Something I forgot to mention in the previous chapter. To the one that added me to the Zoodytopia community, thank you so much.

With that out of the way, please enjoy

Disclaimer:

The following is a fan-based fiction. Zootopia and its characters are owned by Disney. The songs I reference here belong to their respective artist as well.


(The song Suspenseful Third Day by Kaeru Underground begins to play)

Chesterization proudly presents

A Zootopia fanfiction

Wild times with Wilde

(Song ends)

Chapter 9: Us against the world

Above a gentle stream that ran through Bunny Borrow, was the hill that housed the Lovers' tree. Its name was a reference to the carvings of loves that would never last on its bark. A trivial piece of information to be honest, but this was the only clear reference point in this quaint little town. If one said, "the tree by the river" everyone would immediately think of the Lovers' tree. That day, someone was standing next to that tree, looking down at the river below. The tufts of black hair on his ears suggested that the animal was a lynx. The fur color also reinforced that. His left hand was behind his back, while his right held on to a gun. The weapon's barrel was two third the length of his forearm. Weapon of such caliber could only be purchased in the deepest corner of the black market, or so the lynx was told.

Nick's foot broke the stillness of a nearby puddle. The sound attracted the predator. He turned around. The feline dressed up in the same fashion as Koslov's minions. The only different is that he had a small chain on his neck, which hooked to a metal thumb drive. He greeted Nick with a smile that tucked below his black sunglasses. "Hey, Nick, did ya miss me?"

Hearing Alex's old voice coming from a radically different animal, Nick could only respond with, "Alex, how did you?"

With his chin up and hand on chest, Alex said, "Find you? Well, not to brag, but, nah, who am I kidding? Of course, I'm bragging. Remember what I've said, giving me your name is a big mistake? Well, I hacked into the ZPD database and wormed my way into the personal information for Lieutenant Judy Hopps's addresses. The rest is pretty obvious." Alex or Harry patted Nick on the shoulder. "You have a pretty rough ride, I'll give you that."

Nick looked down at Alex's other hand. "And is that a gun?"

Alex flashed the gun at him, "Calm down, Nick. Nobody uses gun guns anymore. It's just a tranquilizer gun, which could pierce the skin of a rhino and take down an elephant." He made a "no" gesture with the gun. "Completely non-lethal. I may have taken many rolls, but a killer is not one of them." He wedged the gun onto his belt. The lynx continued with a more serious tone, "Nick, Koslov has been all over my frequency the past few days. You shouldn't have pissed him off."

Nick rubbed his side. "Yeah, I can see why."

"But luckily, I convinced him to keep the offer up. Took me a butt load of time. Have to run back and forth and do a bunch of favors. You can see me on the news, well not Harry me but Alex me, you get the point."

Nick crossed his arms, "So you are his goons now, huh?"

Alex responded with the same calmed, calculated tone, "Nahhhh, our alliance is strictly professional and business base. I help him and in return, he gives me a couple of fake records and forged paperwork. Those things need connections and Koslov has all of them. That's why I have to be his little "spoke-cat" at the prison and the public face for a while. I need to appear fully commit in order for him to help me. But worry not, after his little "battle"; I'm sure he won't be alive to bother us."

"Fake records? Battle? What are you talking about?"

Alex started to speed up his speech, "It doesn't matter, Nick. I'm not here for chit chat. I got a perfect way out for us, including the gang. You have probably seen the news; everything is pretty much screwed in every way imaginable. With everyone picking sides, it is best for us to choose none of them." Alex reached for his back pocket and pulled out a foreign ID card. "You might not believe this, but Koslov got us some new identities. And with the money I have "accumulated", the gang and we are going somewhere warm and predators-friendly. Then we'll build a new life for ourselves. Thinking about it, with our abilities, we are going to get a booming business, anywhere in this world. Just let Zootopia deals with its crap."

