ZPD HERO AT RISK FROM PREDATOR PARTNER?
Written by Andy Mamífero
Reposted from Vox Animalium

At approximately 3:30 PM last Tuesday, ZPD Detective Judy Hopps was admitted to the Emergency Room at Zootopia General Hospital. The rabbit, best known for her key role in exposing the Bellwether scandal more than six years ago, was suffering from a severe facial laceration. A member of the hospital staff, who spoke to this reporter on the condition of anonymity, revealed that the wound required multiple stitches. Although hospital records state that the injury occurred while on duty, the same staff member expressed serious concerns about Det. Hopps' partner - and mate – Det. Nicholas Wilde.

The first fox to join the ZPD, Wilde has been partnered with Hopps for nearly six years, and during that time Hopps has been admitted to the hospital on several occasions with a myriad of injuries. At this time, this reporter can't say how many of those injuries may have been life-threatening.

In this reporter's opinion, these events represent yet another example of the ZPD failing to properly investigate a predator officer within its ranks. Why else would we be left to wonder; just how healthy is the relationship between these two detectives and...

"...is Detective Hopps really safe?!" Judy read aloud, glaring angrily at her phone's screen. "Can you believe this garbage? Where does he get the fucking nerve?!"

"Language, Carrots." Nick chided, not looking up from his phone as he followed his partner through the Precinct One atrium.

"Look at this! Multiple stiches, he said! Multiple!"

"To be fair, you actually did get multiple stitches."

"Two, Nick! I got two stitches."

"And if that frown gets any deeper, you're might pop those two stiches."

"He's making it sound like I got my face ripped off."

"Which you clearly didn't."

"Gah!" She threw her arms up in frustration, narrowly missing her partner's head with the flailing paper. "How are you always so calm about this kind of...of..."

"It's not the first time someone has dragged my name through the mud. It probably won't be the last, either." He shrugged. "Besides, it's from Andy Mamífero. I'm fairly confident that no one worthwhile will puts any stock in what he has to say."

"Some mammals do."

"He's a blogger, Carrots. That's barely a step up from standing on a street corner with a sign."

"It was posted last night and it's been trending ever since." She shut off the phone's screen and stuffed the device in her pocket. "If enough mammals are reading it, then it doesn't matter where it came from."

"If you say so." Sighing, Nick gave her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. "Honestly, it really is better to ignore him. Mamífero is just a bully trying to provoke a reaction, and I'm not about to give them one."

She huffed, but didn't argue.

"C'mon. Let's grab a snack. Nothing like processed sugar to chase the bad feelings away."

Trying to let go of her irritation, Judy nodded slightly as they made a sharp turn at the bullpen and followed their noses to the break room. As always, a large basket of baked goods sat on the counter courtesy of Melissa Rooikat, owner of Kit Kat's Bakery and Clawhauser's girlfriend.

"Alright now," Nick murmured, climbing onto a chair to examine the basket's contents. "What do we have today?"

"Ooh! See if there's any carrot loaf."

"You're such a cliché sometimes."

"I'm comfortable with that." She shrugged. "Well?"

"Hold on." Gingerly pushing things aside as he searched through the assorted treats, he didn't notice someone else had entered the room until they spoke.

"Quit cherry-picking, Wilde. Nobody wants your grubby paws all over their food."

Startled by the unexpected voice, Nick nearly fell off the chair. Turning in place, he offered an innocent 'who, me?' expression to the amused wolf standing behind him. "I have no idea what you mean, Sergeant. I didn't touch a thing."

"I see," Wolford smirked back, pointing to Nick's paws. "So I guess that definitely isn't powdered sugar?"

"Nope. It's...er...cocaine." Nick somehow managed to keep a straight face. "Lots and lots of cocaine."

"Right." Wolford laughed, despite himself. "Well, try not to get any cocaine on the food while you're cherry-picking, will you?"

"No promises." Nick grinned, earning an eyeroll from his friend. "Oh, I meant to ask whether you've heard anything back about the Sergeant's exam?"

"It's only been a couple of weeks."

"Don't tell me you're not itching to get those fancy new stripes. The sooner you get them, the sooner you can go mad with power, right?"

"I know I've said it a bunch of times already, but you definitely deserve it, Danny." Hopping up onto the chair, Judy gave the wolf an excited, wide-eyed gaze. "Do you think you'll transfer to one of the special teams? I hear there's some openings in SWAT. Oh! I bet you could even get command of your own fugitive pursuit squad!"

