-Judy's Pangolin Arms Apartment, 8:45 PM-
Judy Hopps felt herself start to relax in her bed. Her neighbors finally hit a resolution in their argument and the gray bunny felt sleep just about to claim her.
Vvt, vvt.
One of Judy's ears twitched. That was the familiar buzzing sound of her phone. Someone had texted her. Judy quickly felt her curiosity rise, though her body didn't move. Who was texting her? Was it Nick? What did they want? Judy's previously serene thoughts were now spiraling, threatening to fully awaken her. No, she thought firmly. It can wait until morning.
Just one minute later, Judy squinted her eyes at the bright light of her phone as she checked it for her message.
"Clawhauser?" She asked herself in disbelief.
[Judy, did you see this? T.T] Read Clawhauser's text, and it had a link to a video. Judy touched the link. It was a short clip of a Gazelle concert, taken by a phone. Judy grinned; she loved Gazelle's music. Shortly, however, Gazelle flinched, and started to slump. She sank to her knees, and then collapsed. Gasping and shrieking started to break out before the video ended. Judy added her own, sharp gasp.
[What happened!? Is she okay?] Judy texted back to Clawhauser. She tapped her fingers on her phone's sides while waiting for the response; it came quickly.
[Not sure what happened exactly. They're saying she was tranquilized. She's okay, though. ~_~] Clawhauser texted back.
[Oof, thank goodness for that.]
[I'm worried about her... if it's not a medical, maybe even more so! Someone could be AFTER her!]
[Just try to relax. It was probably some sort of cruel prank.]
[Okay... see you in the morning.]
Judy set her phone down and got back into bed. Despite telling Clawhauser to relax, she didn't know if she could. Who would do this to Gazelle?
-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 8:00 AM-
It had been two weeks since that incident. Chief Bogo looked grim and perhaps even extra angry as he stormed into the briefing room. The usual hooting at his presence was cut short. Judy shot Nick Wilde a look in their shared chair, but the fox didn't return it. He was staring at Bogo, his mouth in a line.
"We have a matter that needs to be addressed," Chief Bogo said lowly. He then held up a small signed poster of Gazelle. "Gazelle!" Everyone in the briefing room flinched. There were a few gasps. "We have reason to believe Gazelle is being targeted. She was tranquilized, for a second time now, at a peace rally." The number of gasps was fewer, but still included Judy's. "I am making this a high priority. I'm assigning any free officers to her speeches, rallies, concerts, or any other events she may perform. I would especially like..." he pointed at Judy and Nick, "YOU two to assist. You are the smallest officers in this district. You will be able to blend in wearing civilian clothes and not arouse suspicion." Judy's eyes went a bit wide at this assignment. In some ways, she felt a bit excited or even honored to be asked to protect Gazelle.
"With all due respect, sir," Nick started, "she's um, just a pop star, right?"
Chief Bogo narrowed his eyes. "JUST a pop star, mister Wilde? May I remind you that Gazelle is Zootopia's shining beacon of acceptance, tolerance, and hope? For instance! Do you not remember the lyrics to her inspirational, uplifting, and bias-defying hit single 'Pred or Prey'? Hang on, I think I have it on my phone here." Chief Bogo took out his phone, and then his eyes widened as he noted that everyone in the room was staring dumbfounded at him, including Judy. Francine scratched her head with her trunk. "Er- ANYWAY. Assignments..." He put his phone back away and took out his glasses.
Judy and Nick had gotten traffic rounds. It had only been a month or so since Judy and Nick were paired together as partners, so neither of them minded at all. Judy skipped once as they headed down to the lobby of the Zootopia Police Department. Her cruiser was still a fresh, exciting vehicle for her to drive.
"So, looks like we'll be having to attend all of Gazelle's events from now on till this little matter is resolved," Nick began in a low, teasing voice. "Boy, that must be torture for you."
Judy turned and gave a slightly reproving glance to Nick. "Nick, this isn't a laughing matter."
"I mean, no, you're right, it's not," Nick shook his head. "But... what if they just really hate her music?"
"I don't think it's that," Judy frowned. "I think they hate her message. She's been targeted both at a concert and at a peace rally now. When she's knocked out, she can't deliver her words of encouragement, whether through her songs or her speeches, or her very presence and what she stands for."
