Ch. 8: The Brand New Assistant Mayor

Judy and Nick, after catching their breath, returned to the train in time to see Bogo and a few other officers place the unconscious wolves in the back of a patrol car. Bogo's ears twitched in surprise when they walked to them, their fur sticky with dry sweat. "Apparently you've had a busy morning."

"Ha!" Nick barked out a laugh.

"Sir, I believe we've found a suspect," Judy informed.

The buffalo's eyes narrowed, "Ironclaw?"

Judy shook her head, "No, I'm not sure what kind of animal it was but he nearly let that wolf devour me in the train, if it wasn't for a pack of brave rats he probably would've succeeded."

"You can both explain in the car," Bogo told them, "Let's get these wolves back to the precinct."

"Devoured," Nick echoed as he and Judy sat in the passenger seat next to their chief.

Judy nodded, shuddering at the memory. "It was terrifying…he, he really wanted to kill me. But there was something wrong with the wolf's eyes, almost like…he wasn't completely there."

They filled Bogo in on the fight and how Nick was able to stop the train as they returned to the precinct. Judy followed her boss inside, her legs starting to ache from the adrenaline rush of facing death and chasing a suspect, she really wished she had the time to go home and shower and…

"Miss Judy!"

The rabbit's eyes bulged as she spotted a familiar figure standing next to Clawhauser who just looked annoyed. It was Percival Sprintly.

"H-Hi," she walked over with a shy wave, Nick in her shadow. "I-I didn't think I'd see you again so soon. Are you following me?'

Percy chuckled good-naturedly, it was a nice chuckle. "Actually I came here to get my bearings; I'll probably be visiting a lot now."

Judy's ears shot up in surprise, "Are you a cop?"

"Oh no, no," Percy shook his head, "I'm not as strong as you. Actually, I'm-uh…I'm the new assistant mayor."

Judy smiled in surprised delight, "Are you serious? That's so cool, congrat-"

Nick suddenly cleared his throat very loudly, making Judy jump. "Oh, sorry, Nick. Percy this is my partner, Officer Nick Wilde."

"Yes, I've heard of you, the first fox officer of Zootopia, it's an honor to meet you." Percy offered a paw to shake and Nick took it, not looking overly pleased by it. "Nice to meet you, and congrats on making assistant mayor, let's hope you aren't as psychotic as the last one."

"Nick," Judy gaped at him in horror.

"I was voted least likely to become psychotic actually," Percy joked weakly and Nick looked ready to roll his eyes.

"Ignore him, Percy," Judy stepped forward and offered an apologetic smile. "That's what everyone else does. But say, want to help us out?"

He looked immediately interested, "I'm all ears."

"We need to check out some surveillance cameras, and if you're the new assistant mayor you'll need to get your bearings there too."

"Sounds fun just let me deliver these papers to Bogo who looks incredibly irritable and I'll be right back." He dashed away with a youthful excitement that made Judy smile, then instantly frown when Nick spoke.

"You're kidding right," the fox asked, he rested an elbow on Clawhauser's desk, giving her his most infuriating smirk.

"Don't start," she ordered, "You already insulted him enough just this morning and I don't want another fight."

"I don't either," he promised. "But… He isn't actually the kind of animal I could see you settling down with."
Clawhauser stood up so suddenly he knocked his mug down and had Nick and Judy jumping back in fright.

"Sorry. Sorry. I just remembered…the re-mastered edition of Tigtanic. It's really good you should watch it. Anyway what were you saying, Nick?" He sat back down and tried to appear causal.

"He's not saying anything," Judy answered for the fox. "Because I don't plan on settling down anytime soon, and even if I was I wouldn't call Percy a bad choice."

"You barely know him," both Nick and Clawhauser said in unison.

"Neither do you two, and you're assuming the worse!"

"He just looks so…" Nick struggled for the right word. "Boring, if I'm going to be Uncle Nick I want your litter to be out having fun not stuck reading boring text books."

"Personally Nick I don't think you'd make a great uncle," Clawhauser said. Judy turned her attention back to Percy who was walking back to them.

Nick glared at Clawhauser, "Gee, thanks Spots. Anything else you'd like to say to hurt my feelings, now's the time."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Percy interrupted, coming to a stop by Judy with a pearly white smile. "Ready when you are."

"Let's go, Nick," Judy told her partner, sending him a sharp gaze, silently telling him to behave. Nick held up his paws innocently.

.

"Personally I think it's amazing how we can hide so many cameras all over Zootopia," Percy said as he admired the thousands of screens, each surveying a street or lane of Zootopia.

