Change starts with You
by Winerp
Extra credit goes to Euphonemes who is now helping me by Beta Reading these chapters. He's being extremely helpful in this learning experience for me and his own fic Run definitely deserves a careful read.
Chapter 6 – IFF Pt 2
IFF = Identification Friend or Foe, technique which, with the proper equipment allows identification of a target as friendly but not as hostile. If the system gets a valid response from the target it can be confirmed as friendly, but an invalid or non-existent reply does NOT positively confirm it as hostile.
Getting on the elevator, Nick watched as Gordon swiped his ZPD identification badge on the reader next to the number pad and pressed the floor button. Only this time, the fox found himself at a loss as to where he was going. A first since stepping into Precinct 12.
Precinct 1 had three floors above ground and another two below it, but the Deputy Chief had just pressed a button labelled '-3'… This particular precinct had an extra floor. And by the look Judy was giving the number pad, she had noticed it too.
"Um… Sir? Where are we going?"
"The armoury." Gordon replied naturally. Only when he saw her tilted head and quizzical expression did he realize what the bunny had meant. "Oh right, you have the armoury on the second floor below ground…"
As the elevator slowed down the beaver turned towards the doors and, with a glint in his eyes and a smile Nick could only describe as prideful, he explained. "I said we had to resort to less than standard tactics down here, but, we soon found out tactics and skills alone weren't enough for the Nocturnal District."
The elevator came to a full stop and with a 'ding' the doors began to open. "So we had to develop our own specialized tools and equipment to support our officers. And we did so, in here."
As the doors fully slid aside and revealed the mysterious floor, Nick was expecting to be blown away by a space age lab, full of mammals in lab coats working on all sorts of ridiculous gadgets and gear. Instead, the trio was presented with a small waiting room and two regular looking doors. Had they not had to enter the precinct to get there, Nick was pretty sure he'd think he was in a small business' office downtown. Apart from the bland, apparently price-tag driven decoration of the room, there was even a fake potted plant between the doors to complete the set!
There was something off though… not only was the room monitored through a small dome-shaped camera above them, the hinges on the doors were much bigger and tougher than one would expect from flimsy office doors.
And then there were the signs above each of them… The right one read 'Armoury', which is where Gordon was leading them, but the left said 'SkunkWorks'. He assumed that would be the actual workshop where they worked on the tech required for Gordon's 'nonstandard tactics', though as for the name, he had no clue.
The beaver did at least clear one of his doubts, while he exited the elevator and made his way to the rightmost door. "While I am going to provide you with some of our equipment given the, peculiar, situation you're in, I'm afraid the lab itself is still off limits.
"Should you require technical assistance, you'll have to use me as a middle man for it, as we still want to keep the most secrecy possible regarding the projects we have ongoing."
Just as he was about to reach the door, Gordon suddenly stopped and turned on a dime, catching both younger officers off-guard with an unexpectedly serious gaze. "Is that understood, officers?"
Both fox and bunny reeled back slightly from the sudden move, but quickly recovered and vehemently nodded to assure the Deputy Chief of their intentions. Nodding slightly himself, the beaver relaxed, seemingly satisfied with the reaction, and went back to the door that now stood before them.
This time, there was no card reader, just a good old fashioned lock. The key to which, both Nick and Judy found, was attached to a chain Gordon removed from around his neck.
Inserting the key and turning the bolt, a large mechanical clunk was heard and the door retreated slightly into the space that it guarded. At that, the beaver returned his chain and key to his neck and gently pushed; the door slid open.
As they all passed through the threshold, Nick noticed – with considerable awe – how the door frame was as thick as one of his old pawpsickles would have been long. That and the large bore drill holes in it, where the heavy duty locks would go in no doubt.
That first surprise was soon overshadowed by what that brute of a door actually guarded. This time though, Nick couldn't help but let out a low whistle in admiration of the sight that stood before him. He also noticed Judy's nose give a barely noticeable nervous twitch and her eyes shoot open, so it was safe to say the bunny was very much as astonished as him.
