The new tales from Zootopia

by Vindictive456

This story is a well thought out work of fan-fiction that will cover in moderate pace how Judy came back to the force and convinced Nick to be her partner, Nick's training to become an officer and his days at the academy, a weird new case involving corrupt mammals and a new dangerous drug, all of that sprinkled with the growing love between Zootopia's favorite pair of officers.

36. Episode 36: Strides, Leaps and Bounds

Author's note:Salutations, dear readers. It is I, Valiant, and I am finally back with another brand new piece for my Zootopia fan fiction. I know, I know, this chapter is huge and I really tried to make it smaller, but even with the trimming of parts that seemed unimportant for the story it still ended up quite long, I still hope you will all like it and continue to read the chapters as I publish them. It seriously feels like I have not published anything in a dog's age so I also hope you will all enjoy the extended length to this story.

Oh… one last thing before you begin. It has come to my attention, via review, that some of you may be a little confused with my use of the verb 'to cumpriment', do not worry, I can explain. You see… a long while ago as I began learning English, my teacher used this word regularly in conversation, this strange mix of English and Portuguese dialects, it refers to the extended greeting and exchange of sympathies between two individuals. I was not aware that it was not actually properly merged to the English language as a whole so it nested in my mind and no one has ever corrected me on its use, until recently.

Be that as it may, I still hope you will all stick around and I do hope that my most attentive readers won't mind it too much. I thank all of you for your continued support and interest in my stories. With that little lesson out of the way… ENJOY THE SHOW!

Episode 36: Strides, Leaps and Bounds

Chief Bogo was well ahead of his usual routine, after leaving his apartment on the northern savanna very early in the morning, always well prepared and alert, he would enter precinct one and move straight to his office in order to check on anything that was reported by other precincts and add it to the docket so that it would be passed down to his officers during the assembly of each day. The chief would always silently hope that the shift would proceed without any crazy happenings around the city or added shenanigans from any officer in the bullpen, although, with Nick that was almost an eventuality. Bogo was filled with worry every time he was made to send an officer out in the field, at that point it was of his nature to worry about every single mammal under the precinct roof and do his absolute best to aid in on whatever happened to any of them during times of crisis.

Chief Bogo crossed the front doors of the precinct, having in his left hoof a paper bag that contained a self-prepared meal for the mid portion of the day, he was well on his way to his office but he immediately spotted something unusual once he directed his attention to the eastern hallway, next to the stairs leading up one floor. Bogo saw an orange blur at the corner of his eyes, a swooshing tail flaunting about as a small sized mammal climbed the flight of stairs up to the next floor, he wondered if he was seeing things for a second before arriving to the conclusion of the officer who owned that tail, but there were still some doubts in his mind about what that particular mammal would be doing there at such an ungodly hour of the morning, the sun was not even completely out and about just yet.

The chief enjoyed arriving early, it as the one time when he could enjoy some solitude and piece during work hours, there would be no discernable sounds in the halls of precinct one except maybe for the night time officers exiting their shifts and the calming brush of Hector, the janitor, cleaning up the halls at the very end of his own work shift. Bogo decided to investigate, taking it up the stairs and searching around for the familiar shape, keeping silent as to hear anything out of the ordinary whist letting himself think things over about the hidden reason of why that one particular officer might be there so early in the day, the thought of it being nothing more than a minor annoyance during the start of his shift did cross the chief's mind but he let it simmer for a moment before coming to any such conclusions.

Chief Bogo moved with rushed and stealthy pace, his feet making bumping sounds that even were to shake the floor tiles with every step he took on occasion, low bar stealth never really was one of his strong points but perception really was, he saw the target of his search moving towards the gym on the far side of the second floor, away from the stair case he had just climbed up. Bogo arrived at the door of the gym, most of the equipment was still untouched, upon first inspection it would be believed that there was actually no one around, but the chief looked further into it and he was soon able to detect a low grunting sound coming from somewhere around that area, a few steps further in and he could see his target, just as he thought previously, it was Nick.

The buffalo watched in silence for a moment, he did not expect to see the fox officer so early in the morning, actually thinking that his presence might be the cover for some surprise or maybe some sort of prank orchestrated by either the fox or another one of the officers, knowing all too well that precinct one had such minds as Wolford and Clawhauser working in it, he sincerely would not put it past them. Nick was occupying a bench next to the far wall of the gym, the one furthest away from the exit door, he was seated with his shoulders lowered, his back bent slightly ahead, his right paw placed over his knee while his left paw held on tightly to a dumbbell marked in no less than twelve pounds. Nick was far more focused with exerting effort than actually bulking up, moving his left arm up and down slowly in a lever like manner, maintaining a steady rhythm as he raised and lowered the weight, keeping his focus on it as he did not even notice the approach of the buffalo.

Truth of the matter is: Nick came to the precinct so early because he did not know what else to do with himself after coming to a devastating realization the night before about his feelings and his partner. Upon returning to his apartment the night before, Nick could hardly get a wink of sleep, the fox woke up so early so he decided to blow off some steam and some energy at the precinct one gym before work, the fox had no earthly idea about how to deal with his newfound strong emotions right away so he figured he would think about them while doing the least likely and maybe even most productive thing he could think of. Working out at the precinct sounded like the most viable option for him among the short list of options he thought of right after waking up. Nick looked up, keeping his left arm still as he saw the chief and greeted him with a wave of his right paw in the air and a quick salutation:

- Oh, good morning there, chief.

Bogo did not greet the fox officer right back, the buffalo adopted an inquisitive stance straight away as he asked Nick:

- Wilde, what on earth are you doing here so early? Is this part of some prank?

Nick lowered and raised the arm holding the weight twice over before getting around to answering the chief's question, the fox kept his arm low this time before looking over to the buffalo close to him once more and saying:

- I can sort of understand why you would think that, but it's not that at all. I actually came over because I wanted to think some things over and the silence back at my place was a little unnerving. I could not sleep right so I decided to head on over and begin my shift a little earlier than usual.

Nick continued to move his arm up and down after saying that to chief Bogo, the fox did not sound too cheerful and the chief figured shortly after hearing his tone of voice and the way his body moved on exercising that something was definitely amiss. It was not too difficult for Bogo to deduce that Nick was waiting on something, or maybe even someone, the fox's mind was rampant with deep thoughts, but disclosing the true nature of them would require serious prying and even the chief himself was unsure on how to proceed with that conversation. Bogo decided to appear disinterested but still make an effort to breach Nick's defenses, asking the fox in a blunt way without making it sound like there was too much nagging curiosity in his emotional state or the true reason why he came into the ZPD so early in the morning:

- Wilde, is there anything wrong with you? Are you off your medication or anything like that?

Bogo almost elicited a burst of laughter out of the fox, Nick already knew that the buffalo was not keen on japes and nonsense but his serious demeanor was always good for a quick smile every now and again. Nick set the weight down on the ground before getting around to answering the new set of questions posted by the chief, Nick did not mind the conversation or the company for that matter, maybe a new exchange of words and ideas may help him get a better handle on the moment. Nick made a gesture with his right paw aimed at the chief, the fox recounted some of the events of the night before, starting things out with the setting where it all took place:

- There is nothing really wrong with me, chief. It's just that… I was at the bar just last night and…

Bogo halted Nick's words as soon as he got a sense of it, he cut Nick off with a direct inquiry:

- God damn it, Wilde. This is not some kind of weird 'post-hangover' rite, is it?

Nick was actually a little annoyed with that assumption from the chief, the fox made a dismissive gesture with both of his paws waving once in front of him as he said:

- No way! I'm not hungover. I didn't even drink enough to get buzzed. Honest.

Nick continued his explanation shortly after as he lowered his paws and set the scene once more, pointing to an empty area next to himself with his left paw as he said:

- I was just there enjoying a beer with a friend when agent Howlbert walked in, he sat next to me and we talked for a bit; we shared a glass of a drink and during the talk he… helped me understand a few things that were obvious in hindsight. It concerns the ZPD. More specifically, an officer within the ZPD.

Bogo raised a brow, he was not too sure about what Donovan had talked over with Nick but he did notice how the fox was intentionally letting crucial details of the conversation in question slip by, something secretive, something private that he would only feel comfortable while discussing it with his partner perhaps. Bogo was putting the pieces together without an issue but the true nature of the fox's emotions still eluded him, he gestured with one of his hooves pointing at Nick before telling him:

- Go on.

The fox obliged and continued to speak:

- Donovan was able to reach the root of the thought right away and speak to me about it. I think it is something that has been there for a while but I was only now able to find out about it. I'm starting to feel a little foolish that I did not get the point across any time soon.

Bogo was still a long way from understanding precisely what the fox was telling him but the last bit of dialogue actually helped out a little bit in getting the gist of things. Bogo leaned his upper body slightly forward as he looked at the fox and told him:

- There is nothing to be feeling weird about at all. Most times, we all fail to follow the meaning of something, even if that something is staring us right in the eye. I can probably attest to that better than most mammals.

Nick looked at the chief while inclining his head slightly to the left, almost as if he was attempting to get a read on the buffalo from a whole other angle. Chief Bogo continued to speak up shortly after as he took in some air through his nose, pressed his lips together and swallowed some saliva:

- There were times when I decided to follow a lead based solely on gathered evidence, I ignored my instincts and the answer to a case only came to me many days later; My mother used to tell me that even the most obvious of answers can fly past us, especially when it's about something, or someone, we really care about.

