Earlier that morning
Voices. Mumbled voices. Judy had a sudden sense of déjà vu, though she couldn't place it. However, it didn't' last long as voices turned into a painful ringing in her ears. Flinching from the sudden pain, she reached up and cupped her ears to try and ease their suffering. The sudden motion of her arms brought on an intense pain in her right arm.
The pain causing an intense sensation of nausea. Trying to lean on her side she found putting pressure on her arm caused even greater pain than the ringing in her ears. Causing her to dry heave where she was. Once the nausea subsided, she opened her eyes and saw that she was on a bed in a room full of beds.
Thankful that there was nothing in her stomach to empty onto herself, Judy slowly opened her eyes to the blurry world around her. The dim lighting provided by candles were a blessing to her eyes. As the details began to become clear again, she noticed all the empty bed around her.
"The infirmary." She concluded. Looking down at herself she noticed her arm in a sling. "When did that happen?" Slowly sitting up she noticed it wasn't just her arm that hurt. Nearly every part of her body felt abused.
Once in the up position she glanced around at the empty bed. "Where's Nick?" Hearing a door open behind her, Judy turned to see a beaver nun walking towards her. One of the nurses no doubt. "Oh, you're awake!" the cheerful creature greeted.
"Yes, thank you." She replied with a polite smile.
"How do you feel child?" The beaver asked while placing a paw comfortingly on Judy's uninjured shoulder.
"Like I was tossed out of a tower." She half joked. Causing the nun to giggle.
"Well from the state they brought you in I'm not surprised. Surviving a fire, taking down a murderous fox and…"
"Do you know where he is?!" She asked urgently missing how the nun had described the fox in question. Mistaking her reaction for fear, the beaver nun tried to calm her down.
"No need to be afraid. He's locked away in the cells."
"Locked away? Why would they do that?" Not sure how to take the questions, the nun assumed that the trauma must have affected the poor bunny's memory.
"Why for burning down that building and murdering that poor zebra." She calmly stated.
Shocked by the update, Judy stood on her wobbly legs and thanked the nun for her care. Then started making her way to the cells where prisoners were kept.
In the present
"Carrots, what did I do?"
Judy cast her eyes away from his. Staring at the cold metal bars of the cell. "I don't know. Not for sure anyway. The last thing I remember is looking down from the balcony. Where Bellwether was questioning me. I saw you in the main hall doing your firefox thing. After that I blacked out. Although, I think that has something to do with the two knots on the back of my head." Instinctively rubbing the swollen bumps.
"Bellwether? You mean Assistant Chancellor Bellwether?" Nick asked.
Nodding her head in affirmation Judy continued. "She's the one behind the rams attacking us. Well, me anyway. She has the peace stone." Still not looking at him. Until she felt his paw under her chin, gently pulling her gaze towards him.
There she saw a gentle smile waiting to greet her. "I believe you fluff." Hearing one of the nicknames he gave her made her giggle.
"What is it with you and nicknames?" Causing him to chuckle at her playful tone.
"Bellwether is playing with black magic and that's what you want to know?" He said with a smile. Well that got Judy's attention. Her eyes went wide and her ears stood straight up in an alert manner.
"She's using black magic!? How do you know!? Is that why she stole the peace stone!?" Spitting out all three questions without waiting for an answer.
"Woah..." sitting back and holding his paws up in front of him trying to get her to stop for a moment. "Easy there, carrots. One question at a time. But yes, she is using black magic, I know because the arrow I was shot with nearly killed me from it and I suspect that is why she stole the peace stone."
"Well what are we waiting for!" She shouted in her excitement. "We need to arrest her and get her to tell us where the peace stone is immediately!" Judy turned to walk out of the cells when she heard Nick call out behind her.
"Uh, carrots?" Once she turned around to face him, he pointed towards the cell door. Instantly causing her to deflate and her ears to drop behind her back. "You don't have a key, do you?" To which she simply shook her head in a negative. "Okay then, maybe you should tell me why I'm in here and why they put a muzzle on me."
"A better question," a loud booming voice coming from the entrance interrupts causing Judy to spin and stand to attention and Nick to look on in curiosity as Bogo enters the holding cells, "is why did she take the muzzle off!"
Judy snapped to attention causing herself to wince in pain when she tried to instinctively salute with her right arm. Seemingly un-phased by her obvious pain Bogo continued questions the small bunny in front of him.
"I ask again Hopps, why did you remove the muzzle off this murdering fox!" His hard glare driving daggers into hers.
"Murder!" Nick and Judy exclaimed in unison. Looking at each other with horror and shock on their faces.
Judy turned back to face Bogo. "But Chief those rams attacked us it was self-defense I was there!" She desperately pleaded.