"Take it easy, Hopps," he laughed. "I think I'll wait to find out whether I even passed the test before deciding what I'm going to do next. Besides, it's not like I'm any rush to get out of the squad car. I actually enjoy working the beat."

"Are you sure it isn't who you're working the beat with?" Nick waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "A certain tiger who shall remain nameless, perhaps?"

"First off, yes. I have enjoyed patrolling with my girlfriend for the last two years, and I don't really want to stop." Wolford confirmed, giving the pair an amused look. "Second, you two are the absolute last mammals to try teasing me about that."

"That's..." Nick hesitated for a second. "Okay, you've got us there."

"Hmm." Looking past the fox, Wolford eyed the basket. "You see any honey crullers while you were rooting around in there?"

"Uh...lemme check."

As Nick went back to rifling through the basket,

Noticing a copy of the Zootopia Herald sitting on the break room table, Wolford snorted at the front-page article. "I'm getting really tired of seeing this asshole on the front page every other day."

Nick turned around again; his head cocked curiously to one side. "Huh?"

"Longfellow," Wolford held up the newspaper, revealing a picture of a sharply dressed elk speaking before the city council. "Y'know...the TSP's candidate for mayor?"

"What about him?"

"He and his party are a bunch of nutjobs. I mean, have you seen that new slogan of theirs? A place for every mammal?" Wolford rolled his eyes. "They might as well add 'and every mammal in their place' to the end. What a bunch of fascists."

"Jeez, Danny." Nick winced. "Bring it down a notch, will ya?"

"Sorry, guys." Wolford sighed, dropping into a chair. "My parents both voted TSP last election. Their local councilor reeled them right in with all that 'preserving species identity' nonsense, and I can't help but wonder if...well...whether it was me that pushed them in that direction. Me and Sofia, I mean."

"I'm sure that isn't what happened."

"I dunno, dude. They say they're cool with it, but they can be pretty traditional sometimes."

"Maybe you should talk to them?"

"Oh, no. No way." The wolf shook his head vehemently. "Politics are not a safe conversation topic in my family. When my uncle Derek called the ZPD a pack of limp-wristed bleeding-heart liberals last Thanksgiving, my great-aunt Helen argued that we were actually a gang of jackbooted enforcers!"

"Ouch."

"Right?"

"Actually," They both turned to see Sofia Fangmeyer smirking at them from the door. "I seem to recall your uncle, an Assistant District Attorney, suggesting that the ZPD was focusing too much on community outreach and too little on the gang problems in East Sahara. Then your aunt, a civics teacher, cited a study that showed that in the long-term, those outreach programs were much better for at-risk youths that more aggressive police action. Then I'm pretty sure the topic changed to football."

Nick turned back to Wolford with an amused expression; the wolf just shrugged. "Okay, so I might have exaggerated a little."

"Wilde!"

Nick turned to see Grizzoli standing in the doorway. "What's up, Griz?"

"Chief wants to see you."

"Gotcha." Turning back to Wolford, he grimaced and pointed over his shoulder. "Gotta go. O'Hoggin's later?"

"Sure. You buying?"

"Nope."

"Of course not." The wolf chuckled, despite himself. "See ya there."

~o~o~o~

The Chief's door was open when Nick arrived. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Looking up from the paperwork that littered his desk, Bogo nodded. "Come in, Detective. Close the door."

Casually kicking the door shut as he walked by, Nick gestured to the Them Crooked Vultures album sitting on the buffalo's desk. "Well, well. I see your rehabilitation is coming along nicely."

"Shut it."

"Recovery is a process, sir. One day at a time, am I right?"

"Keep it up, Wilde. See if I don't give Clawhauser and his Village Mammal albums free reign of the PA system."

For nearly as long as Nick had been with the ZPD, he and Bogo had shared an understanding. In all other matters, Nick respected the Chief's authority and the buffalo trusted Nick's judgement. However, when it came to music– a topic where their opinions were as intense as they were opposed – the chain of command fell by the wayside.

"What was that, sir? You want me to set all the desk phones to play Furvana songs every time they ring?"

"I hate Furvana, Wilde, but not as much as I hate hearing you talk about Furvana."

"No accounting for taste, I guess."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I hear you humming Gazelle's latest single the other day?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, sir. Maybe all that pop music has affected your hearing?"

Bogo rolled his eyes and gestured toward the seat across from him, silently communicating that it was time to speak seriously. Climbing up into the chair, Nick took a second to get situated before giving the buffalo his full attention.

"I trust you're aware of the recent spike in prejudice-related crimes?"

