A few short months passed since Bellwether and her associates were apprehended. The trial was was progressing slowly as her crimes were of such a unique nature. No animal had ever developed a non-lethal biological weapon that caused the victims to become weapons themselves.
Meanwhile Judy had been reinstated back at the ZPD as a regular beat cop and Nick had enrolled into the police academy. His timing couldn't have been better as he was able to get his application in just 2 short weeks prior to classes starting. A glowing recommendation from the chief of police didn't hurt him getting in though. He was pleased to learn that he could graduate after just one year and he could move onto more part time studies whenever he desired to further his career. He found the freedom the program offered very appealing. The workload was higher than he was used to but he quickly found that the intellectual portions were easy enough for him. He understood the theories and could memorizes all the codes, procedures and laws that were thrown at him. The only place he struggled was during the physical education classes. Though he was agile, he had next to no endurance or upper body strength and during the large animal opponent class he found his bravery severely lacking in the face of a charging rhino. Once again Nick had unknowingly opened up to his best bunny buddy so, being the good friend that she was, she took it upon herself to help him train his body by taking him (a.k.a. forcing him to go) to a local gym.
Nick looked around, unimpressed, as he followed Judy bouncing cheerfully into what could only be described a testosterone and steroids filled hell. Fitting, he mused, that he would follow the perky bunny down into hell itself. To the left were rows of foreign torture machines with animals strapped in and grunting like they were trying to establish some sort of primitive hierarchy via lifting heavy objects. To the right, directly in front of the storefront windows, were two old-school boxing rings.
Nick was lost in his own thoughts and observations when he was hit square in the chest by a pair of boxing gloves. He fumbled the gloves for a moment before glaring at the happy bunny in front of him.
"Judy, why did we have to come here?" He asked not even trying to hide his annoyance.
"What do you mean? You said you were struggling with the physical requirements at the academy," Judy asked, her face suddenly full of concern and confusion. Nick chastised himself, once again, for being so honest with Judy when it came to what was happening at the police academy. "How else are you going to get fit enough to pass?"
Nick shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Ab roller in the comfort of my own home?"
Judy glared at him. If Nick were honest with himself he would admit that he'd never done a push up or sit up in his life and if it were up to him he never would. However, if he really wanted to become a cop he would have to buckle down and put forth the effort to build some muscles. He did not want to fall into the icy pools under the climbing wall again.
Judy chomped onto a mouth guard and lifted herself onto the platform of the boxing ring. Nick gave a disgruntled sigh and slunk up into the boxing ring behind the eager bunny. From the higher vantage point Nick spied all the other animals going about their business . They were all animals that were already huge; rhinos, bears, elephants. What was the point of trying to get even bigger?
He looked back at Judy. She was already wearing her head gear and a gloves and bouncing around punching at the air. Nick admired her greatly. She had an unflappable attitude and was completely unafraid of what other animals thought of her. She fought her whole life to achieve her dreams despite the entire world telling her those dreams were impossible. However, at this time, Nick couldn't help but think of how stupid she looked in her boxing get up. Even a giant grizzly nearby was trying to stifle giggles. Nick realized that neither he nor Judy had any place in a boxing ring.
"Ugh, Nick! You don't even have your gear on! Let's go!" Judy scolded him through her mouth gaurd. Nick reluctantly placed the head gear on and laced up his gloves, painfully aware that the stupid bear was still watching him and not doing a very good job of hiding it.
"Ok" Nick admitted, "I get why we are at the gym, but seriously? Boxing?"
Judy rolled her eyes, "You will be learning how to take down both larger and smaller animals at the academy and you will be doing it in a boxing ring. Plus, this will help me get an idea of where you are at physically. Now let's go!"
Nick grumbled as he chomped down on his own mouth guard. He stood in the middle of the ring and Judy bounced around him showing off her light foot work. Nick rolled his eyes and noticed another animal, a bison this time, watching him and Judy. Nick laid his ears back in embarrassment.
"Come on, you need to put up your arms to block," Judy coached as she jabbed Nick lightly on the left arm. He did as he was told but barely moved to when Judy bounced to his other side and landed a few more light jabs to his right shoulders. "Come on Nick. You have to at least try."
Nick sighed and tried to block Judy's hits but his movements were slow and clumsy. After several successful hits Judy sighed and stepped back. She shook her head in disappointment at her apathetic student and Nick took the opportunity to look back over his shoulder. Now there were five animals watching as they lifted their ridiculously large weights.
"Ok, this isn't working," Judy huffed, "why don't you try hitting me?"
Nick froze. Hit her? How could he hit her, especially with all these other muscle bound monsters hanging about? She was smaller than him, a prey and a girl. Other animals were always looking for a reason to demonize foxes. Nick was afraid that if he did box Judy, the giant animals that were watching would step in to kick his ass the moment he landed a decent punch.
"Sometime today Slick!" Judy called.
Nick shifted his weight unsure of how to proceed. There was no way he could admit his fear or hit her, even if it was in a friendly match. He finally stuttered out a stubborn "No."
Judy perked up from behind her defensive stance. "What?"
Nick looked Judy square in the eyes, "Yeah, I said no. Hm-mm. I will not be boxing with a cute little bunny today. I didn't want to come here in the first place."
"What, why?" Judy asked. Nick hated to see the disappointment on her face.
"I just don't think it would be appropriate for a fox and a bunny to hit each other," Nick couldn't look her in the eyes. He knew he was being really lame but he his nerves piled up on himself and he couldn't back out gracefully.
