Author's Note: I'm so glad to hear people are liking it so far! I've got tons more in store, so I hope it stays interesting!

Judy awoke with a start, breathless.

It was nearly 4:30 in the morning. She groaned; there wasn't enough time to roll over and try to get back to sleep, so she swung her legs off the bed, resting her elbows on her knees. A bead of sweat rolled down the bridge of her nose, tickling her whiskers. She shook it off, and watched it fall to the floor.

The sheets beneath her felt damp, and she briefly worried there'd be an accident before she realized it was only more sweat. It clung to her paw, and she groaned again. She'd have to find time to do laundry.

Her window rattled as a delivery truck drove past, and she opened the window for some fresh air, jumping up to rest against the frame. She took a few deep breaths, relishing the crisp nighttime air.

Judy didn't have many dreams. Bunking alongside several hundred of your brothers and sisters granted very little opportunity for an uninterrupted, full night's sleep unless you lived alone or snored like a grizzly bear. Now that Judy had the former, they were a little hard to get used to, especially those that were particularly vivid, like this one. She was nothing but prey, driven by instinct and paranoia. Huge branches hung overhead, weaving thick threads of black across the forest floor, and she cautiously made her way through dense underbrush, nibbling here and there. But then there came a sound, a snap of a twig, and the fox was bounding after her. She raced blindly forward, desperate to outrun him, her tiny heart beating like thunder. She leapt into the carcass of an oak, shriveling against the hollow stump and hiding in its shadow.

The fox burst through the bushes, searching wildly. His eyes met hers in the darkness of the oak, but instead of hunger or savagery, she saw the same, overwhelming fear. He was being hunted, and whatever it was, it screamed in the night, and attacked. Judy woke before she saw what it was, and as she sat on her windowsill, she was grateful for the sounds of the city that could drown out that screaming shadow. A dump truck was music to her ears.

She thought of Nick as the fox in her dream. Had he ever felt like that, navigating a city where he was distrusted by both prey and fellow predators? Judy hated the idea that he had dealt with it alone for so long, and she was sure he hadn't taken yesterday well even if he didn't show it. It made her angry all over again, hearing the suspicion and doubt in their voices as they demanded to know what Nick was doing in a uniform.

'Serving your city, you idiots,' she thought.

She opened her phone. Nick wanted a picture of the two of them on their first day as partners, and she smiled to herself seeing his barely contained excitement on the screen. That same, half-lidded look he usually sported, but with an ear-to-ear smile.

Her legs ached, straddling the windowsill, and she felt the sudden urge to go for a run. Rabbits could get cranky if they didn't have opportunities to stretch their legs, and if she wasn't going to get anymore sleep, there wasn't much she could do just sitting around waiting for sunrise. With one more gulp of fresh air, Judy grabbed a hoodie and, careful to make as little noise as possible, creeped out of her apartment and down the hallway.

There was a feeling of liberation being outside when most of the city slept on. The roar of crowds and businesses gave way to the hum of streetlights and the occasional passing truck, and when she slipped in her earbuds, everything fell away into a pounding bassline. It didn't matter what direction she took, so long as she put one foot in front of the other, following the beat.

As she reached the open air of the central square, seeing the ZPD and city hall lit up, her mind wandered to the mess on Bogo's desk, despite his warning to ignore it. What most mammals took from the Chief was his sternness, stone-faced and menacing. But he was elevated to his position namely because of his ruthless efficiency. He demanded no less than the best from every officer under his command, doubly so for himself. Paperwork was boring, to be sure, but Bogo never fell behind, and so whatever was being dumped into his lap must be serious. Judy made a mental note to offer her help, even if she was rudely rebuffed. Just because Bogo lead the precinct doesn't mean he can't have help.

A surge of adrenaline took Judy down a maze of tightly-wound alleyways, and she was nearly side-swiped by a scooter carrying the morning's newspapers. She leapt clear over the scooter and it's driver, landing on an a/c unit mounted in the frame of a first floor window. From there, she hopped over the fence, before the paperboy even had a chance to realize what had happened.

She saw the spray can first, billowing red paint onto the side of a brick wall. She saw the rodents next, stacked on top of one another for support, and their tiny eyes wide with shock. She saw the word 'Savage' last, scrawled in tiny letters onto the building.