Nick raised his brows, he turned his head away from the chief and looked to the wall to his right, that was the confirmation that Bogo was waiting for, the thoughts that the fox was grappling with referred to a mammal in particular and the chief did not even have to relate any further or dig any deeper in order to figure out exactly who it was. Bogo took that chance to observe Nick with a brand new look, now that the fox's eyes were not specifically focused on him, Bogo was looking over with noticeable expression in his face, eyes opened wider, the right corner of his mouth moving slightly upwards, almost like he was displaying some trace of a smile. Nick looked back to the chief who took care to quickly reacquire his stoic expression right before hearing as Nick asked:

- Chief, do you think that taking the chance after getting the point across, something so important that has eluded you, no matter what it is…

- Get to the point, Wilde.

The chief sounded off almost like he was giving out a direct order, but the speed on which he chose to say those words, his tone of voice, he just wanted Nick to come out and ask what he wanted to ask at that point. Nick closed his mouth and clutched the fingers of his left paw, he kept looking over at Bogo before finally asking him:

- Should I act on what I think I know or just let it pass until I'm certain of it?

Bogo closed his eyes and took in a long dose of air through his nose, nearly filling up his strong lungs to capacity before letting the air out slowly through his mouth and answering to Nick's question, the buffalo already had an answer in mind without having to reflect on it for too long.

- Wilde, listen, I'm not your caretaker, much less your shrink, so I am not qualified to tell you about the stuff you're supposed to think or act upon when you're feeling shoddy or weird. I am, however, still responsible for the well-being of every officer that works in this precinct, you included. Get yourself in order, get your act together, do whatever you have to do as long as you feel like is the right thing to do and deal with whatever it is that is bothering you, that way you can focus on other important things for later.

Nick only took out the most important points of that long winded response, he already knew the way he was feeling and what he had to do was plainly obvious at the time. Nick would decide on a plan of action and it would come to him in due time, but his objective, for the most part at least, was set. Nick raised from the exercise bench he was using and looked up at the chief before telling him:

- I guess you're right, chief. I'll get right on it and get to focusing on some other stuff.

Bogo released a low snort from his nostrils, a warm puff of air that was nearly inaudible as he nodded once an then said:

- Good to know. Get on it right away. I'll be in my office.

Bogo was set to walk out of the gym and get to work, enjoying some piece as he filled the slim pile of paperwork that awaited for him, the first manageable looking pile of parchments and documentations in quite a long while for him. As chief Bogo turned around and was just leaving, step by step without the need of being imperceptible anymore, Nick raised his right arm and called out to him before saying:

- Yo, chief. You really gave me a push on this. Thanks for caring.

The fox's thanks were genuine and Bogo felt the need to respond to that, a full turn of his whole body over the tiles on the floor revealed his stoic expression to Nick once more as he said:

- Of course I care, Wilde. I'm the chief of precinct one, it's my job to care. If someday I forget to care, that is when everyone will know that there is something wrong with me.

Nick raised his shoulders to that, waving his paws awkwardly before saying:

- I get that. It's just a little hard to picture you with emotions of any kind except for 'working and in command'. Everyone knows that you're a wall.

Bog could not help but feel like his characterization as spoken by Nick was initially posted as an insult, he was not sure why but it certainly felt like it at first, still, it certainly felt like the fox had meant it as a compliment, in the pretext of it at least. While looking at Nick, the chief tapped the documents in his hold with the palm of his right hoof as if he was preparing to make a decisive point, as if he was positioned behind his podium and prepared to shout out something really important only meant for a single officer of his force, the chief spoke up in moderate volume:

- I'm a wall that still cares.

Nick smiled and watched in silence as the buffalo moved along, turning the corner to the right and making his way towards his office back on the first floor of the building. Nick looked around, the gym still remained empty out, except for him and the various training equipment sitting idle all around. Nick continued on his self-appointed workout course, he returned to lifting the dumbbell he had put down and focused on repetition instead of pure weight, he then moved to the treadmill though it was a little difficult for him to fiddle with the controls and adjust the correct speed since the mill was made for much taller mammals than him. By the end of the hour, Nick had exerted a good enough effort and was feeling much more centered, he thought about continuing with the exercising routine but a quick look around and a pause for breath told him that he should probably take a it easy for a bit.

After a full hour of moderate calisthenics and mild exercises at the precinct gym, Nick went to get something to eat, he passed through the front doors of the ZPD, the sun peeking from behind the buildings felt like a welcoming sight to him and he went right on to purchase the drinks and pastries he had in mind. Traffic in that part of the savanna was starting to grow, but there were not that many mammals using the sidewalks so it did not take Nick that long to pass over three blocks away from the precinct and arrive at T. Mort's house of coffee, one of those up and coming franchises that was quickly growing in Zootopia according to the whims of developers and investors, Nick had already counted about three of them in the savanna territory since his return to the city. As soon as he entered the so called coffee house, Nick was sorely underwhelmed, the establishment was small, almost too small to fit any larger port mammals and there were only four tables with two seats each filling the interior eating area as well as a single armadillo serving as the barista and cashier for the entire place. Nick saw that there was a lone, three other mammals waiting to place their orders and Nick had to wait a while until it was his turn, none of the previous costumers stuck around to finish their orders and that really spoke volumes about the poor ambiance.

Nick approached the front counter and checked up on the menu, all of the options for drink combinations along with food, as luck would have it, there was an option for the decaffeinated drink that was one of Judy's preferred choices, a pumpkin jamoka. Nick leaned forth and spoke his order, he settled on buying a drink for Judy along with a black coffee with lots of sugar for himself as well as a box of wild berry muffins that was placed in clear view behind the glass of a display case by the lower right side of the counter. The employee of the coffee house on duty was quick on his service, operating the coffee maker and pouring the precise ingredients into the cups with expert motion, even Nick was a little impressed as he leaned his body to the side to get a better look and saw the armadillo so focused in the preparation and acquirement of the order placed. The armadillo returned shortly after, presenting Nick with a small cardboard tray that contained the two cups and retrieved the box of muffins from the case close by, he did not even have to consult the cash register in order to speak out the precise sum to be paid for the order:

- That will be twenty-three dollars and fifty cents, sir.

Nick was convinced that the armadillo behind the counter had intentionally added 'showmanship' to his work contract in order to attract more customers, or maybe just be rewarded with bigger percentages of tip for his services. Nick reached for his back pocket and retrieved some bills to pay for the coffee and the box of treats, he placed the cardboard tray that held the cups together over the box and carried them off, turning over to the armadillo and telling him:

- Thanks, pal. Keep the change.

Nick turned and began to walk toward the door, being extra careful to not trip up and spill any drop of his cargo, the two cups were filled near the brim with hot beverages and it would be disastrous if the fox were to spill any of it over his fur by accident. Nick took slow steps as he walked towards the front door, balancing the cups up over the surface of the box beneath them before reaching for the door handle with his right paw and pushing the door with some effort, the upper locking mechanism was a little temperamental and he needed some added strength on his free arm to open the way out. Just as Nick was exiting the store, the armadillo raised his voice and asked of him:

- Hey, aren't you that fox officer guy that was shown on the news?

Nick smiled as he turned to face the mammal behind the counter once more, the fox could not escape from being the target of so much attention, he was now a famous police officer that was featured in the news more than a few times already. Even so, as Nick looked around and noticed all of the eyes turned to him, he leaned his head to the right without unmaking his smile and said, neither confirming or denying his true identity despite being clearly the only fox in police apparels around those parts:

- You know what? I get that a lot.

That being said, Nick exited through the front door and returned to the ZPD to officially begin his shift. Nick climbed up the steps and moved on through the front doors of the precinct one building, he saw his fellow officers moving around, it was all shaping up to be a very busy morning, he saw Benjamin talking up a storm with Wolford and Delgato by the front desk, Fangmeyer and Francine moving by with a large cargo of file holders in their arms and Grizzolli right ahead in the distance and he was talking with someone just out of view. After a few more steps through the pathway leading up to the cubicle area of the precinct, the left side hallway past the front desk, Nick could see just who officer Grizzolli was talking to, just behind the cover of a corner was the smiling face of Judy and seeing her right there suddenly filled the fox with a sense of panic that washed over him from the top of his head to the tip of his toe claws:

- Oh, crap!

Nick spoke in a startled whisper just as he stopped his walk, the resulting inertia from his steady movement almost caused him to drop the rigid cardboard tray with the cups, nearly causing all of the effort he had applied to carefully transport them to be tossed away, Nick decided to hide. Nick regained some balance as he placed his right paw softly over his cargo and he stepped back quickly, dragging the soles of his feet on the smooth tiles as he moved backwards and tucking in his tail as he quickly got out from immediate sight, opting to hide behind a potted plant located in the general area of the lobby, close to a wall and right next to the door concealing the stairs that lead up to the precinct carpool. Nick stood still behind his hiding place, taking long breaths with the box of muffins held tightly between the grip of his two paws, he peaked his head to look forth and check on the position of Judy, unchanged, still speaking with Grizzolli and unaware of his presence there.

Nick stared at the bunny in the distance, he could not hear her voice from that distance and he was not proficient in reading lips so he had no idea what she was talking about with the other officer standing in front of her, it did not make any difference to him anyway, he was only interested in talking to her as soon as the chance presented itself. Nick leaned against the wall behind him, the back of his head bumped softly against the hard surface of the wall, he directed his eyes towards the ceiling up above and he actually felt a little dizzy as his sight moved quickly in a back and forth motion, the feeling that he despised the most took hold of his body, he felt lost. Nick took a second to think things through, it would do him no good to act impulsively and without a plan, he argued with himself in silence as he lowered his head and looked at the items in his paws:

"Damn! She is right over there, she is just waiting for me so we can get to work, and I have no idea what I should say to her. I'm going to make a complete and utter fool of myself, I just know it."

Nick looked to the left, his eyes aimed toward the front door of the precinct but his mind still focused on Judy and his next point of action:

"C'mon, what is the matter with me? That's Judy. I know her. I spoke to her a million times already. There is no reason for me to feel like this."