Judy's eyes narrowed. She could let being called cute slide but since when did Nick think it was OK to pull out some social acceptability card on her. "What?" She challenged him.
Nick could feel himself getting hot under the collar. "Look carrots, it's nothing personal. A little bunny like you against a larger fox like me? It's just not fair. I wouldn't want to hurt or embarrass you is all."
"Really Nick? You really think your going to hurt me? Is that what you're really afraid of?" She challenged him and although he knew she was seeing through his lie he had nowhere else to go and simply nodded. Surprisingly she sighed and relaxed, "Ok, fine. Take off your gloves and sit down."
Nick was surprised at how easily she had given in and suspected a trap but did as he was told. Judy walked sadly to him and took off her gear. She took both his paws in hers. "I want to show you something Nick." She said calmly as she placed both his hands on her upper arms.
"Squeeze" she commanded gently. Nick cautiously did as he was told and was surprised to find that under all that soft, fluffy fur Judy was hiding a sizable, hard knot of muscle.
"Do you feel that? I was told it wouldn't be appropriate for a bunny to become a cop, so I began to put forth the work, both physically and mentally, to prove them all wrong." She then moved his hands down to her abdomen. She pressed his thumbs into her soft fur. His ears got hot as he felt every single muscle in a well defined six pack. Judy looked deep into Nick's eyes. There was a cold sadness in her eyes and words that were melting into a hot, determined anger. "There wasn't a darn person who believed in me or supported me, so I had to work harder than than any animal who ever walked through that academy. I was doing a hundred sit ups, a hundred push ups, running 5 miles and I was up most nights studying just to make it through to the next semester."
Nick was now oblivious to the scene Judy was making as her voice got louder and angrier and what she did next caught the attention of nearly everyone in the gym. She pulled Nick's hands down past her hips and rested them on her thighs. His paws had run down both cheeks of her shapely rump and Nick laid his ears back in fear and swallowed down a hard lump that had been forming in his throat. His large paws spanned almost the entire length of her hard thighs and he shrank when he realized his thumbs had wrapped around her legs and were now just inches from her crotch. Nick's eyes darted down towards his hand and then back up into her eyes. He didn't dare look away from her fiery, determined eyes for long as she said, "This is the product of my hard work, so that nobody could tell me where my place was in the world. I am the only one who can determine that! I thought you believed in that too, that you were ready to prove to everyone that you are more than some sleazy, conniving, lazy fox but then you try to tell me that training with me wouldn't be appropriate? Says who?"
Nick was dumbfounded and stunned when Judy violently ripped her gaze from him. She glared into the crowed that had formed around the ring. She spotted the giant grizzly grinning stupidly and trying hard not to laugh. She pointed him out, "And what do you think is so funny? Do you think I'm wrong? That I have no place here?"
The grizzly tilted his head back and roared with laughter. "Aw, you poor, sweet, cute, little bunny. You can't fight nature. You can only be what you are." Nick remembered he once told her almost the same exact words and she had proved him wrong then.
Judy puffed out her chest as she turned towards the bear before challenging him coldly, "fine, then come in here and prove your right."
The bear was still snickering as he climbed into the ring, "Oh, that'll be too easy." Nick saw his towering form and snapped back into reality.
"Judy stop! You don't have to do this. You're right. I was dumb. I'm sorry!" Nick stammered but Judy just shot him a warning glare that told him to get out of the way.
Nick slinked to the edge of the ring as Judy squared her shoulders towards the large bear. He nearly fainted as the bear sent a giant fist down towards Judy crushing the floor of the boxing ring. The crowd let out wild hoots but Judy had dodged the blow completely and stood mere inches from the grizzly's large furry arm. The bear let out a confused grunt but quickly recovered and reached out to grab the lithe rabbit with his other arm. Judy hopped high over the reaching fist and over the bear's head coming back down on him like a stone. She jumped back up off his head and came down once again onto the end of his muzzle with a series of sharp kicks like a terrible dance on the poor bear's nose.
Judy landed before the bear and bounced gently on her toes as the grizzly let out a howl of pain. He shook his head before fixating on the little bunny that had embarrassed him and wounded his pride more than his nose. The bear charged at Judy. Once again she easily dodged the large beast, this time rolling off to the side. She then ran to the far end of the boxing ring and leapt off the corner pole. She sailed gracefully in the air and at the last minute twisted herself to land a hard kick once again to the bear's nose. She leaped off the nose as the bear reared back in pain, flipped and landed hard on all fours before the bear and swiftly bounced back up, launching herself like a torpedo into the bear's gut.
The bear fell backwards moaning and Judy flew through the air and landed lightly at the other end of the ring. Her shoulders still square and her fists balled but it was for no reason as the bear waved his surrender. The entire gym burst in excited whoops and howls and Judy finally relaxed her muscles but Nick could still see rage in her eyes as she turned on him.
"This is Zootopia," she called victoriously, "I can choose to be whatever I want and I do not need anyone's old fashioned concepts of what is or isn't appropriate holding me back." Now she was talking just to Nick, her voice becoming gradually more gentle. "Do not ever underestimate me because of my size, my species, my gender, my anything. I am capable of more than you can imagine and I just want the same for you, but you have to trust in me. Please, don't be afraid."
Judy held out her hand for Nick to join her back into the ring and the grizzly lumbered into the shower rooms as the rest of the animals returned back to their exercises. For the next hour Judy tutored Nick on proper form and how to use their small size as an advantage over larger opponents. They finished with a few exercises before they both left with their heads held high and their bodies high on endorphins.