"Rgh, that is bad..." Nick nodded.
"And if it keeps going on," Judy continued with worry, "who knows what will happen? She might become afraid to do her concerts or rallies in the first place. And what message does that send?"
"That fear works," Nick's teeth were showing. "Okay, I get it now. I'm totally on board with this now, one hundred percent."
The fox and bunny blinked in surprise as they saw Clawhauser sobbing and following Chief Bojo around the lobby.
"Please Chief Bogo! Please!" Clawhauser cried out. "I'll do anything! Please put me on the security detail for Gazelle! It's all I ever wanted!"
"Maybe not as one hundred percent as ol' Benji," Nick's eyes narrowed in amusement.
"No, Clawhauser, I need you here," Chief Bogo said patiently and calmly, trying to move away from the panicked, rotund cheetah.
"Pleaaase!?" Clawhauser's tone was piercing. Bogo didn't react, but even Judy and Nick had to flinch, and they were across the room. "What do you want from me? I'll give up donuts! For a week? A month? A YEAR? Do you want my Gazelle snowglobe?! IT'S LIMITED EDITION...!"
"Clawhauser," Bogo shook his head firmly. "We have enough people on the detail. You remain here." Clawhauser wailed in despair.
"I don't know if I've seen the Chief that patient with anyone," Judy folded her arms, impressed. "You think he's saying no because Clawhauser is a little, uh...?"
"Conspicuous?" Nick offered quietly, tilting his head towards Judy with his hands behind his back.
"In more ways than one," Judy fought an encroaching smile.
"Guess poor old Ben can't be a slave for two masters," Nick allowed himself a smirk. "He's gotta choose either donuts or Gazelle."
-Franklin Moobody Auditorium, 2:55 PM-
A week later, Gazelle had been scheduled to give a speech about prey and predator tolerance at a university's auditorium. Nick and Judy arrived in sharp civilian clothes, and both wore jackets to conceal their stun guns. Nick chose a seat on the left-hand side of the auditorium and only a few chairs in. He gave a subtle glance around and had a pretty good view of a lot of the place. Judy sat down right next to him. Nick cleared his throat.
"What?" Judy asked in a quiet voice.
"Are you sure you want to sit next to me, Carrots?" Nick replied in a low voice.
"Uh, yeah?" Judy said out of the side of her mouth. "You're my partner."
"We're already getting a few wary glances," Nick continued. "We're supposed to be avoiding suspicion. They think we're together...!"
"Wow, at a speech for tolerance, no less," Judy shook her head slightly, her voice flat.
"If you move, we'd have a better angle on this whole place, in case the shooter is here," Nick offered.
"If something goes down, I'd like to be next to my partner, dear," Judy hissed out of the side of her mouth, her shoulders starting to scrunch.
"I just thought it would be nice if we were a little less obvious about all this, sweetheart," Nick grumbled.
"I am NOT moving," Judy said defiantly.
"Okay, fine," Nick conceded. "And stop talking out of the side of your mouth. It's suspicious." Judys mouth pursed and twisted as her brow furrowed. The speech began. Nick and Judy tried to alternate surreptitious glances around the auditorium to see anything unusual, but both of them started to become engaged in Gazelle's speech before long.
"So, if you are a prey, please don't think of predators as frightening," Gazelle's speech continued, her lovely voice kind but firm. "I know from personal experience how kind and gentle predators can be. Look past their sharp teeth and toned structure and see them for who they really are. And on the other hand, predators. Don't look at the weakness of prey's small or thin forms. They often hide such strength, if not of body, of will and spirit. In fact, I think a union between a predator and a prey could be-"
Thwip.
Gazelle flinched as a dart stuck into her neck. Her eyes went wide and she was stunned, then she started to look apologetic and sorrowful as she sank down to her knees, waiting for the inevitable unconsciousness that was to follow. Nick gave an involuntary burst of a growl and Judy's ear twitched toward the sound.
"Nick!" Judy sprang out of her seat and pointed at the doors to the auditorium swinging open. Nick launched up and followed Judy. Judy angrily kicked through the doors and saw an indistinct shape round a corner. "There!" Nick and Judy both dashed after it, but when they rounded the corner they saw no movement. "Uh... uh! The bathrooms, maybe?"
