AN: I do apologize for the hiatus of this story. But I have not yet fully recovered the drive to write. Chapters may still be delayed, but I will NOT forget about this story. I want to finish it. And I want you all to enjoy it. The hiatus may continue for some time, but I will try to release chapters a bit more frequently than a gap like the one between this chapter and the last.
Chapter Eight
Confession
Jack awoke with a start, but he was met with immediate restriction in his movements. Looking down he saw a pair of handcuffs done around his wrists and attached to the metal chair he was sitting on. There was a metal table in front of him. The cuffs should have been attached to the table, but being of his smaller stature this would be impossible to keep him seated and secured to it. The chair and table were far larger than him, made for animals usually arrested by the ZPD. Bunnies of which were not typically on that list.
Jack also noticed a lack of something on his body. He was still dressed in his clothes; they had not put an orange jumpsuit on him…yet. But as he feared there was the lack of the Nexus. There was no sign of it. The cops probably have it in their possession. Locked away in a locker, with no idea what it is other than some strange looking watch.
He looked to the room to find no discernable extrinsic features. It was a standard interrogation room. The floor was unpainted concrete. The walls were a pale yellow, showing a few chips in made by claw marks and other dents. The ceiling made of collapsible tiles. Jack could have sworn he saw signs of pencils once being tossed and imbedded into the soft white material. There was a door to his left, no doubt locked. And right across from him a mirror was set into the wall. A false mirror. He wondered which animals stood on the other side. They were probably stirring as they discussed who would take first crack at him. Would it be the good cop or the bad cop? Maybe Judy? He figured Bogo was back there as well. The sound of the door unlocking pulled him from his thoughts. His ears perked and he watched as the door opened. Passing through the small gap made was Judy and Nick. Jack tensed up. He figured it would be these two, Judy was the one he didn't want to see right now.
Judy hopped into the chair right across the table from Jack. Nick leaned against the corner of the room, his back to the wall with the mirror. Jack saw what looked like a popsicle stick jutting from the fox's maw. Judy coughed to get Jacks attention. He turned to the gray rabbit and put on a fake smiled, "Nice to see you Hopps."
"And why is that?" Judy asked.
"I was hoping that it would be some other officer that was going to interrogate me."
"Why," Judy raised an eyebrow, "You don't like me."
"You don't know the half of it Hopps." Jack did not want to tell Judy what he did to her counterpart in his world. If he feared the real Judy's reaction, then one not injured by him that was a trained officer would certainly be far worse.
"Then why don't you tell me the whole story." Judy pressured wanting information.
"I would," Jack jingled the chain of the handcuffs, "But I'm afraid you don't have a couple days for me to explain it all to you Judy."
Smiling Judy suggested, "Why don't you start with your name then."
"Why?" Jack asked with another question. He knew why she wanted to know, "My name doesn't come up in any database?"
Judy was taken aback by his quick deduction. Jack read it clearly on her face. He smiled, "It's Savage, Jack Savage."
"Savage seems like a fake name," Nick finally chimed in.
"So you're going to be the bad cop Nicky?" Jack asked looking to the fox.
"No one calls me Nicky-"
"Except your mother," Jack cut him off.
Nick shared a similar expression to the one Judy had a few seconds ago. Jack knew the line from his Nick. Jack continued, "It is my birth name, but you won't find me in your database anywhere."
"And how do you know this?" Judy asked.
"If I told you the truth you would probably lock me up in an insane asylum."
"Humor me." Judy continued with the interrogation.
"Where is my watch?"
"It is, and probably will remain in our possession."
"Well that watch is the key to reason I am here right now."
"No it isn't" Nick chimed in stepping away from the wall. He took the popsicle stick out of his mouth and tossed it to the side of the room. Dust clinging to the part wet with his saliva and red residue of whatever was on it. Nick continued, "The reason you are here right now is because of what you did to Earnest Tyger. As well as running from and assaulting ZPD officers."
"I have no business with that tiger," Jack commented.
"Figured as much." Nick stated, "Why else would you have knocked him across the room? You can't be working for him."
"But there is the case of why you ran, and then attacked us." Judy added.
"That's simple," Jack answered, "You." He picked up his cuffed paws and pointed with both of his fingers right at Judy.
"Me?" Judy felt she was getting nowhere with this rabbit.
"Yes, well…" Jack bobbed his head back and forth, "Not specifically you Officer Hopps, but another Judy Hopps just like you. One that dreamed of being an officer, yet never did."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the other Judy Hopps from Bunnyburrow, the one that I ruined the life of."