"Scatter!" said a mouse, heaving the spray can over his shoulders and into a nearby trashcan. He jumped to the ground, and darted into the shadows.

The other three scrambled, looking for a place to hide. One ran under Judy's legs, squeezing through the fence she had jumped, while another pushed a loose brick out of the way, diving into the frame of the building. The last, the largest of the three, had wedged himself in a storm drain, his legs kicking in the air.

"Let me go!" he squealed, as Judy yanked him from the drain. The color drained from his face as she lifted him into the air by his collar, bringing them eye to eye. He was young, no older than nine.

"Vandalizing private property is a misdemeanor," she said.

"What's it to you!?" said the mouse. "You're not a cop...a-are you?"

"I may not have my uniform on, but I don't need that to bring you to the station, do I?"

By now the mouse was shaking in earnest, and Judy set him down on the lid of a trash can before he fell out of her paw.

"You don't have to worry about predators going savage," Judy said. "Everything was uncovered, remember? Bellwether was intentionally targeting them to divide the city. Predators don't just randomly go savage."

"That's why she was only getting predators!" insisted the mouse. "Because they're the only ones that can go savage. That stuff wouldn't have worked on them without it."

"No," said Judy, "that's wrong. They only went savage because of the Nighthowlers. It was a drug, not biology."

"How do you know?"

"Because I was there," Judy said, angrily. She put her hands on her hips, and let the little mouse look her up and down.

"Y-you're the bunny cop?" the mouse asked.

"Do you know of any other bunny cops in this city?" Judy shot back.

To her surprise, the little mouse sat down, sniffling. He wouldn't meet her gaze anymore, and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm sorry…" he said. "T-they told me if I w-wanted to hang out with them I had t-to help…"

Judy sighed. She held out her hand, letting the mouse climb into it, and set him gently on the ground. "You know deep down that this is wrong, don't you? Predators are just animals want to live peacefully, like the rest of us. Has a predator ever hurt you?"

"Well, no, but-"

Judy hushed him with a pointed finger. "No buts," she said, getting down onto one knee. Her expression softened. "I know how you feel. I made the same mistake once, and almost lost a close friend, who just so happens to be a predator and my partner. He's fighting to prove to this city that fear won't tear us apart, and I need you promise me you will as well."

The mouse nodded meekly. "Okay...I'll t-try."

"Good. I'll let you off with a warning this time, but I'm coming back to this spot tomorrow, and I want the graffiti gone, okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

Judy smiled. "That's good to hear. Now, let me take you home. If you're lucky, your mom won't know what you've been up to."

After taking the mouse to his home in Little Rodentia (which was thankfully right by the side of the fence), Judy had just enough time to race back home for a shower before her alarm clock began blaring, and she'd have to explain to some noisy, nosy neighbors what had happened.

Nick was waiting for her outside the ZPD, with a warm smile and two cups of coffee. He offered one to her.

"Something tells me you had a rough night," he teased.

Judy accepted the coffee gratefully, taking a few tentative sips. "More like rough morning. Am I that obvious?"

"Well, your fluffy little tail is still stuck in your pants, so you tell me."

Judy almost threw the coffee in Nick's face in her hurry to get it out of her hands. She corrected her mistake as discreetly as possible, begging that no one else saw.

"I should have just gone back to bed," she said, mortified. "Please tell me you had a better morning than I did so I can live through you for the next five minutes."

"Well here I am, on my way to the station, taking my usual shortcut through the back alleys and grimy side streets of our fair city, when lo and behold I come across a little mouse, cleaning up some offensive graffiti."

He handed Judy back her coffee, smirking. "I couldn't make out what he had written, but that poor little mouse must have had quite the talking to. Gosh, I wonder who could have said something? You sure do know how to make this city feel small, Carrots."

Judy shrugged. "I c-couldn't sleep. Thought I'd go for a run, and there they were. I don't think they really knew what they were doing. Maybe their parents taught them that, but that kind of makes it worse, doesn't it."

She sighed. "Of all the mammals to see that...why couldn't you have taken the scenic route?"

"Don't beat yourself up, partner. You stuck your neck out for me when no one was watching, and that's got to count for something." Nick opened the door for them both, smiling warmly. "Come on. The sun's in my eyes."