"I think Carrots might have a closer perspective on that one," the fox responded flatly. "But yes, I've been keeping an eye on it."

"City Hall is decidedly concerned, and I can't say as I blame them. We haven't seen this sharp of an increase in hate crimes since the Nighthowler Crisis." Bogo rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Unity Day is in less than a week. And as anyone with half a brain might predict, it's going to bring chaos with it."

Several months earlier, in an effort to 'foster harmony' among the city's various species, the Mayor's Office had announced a city-wide celebration. Unity Day, as they'd titled it, was a well-intentioned idea. Plus, despite also being a fairly transparent grab at political points, it seemed to be well received by the citizens of Zootopia.

"That bad?"

Bogo nodded. "There at least a dozen organized demonstrations set to take place in the days leading up to it. Every single political party and interest group has decided to start clamoring with whatever their own brand of rhetoric may be. The news stations have been showing an unending stream of 'social experts' and 'concerned citizens', all of whom seem to expect society as we know it to crumble."

"Mammals hating each other because someone told them they should try respecting each other." He shrugged. "Same as it ever was, sir."

"That may be, but it's still one hell of a powder keg. Which brings me to why I've called you in." The Chief's hesitant expression began setting off alarm bells in the back of Nick's mind. "I assume you've seen that article Andy Mamífero put out this morning?"

"You mean his latest bid for 'Hack of the Year'?" Nick scoffed. "Yeah, I saw it. Found six typos, too."

"Unfortunately, not everyone shares your flippant attitude. We've already received dozens of calls from concerned citizens, demanding that steps be taken."

"All due respect, sir, but we get calls from 'concerned citizens' when their team doesn't make it to the city-league final. I generally don't make a habit of listening to the crazies, especially the kind who get their news from a blogger."

"Unfortunately, in this case the 'crazies' include several members of the city council. One of them even went so far as to demand that I fire you immediately."

"Which you refused to do." Nick eyed the buffalo speculatively. "Right?"

"Of course I did, Wilde." Bogo growled. "However, given the circumstances, I think the best course of action is to place you on temporary administrative leave. Just until the noise dies down."

"What?! But I didn't do anything!"

"I'm well aware of that, but there's the question of the ZPD's public image."

"What about my public image? All this does is make me look guilty."

"And in the current social climate, doing nothing may be the spark that ignites a much larger flame. There's also the concern of your own safety, and the safety of your partner."

"I beg your pardon?"

"There's already been one attack on her. If you remain on duty, there's a chance it may provoke another."

"So you're punishing me for something I didn't do, because you're afraid of what some anonymous asshole might do?!"

"My decision is final, Wilde. Leave your badge and go home."

"Yeah, yeah." The fox angrily pulled the shield from his belt, throwing it contemptuously on the buffalo's desk. "Fuck you, too."

~o~o~o~

Peering again at the shining piece of metal next to his inbox, Bogo felt a slight tremor in his resolve. Despite himself, a small part of him wanted to undo his decision. He was convinced he'd made the right call, but it had been weighing on his mind for the remainder of the afternoon. The harder he tried to focus on his work, the more he found himself getting distracted. Eventually he gave up, gathered his things, and - for the first time in years – decided to leave work on time.

Pulling into the driveway of his suburban home, Bogo lingered briefly behind the wheel. He wasn't accustomed to self doubt, least of all when it came to his job. Snorting in irritation as he climbed out of the car, he stomped up the walkway and just barely resisted the urge to slam the front door on his way inside.

"Adrian?" His wife's voice floated in from the kitchen. "Is that you?"

"Hello, Maia." Hanging his jacket in the hallway, he made a beeline for the dining room table. Though they'd honestly planned to entertain guests when they bought it, the table had spent its entire time in their home covered in both his and Maia's work. Taking a seat on his side, he gazed tiredly at the various stacks of paperwork and reports.

He barely heard Maia come up behind him, her normally light steps made almost silent by the plush carpet. "Look at you, home before seven. Is the world coming to an end?"

"No more than usual," he grumbled. "How long have you been home?"

"About half an hour," she admitted. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"Nothing is bothering me, Maia."

"Except..."

"I just wasn't getting any work done."

Although he'd hoped that she'd leave it at that, he wasn't surprised to feel her chin come to rest between his horns. "And..."

"And..." He sighed. "The media has seen fit to baselessly vilify one of my detectives."

"What?" He looked up, chuckling at the mildly indignant expression on her face. "Who're they after this time?"

"I believe I have mentioned Nicholas Wilde before?"

"I do seem to recall 'That Damned Fox' coming up in conversation once or twice," she responded, smiling. "What are they saying he did?"

