The ZPD was in an uproar. When news about the criminal responsible for the missing mammals came in, everyone was on the go. The chief was leaving his office. Along side him was Martin and his friends, as well as Nick and Judy.
"The criminal left the missing mammals in the cages. All twenty-three of them were freed and accounted for," said Martin.
"Any news about our suspect?"
"No chief," Judy responded.
"Alright. Head to the bullpen...I'll be back in 15 minutes."
"Yes, sir." They watched him leave through the front doors.
"He's probably going to check up on her," Nick implied.
"Dammit...when I see that guy, I swear..." Randal grip this teeth.
"Randal calm down."
"Calm down!? Daniel, that guy tried to kill her! Aren't you just as pissed off as I am!?"
"We get it," Martin said, "look, its my fault I left her alone, so don't blame yourselves...but right now, we can't just charge in without a plan. When the chief comes back, we'll talk about it."
She slowly opened her eyes. She was now looking at the ceiling as she came to. Without thinking, she quickly sat up and caught her breath.
"Miss Lovell," a female voice caught her attention.
"... Ms...Snoweather...?"
"Don't worry, you're safe. You're in the nurse's office of ZPD." Sapphire looked around. She then looked at herself, seeing her injury bandaged up while still wearing her uniform.
"How long was I out?"
"About five hours. Your boss wanted me to tend to you personally, since I am your nurse..."
"Sapphire!" Damian and Kyle ran in. They hugged her on the side as she looked down.
"Hey...what you two doing here?"
"They wanted to see if you were okay," Snoweather explained.
"Are you sure you're okay!? You're not gonna die, right!?" Kyle was tearing up, but tried to fight back the tears.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
"Really?" Damian asked as he cried too. Sapphire smiled and gently rubbed their heads.
*Knock knock*
"How is she?" the chief came in.
"She will be okay. Come on Kyle, Damian...Sapphire needs to rest," the leopard led the cubs out of the room. The buffalo sat on a chair next to her.
"How are you feeling?" His voice was calm, and his expression was soft.
"I'm fine," she spoke softly, "I'm sorry I caused you trouble."
"It's not your fault," he reassured her, "you helped find the missing mammals. Everyone one of them is safe because of you."
"But I let the culprit escape," she frowned, "chief...he knew my parents...he knows who I am."
"What do you mean?"
"Before I blacked out...he called himself the Iron Beast..."
"..." the chief's eyes shot open.
"He was wearing all black...he had metal gloves and...his mask...it was made of iron with these...green eyes and—"
"It can't be..." he whispered.
"Chief Bogo...? What is it?" The buffalo glanced at her, then he looked the other way. Sapphire put her hand on his arm.
"You know him, don't you? Chief, please tell me...who is the Iron Beast?" The buffalo looked at her expression.
"He said he killed my parents. I need... to know what happened..."
"...sigh...Can you stand?"
"...Yes..." Sapphire got up and stood by him, with the buffalo supporting her up.
"Come with me..." Chief Bogo stayed by her side, as they walked out of the nurse's office. They soon reached the bullpen, and the chief opened the door. Everyone got up as he entered, along with Sapphire walking beside him. Her friends were relieved that she was okay. The chief went to the podium as Sapphire approached her friends.
"Sapphire," Judy smiled, "you're okay."
"Hey guys," she smiled at them.
"How are you feeling?" Randal asked.
"Better..." Sapphire then looked at Martin, who gave a smile at her.
"Alright. Everybody sit..." and they did.
"As you know, all twenty-three missing mammals were found a few hours ago...and the culprit responsible is still out there. However, before we handle assignments, there is something you must know about this criminal." The hippo gave him the file. Chief Bogo went to the board and stuck pictures on it as he spoke.
