"Alright Hopps, you're good to go." The cheetah paramedic finished tying up the gauze before helping Judy up off the floor of the ambulance. "Looked and bled a lot worse than it actually was, but it should be good to walk on in a couple days."

"I trust that you'll make sure she doesn't do anything drastic, right?" the cheetah asked, giving Nick a wink.

The fox shrugged with a grin. "No promises. She is very hard to persuade, even for someone as roguishly handsome as me."

"You guys know I'm still right here?" Judy asked, shooting them a fake glare that broke into a smile.

Nick walked over and offered Judy his arm for support, helping her make her way to the enormous police cruiser that Daniel had been leaning on for the past few minutes. He had been watching officers of various species go in and out of the museum, some bringing in investigative equipment while others moved the suspects to their squad cars. He opted to avoid them out of respect for their work, but also because he couldn't shake his years of intuition that told him to steer clear of any that could easily kill him.

The buffalo was definitely one of the more intimidating officers, not only because of his massive size but also because of his unwavering cold demeanor. Although, after seeing the look of concern that the chief gave Judy, Daniel had the feeling that there was more to the buffalo than what he was seeing. Still, it would be a long time before Bogo would consider letting his guard down an inch around him. I can't say I'd blame him either. A creature that has been extinct for over a thousand years suddenly decides to show up in the middle of a high priority case can only look suspicious. I'm lucky he didn't just arrest me for conspiracy.

As Judy and Nick strolled up to the cruiser, Bogo broke off from a pair of coyote detectives and brought up the rear. "Get in," he ordered, barely breaking his stride as he walked around the front of the car and got in the driver seat. Nick looked at Daniel and gave a confused shrug before helping Judy into the backseat. Nice to know I'm not the only one who can see that Buffalo Bill doesn't like me too much.

With an exasperated sigh, Daniel swung open the passenger door and sat down next to Bogo, never daring to so much as look at the chief for more than a few seconds. To say that the atmosphere in the front of the cruiser was tense would be an understatement, and it seemed to rub off on the residents in the backseat as well. The entire car was completely silent as the chief keyed the ignition and began driving down the streets of Zootopia.

Of course, Daniel found the roads altogether unfamiliar, but he put no effort in trying to learn them just yet. He chose to focus on taking in the stunning scenery instead. He had been to a couple cities before now, but for most of his life he had been in the suburbs outside of them. But none of them even came close to this. Zootopia was an entirely different beast, and the architecture was the main giveaway. From the towering skyscrapers that came in a variety of eccentric designs to the massive walls that closed off the center of the city from the rest of the districts, Daniel couldn't help but stare out the window as the car passed by them all. New York has nothing on this place. Everything is just so big, and yet there are so many tiny details.

As he continued to stare out the window, a question randomly popped into his head. "So what are the walls for?" he asked absentmindedly.

"They're responsible for isolating the climate control," Judy supplied. "Zootopia has several different districts that are all meant to cater to different mammal's comfort zones. There's the Rainforest District, Tundratown, Sahara Square, and Savanna Central just to name a few."

"You know Carrots, you'd make a really good tour guide in another life," Nick quipped with a smirk, earning a punch in the arm.

Daniel shook his head and grinned before going back to drinking in the view. Judy couldn't help but smile at him, wondering if that was what she had looked like when she first saw the city.

Eventually the police car pulled up to the Precinct, ending the premature tour of the city. "Out," Bogo commanded, climbing out of the police cruiser and leaving it a few hundred pounds lighter. The trio followed Bogo up the steps and into the precinct, this time without Nick having to hold Judy up, although she still had a slight limp. It wasn't long before the three were inside Bogo's office, with the chief closing the door after everyone had shuffled in. Daniel leaned against the wall in the back while Judy and Nick took the two chairs across from Bogo's desk.

"Now," the buffalo grunted, taking a seat in the large chair across from them. "First order of business. Hopps, I believe you dropped this in my office a couple of weeks back. Make sure not to lose this again, or it might be much harder to find the next time." The buffalo pulled out a police badge from his pocket and placing on the desk just in front of Judy.