Before them stood a space just as large if not larger than Precinct 1's own entrance lobby, filled to the brim with racks, shelves and lockers containing every piece of equipment Nick and Judy could dream of, and plenty more they had no clue even existed.
Radios, cameras, microphones, listening devices, PDAs, body armour, tranq guns, tazers, you name it. It was all there, and in multiple variations each. They even kept a small reserve of gear meant for larger mammals, even though nothing bigger than a wolf worked in the 12th Precinct. Probably for liaison officers, Nick thought.
They were brought back from their tech induced haze when Gordon coughed slightly, clearly wanting their undivided attention. When Nick and Judy obliged, he beckoned them to follow as he started down a row of shelves with radios and other assorted communication devices.
"Officer Wilde, please bring one of the duffle bags here with you, you'll be carrying more than can fit in your pockets." The beaver said pointing at a rack of them at the start of the corridor.
"Since you'll probably have to communicate more discreetly than usual, regular radios won't do." He picked up a couple of small bottle cap looking objects. "These earpieces use the same network as the ZPD, but, unless you decide otherwise, they can also communicate just with each other. That way you'll be able to talk in private and, should the need arise, you'll also be able to use them as regular police radios."
Handing them over to Judy, the beaver turned back to the shelf to get something else. She took them gingerly, giving them a curious glance before once again looking to Gordon, who was now holding a pair of cell phone looking devices.
"Those earpieces also possess a unique GPS tracker, which can only be picked up by these." He waved the gadgets in his hand. "Once you get back, you'll just have to synchronize each one of these GPS receivers with one of the earpieces. While I hope you won't need to rely on these to find each other, better to be safe than sorry."
He once again gave the devices to Judy, who this time had a question for the Deputy Chief.
"Sir? While we appreciate this, we… really don't know how to use these."
Clicking his tongue while shaking his head a little, Gordon replied. "Ah yes, the instructions. They're by the Armoury's entrance, we'll grab them on our way out."
Nodding in agreement, Judy handed the earpieces and receivers to Nick, who, after eyeing them over himself, stored them in one of the smaller pouches of the bag.
Meanwhile, Gordon had already moved ahead and was now browsing a selection of microphones. Following in his steps, they reached him just as he was grabbing one attached to a long cord full of hoops.
"Now, Bogo told me how you two teased Bellwether into monologuing her plans and managed to record them with that pen." He pointed at Judy's carrot pen, which was hanging next to the note pad on her utility belt.
Nick could see her instinctively look at it while a small smile formed on her lips. She had been quite proud of that hustle. Not to say he wasn't, but having to fake going savage and potentially hurting her for real was not his greatest memory. Not to mention they had taken a big risk in assuming the sheep wouldn't double check her ammo… The gun only had the one pellet at the time, and since Doug had been left behind in the subway they doubted the sheep could have procured any more in the meantime. They also found it unlikely she carried any herself, given all the conditions Doug had to meet to produce and maintain them. But these were Nighthowlers they were talking about, and any doubt, no matter how small was a potentially fatal one.
"Well this isn't shiny and orange, nor can it write, but it'll be your best friend when it comes to getting compromising recordings."
This time he handed it to Nick, while adding "Though it's been specifically designed with animals like you in mind, Officer Wilde."
Before Nick could dwell too much on that last comment, Gordon cleared any possible confusion. "Animals with long and bushy tails. Don't worry, the manual I'll give you explains everything."
While Nick's tail did instinctively twitch, he put the microphone in the bag without hesitation. Judy might love her pen, but he'd need something a little less, carroty, to carry around possibly corrupt cops.
Turning back towards the shelves, Gordon grabbed a neatly packed cardboard box from a stack and proceeded to present it to the officers before him, opening the lid and revealing its contents.
Inside Nick and Judy saw a number of mint box sized black objects, each one having half of their top side covered in a fine mesh, with a small button on the other half. "Speaking of getting compromising recordings, you won't always be present during important gatherings or meetings, but if you leave one of these behind you'll be able to know exactly what went on there."
