A/N: Has it been awhile? Yes, yes it has. Am I now nearly a thirty year old reviving a fanfiction I started writing close to eight years ago? Yes, yes I am. Will the next chapter be posted before I'm forty? The jury is still out on that one. It's whatever, I don't even know why I'm posting again. I'm too old to worry about asking for reviews or likes, just read the thing. Or don't that works too. Seeya.
The central branch of the Zootopia police department was a flurry of activity as numerous officers crammed their way into an already crowded bullpen. Expressions darkened as the side door to the briefing room swung open revealing the trademark scowl of chief Bogo.
"Everyone already knows what happened yesterday, so I won't dwell on it. We know exactly who called these attacks, and we know exactly where they are," Bogo growled. "We will hit fast, and we will hit hard"
The room seemed to buzz with grim energy at the Chiefs words, the room of usually raucous officers deadly quiet, their faces set with grim determination. Wasting no time, Bogo began assigning roles for the upcoming raid, every assignment was received with a curt nod or grimace. The old water buffalo couldn't help but feel a sense of pride well up from his heart as he surveyed his officers, his family. Someone had hurt his family, and they would pay for it dearly.
"What about the press sir? They'll be all over anything that happens" Francine, one of the branch's elephants, questioned.
"We aren't informing the press, or the public. The ZPD federal branch has labeled Reverend Luna and his followers a terrorist organization, we are to eliminate anyone who doesn't come peacefully," Bogo growled.
A low murmur passed through the crowd of assembled Officers as the Chief's words sank in, this wasn't a usual mission, this was a war. A war they could not afford to lose, too much blood had already been spilled, not enough of it was the other side's.
The ZPD armory was run by a very sallow, very old Meerkat that had an eye for weapons and a taste for cigars, very small cigars. Though he was far too small to hand out the large ordinance himself, his trusty second in command was more than pleased to pick up the slack.
"Blitzen, we need more boxes of 9mm and 5.56 brought up from the vault," Captain Burrow snapped from his stool at the armory window, an appropriately sized clipboard clutched in his small hands. Blitzen merely nodded in acknowledgement and ducked into the vault, making sure his antlers didn't catch on the small space.
"Why is it that we plan a raid, and the armory is the last to know about it?" Burrow asked, turning to where Nick and Judy were standing on the other side of his desk. Both officers appeared apologetic despite having nothing to do with the planning of the day's mission.
"Doesn't matter, we need to get you two outfitted for today," Burrow grunted, waving a hand. He nodded over to a pair of vests hanging from a hook, pistols already secured in their holsters.
"Bogo has forgone any non lethal alternatives, you will be packing heat and wearing steel, be sure to grab a brain bucket too," Burrow explained.
Judy opened her mouth to reprimand the Captain of his incorrect name for the department's ballistic helmets, but was silenced when Nick pulled her away by the hand with a knowing look plastered on his sly face.
"Don't even think about it Hops, you know how Burrows gets when he's excited," Nick chuckled, pulling the smaller of the two vests off the hook for his partner. She bristled in response to the teasing tone, her fur standing on end. Nick laughed again as he slid the heavy Kevlar vest over his partner's head, taking care to make sure her ears popped free from the shoulder straps.
"Oh no, no guns for you," Burrows shrill voice cut through the clamor of the armory bringing all activity to a halt, even Blitzen's head poked out of the vault to see what was happening.
Breckenridge stood in front of the much smaller Meerkat looking like death incarnate, his red eyes nearly glowing with malice. Bandages covered his right shoulder and forearm and shoulder from where the buckshot had grazed him and the cuts in his hands had left his white fur stained red.
"I ain't askin, outfit me or I'll tear your throat out," Breckenridge snarled, his white teeth flashing in the slight gloom of the armory.
"I don't care if you bring a fuckin presidential degree, I'm not arming a Hunter without his leash. Until your Handler is back on active duty, you aren't allowed weapons," Burrow's snapped.
"You think I need a gun? I'll happily tear those bastards apart with my bare hands, a gun just makes it quicker for them," Breckinridge snarled, his claws digging into the wood of the old desk.
