Chapter 3: Operation: Deep Cleanse

Tonight was the night; the Cleansing secret ball in the Rain Forest District. Nick and Judy went to Mr. Big's house to ask him for a huge favor. The ZPD's whistleblower gained new intel on the Cleansing's ball; many crime bosses were attending as special guests for James. Judy waited patiently in the fancy bathroom of the manor. Her foot began to thump uncontrollably against the floor, when she tried to stop herself, her leg then began to shake. She held the pregnancy test tight in her paws, waiting for an answer to appear. She looked around to her surroundings, trying best to distract herself and make time go by faster. A few minutes passed by, and she looked back to the test; Judy frowned. A negative sign. She tried to recollect how many times she and Nick had made love in attempts to become pregnant. She became nervous, as she counted five times on her paws. Dr. Jane Hoover told them that Nick would have six sessions worth of rabbit sperm. Now only one remained; they had one last chance to have a baby. Tensions grew high for them. Judy sighed, tossed the test into the trash bin, and walked down the stairs to be with Nick, Fru Fru, and Mr. Big.

"He did what to you?!" Mr. Big asked in an angrily, yet concerned tone. Nick and Judy's gaze fell lower, but they returned their eyes to the shrew on the table where he sat in his golden chair. Nick stepped forward.

"That's why we're here, dad. We found out that the Cleansing is having a huge ball tonight in the Rain Forest District. There will be a bunch of crime bosses there as his guests. Chief Bogo wants you inside with your guys in case something goes wrong for immediate backup. We'll be two of the five officers going in, we can't have too many inside in order to not raise any suspicions."

The shrew nodded. "Hmm...alright. We'll have your back, Nicky." He said with a smile. Nick nodded. At that moment, a polar bear opened the doors and walked into the room. The four looked up at the bear. He adjusted his tie as he began to speak formally.

"Sir, there is a fox here to see you. He says he is the leader of the Cleansing." Nick and Judy's eyes went wide. They looked at each other, and both of their hearts began to race.

"We have to hide." Nick proclaimed. Judy nodded. She looked around, and her eyes met a large wardrobe facing the desk. She pointed to the piece of furniture, and both went to it. They climbed inside, Nick went in first. They left the doors of the wardrobe creaked just a bit for them to see out of it. Judy turned on her phone and scrolled to the camera. This time, she ensured herself to put the phone on 'do not disturb' mode, so that an inconvenient incoming call would give away their position again.

A few seconds later, their eyes grew wide again, as he walked into the room with paws behind his back. James Todd. Nick felt his heart simultaneously race and sink into his chest. This was the first time he had seen him in over twenty years. He looked much different since the last time he saw his older brother, yet at the same time, he didn't change a bit. He still had that evil essence enveloping his body. He wore it proudly on his maliciously grinning face; like a petrifying mask. They felt their hearts race, but they controlled their breathing. Relax. Judy hit the record button, and held the camera between the crack to capture the fox on video as he walked to her father-in-law.

Mr. Big held his ringed finger out, and James gave it a respectful kiss. The shrew scowled at him. 'So this was the piece of shit fox that hurt my son and goddaughter,' he thought. He refrained himself from snapping his finger, ordering the polar bears to mangle him beyond recognition. He had many of his henchmen behind him, including Billy Stride, clad in black suit, red band sat high on their left arms. Judy was right. His face, his conceited expression he once wore was gone. It was cold, regret, and melancholy that replaced what was once pride and cockiness. What he did to Judy truly did break his spirit, but he refrained from fully showing it, standing up straight, ears perked, and adjusting his look to one of discipline.

"Mr. Big," James began, "what an undying pleasure it is to meet you." A smirk creeped across the fox's face; he certainly was Nick's brother.

The shrew raised a brow. "And who are you?... To come into my house uninvited..."