Both Nick and Judy were now looking attentively at said devices. By their size and the box's the fox would venture to guess Gordon was giving them a dozen or so recorders.
"Their underside is coated with a fast acting adhesive, so they can be left hanging under a desk, on a wall or ceiling, or you can just drop them on a table or into a trash can. Once active they can record for 24 hours straight or until they're deactivated, so you can leave them at a location beforehand and after whatever went on there is finished you can collect them."
Closing the box, the beaver gave it to Nick, who, as with the other items, stored it gently in his bag.
"Now, there's one last piece of gear I want to give you, and it's arguably the most important of all." Gordon turned around and walked to the end of the corridor, turning right to enter the one next to it.
Following the beaver, Nick and Judy turned the corner and came to a sudden halt when they were presented with racks after racks of riot gear and other protective garments.
This was going to be an intelligence gathering mission, they weren't supposed to be getting into any scuffles… Then again, Nick thought, with who we're going to be dealing with, I guess no precaution is too much.
Gordon had come to a halt in front of a series of coat hangers holding differently sized white vests, and seemed to be looking through their sizes.
"As you know, firearms are heavily restricted in Zootopia, and the ZPD are all but the only ones with legal access." Having found the models he was looking for, the beaver turned to them and Nick finally saw the grave and concerned expression now tainting his image.
"Even within the ZPD only a handful of select officers actually use them with any regularity – and only in the direst of situations. However, given that the ZPD is the threat in this case… even if none of those gun-toting officers is dirty, it'll still be easier for the criminals to get their hands on deadly weapons."
Handing the vests to Nick, he concluded "So you need to be protected. These vests will stop most rounds, and they're easily wearable beneath your regular uniforms, so you won't draw any more attention than usual."
Taking the protective gear and stuffing it into the duffle bag, Nick's mind drifted back to his time at the Academy. All cadets that passed regular training received an extra instruction session before their final exam. That's where they were introduced to firearms and, for most aspiring officers, the first and last time they'd ever handle them. Other than that only the so called 'Armed Officers' of each department had access to them, just as Gordon had said. In reality, firearms would only ever be used if someone else used them first, since their power and range made pretty much any other ZPD standard-issue weapon borderline useless. They were mostly remnants of a more violent chapter of Zootopia's history.
Judy must have noticed his day-dreaming, because he was suddenly brought back to the present by her tugging lightly at his uniform's sleeve. He awoke to find Gordon had already started towards the vault-like door again. "C'mon Nick, looks like we're leaving."
Adjusting the bag on his shoulder, Nick followed Judy's lead as they went after the Deputy Chief. Just as they were catching up, he stopped by a filling cabinet they had both missed next to the exit and from it produced a small notebook.
Turning back towards the two officers, he handed it to Judy, while explaining "Here's a manual I prepared. In here you'll find instructions on how to set up and use the gear you're carrying, together with a few further recommendations regarding your approach to MR."
Taking the book, Judy flipped through a few pages, immediately noticing some rough sketches of the devices in Nick's duffel bag. Her browsing was interrupted by a last suggestion from Gordon. "In fact I'd also jot down whatever clues Lionheart might provide there. That way you'll end up with a sort of field manual."
Nodding in agreement, the rabbit handed the book to her partner who, after adding it to the collection of supplies in his sac, followed them out of the Armoury and into the small waiting room.
At that point, Gordon turned back and securely locked the door behind them, once again making use of his concealed key, which returned the little compartment to its former unassuming bland look.
Stepping back into the elevator, they began their relatively short trip back to the Precinct's ground floor. It was a quiet ride, though just as the machine's ding signalled their arrival, Gordon snapped his fingers "I almost forgot! When you pass through the reception on your way out, please ask Charlie for the case file on the 'Wallet' case. We can't forget to keep your cover…"
#
As they exited the lift, another spike of guilt started jabbing at Judy. Their priority case was much more important than petty thievery, but it still irked her that they were leaving a crime, no matter how insignificant – relatively speaking – unpunished.
