Author's Note: I completely overdid it with the analogies this chapter. It's okay. You can call me out on it. But hey! You didn't have to wait ages for an update! As always, you guys have been great and your support is what keeps this story going. I am in a lot of stress right now trying to organize a place to live next year, so it's not easy at the moment to get immersed in anything. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

Ruins

With yellow tape wound tightly in his fist and his ears flat against his head, Nicholas Wilde looked at the ruins of his dream. In the darkness by the river shore stood the skeleton of a once lively and healthy body – Wilde Times, its light broken and dull like blind eyes, its paint crumbling, its posts and signs hanging off the hinge like broken fingers on a decaying corpse.

There was no sound of laughter, nor mechanic chirping, nor eager voices washing out of the doors to the ware house. A wooden cut out of Nick's own figure lay in the moist grass, moulding and brittle.

The only lights were the distant, sickly orange street lamps on the parking lot far above, and the stars shining weakly through the smog of the city. The only sound were the waves washing up on concrete and wet wood where the floating market stretched its old planks across the waters.

Nick swallowed hard and failed his tail trail absentmindedly across the cold floor. The ruin before him was still surrounded by yellow tape. He had a vivid image in his mind describing a dried, browned blood stain on the dusty floor, tape marking the position of a dead figure around the spot. Would there be some tape by the arcade machine, where he had so long ago seen the decapitated head of the sheep? Would there be another accumulation of tape by its torn apart leg?

Nick felt nausea in his stomach at the memory. Terror and sickness had not set in back then until the tranquilizer had worn off, and he had been left to himself in an observation cell, shocking himself over and over with the memory until his mind grew numb and his body resilient. Nothing had quite gotten to him the same way since.

He had wanted to reclaim Wilde Times. Of course it had been a foolish fantasy – even if Koslov had not taken over the ware house there would have been no way for Nick to safely operate the park in the same location. It was haunted by bloody memories now. The police had their eyes on the place, surely. And yet Koslov deemed it save. Saver at least than being within the prey community at this point.

With all the bravery he could muster, Nick let go off the yellow tape and dived under it, stalking steadily towards Wilde Times. It didn't take long for two figures to peel themselves out of the shadows – two bears whose polar white fur stood in stark contrast to the dark night. They wore shades covering their faces and business suits, creating an image of professionalism that would have stuck out in the amusement park back in its glory days. Now Wilde Times was the ghost of a carnival town, and a bloodied spirit would have better suited its image. Nick, clearing his throat, stepped forward yet bravely until his way was blocked by the two large bears with their crossed arms.

"What are you doing here, Wilde?", growled one of the bears. Nick picked at his collar, trying to breathe easier.

"Is that Kevin? Hey! Long time no see, right? How's the family?"

The polar bear that wasn't Kevin, but surely looked almost like him, picked Nick up by his tie and lifted the struggling fox up in the air.

"You were asked a question, Fox."

"I need to see Koslov! I was told I could find him here. Feeling nostalgic, you know?"

"Last I remember you owe him money.", shrugged Kevin. "You got money?"

"About that – no. But! It's been a year, I thought, hey! Check on good old Koslov, make him feel welcome in…my park. Yeah, that's right. Come on, guys, I've been in prison for a year. Give a fox a chance to catch up."

"It's two in the morning, Nick," Kevin sighed.

"I…. know, but…" the fox had little hope of being accepted in, and a part of him relished in the fact that he would not have to see the blood stain, would not have to see his beloved park's carcass, would not have to speak to Koslov. But the bunny. The bunny wouldn't be happy. And he wanted to see his park! He wanted to have it back! And for that, all this would need to be figured out.

In the end it was a tiny polar bear stepping out of the door in his pyjamas that saved him. Little Boris, Koslov's pride and joy, stepped out towards the larger bears rubbing his eyes. "Ish two in the morning…", the little guy murmured. "what are you doing?" He crossed his little arms with an innocent severity that made Nick's features soften. The polear bear that wasn't Kevin dropped Nick unceremonially.

"Sorry, Boris. Did we wake you?", Kevin asked gently.

"No. I was getting a glass of water – wait is that…is that Nick?"

The cub looked at the fox who was scrambling back onto his feet, adjusting his tie. Nick stared at him awkwardly, wondering idly if the child lived here now. He thought to remember Koslov lived where he worked previously, so if they left tundra town… he supposed Boris had to leave as well.

When the cub was sufficiently convinced that it was indeed the fox, he raced towards him with open arms and buried his face in Nick's chest.

