J Shute's Oneshots, Drabbles and Commissions

by J Shute

A collection of my smaller stories and misc oneshots. Includes fluff files done for Cimar's collection, Patreon stories and other random plot bunnies.

50. Misc bits and bobs

Miscellaneous bits and bobs.

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Okay, starting up the oneshots again. I have a fair few lined up, but also a bunch of stuff lined up that doesn't really fit here or there. A lot of it is stuff some people might be interested in, others might not be, so I'll group it all here and give a sort of index and description at the start so you can pick and choose what's interesting.

Part 1: Musings on the Fire Instinct Blue concept. Looking back and basically thinking through where it could be improved, mainly in terms of some characters that in hindsight appear to be fridged in the later seasons. Already back-uploaded to the end of FIB post release, but this is for those who missed it.

Part 2: Vixens in a Twist, original FIB version (Probably has the most new stuff). A scene familiar to those reading When Night Falls. It actually originally started as a concept I had for FIB, spinning off from the stuff in part 1. I had intended to publish it by itself (even mentioning it), but then I realised that with some character swapping it could easily fit into WNF, so held back. Now though, I guess there's no time like the present.

Part 3: FIB, Conor plot concept outline. Mentioned a few times before, S2 of FIB ended up very long, to the point where it might be worth splitting into two. This largely works for all plot lines, giving them both a good arc in both side, with the exception of Conor's arc in S2 part 1 which has an opening but no real ending. This was just an outline idea, based on some of the pre zoot Merc Marten stories, on how to fill that in. Already back-uploaded to the end of FIB S2 post release, but this is for those who missed it.

Part 4: When Night Falls: Laxy Foxxo scene. A small scene I did for When Night Falls, think Nick doing a fat Thor from Endgame. As before, Upplet made some edits for the final version. This was my original.

Part 5: When Night Falls: Mary and Harlan scenes. A bunch of scenes I did for When Night Falls following the character Mary Ewever discovering that her partner, Harlan O'Conell, is corrupt and confronting him, before seeking help from Mayor Bradley Stagnew. Again, Upplet did some edits so these are the original versions.

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Part 1:

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So, FIB wrapped all wrapped up. Now, did I do a good job? Yeah, I'd say so. But, looking back, can what I did be improved? Yeah, I'd say so too. In particular, in hindsight I feel there are some characters who don't seem to have anything to do, being fridged at the end, or are included but just don't have a driving role in the story.

They were very reactive, not proactive. Consequently I had a few musings, ideas, and so forth about ways to improve on that. As oft helps, I chose to write them all down, and ended up with 2,000 words. These have already been pasted into the relevant season chapters, but this is for those who don't want to do the digging.

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So. I saw what happened/ what the consequences of the audition scene were… And arguably, I'd say I was very close (especially when you factor in the things I said might happen but I wasn't doing here for plot reasons). I think that I have a solid idea of how the Fire Triangle story is going to go on, in terms of the big things that are happening. But not so much how exactly those are going to occur/ light off. For instance, tons of what I thought would happen at the end of Erin's Audition arc did occur, just with a different route to it here, involving a different bunny there, etc.

Regardless, food for thought… And not the main thing I'll be talking about.

That's the matter of my plans for the final two seasons.

First off, I think at as a base they are solid ways to wrap everything up. They close all the unclosed plot points, they give the bad guys solid endings and the good solid wins. There's a bunch of poetic justice and things coming around nicely. What's not to like?

Well, arguably, looking back I have the feeling that towards the end some characters are neglected. They don't have much going on or, rather, based on the outline don't seem to be doing much or playing much of an active role. In the final season especially, most of the plot is driven by the nocturnal mob vs tundratown mob (as is expected, seeing how long this mob war was in the works). In addition, the two bad guy factions (La Peigne and Clovestone) are working against each other behind the scenes to the limit of their abilities, while Vern is doing the same for the good guys. Meanwhile, characters like Jack, Skye, and Conor are critical, even if trapped in a role in a certain way (Skye and Conor spending much of the season captive after all, until Lucy Sang, the mvp plot driver, comes to free them).

It's certainly all very natural, having evolved from the plot before, but thinking it through… Certain major characters or ones with major promise don't do much in the season. Some of these offenders are worse than others, so going from the least and up…

Nick, Judy and Lt Saw. Yup. In the last season, the pair reunite and try to rescue Conor. They fail, though Nick rescues his laptop. Then in the end they're on the big raid that rescues him. Not much in the middle though. Just vague stuff to keep them busy (e.g. Judy trying to crack the case of Tad Howell, which doesn't really go anywhere). Indeed, in the season before, while Nick is certainly earning his worth investigating in Fenholt, Judy… Well, here's part of the trouble. Judy is listed as being undercover with La Peigne, trying to find info. On the outline, it takes up little to no space. If ever written out it likely would do, a lot. That's part of the issue of this thing. However, there are no doubts when it comes to Lt Saw. He's introduced at the start of season 5, and seemingly forgotten about.

These are the least at risk as they do have important stuff they do, and fully writing everything out they'd probably have plenty of screentime anyhow. Especially when integrating in stuff Merc plans for them in Fire Triangle going on. But, presuming I have to make up some more, meatier, stuff for them to do in between their big tentpole scenes. What could it be?

Well, in season 5, not long after the audition scene, have Lt Saw, investigating loan sharks and such (hunting the phantom) uncover news that the nocturnal mob is back and Vlad is alive. A little bit of info for the ZPD, to stave things off until he and Judy have their big pull. While she's still 'dating' La Peigne, he decides to hell with waiting for Rupert, he'll resume trying to start the fire triangle. Judy works out that something is up, even if her proof is super loose, and working together with Saw they stop the arson job, using the scant bit of evidence they got as the proof to bridge the gap between Big and Peccari, holding off the mob war and seemingly uniting the underworld against La Peigne.

Come season 6, Nick, Judy and Saw investigate the ZPD cop killed at Conor's loft. They find he's given a rushed cremation, vague bells of Ukwehli and that cover up ringing. They look back into him, uncovering evidence of blackmail, and heavy payouts. Then, after failing to bring in Conor, Judy uses what she's learnt to try and crack Tad. La Peigne and co do their best to hide it, even scheduling a rapid surgery to secretly remove his implant. (Maybe at this point they actually off him, using it as another frame-up against one of the mobs).

At the same time, with the mob war now at full steam, the Nick, Judy and Saw are pushing themselves to work out who, why, how to stop. Though in many cases, are turning up late to the shoot out sites to break it up and capture as many mammals as possible (not many).

And in doing so realise there's plenty being blamed on the mobs that they're not doing. Clocking on, especially after the death of the DA, they realise the MO of framing up the mobs. (Maybe his hit or Tad's hit seems to come from one mob, but it's so close to another mob war effort/ push/ attack or defence by them it doesn't make sense). Saw in particular could do a lot of pushing/ interrogating with captured members, proving to himself they know nothing about these mammals. (Maybe the vixens, captured from the spa fight, are being grilled by Saw, trying to get info or a confession out (Could be a fun scene, especially if they're pleading self-defence with help of the Vern).

Either way, this leads to them becoming all too aware of the real threat, using the mob war as cover to crawl in, and take out any in its way. And, after somehow working out that Bogo is next on the list, they push through and manage to save him in the nick of time.

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So, those three done. And, before I go on, I will say that I'm not including Bogo, Tora and Clawhauser in here. They're supporting characters with key fixed roles. You can certainly show Bogo straining with his morals, his self-imposed impartiality given his aims to avoid abusing his (illegitimate) power. Tora, acts as Da Chief. Assisting, ordering, a voice of authority. But one the plot moves around, not with (though maybe, mirroring Bogo's raid on the Belfry and past moments of awesome, we can see her step up to the action on a few occasions. Clawhauser… Well, I don't think he was mentioned once in any of this. He's very much a supporting side characters who's just… there. Fun when you see him, but best enjoyed in small doses).

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Anyhow, leading on: Albert Tufts. There's a lot in me that thinks he should actually join the above. Yes, after his big attempt at getting Conor at the audition goes awry he doesn't seem to have anything going on until he gets the laptop and tries to crack it. But, tbf, he's had bit parts in all the series since number 2, so he very may well be a true side character who just gets a moment in the spotlight here and there when he's needed. However… This is more a placeholder for him, as while I don't see much need to further his story by itself, I feel he could play a very important part in boosting those of others.

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Vivienne Wilde. No, I don't see any real connection between her and Tufts, plot wise. However, the fact remains that bar two minor scenes, the last time we see her doing something big was way back at the courtroom scene. She's been quiet since. Now, to be fair, I feel that while she isn't so much in the outline, she'd be very present in the story. How? Simple. She's barkeep. And her franchise is her bar. Maybe not playing a critical role in the storylines, but always being there to be the one you can lean on. I think that alone, along with her comforting many of the younger mammals as things get tense towards the end, would serve her well. But again, like Albert, she could help others in their enhanced plotlines.