"Sir, I-I don't know what to say—"

"I don't like losing good officers, so don't do it again. Now, let's start with the mayor. What happened with Bellweather?"

Judy and Nick tag teamed the beginning of the ordeal, with each taking turns explaining the true nature of Nighthowlers, the drug lab in the wrecked train car, and finally their encounter with the corrupt mayor. By the time they were done, even Bogo had a newfound appreciation for the rabbit and the fox. They were a remarkable team, and he couldn't help but feel that they had the potential to become an impressive pair of officers in the future. Not that he would ever tell them that of course.

Daniel was even more impressed, despite having already heard a choppier version of the story. He just couldn't get over the fact of how amazing they were for a pair of animals that were a third of his height put together. They reminded him of his father in many ways, a highly distinguished detective who had solved numerous cases before the virus hit. These two would actually give him a run for his money, now that I think about it. Probably solve just as many cases in half the time.

After writing down some final notes, the chief turned his head towards Daniel and looked him dead in the eyes. "Last time I checked humans were all but extinct. Now, one just happens to waltz into one of the hottest cases Zootopia has ever seen, and not only that, but is now one of the most important witnesses we have. Start at the beginning, and I mean the beginning."

Daniel got up off the wall and walked closer to the desk, still holding the stare down with the chief. "Well, a deal's a deal." Daniel closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Humanity looked a lot like all of this back in 2022, complete with planes and cars and everything else in between. Now, I only know as much as I was able to get from the news and from researcher reports before I went under, but here is general idea. It all started one day in mid-July, when the news started reporting on an epidemic stirring up the Middle East. At first, everyone thought it was another terrorist attack, perhaps some type of advanced chemical warfare or a new dirty bomb. That is, until it started spreading across all of the continents. Within a week the entire region was dead from a single virus. It was extremely efficient and highly selective, being able to travel via water, air, contact, and other animals while only killing humans and other primates.

"Within a month half of the world was dead, and every other remaining country was scrambling to try to survive through any means necessary, but it just wasn't enough. By October, the virus had spread across the entire world. Everyone was certain that this was the end of the human race, that this was Armageddon, and thus it was named the 'A-Virus.' People were dying by the tens of thousands every day, and almost all of our scientists had died in the first wave from direct exposure. Our last shot was to try this new branch of cryo-technology that had made some significant advancements just before everything went to hell. A few hundred other survivors were selected to be stored in vaults while we waited for the virus to die out.

"Everyone knew it was a longshot, but we had to try. But, by the time I woke up, the virus had compromised the facility and everyone died, except for me. The train wreck back at the museum caused the facility to issue an emergency evacuation, and I only just made it out before the whole place collapsed. Before I knew it, I stumbled into this mess." Daniel let out a deep sigh before leaning back against the wall. By now, everyone in the room was staring at him with solemn expressions. Even Bogo's hard expression seemed to ease up.

The chief studied him for a moment before easing into the back of his chair and rubbing his temple. "It's never easy is it…" the buffalo muttered, this time with a lot less iron in his voice. "We'll need to appoint a new mayor before we can get our legal procedures back underway, but when the time comes you will be able to apply for citizenship. In the meantime, this doesn't change the fact that you are now a key witness in this case and will be expected to testify in Bellweather's trial when the time comes. Whether you take advantage of this opportunity is up to you, but in the mean time you have the option of being kept in witness protection while we investigate as to whether Bellweather has any other associates that we should be concerned about."

Daniel shook his head. "While I appreciate the offer, there was something I was meaning to ask. I was almost done with police training before the virus hit, and I was wondering if I would still be able to apply. I get that I'm already pushing boundaries, but I feel like I could-"

Bogo held up his hoof, cutting the speech short while continuing to look at the man across from him. "Normally—no, almost always—I would decline a request like that without another thought. But, I'm feeling generous today. The force could use more capable officers, especially now that criminals will be looking up to Bellweather and growing bolder." Bogo turned to face Nick, who had remained uncharacteristically quiet alongside Judy throughout the entire exchange. "Now that we're on the subject, I believe Hopps was also intending to give this to you." The chief fished out two application forms, one with many of the fields having already been filled out with Nick's information. "Training begins next Monday, and I expect both of you to be there. Is that clear?"