Officers Grizzoli and Delgato were crowding Clawhauser's desk as they attempted to get him to weigh in on who had the biggest claws. Delgato was unceremoniously showing off his middle one. "King of the Jungle? Feh! You don't even live in the jungle," he said. "Look at long these beauties are. Sometimes I frighten myself in mirror if I look at them too long."

Grizzoli snorted. "I'm not surprised you scare yourself, 'fraidy cat. Now here are some real claws. I could shave a rhino's horn with these babies."

They both turned to Clawhauser, shoving their paws in his face. "Clawhauser, what do you think?" they said in unison.

The chubby cheetah looked at his own paws in embarrassment, and put them up in surrender. "Hey, come on guys, we're all on team big cat here! There's no need to argue. Especially not when you're gonna drag me in the middle of it. I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Delgato rolled his eyes, noticing Nick and Judy in the corner of his eye. He waggled his fingers. "What about you two? Care to weigh in?"

"We both know who they'll choose," said Grizzoli.

"It's not the size that matters," said Judy, "but how you use them."

All three cats snickered.

"Oh sure, you're right. Like a fox's, for example," Grizzoli said.

"Assuming he's ever used them," Delgato agreed.

Judy nudged Nick with her elbow as they headed towards the bullpen, chuckling. "Any idea what they're talking about?" she asked.

Nick coughed. "Not a clue."

Clawhauser looked towards the door, waving brightly. "Oh, good morning, Chief! I was worried you were sick or something."

"Had an errand to run," said Bogo, stomping towards the front desk. "Hopps, Wilde, head into the pen. I'll be there in a minute."

"Let's go warm up our seat," Nick said.

Delgato and Grizzoli were watching the door when they walked in the bullpen, and few of the other officers shared looks between themselves as the pair took their seat. Judy's ears twitched nervously. She leaned over to ask Nick if he knew what was going on, but Bogo's entrance riled up the other officers.

"Settle down everyone," he said, taking the podium. "Now, before we begin, I want to take a moment to remind everyone to conduct themselves professionally at all times. The ZPD is under constant scrutiny, and I'm sure my officers don't want me breathing down their necks." A low chuckle spread through the pen, and Bogo put on his classes, rifling through the day's files.

"Officers Grizzoli, Delgato, Fangmeyer, your teams take the Rainforest District. Higgins, Snarlof, the break-ins at Sahara Square. Trunkaby, Wolford, McHorn, bundle up; you're spending the day in Tundratown. I want extra patrols by the Howlett residence, and keep in contact with Officers Hopps and Wilde if something springs up."

One by one the officers collected their files and left, leaving only Judy and Nick. "Are we always last because you'll miss us most, Chief?" Nick asked.

"It's a matter of seniority, Wilde," said Bogo. "I don't play favorites. But speaking of, I read in your report that you gave Howlett your personal numbers."

Judy nodded. "Yes sir. In case he needed to reach us."

"I understand that, but you cannot guarantee him priority, Hopps. You report to me, not Howlett."

Nick's tail swished nervously as Judy stood from her seat.

"And I understand that, sir. But we have a duty to protect our citizens-"

"And you will, where I assign you. I sympathize with the wolverine's plight the same as you do, Hopps, but you are not his personal bodyguard, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," said Nick. "And loud."

"Good. That being said, whatever you do off the clock is no business of mine, so long as it remains on the right side of the law." Bogo smiled ever so slightly, and looked down at the last remaining file.

"You two are headed to the Nocturnal District. Precinct 5 has reason to believe Bellwether's chemist has set up shop down there, and you are scheduled to debrief with Captain Yaguara on everything you know about Doug or his accomplices. I've cleared the day, so you two have as much time down there as you need."

Judy clapped her paws together. "Oh, this is exciting! I've never been there before."

"Don't lose your focus, Hopps. Yaguara is...not as pleasant a mammal as I am, and very old-fashioned."

"So I'm guessing she's not going to be too big a fan of a bunny and fox as cops?" Nick asked. "We could bring a bottle of wine, tell a few jokes?"

Bogo snorted. "I'm not joking, Wilde. You two will have to be careful. Yaguara may report to me, but she's always enjoyed a measure of independence. It could be an uphill battle.