Nick shook his head in disbelief, and Alex responded with, "I know what you are about to say. The gang told me about your inspiring speech. Nick, as nice as those words may sound; it's not going to work." He put his ID back, and continued, "Koslov is doing something utterly insane. He thought his band of gung-ho predators are going to turn everything around, which is just delusional and simply suicidal. He may have the muscle to wrestle with ten bears, but he cannot flex with a broken system. Zootopia as its current state is beyond repair. Don't be like him Nick. You may have the truth, but you don't have the power. The power to make it known and change the scheme of things. Hell, even if the city hears you, it won't change anything. Everything would just return to the same stage 6 months ago, which is still crappy if you ask me. Also, with Koslov is about to ruin the reputation for all predators. Who is going to believe you?"

Nick was about to protest. The lynx wagged a finger in front of Nick's face and said, "Ah, ah, ah, hear me out, hear me out." He looked straight at Nick. "Don't stay. The gang won't leave without you. If you don't think for yourself, think of them and their safety. And if you don't get out quick, then it would be too late for you and all of them."

"Alex, I just"

Alex did not let up, "Nick, stop. Prey and Predators. I don't care who's right or wrong, win or lose. Partake in such conflict, means you are asking to be hurt. When they told you to pick a side, choose neither and create your own path. In this case, I have already made one, thanks to grit, determination, a dubious amount of coffee and something Koslov gave me." Alex quickly wiped his nose. He continued with the same speed. "We can make a bigger, better Wild Times, and most important of all, legal." Alex opened up his arms. "So Nick, what do you say, will you do it for us? Your gang? Ha? Right?" Alex smiled.

"Are you done?"

Alex's eyes wandered in all direction. "Yeah, I am, but I'm asking you."

Nick rubbed his hair. After a deep breath, he said, "Okay, let me get this straight. You essentially helped a mad mammal preparing a revolt that you know would fail and cause hundreds, no thousands of predators to be harmed. And in respond to that, you run away and live in safety?"

He moved his index finger from invisible point A to invisible point B. "I'm running away and help my friends live in safety, big different."

"I just have one question. Why?"

"It's perfect, we get rid of Koslov forever, he helped us out before he expired, and we safe they are not, what's wrong with that?"

Nick pinned his finger on Alex's white suit, "YOU, ARE WILLING TO LET THOUSANDS OF PREDATORS, CHILDREN INCLUDED, SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES, FOR YOUR OWN GAIN?" Nick paused to give his voice a rest. "I know you are dressing up like Koslov's goons, but, when did you become him?"

"Ew, that's a strong and unnecessary analogy. Without me, Koslov would do the revolt anyway; might as well get it over with sooner. So others can adapt quicker." Alex rubbed his ear. "Also, you don't have to scream. You are making a scene. Yes, I admit, it sucks, but listen." At that response, Nick grabbed his forehead, his two fingers squeezed on the temples. "Nick. Someone, somewhere in this world, is scared, angry and miserable. You can't worry about them all. The best that you could do: IS LOOKING OUT FOR THOSE CLOSEST TO YOU." Alex straightened out the chain on his neck as if it was his tie. "Hehe, see, I can do the screaming game too."

"Alex, that is not the point, yes I care about my friends' safety but did you think, think for one solid second. Instead of creating a convoluted plan which makes everything worse. Have you tried fixing the underline problem?"