The fox put his paws up, gesturing his supposed innocence. "With good intentions, sir. I assure you. You, are the most feared crime boss in Tundratown. I cordially invite you to my secret ball in the Rain Forest District tonight. I would be more than honored if you were to attend." As James explains the philosophy of his empire to the shrew, Nick hisses to himself. James was going to be detained if it was the last thing he were to do. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the fox left. Nick and Judy climbed out of the wardrobe. The bunny checked her phone, making sure to save the video. Minutes of slow talk went by, and the fox and bunny left for the ZPD. It was time to get ready.

All day long, the ZPD begun planning precisely detailed plans in regards to infiltrating the party without being caught. The first line of defense, the first pairs of eyes and ears were Nick and Judy. They were going incognito, undercover. They got ready at their apartment police flooded the apartment, and even slightly out the door. Where was once flower vases and dinner plates sat radio dishes and high-tech computer monitors. The police anticipated that the Cleansing would be looking for a fox and a bunny that look like the prestige faces of the ZPD, so how would they hide them? In plain sight of course. Professional makeup artists were brought in to completely change Judy's image. Her grey furs were spray painted to a canvas white pigment, making her resemble that of a snowshoe hare rather than a common country bunny. However, that was the least of their concerns to hide her identity; the big factor was her eyes. Judy has a rare condition known as Alexandria's Genesis, which is why her eyes are purple instead of brown or blue like her brothers and sisters. The only other bunny in her family to have this very rare condition was her mother, Bonnie. Judy was given sky blue contacts to wear. The sensation of the lens against her eye was strange for the bunny. As for Nick, he was also given some blue contacts to hide his bright green irises. They looked at each other, and thought they were staring at someone they never knew. They looked so different without the features of their partners they have become so accustomed to over the years. The fur, their clothes, their eyes. Yet, at the same time, nothing felt different at all. They were still in the presence of the ones they loved, and all the smoke and mirrors, all the makeup and fancy clothes could never hide that from each other. It only drew them closer.

The two fixed their microphones comfortably in place in their ears. With a click, the microphones came to life, and the could hear one another directly into their heads. It all felt strange and out of place for the bunny as she slid her tranquilizer gun into her holster. Never before had she done undercover police work, not even her first case of Emit Otterton was technically considered undercover. That was rather a deep inside investigation. Nick adjusted the literal spy glasses atop the bridge of his muzzle. With the flip of a tiny hidden switch, the camera came to life, and the numerous TV screens filled with Nick's point of view. He looked left, he looked right. Bogo gave the thumbs up, all was going smoothly. At an instant, the fox remembered when Judy went to the bathroom to test, and he decided to pop the question, eager to find out if his third happiest day had come; but to his and her disappointment, the bunny frowned. He still stated positive. They still had one more try, and then his heart sank. They only had one try left. Well, it wasn't like it would be forever if though they could always go back and have the genes replanted inside of them. That was a dangerous risk to take, he soon reconsidered. It could mean seriously hormonal changes for both of them, and it may just damage his sperm count, or worse, her uterus.

Nick suddenly was in denial. What if it didn't work? What if it never works? And that this group of scientists jabbed a needle full of another animal's seed into his genitals for no reliable outcome. It was a high risk to take, and the two of them were their guinea pigs to test on. If they recorded them, and he finds anything on the web. No, he thought to himself, adjusting his silver watch. They wouldn't do something like that. After all, they created the Nighthowler serum. Although at this point, after all that has been happening with the Cleansing, he wasn't sure what or who to trust anymore. Those thoughts made him more eager to get to the mansion and bring Todd crumbling down. His head would roll at his feet; no matter what happens, it ends tonight.

"Alright you two." said Bogo walking over to the disguised cops. "If anything happens, just make the call, we'll have officers on standby. Understand?" The two nodded.