"It is cool, isn't it," Judy stood beside him, "I can never get over how big it all is."

"Oh, good I'm not the only one a little star struck," he chuckled and Judy smiled at him.

"I grew up in Bunnyburrow," she began, "It was a pretty small town despite the very large population and I couldn't wait to come out here and become a cop."

"You went above and beyond that," Percy replied. "Actually, I think you were one of the reasons I decided to try and become the assistant mayor."

"Really," Judy felt her cheeks heat up.

"Well, yeah, you inspired a lot of animals," he continued. "Rabbits can be considered one of the most fragile of animals but you went and proved you were anything but."

His eyes were shining as he looked at her and Judy found herself staring at the floor, she couldn't remember being complicated by such a handsome rabbit before.

"If you two are done bonding over computer screens," Nick's voice split the mood like a knife to butter. "I found the camera we were looking for."

He forcibly pushed himself between them and Judy frowned. Nick pointed at one of the screens and she recognized a store she had zoomed past during her chase. Suddenly a figure appeared on screen and she recognized the overcoat, the three watched with baited breath as the suspect climbed up a building, disappearing onto the room and off the camera.

"He climbed," Judy growled with frustration, "Why didn't I think of that."

"There he is again," Percy pointed to a screen farther up and she recognized the figure back on the ground and disappearing into what appeared to be an old warehouse.

"Do you know where that is," Judy asked the deputy mayor.

"It's on Boulder Boulevard," Nick answered for her and the two rabbits looked up at him.

"I may have used it as a secret base, years ago, not important. Let's go, Carrots."

Nick walked out of the room but Judy was stopped by Percy. "I know we promised to wait until after you tried to run me over again, but maybe we can still have that coffee some time when we're both free?"
Judy smiled prettily, "As soon as we get a more solid lead on Ironclaw you bet."

"Come on, Carrots we're partners for a reason." Nick suddenly appeared again, grabbed her arm and dragging her after him.

"Goodbye Judy, goodbye Officer Wilde," Percy called.

"Goodbye," Judy called but Nick didn't acknowledge the rabbit.

"If Lionheart gives you any trouble," she continued before Nick closed the door behind them, "Just let me know!"

.

Any annoyance Judy might have had for Nick's attitude vanished when they stood in the shadow of the abandoned warehouse on Boulder Boulevard.

"Maybe we should call for backup," Nick proposed, "This place feels creepier since I last visited it."

"We already have backup," Judy held up her elephant dart gun, "And a sidekick." She patted the spray at her side.

"And what do I have as weapons, my charm and good looks," Nick asked but Judy was already walking into the warehouse. Her blood was boiling with excitement, she needed answers and she needed them now. What was Ironclaw's ultimate objective? How was she creating such chaos?

The sunlight outside poured into the old building, showing off the cobwebs, beat down floor, there were pile of old, abandoned boxes of all sizes scattered around the large space. Judy swallowed, stepping closer to Nick.

"Do you have any idea what's in any of these boxes," she asked in a whisper.

Nick looked around, looking just as nervous as her, "I only checked a few, I saw mostly old textbooks and desks; I think a lot of this came from some college."

"That suspect could be in any of these boxes," Judy muttered.

Nick nodded, he took a step forward and Judy copied him, every instinct she had was screaming at her to stay by his side. And run.

"Come out," she suddenly shouted, causing Nick to flinch, but she would not be scared away. "We know you're here, stop hiding!"

"You wanna scream a little louder, Carrots," Nick asked dryly, "I think everyone in Bunnyburrow didn't catch that. And now that suspect is probably-"

"Hiding," a voice suddenly echoed through the room rendering Nick silent. The voice was smooth but sharp, like honey with a drop of venom.

"Oh, what a silly, stupid, bunny," the voice continued.

A sudden weight crashed onto her back and she and Nick were suddenly pushed to the ground, heavy paws pinning them to the ground. She looked up and recognized the face of Claude, Gazelle's friend; his eyes were blank like the wolf from the train.

"I have only hid once in my life," the voice continued, "And if I ever hide again, I assure you it will be from an actual threat."

A shape suddenly morphed and pulled away from the shadows. It was a tail, lithe figure, wearing dark clothes, a long ebony cloak trailing behind it. Glowing golden eyes fixed the two in a predatory glare and Judy used all her willpower not to shiver in fright, her instincts screamed at her that she had been an idiot for not running when she had the chance.

The figure smiled, revealing two rows of sharp fangs.

Nick snarled at Judy's side, one word: "Ironclaw."