To his credit, Burrows didn't back down, in fact he puffed up to his full height of 12 inches and stared right at the Wolf in front of him. Blitzen also stepped out of the vault, his expression taut.
"Maybe I didn't make myself clear, it'll be a cold day in hell before I give a deranged monster a gun, the ZPD may have leashed you with that Hare, but I sure as hell don't have to trust you," Burrows shouted.
Breckenridge's face contorted into a mask of rage, his K9s exposed fully as his lips curled back. Judy shifted nervously as the wolf's pupils dilated, just like the other predators when they went wild. Suddenly Breckenridge stiffened, his hand snapping to the containment collar on his neck as the room was filled with the stench of burning fur. Pain flashed through the wolf's red eyes as he gritted his teeth, riding out the pulses that the collar sent through his body. After a few seconds he visibly relaxed and his hand sagged from the collar.
"Fine, I don't need a gun anyways," Breckenridge snarled before stalking away.
The armory remained in a state of stunned silence until the wolf's footsteps faded away, then the low murmur of conversation resumed. Judy relaxed, her heart rate slowly slipping into its normal rhythm, Nick's warm hand on the small of her back helped, but she couldn't remember when he had placed it there.
"I don't want you near him on this mission, his head isn't on straight," Nick whispered into Judy's ear, his hot breath tickling the sensitive flesh.
"He won't hurt me, he won't hurt any of us. I wish people could see he's not the monster everyone thinks he is," Judy mumbled sadly.
"Carrots, I read his case file… He is a monster, been that way for a long time now," Nick said plainly as he slipped on his own vest, taking comfort in the tight way it hugged his chest.
Nick didn't have anything against the Wolf personally, but he could see why so many people viewed him with distaste. He'd stayed late one afternoon down in archives and read anything he could find on Breckenridge and his partner, at least everything that wasn't covered in black ink. Petty Grail was exemplary, graduated top of her class and earned numerous accommodations within her first year; she was a rising star until she lost her partner in a shootout, after that she was picked up by the federal branch.
Cliff Breckenridge was a different story entirely, he barely scraped by as a beat cop for years never doing anything that set him out from the crowd. Halfway through his fifth year on the force his wife was killed in a robbery gone wrong, and he just snapped. Literally tore the three Coyotes that did to pieces, and didn't stop there either, he tracked down the rest of the small street gang and killed the other eight members before he was stopped. The prosecutor was trying to get the death penalty, but, predator on predator crime wasn't that uncommon in that time, so he was just tossed in a cell somewhere. The federal branch picked him up a few months later, turned him into the weapon he is now.
"Maybe he isn't a monster, but, I still want you far away from him if he comes on the mission," Nick acquiesced, noticing the pout spreading across Judy's face
Nearly the entirety of the ZPD was assembled in the garage bay covered head to toe in some of the best tactical gear money could buy, each of them shifting nervously as they waited. Chief Bogo stood atop a pelican case, a sentinel in a sea of black armor like a lighthouse shining through a storm.
"We're going to do this quickly, and we're going to do it clean people. I want all entrances and exits covered, do not fire unless fired upon. This raid is going to be all over day time television, we don't want bloodshed unless absolutely necessary. Our main objective is Reverend Luna, anyone else who resists can be brought in for questioning," Bogos booming voice echoed through the concrete room as he clicked on the strap of his own ballistic helmet.
The old chief's chest swelled with pride as he watched his officers pile into the various vehicles that would be used on this raid. Despite his gruff personality he couldn't help but be proud of the animals under his watch, each of them were truly the best of the best. A pang of guilt shot through him as he realized some of them might not come back from this mission, but he couldn't dwell on that right now.
Much to his displeasure, Nick found himself and Judy sat across from Breckenridge in the back of an armored van as it jostled down a dirt road. The white wolf's scowl was nearly feral as he stared forward, his slack red eyes staring into nothingness. The hair on the back of Nick's neck stood on end as he scented the air, he could nearly smell the bloodshed emanating from the predator. Jack Stripes shifted uncomfortably in his jump seat further up the bench, apparently he sensed it too.
"Your gun Wilde," the growl that came from the wolf was so quiet Nick could barely hear it over the sound of the engine.