Alex looked up at the sky as if asking, "What else do you want from me?" He said in a condescending tone, "Yes, I know. You thought I didn't see? The whole shock collar policy." His tone shifted to normal, "Seriously, whoever decided that shock collars are a good idea for a city of mix species is beyond stupid. I mean dumb beyond believe. If the scale of stupidity was the height of Mount Everest, then the guy who came up with that should be in space, two meters away from the Sun." Alex took a deep breath; he regained his composure. "But, I can't change that, you can't change that, Koslov can't change that, even the Mayor can't change that. The freaking policy is part of Zootopia. Its roots are so freaking deep that I could see it sticking out from the other side of the Earth. Unless there is some omnipotent being that removes those out of existence and out of the minds of all the prey, the collars are here to stay for generations to come." His tone shifted back to the slow pace at the start of the conversation. "It's not about the animal being dicks or not listening or whatever. They are, no, we all are just following a rigid and broken machine. If you are sick of it, get out of it; it would make your life so much easier. If you go against it, it would be just us against the world, and that's a battle we can never win. "

"Who give you the right to be this, all knowing, all rational voice that decides what is the right thing to do?"

Alex pointed down, "Yes, I'm not God. And look, I just want to create the best scenario for my friends, my family, okay? And when all of them have decided to jump off a cliff along with thousands of others, I must do something." Alex sighed before reached into his other pocket. "You are obviously tired and hurt, so your judgment might be impaired. So, I'll give you some time to think this over." He pulled out the flip phone that he had been working on the past few months. "My offer expired in 24 hours, the same time that this phone's battery will be depleted. I know. Flip phones are freaking amazing. This thing is virtually off the grid and cannot be tracked. Call me, when you change your mind. Alternatively, if you decided to stay, and so will the gang, then I respect your decisions and bid you farewell. Please take it, and reconsider." Alex put the device into Nick's palm and closed his fingers.

The lynx started walking down from the hill, approaching a limo parked nearby.

Nick asked, "What about Judy?"

Alex turned around. He pointed somewhere, "What about her? Nick, she is with them. "Them" Nick. Their ancestors created and benefited from the system. You know. The thing that you want to rally against."

"She is different, she helped me, she trusted me and she saved my life. I can't just leave her behind."

Alex rolled his eyes, "Nick, she probably doesn't care for you that much. She ratted us out and got a promotion out of it. During your time in the big house, she and her friends harassed us. She almost got Koslov to ice you. Also, if she truly cares about you, that collar would not be on your neck." Nick was about to talked back, but the last line made him hesitate. "Do you know why?" Alex changed his voice to sound like a horror show narrator. "Because turning it off means her family is exposed to a dangerous beast that would devour all the children. She doesn't trust you enough to scarify that comforting restraint on you. She helps you because it makes her feel good. Something to make her feel oh so bloody righteous. She wants to be a crusade, a paragon of justice. She would help you, as long as it is convenient to her. Remove the conveniences, and she will become just like them." Alex took a deep breath. "Holy crap that was a mouthful. Anyway, if they don't scarify their comfort for us, why should we? Why should we get this pain on our necks, just to make them feel a little better? Why would you let her be a factor in your decision?" He said the last few sentences through his teeth. Then, he just made a self-satisfied smirk, "Oh, and the bunny, she probably keeping you as a novelty, almost like a pet. Trust me I've been there. Or, she could have some kind of fetish for foxes. I don't know. I heard bunnies are really good at multiplying if you know what I"

Alex did not know what happened. He just saw a blur coming toward him then heard a crunchy sound. Not the crunchy sound coming from potato chips, but broken plastic. His face felt nothing for a split moment. Suddenly, he was on the ground. His face fell to the puddle from before. The cold rainwater made the right side of face burned with a tingling sensation. The world around him was no longer obscured by a dark black tint. Instead, it appeared extremely blurry. Alex quickly got up, frantically searched for his prescription sunglasses. His hand found a small chunk of plastic. Realized what had happened, he dropped the piece of broken glass down. Alex quick wiped his face with his sleeve; blood and smears of gray paint appeared on the white fabric. He was about to say, "That was an inconvenient spot for a puddle." Nevertheless, Nick's voice stopped him.

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HER! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?"

