Those sitting closest to the door shrink away in shock and fear as the komodo dragon lugs into the warehouse. Her presence seems to suppress the room as she stalks over to an empty metal chair, raking her black claws over the frame. They scrape against the steel as she drags it to an empty spot at the table next to a koala. The chair creaks under her weight.
"What are you doing here, lizard?" snarls the wolf.
The komodo crosses her thick legs, staring up at the leaking ceiling. Opening a claw, she catches a drop of water, watching it explode in her palm, her eyes unflinching as it spatters over her face. She licks the specks off her maw, tongue flashing from between her teeth. The wolf leans over the table.
"Rictus, what are you doing in Zootopia?"
'Rictus' turns to the wolf.
"Real shithole you got here, Allen." she says, and Allen growls. His crew shifts uneasily in the crowd of henchmen, fur raising along their necks.
Rictus chuckles—an ugly, gurgling sound.
"Calm down, pup. I'm only here to make an offer or two—pass on some information while I'm at it." she rasps.
"That's crap, and you know it." replies Allen.
The other bosses nod cautiously. They have little knowledge of how reptilian gangs operate, but they've heard rumors of their ruthless efficiency.
"And what if it is?" she questions.
Before Allen can reply, Ronald senior holds up a paw. He levels his gaze with the komodo dragon.
"Rictus, don't waste our time."
The komodo keeps his gaze for a beat before addressing the room.
"There's new product on the market, and it's been sweeping through Saurotopolis."
Judy and Purrsia glance at each other. Saurotopolis is a reptilian city approximately 183 miles east of Zootopia, bordering the edge of the Geckgobi desert.
The city is a monument to thermal ingenuity. Herds of solar panels soak up heat from the unrelenting sun, feeding the settlement with power to operate vents and heat lamps while the rest of the energy is divided up among the different sectors. But Saurotopolis' fame does not come from the planes of solar panels that stretch miles outside the walls—it is the massive dome that surrounds it. During its construction in 1944, it was decided that instead of insulating buildings to retain heat, they would insulate the city instead. The glass covering reduces the need to spend energy on heat lamps during the day, and helps Saurotopolis keep its temperature through the night. Rictus continues.
"I won't lie," she says, and someone snorts, "it takes a lot of resources to make only a few batches, put the payoff is worth it. Demand has tripled within the first seven months of our trials in Saurotopolis."
More than a few of the bosses perk their ears. Even Ronald senior leans forward in his seat. A squirrel click his pen on the notepad in front of him, quietly preparing to take notes. Rictus smiles a bloody smile.
A storm of confusion and dread forms in Judy's head, and she has to repress the urge to thump her foot against the roof. She furiously copies down the meeting on her notepad, ears straining to grasp every word through the soaking cardboard.
s-topolis new drug? seven months no cases/overdoses in s-topolis why no reports? "batches"=expensive lot of "materials" reptiles make move in zoo? why now? rictus being backed or solo? find out drug side effects dangerous? find how much $ new drug go for find rictus hideout why here why now?
Rictus turns her head towards the door.
"Seth!" she yells, and a thick, green crocodile in a tank top lumbers inside.
Seth's hide glistens with rainwater, his scales reflecting in midnight shards over his powerful body. Two rotting mackerels hang from his right hand, glinting like rusted knives. Ribs peek out from beneath the scales, bits of gore clinging to the filthy bones. A metal briefcase attached by a handcuff swings in rhythm with his wide tail. The handcuff's chain clacks over the briefcase as he approaches Rictus's spot at the table, where he tosses the two mackerel down with a wet smack, their juices collecting into a foul puddle. The koala next to her flinches at the impact, unsettled by the mackerel's empty sockets that stare hopelessly at the ceiling.
Rictus lets the room take in her bodyguard. She watches in delight as the gang leaders shift uncomfortably under the large crocodile's gaze. Rictus wriggles her tongue, tasting the rancid air that permeates from his body. She admires the way his scales jut in small mountain ranges under his clothes. His entire existence is vicious and brutal. Fucking cowards, she thinks, none of you have the balls to stand up to him—he'd tear you apart.
"I assume you'd like a demonstration?" she asks.
Ronald senior and Victor lock eyes. It's against their policy for anyone to bring something that can be considered incriminating evidence to these meetings. Simple social issues are the only things discussed during the bi-weekly gatherings where mob bosses can look good in front of their henchmen if they play their cards right. Victor looks towards Rictus.
"Normally we wouldn't allow for such a bold display, but I think with our current situation it would be...safe."
Rictus pulls a small key out of her pocket, handing it to Seth. The crocodile unlocks his wrist, then opens the case, revealing rows of neatly stacked orbs the color of red wine. Seth shoves the case towards the koala, who sits statue-still waiting for Rictus's instructions. The komodo dragon's demeanor turns icy.
"Pick one and pass it," she hisses.
The koala snatches one of the glassy orbs before struggling to scoot the briefcase to the left. One by one, each of the mob bosses pick a sphere out of the briefcase and hold it up to the light. They examine the product with wary interest. They turn their attention back to Rictus when the briefcase comes back to her. She catches one of the spheres in her claws.
"We've already got slang for this in Saurotopolis," she says, twisting it in her claws, "—wine, juice, ink—but its original name is bacchus. It's a strong hallucinogenic drug that can be ingested or smeared over the fur. So far, we've only come across a few minor side effects—paranoia and increased heart rate being the main area of concern."
Ronald senior nods slowly, rolling the ball in between his fingers while junior takes down notes, estimating the weight, circumference and volume of the new drug. Ronald junior taps his paw on the table.
"On the subject of drug usage, what are the effects of an overdose?" he asks.
Rictus stares the cub down.
"Savagery."
The connection is made in an instant, and their outrage is immediate. Growls and snarls circulate as they drop the drug in front of them. Seth lets out a rumble, his throat vibrating with a baritone croak. His mouth separates, ready to clamp down at Rictus's command. Victor stands up, placing his paws on the table.
"You brought night howler to Zootopia? Are you insane? That drug nearly ruined this city three years ago, and now you want to sell it on our streets? Absolutely not—I won't allow it."
Rictus laughs.
"Believe me, Victor. Bacchus is a much more watered down version of night howler. It has nowhere near the potency of the first version. Anything our clients experience is simply...amplified by our drug. The only cases of savagery were from smaller animals stealing larger portions—there isn't enough out on the market for species that can actually be considered extremely dangerous."
Ronald senior shakes his head.
"I think we're done here."
She purses her lips together, showing the first sign of worry.
"I assure you, it's nowhere—" she tries, but Allen cuts her off.
"I'm not listening to this. My boys and I are leaving if anyone else wants to follow."
Many of the heads in the room nod in agreement, and leaders start to file out past Rictus. She seeths as herds of criminals brush by her, emboldened by their defiant leaders. She is left in an empty, dripping room, staring at her bodyguard before getting out of her seat to gather the abandoned drugs and heading back to her car, leaving the two police officers on the roof speechless.
_
AN: I need to get back to writing more Nick and Leonard. Sorry about the missed update.
Sorry about the missed update-things have been pretty chaotic on this end. I'm packing up for my study abroad trip in France for three weeks (I leave tomorrow), so I don't know if I'll have a lot of access to wifi. I'm sorry that this story has been so stop-and-go, but summer is soon approaching, which should free up a lot of time to give this story the care that it deserves. I'm super excited to get this show on the road, but I have to wait just a little bit longer before doing so. Sorry to have to do this to you guys.
And a big thank you to those of you that have stuck with me through this. I appreciate the comments and criticisms that I've received so far and look forward to more of it in the future.