"You check them out, Judy," Nick said hastily, "I may be able to get a clue from the auditorium. I have to be quick, before the panicking in the auditorium gets too bad!"
"Uh, okay! Go!" Judy nodded, and grit her teeth in apprehension as she prepared her badge to enter the male restroom. "ZPD...!"
Nick headed back into the auditorium. Gazelle's eyes fluttered and she finally lost consciousness. Murmuring was starting to erupt, but everyone remained in their seats. "Good." Nick flashed his badge. "ZPD! Everyone, REMAIN in your seats until further notice!" Nick started to sniff around. He started at the back row, smelling for scents that belonged to animals that were no longer in the auditorium. His hunch about the back row was correct, and he started to pick up a scent almost immediately.
Judy burst back into the auditorium, her face a mix of disappointed and angry. She saw Nick investigating, and ran up to Gazelle to check her. Judy sighed in relief as she felt a pulse and saw her breathing. "She's okay, everyone, no one panic!" She touched her own ear, where a transparent ear bud lay hidden. "Officer Hopps, requesting a bus for Gazelle. She has been tranqed." She took out a baggie and placed the dart inside carefully, placing her coat around her paw so she wouldn't touch it directly. She looked at Nick, who's face was narrowed dangerously as he was sniffing. Judy headed over to him.
"Everything okay, Nick?" Judy asked. He shook his head. There was absolutely nothing Judy could see where he was sniffing.
"Almost got it, I know this smell..." Nick's voice was anxious as he took another deep sniff. "Ugh, doesn't smell too pleasant. It's... a sheep. No! A ram! I've smelled this smell before!"
Judy's mouth hung open as her brow furrowed angrily. "Doug!?"
Nick nodded, sneering. "It's Doug!"
-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 8:00 AM-
The next day, there was already murmuring and gossiping going around the bullpen as Chief Bogo stomped in. He looked even less pleased than usual, his face wore an outright toothy sneer.
"The Gazelle case just became infinitely more critical," Bogo said lowly, "as our primary suspect is Doug Ramses." Bogo pointed to several info-graphics that Officer Higgins had set up beforehand. More mumbling broke out. "SHUT UP!" The murmuring halted. "You may remember Doug as the ram that assisted Dawn Bellwether in her plot to overthrow Zootopia. Doug is a very accomplished sniper and a chemist." Bogo put on his glasses. "Darts recovered from both crimes do not match any ones available from ZPD stock or other sources; they appear to be homemade. You all will remember this face, and arrest him if you encounter him in your assignments."
"Uh, chief, I don't want to sound speciesist, but..." Officer Wolford started, and flinched once he caught Chief Bogo's intense stare, "he... just looks like any other ram to me. I couldn't make him out from anything; they all kinda look the same to me."
Bogo looked like he would yell, but he just grumbled. "We will not be bringing in every ram, but if there are any who are acting suspicious you will detain them. Now." Bogo pointed to another info-graphic. "Gazelle is going to be performing her largest concert of the year in Sahara Square's Animalia Stadium in one week. Every one of my officers not on assignment will be on protective detail there. As the time draws near you will receive further details. Consider Doug dangerous. We do not know the full extent of his armaments, nor do we know if he will be escalating his aggression. Now, assignments!"
Judy visited Nick's cubicle after they received their assignments. They just had case file busywork to do that morning, and it made Judy anxious.
"Hey, Carrots," Nick acknowledged her.
"Hey," Judy waved, her voice a bit distant.
"So, I'm glad at least that Gazelle isn't backing down on her big concert," said Nick, sighing, "but if I were Doug I think I wouldn't pass up this chance for anything. To ruin a night at one of the biggest venues in Zootopia."
"Why, though? Why?" Judy held her paw out and vibrated it a bit. "What does he gain? He can't be getting paid from Bellwether any more, can he?"
"Maybe it wasn't just about money," Nick shook his head, "maybe it was about ideals. Doug might hate Gazelle's messages."
"What does he get from it, though?" Judy sighed. "That's what bugs me. Why go to all this trouble to make your own darts and everything?"
"In a way, it's about power," Nick mused. "Every time Gazelle goes down, her psyche has to be damaged a little. I'd be stressed if that was me, I know that much. In some ways it's even worse than if he were just to-"
"Don't," Judy started chewing on a finger, "don't say that. We don't know exactly what Doug's capable of."
