Been a while since I last updated this fic, mostly due to a distinct lack of inner muse. Just haven't been able to figure out where to take it. But for the moment I was able to piece out something for this tale and I hope it'll tide you all over until next I get a chance to upload.

Enjoy!

Zootopia

Chapter 3: Initiation

Girding himself with as much courage and determination as he could muster, Roland awaited his summons. No matter how much experience he had under his belt, the young man could not help but feel a kernel of unease develop in the center of his gut. Whoever sat behind the desk past this door was the one who held the keys to his career. If he screwed up in any way, if he made but one infinitesimal error, he could lose his job and therefore the loosely attained position he had claimed in this city. It was quite possible this Chief Bogo character would have problems with his species, something he never had to consider back in Kalber. All it would take was one simple demerit and he might have his badge revoked, the career equivalent of a death sentence.

"Enter." A low voice with a very distinct accent passed through the door, reminding him of the small oceanic country off the shore of Ervad.

'Well, here goes nothing.' Roland took a last deep breath to steady his nerves and twisted the handle on the door, pushing the barrier open and stepping inside.

The room was not overtly large, in fact it was quite a small place for an individual in such a high position. Which made the size of his new Chief all the more obvious, the buffalo, even seated as he was, matched and nearly exceeded Roland's height, (his horns nearly touching the ceiling). Standing, he would no doubt tower over him. And Roland had been considered a tall guy back home, making this whole adventure so far quite an eye opener.

The desk was almost comically small when compared to the owner, but made him no less intimidating. An organized mess of color coded folders were arranged across the surface of the desk as the Chief perused the contents of one of them, not bothering to look up and acknowledge the human who had entered.

Not knowing how else to proceed, Roland assumed a stiff backed posture and neatly clasped his hands over his lower back, all the while hoping he was not making a fool of himself.

The Chief studied the papers in his (paws?), for a few moments of tense silence before gesturing towards one of the chairs, still having yet to lift his gaze.

"Sit." He grunted curtly.

Nodding hesitantly to himself, Roland quickly set himself down on the stiff backed chair, the room deathly quiet.

The buffalo continued to inspect the documents he held, and Roland was beginning to suspect this was some kind of intimidation tactic, either that or the Chief was genuinely apathetic to his presence. And if that was so... well it didn't bode well for him.

Thankfully, not much later the buffalo finally tapped the papers against the desk and set them down carefully on the similarly colored pile, at last bringing his attention up to the human, albeit slowly. There he shifted his gaze to focus on Roland, and the man suddenly felt exceedingly hot under the collar, facing such intense scrutiny.

Having no words to say, he decided that silence would be his best policy here.

As the nearly accusatory eyes studied him, the Chief reached into a drawer below his desk and retrieved another folder, this one seeming to have a heftier weight to it. With an exaggerated flare he tossed it onto the desk, the heavy sheaf of papers producing an ominous thump.

"I read the transfer file from your department." He stated matter-of-factly, tapping the folder in front of him with a condemning digit.

At those words, Roland's blood ran cold.

He didn't know the department would send a file over, nor had he ever considered that if they had, it would be that big. What exactly was in that stack? How much did this Chief Bogo know about him?

Was Faraza in the file? That whole incident should have been wiped from his record.

"Sir, I..." Roland tried to explain, but was swiftly cut off.

"There are some fairly interesting points written in there."

Judging from the Chief's tone, he did not sound nearly as moved as his words.

"If, what the file has written is true, you will be a welcomed addition to the force." The buffalo rumbled.

"Sir?" He repeated, confused and uncertain what exactly was happening. Roland had to admit, he had not expected that to be said.

"Does the file lie?" Bogo inquired, eyebrow slightly raised.

"Uh, depends, what does it say, Sir?" The young human asked hesitantly, wary of what might be inked within those pages.