Her desire to better the world in any and every way possible had burned bright within her ever since she could remember. And it's not like she had ever been one of those 'do as I say not as I do' types. Once she got set on becoming a police officer, nothing and no one managed to deter her from her path. But even before she could truly act upon that goal and enlist in the Academy, she was already a force for justice to be reckoned with. Her spat with Gideon was but one of the many incidents she managed to get herself into between starting kindergarten and finishing high-school – much to her parents' dismay. And they were all the result of the over-eager bunny either standing up for someone or trying break up disputes. At one point she garnered the nickname 'the constable', which was soon dropped once her colleagues realized she actually liked it.
Once she had practically bulldozed her way through every obstacle and into the ZPD's ranks, her will to serve and protect everyone, everywhere and always, only grew stronger. And even though her clash and then partnership with Nick and his cynicism did slightly tone down that idealism – it was a trade of sorts, she became a bit more realistic, he became less of a pessimist – her personality's foundations had held strong.
Still, she had at least learned to prioritize – after almost losing a suspect once or twice because some passing misdemeanour caught her eye – so, even though she didn't like it, she managed to put aside her thoughts on the pickpocketing spree for the time being. Speaking of which, she still had something to say to Gordon.
"We will Chief, thank you for the reminder. And, um, Sir?"
"Yes Officer?"
"Thank you so much for all the help you've managed to provide to us. I understand not all of this is exactly regular and – " She was suddenly cut off as the beaver raised a paw, while closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
When he opened them again, Judy couldn't help but notice some sort of longing, perhaps nostalgia, mingled with concern. "Officer Hopps, this case is one of the most important of the last decade. It's also one of the most demanding types of assignments. So it's my pleasure… actually, it's my duty to help you in any way I can.
It also doesn't hurt that all this reminds me a bit of the struggles I had to go through when I took over down here. And that, my fellow officer, is something I don't wish upon anyone."
Judy could feel her heart swell. The dangers of the case, her worry for Nick's safety, they all dissipated for the few moments she spent marvelling at someone with a mind-set so like her own.
"We will do our best Chief." Nick's assurance broke the spell and her concerns sprouted again.
Gordon nodded and saluted them. "I'm counting on it officers. Dismissed!"
Returning the salute, the two younger officers turned back and started towards the main lobby.
#
"Ahem."
While Nick's cough did get Charlie's attention when they approached the reception, as soon as the opossum saw them, he found himself almost falling off his chair. Again.
How did this guy become the receptionist down here Judy wondered I mean, Clawhauser can get annoying but he's at least he's chipper and outgoing…
"Hey Charlie, we've just finished up with the Chief, and he told us, to tell you, to get us the 'Wallet' case file." Nick said, putting on his friendliest expression. Really want to speed this up, huh slick?
Clearly still recovering from his daze, the opossum swallowed loudly and coughed. "Oh, uh… yeah! The Chief had me keep it here ready for you." Turning around in his chair he retrieved a file from one of the stacks on the back of the reception and, returning his nervous gaze to the officers before him, presented the documents with a shaky paw.
As he reached for them, Judy could almost see the effort Nick had to put in just to avoid rolling his eyes. "Thanks Charlie! We'll be sure to return these when the case is wrapped up." The fox had already started turning around as he finished. "Well it was nice meeting you, but now we have a thief to catch. Have-a-good-day-bye!"
Saluting her tremendously uncomfortable peer behind the counter and offering him a weak smile, she quickly darted towards the exit, catching up to her partner in a heartbeat. And of course he had already found something to poke her with.
"So, decided to stay behind and learn a bit more about ol'Charlie Carrots?" He teased, smirking but continuing to look ahead.
"Oh shut up. We probably left him dazed for the rest of the morning." She huffed.
#
The walk back to the cruiser was uneventful, both officers having retreated into their own minds.
Nick once again got into the driver's seat and set off into the now-thicker traffic of the Nocturnal District. It was nearing midday, and since the District shared its activity cycle with the surface ones, they also had similar rush hours. Judy found her attention drawn more towards her partner than the still new surroundings.