Nick's head twitched to the side and he glanced at the Wolf hunched in front of him. Breckenridge had barely shifted in his seat, but a hand was outstretched, the palm facing upwards. Nick's own hand moved to his service pistol, his paw covering the hilt defensively, his mind flashing back to the armory. Before he could open his mouth to say no, Judy pulled her own revolver from her belt and placed it in the Wolf's waiting paw. Nick stared at her in shock as Breckenridge slipped the 9mm into his waistband without a second of hesitation.
"Carrots, what the hell are you thinking?" Nick hissed, his voice so low that only a Bunny could hear.
Judy remained silent and slipped her hand into her partners, intertwining their fingers. Nick couldn't help but grin as he felt six brass bullets fall into his palm, smart little Bunny indeed.
Judy swore her heart was nearly about to beat its way out of her chest as the rear door of the armored van swung open and officers began to pile out. Somewhere in the distance Chief Bogo was barking orders through a megaphone, his booming voice made even more commanding by the device. Judy could feel Nick's heat behind her as she ducked out of the safety of the van and sprinted to cover against one of the brick walls that surrounded the compound, to her relief Nick and Jack Stripes soon joined her.
"No shooting, maybe no one is home," the Tiger grunted as he adjusted the strap of his ballistic helmet with a claw tipped finger.
Judy was hesitant to agree, but he was right. The vans had smashed through the steel gates of the compound and formed a defensive semicircle in the front lawn, the officers breaking off into their individual teams to start sweeping the collection of buildings. Two helicopters circled overhead, their high powered searchlights combing the shadows for any signs of hostiles, so far no one had poked their heads out.
"Stripes, move your team to the front door and get ready to breach. Delgato and his team will cover," Chief Bogo's gruff voice snapped through the radio.
"You heard him, let's get stacked up on the door," Jack ordered, drawing his sidearm.
The large Tiger burst from cover and quickly made his way across the small courtyard, his feet landing near silently on the white gravel of the driveway as he expertly darted across the open space. Nick shifted out of cover, his sidearm raised and pointed at the building so he could monitor the windows. Judy ducked under her partner and followed Jack across the open space, trusting that Nick would deal with anything before it could hurt her. Something about being so exposed in the open space made her heart race and she doubled her speed, darting across the driveway so fast she was almost a blur. She reached the porch and stacked up on the side of the front door Jack wasn't already occupying.
"Let's move Wilde, you cover low, I cover high," Breckenridge hissed from behind Nick, making him jump.
Before the Fox could reply the Wolf pushed out of cover and made his way into the open, his pace steady, his firearm trained at the second story windows as he moved. Cursing silently, Nick followed, his own pistol trained on the first floor. Overhead the helicopters made another sweep across the compound, their searchlights blazing through the early morning haze like twin suns, one of the beams landing on the pair for a second before flitting away. They quickly joined the other two officers in the relative safety of the porch, each of them stacking up behind the other two.
"Hopps, Wilde, you two take the right side. Breckenridge and I will take left, there will be another team entering through the back, so watch your fire," Jack ordered softly, his eyes trained on the small digital watch on his wrist.
The watch let out a small chirp and Jack moved, the muscle in his lithe form bulging as he rammed his shoulder into the front door. The wood splintered, quickly giving way to the large predator's bulk as he pushed inside. The other three officers quickly followed, each of them scanning the dimly lit room.
Judy's heart was beating a mile a minute as she scanned the room, her hands cold and clammy on the grip of her Mp7 as she methodically cleared each section. Beside her Nick was leaning around a doorway, his own pistol raised and ready. Somewhere else in the house footsteps sounded as Delgato's team made their way through the kitchen, each officer of the team fanning out as her own was.
"Breckenridge, where the fuck are you going? We haven't cleared the first floor," Jack hissed.
Judy glanced over at the two officers to find the white Wolf halfway up a set of stairs that led to a balcony and the second floor. She bristled and moved to cover the section of the building that the officer had left unchecked, Nick merely shifted back into cover so he could comfortably cover the two areas he was now responsible for.
"He ain't down here, I can smell the bastard," Breckenridge grunted as he continued to climb the stairs.