The fox took another peek beyond his hiding spot behind the leafy fern in the lobby, pushing the flexible branches away with his left paw and getting another look at Judy, she was smiling, he loved to see her smile. Nick retreated once more, tucking his left paw closer to his torso and allowing the branches of the plant to return to its natural positioning, the counter point to his previous thought hit him soon after as he said to himself:

"Only now… I know that I am in love with her. Damn it!"

Nick took a firmer stance as he remained hidden, tallying the possible greetings that he could go through when interacting with Judy. Nick began by giving himself a quick shot of confidence, he was at his best when he was in control, so he took control of himself:

"Don't freak out. You're the fox. You're Nicholas Wilde. Just get over it and turn on the charm."

Nick blinked once, he formed a smooth smile on his face as soon as his eyes opened up once more and then he thought about what to say first:

"Hey there, Judy. Good morning."

He stopped himself immediately and pictured another scenario:

"Heya, carrots. How's it hanging?"

That earned him a face palm before he revised to a new greeting:

"Nice to see you… Shoot! What is wrong with me?!"

Nick did not even had the time to think that last one all the way through before stopping himself in a nearly raged path of mind directed at himself, pressing his eyelids shut and lowering both of his ears as if the sudden jolt of motion might give him better clarity. Nick lowered his ears and adjusted his tail as his right foot stepped forth and he thought to himself, almost moving his mouth as the words sounded off in his mind to add emphasis to his path of action:

"Don't make things over complicated. Go to her, say 'hi', give her a drink, get to work. You've done this before. You've seen her every day. Why would this time be any different?!"

Nick peeked his head from behind his hiding spot and caught sight of Judy once again, leaning his body to the side and stretching out his tail towards the opposite direction he was leaning to keep his balance and his covert status. Nick could see Judy so clearly from afar, her smile, her beautiful eyes, the way she leaned her head to the side and her ears swayed along with its motions, for only that glance, it suddenly felt to him as if every single act and motion that she made eluded to magnificence and attraction beyond compare. Nick retreated to his hiding spot and thought to himself as the answer to his previous question hit him right in the face:

"Yeah, okay. That was a stupid question."

For the first time since Nick could ever remember, 'Turning on the charm' was not going to work things out by itself, Nick felt as if his trademark confidence had been thrown out a window and subsequently run over by a semi-truck. Nick directed his sight around his position one final time, focusing more on the environment around him than the stuck up feelings inside his mind, the fox decided to simply take a chance and talk to Judy without any overcomplicated tactic in mind, that is, until he was stopped by the greeting of to other officers just as soon as he stepped out from his hiding place. As Nick turned to the left and revealed himself from behind the large potted fern, he saw Delgato and Wolford moving towards him while placed side by side, the two larger mammals greatly surprised by his presence and sudden appearance in the precinct, Wolford was the first to speak up and say:

- Yo, Wilde, you're back. Hopps was just telling everyone that you would be back to work soon enough. Didn't expect to see you so soon. How are you doing?

Nick nodded his head once before renewing the hold and balance of the delicate cargo in his hold and just before speaking up in response to the wolf:

- I'm doing just fine. My arm is all better, I'm as healthy as I can be and I can't wait to get back on patrol duty.

Delgato moved his head with a set of positive and approving nods, his confident smile letting show just as his lustrous mane bounced up and down and every flawless follicle waved about before the lion pointed to Nick's paws and asked of him:

- What do you got there, Wilde? It smells great.

Nick took little time I answering:

- Some muffins that I brought along, I was feeling a little puckish this morning. Didn't help much that I apparently skipped breakfast.

Wolford clasped his palms together and rubbed them before leaning in closer and reaching for the box, excited to get his own share of treats before anyone else had the chance, Nick noticed that right away and quickly turned his body to the right as to take the box out of the wolf officer's reach. Nick took care to not drop anything as his upper body turned to the right and his right leg accompanied that sudden motion by stepping at an angle in the given direction, Nick continued facing the two officers in front of him before telling them:

- Hang on there. Let me just go over and give one to Judy, then you can have some if you want it.

Wolford and Delgato gave Nick some leeway to move about, the fox walked off on his way, now displaying some silence confidence in approaching his partner and talking to her. Delgato and Wolford watched as Nick moved along, the lion waited for a short moment until the fox was out of ear shot and he turned to the left to tell Wolford what was he thinking of:

- It's starting to feel like you're going to lose the betting pool on a landslide, dude. There is clearly something already going on between Hopps and Wilde, I think you're just the only one who can't see it.

Wolford placed his retort, turning his body slightly to the left and then pointing his right paw at the lion before telling him:

- We'll just have to see about that. I still got time on my side. This month is nearly over and there is no concrete evidence about Wilde and Hopps getting on a date or anything like that.

Delgato shook his head slowly from side to side, his well-tended mane still following up on his motions with graceful undulating sways, just before he placed his own response to that:

- Are you kidding me? They just went on a trip out of town together. A lot could have happened that no one could have known about but them. What else do you need to see to understand that they can be a nice couple together?

Just as the lion was raising the volume of his voice to make a much more direct point across in the discussion, Wolford's left ear twitched and raised as he could hear the sound of loud steps heading their way, he turned his head and his upper body followed up to that motion as he identified who was it. Coming towards their way was Adonis, the equine was tasked with delivering a new stash of resources to the maintenance sector on the floors below the precinct and he was in a rush, he had just returned from a gathering expedition at other neighboring precincts and he could not stop to chat, even if he had become mildly curious about the talk that the other officers in his path before his sudden appearance. Wolford and Delgato immediately adopted professional looking stances as they allowed the horse to move on through:

- Excuse me. Need to pass through here.

Dony said so as he moved past the two officers and was set on taking the shortest route to the stairs leading down, the components stashed inside the package in his arms were apparently vital for the upkeep of the servers and machinery under the precinct and he was not going to bungle that task, even if it may have been a little below his paygrade. Both Wolford and Delgato stood at attention and in silence as Dony passed between them, the two officers doing an abysmal job in trying to hide that they were talking about something intriguing and gossip worthy, they were not even aware that Dony had picked up on it right away and was only focused on moving by because he was on a strict time table. As soon as Dony had moved well out of earshot, Delgato made his exit while airing a quick ultimatum to the wolf:

- Tick tock. You're about to lose big.

The lion had already turned his back and walked away when Wolford spoke out:

- You just wait and see. I'm bound to win sooner or later.

Wolford lowered his right arm and looked back at Nick, the fox was taking his time approaching Judy, looking for a right time and the right angle to butt in on her continued conversation with officer Grizzolli while still holding on firmly to the box of muffins in his arms and balancing the two cups of coffee placed over it. Wolford admitted in silence that there could have been something in there, some sort of deep attraction between the fox and bunny officers who were the focus of the betting pool, something that he just plump refused to admit at first, but at that point, his focus was more in winning and proving others right than keen interest in anything else.

Nick came closer, he popped his head from right behind Grizzolli and Judy noticed his presence right away, Judy leaned her body to the left and her ears adjusted over her head, pointing in the direction of Nick as she greeted him right away:

- Nick. You're here.

Grizzolli slowly turned himself around to identify the fox based simply on Judy's happy reaction spurred by his arrival, the bear had to be careful to not trample over Nick as he slowly turned around to greet him as well. Nick stepped past Grizzolli and approached Judy, the fox took a few seconds to catch some breath and say:

- Is nice to see you, carrots. I brought us some coffee.

Nick felt as if that greeting simply flowed into the moment, something he had not even planned, his left ear lowered slightly as some of his thought processing focused on the back of his mind and the fox delivered a minor praise to himself for his calm and collected stance, recently recovered:

"Flawless greeting. Nailed it in one."

Judy walked closer to Nick and her first thought was to talk with him about the research she had conducted the night prior, only that was something she wished to discuss with Nick in private and in greater detail, she saved that for later. Judy pointed to Nick's paws, a quick gesture of her left paw followed by a question:

- What you got there, slick?

Judy tried her best to sound casual, pulling a slim thread of conversation out of the fox as she inquired about the little pink cardboard box that let out an appealing scent. Nick answered as he hoisted the box up a few more inches, his eyes focused on Judy while his ears lowered slightly over his head as he spoke up:

- I… didn't really get breakfast for myself today, so I decided to bring over some muffins. Want to share some?

Judy let her smile grow a bit, her cheeks puffed up with the prospect of sharing a meal with Nick while they talked right before the start of their shift, Grizzolli did not mind stepping on that moment for a bit as he asked:

- Uh, muffins? Can I get one?

Nick looked up, Judy did the same, their eyes met with the bidding expression of the bear officer next to them, Nick saw no problem in letting the bear get one of the treats for himself so he gave permission by gently removing the tray with the two cups of coffee from over the box lid and hoisting the container of muffins as high as he could muster with his left paw before answering:

- Sure. Go for it, there's plenty.

Grizzolli reached down with his left paw, one of his long and sharp bear claws flicked the box open and its contents were placed in clear view of him, the warm and puffy treats wafted their smell upward, they smelled really good. Grizzolli performed a quick selective motion as his right paw hovered over the ten treats lined up in pairs with perfect symmetry inside the box, he grabbed the one placed on the right side lower corner of the box and took it to eating right away. The muffin was small when compared to the bear, he only needed to grab it with two of his claws making like a clawing pinch to remove it from the box, he tossed it inside of his maw, chewed on it for a few seconds and released a soft hum after certifying himself of the flavor:

- Hum… Wild berry. Thanks a bunch, Wilde.