"Nick! It's been forever! Are you going to open Wilde Times again? Can I live at Wilde Times now? Please, please, can I?"

"Heeeey. You have grown! Look at you!" Nick pushed the cub away at arm's length, giving him a cheerful smile. "I miss Wilde Times too, buddy. If I ever open the park again, you can be fun-supervisor, alright?"

"What's that? Is it important?"

"It's the most important role in the entire park," Nick affectionately ruffled the fur on the cub's head. The little bear beamed with excitement.

"I'll go tell Dad that you can open Wilde Times again and that I'll be fun supervivor! Can I, Kevin? Can I? Dad is up anyway, right?"

"Are you sure, Boris?"

"Yup! His office lights are always still on when I go get water! I bet he is still doing his work."

Nick knew as well as the other polar bears that Boris had likely little to no idea what the 'work' of his father entailed. Kevin's reluctance was written across his features. Well, the half of his features not covered by shades. But eventually, with a deep sigh, he gave a nod of approval, and the polar bears stepped aside to let Nick pass between them. Escorted by Kevin, Nick took a deep breath and stepped through the curtains beyond the entrance into the warehouse.

His senses were clouded with bitter nostalgia at the sight of the painfully familiar structures. Most of the attractions had been deconstructed and lay in piles of wooden planks and cardboard on the side of the warehouse, towering there with jagged edges. The rawr-ercoaster was the only one still standing, its track twisting through the emptied building like the spinal column of a beast. All of Wilde Times was a dead creature to Nick. If not dead, then heavily injured, at least. The familiarity of the smell in the air reminded him painfully of what had been, and was no more.

Nick saw that a few more trailers had been brought into the ware house. They were filled, Nick assumed, with rooms for Koslov's people, including a nursery for young Boris. Boris had been an eager fan of Wilde Times ever since he had received his collar on his fifth birthday. Nick had attended the party and suffered the sorrow on the innocent child's face as he ran back into his father's arms. If Nick had ever felt close to Koslov, it had been in that single short moment.

With the cub running ahead of them, Kevin led them towards the trailer that had used to be Nick's office, and knocked his heavy paw on the door.

"It is late", came the voice from within, heavy with Russian accent. "Why are you disturbing me?"

The voice softened when not Kevin, but Boris replied. "Daddy? Nick is back! Can we move back home now? Can Wilde Times come back?"

"Back to bed, Boris.", the voice said gently. It was getting louder as steps from the inside approached, and then Koslov opened the door, his eyes glued to the form of the little cub. He picked up the bear and looked him sternly in the eyes. "Bed. Now. Daddy will talk to you tomorrow."

Boris made his disappointment known through loud groaning, but didn't disobey. The fox watched the cub disappear around the corner with some dismay, knowing that the presence of the child had kept him save.

"Come in, Nicholai. Let's talk. That's what you're here for, da?"

With his shoulders drawn up, Nick entered the office. It had an unfamiliar smell of bear fur and expensive cologne, fish and vodka. Absentmindedly, the fox almost stepped around the desk to his old chair (which had been replaced with a much larger, leather armchair), but he redeemed himself in the last second by planting himself down onto a stool in front of the heavy wooden desk that Koslov now claimed as his own.

But there was no time to get comfortable. Before Nick could say a word to explain himself, the bear had ripped him up into the air by his collar and slammed him into the wall. Nick felt the air yield out of his lungs and a cold panic grasp his heart. With his collar rapidly flashing yellow he stared up into Koslov's dark eyes. "Wait, wait wait! I can explain!", whined the fox, but nothing could stop the extended claws of the bear rush towards him.

Nick clenched his eyes closed. At the very same moment the claws connected with – his neck? His collar? – the device tightened around his throat gave him a terrible shock. Black spots blurred the fox's vision as pain surged through his whole body. A thin dripple of blood sunk into his thinned neck fur.

Before Nick could assess what happened, he was let go and fell to the floor helplessly. He felt his neck. The collar was intact, but the leather was ripped in one spot, and a circular hole yielded to his feeling fingers beneath. With a pained and confused expression, Nick stared up at the bear who had stepped back and calmly taken a seat in the arm chair behind his desk. He slung an item onto the surface before him – a tiny, metallic part.

"Why are you here, Nicholai? The police are after you. You endanger me and my family by coming here. This is no longer your place."

Nick, grateful for the life he thought gone mere seconds ago, forced himself to take a seat. He sat slumped, frightened, his collar indicator still a dangerous yellow. Only when his eyes saw the metal chip on the table did he realize what the bear had been after. The small tracking device had been removed from his collar.