"For those of you who don't know...this is a cold case that dates back almost twenty years ago. Officers Chase and Jade, also known as Mr. and Mrs. Lovell...they were in charge of the investigation. Suspect... John Grayson, a black jaguar. He was once a young scientist for a wealthy company. He was on the brink of conducting a new serum, that could give one the strength of an elephant, and become as healthy as a lion's roar. However, research has proven that he was secretly using the serum to not only give one strength, but to control one's mind and body. Grayson was soon kicked out of the facility, and from his rage, he used the serum for evil purposes. The Lovell's were the only ones who ever came close to catching him. One day, an explosion happened during a pursuit. Grayson was badly injured, receiving after burns on his face and upper part of his body. Discrete by this, he masked himself and went under the name of Iron Beast. Many thefts were undergoing, and the lives of those inflicted with the serum were put at risk."
Chief Bogo put up pictures of an old building.
"After three months, the Lovell's found his secret base in an abandoned laboratory. However they..." the chief looked at Sapphire.
"Both officers were taken hostage..." the next pictures he hung almost made Sapphire's heart stop. They were photos with gruesome detail; bodies that were experimented on. Everyone was horrified by the graphic evidence.
"As he did with the other victims, Grayson experimented on Officers Chase and Jade Lovell. He tried to control them, making them turn on the citizens of Zootopia. However, one evidence showed the downfall..." The chief signaled the hippo officer. The mammal took out a cd and projector. Chief Bogo pulled down the screen as the hippo put the cd in. After a while, the video came in. It was a recording on a laptop computer, as it showed Sapphire's parents looking at the screen. They had bruises and cuts all over. Sapphire almost stood up as she saw her parents.
"If you can hear me, then I want you to listen," her dad spoke, "my name is Chase Lovell..."
"And I'm Jade Lovell..."
"My wife and I are human mammals. We are the only one of our kind living amongst a new world of a mammal population. We have become officers of ZPD. What you're seeing behind us is a laboratory, used for experimentation from the Iron Beast. He has taken us hostage, along with other civilians to produce his latest serum, that could become permanent if he succeeds..."
"The reason why we are telling you this..." her mom started, "...is because...we won't make it out in time."
"We managed to find ourselves with the chemical intake, as well as the serum. We also freed the few survivors before Grayson could do any harm to them. We're going to have one of the survivors take this recording. He will escape through the vent and bring it to the police. That's why...Chase and I made the decision to destroy the experiments...along with us."
"..." Sapphire's eyes were wide open.
"He was already planning on using the prototype on us first," Mr. Lovell stated, "but we won't let him use it on us to hurt the innocent lives of Zootopia."
"We have less than ten minutes before he comes back," Mrs. Lovell sighed, "so we wanted to say a few words before that."
"Hey...Chief Bogo...?" Chase Lovell smiled, "you are the most stubborn, prideful and above all... the greatest boss we ever had. Thanks for looking out for us...and thank you for babysitting my daughter. I know it was torture for you." The chief sighed a little as he watched.
"Zootopia..." Mrs. Lovell tried to smile, "I can't thank you enough, for your kindness. You gave us the chance to live with you...to be a part of your wonderful world. Our friends...our family...our home...thank you for accepting us, and all these years we spent together."
"Thank you for everything," Mr. Lovell said, "and chief...if you got this, I need a favor. I want you to look after our daughter. She's gonna be lonely without her mom and dad...I just need someone I can trust to...to be there for her when she needs it."
"And if you're hearing this sweetie...Sapphire..." her mom started to croak, "don't worry about us. Your dad and I will be okay. Just be safe...and keep on smiling. We'll always be with you...in here," she put her hand on her heart.
"Bye sweetheart," her dad smiled and waved at the camera, "we love you. Don't ever forget that." Within seconds, Mr. Lovell stopped the recorder, ending the video.
The room was silent as the cd stopped playing. The chief looked at Sapphire. She clenched her hands together, and had her eyes to the ground.
"... By the time we received this...the lab had already been destroyed. Unfortunately," Bogo clenched his fists, "I witnessed the Iron Beast right after that. He escaped...and since then, he never showed himself...until now. Now is the time to take action, and our priority is to find him...shut him down...and bring him to justice. Are we clear!?"
"Yes sir!" Everyone shouted. Sapphire kept quiet.