"Don't worry sir, we'll handle it!" Judy hopped down from her chair. "I've got a lot of experience working with mammals who don't want to help me. And look at him now, he's my partner and everything."

"Better me than everyone else at the ZPD, right Chief?" said Nick, with a wink.

"Chief Bogo can try and scare me all he likes; this is still exciting!" said Judy.

They were sitting in the middle of traffic, Nick drumming his fingers on the wheel. "He may have a point, Carrots. He didn't seem to care too much for this Captain Yaguara, who I assume isn't going to care too much for either of us."

"We'll be fine."

"Your optimism is exhausting."

"Let's change the subject. You've lived here all your life. Have you been there?" Judy asked.

"Plenty of times. Great part of town, so long as you stay on the ZPD's good side."

Judy squinted. "What do you mean?"

"Well, they're not as friendly as you or I. They prefer a 'stun and detain first, ask questions later' approach. We're lucky the first time you're going down there is in a uniform."

Ahead of them, traffic widened into 5 lanes across on both sides, with an enormous stone tunnel casting a shadow on half the cars. Every now and then, a horn honked in impatience.

"Anything I should know beforehand? What's it like down there?" Judy asked.

Nick grinned. "I'll let you see for yourself."

Once they reached the tunnel, Judy could see a large metal platform and an attendant directing the cars to spaces separated by white paint. He waved them to the last space, and scribbled some things down on a clipboard. He hurried over to his booth, where Judy could just barely make out a control panel. The attendant pushed one of the buttons, and the platform began to rumble.

"Wait…" Judy said, gripping Nick's arm. "The district's underground?"

Nick patted her paw with mock sympathy. "Oh Fluff, it's the 'Nocturnal' District. What? Did you think they turned the sun off?"

The rumbling grew louder and the platform started down a slanted track. Industrial lamps beamed down harsh light, and the polished stone of the tunnel turned to jagged, crudely-excavated rock. Judy looked in all directions, hoping to spot something, but when she noticed every other mammal playing with their phones or idly chatting with their neighbor, she pulled her head back into the squad car.

"It'll be a few minutes," Nick said, leaning his seat back. "It had to be far enough down to keep the rest of the city from crashing down on top of us."

"Y-you don't think that could happen, right?"

Nick, detecting the hint of nervousness, flashed a toothy grin. "Anything can happen, I suppose. Did you ever learn 'duck and cover' in school?"

The lights suddenly shut off, and Judy's head pivoted all around, goosebumps running up her spine. The rumbling of the platform ceased, and another set of lights shone down onto the platform. One by one the cars started up and drove off the platform, down another tunnel and around a curve. Judy heard the sound of music, saw pulsating lights, felt her heartbeat jump to her throat. She gasped when they turned the corner.

The caverns were gargantuan, at least fifteen stories, their edges warped by dozens of wondrous stalactites and stalagmites. Some were turned into artificial pillars, met in the middle by ornately-carved concrete and wrought iron buttresses, while others supported the district's architecture, either by carving them out or constructing around them. Each stood like blackened monoliths, and large swaths of bio-luminescent mushrooms and algae cast brilliant shades of color upon their polished walls, in hues of red, and green, and purple, blue, and yellow.

Beneath them, the road was lined with strips of cool blue light, winding through the pillars and crevices. Mammals steeped in neon signs and heavy shadow wandered past glass displays and intimidating entryways, about their business and oblivious to Judy's wonder of it all. Further down the cavern, a geyser spurt billowing steam high into the air, and looping ads played on the subsequent cloud of mist.

They pulled to the first open meter, and Judy almost immediately leapt out of the car. "This place is amazing!" she exclaimed. She spun in place, her eyes dancing with the colors of the cavern, and she might have fallen over if Nick hadn't reached under her arms and caught her.

"Careful Fluff," he teased. "It's a little dark down here, and you're not nocturnal."

Judy grabbed his shirt in excitement. "Why didn't I ever hear about this place?"

"It's about as far away from the carrot farm as you can get. I wager it'd been off your radar for years."

"Why didn't you tell me about this place?"

Nick brushed her off, laughing. "I finished my time at the academy two days ago! Before that, you knew me for, what was it, 48 hours? Don't you think if I had time to show you the city I would have? That starry-eyed look is so cute I can hardly stand it."

Judy punched his arm. "Don't call me cute."