Billy Mackenna: Okay, here's an interesting one. Partly as Merc has said he is thinking of bringing him back for the Fire Triangle, with (potentially disconnected) mentions of Outback Island too. What he's doing there? IDK. Here though, yes technically he's part of Conor's friend group, and so will be joining along and protesting. Indeed, I didn't include Saad (Conor's sandcat friend from FT) as I felt he and Billy were too close (being the even better, older, guitarist). However, Billy has a much different relationship with Conor than all the others. He's the adopted fun uncle. So it kind of feels right that he'd have a slightly different role in all this. Maybe as his subculture is unfairly persecuted, it's as simple as being the spokesmammal. Maybe he sneaks into the occupied ZAPA building to try and talk Deer Kid down, keep him safe, feeling an instinct of protection towards him too. Hmmm, hard to say. He is very much a rich playboy at the beginning, so him slowly taking things more seriously, getting grittier, tougher, more realistic could be a fun path for him to take.

And finally, the big four, the ones who inspired all this self-musing in the first place: Honey, Motti, Gareth and Sharla. Yes, the new Reynard gang, not really seen since Sheepless. Now, one of the earliest things I thought of for this whole crossover was that Honey (from GB) would secretly be Guild, Conor's hacker contact. It just felt so right! And it still works… But could be there be stuff that works better? For instance, Gareth being Guild. Hmmmm… IDK. You could probably use that as a basis for a lot of character drama and introspection, especially with Honey and Sharla around. ESPECIALLY after the audition goes tits up. Seeing him fret, worry, but always have a bit of glee or excitement at such a big screw-you to the establishment. And again, with Honey, Sharla and Motti around. A lot bouncing off that.

Maybe, once Conor is forced on the run, the four go to the Big Z to try to track him down (I can't see them getting very far though). Alternatively, maybe after the attack on Conor's loft, Tufts gets access to the remains of Conor's PC's… and straining his abilities to the max, actually tracks down Guild to this place. And keeps himself occupied stuck there, trying to figure out just who of the four it is. (I mean, a murder mystery like one room plot in New Reynard? Might be a bit out of place, but alone it could be very fun. Especially with such wacky characters as Tufts, Honey, Motti and (to a lesser extent Gareth and the true straight mammal Sharla) thrown in. Heck, maybe we'll even get to feature who that giant 'wolf' who left the footprints around Gareth's safehouse was (It'd be an utter laugh if it turned out to be Grunt somehow… though I can't figure a way of making that happen XD).

Or maybe one of them (Whichever one is guild, or the other one working for guild), at the behest of the other, applies for a job as a specialist under an increasingly desperate Tufts. Go undercover. Fight for Conor on the inside! Not sure where that might lead? Maybe the naughty squirrel is secretly spying on Mackenna's emails, and that pulls him into it.

I don't know.

Just food for thought.

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Part 2: Vixen's in a twist, FIB version.

AN: An idea I had, based off a scene from When Night Falls and my above musings on giving characters like Lt Saw more stuff to do in later seasons. I wrote this to help bust through some writers block, but then realised that an altered version of it could be inserted directly into When Night Falls to help set up an important thread in that story. Readers of that will find this original version very familiar but also pretty different.

Anyway, for the FIB stuff, here's the short for this scene: Zootopia is in political chaos, the old establishment broken apart and arrested for a string of corruption charges. Bogo, arguably seizing power for himself, is the temporary mayor as new elections go on (all from GB). Meanwhile, the Tundra vs Nocturnal mob war is raging on and spilling over. Things reach a head when the DA is assassinated by a suspected Nocturnal mob sniper (who is actually unconnected to the mob, and is working for La Peigne, killing the DA as he was about to uncover the truth of his evil doings and root out his cronies in the system, who now replace him). Nick, Judy, and head of ZPD organised crime unit Lt Saw (belonging to Merc) know the true reason is a possibility, but have nothing to prove or disprove it.

With a recent raid by the Nocturnal mob hitting a spa frequented by many of Mr Big's top brass (in a scene that occurs in Upplet's When Night Falls), three of his best agents, the Arctic Fox Masseuse/assassins (belonging to Berserker88, who gave me some good advice on writing them) are arrested after fleeing the scene. Here's a hypothetical scene a little later… Guest featuring one of Merc's best creations, my 2nd favourite character from Fire Triangle… you'll know it when he comes.

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With a harsh metal beep, the heavy metal door was slid open, a large sunbear walking in, pulling his best poker face but unable to stop a whole mix of different emotions from bubbling up, numerous tiny tells signing off in all directions appearing on his face. Anger. Fear. Disgust. Determination. Worry. Even hope. It was hard to say, whatever they were Lt Saw did his best to keep a frosty lid on them, helped by the single digit chill that filled the Tundratown precinct. For a tropical bear like him, it was his absolute least favourite place to interview a suspect, but one that was all too common given where one of the city's largest criminal enterprises was located. So common in fact he even had a seat cushion, placed down on the metal chair he rested on to stop it sapping at his body heat. Nick and Judy, sitting either side of him, looked on and couldn't help but tell themselves to get one for themselves.

Their musings were cut off though as the heavy door locked behind them with a solid clang, a new door grinding open on the other side of the interview room. Out came a muskox, the kind of mammal that sort of heavy metal door seemed specifically designed to hold back and in. Only, in this case, the blue clad officer was the one to open it.

Holding onto a chain behind him, giving plenty of slack and even looks of sympathy, he led in the actual captives. Three comparatively tiny white furred vixens, foot and hand paws shackled and cuffed, then linked to each other by a vertical chain, then linked to their sisters in captivity and the officer by a long leading chain. Towards the interview desks they hobbled, ears flat against their head, tails picking up dirt as they dragged on the floor, and all in all looking about as miserable and pathetic in their grey prison uniforms as they could possibly be.

"I…" The first one sniffed. "I am literally feeling these cuffs cut into my skin."

"I'm so hating this right now," the second added.

"Couldn't they even, like, give us the orange uniforms. Then we could at least look like we were on that cool prison show," the third said. She got a pair of death glares from her fellow prisoners, and did her best to put her paws up. "I'm just trying to look on the bright side of life. Orange is totes the hottest colour right now, isn't it? We could totally rock those prison uniforms and get all the boys, right?"

"Yeah, as where they'll send us there'll be soooo many boys," the second one snarked.

"I mean," the third one said back. "We're like totally cool with girls too, right?"

…

"I'm," she sniffed, "Like, just trying to put on a brave face and cheer us all up! Isn't it good advice to try and focus on the positives!?"

"Yeah," the first vixen grunted. "Like how the spa we were working at literally got invaded by nocturnal thugs, and we literally barely escaped with our lives, only to be literally hauled in by the ZPD to face literal murder charges." She shot her eyes venomously at Lt Saw, the bear's expression going as cold as the room would be if the number on the thermometer was in Fahrenheit, not Celsius.

The silence was broken off by the Musk Ox officer who, having led them to their stools, lowered them down for them and even began helping them on. "There we go. I'll just help pump it up Ms…" he said, the first vixen nodding, saying Opal was fine and thanking him. He turned to the next, introducing herself as Pearl, only for Saw to cut him off.

"You haven't chained Ms Opal to the restraints."

"Really?" he asked, "You want me to cuff her legs to the stool?"

Saw looked him dead in the eye. "I want you to cuff their legs to the stool. I want you to cuff their arms to the table. Ideally, I'd want them to be wearing a nice, thick, tight, cold, heavy muzzle around their jaws…"

Judy couldn't help notice Nick glare away at the floor as her superior said it, looking even more distressed than the captive vixens.

"-In fact, ideally I'd want all these three in V-3 restraints," the sunbear carried on. "Full head muzzle, anti-claw mittens on each paw, and all."

There was a soft rattle as the middle vixen, pearl, wiped her eyes with the pad of her paw. "This is so unfair."

"Something I agree with," Saw spoke, as he gestured at the Musk-Ox to do as bid. The sunbear ignored his looks of anger, almost reflecting them onto the sobbing and sniffing foxes as they were raised up and cuffed in place. With the last one, Crystal, fixed in place, the sunbear finally smiled. "I've finally got you right where I want you, ladies."

"We totally demand legal representation!" Pearl huffed, followed on by Crystal and Opal.

"We've got rights and stuff."

"This is completely unfair. We're innocent bystanders who tried to escape and defend ourselves."

"You know, I always wondered what it would be like when I got you three in," Saw said. "How close the rumours might be to being true. Big's three deadliest assassins." He gave a look up at the musk-ox, smiling as he saw the mammal's eyes widened in shock. "Some say they were ermines, some arctic hares, some arctic vixens like yourselves. Some say they do day work as receptionists, some say they do day work as models or at a car wash and some say they work as masseuses." He smiled. "Like, yourselves."

Opal shook her head and grit her teeth. "That's literally circumstantial."

"And that," a new but familiar to all of them voice spoke. "Is your little schtick actually being correct for once!" A mix of a groan and a grimace grew across Saw's face as none other than Vern Rodenberg scurried in. Naturally, they'd got this brown rat in as their public defender. "I'd ask the nice big ladies to help me up, but it seems they're somewhat tied up." He paused, doffing his head. "Apologies for the pun."

"Oh, don't worry. It's, like, not that bad."

"You're literally the best lawyer in Zootopia, right?"

"We're so getting out of this right now."

Even before Judy helped Vern up onto the table, Saw was crossing his paws. "Well, now I know for certain you're Big's assassins."

"Circumstantial officer," Vern warned off. "Very circumstantial." He crossed his paws, looking at him. "What proof do you actually have. Were there any videos from inside that spa?"