Nick took the form and looked it over, a smile forming as he eyed the details.

"Nick! Congratulations!" Judy exclaimed, practically hopping out of her chair and giving him a hug.

Nick chuckled, returning the hug while trying to keep the paperwork wrinkle free. "Take it easy Carrots. I know you absolutely hate work, but hurting yourself isn't the best way to get out of it. Besides, I've still got to graduate."

Bogo cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "He's right, and just as a reminder: Precinct One only takes the best of the best."

Nick nodded and gave him a confident grin. "Consider it done."

The chief turned back to Daniel before continuing. "Now, keep in mind that I still have witness protection in mind while we wait for you to be processed into the academy. We don't have any available officers besides Hopps due to the complexity of this case, so she will be in charge of you for the time being. Make sure to get that application back in tomorrow, or consider this exceedingly rare opportunity closed."

Daniel simply nodded, collecting the paperwork before making his way to the door. "Thank you, sir. It feels good to have a place again."

The chief simply waved him away. "Enough of that. All of you, out." With that, the trio made their way out of the office, Daniel closing the door behind them. Bogo leaned back against his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt that he was starting to get soft, so Bogo resolved to give Hopps a harder time when she came back to work.

Daniel made sure that the door was closed all the way before saying, "You know, the chief isn't as much of a hard-ass as I thought."

Nick snickered while Judy frowned at him. "Don't let Buffalo Butt catch you saying that or he might misplace your application," the fox quipped.

"So I was wondering," Judy started as the trio walked down the stairs and towards the precinct doors. "What inspired you to join the force?"

Daniel looked up at the ceiling with a reminiscent smile, memories of his parents slowly resurfacing.

"Well, both of my parents were with the police since they could start working. My dad was an up and coming detective when he first met my mom, a regular beat cop at the time. My dad was working a case, a drug store robbery that had gone south, or so the investigators thought. The guys put a hole in the cashier's head and took the money from the register, but my dad knew there was more to it after he interviewed the only witness at the crime scene. My mom had only just been able to hear the gunshots while she was on patrol, and by the time she got to the store the guys were already taking off. She was able to grab the plate numbers and a fairly accurate description of the car, though. My dad interviewed her as usual and was about to leave but, of course, my mom didn't want to just sit on the sidelines. After a lot of arguing and a little begging, my dad finally gave in and let her tag along.

"Anyway, they were able to track the car to a higher-up lawyer from a local firm. He never reported the car missing and, a few days later, he was seen driving it around as usual. My mom and my dad later busted him and the robbers who turned out to be hired guns. The guy they murdered was a key witness for a case that the lawyer was defending, and he had hired these guys to make sure he couldn't make it to trial. Making it look like a failed drug store hit was their idea, but it ended all the same. My parents started seeing each other after the case and the rest is history I guess."

After he was done, looked down at Judy with an inquisitive expression. "So, what inspired you to join the force?"

It was the rabbits turn to stare wistfully at the sky, the trio having practically stopped just outside of the precinct to relive their early days. "A lot different than yours, that's for sure. See, most rabbits live outside the city in Bunnyburrow and pretty much everybunny is a farmer. The Hopps family is one of the biggest traditional farming families still out there, so it wasn't exactly normal that I not only wanted to do something other than farming, but police work no less. I think when I first told my dad he nearly fainted, but I'd always heard that in Zootopia 'anybody could be anything', and I always knew that I wanted to make the world a better place. I was certain when one day the town bully, a fox named Gideon Grey, stole some tickets from some friends of mine. No one else stood up to him, so I did. He scratched me up pretty good, but I was able to get the tickets back!"

Nick's brows furrowed as Judy spoke about her childhood bully. "How come you never told me about this guy?" Nick asked, his tone somewhat less lighthearted. Almost defensive, Daniel thought to himself, smiling inwardly. These two are clueless, aren't they?