"Yes sir." Judy said proudly. She slipped into the bathroom to get her dress on. Earlier, she went to Fru Fru to that amazing boutique in Tundratown, the one where Judy got her commemoration ball dress, and where both of them got their wedding dresses. It was a bargain to shop there, but damn was it worth it. The shrew and bunny became regulars for the tigress and wolf shopkeepers, and they received special discounts for it; not to mention Judy being a hero to Zootopia and Fru Fru being the daughter of a rich crime boss that they received further praise. Sometimes they would get up to a thousand dollars off of their purchases. Quite a deal for such elegant craftsmammalshift. This time, it was a gorgeous rose petal dress. A deep shade of red contrasting against the white paint on her fur. This would look even better on her if she didn't look like an adorable snowball draped in a cloth bouqet. She was sure Nick would not complain either, if the circumstances were different. Seeing her in a sleeveless, strapless dress that exposed most of the upper half of her back, and accentuated the lower half. She was sure he would get some fun out of that. Her spy bunny look was missing something. Something to complete the outfit. She walks to her dresser, pulls out her rather small jewelry box, and pulls out the emerald necklace she got from Nick for her birthday. The pure green gem contrasted beautifully against the bright red of her dress. She looked at herself in the mirror, Once again, she turned to the side, stretched out her stomach and began feeling for something to be there. She was still empty. There was still nothing; nothing yet. She hoped, prayed there would be something soon.

She walked to see two wolves attaching wires to his chest. His gaze fixates on his wife, and he gives his peruse heavy lidded smirk. "Well would you look at that. It's the bunny in red." he cooed. Judy grinned and walked to face him. She did not speak, she merely smiled as he got ready. They were all debunked on how things would hopefully go down. Judy would get close enough to James to detain him, or dart him. Nick would also be the one to do it if he came in close discrete contact with Todd. However, he was also there for Judy. If she was beaten when he wasn't there, and there were only two, there was no way in hell he was leaving her in there alone with almost three hundred plus members and hundreds more supporters. Everything was set up. Everyone was ready. Mr. Big already making his way to the mansion. Judy and Nick walked out and all the other officers followed. The heat was on, and the infiltration now begun. Judy Hopps. Nick Wilde. Begin. Operation: Deep Cleanse.

Finding the mansion was a true hassle in the Rain Forest District. Not easy to walk to, and certainly harder to drive to, but the ZPD pressed onwards. Soon enough, they arrived. While the outskirts was decrepit and unkempt, the inside looked to be well cleaned and brightly lit as they could see through the open front doors. Already, Judy could see Guards at the front of the mansion, along with dozens of predators and prey coming to the dance under one false philosophy; equality. Predators saw authority as discriminating, while prey saw them as intimidating. If predators can't stand the prey of the ZPD, and the prey can't stand the predators, then how could they even mingle with each other in the first place? Members of the Cleansing handed out those same red arm bands with a black claw to every patron that came through the doors. Somewhat of an initiation; a welcoming gift from James Todd to them. Judy stepped out of her car. Her microphone scratched with static in her ear before Bogo's voice filled her head.

"Alright Hopps. How many do you see?"

"Hundreds." She whispered as she walked up to the mansion with her supposed friend in the Cleansing revolution; a wolf named Officer Arden Fangman. He was Nick's combat instructor back at the academy, and he was the only one he trusted to go with her to keep her safe if shit were to hit the fan. They knew they couldn't go together this time because they would be ratted out instantly. He was going to arrive about five minutes later. Keep a low profile, don't arouse any suspicions. Fangman was one of the stealthiest members of the ZPD before he took over supervision at the police academy. He was devilish, a whistleblower, and even a detective for a few years. They grey furred wolf walked with ease, not a single drop of worry in his body. It was like he had done this before; mostly because he has, many times. As they walked to the doors, the bobcat glared at the wolf, but Fangman kept a cool head. When his eyes met with Judy's, he let out a pleased smirk, followed by an eyebrow bump as he handed her a band and welcomed her inside. Judy gave a seductive smile and a wink. As she walked in, she could already tell that the bobcat nudged his friend on the side to 'check out the fine piece of prey that just went in.'