"It says here," The water buffalo flipped the folder open and ran a finger across a sentence selected arbitrarily. "Exemplary service and conduct," He picked out another at random. "Experienced and qualified captain of the KDP SWAT division," The Chief chuckled sardonically. "This file sounds more like an aspiring resume then an official document."

Roland winced.

He hated to admit, but he agreed with the buffalo's rendition of the folder's contents. It sounded nice to be sure, but it also sounded rather boastful. His previous commander probably thought it would be helpful. But it just might actually be the thing to sink him.

"Tell me... Winters." He leaned forwards to stare the human down, the man wilting under the critical gaze of the Police Chief. "Is even a single shred of this... prosy jumble, true?"

There was really only one answer he could give.

"Yes Sir, every part of it." He answered as confidently as he could, hoping his voice didn't sound as weak as it did to his own ears.

The buffalo held his hovering stance, glare unchanging as it studied the human's impassive expression. Eventually, he huffed and reclined back into his chair, nodding to himself in what appeared to be satisfaction.

"Very well." He snorted dismissively and gestured behind Roland, slamming the folder closed and concealing it underneath his desk, returning his attention to the case files arrayed before him. The buffalo spoke in a rather uninterested tone. "Head down the stairs and attend the morning's roll call then. I'll be down shortly."

Still somewhat behind what had just happened, it took Roland a few seconds to realize he had just been dismissed. It had come so suddenly. Nodding quickly, he rose up from the seat and headed towards the door, his mind still trying to process the conversation. He had not been fired right of the bat, but he certain the Chief did not believe the entirety of the folder's contents. And Roland deeply wished he could have seen what they were for himself.

"Oh, and Winters..."

Pausing, Roland turned to the Chief's desk.

"Do not disappoint me."

The banal warning carried far more weight to it than if the buffalo had screamed it at him.

With another, more respectful nod, he ducked out of the room.

Well... that was fun.

Roland sagged against the nearest wall, trying his best to recollect his scattered brain. The conversation with the chief had rattled him even more than he had expected it would. But at least he had pushed through, and it would seem as if he still had his job. All in all it was a rather promising start to the day, more than he had expected.

Straightening his collar, the young human traveled back down the staircase. Thankfully, the precinct's layout was simple enough that he didn't need to ask for directions to the squad room, a series of convenient labels proving to be sufficient guidance. On the way, he crossed paths with several mammals in uniform, offering them polite nods as he passed by. Most returned his greeting, albeit with varying levels of cordiality.

Roland was happily surprised to receive, what was to him, a rather warm welcome considering how different he was in appearance and that of the usual standard back home. Perhaps this city was indeed as cheery as the advertisements proclaimed.

He found the squad room at the end of a hall, denoted by a helpful dark blue plaque securely bolted next to the door. The volume of raucous voices within gave him only a brief pause of unease. Things were going well so far. Hopefully, his streak of good luck would continue.

Wanting to remain somewhat discreet for the moment, he quietly slipped inside. Having not instantly been noticed by the rowdy bunch of mammals, he found a seat at the back and pulled the chair closer to the wall, by the water cooler. With it at his back he felt a sight more relaxed. Kalber was a dangerous place, especially for a cop. He had learned quickly that an officer should always keep their back to a wall, eyes towards the door. It was a learned habit had chosen not to break.

Curious to see what the difference to his old station was, he focused his attention on his surroundings as he waited for the chief to arrive. His throat a little dry from his previous, rather tense conversation, Roland decided to help himself to the water dispenser in the interim.

The zootopian squad room was larger than the one they had at his old precinct, as were most things here, perhaps due to better funding. He wasn't sure. A cork board hung on the opposite wall, a detailed map of the city pinned to the ruddy brown foam. Points of interest were marked on the map with pictures of mammals. Interestingly enough, they were all predatory. Having seen this type of setup before, he knew they were in all likelihood missing person cases, or rather missing mammal he supposed it to be now.

