BEEP BEEP BEEP
That damn thing always called for him whenever he felt the most comfy and warm. The half conscious fox opened his eyes to see the hazy, gray glow of the morning sky shine through his bedroom window.
He hated waking up this early in the morning.
He'd wouldn't have such a hard time waking up this early if he could actually look at the orange and yellow sunrise.
But around this time of the day, the night sky usually hasn't completely given up to the sun, and the sun hasn't completely risen yet.
Nick wouldn't actually get to see the sunrise until AFTER he got to work.
He shifted under the fluffy, warm blanket on his bed. It wasnt cold in his room by any means, his bed was just too comfy to get out of. Reluctant to leave, he rolled over to grab his phone from the nightstand.
As he brought the device closer to his face and turned it on, he was met with a familiar screen saver.
It was a picture of him and Judy at his graduation ceremony from the academy. The two actually didn't even know that the photo was being taken at the time. They later just happened to see it when reading an article about Nick being the first fox to graduate.
Nick had instantly taken a keen liking to the photo.
It was the moment that the two were finally able to 'see' each other after Nick had been away training for 6 months.
He remembered how horribly Judy was at hiding her excitement to see him. Truth be told, he had a hard time as well. But they couldn't exactly hug and catch up in the middle of the badge ceremony.
In the photo, the two were hugging. Judy with both arms tightly wrapped around Nick's neck and her face buried into his collar. He remembers the crack in her voice when she tried to speak. And Nick, reciprocating the hug with a big, stupid grin on his face.
This photo of them always seemed to make any time of the day, just a little bit brighter for Nick.
Of course, he'd never let Judy see or know that because A: He'd never hear the end of it, and B: That would give her even more ammo against him in their banter.
Playful ammo, of course.
He then got up out of bed, finding a new motivation for the day, and went for his closet. He began to put his uniform on.
He looked at his blouse with a reminiscent smile, feeling renewed pride each time he layed eyes on it. The proudest moments so far in his life were being issued his uniform and badge.
Realizing that he was being unusually sentimental this morning, he rolled his eyes in amusement. 'That bunnys sappiness is rubbing off on me...'
"Coffee, coffee, coffee," He tiredly beckoned as he straightened his tie and made his way to his apartments kitchen. It was a smaller kitchen, but it was certainly better than what he had before.
Nothing.
There were no coffee makers under a bridge or in a giant desk drawer...
Before he could even begin to reach for the coffee maker, a muffled ding rang out from his pocket.
He turned on his phone once again to check the notification.
'Message from 'Carrots'
He swiped up to open the message.
'Goooood morning slick! Hope you slept well. Since the mayor's having the big unity event is this weekend, I'm heading to work early to get ahead of our reports for the Chief. Annnd, since I know that you're probably still trying to wake up, I'll count today as another win. ;)-'
Ever since he became her partner, daily challenges and races were frequent between the two. Racing to work was one of those daily occurrences. The winner would always get to choose where the two would have lunch for the day.
'And since I'm on a winning streak recently, would you mind picking up some coffee for your champion? Haha, jk! See ya soon!'
He finished reading. A smirk grew across his muzzle as he typed a response.
'Good morning, cheater. See ya soon...'
The challenge in Judy's text was evident. He wasn't gonna take a loss again without a fight. He started to concoct a plan...
'I'll do ya one better carrots, I'll get us some coffee and still be at work before you...'
o.8.o
As he rushed out of the front door of his apartment building, he noticed that the gray haze of the early morning sky was slowly changing to a faint orange.
He knew that the more bright the morning got, the more mammals would be making their way into the city. Making it near impossible to get anything done quickly.
With any luck, he could beat the morning rush and grab his coffee before things got too crowded.
As he ran down the sidewalk, his thoughts ran even faster, laying out his strategy to win the race.
Obviously, Judy was already on her way to the precinct. Traffic was low at the moment but would increase and slow him down if he wasn't quick. Judy would more than likely be using the main road towards the ZPD, like she always did.
He loved and respected the hell out of the rabbit, but she was completely predictable when it came to traveling. He smirked to himself as he thought of how naive his partner could be.
Whether it be traveling to and from work or going out with friends, she used the same exact routes every time. Which was fine for casual travel, but when you needed to get somewhere in a pinch, main routes usually weren't viable.
Nick planned to use this to his advantage.
As someone who knew everybody in Zootopia, he liked to think he knew a lot of the shortcuts as well. He had to for his previous line of work.
Piss a mammal off enough that they start to look for you? Use a back alley to quickly get away to another block.
Need to get to a certain district at rush hour? Use side roads to cut around the jam-packed streets or sidewalks.