Nick's usually bulletproof mask behind which he hid all his feelings and emotions had cracked – or rather, shattered – during the talk with Deputy Chief Gordon. And the Nick she had seen then was a fearful, uncertain one. A far cry from the unflappable fox she had known for the last three years. And then he had suddenly gone back to his typical taunts in the blink of an eye. She knew her partner well enough to recognize it as a cover, a backup mask of sorts. Something with which to distract others while he restored his stoicism.
The fact Nick still felt like he needed or that he should try and hide his true self from her did hurt, but at this point Judy was mostly concerned with what she knew was going through his mind. She had been the one to show him it was possible to overcome society's blockades, and she couldn't be prouder of how he'd taken it upon himself to do just that. But the current situation forced him into a torturous dilemma: he could ignore the plight of the ZPD and he'd most likely maintain his image as a changed fox, heck if the MR situation surfaced he'd walk away unscathed given his lack of involvement. However, that safer position would at the same time go against the very image he was trying to protect, and while that would never be known, the trampling of his own ideals would probably eat at him for a very long time. On the other hand, he could act in accordance with his new self and dive head-first into the MR mess, but that would be a one way trip. Once inside, he'd either pull through and keep both his public and personal images – they might even be bolstered a bit – or he'd fail, in which case there were two possible outcomes: being dragged through the dirt of something he had nothing to do with, or ending up six feet under said dirt.
Still, she figured it would be best to leave the matter for the time being. They'd already discussed it thoroughly the day before while at his place. Speaking of his place, she hadn't actually gotten around to asking him about the new picture she'd seen displayed there.
"Hey Nick?"
"Hmm?" He kept his eyes trained on the dimly lit street, but the inquisitive hum and the slight twitch and swivel of his ears assured her he was indeed listening.
"Yesterday I noticed you had put a new picture up on the cupboard."
"Oh? Sorry Carrots, I'm not sure which one you're referring to."
"It showed a pretty unremarkable store front, but the name caught my eye. Suitopia, was it?"
His ears twitched and she could hear his tail swish. "Oh, that… well…" He released a small sigh. "Remember how I said I was once small and emotionally unstable?"
How could I forget? You pretty much saved my career that night… Judy thought while nodding affirmatively.
"When I said that I was referring to how things got to me when I was a kid, and how my perception of the world changed for the cynical. My dad, on the other hand, well he didn't have to pretend things didn't get to him, they just didn't."
OK… now they were sailing into uncharted waters. Nick had opened up more about his past over their time as partners and she'd gotten to know Mrs Wilde quite well, but she'd never brought up the matter of Nick's father. Not because she wasn't curious, but rather out of fear. Nick's life had been such a mess that she feared his missing dad had also been a part of it, and she definitely didn't want to dig up any unpleasant memories for him. She had hoped the fox would eventually open up about it, but wouldn't have held it against him if he didn't.
"He faced the exact same problems and prejudice I did, but he never cracked. He was actually a lot like you in that regard." That last statement was followed by a light chuckle, which brought a warm smile to her own muzzle.
"He eventually managed to learn tailoring and found he had a knack for it. He worked in a few stores for a while – which was when he met my mom – but, since he was a fox, he never stayed in one place for too long. He'd just about settle in, and then something would conveniently go missing or the smallest argument would break out…"
Judy could feel her paws start balling into fists, but she remained silent. She'd seen firsthand the prejudice Nick was referring to. Even after their success with the Nighthowlers it wasn't that uncommon for bystanders to throw the occasional slur at her partner or for victims to twist their muzzles when they learned a fox was handling their case… At least until it got solved, and then most of them became quite apologetic.
"Anyway, he eventually got tired of it and decided to do something about it. He sought to open a tailoring shop where any mammal could go to get fitted, regardless of species, size or gender. He worked together with my mom and a close friend and they managed to save up enough to do it. And it's that store that you saw in the picture. Both the culmination of my father's dream and another reminder – besides you, Carrots – that one can actually overcome stereotypes and prejudice if we remain true to ourselves."