Bogo pinched his snout just above his nose releasing a long-suffering sigh before continuing. "I have no idea what rams you're taking about Hopps." Causing Judy to tilt her head in confusion while one of her ears fell to the side slightly. "I'm talking about the zebra that several witnesses place this fox," he states pointing a hoof at Nick, "at the scene committing the murder as well as lighting the building on fire!"
"You mean the zebra that beat me senseless in the lobby?" Nick calmly asked.
"The only beating any of the witnesses mentioned was the one you gave to the zebra." Bogo said in a dark tone.
"Chief," Judy tried to interject, "he's being setup. Assistant Chancellor Bellwether is behind it I'm sure."
"The Assistant Chancellor is one of the key witnesses. Besides everyone saw you jump from the balcony to stop him."
"What!?" Judy asked in surprise. Turning to look at Nick, prepared to express her concerns and assure him that was not what happened. What she saw however stopped any words from escaping her mouth. The cold stare of betrayal written all over his face.
"And here I thought you were on my side." Letting out a sigh that spoke volumes of disappointment. "I should have known better than to trust someone from the ZPD." He then turned away to stare at the back wall of the cell.
Finally finding her voice Judy spoke up as he was turning away. "Nick that's not what happened. You have to believe me."
"Officer Hopps." Judy turned to see her boss with an expression that seemed to show anger and disappointment in her actions. "My office now." Was all he said before opening the door then stepping to the side and waited for her to exit.
Torn between her duty and assuring her friend she hadn't betrayed him, Judy could only stand in place looking between the two. Just when Bogo's patients seemed to be at an end the prisoner behind the bars spoke to her.
"You should do as you're told officer. After all, it's what your good at." Turning his head just enough to let her see one of his emerald eyes. The cold blankness within broke her heart. Defeated, she turned to walk out of the room with ears drooping low behind her back.
When Bogo shut the door, and walked past her she picked up her pace to stay with him but still a few feet behind. She didn't notice any of the other officers they past heading towards that room. He body was on autopilot while her mind just played the words he'd spoken over and over again.
Her demeaner never changing, even after entering the chief's office. Now standing before his desk, the only thing that seemed to have managed to get her out of her trance like state was the slamming of the door behind her. Causing her to bounce with the shock wave that it seemed to have emanated.
"Sit." The chief ordered as he walked around his giant to her desk. She moved to the nearest chair and hauled herself up. Taking a seat and waiting for what happened next. Watching as the Chief Knight of the Realm to dropped heavily into his chair. Breathing out a heavy huff through his nostrils before speaking.
"You have this one chance to explain yourself Hopps. And it better be good."
Judy began to share the events of her entire operation. From the time she left records to seeing Nick on the floor below her in a fiery inferno. Placing special emphasis on the conversation with Bellwether and leaving out some of the more personal parts as well and Nick's true back story. Saying only that he lived there. Not a lie, just not the whole truth.
Bogo sat behind his desk staring intently at the small bunny sitting across from him. His facial expression barely changing during the recount of the last couple of days. "You expect me to believe that the assistant chancellor of Zootopia is behind the theft of the peace stone and using it to wield black magic?"
"Sir, it's the truth!" she exclaimed. "Ask Nick!"
"The fox? You expect me to take the word of a fox? Who, may I remind you, has been accused of murder, arson and the use of black magic by several witnesses?"
Judy opened her mouth to retort the chief's words only to have his raise a hoof to silence her. "You were given a simple mission to find a simple relic. Instead you've thrown yourself in with a criminal and gone against the ruling party of Zootopia. I cannot overlook your actions of either incompetence or willingly cooperating with a criminal of the highest order. You are hereby dismissed from the…"
The door to Chief Bogo's door suddenly opens. In walks the fox that should have been rotting in his cell followed by a black wolf who looked exacerbated, trying to tell the fox who couldn't just walk into the Chiefs office unannounced.
"What is the meaning of this Mason!" Bogo shouts at the wolf with the graying muzzle. Magus Mason Ragamore, one of the three head mages of the ZPD and among the most powerful in Zootopia, looked up at the chief of the ZPD with an aggravated expression. The title Magus placing him just under the authority of Chief Bogo but giving him the final say in regards to crimes regarding magic.
"I was just telling him he couldn't enter without knocking first but he just barged in. Anyway, now that I'm here we need to discuss the matter of these two and why this fox was in the holding cell when he needed to be treated for an infection of black magic!"
"Infection?" Bogo asked.
"Yes, infection! Turn around and show him the scare Nicholas." As turned his back to the bunny and buffalo he lifted his shirt to reveal the area where the black magic arrow had struck him the night they were attacked at his home.
