Chapter 61: Mark

"Give up! You have nowhere left to run, it's all over, you've lost!" Cried Nick when it was just him, Judy and the main perpetrator of this research in the room. They were locked in the room, most likely no one knew they were here yet so they had time to complete their case. Nick, with a trembling scope, was all the time pointed at the top of the chair on which the suspected fox sat, who did not seem upset by the situation.

"Maybe not necessarily, please put down that rifle and let's talk calmly..."

"It's too late now! You'd better surrender, or we'll act more controversially!" Replied Nick hardily, but the fox laughed quietly at his words.

"Nick, I see you don't know who I am yet..." The fox sighed. He slowly turned towards Judy and Nick presenting his true identity.

When the fox showed his face, for Judy it seemed that she had seen this face somewhere before, this voice also seemed similar to her...she recalled that she had encountered a fox being bullied by other passengers on the journey to her family home.

"Wait a minute...I recognise you...were you the one going to Sunshine city?" Asked Judy directly. The fox laughed smartly feeling overly proud that the doe was putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Yes, that was me. I had to get into town somehow in a way that wasn't too conspicuous, so I disguised myself as an elderly gentleman to have peace from stupid questions. I see you were quick to spot who I am, congratulations. And you Nick, do you recognise me yet?" The fox asked. Judy looked over at Nick, he seemed shocked at this sight as he lowered his machine gun slowly and opened his mouth slightly with emotion, something Judy didn't understand. After all, it was virtually impossible for them to know each other!"

"Wait a minute, how would Nick know who you are when you don't even know each other! From what you said you're..."

"Yes, I said I was Jim Tamber, but that's not my real name..."

"Then what's your real..."

"Dad?" Nick finally asked in disbelief. Judy hearing the word also made her very embarrassed and she looked confusedly at the fox, who started laughing ironically again.

"Yes Nick, that's me! How glad I am that we could finally see each other, it's been so many years!" Replied the fox. He turned his chair towards them, presenting himself to them. Nick lowered his rifle slightly after a moment, pointing it at the ground before anything happened between them, while Judy looked at the fox's supposed father, seeing the resemblance between him and Nick (they both had clever expressions on their faces), the doe was beginning to associate that face from somewhere, only she couldn't recall exactly. She wasn't the only one who started to associate something, the fox also started to stare at her, then burst out laughing again which embarrassed the two officers.

"You! I associate you too...when I was going to Sunshine City two passengers started accosting me, then you helped me... because it was you right?" The fox asked. Judy received confirmation - it was the elderly battered gentleman she had rescued! She was surprised at how he looked now, much better and younger.

"Judy? You didn't tell me anything about that," asked an embarrassed Nick.

"There was nothing to talk about! I didn't want you to get upset...yes it was me...but your last name wasn't Wilde, surely!"

"You did the right thing girl, Nick is terribly oversensitive about it...of course I had another name! I escaped from Zootopia, do you think I would have given my real details? My name is Mark Wilde, if that's what you need to know" replied Mark. A truly bizarre situation, the head of the corporation that is planning an attack on all of Zootopia is Nick's father! It was impossible that such a scenario was even possible and what's more, that it could come true! It was a real disbelief that such a thing had happened, but the facts had to be reconciled, even though it was hard. Both Judy and Nick were unsure what to make of this fact, for a fox it was hard to lock up his father or worse hurt him! Judy obviously understood Nick's dilemma, but she knew one thing to do - report it to the police. There was a phone on the desk - presumably belonging to Mark. It would just be necessary to work out how to make sure the fox didn't notice that the police were being called.

"Dad...why exactly you? What has happened? This is some kind of paranoia!" Nick exclaimed.

"Mockery is what they do to us foxes! We are being pushed around, nobody respects us, we are rubbish in Zootopia! It's really in vain to find anyone who isn't negative about us " began Mark's story. He stood up from his seat and began to look slowly at the walls of the study on which there were various pictures, mostly clippings from newspaper articles that made headlines aimed at foxes. Judy, seeing Mark begin a longer speech, moved quietly closer to the desk checking his phone - it was working. She took it in her hand and tucked it in the back waiting for the right moment. Nick noticed her clever move and understood what she was planning to do. He knew he had to prolong his argument by keeping up the pace of his discussion.

"How did you even join all this?" Nick asked.

"It's quite a long story. When I was in alcohol rehab and going to meetings there was one weird one with us...he used to talk all the time about larkspurs or something like that, and how they have a magical effect that gives you extraordinary strength. Once after the meeting I decided to ask him what these plants were all about. Without saying anything he left me a business card, with a number to call..."