However he would have expected the majority of them to be prey species, it was logical to assume that predators would have a much likelier chance of avoiding kidnappers or general misfortune. Even from a brief glance of the map, he could tell something was definitely off about this.

Call it his professional intuition.

Taking a sip from the little Styrofoam cup, he watched as a hippopotamus at the front of the room abruptly called out for attention, the mammal having to shout in order to have his voice reach the back of the relatively small room.

Roland's amusement peaked as the occupants of the crowded room rose from their seats and pounded on the tables, almost in a tribal like fashion.

Guess animals are a little more boisterous than us humans. He chuckled softly. Roland didn't mind it all that much truthfully. It was a humorous break from the usual bland, subdued monotony he had come to suspect of the job. At least these... men, were in high spirits.

The door beside the officer drifted open, admitting the familiar appearance of Chief Bogo who quieted the noisy officers with a wave of his paw and a few quiet words, an action that showed the depth of respect and authority he held over his charges.

Realizing it was time to focus, Roland placed his cup on the plastic rim around the water cooler and leaned forwards to listen, smiling as the chief made a rather comical pun. Whether he recognized it or not, he gave the buffalo a few kudos for that.

Once the noise level was dropped to a once more reasonable level, the chief resumed speaking.

"Now, down to business." He shuffled the papers on the podium. "As you all are no doubt aware, the ZPD's SWAT divisions, particularly here in precinct-1, have been underfunded and short-staffed for several years now."

There were a few reluctant nods of acknowledgment in the room. It was a well-known fact that the special units in the ZPD had seen better days. Mayor Lionheart had severely cut the funding and resources allocated to that section of the department, seeing no need for them in this city.

Unsurprisingly, the action was almost immediately met with a sharp increase in high level crimes that the present force was ill-equipped to handle in its current state.

The buffalo assumed a direct, no-nonsense tone. "As of effective immediately, this is going to change."

His surprise announcement was met with inquisitive murmuring, the officers sharing curious glances with each other.

"We've been lucky enough to receive a new transfer from the KPD that will assume the role of operation head to our local SWAT division, who now sits in this very room." The Chief's gaze shifted pointedly in Roland's direction. Following his stare, every head in the room followed.

Beads of sweat found themselves running down the sides of his face as he met the myriad of predatory eyes. Worried that if he spoke all that would emerge would be a deathly embarrassing squeak, he settled with a fairly steady nod in their direction.

So, this is what the chief had planned for him. To be honest, he had been hoping to land a job as a common beat cop, albeit with a fancier title and pay. He had his fill of command roles back in Kalber. But, he was in no position to refuse the chief of police's orders.

"Starting tomorrow, Captain Winters here will be accepting applications for those of you who wish to apply. This posting will not interfere with your usual duties and will be met with a marginal increase towards your salaries. As placements will be limited, you must make your decisions quickly."

With that leaving a moment of uneasy silence in the room, the chief soon returned to the day's tasks. But at that point, Roland only put half of his attention on the rest of the briefing, far too preoccupied with what had just been thrust on his shoulders, a great deal of unwanted responsibility. Not only that, but it would cut into his time. Though he did have an excess of it without the usual clique he spent his off duty hours with.

Many a sleepless night lay ahead of him. He would need to go over the files of applicants, that is, if any wanted to work under an apparent FNG like him, see that they were properly trained and equipped, and find out just what exactly the job entailed here in a city like this.

And it started off like a nice day too. He sighed, scratching at the stubble on his chin as he pondered on his new predicament.

Meanwhile, the chief had started rattling off the duties for the day, all of which, Roland noticed, were centered on the missing mammal cases. In idle thought, he watched as the squad room slowly emptied, the officers filling out and giving him one last glance, no doubt sizing him up to guess what kind of commander he would turn out to be, nothing he hadn't seen before.

The only thing to distract him from his musing was the chief's next line.

"And finally, our first bunny. Officer Hopps."