Putting a paw into his pocket, the sunbear threw out a bunch of pictures, showing the aftermath of the battle, and the three captives having their mugshots taken. Clad in just their pink bikini bottoms and six-cupped bikini tops, their white fur was awash with blood.

"So," Vern said. "No then."

One of the vixens began to say something about that being her trademark, only for those on either side of her to rattle her chain. Hard.

Saw, glancing back down at them, shook his head. "We tested and found the blood of a dozen different mammals on their fur. Our sniffer agent confirmed very little, if any, was polar bear blood, the one you'd most expect it to be. Most line up with raccoon, badger, timberwolf. The nocturnal mob mammals who fought and died in this bloody raid. What does this tell you?"

"That these girls either rolled the dice one way, having to walk past and through a pile of the attackers, or they fought back against the murderers in their room who were going for their throats. They fought for their life!"

"Which would explain the weapons, then," Saw continued, bringing out a pile of pictures. "Mammary glands weren't the only thing those bikinis were concealing." He placed down a picture of a blade, then a shuriken, then a brass knuckle, and so on and so on, more and more photographs getting laid down and down, soon covering the table. "And that was just what we found on them when we took them in."

"We took them off the dead attackers for protection," Crystal said, trying to thrown her paws out, only for the chain to harshly hold it back.

"Yeah, self-defence. Can't you listen to us?"

"No, they obviously don't care we had to risk our lives to get out of there in one piece."

"And even if it were their own collection," Vern said, paw up. "That's not illegal. Not on private property where they have permission, for instance the place they worked."

"Did they have permission?" Saw pushed.

"Well given that you have to prove they didn't, you'd have to ask their boss."

"Who's dead."

Vern nodded. "Exactly."

"Listen," the bear cut in, harshly. "We both know this isn't just about this attack. We all know the long and bloody career these mammals have had for their paymaster Vern, so cut the sob stories, all of you. I want you three locked up and never getting out again, you hear me?"

"We're right next to you," they said in unison.

Saw huffed, rubbing his face with his paw as Vern walked forward. "If you can prove any of those cases, be my guest. Otherwise, let these mammals go. Bringing this to trial will just have them getting off for self-defence, and wasting everyone's time." He paused, looking at all three officers. "And whether you like it or not, I think we all know that there are very much other and far more important things our time needs to be spent on.

"Yes," he grumbled, closing his eyes, before opening them. "Like stopping this bloody crime war. Which is why, much as I hate it, I'm going to offer you three a deal." Their eyes widened. "Confess to any hits that Big sent you on, that he ordered you to do. You go into witness protection, he goes in the can, and we stop this bloody war right here, right now."

They turned to each other, before turning back to him, speaking in unison. "No deal."

Saw glared at them, before smiling. "Okay then. I'll separate you. Each of you will get offered the deal privately…"

"You're, like, trying the prisoner's dilemma on us?" Opal asked.

"So unoriginal."

"We'll literally never give each other up."

"In which case, enjoy your solo stays in Sahara Square," Saw smiled, sitting up.

That got their attention.

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah…"

"It's as I said," he said, smiling. "I'll have you transferred to Sahara Square. The fact that you obviously take that hormone treatment that lets you keep your winter coat all year around is only going to be extra fashionable there."

"Objection," Vern said, swiping his paws out. "Cruel and unusual punishment and you know it. I can easily file an improper placement judgement and get them relocated in a week."

"In which case I'll relocate them to Outback Island," Saw said. "Then the Rainforest District. And so on, around and around, faster than you can file. Unless of course I hear they have their fur trimmed right down. Then it's straight back to here. I can put on the pressure until one of them cracks and sinks the rest. Or, they can all confess right here, right now."

Vern glared angrily at him. Nick looked away, uneasy. Judy, keeping a straight face, looked between all three, studying each.

The vixen's sniffed and glanced at each other. "I'm, like, super scared right now."

"Literally police brutality."

Vern nodded. "Oy Vey. I know, I know."

Opal nodded. "But I'd never give my sisters up."

As did Pearl. "I'm so not a tattle."

As Crystal tried to cross her paws, failed, and then stared Saw in the eyes. "I will let myself bake before I make you make me talk. And I know we all would."

"YEAH!" they said in unison.

Saw nodded, sighing. "So be it." He signalled to the musk ox to take them away, one at a time to separate cells pending a transfer. The trio sniffed and tried to lean over, to touch and hug each other, only for their restraints to hold them back, limited to them swinging and curling their tails around each other's as best they could. Pearl wrapped hers around Opal's on her right, then Crystal's on her left, as the two outer vixen strained but failed to reach each other, instead just keeping their glistening eyes locked on as they were…

"-Wait."

All eyes turned to Judy. "If you three really care about each other that much, you might want to talk, for your own protection." There was a long pause, Saw finally nodding and giving Judy the table. "Listen. Let's say you're these assassins."

"We're literally not."

"And I literally hate it when people misuse the word literally," Saw added, before Judy carried on.

"The Nocturnal mob will be angry. Furious. You killed some of their best mammals, they'll want you taken out of the game. And let's say you're innocent bystanders."

"-Which we are," Pearl said.

"In that case," Judy continued. "If you killed in self-defence, the same as above applies. And even if you just escaped, you're potential witnesses. Either way, your life is on the line. Out on the street. In the prison system. Applying for protective custody and then entering witness protection is probably the only way to keep all of you safe."

That gave them pause for thought. They looked at each other, seemingly weighing up the devil they knew and the devil they didn't. Finally, though, Crystal on the right paw side spoke. "Not that it's suspicious or incriminating, but we are super trained in martial arts."

"Clients in the spa can be really creepy and pawsy," Pearl shivered in the middle.

"So I think we can hold our own in a jail," Opal, on the left, said. "And there's doors and bars and guards to keep us safe, aren't there?"

"And what about on the outside?" Judy asked.

"We have good security systems."

"Top of the line."

"Super effective."

"For everyone's sake," Saw said, "I hope not. Guard, lead them…"

"-Wait," Nick said, paws up. "Just a second." And with that, he raced off, out the door, his tail vanishing in a flash.

"Is his tail, like, really that fluffy?"

"Literally the best fox bum I've ever seen."

"So huggable."

"-I know," Judy said, sternly. "That's why I married him."

For all Saw's talk about sweating them out earlier, this was the moment they looked the most boiled. A few minutes passed, and Nick walked back in, a photo in paw. "Okay ladies, you may think your security systems can keep you safe, and you can fight off in close quarters. That might have been true against Sahara Square and the red pig's outfit, not that he ever employed girls, but it isn't true against Vladzotz. He's into using snipers." He thrust down a grainy pick of an Opossum with a rifle hung over his back, caught from a security camera on top of a building. Both Judy and Saw looked at it wide eyed. This was the mammal believed to have taken out the DA, be it for Vlad or someone else.

The vixens looked at it, before laughing.

Hard.

"Nice try to scare us."

"Not gonna work."

"Totally failed."

Nick nodded. "Okay, as before."

"Or," Vern said, "let me offer a new deal. Third degree murder with the caveat it was in self-defence. Ten-year suspended sentence, with the standard ankle tracker and fortnightly call ins with a probation officer, permission to leave town yadda yadda. If they're innocent, yeah a bit of a bummer and a nasty mark on their records, but not so bad. Certainly better that what you plan to grind them through before I prove them not guilty you vantz. And, if they are who you say…"

"Which you know they are," Saw pressed.

"You know exactly where they are, and can make sure their supposed disillustrious career ends right here, right now. The only thing they'll be killing from now on is stress."

A silence hung over the room. "That's, like, not too bad," Crystal said.

"Literally not the end of the world."

"So, does that tracker thing have waterproofing, and can we make it pretty?"

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Not long after, the two trios left each other, Nick, Judy and Saw returning to an office. The sunbear sat down, teeth grit, even as Judy came up to comfort him. "I know you wanted justice."

"Yeah," he said, leaning back and stretching his paws. "But at least I've taken out one of Big's biggest assets. If only I could pin that stinking shrew myself."

"Yeah, but we tried our best."

"No thanks to your rodent friend." He glared down at Judy, who fussed the floor with a paw and shrugged.

"He's doing his job, we're doing ours."

"I've heard it all before," Saw huffed. "Anyway, good thinking detective WildeHopps." He turned back to Nick. "And WildeHopps… -But you don't need to look that smug."

"Correction, I think I do," he said, walking forward and gaining both their interest. "Okay, first off, Saw's right. I'd put all the odds on them being who you think they are. Now, presuming that's the case, what would they know about our mystery DA killing gunmammal?"

Judy looked on, while Saw's eyes widened. "Of course!"

The bunny stared between them. "Hang on… I'm not sure if I'm following."

"Top level assassins are a very rare bunch in an illicit industry where experience is prized," Saw began.

"So, it stands to reason," Nick carried on, "that they'd be aware of their competition!"

Judy clicked her fingers. "So if this guy was a Nocturnal mob gunmammal, they'd know!"

"Exactly," Saw said. "They network, sometimes they team up, and they want to be aware of who might be hired to take them out. Which almost never happens, honour among thieves, or at least Red Bearon and Blue Yak levels of respect for each other. So, they network, they know each other."

"Like Lynxed-in," Nick added.