Alex held on to the right side of his face and looked at Nick. The cat was stunned, but not from the punch. Alex, without a hint of sarcasm and filled with remorse, said, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Haven't slept and constantly on the run the past few days is starting to make me a lot more cynical." Alex then got himself up. It was then that Nick could see the bald spots under Alex's eyes. "Okay, this is going nowhere." He put some pressure on his face, keeping the blood from oozing out. "Argh. Just give me a call if you change your mind." Alex then waddled his steps to the limo. After some frisking, he found the handle. Alex turned around and said, "I do not wish to say any of those words, Nick. I truly am. But the situation just doesn't give me a lot of options." He opened the door. "Oh yeah, I forgot, this is something from Koslov. He said, If Lieutenant Hopps ever thinking about telling the cops about his attack, he and his mammals shall remind the Hopps household the original role of predators." He got in. "Goodbye Nick, or is this see you again?" He slammed the door.

Nick watched as the limo headed back to Zootopia. His right hand started to feel numb. He looked at it and saw a long cut stretched from one of his knuckles to his index finger. He looked up at the gloomy sky. His lungs squeezed out all the air for one powerful scream. "AGHHHHHHHHHHHH". The collar shocked him, telling him to be quiet. He did not listen. After he could no longer make a sound and his head started to spin, Nick let his own body crash to the ground. His lungs replenished air at a rapid pace; his back and chest hurt after each short breath. He rolled once, got his hand and knees to touch the ground. He started punching the ground with his hurt hand. The impacts sent immeasurable pain straight to his mind. His teeth bit down hard as if to trap screams inside. The collar shocked him constantly, but he kept on punching the dirt. He wanted to punch it until his pain receptors overloaded. Only then, he would not feel anything anymore. As the collar about to let out the more powerful shocks, a warm hand grabbed him by the wrist.

Judy said. "Nick stop! You are hurting yourself!"

He shook and pushed her to the side. He looked at her, with the face that mirrored his savage state. "JUST LET ME BE!" Judy was horrified at the sight. Nick continued punching the ground, the blood on his hand glued the dirt to his skin. Tears leaked from the corner of his eyes.

Judy felt that stinging pain on her cheek again. However, instead of letting it linger in her head, she calmed herself. She said in the tone that Nick woke up to, "Nick, listen to me. Please, stop. "

Nick slowed down his punches. He shut his eyes tight, trying to keep everything inside. He let out two final punches before Judy gently held his wrist. "Come on, let's get you back inside. Get that wound treated."

Later, they were back at the Hopps resident. Judy took Nick to a room underneath the attic. There was only one bed there. "This is my room." She said.

Nick looked around. He said in a lifeless tone, "Yeah, looks pretty neat." He looked down. Brown footprints and droplets of blood were leading from the door to the rug. "Sorry." He said.

"It's okay. I have to clean my room at some point anyway. I'll go get the bandages; you just sit on the bed for a while." The fox followed her suggestion. He sat down on the soft bed looked at Judy's closet. Her uniform, along with the badge were there. He looked away from them, mumbled something to himself.

Judy backed; a small bag was in her hand. She sat down on the rug. The bunny took out the antiseptic and some cotton. She kept silent during the cleaning process. Nick did the same, by biting down his lip. He only winced when she started rubbing on the swelled up tissues. "Okay, so far so good." She said after all the dirt had gone. She then reached into the back and took out a roll of bandage. She put a small chunk of cotton on his wound then started wrapping the bandage around his hand.

Nick tilted his head slightly. "Judy, I appreciate the help, but you are doing it wrong."

"Huh?"

"Here, let me show you." She handed the bandage to him. Nick the retraced the wraps she had done. "Okay, would you hold it in place for me?" Judy put her finger on one end of the bandage. "Thanks." He started to wrap it. "Here is how it's done. Instead of just rolling it repeatedly on the side like that, you do these diagonal crosses. I still need to use this hand you know."

She scratched the back of her head, "I didn't know that. Where did you learn this anyway?"

Nick's eye shifted to his left, "Um, I used to, well, I tried to be a boy scout when I was a little kid. You are bound to pick this up if you want to join." He then did one last wrap before pinning the bandage in place.