Judy seemed unfazed by Nick's concern. "It was a long time ago Nick. Not only that, but I also saw him when I went back to Bunnyburrow. He said he was sorry for what he did when we were younger, and besides, he also helped out with the case. Gideon was the one who helped me realize that nighthowlers were what was responsible for all of the savage mammal incidents. Not only that, but him being a jerk all those years ago is what made me so determined to be an officer."

The fox gave Judy a skeptical look for a moment before letting it go. "Whatever you say Carrots, but if I ever meet this guy, no promises," he warned sarcastically, giving her a sly wink.

"I can take care of myself you know," Judy grinned, playfully punching his arm.

Daniel shook his head and grinned. It's funny how human they are. If someone were to tell me that animals would be as smart as humans in the future, I would have called them a lunatic.

e turned to read the clock above the front desk back in the precinct. "Didn't know it was already this late. Did I miss Bogo mentioning anything about where I'm supposed to be staying?"

"He's usually supposed to tell us in person," Judy supplied. "Must have passed his-" she was interrupted by a ping from her cellphone. "Oh cheese and crackers… all of the saferooms are out of commission." Judy pulled her ears over her eyes and groaned. "And I just remembered that I left the truck too."

"Don't sweat it Carrots, we can crash at my place. Should have enough room for all three of us," Nick offered.

Judy looked like she wanted to argue the point, but she ultimately nodded in agreement. "Alright. But we still have the truck at some point."

Nick just waved the issue away. "We'll get it in the morning. I know a guy that'll make sure it doesn't get towed. Now stop worrying so much Carrots, you just saved the city!"

Judy let out an exaggerated sigh and gave Nick a small smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. Now, I'm going to go flag down a cab so don't go anywhere," he said with a wink.

After a few minutes of waiting in the fading sunlight, Nick was able to hail a human-sized taxi, and before long the trio were off. It was about a twenty-minute drive from the precinct to Nick's apartment complex, although it was probably longer than normal due to the cab driver taking it rather slowly on the way to their destination. Daniel blamed it on the fact that the driver kept looking away from the road to steal a glimpse of him every chance he got. I wonder how long I'm going to have to deal with this.

The building itself wasn't anything impressive from the outside; a typical brick and mortar complex with nondescript features that blended in with every building around it. It wasn't until they got inside Nick's apartment that Daniel was back to being impressed with every aspect of the city. Everything looked pristine, from the spotless burgundy and grey trim wallpaper to the practically new furniture. "I don't really spend much time here," Nick explained, sensing the other two's disbelief. "I just use this place to sleep and store some of my keepsakes, but other than that I barely use it."

The fox nonchalantly beckoned them to follow as he walked around the apartment. "Living room is back there, kitchen's here, bathroom's over there…" he listed off, pointing to each room as he went over them. "This is the office and—damn, I forgot that I've only got one bedroom." An awkward silence hung over them as Nick's arm slowly dropped to his side, the tour meeting a premature end.

"Whelp, I'm calling couch. You two can sort out who gets the bed," Daniel said quickly, shrugging off the upper jacket of his jumpsuit and strolling back over to the living room before ungracefully collapsing on the sofa. Surprisingly, only a bit of his legs dangled off one end. Why does a fox need such a big sofa, not to mention such a big apartment? This looks like something I would rent. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Nick and Judy trying to discuss the bedroom situation. Eventually Nick was able to convince Judy to take the bed for herself while Nick lounged in the recliner in the living room.

A/N: And thus ends the second chapter. For anyone that is surprised that I'm updating this so quickly, prepare to be disappointed. I'm only able to go this fast because I already had some of the beginning planned out in my head, so writing it isn't that hard. Also fun fact: I had originally named this 'Exposition in Disguise', but I'm glad I was bale to flesh it out into something more than just explaining the setting.
M: Stopgap - Ed Harrison (General Ambiance)
N: Seas of Infinity Album - MegaDrive, Strafe OST - ToyTree, Neotokyo OST - Ed Harrison