"Alright! I want two teams to take the east and west side. The other two on the north and south bounds. Officers Saber, Blizzard, Wolfram, Hopps and Wilde..." The chief looked up and saw Sapphire leaving through the door. He sighed.
"...you will be with me. Dismissed!" Everyone dashed out of the room.
Outside, Sapphire was walking towards the front desk. She slowly stopped, with Clawhauser's side facing her. The cheetah looked up to see her.
"Sapphire...how are your–" he stopped talking. He watched as Sapphire looked in his eyes; tears were dripping down her face as she sobbed.
"H-hey..." Clawhauser briskly went by her side. He put his paws on her shoulders.
"Hey, it's okay...Sapphire, what's wrong? Does your arm hurt?" He tried to comfort her.
"... I...I'm sorry Ben," she tried to smile, "I just... my parents... I wish they were still here. If none of this happened—they would..."
Clawhauser's ears went down as he gave a sad expression. He rubbed her back as she laid her head on his shoulder. She cried as loud as she could, letting her emotions overflow for one time. From a distance, Martin was watching Sapphire cry her eyes out in pain and agony. The tiger clamped his mouth, as he made a fist.
Fast Forward
After hours of searching, the ZPD couldn't catch the Iron Beast. Chief Bogo told Martin to take Sapphire home early. The chief gave Sapphire the cd, since it was the only thing that was left of her parents. As soon as she got home, Sapphire took a shower and went to her room. For a few minutes she looked at the photo album. She looked at the early pictures. Her parents getting married by the ZPD, it made her laugh a little. There was one with her being a baby in the hospital. The rest were her growing up, with her parents being along side her. Sapphire sighed to herself, thinking of how much she missed before she knew the truth...before she knew everything. Suddenly, she heard tapping on her window. Sapphire went and sat on the window seat. She opened the window to find Martin looking back from his room. He also had a window seat, which faced Sapphire's window too from the sides of their houses.
"Martin...?"
"Hey," he waved at her, "just wanted to check on you."
"Martin...it's only 5 in the evening," she sighed with a smile.
"I know...I just thought we could, you know...talk..." He leaned on the window as she did the same in amusement.
"Alright then...you go first..."
"... How are you feeling?" Sapphire knew what he meant.
"A little better," she glanced down, "my wound should heal in two days."
"Good. You know...if you're not up to...going to work tomorrow, you don't have to. I mean, it's been a long day and..."
"... You saw me cry, didn't you?"
"What!? No!" He protested. Sapphire just raised her eyebrow at him.
"... Yes..." His ears went back as he glanced the other way. Sapphire giggled, which made Martin blush in embarrassment, before it turned into a smile.
"Now that I think about it...I do remember something about you."
"Really? How so?" She leaned back on one side while hugging a pillow.
"Well...we're doing it right now," he stated, "when I was a kid, I remember seeing you cry by your window. I called out to you, and that was the first time we started talking...whenever we needed something to get off our chests, we always used this to tell each other about stuff."
"Huh..." Sapphire glanced to the side, "yeah...I think I remember, too." She bent down to grab something. She then showed her sketchbook and flipped through the page of one drawing.
"Here...this is a drawing of me when I was younger..." she pointed, "and right next to me...I think this cub was you."
"Wow...that is me," he was astonished, "so you really did remember something."
"Yes...I even remember how we played together all the time..."
"You know, I used to climb up from here and then try to jump onto your roof."
"But did you know that you always fell every time you did it? I had to put a line of mattresses so you wouldn't break your bones," she smirked.
"I...I wish I forgot that," Martin sweat dropped.
"... Do you think...I'm causing trouble for everyone," Sapphire asked, "I remember what Tony said...he said that Grayson was after me. If that's true, am I putting everyone in danger?"
"What? No, that's not true," Martin protested, "without your help, we would've never found all those missing mammals. Their families were thanking you...and its another part of the city that's safe now that your'e here. I believe that you made the right choice to be with us..."
"... Maybe...Anyway, is Kyle with you?"
"No. He's with my dad."
"Oh..."