He continued to jog down the sidewalk with relative ease. Ever since he graduated from the academy, about six months ago now, all of those days of running for miles and miles on end still seemed to be helping him to this day.
As he ran, the businesses and restaurants that lined the side of the street continued to become 'alive'. Each, inadvertently making Nick more nervous as he made his way past them.
Each business had their own agenda and goals for the day. Unaffected by the bustling city around them. While each business had their own goals, they also seemed to thrive together like an urban ecosystem. Each benefitting from one another as mammals moved from building to building...
And while that's all fine and dandy, the increased foot and street traffic wasn't gonna help the fox whatsoever in HIS goals for today.
Nick continued to run until he neared the streets corner. He read the sign sticking out from the building in front of him.
'Amri's Cafe and Lounge'
The cafe was a regular stop for him and Judy during their shift. It also quickly became one of the duos favorites. Not just because of the coffee, they came to know the owner as well. Amri.
Amri is a lion originally from South Africa. He spoke perfect english but had a very obvious accent. His warm and welcoming personality was always a nice change from the sometimes crazy and unwelcoming days the fox and rabbit would sometimes run into.
Amri was also the father of one of the 'Missing Mammals' found by Nick and Judy during the nighthowler case. Amri had considered them close friends and even family ever since he found out who they were. Amri's kindness didn't just extend to Nick and Judy. Along with owning and running a cafe, he ran fundraisers and donations for the needy. Amri was a staple in Savanna Central, and mammals from all around the city came to his cafe. 'Hopefully, today, I can beat his adoring public to the cafe.'
Unfortunately for Nick, the cafe was already packed with customers. He sighed in angst. If he could just find Amri, maybe the lion could help him out.
He walked in and slipped by the line that was formed all the way to the front door. To his left, he saw a bar seating several sized stools in front of it. Each one was inhabited by mammals waiting to order. Amri probably had the best cafe in Savanna Central, and the number of customers vouched for that.
To Nick's right, he observed the lounge area. Several different sized chairs and tables filled the room. Each chair and table was occupied by happy customers.
He smiled. He was glad that his friends cafe was doing well for itself.
A thunderous but warm voice suddenly greeted. "Officer Wilde! Habari za asubui! (Good morning!) How are you, my friend?!" The fox turned to see a large, older lion step out from behind the counter. It was Amri.
Nick, being the charmer that he was, previously tried to learn some Swahili to please the lion. As many mammals didn't know Swahili around Zootopia.
He hoped that charming the lion could also help him in his race this morning.
"Uh, Habari za asubui! Niko salama, asante. Habari gani?" (Good morning! I'm fine, thanks. How are you?) Nick replied warmly, hoping that he got the pronunciation right.
The Lion had a minute squint to his eye, not fully registering what the fox had said. The lion had heard various languages spoken around Zootopia, but Swahili was almost non-existent. As he quickly understood what Nick said, a huge toothy smile sprouted across his face.
"Oh, oh! Haha, very good, rafiki yangu! (my friend!) I'm doing very well, as you can see." The lion replied, gesturing to his business. "What can I do for you?" The lion leaned on the counter.
"Well, Mr. Amri, it appears that my partner has gotten ahead of me this morning in our race to the station. I'm also in need of some of your delicious coffee. You don't think that you could help a fella out, could ya?" Nick answered with a charismatic smirk.
The lion laughed, "Haha, I would be glad to help. But I don't think that even the fastest mammal on earth could out-heart Officer Hopps in a race. Would you like your regular order?" Amri chuckled, gesturing to the coffee machines behind him.
Nick smirked before replying, "A guy can dream, can't he? And yes, make that two, please."
The lion turned and started to quickly but efficiently put Nick's order together. He'd never actually seen the lion move so fast.
"So how are you, Amri? I know work is going great and all, but how are YOU? How's your son, Jarani?" Nick casually asked, watching the lion work.
Jarani, one of the MANY missing mammals in the nighthowler case.
The lion smiled without looking back at the fox.
"I'm a very proud 'Baba', Jarani has finally put in his paperwork to run for mayor. He's nervous but wants to make a difference. Just like the mammals who rescued him." The lion replied, shooting a knowing smile towards Nick.
"He, rightfully so, wants to punish the politicians who refused to do anything during the savage incidents and wants to bring the city back together... If only our most current mayors felt the same..." The lion chuckled with a hint of frustration in his voice.
Nicks ears twitched with annoyance. He knew exactly what Amri was talking about. Ever since Lionheart and Bellwether were both arrested, their current replacement hadn't been doing much in terms of unity and healing for the city.
Mayor Castor, was originally put in as a temporary replacement.
Since Bellwethers' arrest seemingly came out of nowhere and her term had literally JUST started months prior, the city needed a mayor and fast. Mayor Castor was mostly unkown at the time and seemed to just appear out of nowhere.