"Apparently, just existing was enough. After his partner was attacked last week..."

"Hopps, wasn't it?"

"That's right. Her cheek was cut deeply enough to require stitches." Bogo nodded. "She's going to be fine, but an online journalist decided Wilde is the one to blame and several of the city's independent papers have taken up the call."

"They're claiming he attacked her?"

"Not in so many words, but he strongly implied that she was asking for it by getting involved with a predator."

"Oh yes. Who would ever do such a thing? It's positively suicidal." Maia muttered, rolling her eyes. "This is why no one takes Mamífero seriously."

"I never said it was Mamífe..."

"You didn't have to, Adrian. I know that blowhard's work when I hear it, and the only mammals who listen to him are idiots and conspiracy theorists."

"There are mammals at City Hall that take him seriously enough."

"Of course there do," she groaned. "Lucky for Wilde, he has a superior who'll have his back."

Bogo sighed, wishing he'd avoided this conversation altogether. "I was forced to place him on administrative leave."

Maia didn't respond right away, stepping around the table and taking her usual seat across from her husband. Ignoring the documents littering her side, she planted her elbows on the tabletop and leaned forward to glare at him. "I beg your pardon?"

"There was a tremendous public outcry." He insisted. "I felt it would be too dangerous for Wilde to be on the job, and putting him on temporary leave was-"

"Gutless," she interrupted.

"Maia..."

"Don't you 'Maia' me! City Hall didn't like the bad press, so they put on the pressure and you caved."

"That isn't fair."

"You're damn right it isn't fair. If Detective Wilde didn't do anything, he shouldn't be suspended. It's just that simple."

"It's not a suspension, it's administrative le..."

"Are you seriously going to try and feed me that line?" Before he could respond, she added. "What if it had been me?"

"What?"

"What if Captain Corbin put me on 'administrative leave' over something so stupid? Would you be defending his decision, or would you drive down to Precinct Three and kick in his office door?"

"That's different. You're..."

"It is no different," she interrupted. "And I think you know that."

"Maia, you know very well that a mammal in my position sometimes has to concede to certain political realities."

"So I've heard," she muttered, her expression softening. "Adrian, if you're not careful this could turn into a repeat of the Nighthowler Crisis."

"I don't think we're quite to the point of riots just yet."

"Not for the city. For you. You might have hidden it from everyone else, but I remember what those months were like for you. It was like you were carrying the weight of every concession and compromise you made on your shoulders. By the time you'd started hiding predator officers away in low-key administrative roles, I was starting to get worried for your health."

Bogo opened his mouth to respond, but Maia carried on unabated. "I don't need you to remind me again that being Chief of Police is about politics, but every time you pick politics over one of your officers it eats you up inside...no matter how much you try to tell yourself otherwise."

"Hm. Not mincing words this evening, are you?"

"Do I ever?"

"Not that I can recall." He muttered, followed by another resigned sigh. "Would it do me any good to remind you who the ranking officer is here?"

"I don't know, Chief," Maia growled, crossing her arms and giving him a playfully pointed look. "I'd be happy to remind you what happened the last time you tried."

Smiling despite himself, he lifted his hooves in surrender. "There'll be no need for that, Lieutenant. I know how the chain of command works around here."

"Good thing, too." She laughed softly, reaching out to take his hoof. "You, of all mammals, understand that they have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Of course I do," he agreed.

"And it's not as though they're setting a precedent. They're not the first partners to fall in love or the first interspecies couple, and they won't be the last of either."

"No, but they're arguably the most famous," he countered.

"So?"

"So, I'm worried that others might try to make an example of them," he confessed. "You know how mammals can be."

"I know, but you can't shield them from everything." She walked back around the table and wrapped her arms around his massive shoulders. "You can support them, guide them, and have their backs when they need it. What you can't do is lock them away in a tower and call it protection."

"I know," he nodded. "I've spent half the day trying to convince myself I'd done the right thing."

"Any luck?

"Not especially."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"The right thing, naturally," he shrugged. "I doubt it'll win me any points with the Mayor's office. Or the city council."

"Do you care?"

"Personally, no. But it may make my job more difficult than it needs to be."

"Hasn't stopped you before, love." Smiling, she gave him an affectionate nuzzle. "Adrian, whatever you need to do, you know I'll be standing right there beside you."

"I know you will." He smiled, turning to wrap an arm around her. "Honestly, how did I ever get lucky enough to have you in my life?"

"Your partner quit the force and my partner got promoted, so the ZPD had no choice but to throw the misbegotten pair of us together and hope for the best."