Grizzolli spoke with clear words, the muffin only filled a miniscule fraction of the inside of his cheek as he chewed but the flavor was the only thing he was after as he consumed the pastry, he thanked Nick for the good offer and the fox's answer to that was a simple nod of his head. Grizzolli moved along and left Nick and Judy alone to talk among themselves and get right to work for that day, he already had his tasks lined up for the day and he had to get to it if he wished to still have time to spare by the end of the day. Nick turned to Judy, he lowered his arm and showed her the opened box before he reiterated the question he made previously to her:

- Muffin, fluff?

Judy did not answer right away, she made it seem like she was about to answer to Nick's question and grab a treat out of the box for herself but she started to turn her sight to the left and to the right, surveying the hallway where they were located to make sure that no one else would intervened in their conversation, she had to tell Nick something urgently, but there was still the considerable presence of other officers nearby. Judy thought quickly on what to do next, she held her breath, pressed her lips together, looked over at Nick and then reached for his left arm with both of her paws, reaching past the box and on to his wrist so she could guide him somewhere else. Nick was a little surprised to feel the soft pressure of the bunny's fingers around his left wrist, tugging on to him with enough of a pull to make him attentive to whatever she might say or do next, a subtle shock that caused his tail to puff up and jolt right behind him. Nick closed his mouth, his eyes opened slightly more, his ears twitched upward and he kept his eyes focused at Judy as she leaned closer to him and whispered:

- Nick, I'm really glad that you came to work today. We need to talk. Follow me.

Nick had no idea what that was about, he kept balance of the tray with the cups in his right paw while the box of muffins was kept with considerable balance on the palm of his left paw, he leaned forth and tried his best to separate his focus between Judy and the items in his reach as she guided him to their shared cubicle. Nick leaned forward, he let Judy guide him forth with quite a pep in her step, he was quite worried that he might spill something as they moved along but the path was free of any major obstructions and they managed to arrive in their cubicle without letting a single pastry or drop of coffee fall to the ground. Nick was already being pulled away by Judy, leaving the lobby behind and being guided towards the cubicle area when he finally got around to answering to her:

- Oh, okay.

Nick waited for a moment, Judy let go of him as soon as they were inside the cubicle, Nick placed his cargo over his side of the work desk, Judy took that time to pull up her chair to the side and free some roaming room inside the cubicle, however restrictive that space might have been, she just did not feel like sitting down, she had to stand and talk about the information she compiled. Nick waited in silence for a moment, his tail swaying from side to side slowly as he watched Judy set her chair aside, she was occupying center stage and there would be nothing else around in case she had to move around or emphasize a most important subject, the fox felt as his chest suddenly became tighter, he did not know what his partner might say but it was certainly vital of her to tell him by the look she was giving him, he listened closely.

Judy decided to take one last check to make sure that Nick and her were alone, she peeked her head out of the cubicle and checked both sides of the hall like path to make sure that there was no other officer coming or going, she returned to her previous stance in front of Nick as soon as she made sure that they were alone. Now Nick was really worried, he had no clue about what the subject of that talk could be and seeing Judy like that, her eyes aimed at him and making it seem like they would fire two piercing rays of light right at his heart, it gave him a sense of urgency that shot up the scale. Nick had his mouth opened by a sliver, his jaw hanging and only slightly opened as he looked straight at Judy and waited for her to fess up to whatever she wanted to say. Judy spoke in a whisper:

- I think you were right before.

Nick moved his eyes from side to side, unsure of what he was even looking for in that instance, before he leaned closer to Judy and asked of her with near identical tone of voice and volume to hers:

- Right about what, fluff?

Judy fetched her cellphone, she put in her pin code on the screen and the device unlocked before revealing a set of images saved in a passcode protected album, her personal notes and images that revealed all of the notations she made on the night before. Nick was confronted with picture after picture on the phone screen, photos taken of files and screenshots of data that revealed important details that were gathered up by Judy, there was even a graph with separate spaces for expenditures in transportation and requisitions that were reported throughout the savanna, he only caught a few glimpses of it but it all looked like top notch information gathering. As Judy scrolled through the line of pictures stored in her personal device, she explained to him the reason behind all of it:

- I stayed up until late yesterday, I reviewed the back notes from a lot of cases, starting up with the suspicious sighting on the docks nearly a month or so ago. I had to cash in a favor from Grizzolli so he could contact a friend of his in precinct five. It was far quicker and safer than fishing the data from our own servers while they are still in maintenance. I think you were right when you said that all of the things that have been going on lately are the planning of a consolidated group. Maybe even of a single mammal.

Nick did not react to what Judy was saying and showing him right away, the fox remained still and listening attentively as she went on, when he said that to her during their trip, it was mere speculation, a shot in the dark, hard to believe it could really hold any water at all. Judy had taken Nick's theory into consideration, even if it may sound half-baked at first, she saw no sign of discordance or restrictions to her speech coming from Nick so she continued talking, placing the phone over the work desk close to her and turning to Nick with both of her paws free to use and gesture as she spoke:

- The suspicious activity by the tundra docks was reported as a shipment that went into the city but was not noted by the embargo officials, either that or someone was paid off to erase any traces of the illicit cargo before it could be discovered. I started to imagine who could have that kind of reach seeing as not even Mr. Big himself could have reached the embargo officials to fully erase the trace registry of a shipment. That kind of thing doesn't just happen on a whim.

Nick followed the trail being laid out by Judy, he nodded his head and his eyes deviated off towards the entrance of the cubicle, the fox murmured as he said in a volume that would be most likely only perceived by his partner:

- Something like that takes contacts way higher up and out of town. Mr. Big is influential but even he can only extend his reach so far through the entire city itself.

Judy snapped the fingers of her left paw, she pointed at Nick shortly after as she let him know right away that his thought was right on the money:

- Exactly.

Judy said and then continued her explanation, she reached into a drawer by her side of the work desk and retrieved one of her notebooks, conveniently labeled with a date and codded title on the front page referring to something she could consult later. Judy flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for, she turned to Nick to show it to him just as she let out a little whisper to herself:

- Found it.

Nick leaned closer and squinted his eyes as he tried to read every word of Judy's writing, she wrote her notes with very small letters, but the form and wavy patterns of the letters as they connected was already fairly familiar to him. Judy pointed to the paper and connected the dots as she said:

- Right after that, I consulted the file that Pura gave to me. It turns out that some of the data of the magnesium used in the manufacture of the powder for the bullet shell was still very much present, though some of it seems to have gone unnoticed as it was labeled initially as an emergency transference of resources to a neighboring facility.

Nick turned to face the right and look at Judy right next to him, his head retreated a little bit so that his muzzle would not accidentally collide with Judy's face, the fox tucked his shoulders and raised his ears as he looked at his partner, took in a short breath with a new touch of resolve in his mind and told her:

- That's kind of a weak excuse for getting a full load of potentially flammable material to move on another route. If the lie was ever found out by someone else, it could have been easily traceable to whomever was responsible.

Judy looked at Nick, her left ear twitched and she let out a puff of air through her mouth as she said:

- I thought the exact same thing. That is when I decided to dig a little deeper.

Judy grabbed a mid-sized heap of pages and flung them over, directing the attention of Nick to a whole new section of notations, she pointed a finger to the new page and slid it over until it reached the paragraph that she was looking for:

- Here.

Judy said as she continued to explain:

- I asked Francine for help with this one. She told me about a certain way to identify fraudulent or covert forms of payment in a document. There is the seal of approval and the numeric code on the top of the page which most mammals usually gloss over and let it be, but identifying the code in the chain can get you plenty far in picking up a trail.

Judy's finger moved to the next page as she said:

- The last five numbers on the chain were already used on a similar shipment many months ago and that is something that should not happen out of the blue. I tried following the trail of payments for the resource transference and that is when I was faced with a new problem.

Nick read the names that had been crossed out on the bottom of the page and a quick glance had already alerted him of the supposed problem told by Judy:

- Shell companies.

The fox spoke up, he had a semblance of how such things worked in his mind, his only deduction was to the fact that it would make things more complicated. Judy nodded her head once as her eyes turned to Nick, her finger continued to slide over the page as she said:

- Precisely. Pura managed to track the identification of a company, which is owned by a corporation, which was owned by a subsidiary… It goes on like this for a while. A smart enough system or clerk would be capable enough to mask a trail like this but the scope feels so massive. It would take quite a long time of planning and a lot of contacts.

Nick pressed his teeth together, Judy raised her sight and saw that, she wondered if her partner would actually start growling with frustration after seeing how every strand of information would lead to another wall in the middle of the path, it was very frustrating. Nick lowered his ears as he continued to look over the notes, many of the words were crossed out or having little traces that connected to other pieces of information, Nick was actually becoming surprised with the fact that the information transcribed on the pages was becoming more erratic and unreadable in a sense, for a moment it looked as if Judy had stopped writing on the paper and a whole other mammal had taken to writing in her place. Nick swallowed some saliva before letting out:

- Is like getting hit with one dead-end after another.

Judy closed the notebook, pressing it in the grip between the fingers of her right paw as she turned to face Nick completely and tell him:

- Yeah, is a little disheartening. Even with so much help and equipment is hard to solve a case when one line of evidence leads to more questions than answers.

Nick looked to the ceiling, a question popped in the back of his mind and he decided to ask it to Judy, hoping that maybe that new strand of thought might lead them to a more tangible path to seek answers. Nick placed his left paw over his hips, he gestured with his right pointing claw aimed Judy's way before asking of her:

- What about that weird jamming machine that we found on the underground hide-out? Is there any chance we can find how they got that in the first place?