"It also sends a message to Bellwether," Nick sneered. "'I'm still loyal to you.' He could be trying to tell her he'll be there for her when she gets out of jail."
"Heaven forbid," Judy grimaced. "We have to take Doug down if he shows up at Animalia."
"Not if, when," Nick shook his head. "I know he'll be there. And we'll be ready."
-Animalia Exterior, 6:30 PM-
Click!
Nick snapped his sunglasses open, withdrawing them from his coat pocket and slipping them on as he and Judy walked towards the esoteric but eye-catching blue facade of Animalia.
"Uh, no," Judy smirked wryly. "You are not wearing sunglasses at night, Nicholas."
"And why not?" Nick grinned. "You know they look good on me."
"That may be true," Judy snapped the sunglasses from off his muzzle, "but they are the opposite of inconspicuous."
"So, conspicuous?" Nick quipped as the two headed through security. Both of them flashed their badges and showed the stun guns in their coat pockets, and they were nodded through.
"Every bag, purse, and suspicious pocket is getting checked tonight," Judy said seriously. "Hopefully Doug doesn't even get in."
"I wouldn't count on that," Nick said. "You know how fluffy rams are. I bet you he could hide his weapons in pieces on his person and reassemble them here."
"Okay, let's just go through this one more time," Judy said, wringing her hands.
"Right, so, they did not sell any mezzanine seats tonight," Nick explained. "No one will be allowed to go there. It provides too easy of a vantage point for a clear shot at Gazelle. I think they were smart to pick this venue because A, it's inside, and B, the audience is in a semi-circle around her, instead of all around like her usual outside venues, so there's less angles of attack. Doug is small, so he'd have a hard time getting a clear shot from the ground floor."
"Gazelle lost a lot of seats this way, but it's more important that she shows she won't cave in to fear," Judy frowned. "Okay, so we know Doug will probably want to get to the mezzanine. It will be empty. Sheez, it almost feels like Gazelle is bait..."
"Sort of, but," Nick waved at Officer Higgins, the hippopotamus who was standing at an entrance to the mezzanine level. "All of the entrances to the mezzanine have an officer on them. He's not getting in without a fight."
"And every ten minutes," Judy went on, "All of the officers are supposed to check in to confirm they are still up." She checked her phone. "We should be hearing them on our ear buds pretty soon."
"Higgins, check."
"Wolford, check."
"Delgato, check."
"Grizzoli, check."
"Fangmeyer, check."
"Snarlof, check."
"Right, just in case he tranqs one of them," Nick nodded. "Then, we'll know something is wrong."
"If he does manage to get in, though," Judy fretted, "he still has ten whole minutes to set up and shoot Gazelle."
"And that's where undercover cops like us come in," Nick said quietly, "we'll just have to keep our eye on the mezzanine level."
"Nick, you know I can barely see in the dark," Judy frowned.
"I'll have to keep an eye on the mezzanine," Nick chuckled.
-Animalia, 7:00 PM-
Another band, the Rockin' Bucks, was set to play for twenty minutes before Gazelle, both to give the ZPD some time to get their routine down and to see if Doug would show up or make any moves. Nick and Judy were about in the center of the stadium floor, watching the band. Nick was dancing rather awkwardly, while Judy was more into the music and danced with her natural bunny vivaciousness. The noise level in the place was rather high.
Judy shot Nick a glance and shook her head. "Nick, we really have to work on your dancing! I'm embarrassed for you!"
"I can't really feel the music when I'm waiting for a psychotic ram to show up!" Nick smirked. "Hey, is that Clawhauser really close to the stage?"
"I think so!" Judy chuckled. "If he sees a red laser pointer, you know both his cat instincts and desire to protect Gazelle would launch him onto the stage."
"I hope it doesn't come to that!" Nick laughed. "She doesn't want a dart in her neck and a tackle from a huge kitty!"
"Dunno about that second part!" Judy shared his laugh. "She does hang around those tigers, after all!"
7:20.
"Higgins, check."
"Wolford, check."
"Delgato, check."
"Grizzoli, check."
"Fangmeyer, check."
"Snarlof, check."