"I don't remember there being another other bunny by the same name in the burrow, neither you Mister Savage."
"Well for one, I was never born in the burrows. Second is the reason I am here Judy. The other Judy doesn't exist here. Neither do I. That is what makes my watch special officers. It brought me here."
Without saying a word Nick moved and tapped on the door. It unlocked allowing him to pass through. Judy stepped down from the chair and walked to the door. Jack smiled, "I told you you'd think I was insane."
The door closed and locked behind them. Jack watched the door, knowing that they would return very soon.
Outside Judy and Nick stood in front of the door. Bogo towered over them as he spoke, "We ran the name Savage and came up with only one hit." He handed a single sheet of paper to Judy. Bogo continued, "Maybe a relative? I don't like this rabbit. Watch yourselves in there."
"Will do chief," Nick assured as they stepped back in.
They resumed their positions. Judy placed the paper on the table and slid it over to Jack. He looked down at the paper, instantly recognizing the name and picture. He spat on the paper, "The bitch still lives."
"Then you know her?" Judy asked.
"I wish I didn't but the bitch is my mother."
"Not possible," Nick countered.
Jack was the confused one this time. Judy explained, "She only has two children, neither of them named Jack. One's a girl."
"That drug addicted bitch sold me off into animal trafficking when I was five just to get enough cash for her fix," Jack spoke with venom. It wasn't the first time he told this story to Nick, his Nick anyway.
"Miss Savage is not a drug addict." Judy tried to correct.
Jack just laughed, "Maybe not this one, but mine is."
"What is with all of this mine and yours you are talking about?" Nick seemed to be losing his patience.
Jack smiled, "That is what I was talking about my watch. If you would kindly bring it in here I can show you exactly what I am talking about."
"How 'bout you talk without it," Judy countered, "Because you know very well that, that weapon will not get anywhere near you."
"It is not a weapon," Jack tried to explain.
Nick would have none of it, "Then explain what happened last night."
Jack sighed, "Yes it can act as a weapon, but I never used it as that against the ZPD. I only used it in self-defense to ensure that I wasn't capture. A whole lot that did for me," Jack brought his arms onto the table and rested his head in his paws.
"What is it?" Judy asked.
"It is called the Nexus. It is a special device that allows one to traverse to other realities."
"Other realities?" Nick asked for clarification.
"This is where I'm going to sound insane."
"I think we're past that point." Judy noted.
Jack paid no heed as he continued, "The Nexus is a device that can channel energy into itself for storage. Large amounts of it. This can be used for various applications. Some of them you saw last night. The others include some combat abilities as well as other defensive ones. The main focus of it is to allow the wearing the ability to break the barrier of one reality to cross over to another." He paused, "Don't believe me if you do. But just one question to leave off on. If you truly don't know of me; then how do I know of you Nicholas Piberius Wilde and Judith Laverne Hopps?"
Judy and Nick exchanged a glance between each other. This was interrupted by a voice being broadcast over an intercom into the room, "Wilde, Hopps, out now!"
Not wasting a second the two officers removed themselves from the room and back into the hall. As they left Jack smugly spoke aloud, "Hi Bogo!"
Judy and Nick exited, as did Bogo from the connecting room behind the false mirror. He looked to the two of them and asked, "You can't interview this guy any longer."
"Why chief?" Judy asked in surprise.
"He knows you two. He's playing games because he knows you. I want someone else to interrogate him."
"You can't be serious," Nick chimed in.
"I am, and the decision is final," Bogo crossed his arms to state that he would not budge from his choice, "I already called Xavier in."
"But this is our case," Judy protested, "You can't take us off of it."
"You are not off the case Hopps. This is still going to be your case. I just want someone else to interrogate. Someone he does not know, hopefully."
"Hopefully?" Nick asked not comforted.
"Hopefully is right," someone addressed the three from behind. Nick and Judy turned to see Officer Xavier, a giant panda. He looked to the bunny and fox, "Hopps, Wilde."
"Xavier," the two said in unison. Xavier looked to Bogo and asked, "He's still in there?"
"He's all yours." Bogo said as he ushered Judy and Nick with him into the false mirror room. Richard was also in there. Judy hopped onto a table near the window so she could look through. Nick took a chair to see. Richards and Bogo remained standing. They looked through the glass window as the door opened and the panda walked in. Jack perked up at the new guest, "Well it would seem that Bogo is playing the switcheroo game with me now." Jack looked to the mirror, "It won't work Bogo. I'm telling the truth. Hopps and Wilde already got it."