"I think it worked out rather nicely."

"I doubt Chief Einhorn thought so."

"I'll have you know he once told me that he was proud of me." Bogo reminded her.

"After you single-handedly saved a cub from a burning building, lighting yourself on fire in the process." The jaguar gave his shoulder a playful jab. "And setting the bar pretty high for the rest of us, thank you very much."

~o~o~o~

"Hopps!" Bogo barked as he strode up to the desk Hopps and Wilde usually shared, startling the unsuspecting rabbit. "Tell your partner I want to see him in my office, now!"

"That might be difficult, sir," she responded, a hint of insubordination in her eyes. "Considering you suspended him yeste-"

"Are you going to waste my time pretending he's not sitting in the Snarlbucks across the street, or are you just going to go get him?"

"...I'll be back in a minute, sir."

Returning to his office, he didn't have to wait long before Wilde came striding in wearing an especially obnoxious Pawaiian shirt. Although his eyes were hidden behind his customary aviator sunglasses, Bogo could still feel the fox's cool glare. "Something I can help you with, sir?"

"Here." Bogo tossed Wilde's badge over the desk; the fox caught it deftly in mid-air.

"Sir?"

"You're reinstated." The Chief explained shortly, as if it were obvious.

"Just like that?"

"Were you expecting flowers and a card?"

"I...no." He gestured between the badge and his superior. "But I don't think an explanation would be unreasonable."

"Very well." Bogo sighed. "Close the door."

Ignoring a fresh wave of apprehension, Nick did as he was asked.

"What I am about to tell you is not to leave this office. It is to be held in the strictest of confidence, never to be discussed and never, ever to be repeated." He glared at the fox so hard it felt like a physical shove. "To do so will incur the most severe of consequences. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." Nick agreed nervously. "Got it."

"Good." Closing his eyes, Bogo took a deep breath before refocusing on the fox. "Regarding your suspension, and having considered the situation and the circumstances surrounding it, I have come to the conclusion that...err...that is to say, I would like to acknowledge that I may have...ahem..."

"Sir?"

"Shut your mouth, Wilde!" Pinching his brow, the buffalo took another moment to collect his thoughts. "As I was saying, having thoroughly reflected on the matter in great detail, I believe that my most appropriate course of action would be to admit that it was...wrong...of me to suspend you, and for that I...I would like to...apologize."

"You're...apologizing?"

"NEVER TO BE REPEATED, WILDE!"

~o~o~o~

"Seriously? He just reinstated you?" Judy asked incredulously as the pair left one of their go-to coffee shops.

"Yup," Nick confirmed.

"Just like that?" She pressed. "No explanation? Not even an apology?"

The fox hesitated. "No, nothing."

"Hmph." As much as she respected Chief Bogo, there were times that his attitude really put her teeth on edge. "I ought to go give him a piece of my mind."

"I don't see that going well, Carrots, but I do appreciate the thought." Nick waved at the cup in her hand. "So? You win anything?"

"What?"

"The little pull-off thing on your cup. You could already have won a million bucks!" He said, his voice full of false enthusiasm.

"Right. Let me check." Picking at the side of her cup, Judy eventually got the tab off and checked the writing underneath. "Oh! Free coffee!"

"I'll take that." He plucked the tab from her paw before she could pull it away.

"Hey!"

"I'm doing you a favor, Carrots." Nick dropped the coffee-winning tab into his shirt pocket. "You're excitable enough as it is."

Judy was about to protest, glaring up at the predictable smirk forming on her partner's face, when something behind him caught her attention. Looking past the smug looking fox, she tried to figure out what it was about the approaching car that was bothering her.

"Carrots?" Realizing that she wasn't paying attention to him anymore, Nick turned to follow his partner's gaze. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," she murmured. The car's windows and windshield were all tinted, but that in itself wasn't too unusual - most nocturnal mammals felt safer driving with darkened glass. It wasn't an especially fancy car, nor was it particularly unsightly. If anything, the pale blue sedan was the definition of average. Judy was about to dismiss the feeling when, just as it was passing them, the car's passenger-side window rolled down and she caught sight of black metal.

Judy had been blessed with quick reflexes since long before she'd come to Zootopia, and her time as a ZPD officer had honed those reflexes to a razor-sharp edge. Grabbing her partner by the arm, she hauled the fox behind a nearby steel mailbox and forced him to the ground, curling her body protectively around his. Surprised, he didn't even have time to protest before the roar of gunfire filled the street.

~o~o~o~

END PART 2