with her at the time so taking a bus or the metro was out of the question. In the end she had walked halfway across the city only to be told that the document was actually in a storage locker back in Sahara Square! She had been furious but let out all her frustration through harsh glares and the thumping of her foot.

She left the station at 1500 but received the antique at 2200! An entire day wasted! Although it was all to help her partner.

A vibration began in her pocket, making her aware of where she was. Her paw reached down and pulled out her phone which showed a picture of her parents smiling. Judy exasperated. Of all the times her parents had to call, they had to do it now? Though If she refused their call then they would immediately call back and pound her with questions. She didn't feel like being interrogated, so her finger reluctantly hit the accept button.

"Hey guys!" Judy greeted, her voice overly joyful to cover her annoyance.

"Hey, Jude the Dude! How're you holding up?" A familiar voice eagerly responded. She noted the rabbit on the other end was lacking his usual female counterpart.

"Doing well, Dad. Where's Mom?"

"Oh, she's over helping the Longears. They just had their first litter, you know. 22 Kits!" There was silence for a moment before he continued, "So, why no video today, honey? That business trip take it out of you?"

She smiled, her face illuminated by the ugly yellow emanating from the slowly passing streetlights.

"You don't know the half of it."

There was a pause on the other line.

"Honey," Stu began, his words slow and cautious, "I heard about the funeral."

Judy continued walking down the pavement, her suppressed annoyance beginning to nudge itself back into prominence. She had told her parents that Nick would have a funeral once she returned, and they had been very supportive during their last MuzzleTime. But now that Nick wasn't gone and that idiotic lion at city hall had essentially obliterated his existence all she could do was nod along.

"Jude, you know me and your mother are always here for you. Maybe you need to talk about it. Tell me about the funeral, sweetie."

"It was short," She responded, her smile replaced with vexation. Even though she tried to prevent it her voice became harsh, "and very touching."

"Judy, what's wrong? Did something happen to you at the ceremony?" Her father asked worried. He had clearly picked up on the sudden change of tone.

"No! Don't worry Dad," She replied a little happier, a quick lie coming to her mind to explain her bitterness. To her right was a puddle of stagnant water in a gutter. "Some maniac driver nearly splashed me."

"Oh, you're not home? Where are you going so late?" Her father inquired.

Judy pondered on the question, observing her surroundings. In their attempt at taking her home her feet had taken her through one of the most suspicious streets in Sahara Square. The decaying buildings around her and the eerily empty road made her wish she had taken another route. But this was the fastest way back to her apartment.

But did she want to go back to her apartment right now? It was nearly 22:30, which meant it would be time for the nightly 'Onyx-Antlerson Battle of Words'. She couldn't concentrate on anything when those two were shouting at each other. The paper thin walls let her listen to any sound which came out of the populated apartment building.

Anyways, her neighbors were the most distracting mammals anyone would ever meet. Right now her apartment wouldn't be the most appropriate place for reading a document with as much importance as the one she held. Maybe she should take Bogo's advice and read it over a drink. Her eyes peeled the street ahead for any such establishments, and in the distance, past all the grotty 2-story apartments and disused shop windows, a flashing red neon sign caught her attention. She couldn't read the bar's name from so far away. Regardless, that's where she was going.

"I'm just going out for a drink," She responded, her voice sounding tired in an attempt to bring the conversation to an end. "I had a long day at work."

"Ok, honey. You sound pretty worn out - but that's what you get when you're the best police officer in Zootopia!" A smile came back onto her face. "Now you call me back if you find a nice buck, Jude the dude."

"Ok Stu the dude, I will." A chuckle came across from the other line, and Judy pulled the phone down from her ear, her finger hovering above the end call button.

"Judy," she faintly heard and she moved her phone up to her ear again. He does love to talk, doesn't he?

"Me and your mother are always here for you, if you ever need to talk. Us burrow-bunnies need to look out for one another."

Judy held in a sigh.

"I know dad," She responded sincerely.

There was a moment of silence between the two. The conversation was finally ending.

"Well you have a great night, Judy," Stu said.

"You too dad! Love you!" She responded with as much happiness as she could.

She slid her phone into her pocket and let loose an annoyed scowl.

That idiot Lionheart! I can't believe I voted for him last election. She thought fiercely. If he hadn't been elected then Nick would still have a chance to exist and she wouldn't have to deal with her parents' comforting. But as her rage continued Bogo's explanation entered her mind. No, it wasn't the mayor's fault. He was trying to protect the city in his own way. Just like I do.

She sighed and her ears flopped onto her back. She didn't want to talk about Nick with anyone else. All they would say would be 'I'm so sorry for you're loss' and 'How are you feeling this' and 'How are you feeling that' - all those typical sayings which had comforted her before but now would just get on her nerve. Her parents were no different. To them, and to the world, her partner was dead and she was some bunny who never got over his death. Only she and a few others could openly talk about him, but even that would be about his "savagery" and not about him as a mammal and partner.

Her feet stopped as the yellow light surrounding her turned to red. She looked up at the bright neon sign above her, ironically labeled The Fox's Den. This was her stop. She had never been into a predator's bar before alone before. Nick had forced her to accompany him to a few on several occasions, all of which were probably a thousand times as nice as the place she was at now. Her paw tightened around the poster-holding tube which contained Trunklin's document.

Well, here goes nothing. She thought, her free paw pushing open the fox-sized door. It closed with a loud bang, the joints of the door pulling it back as fast as a speeding car. She was now the lone rabbit in The Fox's Den.

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Come back soon! All other projects are on hold until this story has reached it's conclusion!

Primal: A Zootopia Fanfiction Chapter 5 - August 1st

Fourty Thousand: A Zootopia Fanfiction Prologue - TBA

Guilt, that Monster: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

Dire Situations: A Zootopia Short Story - TBA

This chapter was last edited 8-24