The Scapesons were like any family in Zootopia. Or at least, a loose 50's ideal of any family of Zootopia. There was the father, Eric Scapeson, the patriarch of the family, who worked at a local business that provided him and his family more money than he rightly knew what to do with. Then there was his wife, Natasha, Russian by birth, who was the homemaker, despite her dark and sketchy past. Then there was their son, Robert, compared to his parents he didn't seem to fill the image of a 1950s sitcom family.
For one thing, he had Down syndrome, and for another, he was a video game streamer. So naturally, he didn't quite fit in with the image his parents gave off. But despite this, and other factors. The family was quite happy... at least until today.
"Okay sport," Eric said to Robert as they were driving home from a movie. "That movie was terrible, and you're mother and I are sorry for dragging you to see it."
Robert just pouted, annoyed that his parents forcefully dragged him to a three-hour-long movie. "Look darling, when we get home, you can stay up as long as you need to, to detox from a terrible movie."
Robert grudgingly smiled a little. This smile faded when they got within sight of their house. "Well we're home and- what the?!" Eric was shocked to see the sight of the Scapeson house, its windows smashed in and the front door was broken in.
"What happen?" Robert asked in shock.
"I don't know... but they are dead mammals when I get my hooves on them." Natasha seethed.
XXXX
It wasn't too long before the ZPD arrived on the scene. "Well, we've given your place the once over." Nick Wild said to the shocked goats. "Looks like whoever robbed you went after the high-tech stuff Robery uses for streaming."
"Well, that's not good," Eric said. "Our sons streaming is very important to him, and to our families income." He said as his son started hyperventilating.
"With luck, we'll find the stolen items within the week," Nick said. "As it stands the whole scene looks rushed. Though that doesn't explain how they got away with so much hardware without anyone noticing."
"Nick!" Judy said from inside the house. She then went outside to her husband. "Harry and Sawa examined this, it's a clue." She said, producing a piece of wool with a bloodstain on it.
"Oh... you've got to be kidding me," Nick said, realizing the implications. "Please tell me this isn't from who I think it is."
"They were certain, it's Bellwether," Judy said. "Her blood is on this."
"Bad sheep back?!" Robert yelled. "Why she take my stuff?!"
"Calm down Robertski," Natasha said to her neurodivergent son. "Mommy will help the nice police officers reclaim you're video gaming equipment."
"Uh, ma'am... that's not allowed," Judy said.
"I do not care. This Bellwether messed with my family. I want to look ewu in her eyes when she is caught." Natasha said, clenching her hoof.
XXXX
The following day, Natasha Scapeson was looking over files at Precinct 1. "Remind me again why she's here?" Bogo asked Nick and Judy.
"All we're going to say is that she's... really persuasive," Nick said.
"Blackmail, gotcha," Bogo said. "Won't even ask what, or how she got her hooves on it... also, shouldn't Carrotson and Otocyon be following that lead of there's?"
"Well apparently, the scent on the piece of wool wasn't enough to track her down, just to identify her," Judy said, rolling her eyes.
"Of course... at this point, I'm not even surprised," Bogo said as he rolled his eyes. "They're both competent officers, and their Vampiric powers are a boon. But frankly, I always found the limitations of Vampire powers to be really annoying." He ranted. "Seriously, there like, a step removed from that Ancient One. You'd think they'd be able to figure this case out on their own... and who even is Mrs. Scapeson?"
"I'll be honest, I don't think we've even spoken since that... thing with Badgerton, the first time around," Nick admitted, referring to the incident where Badgerton blackmailed Robert into trolling Davies.
"I think I saw here a few times at the grocery store, but we never talked," Judy admitted. "Honestly, we haven't had much reason to go see them after that."
"Fair enough," Bogo said. "Though to be honest... I'm actually looking forward to a normal case for once."
"And just like that, you jinxed it buffalo butt," Nick said sardonically.
Natasha then left the room where the files were kept. "I have what I came here for... you two have been at the center of a lot of strange things," Natasha said.
"Did you find anything useful about this case?" Judy asked.
"I have lead on where Bellwether may be hiding," Natasha said.
"Now that, I find hard to believe," Bogo said. "You were in there for what, fifteen minutes? My people are good, but even the Samual sisters take at least twenty minutes for information gathering."
"All I can say is that I am old pro, as you Americans say, at information gathering," Natasha said.
XXXX
Several hours later, everyone was outside of the Cliffside Asylum. "Wow... it's been a long time since we came here." Nick said.
"Yeah... remember when I distracted the wolf guards with a fake howl?" Judy said nostalgically. "And when we were almost caught, by Lionheart's guards and I flushed us down the-" This reminiscing was interrupted by Natasha breaking into the abandoned asylum.