Since he was put into office, he would not directly speak about the nighthowler incident. Almost as of the word, 'Nighthowlers' was cursed. Neither he nor the rest of the Zootopian government would touch the topic with a 39 and half ft pole.
While he did this, the tension between predators and prey was still very prevalent. Everyone was still coping with the attacks.
When things started to heat up within the city, only then would he put together these 'unity rallies'. Which seemed to help a bit, but mammals were still angry. And rightly so. The government had blatantly betrayed the public TWICE, and only 3 major arrests were made. Lionheart, Bellwether, and Doug. Doug's crew either vanished or were let off on technicalities.
Most mammals found it hard to believe that so few mammals were involved in such a conspiracy.
Nick himself felt betrayed, like most other predators. So he completely sympathized with Amri and his son.
He once talked to Judy about some of his concerns, and even she had a bone to pick with Zootopian officials. He was glad he had her as support.
"Amri, I want you to know that you and Jarani have Officer Hopps and I's full support. Anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." Nick responded with a smile, hoping to ease the lions frusterations.
The lion finished putting Nick's order together and warmly smiled back at the fox. "And the ZPD has ours, rafiki yangu." The lion stated as he handed Nick his order.
Nick smiled, "Now, what do I owe you, Mr. Amri?" He asked as he reached for his wallet.
"Nothing, Officer Wilde. This one's on me. Now go win- err try to win your race. " The lion chuckled.
Nick looked up at him with wide eyes, not expecting his response. "Amri, that's really nice of you, but -"
"No, shush. I insist. Besides, your bunny's gonna beat you if you don't hurry." The Lion interjected, gesturing to the door. A teasing but knowing smile was glued to his face.
His bunny?
Nicks ears twitched in slight embarrassment.
He sighed with a conceded smirk, "Asante,(Thank you,) Amri."
The lion smiled back, "Karibu. (You're welcome.)
Nick left without another word.
As the doors swung closed, a hooded figure sitting in the far back corner of the cafe tracked Nick as he jogged out of sight.
They made sure the fox was gone before pulling out their phone.
'He's two blocks away, better move fast...'
o.8.o
The orange glow was grtting brighter and brighter as the sun rose into the sky. Nick began to jog even faster.
Along with this, the morning traffic started to flood the streets.
Weaving in between large and small mammals alike, Nick got closer and closer to his destination.
He knew this side road would lead him right into the heart of Savanna Central. And while traffic here was a bit heavy, he knew it was nothing, compared to the main roads. He hoped the traffic on the main route was slowing Judy down some. As he neared the street corner coming up, he saw a break in both cars on the road and mammals on the sidewalk.
He slowed down as he reached the edge of the sidewalk. His noticed his heart pounding harder, and the intervals between each breath became shorter as time went on.
He began crossing the street quickly and then turned to his left. The precinct was now in view.
With no Judy in sight, he began to leisurely walk towards his place of work.
He smirked triumphantly.
'Ooh carrots, you're gonna be so pissed when you see that your favorite fox beat you to-' Nick's internal bragging, abruptly stopped when the loud roar of an engine behind him seemed to appear behind him.
It was louder than any of the other engines he came across that morning. And by the sound of it, whoever was driving the vehicle had their foot to the floor.
He quickly spun around to see what was almost upon him.
Time slowed for a brief moment. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.
A slightly rusted, white van was barreling down the sidewalk at him. It was completely off of the road and didn't seem interested in thr slightest to correcting its course. The shocked yelps of nearby pedestrians seemed to pull Nick back into real time.
Without even thinking, Nick dove out of the way and into the street.
The sound of crunching metal and breaking glass seemingly inches behind him.
He landed chest first with a hard thud and rolled. Smacking his head off of the concrete in the process. Now, in a daze, he stopped against the curb on the opposite side of the road.
The screeching sound of squealing tires driving away from him echoed in his ears as his vision blurred and spun, his head reeling from the sudden impact. The pulse in his temples became more intense.
"Ow." He grunted, it was all he could muster out. If he wasn't so dizzy, he'd be extremely pissed right now.
He waited several seconds before even considering to move.
When the ache seemed to be starting to subside, he tried to sit up. The world seemed to contort around him in his daze.
With adrenaline still coursing through his system, he began to try and calm himself. His breathing was ragged, and his movements were jerky.
"ZPD! Make way! Nick? Nick!"
Nick slightly turned his head, one eye open towards the source of the voice calling for him.
He already knew exactly who it was.
Judy Hopps was quickly making her way down the street towards him as she weaved in between the crowd of mammals. She was already dressed in her uniform and ready to go.