Play along, she thought. Blend yourself in deeper and deeper. Until you are completely invisible. Untraceable. She observed the crowds of animals. It was about a sixty-forty between visitors and members of the Cleansing. Judy scanned the main ball room. There were foxes, but none of them were James Todd. It figures that there would be foxes here, and quite a lot at that. James was seen as a role model. A symbol of power and success among a primarily disregarded species. She began to blush as her eyes were met at the animals on the sofas. A good portion of them were bunnies like the ones at the club a few days ago. She thought she would never have to see such exposure from girls again, but this time it was worse. Many of them commencing in debauchery with competing males. They were drawn to the dominants, leaving the minorities with nothing but a sight to see and a sad night with a left paw. Many of the girls were much younger than Judy, some barely even looked eighteen. Why would they live their lives like this? Being coerced by some prowler with an urge for young tail. Why would you want to live your life as nothing more than a blowjob bunny? Is the fifty bucks and rush of empty passion worth it that much? If Judy were to have a daughter, she would ensure she never did anything like this.

Judy walked over to the bar and ordered a carrot martini. If Todd was not here yet, she may as well not look weird just skulking the crowds. As she sipped the drink, she catches a glimpse of a figure taking a seat next to her ordering a rum and cola. She turned her eyesight to see Nick. He raised his eyebrows at her as he took a drink. He cringed as he put the glass on the coaster; he remembered why he hated alcohol. "Any sign of him?" he asks.

"Not yet," she replied through another sip, "it makes sense, though. He'll probably make a grand entrance and introduce himself to all of his followers." Judy kept her voice low.

"He'll be here soon, my child." Judy and Nick turn around to see the giant polar bear holding the guest of honor; Tundratown's Mr. Big. The bear took a seat, ordering a glass of Carbernet sauvignon. He set Mr. Big on the counter. "There are crime bosses from all over Zootopia here."

Nick spun around on his stool, placing his elbow on the counter. "He's right," he said as he began pointing of faces in the crowds. The first animal he points at is a honey badger. "Camille Dinnovinci from Sahara Square." The next was a hippo with a long scar across his right eye. "Don Herbert from Savannah Central." His finger moved to a malicious looking black panther. "Ricardo Alejandra from the Rain Forest District. There are even guys from the Plainlands and Outback Island here. We got to be careful." He said, hesitating before taking another drink of the liquor. Judy kept looking through the crowds, seeing if she could find any animal of interest, but nobody fell into her line of sight. Suddenly, the tapping of a microphone pervaded the air, silencing the commotion. Everyone's glance fixed to the top of the grand staircase. Judy watched as what was presumed to be the Cleansing's higher-ups lined the balcony. A lion, a leopard, a wolf, a tiger, bobcat, grizzly, black, and polar bear, and many more. There was a good twenty at least, the one thing that differentiated them from the other members were their black ties. A Cleansing panther gave the announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemammals. Please welcome your host, our glorious leader, James Todd!" Unbelievably loud applause, cheer and praise rang through the manor. Nick, Judy and clapped along as they saw him come into view. The red fox, the soul of the Cleansing, the heart of this hostile empire. Beside him, the familiar bunny, Billy Stride. Judy's heartbeat quickened. She knew he would not hurt her anymore, she was not afraid of him, but her body was. Minor post traumatic stress disorder might be the reason. James took the microphone and placed it up to his lips.

"Thank you. My brothers, my sisters! Tonight we gather here in celebration of our unity! We are here today for we all see in the same light, and in that light we can see the darkness that the ZPD and the rest of government has become! No longer shall we stay silent! No longer shall we be shut down! After tonight, the world will hear our cry, and we will reign victorious!" The cheer grew louder. Judy began to think: for a psychopath, he was rather articulate with his words. "Please, would the guests of honor join me at the table." He said handing the microphone to the panther. One by one, the Cleansing admins walked down the stairs after the fox and bunny. With a snap of the finger, the bear put down his glass and picked up the shrew to take their seat next to James. They took their seats in unison, and James ordered for music to be played. With it, animals paired up, and it became an old style ball. Judy stepped off the bar stool. Time to get closer. She made her way through the crowds of dancing couples, when she ran right into someone all too familiar; it was Billy. Her heart raced, but she kept cool. Billy looked up and down her figure, and was pleased, although not aroused. Ever since he violated Judy, he had lost all sexual drive. His sense of pleasure had left him. He gestured a paw to the bunny as a sign of respect, asking for a dance.