"Maybe," Saw said. "And the top mobsters keep their favourite assassins close, for the major operations they may have to do, that have to succeed and where trust is essential."

"Like taking out the DA," Judy said.

"Exactly," Nick agreed.

"Vlad would have never hired an outsider for something that audacious," Saw carried on. "So it would have to be an outsider employing him." His mood then faded. "And I think we all know who it would be at this point. After all, just look how well it's working out for him."

Judy nodded. "And it's not like it's definitive proof or anything. It just confirms a hunch."

"Yeah," Nick said. "But that's something. We know who the real enemy is. We know where to look. Where to hunt. Where to know the strike is coming from. So we can stop him doing it again, and maybe even follow it back up to him and finally get him on something." His teeth grit. "And I swear, when we finally catch him. When we find those who I know he took. He is going down. He is going down so far even Vladzotz Fangpyre will get vertigo looking down into the pit."

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Part 3: FIB Conor plot idea (note, in the outline format).

As said before, this idea is to do with the issue of season 2 of FIB being too long, and maybe being served better by being split into two separate seasons. Two of the three main arcs being followed ride this out very well (Nick and Judy's investigation ending part one on a high with the destruction of the Belfry, while Jack and Skye's relationship starts, seems to fail, then rekindles as she shares her story, bookending it). However, Conor's arc was split very much across these two, and while he had plenty of meatier stuff in the second half, the first would be a bit bare/ lacking a third act. Conor would get home, go out to an open mic concert with his friends, makes some new ones and some enemies and ask Erin if she wanted to come over to a house party… And that was it, essentially. There needs to be something in there to provide some form of roundoff, with the house party arc in the next season happily able to stand on its own (indeed, originally being its own story in and of itself).

Another key aspect of this is that at this stage, Conor and his stories work the absolute best when it's his want to enjoy this new life of his that he thrives in, butting up against his need to keep a low profile and keep safe lest he be discovered.

Anyhow… Given that I have his best friend, Mike Daehan, being the one to tip Nick and Judy off about the missing student from the school… That could be a great source of conflict. Especially as in Fire Triangle Mike is actually pretty scared of cops.

Thus in my version, his fear that this student was in trouble, off her meds, was at risk was so great, he worked up the bravery to talk to said cops. But of course, with his experience, Conor has zero respect for snitches. So let's say he finds out. Maybe one of the mean girl's posse mentions it somehow, or it comes up in conversation. And so Conor confronts Mike, who gives the truth. He even asks some hard questions of Conor.

Conor: You told them that she was struggling, didn't you?

Mike: Yes, I thought…

Conor: You tattled on her.

Mike: T-tattle? Listen, I know her, I know that she's spiralling down and…

Conor: So you called the cops on her.

Mike: Listen, I was only trying to do the right thing… And I mean, I didn't like doing it! My family have enough stories of the secret police to make me pull my whiskers out.

Conor: Yeah, I know that story. I also know the one where your grandparents stowed away in a boat's anchor-chain hold to escape being all sent to 're-education' too. Of course, that wouldn't have been necessary if some concerned citizen hadn't told them where those admin workers for the old regime were, would it?

Mike: C'conor… You're scaring me. You're all like this, after being so chummy with those cops. I… Well I don't even know how you can be that friendly to them! But I thought it meant they were good police. But now you're all the police are bad?"

Conor: There's police, and the police. And it's like the ocean, you can swim in it just fine or get dragged by a riptide or swallowed by a storm. And you… (pinches muzzle) You might have just thrown her in the deep end!

Mike: Please. She's probably there already, she was going wild at the end. And if she wasn't one of those crazies I've heard you say need to be locked up then, she might be soon. I've checked on social media and she's blacking out…

Conor: So you'd call the cops on anyone who went away from a bit, who you got scared that you didn't know what they were doing…

Mike: I'd file a missing mammal report. Of course I'd do that. I'd file one on you vanished for a bit. Why wouldn't I? You're my best friend, I care about you!

Conor: You'd file a report on me…

Mike: Yes, and even if she ends up in a prison cell for something… Surely that's better than getting herself killed, right! Right!? You'd want that too. I don't, I just don't…

Conor: No, you don't. Just… Excuse me.

Anyway, Conor would then go and have to weigh up the fact that he cares so much for Mike as a friend… But at the same time, he fears he's a liability who could inadvertently destroy the life he's worked so hard to build for himself. I'd imagine Conor would then try and work out a good cover story/ lie, about why it's such a sore point. A likely choice would likely be about an abusive mother, and how after trying to fend her off some concerned neighbours saw the fight from afar and naturally called the cops on his Dad, thinking he was beating them. They took his father away, saying they were safe now, even when he told them it wasn't him, it was her. They said they'd look into it, but furious and with no-one to stop her, she went too far.

Whatever the good intentions, it can always backfire. He's been burnt once, he refuses to be burnt again. He asks Mike to promise not to risk it, the rat seemingly a little unconvinced but agreeing.

I'd then have the gang going to the arcade (with the skunks for a bit, before they have to leave, looking forward to the party), having a good time… But in the meantime, humiliated, mean girl decides to recruit a few local youths (including T-Roc Jackson, a jaguar from the original stories), telling a sob story about Conor's gang taking pictures of them and storing them on his laptop. They accept, and plan to stand up for her (even if scared by Jason being there… You mess with one Painted Dog, you mess with the whole pack!)

Mike, somehow seeing the tail end of this, goes up to set things right… Only for the gang, thinking he was how the pictures were taken, trap him, debating whether to hand it to her or use him as an exchange for the laptop.

One talks to Conor, laying it out, the fox acting cold and unreadable. "So you're admitting you've kitnapped my friend. Try something. You're only making it worse for yourself when the ZPD find out. Say sayonara to your futures. Or tell your boss I don't negotiate." (Hey, you're talking pretty chill there. But what happens if your friend gets hurt real bad). "Then that's what's gonna happen."

Conor's other friends are naturally shocked by this, but he then tells Dana to keep his laptop safe, Jason to follow their scent trail, and he'll deal with it. He fills up his shirt and clothes with paper for padding, then takes off on his bike, after them, finally cornering them and challenging their leader to a fight.

Taking a beating, but pulling out of it and swiping Mike (in a jar) from them, the whole thing is broken off as cop sirens sound. Both groups flee, Conor even giving the jaguars group help in avoiding them. At the end of it, Conor's group are reunited, though they are concerned at the beating the fox took, and Mike is just… confused. It ends up almost burning into a heated argument about the 'tattle' issue again, only for Conor to break it off. "Let's talk when we've got cooler heads." He goes back to his loft, taking out his frustrations on his punching bag, angry about how things got messed up. (He calms down though, with a talk with Erin helping sooth his mood). He brainstorms what to do next, how to have his cake and eat it, even though he feels he can't.

The next day, he and Mike meet at a neutral location. Particularly important as the jaguar and his crew arrive (Mike terrified). Conor though opens a truce, to talk things over, one that T-Roc accepts, having a respect for the fox. In one aspect of life. He berates him though for how he treats the ladies, Conor then asking for the phone number of the girl. (Using some logic to get it out). He then calls her, acting panicked, and she gleefully confessing to having set him up for snubbing her. Taking the onlooking group she'd led on by shock. Conor signs off with his 'Rule one: don't mess with me. Rule two: always remember rule one.' Before handing it over to the jaguar to confront her. The group leave, leaving Conor with Mike.

Conor begins to go into a long talk about how he learnt you have to fight your own fights, how whatever they say it isn't the way, they're wrong. He doesn't want other mammals to get hurt, especially in his name, and that he saved everyone a lot of fuss… And this is important to him… Mike though cuts him off, to tell his own story. About how, in his grandparents refugee camp, there was one really kind mammal there. Always helped, always nice. And one day, they learnt he was the son of a feared general, a tyrant the rebels and his own people were both scared of. They all knew that this mammal was nothing like his father. That he was trying to escape and build an honest life like the rest of them. It didn't matter though, as once the news came out, it didn't take long for someone to get revenge by proxy. Mike goes on to say that he worked out that Conor is hiding stuff in his past, he's running from something, and that however brave and scary he is, it scares him. He's scared he could tumble back down, but he doesn't deserve to pay for the sins of the father. His secret, whatever it is, is safe with them.

With that, they reconcile and Conor leaves, only for the jaguar to confront him. He says thanks, and that the fox won't get any more trouble out of him or his crew. And he asks Conor where he served time. And what for. The fox waves it off, but the jaguar reveals that the paper stuffing is an old Juvie technique he's heard of… And that mammals only get Conor's kind of grit from being milled through the system. Don't they know it. They ask if there's anything they can do to repay him. He tells them to stay out of trouble and carry on living in the free would. They joke that they'll try their best at the former, but with the cops and judges in this city you sometimes can't do the latter. With that, Conor departs, rejoining his friends as they arrive for a day out at an amusement park or water park. Mike asks if everything's okay. What next. Conor says everything is sorted, and he'll carry on living in the free world.

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Part 4: When Night Falls: Lazy Foxxo.

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Short scene I wrote for When Night Falls. Upplet changed it by 'scruffing up' Nick a bit more, and also spelling out what I wrote as an implied reference/joke.

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A long time ago, Judy could have sworn that someone had said to her that 'history rhymed'.