Gazelle came on stage to cheering and applause. Nick and Judy both swallowed in nervousness, both for varied reasons. She greeted everyone and opened with "Try Everything".
"Ooh, I love this song!" Judy squealed.
"I feel like I've heard this one fifty times..." Nick groaned to himself.
7:23.
Gazelle had finished "Try Everything" and was about to start "Pred or Prey". Nick started to feel anxious, and did a slow, jaunty sort of bounce in place, turning around and scanning his eyes across the mezzanine level.
"Honestly, Nick!" Judy laughed. "Your dancing is about the most suspicious thing I've seen tonight!"
"Carrots!" Nick tried not to shout. "There's movement on the mezzanine, near the eastern edge! I can barely see a round figure!"
"No!" Judy said, looking back. "There are some large animals near the back; I think I can use one of their shoulders to spring right up onto the mezzanine! I'll get onto the mezzanine from the center, I think it'd be too far back for him to see me because of the curvature!"
"Good, you do that!" Nick nodded. "I'll make for the mezzanine entrances in the lobby and check on our boys, then try to flank him!" The two scattered.
"ZPD! Sorry!" Judy flashed her badge, leaping up onto a hippo's shoulder, then an elephant's, then scrambled over the edge of the mezzanine. They barely noticed, and looked annoyed more than inconvenienced. She carefully got low and close to the edge and tried to sneak over to the eastern side of the mezzanine, where she could barely see a shadowy figure. She wanted to wait for Nick.
Nick scrambled out into the lobby and towards where he thought the closest entrance to the area he saw the figure was. It was Delgato's post, and Nick did not immediately see the tiger. He gasped, and looked into the stairwell. Delgato was collapsed there, his eyes rolling back, and duct tape over his mouth. A dart was in his neck.
"Delgato!" Nick said, his voice hoarse. Nick quickly took the duct tape off of him and pulled the dart out, and Delgato barely reacted. His claws didn't even instinctively come out. "Delgato, are you okay, big kitty?" Nick listened for his shallow breaths.
"Duggohpasme... gommaireddio..." Delgato barely managed to say, his head lolling. Nick tried to keep him steady.
"Okay buddy, let me call you some help," Nick put his hand to ear, but stopped suddenly. "Wait, did you say he got your radio? God! That means I can't call for help without alerting him, and he's going to know something's wrong in about four minutes, when you don't answer your radio! Okay, hang tight there, Delgato, I gotta get to my bunny!"
Doug was looking down the sight of his sniper rifle, a tranquilizer dart primed. Judy knew she could wait no longer; he could fire at any moment. She drew her stun gun and leveled it at him.
"Set the gun down slowly, Doug," Judy sneered. "If you even twitch in the wrong way, we're going to find out if electrified sheep dream of androids!"
To Judy's great surprise, Doug did as she asked and dropped the weapon. "O-okay, I surrender."
"You remember me, Doug?" Judy went on, her face looking dangerous and a bit crazed. "It's Judy Hopps! You may not have seen my face that day, but oh, we've met! I introduced your BACK to my FEET!"
Doug's teeth grit, but he held his hands over his head.
"W-what are you doing? Resist arrest, already!" Judy growled. "I can't wait to pay you back for Manchas, Otterton, and all the others you hurt!"
"No, I'll go quietly..." Doug murmured. Judy ground her teeth in frustration, but couldn't bring herself to fire on him.
"Fine," Judy sighed, "guess we'll do this the easy way." Judy moved one of her hands into her coat to retrieve some handcuffs.
Thht.
Clack!
It happened in an instant. One of Doug's hands, behind his head, had reached for a small air-powered tranquilizer gun that he had attached to his back. As he shot, so did Judy. Her one-handed shot missed him by millimeters. She brought her free hand to her neck, and there was a dart sticking out of it.
"Oh, marshmallows..." Judy said, taking it out. Rapidly, she felt her senses starting to drain from her, her eyes straining and head spinning. "Boy, this stuff works fast..." Doug sneered in contempt and started to go for his sniper rifle.
"Still the best and quickest shot in all of ZootopiaAA-GG-GG-GG-GG-GG-GG!"
Doug hadn't even heard the shot. Electric pain coursed through his body as Nick's stun gun charge sank into his back. He collapsed in a heap, jerking and twitching.