The dark black scared tissue beneath his right shoulder blade clearly evident by the lack of fur growing back made Chief Bogo's eyes go wide and face to drop and Judy to gasp, moving her paws over her muzzle with eyes wide and ears erect in alarm.
"Fortunately," Mason continued, "whatever magic had infected him has worn off. Some sort of temporary or weak spell I'd assume."
"If you only knew." Nick thought to himself.
"What exactly are you saying Mason?" Bogo asked in an irritated tone.
"Whatever he was being held for, he is not responsible for." Mason replied while Nick lowered his shirt and turned to face both Judy and Bogo. Giving Judy a wink in the process.
"He committed murder and burned down a building!" Bogo nearly shouted, not willing to just let the fox just walk free after last night's events.
"While under the influence of black magic and being assaulted!" Mason retorted. The mention of assault caused Bogo's facial expression to falter slightly. "Tell me Chief, have you ever seen what happens to predators who try to enter one of the prey only taverns? In case you haven't let me show you."
Motioning for Nick to lift his shirt once more, the old wolf began to brush the fur on Nick's ribs to the side revealing the bruised skin underneath. Causing him to wince slightly at the contact. Judy reacted by dropping her ears behind her back in concern and her eyes were beginning to water at the mistreatment of her friend. "Are we friends?" She wondered to herself. Thinking back to what Nick said in the cell before she left.
"The most likely scenario is that he was infected by the black magic before entering the tavern. Therefore, his actions were not his own and cannot be held against him. I have already examined him for any residual traces of magic and none can be found. Therefore, he is free to go."
This caused Judy to look in surprise. Nick, however, seemed to keep that same blank expression he always had. Bogo just snorted in irritation. "I expect a full briefing."
"And you'll have it." Mason replied.
"As for you Hopps," Judy was very worried. She may not have shared all of Nick's secrets but she had shared the fact he was able to use magic. Just not to the full extent or in detail. "you will report for administrative duty until your arm is healed. After which you'll be permanently assigned to guard duty."
Her ears fell behind her back limp as she stared up at the larger mammal. She started to retort when a stern "Now!" was shouted down at her. Defeated she began to climb down from the chair she sat in, when someone else spoke up.
"No."
"I beg your pardon?!" Bogo looked at the fox with anger pulsing through his body.
"I'm sorry," Nick took a step closer pulling his hands from behind his back and placed them around his muzzle to imitate making his voice louder, "what I said was NO! Here's the thing chief, you gave her one month to complete a case that no one else had been able to solve. A brand new rooky with no back up. No wonder she had to get the help of a fox. Now we still have," He made a show of counting on his fingers before continuing, "27 days before the deadline. Now if you'll excuse us, we have a very big lead to follow."
He then turned and walked back towards the door. Judy slid down from her seat and looked back at Bogo, mouth open to try and speak, only to close it and point towards the door before spinning on her heels and following Nick.
Once through the threshold Nick closed the door behind them and walked beside her. After retrieving their equipment, they exited the building and walked onto the streets. Neither said a word as they traveled without any specific destination in mind.
"Thank you, for that." Judy finally spoke, breaking the silence between them.
"My pleasure Carrots."
"I still have a lot of questions I need to ask you though." Looking up at him hopefully.
"As I recall, it's my turn to ask the questions." Looking down with a smirk.
Smiling back, she turned her gaze to the direction they were heading. "Fine, ask away."
"All in good time. Meanwhile, we need to get off the streets. Bellwether is sure to have found out about my release and I'm sure she's been keeping an eye on you as well. And I think I know the perfect place."
Falling back into silence once again. Judy followed him to a tavern only thirty minutes' walk from the precinct. After asking her to wait outside, Judy stood watch outside the door. Glancing up at the hanging sign, she saw an image of a green bycoket hat with a red feather and the name of the tavern, The Hood, written underneath.
After a few minutes Nick returned and now had a heavy purse strapped to his belt. "Nick!" she loudly whispered while eyeing the purse. She looked around to make sure she wasn't drawing any unwanted attention and then stepped closer. "Where did you get that?"
Chuckling at her reaction, Nick placed a calming paw on her shoulder. "Easy Carrots, I just sold my half of the tavern."
"Yeah but don't you know it's not safe…wait? You own this place?" A disbelieving eyebrow was perked and her good paw pointed back at the tavern in question.
"Only half and used to. Robin, my partner, has been trying to buy my half off me since it got off the ground. Now come on, we need to catch the next carriage headed south."
"Why are we going south?"
"To talk to an old friend."
Author's Notes:
Wow this one took a long time to get together. Hopefully it won't take as long on the next one.