Her mind began racing to Nick, who she already knew was staring right at them. Bogo sat in the van on the outskirts of the manor watching the screens that played the live video from Nick's glasses. He noticed that his eyesight did not break from the direction of the bunnies, so he gave him a notice to stay focused. All of them heard it: Nick, Arden, and even Judy. All of their microphones were connected, so everyone could hear every conversation. Nick clenched tightly to the glass he was drinking from. His fingers twitched, and he was ready to grab his tranquilizer at any second. Judy took his paw and the two began their duet. Relax. Blend in. Play along. All these thoughts rang in the bunny's ears, and all of them she dutifully did.

"You are quite beautiful, you know that? Have we met somewhere before?" Billy asked.

"Well I don't think so. I would remember a handsomely devilish face like yours." she replied, eyelids growing a bit heavy.

"I'm sorry, it must just be my imagination. You just...remind me of someone I knew."

She did not frown, even though she really wanted to. Knew. That word stuck out in his sentence. She could hear his remorse for what he did to her, not knowing that he was staring right at her. "Well she must have been a lucky girl. Bunny?" she asked.

"Yeah. I knew her ever since I was a kid. She was so beautiful, and we did date for a while. But I was a fool. I broke her heart too many times, and everyday I regret it. Recently, I did something horrible. I can't sleep because it is stuck in my mind. I know she won't forgive me, but I am eternally sorry for what I did. I just wish I could tell her."

Judy paused, trying to think of how to reply. She rubbed his shoulder as she spoke again. "Well I'm sure she'll forgive you. Your words are very touching. So, who was this bunny?"

"Officer Judy Hopps." he solemnly replied.

"A Cleansing mingling in romantic affairs with an officer. Rather scandalous don't you think?" she said in an almost singing tone.

"Yeah, but I love it. I know she has a husband now, and I know she will never come back to me, and I don't want her to. Not because she is bad or anything, no. I absolutely love her. I love her from the bottom of my heart. It's just... I don't want her to get hurt by me anymore...she deserves better than me, and I am glad that she has found someone who makes her happy." Billy's frown turned to that of a caring grin. Judy smiled. Never before has she heard such a meaningful apology. She almost wanted to cry, but restrained herself. Blend in, play along, she told herself. Judy then placed her finger against his lips to shush him.

"You should be careful. If your boss hears that kind of talk he'll surely bring you down." Billy smiled pulling her paw away and taking it in his own.

"Well keep it as our dirty little secret." he said with a wink. His lust may be gone, but Billy still had his charm. The same charm that she admired long ago when they were first dating. Billy was back. Perhaps if her were to leave this god forsaken crime gang, he could go live a happy life. Find himself a wife, have lots of kids, and simply be happy. Judy always wanted that for him, even if that dream was not destined to be with him. Even Nick felt a warmth in his chest. He really wasn't a bad guy. At that moment, he forgave Billy. As the song came to an end, he bowed to her holding her right paw, giving it a gentlemammal's kiss. "Might I have your name?" he asked. Judy took a second to think of a fake name; one that sounded real. She curtsied to her dance partner, and replied with her answer.

"Rose. Penny Rose."

"Penny. That is a gorgeous name indeed." Judy almost jumped in shock of the sudden voice, she turned and a chill ran down her spine; it was James. Nick clenched the glass even tighter. His face turning to rage and pure concentration. "It is nice to meet you." he said, his smirk as dark as his soul. If Judy could describe him in a single word, it would be fear. Here he was, her mission directly in front of her. Her expression showed her composure, but inside she was straight up terrified. The fox stood next to the bunny. Face to face. All that remained was the plan, Judy just had one question; what the hell would she do now?