"Tried to?" He stopped everything for a moment. Judy noticed the sad look on his face. She said, "Sorry if I ask the wrong question."

"No, it's fine. Just manage your expectation. This is not as dramatic as those soap opera." He chuckled, but Judy did not. Nick looked up. "When I was a kid, I always want to be a Junior Ranger boy scout. It's not about the title, it's more of a sign or proof of fitting in. Since I was an outsider, being in a group means something big for me as a kid." He smiled, but not from joy. He smiled because he just noticed how ironic the situation was. "And just when I thought I could be the first fox and predator to join in, things just did not turn out the way I had hoped it to be. The "initiation" was just a trap." Nick looked out through the small window, while Judy looked up at him. She started to recall a memory. "The kids, they beat me, pinned me down, they ridiculed, laughed at me, and as the final insult, they muzzled me. "Judy's hand was covering her mouth at that point. "They told me that I just a vile and untrustworthy fox. That's why I could never be a boy scout." Judy put her hand on his left hand. He did not pull away, instead, he continued, "My dad, he heard the story, and well, couldn't do much about it." Nick sighed. "At the same time, He didn't want me to, to grow up becoming my uncle."

"What's wrong with him?"

"The guy was an outcast and a con artist, lived day by day on the street, going nowhere, and died alone as "a shifty fox"." Nick felt his face heating up. "My dad tried to share his dream with me, it did not work out too well, but it will have to do." He stopped before he became the crybaby again. He took notice of the warmth in his hand. Seeing her hand as the source made his wrist go numb. His body told him to pull back, but he wanted to keep it that way. He looked at Judy. Her ears had drooped down, but her face said, "I understand and I feel your pain". He turned his hand and held hers. "I just remembered something. After all that mess, he took me to Bunny Burrow. The old man told me to make some friends during the summer. Well, I did make a friend in Bunny Burrow. But why stop there?" He caressed her scared cheek with his wounded hand. The gentle touch sooth the pain she had felt for so long.

Nick suddenly remembered something. He wanted to proceed, but he could not. His hand left her cheek. "Maybe after all this chaos, we would have the chance to see how far we can go, together."

Judy looked slightly disappointed, but she gave him a small smile and a nod. "Sure", she said. She retracted her hand and stood up. "No, just stay there. I have something special to give you." She headed for her closet

Nick sat still and said in a confused tone, "Ehhh, what?"

"Just close your eyes and wait."

Nick looked around, he whispered, "Eh, Judy. Now is not the time for that. My back still hurts."

"No, you don't have to do anything, just sit still. It's a surprise."

Nick's collar let out a slight shock. "Argh. What the hell is wrong with this thing?"

She turned around; she frowned at a thought. "What runs through that mind of yours?" She paused then said, "Oh because I'm a rabbit, isn't it?"

Nick looked around, "Yes. Ow." The collar shocked him again.

"Hey, you're the one that told me to wait it out. No, it's nothing like what you're thinking. Close your eyes."

"Yes, madam." He saluted then shut his eyes.

Nick heard some random clicking sound. He tried his best to keep his mind as clear as possible. He was failing in that department. He bit down, expected a shock, but alas, there were none. "You can open your eyes now." He saw Judy stood in front of him, in her hand was his collar. "Now you are free to express any feeling you want. Don't want to see you get hurt over something so natural."

Nick moved forward and gave her a tight hug. In his embrace, Judy said, "C'mon, are you crying? You foxes are so emotional."

"Thank you, truly, thank you." That was all he could say.

"What do you thank me for? It's what I should have done in the first place." As he held her tight, "Judy started shedding tears as well. "I, I, I'm sorry. I was too close-minded to see you suffering. The things I have done. How I just blindly follow orders without seeing it. To that, I don't know what else to say but sorry." She sniffled. "I shouldn't have done any of it."