Xavier sat in the chair and stared Jack down, "You will talk to me and only me Mister Savage."
"Fine, Xavier." Jack said calmly. Every other mammal present stiffed at the statement of the name. Xavier asked "How do you know my name?"
Jack sighed looking down at his paws. He played with the chain as he spoke, "I went out to coffee once or twice with my Xavier, you look just like him. Except he has a mark just under his right eye."
Jack rubbed the area in question. He looked at Xavier, "There is not an officer in this building I can't name. Clawhauser, Hopps, Wilde, Bogo, McHorn, Lavender, Fuchsia, Evan, Richard, Wolford, Francine, Mable, Fangmeyer, Xavier, Rooks," he paused with a shrug of his shoulders, "Shall I go on?"
"No, that is enough," Xavier composed himself, "Let's continue."
"It's your floor panda," Jack gave a wave of his paw.
"Where did you get the Nexus?" Xavier wasted no time.
"I stole it."
"From whom?"
"A company called Summit Enterprises."
"Never heard of them."
"They probably don't exist here."
"And where do you come from."
"A different Zootopia."
"There is only one Zootopia."
"As did I think before yesterday."
"And what happened yesterday?"
"I stole the Nexus and killed the mammal blackmailing me."
That statement derailed Xavier's spitfire questions. "Killed?"
"Blackmail?" Judy asked the room.
"This guy is creating a laundry list of offenses against him," Nick stated.
Richards threw his two cents in, "But why would he just openly admit it? Murder would surely get him a sentence behind bars."
Bogo shushed the room as Jack spoke, "Yes. He threatened me and those I cared about, so I did the only thing that would stop him. I had plans to stop his boss, but that stopped when I jumped realities."
"And what exactly was this blackmail?"
Jack looked away from the panda and to the window. Judy felt as if he was starring right at her. A shiver crawled down her spine. Jack smiled bigger than he did the entire interrogation. He knew very well what would happen with what he was about to say, but he didn't care at this point. Because he knew how to get himself out of this. If it was true that he didn't exist in this world he was in the clear. He sighed, "The fact that I killed eleven other mammals."
The calm demeanor that Jack had said the statement scared Judy. As did it Richards and Nick. Bogo remained the pillar of stone as he always did. Xavier tried to cover the shock, but it did peak threw, and Jack noticed. Judy didn't like this rabbit one bit. He was a murder, he just confessed to twelve of them as if it was no big deal. Xavier asked, "You do realize that this can be taken as a confession?"
"Yes, yes I do." Jack looked back to Xavier, "But how 'bout I do you another favor and tell you the names of all who I killed."
"Why would you? Nothing would lessen the sentence you would receive."
Jack laughed. The fact he was still calm and happy all while talking about killing made Judy take a step away from the window. Jack spoke, "Because I can bet my life that every one that I name is alive and well."
Everyone gave a puzzled look to the rabbit's contradictory statement. Xavier gave no objection and Jack continued, "My blackmailer never gave me his full name so I sadly can't cross his death off my list. He was an armadillo that gave me the name Hoover, most likely a false name."
Acting quickly Judy took out her carrot pen and a notepad. "Number eleven was a pig by the name of Charlotte Hogstein."
"Ten was a meerkat by the name of Timon King."
"Nine, Daggett Foster, beaver."
"Eight, Robert Spirit, zebra."
"Seven, Peter Quill, porcupine."
"Six, Reginald Button, koala."
"Five, Honey Dugger, honey badger."
"Four, Hugo Greengrass, cheetah."
"Three, David Melman, giraffe."
Jack stopped then. Judy had written down everything he had said, the pen hovered on the page ready to write the last two names. She looked at the rabbit confused as to why he stopped with two more names to go. Bogo had inched closer to the glass as well. Nick was nearly on top of Judy as Jack listed off every mammal he had killed. Jack seemed to space out, almost refusing to say the last two mammals. Tension filled the silent air. Xavier did not want to speak. He felt that if he spoke Jack would not give the last two names. Jack blinked several times before he looked right at the mirror again. His nose began to twitch; it hasn't twitched in so long Jack had no idea it could anymore. His eyes didn't show the confidence he had before. This time they showed fear. He let out a long sigh and looked away, down to the floor. He then spoke, "Stu and Bonnie Hopps."
Judy dropped the pen.