Judy finally seized the opportunity and managed to call Commander Bogo's number, but said nothing. She just lightly swung the phone out from behind her trunk so that Mark's entire statement flew into the phone.

"I did it the next day, they told me to go to the restaurant, the one where the kidnappings were, you probably know which one I'm talking about. I got the info to go to Sunshine City, but under no circumstances to tell my real details...then I met up with you, Judy," replied Mark.

"So are we in Sunshine City?" Asked the doe.

"Well...I can't quite tell, but close to that city. Coming back. When I arrived I was immediately forcibly kidnapped into a van and then brought here. When I arrived here there was very little of what is here now. I don't know how, but I discovered for myself a kind of passion for leadership... when I started to say what and how then things started to move forward. The rest was a matter of proper publicity and the connections I had from the clinic and some richer friends I played cards with. They were all the ones who were kidnapped! I can't believe I have achieved so much! And now we can be in this together son!" Mark called out. He turned around so quickly that Judy almost dropped the phone in surprise, but luckily she managed to hide it behind her back.

"We?" Repeated Nick surprised.

"Yes, just think! Once we've created a successful formula we can do together to make this town better! There will be an end to the bullying, the teasing, the humiliation for our group, everything will finally be as it should be! And who knows...maybe if we do so well we might also gain power..." Mark paused here, wondering what it would be like to have power in this vast metropolis.

"Don't you think that sounds...crazy? You want to inject unknowns into anyone to act on behalf of some principle? Haven't you seen those who have been given unsuccessful preparation kits and been mutated? Nick asked.

'They were outcasts anyway, they signed the relevant documents anyway, and that they didn't read what was written in small print is another matter. The important thing is that the preparation is practically ready and in a few days everything will be ready!" Mark explained.

"Such a solution leads to nothing. Only to more violence and hatred...anyway, it's not our problem that they consider us inferior it's with them."

"And that's exactly why we want to go to the city, to change their attitude towards us!" Replied the fox. Mark's words were astoundingly interesting, one got the impression that even Nick was impressed for a moment, but quickly came back down to earth. Mark, on the other hand, began to stare suspiciously at Judy, who had her left hand behind her the whole time.

"And what are you holding your hand back all the time...?" Mark asked. He cast a glance at the desk top and then at the doe. Fox quickly made the association that she had taken his phone and was most likely recording everything he said. This upset him so much that he was about to jump on Judy, but Nick pushed him back towards the wall behind the desk at the last moment. Mark wanted to escape his position but Nick pressed him with his rifle, pointing the gun at him to keep him still.

"What the hell are you doing Nick! She called the police, the cops could be here any minute! What happened to you that you don't want to help for your own kind?"

"Think of your wife, think of my mum. I was in our house. The poor thing can't sleep because she's afraid something has happened to you and you're sitting here like nothing ever happened and making plans!" Replied an agitated Nick. His voice faltered a little, Judy knew that this was quite a sensitive subject for him, one that made it difficult for him to talk about.

"She didn't love me anyway, and I'm doing this so she can have a better future! What's stopping you?"

"I've matured. That's life, yes, we're screwed, but what can you do? That's life!" Nick replied. Mark didn't reply. He knew there was no way to escape from here, Judy had already calmly taken out her phone and COMMUNICATED in her normal way about the incident, and the fox watched it with disappointment.

"Get the IP from this phone and trace here. Be ready for some armed foxes...and a few of the mutated ones. Don't ask what's going on, just be alert and prepared," the doe communicated.

"Chief, can we go in? Most likely the fox and that rabbit have escaped!" The voices of foxes started coming from the doorway. This caught the two officers off guard. What were they supposed to do in this situation, while alone in two against a dozen armed foxes?

"Well beautiful, what now Judy?" Nick asked.

"There is one secret exit here that will allow us to escape unnoticed," interjected Mark.

"Great, show it to us then" added Judy. Fox laughed ironically waving his head negatively.

"On one condition," replied Mark.

"Do you want another condition?" Asked Judy

"If you want to survive then yes. I am to remain unarrested" declared Mark. This caught them both off guard. On the one hand he deserves jail after what he did here, but on the other hand if they don't go they have no chance of surviving here! Their resistance would end after a few minutes. The most important voice in this was Nick's, what choice would he make: would he condemn his father to prison at the risk of his life and Judy's or would they escape the building with the promise that Mark would avoid prison?