Judy stored the notebook away in the drawer by her side of the cubicle before she answered to Nick's inquiry, letting out a disappointed puff of air out of her mouth before saying:

- Not quite. Agent Donovan and the other agents of the ZPD closer to him tried following that as a lead but it turns out that the machine itself was made out of spare parts that were either ordered or traded separately before being assembled. Though, maybe the electronic portions of the machine itself may prove easier to locate than any other pieces of its shell.

Nick heard Judy's trail of thought deviating to a new possibility, a new path to follow perhaps, but he made a clicking sound that escaped through his teeth before saying:

- That could possibly prove a little easier, if I hadn't smashed the thing apart with a crowbar. That might have delayed any traceable pieces of the machine which now are short circuited or in shambles thanks to my swing.

Judy's facial expression changed a bit after she turned to Nick once more, she walked closer to the fox and raised her right paw, placing it over his left arm and telling him:

- You followed the course you thought was right. If you hadn't destroyed the control panel of that thing, other crooks may have been able to use it and any other extended amount of use out of that thing could have harmed the electronic systems of the savanna.

Nick felt Judy's touch, he acknowledged her words and then crossed his arms as he looked away, demonstrating to her how unsure of his actions he was at the time, even if it was quite funny for him to turn the screen and keypads of the jamming device into scrap at the time. Nick had his ears lowered and his face turned away as he said:

- It's just one thing after another. We really don't have all the pieces yet.

Judy tried consoling her partner, walking in front of him and calling to his attention by mere presence before telling him:

- We're still getting there. I'm sure we'll get the facts straight but it is all connected somehow.

Nick looked at her and nodded his head, the fox did not show even a single sliver of a smile as he did so, Judy figured that he was still quite deep in thought concerning what was just discussed by them. Actually, Nick was still making so that he would not show any exaggerated emotions, Judy's presence was somewhat taxing to him, he wished to talk to her about other things, many other things, maybe get his feelings across, but that did not seem like the right time. Nick's tail swished at compressed angles from side to side as he noticed Judy's approach, the bunny turned silent and walked to the very center of their cubicle, looking on to the disabled screen of her computer before hearing Nick's voice asking of her:

- Have you told any of this to the chief yet?

Judy's ears twitched, her eyes moved slightly to the right as she saw Nick's image reflected on the dark screen in front of her, his body turned to the side without leaving the spot he was standing on as he looked at her, the amount of light entering through the cubicle's entrance making her see only his bulky silhouette reflected at the right corner of the screen. Judy turned to Nick slowly, she raised her left paw and raised two of her fingers before showing Nick a negative gesture as her wrist moved softly from side to side before she answered to Nick:

- No, not yet. All that I got for now is a bunch of dots scattered on a map. They connect in a way you can understand nicely but no actual evidence can be submitted to the chief without first getting every permit, trail and marker in their proper place. If I come to the chief without any solid leads, it can all turn into a mess, plus, with the whole maintenance rush going on, it is really not the best of times to bring any more to chief's table.

Judy had her legs placed together and her arms placed one over the other, a cautious defensive stance which Nick had never seen before. Nick approached Judy this time, asking her shortly after performing a single short step in her direction:

- You really put all of this stuff together in one night? I didn't think you would take the stuff I said about a single planner behind all of this craziness that has been going on so serious.

Judy lowered her arms and looked at her partner before letting him know:

- Well… I thought really hard about it on our trip back. I only started putting the pieces together in the hopes that I would find something that we let slip without knowing about it at first. Once I put all of the things I had on file in place, all in front of me like that, it all just began to… connect.

Judy pulled a chair for herself, Nick did the same, the two officers were seated facing each other on the soft swivel of their chairs, the atmosphere felt a little lighter for Judy, now that she had talked about the bits of information that she amassed, it felt like a thrill for her on the night before to fit every portion of data together in one large diagram to be deciphered, but in perspective, the idea of a single mind wanting to throw the city in such chaos also felt like a terrifying prospect to say the least. Nick looked at Judy and then to his immediate left, he had almost forgot about the drinks and treats he had brought along for him and Judy to share, he raised his right arm and reached into the box of muffins to select one for Judy, she caught wind of his motion and told him of one last thing she wanted to talk about:

- Chief Bogo told me that he found you over at the gym early today.

Nick froze up almost completely, not because he was shocked or distressed from hearing that, the fox halted his motions and pressed his lips in a sort of pseudo smile, acting for a moment like he was just a kid who got caught doing something he should not, he had already been found out so there was no use in hiding his actions from earlier that day anymore. Nick released a soft puff of air through his nose, he silently blamed and scowled chief Bogo for snitching on him and then returned his body to its original motion. Nick grabbed one treat from the box after flipping the thin cardboard lid out of the way and then he got around to answering to Judy by telling her with honesty:

- Yeah, I came here rather early today. I didn't feel like sleeping so I came by to train for a bit.

Judy scooched her chair closer to Nick, the wheels made a squealing sound that lingered in the air inside of the cubicle for a while, Nick turned his sight to look at Judy just in time to meet with her eyes as she asked him:

- Nick, are you feeling alright?

Nick had his ears lowered as he heard Judy asking that of him but his stare remained unchanged as he answered:

- Sure, fluff. I'm fine.

- Are you sure?

Nick felt as if his chest was being compressed by some outward force, compelling him to speak up or risk having the discomfort he was feeling grow in intensity, the fox took in a long breath before answering to Judy's question:

- I feel fine, Judy. I really do. I just felt like getting a quick work out for myself today before our shift started. There is nothing to worry about.

Judy reached for Nick, her left paw extending from across her seat as she leaned fort and placed it over Nick's left paw which was comfortably resting over his knee, Nick looked down, frozen once more with a muffin in his right paw and listening carefully as Judy told him:

- Nick, if you feel like something is not right, you can just tell me. I'll listen.

Nick lowered his right paw, the whole of his focus was now on his left paw and on the marvelous warmth he was feeling radiating from it, the fox looked over to the point of contact and then back at Judy, her beckoning eyes aimed directly at him and past his defenses, it was difficult for him to try anything else but telling the truth. Nick swallowed some saliva, placed the muffin in his right paw back in the box and spoke to Judy with unrestrictive honesty relating to his morning workout routine:

- Look, Judy, I… didn't feel too great about not doing much these last few weeks. It was real nice to rest up but it also feels like my body got soft and I didn't want to be out of shape in case the need for hardcore police work were to arrive. I just tried to get some exercising in to get back in fighting shape more quickly.

Judy's let ear lowered at a small angle over her head, she squinted her eyes as she looked over at Nick with added intensity and told him:

- Nick, you were hurt and still recovering, there is no rush for you to do anything but your regular job as a police officer. You don't need to become a pumped up fighting machine while you work at the ZPD, you just need to be… you.

Nick lowered his ears and deviated his eyes to the left, worried that Judy might reprehend him for going out of his way like that in order to hammer out inherited shortcomings he might have imposed over himself, that was not the case. Nick took in a short breath through his nose before saying:

- I just want to do my best to help out.

Judy's officious stare melted away, replaced by a set of calm eyes and a sweet smile, Nick's tail moved frantically from left to right behind his seat as he saw the look in her face, he tried telling his own tail to stop moving around like that or it might give him away, fruitless. The sight of Judy's smile now filled Nick with unparalleled joy, he just could not hide it, Judy was just glad that she could get an honest explanation for Nick's deviancy in behavior reported that morning and comforted her partner by telling him:

- You're already doing your best. There is no need for you to push yourself any further than that.

Nick lowered his head and raised his ears, he could feel a sort of humming warmth radiating towards his muzzle, his breath became a little erratic as he thought to himself:

"Damn! What is happening to me?! Am I blushing? There is just no way!"

Nick calmed himself as soon as he felt Judy removing her paw from his, it suddenly felt like the fox could breathe a whole lot better for a moment. Nick rose from his seat and turned back to the items he wished to give Judy, a cup containing the sweet decaffeinated drink he had purchased for her and one muffin, he figured there would be plenty of time to share more pastries with her later. Nick reiterated the greeting he wished he had given Judy before she pulled him aside for that confidential conversation and spoke up:

- There you go, fluff. I grabbed us a little 'pick-me-up' for the day.

Judy grabbed the pastry and the cup but she set them aside for a second, placing them carefully over the frame of the work desk and turning to Nick to give him a proper thanks. Judy placed herself at the tips of her feet, adding to her height just enough so that she could hug Nick without having him leaning down for the embrace, Judy had her paws wrapped around the fox's lower torso but her paws did not connect with one another during the hug, she did not mind that one bit. Nick held his breath in and did not even get a chance to respond to her gesture as she heard her voice telling him without room for rebuttal:

- Nick Wilde, you are a gem.

Judy let go of Nick, he remained in the cubicle as she grabbed the items that were just gifted to her, choosing to enjoy her meal in the precinct break room as to not let a single crumb fall in their shared work space, Nick watched her exit and waited a few seconds before letting his entire body fall over his chair. Nick tumbled back and placed his posterior over the chair without an ounce of stiffness in his entire body, he looked around before he laid eyes over the cup of coffee that was separated for him before passing the palm of his right paw over the top of his head, frizzling his own fur and flicking his ear as he thought to himself:

"Okay, the whole 'playing it cool' thing… it's going to be harder than I thought."

Nick reached for his cup of coffee and took a long swig of it, the flavor felt just right though most of the warmth of the drink was already gone, the container for the beverage was moderately insulated but it did little to maintain its original temperature since Nick took so long to sip from it, that hardly bothered the fox. After so long under strict rules from his medication, being prevented from drinking either caffeine or alcohol it just felt nice to have a sip of coffee once more, even if it was room temp. Nick enjoyed a muffin as he took sip after sip of his coffee, moving his chair in a slow rotating motion from side to side, his feet touching the ground and guiding him on the meaningless, but oddly calming, movements. After an extended moment of respite, Nick could hear the sound of the other officers moving along past the nearby hallway, it was time to go to work, the fox closed the box of muffins to take it along with him, finished the last sip of his coffee and moved on his way to take his seat at the bullpen, it was about time he got to it.