"Oh, Officer Hopps!"

A hyena waved at them from across the street, and was nearly hit by a streetcar as he crossed to greet them. He was stoutly built, with a bulbous nose, watery eyes, and broad, toothy smile. His left ear flopped with every step.

"My name is Officer Mlanje, but if you can't pronounce that, you can call me Ed. Most mammals stick with Ed."

Judy and Nick both shook his paw. "How did you know it was me?" Judy asked.

"You made waves," Ed replied. "A bunny assigned to Precinct 1 right out of the gate? Maybe you didn't know it, but everyone was keeping an eye on you, especially the captain."

"And what do they think of me now?" Judy asked.

Ed shrugged. "Let's just say it's a tough crowd. But I'm a big fan, if you don't mind my saying."

He turned back towards the street, motioning for them to follow. "Come on, I'll show you the way to the station. It's just two blocks down."

The sound of lively jazz wafted out a doorway they passed, mixed with cigarette smoke and the smell of coffee beans. A pine marten sold cheap trinkets from a wooden cart, snowglobes and keychains and postcards all at suspiciously low prices, although he didn't seem perturbed as the three officers walked past.

As they took a crosswalk, Judy spied the ZPD Precinct 5 building, an ominous behemoth of dark brick that snaked up and around one of the larger pillars. A tall iron gate stood on either side of their entrance, winding a large circumference around the stalagmite upon which the building was supported. At the very top, a watchtower sporting large glass windows all the way around watched the district below.

Ed saw the look on Judy's face. "It certainly gives off that 'warm welcome' vibe, doesn't it? Captain Yaguara likes it when she can keep an eye on things."

"It looks like the guard tower of a prison," Nick remarked, whistling as his eyes followed from the bottom to the top.

"Have experience with those, Officer Wilde?" teased Judy.

After you!" Ed opened the door for the two of them.

In the middle of the atrium, several glass elevators rose to the very top floor, with narrow walkways high above leading into the bedrock. Reception stood immediately to their right, where a Grizzly bear sat in an impossibly small chair, his back to almost a dozen small flickering television screens. Judy spied their party in one of them, and tried to find the corresponding camera.

Nick pointed to the screens. "What's with the eyes and ears everywhere?"

Ed shrugged. "Captain says it keeps perps from acting up. They're less likely to put up a fuss if we can charge them with something else with the video evidence."

He led them to one of the elevators, and pressed the button for the top floor with a chubby thumb. Judy stumbled as the elevator suddenly rocketed upwards, the glass around them humming from the speed. Nick shook his ears wildly when they stepped back out, blinking and gritting his teeth.

"That might take some getting used to," he said.

Ed gently pushed them from behind. "We better get going. Captain hates it when we're late."

He led them across the walkway where a single black door stood, Captain Yaguara's name painted in white. Ed rapped his knuckles lightly across, pressing his ear against the wood.

"Captain?" he called. "Officers Hopps and Wilde are here."

The door swung open, and Ed stumbled forward. Captain Yaguara stepped aside, letting him fall to the floor. She stepped over his body, and looked down at Judy and Nick both. She was a remarkably tall jaguar for her species, with broad shoulders and well-toned muscles beneath her crisp, black uniform.

She did not offer her paw, merely stepping back over Ed (who was still trying to get to his feet). "That will be all. Leave us."

"Right away, ma'am," Ed waved goodbye, and Judy could have sworn she spied a look of condolences as he shuffled back towards the elevator.

"Water?" Yaguara asked, striding towards her desk. She did not wait for a reply, and two bottles were waiting for Judy and Nick as they crawled into the only other chair.

"Thank you, ma'am," Judy said softly.

Yaguara did not acknowledge Judy's thanks, having turned in her chair to a file cabinet behind her. She produced several forms, and placed them on her desk, sliding them over.

"Fill these out with anything and everything you left out in your initial report about Bellwether's accomplices."

"Left out?" Nick repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Captain, my report was exhaustive. I didn't leave out anything."

Yaguara laced her fingers together, staring coolly down at Judy. "I find that hard to believe, Officer Hopps. Otherwise Doug would not have eluded capture for so long, right under your nose. I don't know the standards Bogo allows in his precinct anymore, but in my district we don't let wanted criminals escape custody."