It had come across as thoughtful at the time.

Right now, as she walked down an alley after a full morning of searching the city in her car, it felt downright taunting.

Never she mind, she thought, as her ears went up. She could hear sounds up ahead that at least meant it would be far quicker this time, and she didn't have to repeat the desperate beg she'd used so many years before.

Either way, she still knocked on the back of the van, and her nose twitched as the door was pushed open, a grumpy fennec fox looming out.

Sans baseball bat, thankfully. "What?"

"I'm here to speak to my husband," she said, leaning to the side and looking over to the small games set-up in the back. Two beanbags sat around a retro TV and an even retro-er Pup-Station Two, currently entertaining what almost looked like a moody teenage fox.

But thankfully wasn't quite as combative off the bat. Yet. "Ah, wanna join in Judy?" Nick asked, looking over.

The bunny sighed. "Nick, you've been here… What. Three days?"

"Please…" He waved off, looking to a small clock. "It's been… Forty seven hours."

"Split over three days."

"Split, splat, does it really make a difference?" He asked, turning around on his beanbag. Reaching over, he opened up the fridge, holding a bottle out. "So, want any?"

"-I'm fine," she cut off, getting ready to speak only for Nick to cut over her.

"How's the gang doing then? Harlan? Mary? Good ol' Chief B? Has Clawhauser been put onto that long whispered about physical regime yet?"

"No, but if he is I can certainly see one mammal who might benefit from joining in."

She crossed her arms and looked at him, only feeling a little guilty as his ears pulled back and he dropped the controller down beside him. "You know what?" he shrugged. "Yeah, great idea. I can see my leg cheering me along as I try and get up the ice wall."

Judy pulled back, closing her eyes and cursing herself a little. That had been an own goal if ever there was one. Still… "Okay, I didn't mean it that way. But Nick… What are you doing with your life right now?"

He waved back to the screen. "Sheltering from my newfound infamy by replaying that game trilogy that mammals say is super offensive to raccoons. But whose number one fan group is raccoons."

"And then what?" she asked. "Are you going to… what? Spend the rest of your life laying down, not doing anything, just… moping in defeat."

"No," he shot back, a hard tone in his voice. Now he was acting a bit more like a teenager. "I'm just going to stay out of the public eye or anything until the next big thing… Or three, come up. And then just slip in while nobody's looking."

"And how long will that be Nick," Judy pressed.

He frowned. "When… When it happens. That's just what I said."

The bunny sighed. "And you don't think it's already been a long time already? I mean, what if you just delay it again and again and again. I don't want you to find you've ended up wasting the rest of your life lazing about in the back of a van."

She received a tap on her shoulder, and flinched around to look into Finnick's eyes. "Yo," he spoke, raising an eyebrow.

Judy groaned, turning back to Nick. "Okay," she said, pinching her nose and breathing in and out. "It's just that I'm worried. I'm worried for you. My husband. And I get it, it's going to feel bad for you right now. I don't blame you for wanting some time off. But if you don't have a plan or a goal or anything… That worries me, okay? I mean, where do you see yourself in one years time?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Running a podcast, being a consultant for something, writing a debut novel." Paws up in the air, he turned back to the controllers. "I might try doing one of those lets-plays or streaming."

"Like that hasn't been tried before."

"By the former ZPD hero, disgraced mayoral candidate, ex-mobster who saved the city?" he asked, before pausing and picking up his bottle. "And I don't think there's any 'try to play the game while drunk' ones out there." He paused, looking down at Finnick. "Hey, you know what Finn. Wanna try it? I need someone to play my jokes off of."

"Sure," he shrugged, walking over. "Why not."

Nick smiled, before turning back to Judy. "Thanks. In a genuine non-sarcastic fashion there. Just like that too. Your attempt to push me into doing something… Actually worked!"

Judy gazed on as Finnick walked past her and settled down, her left ear semaphoring to the level. "This… Wasn't what I imagined."

"But still," he smiled, opening up his phone and starting to type in 'how to start streaming for money', "Great success!"

"And what if this bold new enterprise of getting drunk and playing videogames doesn't work out?" Judy asked, folding her arms.

He looked at her. "Well, if I try and I fail, I try again!" He smiled at her, pointing a finger. "Isn't that your line?"

Judy, eyes half lidded, just stared at him.

And he threw down his controller and stared back. "Oh, so the bunny can't stand not getting exactly what she wanted. Is that it?"

"No," she began, only to cut herself off. "Okay, maybe yes. But it's only because I care about you, Nick. I care about you, and I love you, and all I see you doing is running away from your troubles and hiding. You're… You can be so much more than this."

"Maybe I don't want to be."

"Maybe you need to do what you don't want to do. Maybe, rather than waiting for some strike of luck or something, or some call for the wild, you need to be out there trying to seize it! Carp… -That latin thing for seize the day."

Nick's features softened, before hardening once more. "Like you did?"

She blinked. "Huh?"

"I mean, after the whole press conference muck-up years ago, you stayed on the force trying to fix it. You never gave up. You never went back to your parents place for, what was it, three months? And even if you did, you'd be spending all that time to try and fix the problems, huh? Rather than just… I don't know, waiting for a magic clue to drop out of the sky and give you the spark you needed to come back and fix everything, right? Right?"

Judy looked on, mouth opening a little before closing again. She closed her eyes and, with a huff, turned around. "Fine… Fine. If you're going to be like this…" And with that, she made for the door, opening it and jumping out.

"-Judy!"

She froze, turning around to see Nick looking back, his face softening.

"It's not that I don't care about you or get where you're coming from," he said. "I just want time to myself. You got three months. How about I get three months? I'd say that sounds reasonable, right? Get it all out of my system first. So I'm raring to jump back in, rather than getting dragged. That sounds fair, right?"

Judy paused, looking at him, before nodding her head. "Right," she said, looking between the two of them. "And enjoy yourselves… I guess."

Nick and Finnick looked at each other and clinked their bottles. "Will do."

She gave them a smile as she closed the door, but couldn't help let it fade and her ears droop as she walked away.

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Part 5: When Night Falls: Harlan and Mary scenes.

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AN: A line of scenes following on from the WNF version of the 'vixens in a twist' scene (where it's Judy, Harlan and Mary who interrogate them, the latter being the one to threaten them with being rotated to the different hot precincts. Harlan, while out of the room (as Nick was, yup, the best wolf bum line was originally best fox bum), misses the vixens mention a potential leak in the ZPD. Aka him. Something Mary begins to suspect.

Upplet did a some editing around, especially with one set of dialogue from Bradley in the third part of this (omitting named references to Jack Savage and Ratsputin). However, by and large, I'm fine with most of the changes.

There's one line he added I loved (Mary: If Harlan wants politics, I'll give him politics).

And two he cut I'd say deserved to stay in (a small joke about his antlers and girls Bradley makes, and a golden reference Harlan makes to the vixen interrogation to Mary). Anyway, enjoy.

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"A coincidence doesn't make a conviction," Mary told herself, looking over the details again. Her eyes lingered on the picture of the big bear, Mikhael, in the morgue. The one who'd been talking to a mole in the ZPD. Gaining information, using it to plan their next move. Before all his plans turned to dust in a moment of violence.

"He's dead. A mammal's dead!"

"Harlan…" she trailed off. He'd reacted so strongly to his death, or so she'd heard. Came from having bumped into him a few times while on his ticketing duties.

Or so he'd said…

"Trying to get a confession for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

She flinched back a bit from a line he'd said, about how the prey in the ZPD were all too eager to jump on preds like him… Only for her to push it off. Having concerns about him didn't make her a bad mammal. She had a right to stand up for herself! Just because Harlan was loud, or would go on his rants, or would cut her off saying 'she didn't know stuff' didn't mean he did.

She chewed her teeth a little.

She had every right, just as him, to be suspicious, to follow her gut, to ask questions and demand change and live her life how she wanted to.

And what she wanted to do was to make sure her friend wasn't involved in all of this. And then maybe show that off to him and show that she could stand up for herself and ask questions. After all, it didn't mean she'd turned against him, did it. She'd only gone and ruled him out, it was his choice if he wanted to be ungrateful.

Thinking about how to do it, she clicked her hoof, jogging off down to the ZPD front desk. "Hey, Clawhauser?"

"Ooooh! Yes Mary?" the cheetah asked.

"Can you ask Tundra Town dispatch for a list of tickets and their locations that Harlan dealt while in Tundra Town?"

"Sure thing," he said, typing it into his computer. "Just to warn you though, it's all part of a BIG spreadsheet you'll have to sort through and all… Kind of thing you'd want an intern to work with."

"Have we got an intern?" she asked, hopefully.

He chuckled. "Fun fact, we had a few work experience mammals last week. A few next. But none now!" He looked down, sadly. "Kinda stuck in a donut hole here… Though maybe I could phone up the other precincts…"

"It's fine," Mary waved off. It wouldn't take her that long anyway. Besides… She just had another idea. "By the way, could you request the phone we found on the dead polar bear. I'm hoping they've cracked it by now."

"Sure thing," he said. "I'll check for you. And oooh, there's your spreadsheet. I'll just email it over."

"Thank you," Mary waved off, before returning to her desk.