---

Calm morning in the savanna, a long black limo made its way to an old part of the district that was famous for having an avenue that was rarely traveled, an old tunnel leading to the outskirts of town. An old landfill and recycling center outside of Zootopia was now a complex base of operations, one of the many outposts that Ortega and his cronies had set up around Zootopia's original peripheries, hard to spot but easy enough to access during routes that could be misinterpreted as regular commutes to business meetings.

The limousine stopped and Mr. Ortega came out from the passenger seat, his driver was ordered to stay inside and keep watch in case something was reported out of the ordinary, then again, for the old deer seated in front of the steering wheel, not much was considered 'ordinary' anymore. Ortega crossed the front gates of the warehouse location, kept in fastening and secure position via several different locks, however, all of them were projected to open without any issue thanks to a singular master key that the boss of the operation carried with him at all times, the three locks were unmade in sequence from highest to lowest and the front gate swung open with a soft squeal in its metal hinges.

Three goons were left to stand guard, two wolves and a panther of considerable strength but questionable intelligence were left to safeguard the warehouse, they were mostly found lazing about and talking about meaningless subjects but one look at their superior approaching the front doors with his steely scowl and his impeccable attire were enough to straighten them all out right away. As soon as Ortega's presence was confirmed, the three slackers by the front door lined up and stood at attention, unnecessary, but appreciated y their shared employer. Ortega crossed the path of the three guards without even acknowledging them but he silently made note of their actions as he went on his way, thinking of the three presences he left behind as three perfect little tin soldiers that he may actually come to relocate if his plans called for it.

Inside the warehouse, passing by a room and the abandoned front reception office which lied in near shambles, Ortega finally could see the main point of his visit to that place, the repurposed facility of the recycling center had been converted into a big laboratory where his most brilliant mind worked on advancements for his plans. Inside the lab hardly anyone was left to supervise the complex net of vials and burners scattered about, there were doors that lead to observation rooms where some delicate chemicals were left inside secure and sterile environments as well as outdated computers that were installed to only keep tabs on research notations, nothing more. The electronic 'brown boxes', as some came to call them did not even have access to the internet, they only connected to one another, and their main memory drives were set in a format similar to old fashioned floppy disks, all meant as a safety measure for the important data being concocted in that place.

Ortega came up to the very end of the installation, the back drop of the warehouse had a solitary workbench where samples were brought up for mixing and testing, the one overseeing it all was the egghead in charge and his name was well known by those who were required to contact him regularly:

- Doctor Oncas, how are things with our new investment?

A slim leopard could be seen operating the moving apparatus installed over the workbench, the one placed in charge of that isolated installation was observed empirically from a far and always seen absorbed in his work, there were strict directories to never bother the doctor unless it was an emergency or unless someone had been personally summoned by him, the only ones allowed to act in violation of this directory were Ortega himself and his close second in command, Andersen, though there were rumors that the ocelot was not even close to respectable status anymore after a serious bungle. After being called out, the leopard turned away from his work, however engaging it may have been, and looked in the direction of the goat standing five steps or so away from his work environment, a guideline stablished by the doctor himself and the safety line that he had implemented in the floors of the warehouse and it formed a nearly incomprehensible labyrinth without walls which extended all around and by every piece of equipment. Oncas greeted the goat as he raised his right hoof in the air and said:

- Oh, Mr. Ortega. Right on time, sir.

Oncas was the most incoherent visage of a mammal one could ever face, while most predatory felines were tall, muscular and imposing, Oncas himself was short and skinny, to the point someone may consider him poorly nourished at first sight, a stiff breeze could carry him away. The doctor could almost be seen as one of those cartoonish mad scientists that kids may spot on television, thick glasses on his face, overgrown whiskers, a misshapen tooth popping from the right side of his mouth as a mismatched fang that no corrective brace could ever hope to fix, a slight hunch on his back, no tail following behind him since it had been amputated long before, an unhinged look in his eyes and the absolute absence of any intimidating muscle on any portion of his entire body, all of that being covered by the most modest of attires. A bright yellow shirt that blended well with the coloration of his fur aside from his natural dark spots, a ragged lab coat with various dirty spots sprinkled over the fabric, pants kept in place by the tightest notch of a belt around his waist line and a pair of cyan blue croc sandals that squeaked incessantly as he walked around.

Ortega waited for only a couple of seconds to have the doctor right beside him, the leopard greeted the rich benefactor of his experiments with a strong paw shake before walking in front of him and saying:

- I was just about to send a message to you and tell that the testing of the new serum versions has improved dramatically. There are now three new and viable versions of the original formula that can be viable for storage, transport, exchange and consumption.

Ortega lowered his right hoof until he reached into his front pocket and retrieved his cellphone, he made sure to deactivate any and all notifications that might arrive as well as disconnecting himself from any tracking application with the simple push of an icon. After making sure that his own electronic device was hidden well, the goat looked up at the scientist, who in comparison was barely any taller than he, and said:

- That is why we came, doctor. Show me something good and make it quick, there are other points in my agenda I wish to get through before too long.

Doctor Oncas nodded his head and proceeded to guide Mr. Ortega over to the observation rooms on the eastern side of the warehouse, there were five separate rooms in total with panoramic windows and no curtains, it allowed any outside onlookers to observe anything that happened on the inside. The first three rooms were reserved for resources, anything that could come in handy for last minute experiments, boxes filled with beakers and containers of varied chemical compounds, all of them kept separate and locked away from one another as well as meticulously archived for easy survey and access. The other two rooms were closed off as ongoing experimentation environments, one was made to house small sized mammals in enclosed compartments as well natured volunteers and the final one had added measures to be made as a clean room, free from any outside contaminants, where most of the finished experimental serums reported and catalogued by the doctor were kept for any future reference.

Ortega followed Oncas into the fourth room, the doctor began his report as he pointed to the first two observation rooms housing two little mice, plucked from the streets and promised housing and food as long as they swore to secrecy and cooperation to what was being done in that place. Each room was meant to be a replica of a modest sized apartment for small rodents like the ones built in Little Rodentia, each one of them equipped with quarters, kitchen, entertainment centers, all meant to provide the most believable living area possible for each inhabitant drafted into the experiment. The subjects were all male and would remain there for a set period of time and act as natural as one could be while small doses of the serum manufactured with the doctor's supervision would be unknowingly administered in their daily doses of food and water, strictly for observation and notation purposes. Oncas started his report as if he had rehearsed for it many times before, gesturing with both of his pas to the observation tanks in front of him containing the most noteworthy subjects he had and telling hat each as all about:

- As you can clearly see, sir, the first and the second subjects have been marked to receive the smallest dose of the first batch, that was our… beta phase, sort of speak. There have been almost no change in their behavior, but there has been a certain burst in activity from them. They only need small periods of rest between scheduled activities and that indicated how the stamina enhancing perks of the formula needed to be improved.

The doctor moved swiftly to the right and showed the other subjects, the two were occupying a single tank that was worth the size of the first and second tanks combined:

- The other two subjects were instructed to live together, their dosage was gradually enhanced on the following days since you visited this facility last and they have shown extreme changes in behavior and physiology. Muscular growth and metabolism have been enhanced and monitored conversations between the two subjects have been monitored as increasingly hostile, I had to break off three fights between them just this week to prevent serious self-harm among them.

Ortega found the second part of the report tantalizing, the effects of the serum might have sounded selective or maybe random at first but there was certainly an enticing connection being made in his mind, maybe a new avenue should be explored concerning the types of mammals who could have access to the serum, distribution and manufacturing were already considered but the idea could be revisited once new paths opened up. It was all business after all, an adventure on itself, new paths and opportunities were always possible. The doctor continued with his report, arriving at the final two observation tanks as he said:

- These last two subjects are kept separate as you instructed, the final two look… less than cooperative with the route that the experiment took. They were presented with a more volatile form of the serum with several removed additives but were deprived of it shortly after, the benefits of the serum administration were noticeable at first but the depravation of it was felt nearly instantly. The enterprising potential speaks for itself.

The doctor presented a chart on a board nearby but, upon further inspection, his facial expression looked unchanged from before, his voice at first sounded somewhat concerned by the state of his subjects and the possibility of an experiment cut short, that was not the case, doctor Oncas looked… happy, ecstatic, any trace of empathy or concern for the words he said was not visible in his face. Oncas presented the goat with a chart of data that had been scribbled with no discerning pattern, numbers were jutted out one on top of the other, only depicting more of the eccentric nature of the scientist, made further evident by the trace of laughter as his voice became more high pitched while he explained:

- Their lessened motion inside their habitats along with the diminishing rates in their metabolic rate and the increasingly erratic behavior on certain moments only proves what the new additives to the serum are capable of. After ingesting the serum and acclimating to it, their bodies crave more. They feel nearly incomplete without it.

Ortega only took a glance at the paper in his hold before he flung the chart board over his left shoulder, the sound of the flimsy frame colliding with the ground as well as sheets of paper flapping about was heard just before the goat's voice spelled out with a triumphant overtone:

- The new formula is a hit! Congratulations are in order, doctor. You have proven to be the most apt mind under my service.

Oncas smiled, his toothy grin made to look a tad unsettling due to the wide look in his eyes, grinning like a kid but chuckling like a lunatic, the leopard moved closer to his employer and accepted the props for his contribution, even if they were brief and modest while aired openly from the goat next to him. Ortega watched the new set of motions from the doctor, the single step that the feline took to the left followed by a brand new set of gestures from his paws as he said:

- A hit indeed, sir. It is all thanks to the unaltered serum formula that you managed to retrieve from Bellweather and the night howler flowers that were smuggled out of the city. Every piece is falling in place.