At this point her vision was blurring, though she managed to hold the dam with a sniff. Her smile though, was a warm one. Until then, Judy didn't know what to expect from Nick's father, and sometimes assumed the worst. Finding out he was, in many ways, a mammal just like her and Nick – once he put his troubles behind him – was one of the most comforting revelations she could remember receiving.
However, her smile faltered a bit when a doubt popped up in her head. "What happened to the store?" She actually wanted to know what had happened to Mr Wilde but couldn't bring herself to ask directly. Something must have happened since she knew he was already dead – Mrs Wilde had disclosed that much – and she'd never heard anything about the shop.
She did notice Nick's ears falling flat against his head as he answered. "It did surprisingly well, to be honest. It wasn't overflowing with customers, but the ones they had were loyal ones, and since it was a pretty small store to begin with, that was, for the most part enough… But…"
He took a deep breath before continuing and eventually a grimace settled on his muzzle. "There was a… a fire. I think I was six or maybe seven at the time."
For a couple of seconds Judy's mind went blank, though the rest of her body did a pretty good job of conveying the horror she felt. Her ears drooped like they were made of lead; her eyes grew as wide as dinner plates, with their usual purple shine fading a bit; and both her paws covered her mouth.
When she managed to form words again, she could only ask a question she feared she already knew the answer to. "Was… was anyone inside?"
"…My dad was closing up for the day. He didn't get out in time."
Whatever hope Judy had of lightening the mood by bringing up the photo had long since disappeared, but the shock was very much present.
A lot of things made more sense to her now: why Nick had said his mom had needed to 'scrape together enough money' for the ranger scout's costume – they'd lost everything only a couple of years before – why Nick said he was emotionally unstable – perhaps he wasn't just teasing her, but rather admitting how frail his mind was at the time – and why he never talked about his dad – he'd managed to reach his goal, only to have it snuffed by fate, after overcoming countless hurdles.
"I had actually forgotten about that photo and only found it by accident while I was cleaning my old trunk. I figured I was finally able to have it displayed without insulting my dad's memory… you know, given what I did then and do now…"
"Good timing huh… I put the picture up and now it turns out I have to go back to being a dirtbag." He shot her a grin with that last comment, but Judy swore she could see gleaming trails forming along his eyes and muzzle. Any other time, she would have probably scolded him. Then and there however, she simply moved her paw over his own, both resting on the gear stick.
Whatever happened during this case, one thing was becoming apparent. Nick would change as a result of it. And so would their partnership. As far as how those changes panned out and what they resulted in, she could only hope for the best as their cruiser rolled out of the darkness of the Nocturnal District's access tunnel and into the bright streets of the surface Zootopia.
A/N
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I am so sorry for this hiatus, but a lot of stuff got in the way of this story (including itself to be honest). But it's back!
Now, this was supposed to be IFF's last part, but it was getting too big, so the next chapter will conclude the IFF section.
AN IMPORTANT NOTICE: thank you to Combat Engineer for pointing out a contradiction in the organization and hierarchy of the ZPD in this story. The issue had to do with the role and power of other precinct heads and the existence of a mammal in a position above that of Bogo. With Engineer and Euphoneme's help I've managed to correct the issue without having to mess with the plot's structure (thank God). Basically, Bogo is the Chief of Police over all of Zootopia, while each Precinct has a Deputy Chief in charge. Bogo has operational control over all Precincts and officers, but has limited powers as far as the Internal Affairs of other Precincts are concerned. For that and serving as a liaison between the ZPD and city Hall there is the Commissioner, who is a councilmammal in the latter. He is technically above Bogo, but his position is dependent on the political situation. I'll be correcting the earlier chapters soon.
Also, I guess I went into a hot topic with guns in Zootopia, but I hope my setting for them is satisfying. The story can work without them, but they do make it easier.
As usual, if you have any comments, suggestions, questions or just want to hit me over the internet for these delays (which I deserve), feel free to PM me or leave a review. They're highly appreciated! :D
Cheers!