Nick's head began to ache again. He looked away momentarily to rub his temples.
Within a second of looking away, he felt her come up alongside him.
"Nick, oh my gosh, are you okay?" Her voice was frantic as she looked him over. Being careful not to further hurt the vulpine.
"H- Hey fluff... I uh, I think so..." He stammered, continuing to massage his head.
"What the heck happened? Did you just get hit?" She questioned, placing her paws on one of his arms to comfort him.
He was completely confused.
'Who was that?'
'Was that intentional?' '
Where did they go?'
These thoughts quickly ran through his head as he sat there with Judy.
With a quick shrug, he said, "I'm not sure. I was just walking on the sidewalk, when some random van shows up out of nowhere. I had to literally dive out of the way to get away from it."
He rubbed the side of his head and sighed, "Concrete isn't very forgiving, just FYI." The hint of a smile grew on the corner of his mouth.
She faintly shook her head in amusement.
'Even when injured or in obvious pain, the jokes never cease...' She said to herself as a small smirk grew on her lips.
"Did you hit your head? Aren't foxes supposed to land on their feet?" She questioned with a pitiful smile.
Nick snorted in response.
"Those are cats, Fluff and yeah, I bumped my head pretty good. Am I bleeding at all?" He retorted. His ears twitching, hesitant to know the answer.
She looked him over thoroughly.
His orange fur glistened with sweat. But nothing seemed to be bleeding.
"I think you're okay. I don't see blood. But what's this on your collar? Ew, it's sticky." She questioned, wiping off her paw.
He looked at her, slightly confused. He felt around his collar.
A warm, sticky substance was now stained into his uniform. The hint of vanilla glanced by his nose.
"Ugh, damn it. That would be our coffee..." He sheepishly chuckled. Internally scolding himself for landing on the coffee cups.
Judy's head slightly cocked when he said, 'our coffee'. Then, she remembered their earlier texts.
She smirked at the fox.
"You actually went and got our coffee, and then proceeded to try to beat me to the station. Ya know, sometimes I think you're about as stubborn as I am." She teased, playfully shoving his shoulder.
He shrugged with his signature smirk now on his face, "You know, I have to at least try..."
"Can you stand?" She asked before backing up to offer him her paw.
He gazed at her paw for a moment as his vision regained its clarity. He took her paw and slowly began to stand.
He noticed the small crowd somewhat around them. His tail slightly twitched with an uneasiness. He hated being stared at by strangers, especially when it involved him being somewhat vulnerable.
Judy, while helping Nick stand, noticed her partner becoming more and more uncomfortable. She decided to avert the crowds attention.
"Is everybody okay? Is anyone hurt?" Judy called out the crowd. Silently hoping to break the awkward silence.
The crowd looked around for any casualties, and when they seemed content, a few of them shook their head in response.
The two began to breathe a little easier.
Nick began to take in the scene around him.
He first noticed the crumpled and damaged street sign on the side of the street. Almost exactly where he was walking. He stared at it.
Judy noticed his gaze and followed suit.
They both then noticed skid marks that peeled off just after the crumpled over street sign.
This must've been the squeal that Nick had heard in his daze.
The smell of burnt rubber faintly floated around them.
As they looked up and down the street for any more damage, they noticed that there wasn't anything else run over or hit. Nick faced towards Judy again, with an extremely confused look.
"Ya know, I might be biased. But that seemed awfully intentional. Don't ya think? For one, I was the only one on the sidewalk. And second, only ONE of the many street signs on this street was hit. It also just so happens to be right about where I was standing."
Judy began to put the pieces together.
"If they were a run of the mill speeder or drunk driver, wouldn't they have crashed into other signs or objects?" He pointed out while gesturing to the destroyed street sign next to them.
Something wasn't right.
Judy looked over him and then the street sign once again. Taking his words into consideration.
"I don't like this." Judy replied, her brow furrowed as the gravity of the situation became clear to her.
With a dull pain still rattling around in his skull, Nick absently rubbed the side of his head, catching Judy's attention.
She took him gently by the tie and started to lead him towards the Precinct.
"Come on, let's get Fangmeyer to take a look at you. In the meantime, I'm gonna try and see if I can get a plate for that van."
Nick sighed, a humored smirk now on his face. He was sure he was fine. But to calm Judy's nerves, he'd amuse her.
"Fine, but do you think that Fangmeyer will give me a lollipop if I'm a good kit?" He joked as he followed close behind his partner.
An elbow to the ribs was all he got in response...
Hello all! I just wanted to leave this little note here saying that this is my very first story and I'm open to constructive criticism. So leave a review if you'd like! Bye for now.
Edit: Just fixing some formatting issues. Working on chapter 2 as I finish this! Later!