- And you shall do well to not forget it, doctor.

Ortega closed that line before turning his body completely around and walking in the direction of the door leading out of the observation room, the goat waited for a moment but his ears soon caught to the sound of doctor Oncas following close and closing the door behind them. Ortega turned to face the doctor once more and let the scientist know just how far they had come as well as all speak to emphasize just how much of his own money had been invested in that clandestine venture thus far, pointing with his right hoof to the facility around them in a slow and wide horizontal motion from right to left as he spoke:

- Bellweather was a shortsighted fool to not see the potential in all of it. Those magnificent flowers discovered by her could open the doors for new chances, new opportunities, for prey and predator groups alike. That simpleton was content with seizing petty revenge, after getting the original resum recipe from one of her misguided cronnies, we were set to seize the goal that lies further ahead than any mere interspecies squabble.

Ortega directed a sharp stare at the doctor, who's smile remained unaltered as he looked at the goat moving about, he continued to speak:

- I shall aim even higher and take a much more... enlightened route. With this new serum being available for different mammals, different species, in different districts, any citizen can have a taste of true strength, true power, true bliss. All that they truly wish to experience on an easy to purchase vial.

Ortega rubbed his hooves together and turned his body to face another direction, away from the doctor, he cleared his throat and then spoke once more:

- Of course, getting all of the ingredients that you so graciously listed off to me was not an easy task in the least. Countless bribes in order to attain the pure seeds of the flowers and a viable area to cultivate them, lies on top of lies in order to convince the stooges on city hall that my properties were acquired through strictly legal means, I have been walking on eggshells for a full week after my board of investors caught wind of the money I wasted on that radio jammer. It all would have been the perfect means to stall the ears and minds of the entire city, the ZPD especially if not for the vibrant incompetence of those meager wasps.

Ortega began to pace around with heavy steps that echoed loudly over the wooden floor of the warehouse, the goat was letting the façade he had built of an unshakable business mammal be deconstructed little by little, Oncas, however, remained still and looking ahead like a well behaved employee. Ortega finished his rant by pointing his left hoof at the doctor and asking of him:

- I cannot deny that you have made considerable advancements doctor, but I also must ask you this: How long will it take for all of this unending research and tinkering of yours to bear fruit? My investors have been watching me like hungry vultures and they expect solid results as soon as possible.

- The results are in already, sir.

Doctor Oncas said so in a slightly ominous voice, that response both unnerved and excited the mammal in charge as Ortega turned to the doctor and asked him with a loud whisper:

- What did you just say?

Oncas took that as the cue that he was waiting for, to move to the display window that showed the interior of the leftmost room and flip an outside switch that would activate the lights of the room itself. To Ortega's surprise, what he saw inside were categorized piles of small containers that housed vials of the newly developed formula, one of the containers had its top open and he could see the safely store glass cylinders with a near transparent blue substance separated in exact dosages, ready to be shipped and distributed. Ortega walked closer to the window, he blinked quickly and had his jaw hanging faintly open as he placed his left hoof over the glass cover of the window and slid it down in awe and admiration, he was seeing one of the most vital pieces of his plan in front of him with unmatched splendor, he dared to imagine what the next step of his plan would be but he decided to ask the doctor for further confirmation first:

- Is that what I think it is?

Oncas placed his palms together and sounded off a soft clap with them before answering:

- That… is the newest version of the new night-howler serum, sir. The components were flawlessly blended together after the dosage of the freezing compound were met during the late courses of experimentation. The first tests were rough… as a manner of speak, but they were successes without a doubt. It's all there.

Oncas assumed a straight stance next to Ortega as he pressed his feline muzzle on the glass and released warm breath which left imprints of condensation over the cold surface of the window, all while he continued to speak:

- The strength, the stamina, the regulation of erratic behavior, even the intentional side effect of dependency, it all mixes perfectly into this new solution. I was not that sure at first when it was suggested to make alterations to the original formula, I admit it, but the results are simply amazing. I believe I can safely refer to it as… the alpha version.

Ortega quickly turned his head to look at the doctor, asking of him for a precise estimative of a follow-up testing period for the new serum, the goat pushed himself away from the window and asked:

- How long will it take for you to begin tests on an open environment.

The doctor reached into his lab coat and pulled a syringe from the pocket of his left lapel, the medical instrument had its needle safely covered with a plastic cap and it contained a full dose of the serum to be delivered to a target mammal of willing mentality, with that gesture out of the way, the next portion of the doctor's answer was delivered. A short breath while hanging on tightly to the syringe before the doctor spoke:

- They've already begun.

---

Back in the streets of Zootopia, cruising somewhere near the southern side of the savanna, Nick and Judy were already at work, having received permission from chief Bogo to resume their regular patrol duties starting that afternoon. Judy was keeping a direct route in her mind while guiding the cruiser through the streets with moderate speed, Nick was taking it easy while seated right next to her, the fox had his signature shades covering his eyes and was showing a relaxed stance as he leaned the right side of his upper body against the locked door of the passenger side.

Judy was shown to be very excited to be back at the reeds of her regular work routine, she hoped that the day would proceed calmly until the very end of their shift and that no major problems would arise, having her paws moving over the steering wheel while having a soft smile on her face and a sharp look in her eyes as she looked out the window and on to the streets occasionally. Judy would take a glance at Nick every time that she reduced the cruiser speed to take a sharp turn or stop momentarily at the impeding glare of a traffic light, she would shoot her partner a fleeting look that could not have taken more than half a second as to check if he was encountering with any discomfort or something of the like, he looked very calm at least by her point of view. Judy would see Nick and notice the faint reflection of his face against the car window, however, Nick was actually very nervous and just did not want to show that.

As soon as Nick entered the cruiser, he took with him the chance to be alone with Judy and with his own thoughts to think things through, he could simply talk with Judy or formulate a more detailed course of action for himself. The fox hid his eyes behind the tinted lenses of his aviator shades and fell silent as soon as the cruiser left the precinct car pool, the ride through the savanna was devoid of conversation for the most part, the atmosphere inside the cruiser cabin brought on by both Nick and Judy could be associated with the exchange of forces from two magnetic stones, strong and equivalent but shown to only push them apart the more they thought of a way to break the tension, the silence was almost too hard to bare. The patrol shift proceeded and Nick was left alone, Judy thought it would be for the best to leave her partner to deal with his own thoughts be them calming or stressful on their return to active duty but Nick was very nervous and a word from her could actually help out more than she could know, the fox took to arguing with himself in silence as he did before as his eyes moved quickly from side to side and unnoticed:

"Damn, why can't I just do it? I just need to talk to her and ask her out. It is the easiest thing ever, she's right here and we're alone."

Nick placed his back on the repost of his seat and realigned his shoulders before continuing with his line of thought:

"We hung out tons before, there is really nothing to it. Then again… this is the first time I'm actually asking her on a date outright."

That was when something clicked on Nick's mind, the fox let down his ears before thinking things over at another angle:

"Wait a second there. Is this even the first time I asked her out? What about the drive-in? Was that a date? Could that be considered a date?"

Nick turned his head further to the right to look at the passing scenery outside the window, his mouth was closed and his teeth were pressing over one another repeatedly as his jaw moved up and down at a small nearly imperceptible angle, he thought back to the outing he and Judy had at the drive-in back in Bunnyburrow, bit by bit, he then thought with increased frustration directed at himself:

"Oh, damn! That *was* a date and I didn't even notice it! I already took her out on a date and I didn't even stop to realize it! I'm such a dumb fox!"

Judy's ears twitched as she heard a certain irregularity in Nick's breath, it was an easy enough sound to catch wind of inside the isolating confines of the cruiser, she reduced the speed of the vehicle and turned her head to the right to look at her partner and ask of him:

- Nick, are you feeling alright? Does something still hurt?

Nick turned to face Judy with his eyes wide in alarm, the fox's stunned stare was safely hidden behind the tint of his sunglasses and he did not take long in coming up with an excuse for his irregular silence while on patrol. Nick pushed his upper body away from the passenger door with a gentle motion of his right elbow, he patted down the fabric of the shirt of his uniform with gentle pats of his left paw and he took a short breath before speaking up:

- No, nothing like that. Just realized that I might have left my cellphone back at the precinct. It was bothering me like crazy that I had this feeling like I had forgotten something and I only realized it now.

Judy nodded her head and returned her attention to the street ahead, a quick turn to the left and they were set to follow the path back to the precinct, the return trip would be much more relaxing if they took the upper path and cruised through the express way. Nick raised his left paw and scratched his jaw, his fingers performed a repetitive back and forth motion as his paw moved around, the scratching was slow but it relaxed him a little bit, he was setting to speak to Judy and finally break some of the tension inside the cruiser on the drive back. Meanwhile, sitting right next to Nick, Judy was busy piling one thought over the other, the drive had been calm but somewhat tedious without her partner's conversations to keep her entertained, Judy just felt like saying something and that ended up with the two officers calling to each other's names almost at the same time:

- Nick, listen…

- Judy, I…

The two officers were surprised, they exchanged a look towards one another, Nick raised his left arm in a sort of defensive manner before lowering it and showing a smile towards Judy, Judy leaned her body forth as she turned her head to the right to look at Nick, releasing a short giggle as she slid her paws over the steering wheel and showed how her ears lowered to the right as her head turned to look at her partner and show him the somewhat uncomfortable look on her face. Nick shoed a dismissive gesture with both of his paws and told her:

- Sorry, carrots. You go ahead and talk.

Judy responded to that by giving Nick his turn to talk instead:

- No, you can go ahead and talk to me. What I wanted to say wasn't that important.