Judy's tail twitched. "I hate to disagree with you, ma'am, but our primary goal at the time was getting the evidence to the ZPD. And we caught Bellwether as a direct result."

"Forgive me, but dumb luck is not usually considered an accomplishment."

"Excuse me?" Judy felt her heart begin to race.

Yaguara stood from her desk. "Tell me, what did you expect to happen to that railcar if you had pursued the sheep instead? Did you think it would just jump off its rails, slip away into the shadows?"

"But Captain-"

"One of you could have followed Doug, and the other called for back-up. That railcar was going nowhere, and if it weren't for your impulsive and reckless behavior, both Doug and his accomplices would be behind bars."

Yaguara stood by the window, looking down into the cavern. "Instead, you chose blind heroics. That railcar could have killed dozens of people, caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage. I acknowledge your capture of Bellwether, but I doubt a hired gun would have protected her for very long."

She turned to face both Nick and Judy, her expression icy and disappointed. "So perhaps you understand my hope that vital information was left out of your initial report. Otherwise, I have to simply accept your stupidity."

Nick jumped from the chair. "Easy does it, sweetheart. Hindsight's always 20/20, isn't it?"

Yaguara took an aggressive step forward. "Watch your tone, fox. If you were under my command, that smart little mouth of yours would not be tolerated."

"It was that 'smart mouth' that helped us solve the case," said Judy. "Captain Yaguara, I understand you're frustrated that Doug is running loose, but we're on the same side."

"Are we?" Yaguara turned her sharp, yellow gaze to Nick. "I find that hard to believe, present company considered."

"Nick is a good Officer," Judy pressed. "He's my friend. If you're questioning his character, you're questioning the ZPD."

"You will not put words in my mouth, rabbit. The ZPD is a noble, proud service to the community, service that starts with keeping criminals off my streets, and out of its own ranks."

Yaguara sat back at her desk, tapping her claws on the wood. "Shall I be honest? I don't trust either of you. I believe the both of you are more concerned with proving something to countless strangers rather than protecting them from harm. First rabbit officer, first fox officer...these accolades are useless, hollow unless you fulfill your duty to Zootopia, and I have no reason to believe you have made that priority."

Judy's foot thumped in anger. "I won't have my duty called into question. I don't care if you're a Captain, or the Chief of Police, or the Mayor for all I care. I serve this city, not my own ego. And if I'm proving anyone wrong, its your own backwater attitude towards any mammal shorter than you."

"'Get out of my office, now," Yaguara snarled, throwing her fist against the desk. "I'd have your badges if you weren't under Bogo's thumb."

Nick began to lead Judy out of the room before she could argue any further. "You don't have to tell us twice, Cap'n. Officer Hopps and I will take our leave. I mean, we found fourteen missing mammals and unraveled a political conspiracy in less than 48 hours, but I'm sure you can handle a few sheep. How long's it been since you knew they were down here? A few weeks?"

Yaguara leapt up, knocking her chair to the floor. "Out! Get out, you little vermin!"

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Nick shut the door behind them, his ears flat against his head. "Well, that could have gone better," he said, rubbing his neck. "How you holding up, Carrots?"

"Did she even want our help?" Judy demanded, furious. "Or did she just bring us all the way down here so she could yell at us? Who does she think she is?"

Nick pointed to the nameplate on the door. "I think she thinks she's the Captain down here."

"How can you be so calm? After those horrible things she said? Nick, are you sure you're ok?"

Her partner knelt down, putting his paws on her shoulders. She saw hurt in his eyes, but there was pride, too. "I've had better days, true, but I always knew things were going to get worse before they got better. And maybe I do have something to prove, but it's nothing to her.

Nick stood back up, lifting her chin with his finger. He shot her a wink. "And with you in my corner, I think we'll be okay. Just don't try to wreck any trains on my behalf."

Judy giggled. "No promises."

"That's the Carrots I know. So Bogo thought we'd be down here all morning...how about an early lunch? Brunch? Do I hear a Yay or Nay for brunch?"

Author's Note:

Names

-Yaguara is Nhengatu (a South American, indigenous language) for beast.

-Mlanje refers to a village in Malawi where a pair of Spotted Hyenas killed dozens of people.

Hope you liked it! I'll probably start on Chapter 3 tonight.