Knowing Harlan's officer number, it only took a moment to sort out just his tickets. Then came the tricky part, working out where they were. While the ewe had been hoping there were GPS coordinates she could log, it turned out that each parking zone had its own reference number… With no link to location or post code or whatever.

Grumbling, the ewe had to make do, quickly logging up how many tickets were from each area on each day.

Finally, checking on the ZPD intranet, she hit a goldmine. A list of the parking zones, each with their own GPS coordinate. On a new spreadsheet, she wrote out the area code, then the latitude and longitude, then the number of tickets per day. Finally, after jigging around the columns, she got a fancy bubble graph, and almost jumped for joy. It showed Harlan's positions perfectly, and she could see how he hit different areas on different days. Some he revisited often, others he dabbled in once, getting just one or two tickets, before never visiting again. Were she to break it down further, hour by hour, she bet she could animate it and see him moving this way and that.

Of course, this was all meaningless now.

A quick screenshot of Tundra Town on Zoogle maps, made transparent and laid over, and everything made a lot more sense. Indeed, she could see many of his big ticket areas line up with large car parks and stuff.

All she now needed to do was mark out the bears regular haunts. The big estate, the spa, his house, etcetera. On they went and…

The ewe frowned.

He and the bear would have been pretty much on the other side of the two all the way through…

Which didn't prove anything, she told herself. There were still areas they could have bumped into each other, even without the bear deciding to take a trip to a different part of the town.

All it meant was that Harlan's explanation of how he bumped into him once was less likely. Not impossible.

Still, the ewe felt a tinge of nerves as she got another email. The phone was ready for her to look at. A quick walk down to the labs and she retrieved it. Only a cheap burner, the call logs quickly accessible with the time and date given.

She soon logged them down, and picked out just who she believed the mole was. A bunch of semi-regular outgoing calls, finished off by a couple of incoming ones in short succession.

She tried calling the number, only for it to beep, saying the phone could not be reached.

So, no use then, what even was… there…

She paused, looking at the last set of incoming calls. All packed closely together, the last within an hour of the first. But it wasn't that which concerned her. It was the date. Why… why was it ringing a bell? It wasn't the day he died, was it? It was the day after, so… "-The day after!?" she exclaimed. Okay… Maybe it was the mammal trying to find out if he was still alive. But in that case, she'd have expected it late on the day the raid happened. Right?

Rubbing her chin, the ewe tried to think about the day in question some more, only to freeze.

That was the day they were put on the case.

And, looking closer, she saw that all the calls were in the morning. The latest? Just five or ten minutes before their briefing.

Hoof trembling, she phoned up Clawhauser. "Hey, funny request. Could you tell me when Harlan signed in on the seventeenth?"

"Uh-sure, okay," he said. "Yup. Eight, fifty two."

"Uh-hu," Mary nodded. Six minutes after the last call. "And what about when he was phoned and told to come in that day?"

"Well, there was a message at seven-oh-three. Followed by a call that went through at quarter past."

Mary looked down the phone call log and froze. The first incoming one was at seven-oh-six. "Harlan…" she whispered, sitting back down. She could see it now. He hears he's coming back in, out of the blue. Could it be a trap? So he calls up, asking for advice. No answer. Stepping out the door, he tries again. No answer. Getting off the train, the precinct in sight. Last chance to bail. He calls a third and final time, no answer. So into the lion's den he goes, scared he's been caught. Probably terrified that this will be it…

Only to find to his shock the mammal he'd been trusting was dead.

No wonder he acted like he did. That no good dirty…

"Oh, that's so easy for you to say. You don't know what it's like. You don't how much you and that stinking Clovestone make us suffer! How DARE you judge!"

She could imagine his response now, shivering as she remembered his anger and rage on the night of the car chase.

Only she pushed through, remembering the words of advice that Bradley had. She narrowed her eyes and pushed on. She had worth. She had strength. It may not be flashy and under the surface, but it had just as much dignity and pride… in fact far more… than any predator who tried to scare her and guilt her to get what they wanted.

There was still one more thing to check, to turn this from a suspicion to a certainty. She remembered the times Harlan had turned up at the Precinct while she was doing admin work. If he was going to steal or copy anything, that would be when.

She went into the records room, remembering where she had been. With shaking hooves she opened the file and scanned through the documents, pulling the odd one out and ticking them off. On and on, with different cases, moving onto…

"It's gone."

She looked further. Another missing. And another! And another!

With a push she slammed the drawer back, collapsing onto the floor. "That no go guilty, lying, scheming, gaslighting abusive wolf! How… How could he!?" She hit out and folded in on herself. She should be mad. She should be furious. Why? Why… Then why was she crying?

Not long after, Mary had wiped her tears off of her face.

"What now?" she asked herself. What now…

The answer came almost instantly. Tell Judy.

And so she grabbed one of the empty files and headed off, her legs brisk beneath her. Find the bunny, get her in private, tell her the truth and…

A flash of her and Harlan's time training together haunted her for a second, before she pushed it out of her mind. No. He didn't have to be the leak, did he? He chose it.

'Evildoers making excuses for their choices. Who have every opportunity to turn away, yet always sink deeper, because deep down, they enjoy it.'

This time it was Bradley's voice in her head.

And he was right. He was…

Only it trailed off as she made her way to an elevator. It wasn't really joy Harlan had when he was ranting about Clovestone. It was anger, it was pain… Or was it really? Was that all an act or -Oh Mutton Chops!

She had to hold in a bleat as none other than the wolf in question jogged up and slipped into the lift, waving her a smile as the door slowly began to close. She just held herself still, looking straight forward, it would only be a few seconds and…

"Uh, anything the matter Mary?"

"Uh, no, no…" she stammered out, trying to smile. "I guess I just fazed out there huh. Probably got a bit of fainting goat in me! Or not. That doesn't make sense, ha! Oh, just listen to me."

The wolf's head tilted a little before he laughed. "Ha, guess you're running empty on coffee huh? Tell you what, let's skip the sludge they serve in the breakroom and go get some real stuff! Snarlbucks?" There was a ping as the door finally closed and they began going down.

"Oh, I'm good," she smiled, waving off with one arm. She looked up to Harlan, only to see his eyes widen at first, and then his brow furrow.

"Oh no, I insist, I'll pay. We could even read whatever juicy intel you got there."

"Oh what, this?" she laughed, looking down and then feeling her heart plummet. She'd been covering the file's name tag with her arm, but when she'd waved… "-It's nothing."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

"So then," he said, walking over and slamming the emergency stop button. Mary flinched back as they jolted to a halt, so damn close to the ground floor yet so far! Even if they did reach it though, Mary doubted it would matter as her far larger partner walked back against the door, penning her in like a lamb to the slaughter, his eyes boring down. "If that's the case, why would you be taking it somewhere?"

"I…" She began, looking up. "I was looking through the docs on my computer and realised there were some spelling errors! I thought I'd go and just check and talk with Judy and…"

"Okay then, can I please see them?" he asked, standing tall and rapping his fingers against his arms.

"Uh… See what?"

"The spelling errors."

"I… Why would you want to see them?"

"Why would you not want to just show me them and get this over with?"

"I'm just trying to save time, and…"

His face scowled up with anger. "I may not have graduated top of academy academics like you, but I'm not stupid. Give me the file, Mary."

Mary could feel her heart beating up and down in her chest. She knew… And he knew that she knew and vice versa. In that moment though, with nowhere to flee, the sheep felt something rise up in her. Her flight or fight instinct, one option gone, began channeling into the other, and onto it she added. Remembering how she'd felt when playing bad cop to the vixens, and Bradley's words of advice. "No, I'm not going to and yes, yes you are! You've just proven it!. I only suspected it before, but right now I know for certain you did it. You've just signed your confession, Harlan."

She watched as his ears flagged a bit, even as he kept a straight face. "Confession to what?"

"Oh don't give me that!" she yelled, before even thinking about it. It was a rush though, and she grabbed on and rode it. "Don't treat me like this little harmless lamb you can just carry on pushing around. I know what you did! You didn't bump into that bear by chance in TundraTown. He recruited you to be their spy, and you followed just to try and get revenge on Clovestone!" She threw down the brown file and let it open up, not one sheet within to fly out. "You betrayed my… -Everyone's trust to steal those documents! And then when called in you gave three, three, panicked calls to the dead bear's phone before coming in, to your shock and then anger at seeing his dead face pinned up." She crossed her arms. "No wonder you were so angry about his death, and acting so odd. And after that, you tried to clear it all up and act like it never happened. Only I've got…" She choked a bit, stumbling on her words and only then realizing that her eyes were getting wet again. "I've got proof. Proof that you betrayed us… Betrayed us all, like… Like the months we spent at the academy meant nothing. And don't think you can get out of this, don't think you can give any sob stories anymore, I… I'm going to tell Judy, and then…"

She looked at him, his face looking like it had just seen the gallows for the first and last time.

"And then…"

He shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "And then what?" he asked, kneeling down so their eyes were level. She could see fear in them, doubt, but he pushed over it with a cold, hard, and determined mask. "What firm proof do you actually have?"

"I… I have Mikhael's phone records! Showing you trying to call him on that day."

"Right, with my number, correct?"

"I…" She began. "-And I know your Cold Box areas in TundraTown didn't match with where that bear lived and worked…"

"Which disproves my story of seeing him help dig out some foxes' car how?"