He gently stroked her ears. "It's okay, it's over now. I forgive you. You just did what you thought was right. It's okay."

Both hear footsteps outside of Judy's room. Instances later, Judy's parents entered the room. Her dad said, "Judy what's wrong, we heard, a noise." They looked at Judy and Nick, standing side by side. It was fortunate that both had wiped their tears beforehand. With her eyes still somewhat bloodshot, Judy said, "Heyyy, welcome back, guys. Return so soon?"

Her mother said, "Judy, why is there a fox in your room?"

Her father whispered, "Honey, get me the thing."

Judy continued, "He's harmless, dad. He has been around the kids all morning and everyone is fine."

Her mother covered her mouth with her hands, "Oh my gosh! He had been here that long?"

With her hand on hip, Judy said, "It's fine, Mom, see. Nick, these are my parents. Say something."

Nick waved, "Hi! Ms. and Mr. Hopps. I'm Nick Wilde, Judy's, eh, friend."

Her father said, "Judy, I'm not worrying about that. Why is he standing in your bedroom shirtless is what I'm more concern about. He's not your boyfriend or something, right?"

Both had a quick look at each other, Judy then guided both her parents out of her room. "Yes, he's just here to help me solve this case. Speaking of which, we really need to get back to investigating. We'll see you guys later."

"Bye, Ms. and Mr. Hopps."

After Judy had returned, Nick asked. "Eh, Judy, this may sound strange, but seriously, where is my shirt?"

After Nick had gotten back in his green shirt, he sat back on the bed while Judy was standing next to her desk. Her hands held a notebook and a carrot shaped pen. "So, what were you and Alex talking about?"

Nick shrugged, "Well, he basically said all of us predators are screwed. Koslov is about to revolt, and he recommended that I should get out of town. He had a whole new life set up for me and the gang. After that, it's just kinda blurry."

She jolted down something, "What about his involvement with Koslov?"

He chuckled, "Heh, you won't believe this, but he faked it on camera. He did that as a favor so Koslov would give him forged paperwork for us all."

"If the forged paperwork is the same quality as the one that fooled Chief Douglas, then I can see why going to extra miles for them."

"Here is the juicy bit. Alex knows the revolt is going to fail. And he is counting on that to get rid of Koslov for him. You were sort of right about him being a dangerous criminal. He did all that, and completely disregard of the negative impacts on other predators' lives."

Judy shook her head, "Times like this, it's hard to tell." She jolted some more lines in. "If he was this urgent the get you out, which means Koslov is ready to strike. We should warn"

Nick shook his head. "The ZPD should not be involved in this. He knows your family's address, chances are Koslov know that as well."

"Pff, I know that. I was thinking along the line of Mayor Bellwether."

Nick tilted his head. "Huh? Why her?"

"The mayor is a huge advocate for living in harmony. Maybe she can make a speech, a plea. She doesn't have to make it, directly address the revolt. She is good with that. She could say something that might change Koslov, or at least, shake the mind of his mammals. They may be angry, but deep down they are still capable of listening to reasons, right? Maybe the mayor can convince them. She tried so hard to get everyone to calm down and work things out. Heck, with you, collarless and not harming anyone so far, we could have proof for her; showing that it was not the lack of collar that caused all this, savage attacks."

Nick pondered, "Too many "maybe" in there, but that's the only one we got. Wait, do you think that we need something to convince the mayor about Koslov's revolt."

She responded with a smug face. "Well, during my time in the comfy hat, I got this little recording of Koslov "call to arms"." She spun her pen.

"Where?"

"In this" She pressed a button on her pen twice. Koslov's trademark tank-shell accent came through the tiny speaker. It was playing Nick's conversation with him a few days ago. She then turned it off. "never leaves home without it"

Nick chuckled, "That's pretty neat. Where did you buy it? I want one of those." He then recalled something. "What about the one that framed me? What if it is not Koslov, but someone else?"