"So what do you think Yakkity Yak is doing now?" Nick asked. "Mullersons dead, Draco is more or less out of the picture. You think she's working with that alien warlord our future selves have been talking about?"
"Irrelevant," Natasha said. "She steals from my family, that only reason I even bother with this."
"Which reminds me, who are you?" Judy asked. "You track down one of the most loathed criminals in the city's history, in less time than two ex-robotized okapi's, and me, and most Mammals that could track."
"Carrots," Nick whispered. "I'm curious too, but I think this can wait until we get on Bellwether and recover the stolen goods."
The three Mammals went deeper into the asylum, since the Night Howler Crisis the place had been abandoned yet again. Though as far as people knew, it stayed that way since Bellwether's failed attempt to solidify power in Zootopia, turning it into some sort of police state where Prey dominated Predators.
"Well, this place is about as warm and welcoming as the last time we were here," Judy said.
As they looked around, they heard whispering noises over the PA system. "Wow. If I were a kitt, I'd be terrified." Nick said sardonically.
"Why do you invade my fortress of solitude?" The voice whispered.
"Don't play games with us, Dawn," Judy said sternly. "You can clearly see us, and we can hear you."
"Just turn over the stolen computer stuff, and we won't rough you up before we arrest you. Promise!" Nick said.
Dawn dryly chuckled. "Oh please... I'm beyond petty threats now. Come if you must... you might not leave."
"Refresh memory, she was glorified secretary for Lionheart when he was mayor, yes?" Natasha asked.
"That's correct!" Dawn answered chipperly. "I was... but then, during my work with Draco Long-Fang. I thought I found something that could save me... but I was wrong... so, so wrong."
"And this is related to the theft of Robert Scapesons computer... how?" Judy asked.
"What?... oh, that," Bellwether said. "Well, see I thought I could... appease what I found... but it didn't work out like I thought it would." Then Nick tripped over a box, containing all of the high-tech computer equipment that was stolen. "You may take it back... but take heed. Darkness is coming upon the world."
"We're aware of Demiurge," Judy said. "Long story there, an alien warlord who created Vampires here."
"Believe me... Demiurge the Despoiler is a tantrum-throwing toddler compared to the horrors I've stumbled upon." Dawn said ominously. "Just go... well see each other again soon enough."
"Yeah, you still have a lot to answer for Lambchop," Nick said, then he screamed when Dawn entered the hallway, her body covered in patches of writhing tentacles.
"I have not missed you're puns and wordplay Officer Wilde... and you scream like you've got your tail caught in a bear trap," Dawn said, her voice sounding distorted and deep.
"Dawn?! What in Frith's name happened to you?!" Judy said in shock.
"I delved too deep... I stared into the abyss, and I blinked." Dawn said ominously.
"Was this before," Nick began. "Or after-"
"AFTER! I LEFT! LONG-FANG!" Dawn roared. "Seriously... Judy, what do you see in this annoying Pred?"
"His name is Nick!" Judy shot back. Unfortunately, Dawn's tentacles caught the bullets.
"I could live to the very end of flesh and think... and I will never understand what you see in him. Even if he were Prey." Dawn said. "I'm only going to say this one more time. Either leave of your volition... or I will make you leave."
"You're coming with us!" Judy said as she pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Dawn teleported them, and the stolen computer equipment all away with her Eldritch magic.
"Would things be different if Judy never came to Zootopia?... not enough time to figure that one out," Dawn said as she went back into her room.
XXXX
"So... Dawn had what?" Bogo said in disbelief.
"Tentacles, and lots of them!" Nick said, still freaking out.
"She claims to have communed with some kind of... thing underneath the Cliffside Asylum," Judy explained.
Bogo looked terrified. "I... I can't believe it. She did it, it's been over thirty years. But it's free!" He said in disbelief.
"Wait... what's under that asylum?" Nick asked. "I mean yeah, it's a creepy abandoned asylum, but that was all I ever got from it."
"That was the idea... I don't know how Bellwether did it. But she's unleashed something that should NEVER be unleashed." Bogo said ominously. Then Clancy teleported in, right into Bogo's hoof. "Mind explaining what you're doing here? Are you going to do something useful this time? Or just pop in, say something annoyingly cryptic, and leave without another word?"
"Well actually, I'm here to provide video footage of the incident in question," Clancy said.
"Is this going to take long?" Nick said. "The babysitter is running long and we need sleep."
"I didn't say it would happen right away. You're perfectly capable of going home, and coming back in the morning for this." Clancy said.