"Uffershly fir you... eh hevvuh purner..." Judy had a weak grin on before sinking to her knees, then her front.
"Thanks for giving me an excuse to shoot you," Nick said coldly, walking by his twitching body. "I may have had the juice up a bit too high for one your size. 'Oops.'" His expression was still stony as he walked past Doug and dropped next to Judy, turning her over and carefully watching for her breath and taking her pulse. It seemed stable. Nick's expression immediately softened. "Sorry about that, poor bunny. I know you wanted that a whole lot more than me." He took the cuffs out of Judy's jacket and cuffed Doug.
"Just wait till Dawn gets out!" Doug grumbled. "You haven't seen the last of her!"
"What is this, a cartoon? Shut your yap." Nick grumbled.
"Higgins, check."
"Wolford, check."
"Grizzoli, check."
"Fangmeyer, check."
"Snarlof, check."
"...Delgato?"
"This is Wilde," Nick said into his earpiece. "Suspect apprehended, two officers tranqued. Need a bus for a bunny and a tiger, just in case. Grizzoli, could you meet me on the mezzanine? Need your help." Nick carefully picked up Judy and laid her over his shoulder. "Come on, sleeping beauty. There we go."
Doug made a face at this display of pred-prey tenderness. Grizzoli, one of Chief Bogo's polar bear officers, headed over to the three.
"You got him?" Grizzoli said excitedly.
"Yup, Judy distracted him long enough for me to shoot him; he tranqued her and Delgato," Nick explained. "I was wondering if a nice, big ol' predator like you could 'help' ol' Ramses here into a police cruiser." Grizzoli's face lit up, then narrowed dangerously.
"Well! It'd be my pleasure, Wilde!" He punched his fist into his palm. Doug groaned. "Hey, before I go, do you want me to get a picture of you with your partner slung over your shoulder like that?" He chuckled.
"Ah, I think I'll pass," Nick flashed an apologetic grin. "Because that picture would undoubtedly get to her, and then I'd be in a wheelchair."
"All right, let's go, dirtbag," Grizolli chuckled, yanking Doug off the ground with his powerful arms. Doug whimpered.
Nick started briskly moving out of the auditorium to get to the ambulance, just in case there was anything extra in those darts this time that needed their attention. To calm his nerves, he talked to her as he went. "Carrots, have I ever told you how cute you are when you're sleeping? I'm sure I have. You don't know? Ah, that's right, it's probably because you're asleep every time I tell you that..."
-Zootopia Police Department Headquarters, 12:25 PM-
Both Judy and officer Delgato had gotten a clean bill of health and returned to work the very next day. Nick told her what had happened after she fell unconscious, and how he had found Delgato. He obscured a few of the details, of course. Both of them were a bit surprised as they returned from their lunch to see Gazelle standing there in the lobby, waiting for them.
"Officers Wilde and Hopps!" Gazelle smiled at them.
"Oh, hi Gazelle!" Judy waved brightly. "Sorry I had to miss your concert last night. If you can believe it, I was sleeping through it!"
"I had heard!" Gazelle laughed warmly. "Thank you two so much for stopping that mad ram. Thanks in part to you two I will no longer have to be afraid to sing my songs and speak my speeches. I will be able to tell my Zootopia what it needs to hear, so it can keep being the Zootopia I love."
"Well, all of the ZPD really had at least some role in helping, ma'am," Nick rubbed one of his paw's claws on his uniform humbly.
"Don't try to get out of this, Officer Wilde," Gazelle smirked. "I heard what you did. I'm going to give you both one of these." She handed them lanyards with plastic cards on them. "VIP passes. You are welcome guests of honor at any of my shows." Judy's face lit up, gasping.
"Whoa! How cool is this, Nick!?" She jumped up a couple of times.
"It's an honor, Ms. Gazelle," Nick nodded, "but you know, I think I should give mine to Clawhauser. I know he'd appreciate it a lot more than me."
"No, don't!" Judy suddenly looked very concerned. "He'll have a heart attack! In fact, um, Gazelle, I don't want to be rude, but you might want to leave before Clawhauser gets back from his lunch break, or else-"
The two heard a familiar, enormous gasp behind them.
"Too late!" Both the fox and bunny said in a tiny voice.
"Oh. Em. Goodness. IS THAT GAZELLE!?"