"Wilde Times will always be mine.", Nick murmured firmly.

"No. You never paid back your debt. I gave you more time than you deserved, because what you were doing meant a lot to the community. But no one trusts you now. This place will never be what it was, and it will never again be yours. I should have you killed for your impudence. Coming here unannounced in the middle of the night – endangering my family with your presence…your face is plastered on TVs all over the city."

The polar bear's face was serious, resigned. Perhaps he had never intended to rip Wilde Times away the way he did. Nick couldn't imagine the powerful mafia boss to enjoy living in an abandoned warehouse amongst the skeletons of amusement park attractions.

"You're right. I'm sorry.", Nick yielded. "But I'm not here about any of that."

Momentarily surprised, the bear raised a single eyebrow and folded his large paws on the table.

"Speak. But speak quickly. I want you out of here as soon as possible."

"Am I right in assuming that…you are here because of the situation in Tundra Town?"
Koslov nodded gravely. "Not just Tundra Town. Everywhere in Zootopia. I cannot conduct business when there is such tension. Too much attention from the police. Business has been bad. Very bad."

"Then perhaps I may continue in my assumption that the current murders are not doing you any good."

"I am a business man. Not a cold blooded killer, Nicholai."

Nick begged to differ, but preferred to keep these thoughts to himself. "So, what would you say if someone was to find the culprit, shut them down, and perhaps negotiate with the police to lay off the borders a bit?"

"There is no such cop that would speak to us."

"Actually…there is." Koslov's suspicious glance made him hurry his answer. "I mean, I know someone! I know everyone. There is this teeny tiny problem though. No biggie. In fact, you might just be able to help us out. Here's the thing, Koslov, old Chap. The killers are likely operating without collars. And you and I surely remember when we talked about introducing collar scanners to my business…I was just wondering if perhaps you had expanded on the idea with another buyer?"

"Giving away the names of my clients would be bad practice. My customers rely on my discretion."

"Yeah. I understand that. Mhm, absolutely. However, you know…you are potentially harbouring a murderer. Koslov, come on. It's me! I'm not going to get these guys into any trouble they don't deserve. And most importantly, I would never want to make any trouble for you."

Koslov nodded, a sly grin playing around his lips. "You would regret making trouble for me."

"See? We already agree on something."

With barely any effort, Nick had swung one arm around the back of his chair and had set his expression into a half lidded smirk.

Of course Judy felt a little guilty having followed him like that. Wrapped in one of Honey's darker scarfs, her ears tucked back and her snout hidden, she darted after the fox like a shadow shifting its shape in the darkness. Her light feet made it easy to stay silent, and she hoped that Nick had been too close to her these past few days to pick up on the fact that the scent of rabbit fur was too strong here in the park.

Judy had followed him with no worse intention than eager curiosity, and had ducked behind a few brittle looking crates when Nick had been led into Wilde Times by one of the bears. There was only one left now – separating the bunny from the wonderland of information inside. She understood why Nick had told her not to follow – why these people would shut off at the mere idea of a cop – but she could not let that hold her back!

After all this mafia organisation could be consisting of the culprits. Nick might be in danger. And so Judy scanned the ware house for another entrance and was blessed with a hole in one of the walls that no larger mammal would ever have fit through. She darted across the path as quickly as possible, narrowly escaping the eyes of the polar bear, and forced her body through the opening and inside.

With hunched shoulders she snuck about, smelling and listening, nervously glancing everywhere at once. This was Wilde Times. Against the opposite wall of the ware house Judy could still recognize the sad remains of a roller coaster. The place had a nostalgic, heart breaking air to it – a sense of dead dreams and crumbling happiness. Judy felt as though she could hear laughter in the wind howling through the cracks in the wall, haunting sounds of splendours long gone.

She saw the attractions taken apart and stacked by the walls, the arcade machines pushed to the side, and found herself wondering how this place could ever have been a sin. The bunnies enjoyed a fair in bunny borrows for the carrot festival each year, and went wild on the rides. Zootopia was full of the occasional adrenaline seeking attractions. But no predator was allowed to take part in such activities. The collars wouldn't permit it. How was that fair? How were these fun attractions promised to the predator community a danger to anyone?

And worst of all, she saw Nick around every corner. On card board and wooden cut outs, a smile plastered confidently on his features. It was a smile so full of self-fulfilled confidence and happiness that she felt a twinge of sadness at the thought that she had never seen him wear it. The sparkle in his eyes was gone.