"I… Well you were the only one who could have taken out those documents!"

He paused for a second, his muzzle twitching and his eyes looking down. She wasn't sure what he wanted to say and was even more confused as he sighed, wondering why he sounded… sad? -Before he shrugged and spoke as if he were interrogating a suspect.. "Says the mammal handling those records all week."

Mary paused, a new shiver of fear beginning to run through her. She shook it off though, hitting back. "You honestly think you can blame this on me?"

"No," he said, standing up and walking to the door, leaning back into the corner of the lift. He slumped down into it, his paws crossed. "But I can certainly make sure that if I go down, I can bring you down with me. What do you have? Weak circumstantial evidence. Oh, you may think that's perfectly enough to convict a nasty predator like me, but Judy? The ZPD? Really? I mean, a lot of them are a lot more aware of the horrible things prey like you do to us now, aren't they? Hmmm? After all, as much as the big bad wolf is a scary villain in the eyes of Zootopians, wasn't that replaced a while back by the little, 'harmless', scheming ewe?"

"I…" Mary began, feeling a hint of bile rising up at that reference.

"Uh-hu. One who works in the shadows and makes preds like us look like the big bad villains, as they do what they want to wipe us out." His eyes narrowed. "It seems you didn't get the message about how much mammals like that kicked us down. And are hated, by almost everyone, as a result. Do you really want to be cast onto her side, hmmmm?"

"I… I'm not the bad mammal here Harlan, and you know it."

"Don't be so sure," he warned, breathing out through his teeth. "Maybe I did some dodgy things once or twice to help fight back against certain mammals. But at least it was for the side that's right. Unlike you, my little vixen cooker."

"Stop it."

"Huh?"

"STOP IT!" Mary yelled, marching forward. "I don't care about your sob stories! I don't care how many times you preach about how you're the good one and how I'm being this bad mammal who goes around scaring preds and being bad… There's only one traitor here, and that's you! And however much you gaslight or shame me, it doesn't matter! None of it matters! And I'm sick of it! Sick of all of it! Sick of this damn Clovestone case and what it turned my academy partner into!" She broke down, having to hold back the tears. "You are a nasty predator, Harlan," she said, wiping her eyes. "A predator who is nasty…"

"I'm just trying to survive," was all he said, as he walked back to the lift controls. He gave her one last glance. "Hold my head high and live and die with dignity, like my father before me. And unlike him, I'm not going to let some prey come in and take everything away. I'm going to stand and I'm going to fight. Even if this oh so shiny rebrand of T-U-S-K comes knocking, yeah, don't think I haven't spotted that or know what it is. Even if the war against us starts again and you're on their side, cheering on with the rest of them, I'm not going to bare my neck. Like every predator out there, I'm not the one who started this, but damn well I'll be the one to end it. So… I advise you apply for a transfer and stay well out of my way. Let me carry on after Clovestone. You can find a role in some sheep town and enjoy your life there, but don't think for a second you can bring me down for seeing the greater good without me biting back just as hard."

And with that, he unpressed the stop button. They dropped down a little, and then with a ping the door opened. Out Harlan walked, looking around a bit to see if anyone was wondering why they took so long, only to relax as he saw it was clear.

Mary walked out afterwards only to freeze, not sure what to do.

All her confidence and conviction had vanished.

She thought about going to Judy, following the plan…

Only for her to wilt at that.

She knew the bunny would probably believe her… But how would Harlan play it?

What if she'd only be putting her superior in the same mess she was in now?

Maybe it was best to just live and let live. Ask for a transfer, go peacefully… Harlan was no longer a mole, wasn't he? That had died with Mikhael, right?

But how much more might he do just to get at Clovestone…

No, if she let this slip under the rug she was just as bad as he was! The 'Integrity' on her badge meant something, and unlike him she wasn't going to turn that promise she'd made into worthless dust!

How could she play this?

Could… Could she get some more evidence?

She closed her eyes. It would take time, and now Harlan knew he was backed into a wall, he might use that to work against her.

And for that matter, even if she did drop it, was she really safe?

Her old friend wouldn't try to cover himself by dealing with her, right?

Right…?

She shivered. She didn't know anymore. The ewe just wanted to scream. Dammit. Why… Why did she have to run into him on the way to Judy! It was supposed to be so simple, but now there was all this stupid scary office politics and…

She froze, a sudden realization coming over her.

She may not know where to get extra evidence to show Judy, but she knew exactly where to get an ally who could keep her safe and stand by her side through all of this. Racing back up to put the empty folder back, she then quickly made her way out to the lobby, telling Clawhauser she needed to ask a few questions with a potential witness. And with that, she marched out of the ZPD, setting her eyes straight onto City Hall.

"With respect," Bradley said, knitting the brow of his muzzle. "I don't know what your objection is."

There was a long pause as he listened in on what was on the other side of the line.

"I think you'll find that I stated quite clearly in my debates that I did intend to ensure that the mammals of Happytown were safe and looked after. And arguably this…" He paused, ears tilting as a buzzer rung. "Hold on a sec." He leant over and pressed it.

"An Officer Ewever," came the voice from the other end.

The deer nodded and smiled. "Send her up, but tell her I might be busy." And with that he went back to his previous phonecall. "As I was saying, Happytown was mostly built on old industrial and chemical works, in a time of far poorer environmental documentation. It's not unique in that aspect, and a survey to properly assess any risks in such sites across the city is arguably a very prudent move. Do you not agree?"

…

"Thank you," he said, nodding along.

With that he put the phone down and brought up a mirror, inspecting the soft velvet covering his antlers. It was coming up to three months, so most of the internal structure should have been calcified by now. It wouldn't be long until the final kiwi-skin like layer left on top would loosen and peel off, quite a gory site for one not accustomed to it, so he hoped he'd have enough time to have it be done in private and cleaned off.

Still… He reached up to what seemed like another tine budding off of the main stem, and bringing out his measuring tool he went over to a large mirror, to see if it had fully… Not quite big enough. Anyway, the shedding could perhaps wait just a little longer.

A short knock on the door had his attention drawn, and he called out, smiling as Mary walked in. "I'm glad to see you take up my offer, though maybe a bit concerned at how soon you had to take it."

"Yeah," she said, shaking her head. "It… I didn't want to, but something happened. Something, with my partner. Something bad."

"Uh-hu," he said, walking back to his desk. "And were the ZPD not able to deal with this, or…"

"I mean I think they will, I hope," she began, only to sigh. "It just so happened that I bumped into him on the way to report it all to Officer Hopps. He worked out that I knew, and said that he'd make it so he bring me down with him, and… -And I'm not going to stand for his actions anymore," she said. "But I thought that if he was going to try and stack the cards against me, then if I had the chance to have a powerful ally on my side like you then I'd be a fool not to take it."

"Indeed," Bradley nodded. "There happens to be quite a lot of mammals who'll stubbornly refuse what's best for them, so I'm very happy to see you're one who can see the bigger picture."

"Thanks," she said.

He nodded. "Anyway, let's start at the beginning." Mary did just that.

…

"-And with that, I came here, came in, and saw you admiring your antlers. And then here we are," Mary finished off, breathing out. It had been something, that was for sure. Slow at times, requiring a box of tissues. But now, getting it all out, having someone who listened. It was like a wolf shaped weight had been lifted off of her chest.

"I'm very sorry for what you had to go through," Bradley said, walking over and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "And you are certainly right. He's a nasty predator. A predator who is nasty, and never, never, let him convince you that you're thinking otherwise and are a bad mammal because of it. Never let someone like that gaslight you, or manipulate you, or twist your arm. You did the right thing, the brave thing, and not a moment too soon. We need good cops, like you."

Mary looked up at him, an unsteady smile growing across her face. "T-thank you. You don't know how much that means, not after all I've been through. I…"

"Don't worry," he said again. "About him, about your integrity, about it all."

She breathed in, she breathed out. "Yeah," she said. "Still, just looking back. Looking at all of it, I…" She closed her eyes and huffed out. "Part of me still believes him, it's strange to say. That I'm ignorant to what he went through, or against him, or rather predators in general. It's…"

"Propaganda," Bradley said, shrugging. "Nothing more, nothing less. And it takes time, and stepping back, to see through it all."

Mary nodded slowly. "Still," she said. "All this talk… Of the war this, or T-U-S-K and his father that, of us prey being the one to start it and how much he suffered…"

"I'm sure he did suffer," Bradley said, pulling her up. "And I'm sure it feels to him like we did start it. After all, he was most likely raised to believe it, to give him his excuses…"

"What do you mean?" she asked, confusion in her voice.

The deer smiled, walking over to a bookcase and pulling out a few sets of books. "It's interesting. I've read a few reports here and there, mammals in universities and their theories. Now one, probably a predator like this Harlan, wrote a report claiming that whatever form they took, the police and even the act of policing are always anti-predator. Law enforcement traces its way back to the great truce, with pred and prey coming together. The prey felt they couldn't trust predators, so organized mobs and forces to keep them in line, brutally and unfairly. Those groups and even the ideas evolved into the modern police, and so at its root the police is anti-pred."

"I mean, when you put it like that…" Mary began.