"I know, but we have to stop what he tried to create first, and that is the conflict. We know that as a fact."

Nick nodded. "Understood", He felt the bump in his pant pocket. He took out the flip phone that Alex had given him. "Eh, Judy, what happen in the next 24 hours?"

Later, after some internet searches, Nick and Judy were looking down at Judy's phone.

He said, "Animalia at the Zootennial Stadium."

Judy continued, "A 24 hours extravaganza hosted by Zootopia's megastar Gazelle. It will feature her along with hundreds of performing artists. All will perform together to promote one message, harmony. A chance for all animals; both prey and predators to reunite with under one universal language, art."

"Look like someone doesn't want this to happen."

Judy scrolled down, "Here it said Gazelle agreed to let all of her backup dancer collar-free so they could perform with all of their passion."

"Sound like the perfect opportunity for Koslov."

Judy immediately shut off her phone. "We have to get back to Zootopia fast." She then headed for her uniform. "Nick, get to the truck outside, I'll be with you shortly."

"No argument there."

A few hours later, they were on the way back to Zootopia in Mr. Hopps pickup truck. Nick asked, "Do you know how to get to the mayor? It won't be in work hour the moment we get there."

"Of course, I know how to get to her." She turned to a lane that would lead her to the Oasis of Zootopia.

A few minutes later, they were at the Palm Tree hotel's guest parking lot. Nick got out of the car. His head struggled to see the top of the luxurious building. He said, "Don't tell me that the mayor live up there."

"Uh huh. C'mon let get inside. Animalia is about to begin."

Both then exited the parking lot. Nick suddenly stopped Judy. "Wait" He quickly took her behind a car. The fox ducked down.

Judy said, "What's wrong?"

Nick had a peek. He pointed forward. "That's the wolf."

Judy reached her head above the car. A wolf in a trench coat and fedora was in her view. The predator was carrying a large black suitcase as he entered the hotel. "Are you sure?" Judy said.

"Absolutely."

Both kept their posture low and swiftly entered the building. As they were inside, they kept a long distance away from the wolf. The predator approached the elevator; summoned it with a button press. Nick and Judy sprinted and hid behind a pillar before he could look around. The elevator came and he stepped in. After the door had shut, Judy and Nick ran toward the elevator. A look at the monitor from above told them the wolf had stopped at the top floor.

Judy whispered, "That's where the mayor is."

Nick repeatedly pressed the call button. The elevator came back shortly after. They entered and immediately closed the door. Judy searched for the top floor number, but could not find the corresponding button. "Where is the button?" She said as her finger was trying to search for a place to push. She noticed a scanner nearby. "Keycard? Darn it!"

Nick pulled out the universal keycard that he had made in prison. He pressed the side without electronic parts attached, to the scanner. The light on the electronic parts lit up. After a few second, the elevator scanner light turned green. "He wasn't kidding. This thing is universal." A Bing sound was heard and the elevator lifted them to the top floor. "Okay, we got to stop him before he harms the mayor," Nick said.

"Wait, if you need a key card to reach her. Then how did he get it?"

Shortly after, the elevator opened its door. The two of them ran out and took cover behind a large potted plant. Nick looked above the pot while Judy peered from the side. They saw the wolf gently knocking on one of the doors in the distance. The door swung open, and the wolf just casually stepped inside. Judy and Nick stay close to the wall and ran toward the room he had just entered. Judy looked up. The room number was the same as the one on the mayor's PO Box. Judy did not know what to make of that. She looked at Nick, who was equally confused.

"I got an idea," Nick said, before heading toward a nearby vent. Nick opened his hand. "You got a coin with you, Judy?"

"Well I do, but you can use this." She pulled from her belt the machine screwdriver that she had confiscated from Nick's wet trench coat.