Something about the name rung as familiar in his head and Roland looked up to watch, the only thing he could see being the tips of the ears poking up from the too large chair. Indeed, he himself found the chairs to be a little on the plus size. But such was not all that surprising considering the kind of individuals in the city they ,might have to accommodate. Better to have a chair too big then one too small.

Suitably, he grimaced upon hearing that the poor officer was given parking duty. He had been in the same boat when he first started back in Kalber, though that had been more of the departments hazing then what he suspected to be some kind of speciesism. Roland frowned at the very notion that someone was held back, purely on their race. Such had been cause for many riots back home, and was one of the leading denominators in his disenfranchisement with police work.

And as he heard the voice of the officer as she argued in her defense, realizing that she was the very same rabbit he met on the train here, the one that had helped him find a little peace on a distressing journey, he felt himself moving before he grasped what he was doing.

"Chief Bogo, if I may." He spoke up tentatively, rising from his seat towards the feuding pair. Both turned to him in surprise, Judy eyeing him like some strange creature that had jumped out from behind a crop of bushes. Instantly he scolded himself for his hasty action.

I swear, one day this sense of decency is going to get me killed.

"Perhaps you should give her a shot, Sir. It's only fair that she be treated like the rest of us." He suggested, and accordingly blanched under the buffalo's hard glare, the chief seemingly insulted that he had spoken.

"Perhaps, you're right Winters." He growled lowly, an odd tone of amusement in the buffalo's tone. "I would not want it said we don't have identical treatment here in the ZPD. Very well, I'll assign the both of you parking duty. This is after all an equal opportunity institution, and you together are starting your first day. Furthermore, I expect a report on your other duties by the end of the day, Captain."

Roland winced. The way the water buffalo had said that sounded almost like an insult.

"With the two of you I imagine a hundred tickets shouldn't be too hard."

Ouch... double wince.

And just like that the door closed, leaving both the human and bunny to stand in the silence.

Eventually, he broke it.

"Whelp, should have seen that coming." Roland chuckled in self-deprecation, rubbing a hand through his hair disappointedly. Not how he wanted his first day to go, but at least he had stood up for what he believed to be right. But he should have known better, Sticking up for one's beliefs was a choice that often did not end in your favor.

The only thing that made him feel slightly contented with his choice was the grateful bunny now currently hugging his chest.

"Thank you, Roland, for sticking up for me." She looked up to him, a confused smile lingering as she pulled away. "But what in the name of carrots are you doing here? You're a cop? And a Captain no less?" The shock was evident on her short muzzle as those purple eyes stared at him in bewilderment.

"Yeah, probably should have mentioned that on the train. But I was a little preoccupied, if you'll pardon my ineptitude. I always did have a penchant for leaving out important details." He returned her smile with his own personal awkward flare.

"No it's quite alright." She was quick to placate him. "I'm just a little surprised, and I would be remiss if I didn't say I was happy to see you."

"Well for what it's worth so am I on both accounts and glad to see you again nonetheless, though sooner than expected. I didn't imagine crossing paths with you so quickly, especially not twenty four hours later. It comes as pleasant surprise I must admit." It was truly nice to see here again, a familiar face was always welcomed. And it was something he could certainly use right about now.

"That's ditto for me." She giggled lightheartedly, the bunny quite literally having a bounce in her step.

The sight brought a cheerier smile to the young human. "So I can see..."

"Looks like we're in the same boat here. What do you say we one up the Chief, eh?" She asked with a quiver of excitement. "Show him us newbies aren't the type to be put down."

"Well..." He mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "To that I'd say we'd half to double the ante, at least two hundred tickets."

"Before noon?" She quipped eagerly.

"Before noon." He sagely nodded in agreement.

Roland was surprised that he fell into friendship with this bunny girl so easily, but could not deny the reason may be that she was just that easy to get along with. One would be hard pressed to find fault with her unending enthusiasm and positivity. She truly believed she could make the world a better place, reminding him of how he had been many years ago.

It was nice to see that again.