"Alternatively, another thing I read suggested that the police were fundamentally a predator organization designed to extract money and resources from prey. When the treaties were signed, the predators became a 'bootlicker' class. Enforcing the rule of the minority, whoever they may be, against the majority, with fear and force. When they weren't invading free prey as soldiers, mind you." He shrugged, bringing over what the cover revealed to be an extensive archaeology book. "Tell me, which one sounds the most realistic?"

"I… I'm not sure, they're kind of opposite to each other."

He nodded. "And do you know what I think?"

"No."

"I believe, or rather have gleaned from years of study and evidence, that it's a bit of both." He placed the book down before carrying on. "When the grand peace was founded the predators need for food didn't go away. Some insectivores and omnivores could transition just fine, but others still needed protein from prey. The dead, milk, even a broth made from uncalcified half-grown deer antlers all helped." He pointed at his rack, smiling. "A quick but painful experience so I've heard, but in poorer times needs must. Hence why being able to grow truly grand racks, then and now, means so much to our kind. And hinds." He smiled at that one, before shaking himself back onto topic.

"But those predators, if they wanted it fairly, had to earn it. And earning it was hard, very hard, so hard that some refused. They turned to crime. But, funnily enough, that gave those that didn't the perfect opportunity to earn it. To become the predators who protected the prey from the predators."

"The early police," Mary said.

"Exactly," Bradley smiled. "And this is fundamental to understanding our issues. Critical, in fact. You see, those two groups, or rather ideologies didn't go away. There's one set of predators whose fundamental worldview ties themselves closer to prey. The other, to reject it and prey off them, using the expected blowback as a retroactive justification. Passed on from parent to child, from barbarians to pirates to the crime lords of today. Of course, no mammal is forever bound to an ideology, as shown by the prey who choose to join in."

"Really?" Mary asked, skeptically.

"Amongst the crime lords were a certain rat and a bunny," Bradley pointed out, giving a little laugh. "Jack Savage and Ratsputin got enchanted with this idea of being on the side who's 'right' it was to take, to steal, to rip away what others built for themselves rather than putting in the hard work and building themselves. And when you put it like that, no wonder a certain wolf despises the markhor who built half the city."

"So was Harlan trying to do the reverse when he joined the ZPD?" Mary asked. "Or was it just a long con from the start?"

"Who can say," he shrugged. "But understanding this truth is the key to all of this. Foolishly attacking all predators just sends those on our side to theirs. We need to do the opposite, bring those on theirs to ours, freeing them from this outdated misery they create for everyone, including themselves. By peace, if we can, by force, if necessary. And of course, always being aware of what desperate actions a dying ideology might pull. For instance, attempting to corrupt their age-old rivals by taking control of the ZPD."

Mary looked at him and then down at the book.

"You can keep it if you want. I've annotated it and everything."

"Y-yeah," she said, looking up. "Thanks, it might be interesting."

"Consider it a reward for your bravery," he said. "And don't worry, I'll be making sure you're safe, at the very least."

The ewe nodded on, only to pause. "What do you mean by that?"

The deer paused, before shrugging. "Don't feel pressured into this or anything else. I want to stress that I won't hold it against you if you say no."

"No to what?"

Bradley sighed, walking off over to the great glass window of the mayor's office. Looking down, he let his eyes cast themselves onto Precinct One. "I'm not going to lie, I've had my faith in the ZPD rocked recently. Wilde may be the biggest flag, but there's a list of failed operations and corruption issues going back a while. Culminating in this thing about Harlan. As I said, the death throes of the other side fighting back. At the very least, I'd like good cops like you making up the ranks to oppose it. Ideally, I'd want those who are willing to keep an eye on any goings on, just to keep me in check." He turned back, smiling. "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes."

Mary paused, thinking, before her eyes went wide. "Who watches the watchmammals?"

"Very good," Bradley smiled. "I didn't know you studied latin."

"Only as an elective for one semester," she waved off. "Oooh, here's one I think Wilde used once. Vulpanes sicunt insanus."

Bradley paused, scratching his head. "Mammals who called foxes they go the craze?"

"Oh…" Mary said. "I guess he didn't study latin that well."

"I think we can agree there," he smirked. "As I said, no pressure. Think on it."

She smiled. "I will, thank you Mayor Stagnew."

He smiled, waving her off. "The pleasure is all mine, Officer Ewever."

With that the ewe smiled, picking up her book and walking out, a new swing in her step. It felt good… Really good. None other than the Mayor of Zootopia, supporting her! Helping her! Showing her that no, whatever Harlan made up, he was in the wrong. She was in the right.

And with that, she pressed the lift button, the door opening.

"-Wait a sec!"

She turned to see a rough looking boar marching up and slipping in next to her, panting a little as the door closed. He pressed the ground floor button like her and leant into the corner, breathing in, breathing out, stroking the side of his chest. "Stitch," he said, looking at her.

"I know what that feels like," she chuckled.

"Stitch from a bullet wound?" he asked, groaning a little as he gave it a stretch.

"N-no," she said, pausing. "Are you the Mayors bodyguard or something or…"

"Ha, no," he smiled. "Naw, I'm the new leader of S-C-A-L-P-E-L! Back where I belong."

"Right," Mary said politely, pausing. "Why is it called legion? At the end?"

"Because it sounds awesome."

She looked on unconvinced as he shrugged. "Eh, and he wanted something medical sounding. He likes the metaphors I guess. I think his mother was a radiologist or something… Worked at a nuke station, making the stuff they use for radiotherapy machines or…" He waved it off. "Or maybe his father was a doctor. But…" He paused, looking at the book. "Oh, he leant you one of his."

Mary smiled. "Yeah, and he gave me some good words of advice. Said I was a good cop."

"About time," he said, walking up and patting her hard on the elbow. Something not quite fully appreciated. "Anyway, if he's on your side, trust me, you're going places. He looks after his own."

Mary almost said she wasn't 'Bradley's own', but something made her stay, instead letting the boar carry on.

"Years after they shut down T-U-S-K, years after the city threw me out for my services, and here we are. Back doing what we do best. You coppers clean up after the crimes, but we go in and stop them before they happen."

"And how do you do that?" Mary asked.

"Oh, lots of ways… And trust me, it's not 'pick a predator' like some idiots say. I mean, the mission that got me shot? We knew there was a gun smuggling ring through Happytown, so we created a few compromised guns. A few rounds fired and they'd break, enough to pass tests but not cause too much harm. And with trackers in them we followed them back to this idiot wolf, happy to sell guns out of his own home with his kids running about. Well, thankfully for them it was us, not some other mobster coming in. We bashed in, shouting warnings, and the jerk shot me." The boar looked off and huffed, brow furrowing. "We got him back, wounded him, and ordered him to surrender. He could have lived. He could have easily lived. But no, he chose to stumble over and grab a gun, for some kind of heroic last stand or something. And at that point… Well, I could have knocked it away and cuffed him, but I was hurt as heck and if he wanted to die in a blaze of glory?" He shrugged. "Well, I probably saved the prison staff and other inmates a lotta trouble and maybe their lives if that was his reaction to being told to surrender."

And with that, the lift pinged, reaching the bottom. "Anyway," he said, turning back and smiling like they'd had fun talking about the weather or something. "Welcome to the team."

"Yeah," she said, giving a smile for politenesses sake.

It wasn't genuine though, and she chewed on her thoughts like it was cud. More and more and more as she walked across the main city plaza until she halted, halfway through.

And with that she raced off to the ZPD, skirting in past Clawhauser, down to her terminal where she began loading up old crime records. Wolf shot in T-U-S-K gun raid. A few scrolls down and she froze as she read the report.

And the two named casualties.

T-U-S-K Officer Cliff Boarton: Shot and injured (by Jason O'Conall). Non life-threatening.

Suspect Jason O'Conall: Shot and killed in self defense (by Officer Cliff Boarton). Justified.

She pulled back, feeling and her limbs turn to ice. That boar working for the mayor killed her partner's father. And she was certain the deer would know.

But it was justified, wasn't it? Harlan's father fought back, he had every chance to surrender but wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. Like father, like son?

Only as Boarton said, he could have knocked the gun away and taken him alive. Instead he chose to put him down.

'By peace, if we can. By force, if necessary.'

Was that what Mayor Stagnew's view of force was? Putting the bad dogs down? And would Harlan suffer the same fate?

Yes, she hated how he bullied her, it was still wrong! But if that was what his view of standing with dignity was, she didn't want that. She didn't want his anger leading him to dying just like his father, but the more she thought the more she could see it.

And her partner, her friend, belonged in a prison cell, not a grave.

She couldn't help but think it ironic, given that it was kind of proving Bradley's point right. Harlan did need rescuing from his past, from his outlook, from his stupid war against prey. But was the mayor the right choice, or was it something she and Judy would have to do. Maybe if she and Judy could talk him down, they could then tell the mayor…

She paused, a slight realization coming over her.

For all Bradley's talk about Harlan shaming her, pushing her, mistreating her to get what he wanted… Was he doing the opposite? Charming her, being nice?

And sure, she wouldn't mind it, except that boar…

Did the ends justify the means?

That… That was Harlan's argument though?

She closed her eyes, shaking her head, before looking down, her eyes hanging on the floor.

Before finally catching something shining in the light.

Pulling it out of her pocket, she looked at her badge.

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes," she said, holding it tight. "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes."

If only it were that simple.