He took the screwdriver and quickly opened the vent. They climbed inside; slowly crawled to avoid making noise. They worked their way up and around. Soon, they found an opening to the Mayor's suite. They looked through the grid metal net and had a look into the "high life". The suite came with a large curve window that gave the major a perfect view of the city. In the distance, a collection of diagonal pillars of light could be seen sprouted from Animalia. Traced one's eyes to the suite and one would find a large luxurious desk. On top of it were the city map and images of random mugshots. The room was big enough to house that desk along with a huge cube lab tent and a humongous bed. Yet there was still plenty of space for furniture and handcrafted rug. On one of the couch sat a male sheep. He was sipping what look like red wine. The couch next to him laid the shame trench coat that the wolf was wearing, along with a handful of accessories. One of those looked like a fake snout and teeth. On the floor, next to that sofa, was an opened briefcase. Inside laid a folded up sniper rifle with a clear cartridge. Nick could see it contained four crystal darts with blue liquid.

The mayor exited the bathroom. She was still wearing her usual attire. "Why are you still here Woolly? You are supposed to get ready." Her word addressed the sheep on the couch.

The other sheep finished his drink. "Dawn, Dawn, I have been a sniper wayyyyy before your plan was conceived. I don't need to "get ready". All I have to do is get there, climb a bit, prep my gun, and bam, all done. The concert doesn't go anywhere until tomorrow, so why rush?"

"We have to prepare for unforeseen delays. Remember, you lost one of your rifles to Koslov's mammal."

"Hey, that guy is pretty good. And stop reminding me of that."

She approached the window; started gazing at the stadium. With her hand behind her back, she said, "Just, get to the stadium, and leave me alone."

Wooly slapped the armrest on his couch. "Why are trying so hard to get rid of me?"

She turned around. Her face was stern and cold. A far cry from her usual manners. "I can't let anyone, argh, never mind. Just forget it." She looked back at the window again.

"No one is seeing us here, so why do you need to hide? Why must everything be a secret to you? Your dream, your plans, our relationship. Why is"

She turned around once more. This time, her finger pointed at him. "Wooly, shut up." The other sheep went quiet. She continued with a mischievous smile. "Don't you forget. I'm the one who supposed in to do the complaining in this relationship."

"But but,"

She wagged her finger, "Ah, ah, ah, I believe the words you are looking for are "Yes dear"."

Wooly sighed. "Yes, dear."

"Don't worry, this whole ordeal will be over soon. I got it all planned out. Now, what are you going to do?"

"Getting ready." He stood up from the couch and headed for the trench coat. He put on several belts to keep his wool tight. That made him appeared slimmer. He wore the trench coat and locked the waist belt tight. He then stuck the fake snout and teeth, along with the accessories onto his head. He finished the job with a wide brim fedora. And so, Woolly the sheep became the wolf that framed Nick and possibly other predators. He closed the suitcase and start carrying it out to the door.

The mayor picked up a gun in her drawer and headed out to the door as well. "You know what? I'll go with you this time, for emotional support. Also I wanna see how everything would collapse. But remember, no eye contact after we exit the elevator. And stay far away from me afterward." Bellwether then turned off the light in her suite and closed the door.

Up at the vent, Nick looked at Judy, who had just finished sending something on her phone. Alex's words came back to haunt him, "just us against the world, and that's a battle we can never win." With the mayor could not be further away from being the best option they got, Nick asked. "What are we going to do now, Judy?"

"What else? We have to stop them." She said before shoving the phone into her pocket.


Author note:

Thank you so much for reading. If you enjoyed what you have just read and wished to see more, please follow or leave a review. They would give me the motivation to write more for everyone. All feedbacks will be appreciated. If you find anything lacking or flawed in my story (grammar, word use, etc.), please tell me in the reviews as well. I shall do my best to update these chapters sooner and make them more polished. This is one of my first stories so please forgive possible mistakes in the future and help me fix them.

Thanks again and have a pleasant day.