Judy pressed her back against a trailer wall as she snuck around the improvised rooms and offices. She could hear gentle snoring from inside and stopped to pause, startled by the sound. A range of posters decorated the door to the room, and a rectangle of dim light fell through a roughly cut out window into the ware house. The bunny looked up at the posters, where the newest one set itself apart from the dustier predecessors.

"Hm…. hang on a minute…", she murmured, bringing her purple eyes close to the poster. It was at this moment that two doors opened – one far behind Judy where the polar bear standing guard had finally stepped inside the warehouse, one opening a trailer not too far from her, the figure of a fox stepping out with grave features. When Nick and Judy lay eyes on each other their features shifted. Hers fell to a wave of relief, whilst his tensed with anger and fright. He mouthed the words:

"Carrots, what the hell are you doing here? I told you to-"

When a far larger figure stepped out of the trailer behind him and left the fox covering in its shadow.

The large white bear with his deadly eyes took just one look at Judy before his eyes narrowed and he said, just loud enough for the approaching guards to hear: "Get her."

Nick and Judy darted towards each other, Judy intend to pull him towards the hole she had found, Nick pulling her into an entirely different direction. After a moment of tearing and struggling the bunny was swept up by her fugitive friend and they ran like the wind, scurrying across dusty floor until they reached a wall and the draft from the outside hit Judy.

They darted through an opening into the night air, narrowly escaping the claws closing around thin air behind them. Growling and cursing could be heard from the inside. Nick dropped Judy to the floor and continued running, barely looking back to make sure she was following.

Sirens sounded in the air. Not too far, not too close, Judy realized. She feared they'd be closed in – where could they run? Where would they be unpredicted? She didn't expect the sudden turn to the left the fox described, and anticipated even less the darkness that swallowed them when they were climbing up a narrow stair case encased in a cement tube. The tunnel let them ever upwards until they escaped through what looked like the interior of a small clinic. Dusty shelves filled with various dubious vials and chemicals decorated the walls.

The place carried the medicinal smell of disinfectants. "What the hell were you thinking carrots?", whined the fox, finally spinning on the spot to face her. His claws were extended and his body was tense, the collar on his neck flashing yellow. Judy stood with her nose twitching and her ears pushed back, and calmly exhaled. "Nick, your collar... first calm down. Please. I'm sorry."

"I'll tell you what you were thinking! Nothing! You weren't thinking! You just couldn't trust me to take care of this, could you. Sly old Nick, surely the fox can't be trusted on his own. Is that what it was, Carrots? Did you think I'd betray your little investigation?"

"No, Nick….your collar…"

"I went because I could trust myself to handle Koslov! If he had seen you, if he had gotten his paws on you, you would be dead, Fluff!"

Zap.

Nick reeled back in pain as the collar momentarily flashed red and his body contorted in a wave of anguish. Judy hurried to his side to stop him from collapsing and gently guided him to the only left cot in the room, against which he leant whilst he caught his breath. His expression revealed itself to her now as concern and sincere fear, something she had not considered he would feel at the thought of her demise. She gently laid a hand on his arm and squeezed it. "I'm fine. I…I was scared for you, too. These guys sounded dangerous, and….you hadn't been to your park in so long."

"There's nothing left of my park.", he sighed.

"Nick, I'm so sorry."

"Heh. It's not like I expected anything else." He shrugged her off. The poker face had taken control of his features again. "Sorry to disappoint you, Officer, but I found out next to nothing. Koslov does have a few devices that can disable collars. And he has sold at least one of them. Don't ask me though who his customer is, because he was not happy to tell me. I failed, alright, Carrots? I suppose this was all for nothing."

"I don't think it was…", Judy beamed at him. With one swift motion she pulled out the poster. She had ripped it off the wall when darting towards Nick, and had folded it untidily into her pocket during their escape. Now, unfolded, albeit crinkled, Nick's eyes widened at the sight of it.

"Animalia circus? Come see predatory wonders at the wildest circus in the city…Sahara Square. What's this about, carrots?"

Proudly, the bunny pointed her finger at the figures depicted on the poster. There were leopards jumping through hoops and cats balancing on a tight rope above a pit of fire. Whether or not the depiction was close to reality hardly mattered.

"It's a circus run by predators, Nick! Circuses run on adrenaline! Tight ropes, fires...heights...knife throwing...These predators could never perform any sort of dangerous act. Unless…."

Nick clicked his fingers as realization crossed his features.

"Unless they had their collars removed!"

"Bingo.", grinned the bunny.

"Bingo.", echoed the fox.