"It's better this way. My dad retired from the force years ago...but me, I don't want my nephew to be wrapped up in my work."
"I guess you're right," she smiled, "I still want to help."
"Sapphire, it's okay. You've been through a lot today, and I don't think the chief will let you."
"Why not?" She protested.
"From what my pops told me, Chief Bogo was close friends with your parents. Your dad especially...because he was the only one who could match his skills. They respected each other a lot. So if anything would happen to you...I don't think he would forgive himself."
Sapphire made a sound through her closed lips. She didn't think about how Bogo would feel, but he did seem to care when she came to work in the force, even when he visited her in the nurse's office. In a way, he did care for her.
"The chief said I was stubborn...but I'm not taking no for an answer," she gave a serious look. Martin sighed. He was still worried about her being targeted by the criminal, not to mention her wound was still healing.
"Look, its getting dark," she changed the subject, "I'm going to have dinner, and then go straight to bed." Sapphire got up from her spot.
"Really?...but its still early..."
"Then go and do something. I'm staying here and getting some rest."
"But—"
"Goodnight Martin," she closed the window shut and drew the curtains over it. Martin groaned in boredom, staring at the window Sapphire closed up. Sapphire giggled and shook her head.
"Even adults have a soul of a child inside," she smiled, "don't you think so mom...dad...?" She looked at the photo from her desk.
Sapphire went down to look for something in the fridge. Suddenly, she heard her phone go off. She read the contact, it was from Oswald.
"Oswald?" she spoke through the phone.
"Sapphire, something happened to Mr. Trunks! Come to his house, quick!"
"What!? Hold on, what happened?"
"I don't know. I just got here and the door was already open."
"Look, just stay there. I'm on my way." She hung up and immediately took the train to Trunks's house. By the time she got there, Sapphire saw the door was open. She entered the house, noticing the scattered books, shattered glass and furniture tipped over. Oswald stood by professor Trunks near the staircase.
"Professor!" Sapphire ran towards them, "what happened Oswald?"
"I don't know. I was walking up to his house for a delivery, when I saw the door was open. Then I heard noises like a struggle, and by the time I came in...I saw Mr. Trunks on the floor." Just then, they heard groaning from the elephant.
"Oh my...my head..." Mr. Trunks tried to sit up.
"Professor Trunks, are you okay?"
"Miss Lovell..."
"What happened here?"
"Ugh...a pair of leopards broke into my home. They attacked me, but I was able to hold them off before they left through the windows."
"Leopards?"
"Yes. Strange though...I never seen a leopard with red eyes before."
"Red eyes...they must have been Grayson's henchmen."
"The Iron Beast?" the bear widened his eyes, "he's back?"
"Yes. I think he wanted some of Mr. Trunks's DNA. He's trying to recreate his serum."
"What do we do?"
"Ozzy, you call the police and go with the professor to the hospital," she started walking away, "don't tell them I was here."
"Where are you going?"
"There's something I have to do." She exited the premises.
Fast Forward
"So that's why you came to see me," the old sheep sat in his chair as Sapphire stood up.
"Yes. Dr. Hornscoff...a few days ago, you said you once had an employee who worked along side you but was fired after. Tell me...was it Grayson?"
"...sigh... Yes...yes, he was," Hronscoff sighed, "he was brilliant, but he had a corrupt mind that only saw his skills used for the wrong ideas. No doubt that he already injected those mammals with the serum..."
"If that's true, then, is there a way to reverse the effect?"
"Hmm...there might be," he rubbed his hoof on his chin, "I might be able to make an antidote to permanently wipe out the serum for good."
"Then do it. I'll get a sample for you from the station."
"Alright, but you should head back and rest. I have a feeling that we'll need all the energy we can muster to solve this predicament."
"Thank you doctor." Sapphire left his lab. While doing so, she dial a number as she walked back to her house.
One thing's for sure...Sapphire was going to be a part of this investigation. Nothing will stop her from bringing the Iron Beast to justice, and to finally end the cold case of him and her parent's death. And there was only one thing to do before then.