"We know that, but, we still haven't cleared the building, it isn't safe," Jack hissed again from his position at a doorway that covered an interior hallway.
"I don't give a damn about the small fry, you deal with them," Breckenridge snapped back.
"Fuck. Hopps, Wilde, you cover him. I'll get Wolfard's team to move up to replace us," Jack ordered, his hand already moving to toggle his radio.
Nick and Judy quickly made their way up the stairs, ahead of them Breckenridge was stalking down a dark hallway, his shoulders squared. Each of the officers set up on either side of the hallway, methodically clearing the open rooms on either side that the Wolf neglected to check. Breckenridge reached the closed door at the end of the hallway and paused to sniff the air before kicking the door in, the sound echoing through the quiet house.
"See my children, the white Wolf comes in search of blood. The ZPD has resorted to strong arm tactics, raiding my home for no reason. How long will we stand for this tyranny?"
Judy froze as Reverend Luna's voice echoed through the now shattered door, she turned and watched as Breckenridge stepped inside the room, his gun raised.
"Any last fuckin words scumbag?" Breckenridge snarled.
"I am unarmed Officer, I believe you came here for an arrest, not an execution," Reverend Luna stated, from behind his desk in the center of the room, his hands raised above his head. Breckenridge didn't respond, instead he pulled the trigger of his revolver. The weapon let out an audible click in the silence of the room as the hammer came down on the empty cylinder. The Wolf let out a snarl and darted forward and swung the revolver at Luna's head, the empty weapon hitting him on the temple. Luna grunted and crumpled to the ground, blood streaming from the gash in his head.
"You see my children, this is the ZPD's idea of justice," Luna gasped from the floor.
"Breckenridge, stand down. What the hell are you doing?" Judy shouted, rushing into the room.
The Wolf paused for a second, his red eyes landing on the Rabbit in the doorway, a snarl tore from his throat as he turned to swing a second time. Before the blow could land, Nick rushed into the room and tackled the Wolf to the ground, each of them grunting from the blow.
"Judy, secure Luna," Nick shouted as he wrestled the struggling Wolf on the ground.
Judy willed herself to move, trying her best to ignore the struggle on the other side of the room as Breckenridge continued to try to break free. Reverend Luna had struggled back onto his feet and was leaning over his desk, blood still flowing from the wound on his head.
"I will not resist officer, I always planned to come peacefully," he said simply.
Judy stepped forward to handcuff the Puma, but was stopped by a shout of pain from Nick. Whirling she found Breckenridge struggling to his feet, blood covering his maw. On the ground Nick was clutching his shoulder as he cursed silently, his uniform already turning red where the Wolf had bitten him. Panic tore through Judy as she fumbled at the taser on her hip, the Wolf stalked forward, his eyes vacantly staring at Luna as he moved.
"Breckenridge, stand down," Judy shouted, leveling the taser at the Wolf's chest.
When he did not respond, Judy pulled the trigger sending the barbs shooting into the officers chest, he grunted in pain as electricity surged through his body. His red eyes rolled in their sockets as his head twitched, but he didn't collapse, instead he took another shaky step forward. Judy hit the trigger again, sending another charge of electricity running down the wires. This time Breckenridge stiffened, the collar around his neck beeping as it too delivered its payload of electricity. He stood for another few seconds, his slim frame swaying listlessly before he collapsed.
"Nick, are you okay?" Judy asked, stepping over the unconscious Wolf.
"Yeah, I just didn't expect to be bitten, thought we were evolved and whatnot," Nick said, his joke sounding hollow even to his own ears.
"You see my children, the ZPD cannot even control their own officers. This is worse than even I could have foresaw," Luna announced again, raising his cuffed hands above his head.
Judy turned to look at the aging Puma then paused, fear coursing through her small frame.
"N-Nick, he's got a camera," she managed to stammer.
"Yeah, so what? It'll just get wiped," Nick grunted, still gingerly prodding his wounded shoulder.
"No, he's live streaming it," Judy said weakly, her gaze finally landing on the tv screen hung on the opposite wall. The room in its entirety was displayed on the screen, every last detail of what had happened etched on it.