Nick took in another long breath of air through his nose, the scent of the air freshener inside the cruiser which was selected by him provided the fox with a much needed rush of calm, pine scented, it helped a lot. Nick turned his head slowly to look at Judy once more and he spoke the main thing that they both needed to discuss at the time:

- I feel like… everything has changed, a lot. I think it just took a little while to sink in just right.

Judy tightened the grip she had over the steering wheel, it felt like she was preparing to take a sudden turn in any direction as she braced herself for whatever Nick had to say in that moment, Judy moved her sight to the right, only catching Nick's presence on the corner of her eyes as she asked him:

- What do you mean by that, Nick?

Nick grabbed hold of the thick strap from the safety belt placed over his torso, he gave himself a better range of movement as he grabbed the strap, pulled it away from his body and turned his entire stance to the left to a more than forty-five degree angle, so he could face Judy and not look away. Nick gestured towards his partner, showing his left paw as he performed a slow horizontal wave with it, almost as if he was drawing a comprehensive line of events in front of him, Nick then spoke:

- From this time we've been working on this case, the run-arounds, the stake out, this whole deal… we both got hit… really hard. It suddenly daunted on me just how much it all changed.

Judy continued to listen to Nick as her eyes kept looking at the road ahead, there were not that many other vehicles in the lane that they were occupying, she sped up only a smidge and changed the guide of the cruiser to a higher gear. Judy's ears continued aimed at Nick as the fox continued to talk to her, his tone of voice alternating between his regular relaxed vocals and a more somber tone as he went on:

- It really doesn't feel like a straight road we can just walk on anymore, it was way easier when we both started out working together. Everything was easier just a month ago. We did our jobs, came back to the precinct and went back home; Now… it feels like the whole entire city has eyes and ears aimed at us and it does feel kind of unsettling sometimes. All this stuff we have been dealing with… it just feels so crazy.

Judy closed her eyes as she let out an extended puff of air out of her mouth, her lips puckered and the air that exited through her lips almost got caught by her teeth making it sound as if she was whistling but the melodious sound that exited her lips was not at all loud enough to be perceived as a whistle, instead, it sounded more like the comical whooshing of a breeze far off in the distance. Judy's eyes were opened about a full second and a half after she closed them, she felt like she could ease up a bit, her paws slid over the sides of the wheel in front of her, the left one was positioned slightly lower than the right, as she turned her sight to her partner once more and told him:

- I think I know exactly what you mean, Nick.

- Right?

The fox raised both of his paws without moving his arms up, relying on the motions of both his wrists and the positioning of each of his fingers, spread as if he was prepared to receive a large piece of cargo which was sent flying in his direction, to accentuate his previous thought and the prompt agreement on the part of Judy. Nick lowered his ears as soon as he saw Judy turning her head to the right and taking her sight completely off the road, she made it appear as if Nick had caused a bit of a scene without meaning to, the fox took to rephrasing his words shortly after:

- I mean… the main thing to take from it is that everything around us changed… and I did not know how to feel about it. Sometimes, only sometimes, it felt like the only thing to do would be to ignore these changes rather than outright deal with them but I guess both of us know that was not going to fly right. Things really *were* easier back when we started out.

Judy nodded her head twice while showing a sour look on her face, it revealed to the fox that she had a similar line of thought, at least at one point. Judy thought that ignoring the changes and pressing on like they were no big deal, focusing on other aspects of their lives would make it seem like there was nothing to worry about, a sad attempt to mask the truth and make it look like there was nothing to worry about, but the city was truly worried, if the crisis in the horizon was not accredited then the mammals of Zootopia would be caught totally unprepared, it would be widespread panic all over again like when the night howler serum invaded the city. The one thought that occupied Judy's mind after making that connection was to make sure that such a scenario would never happen again.

Nick gave a few more words, taking the final line of thought that he wanted to take for that conversation at least as he said:

- It can't be like that. We were both hit hard and we both changed a lot because of it. Changes, even small ones, sort of bothered me for a little while, every time. But… I don't think it needs to be a bad thing.

- Nick…

Judy spoke to that, she called out to her partner with a sweet tone to her voice, not meant to incentivize him to stop talking but more so to give her own opinion to the topic without discouraging him. Nick caught wind of Judy's voice right away, he lowered his paws, raised his ears as they pointed in her direction and asked of her:

- Yes?

The fox felt silent almost immediately after acknowledging her, as if she would give him detailed instructions and he was required to listen without distractions. The cruiser continued to push forth with moderate speed, for a moment Nick almost forgot the fact that he and Judy were still engaged on patrol, Judy showed him a little smile and told him:

- I am glad that you said something about that, because you are absolutely right. You changed, I changed, our job changed, the city itself changed along with it… feels like new things are coming by faster than we can cope with them. However, it's just like you said: We can't just see all of the changes that clearly affected us as detriments and we also can't let them stop us from being who we are and what we do.

Nick smiled widely after hearing Judy, she brought the thoughts that he had just shared with her at such a wider scope, it was almost hard for him to believe. Nick shook his head slowly before readjusting his sitting stance over the passenger seat of the cruiser, the fox grabbed the strap of the safety belt once more and turned his body to face forward before letting his partner know:

- I really like when we talk and you're the one keeping up with my thoughts. You make them sound clearer and way more appealing than I could ever hope to make them.

Judy released a short lived laugh before she turned her face to a more serious tone and spoke to Nick again:

- Well… either way, I'm really glad that we are still doing what we set out to do, be officer together and try to make Zootopia a better city. I guess I am also glad that there are certain things that don't necessarily need to change, even if we still do. You know?

Nick repaid Judy's words with a smile and a nod, his thoughts were eased in knowing that they were on the same page. In Judy's mind she believed that this was it, this was the right moment to ask Nick out on a date, get a straight answer out of him, Judy continued to speak as she turned her sight ahead to look at the street, there was an exit coming up on the left that would take them down to the streets on ground level and further on their path to return to the precinct. Judy turned the wheel to the left and the cruiser entered a curved slope, Judy spoke up just as soon as they took the route below the over pass which lead east:

- Nick, I have been meaning to talk to you about a few other things as of late, stuff that doesn't relate to the case. It's not about work at all.

Nick leaned his body forth to look at Judy, he had the strange sense that his bunny partner was encountering certain difficulties in catching up to what Judy was saying, she looked so nervous with the way she was speaking to him, it made him consider that she was about to tell him something devastating, he simply waited and listened carefully. Judy had gone through a whole lot of work on the night before in order to collect and gather all of the relevant information she had with her concerning the case, with the little amount of sleep she managed to get the night before, she was actually concerned that she might be too tired to work the patrol shift, the bunny officer could feel her heart beating fast and her entire body becoming warm, but she would not back down or recoil away from that chance. Nick kept silent and it would not take too long until Judy continued to speak to him:

- For the longest time, which… wasn't really that long at all, I have been blaming myself for what happened to you, I just felt so crummy for how you got hurt.

- 'Crummy'? Are you serious, fluff?

Judy turned her eyes to meet with Nick's slick smile, he had never heard anyone refer to their particular state of feeling as 'crummy' before and it was a little amusing for him to hear that. Judy's answer to Nick's look was a sharp stare before telling him with a swift dismissive gesture of her right paw:

- Yeah, that's right. I said it. Now let me finish.

Nick leaned his body back over his seat once more and allowed Judy to continue speaking. Judy took another long breath and proceeded:

- I stopped to consider many things, sometimes a bunch of bad scenarios at once, but it rarely occurred to me just how amazing it is to just have you be with me… just like this. The two of us just… talking and understanding new things. I'm super happy that I get to do what I love as an officer each and every day but I am more glad still that I get to do all that I do with you.

Nick did not mean to interrupt or make fun of his partner in any way at all, the fox had his arms crossed in front of his chest as he took a single short breath through his nose and admitted without a single hint of jest in his words:

- I'm glad you're here with me too, fluff.

Judy's ears twitched after hearing that, the fox voice resonated so nicely inside the cabin, not even the gravel sound under the wheels or the incessant rumble of the engine could disrupt the smooth tone of voice that Nick used to speak to her. Judy and Nick shared a look that neither of them were prepared for, both showed a curious mixture of stunned and blank stares, there was this strange invisible energy and the two of them could feel it, neither was nervous or hesitant, there was definitely certainty, they could have both continued on that same stare and sharing a perfectly compatible wavelength of thought if not for Nick deviating his look to check on something else. Judy clutched the steering wheel, she felt the pressure inside her chest and the words she wanted to say clamoring to get out in the open, but she did not give any mind to whatever Nick was staring at when he looked away from her so she simply continued:

- Nick… the time we shared together has always been nice and significant to me beyond measure, so I just wanted to…

- Judy, stop.

Nick's voice sounded off to interrupt her, Judy was certainly not expecting that, there as a jolt of surprise when she heard Nick asking of her so suddenly to stop but she tried her best to proceed undeterred:

- No, I know this is a little sappy but it is something that I got to tell you.

- No, I meant: Stop the car!

Judy was alerted then to the true meaning of Nick's words, the fox had his eyes focused on the dash board of the cruiser and the warning displayed on the screen, he was showing Judy the palm of his left paw as the fingers of his right paw fiddled frantically on the icons displayed on the touch screen. Judy reached for the clutch, her feet stomped on the breaks and the cruiser came to a complete stop, no other car was coming close to their cruiser so there was no risk of a fender bender, the bunny officer looked at the screen and was alarmed to see the blinking lights as Nick scrolled through them:

- That is really not something you want to see.

Nick said so and Judy promptly reached for the radio, hoping that she might get some answers to what exactly was going on. Judy's right thumb finger pressed the radio answering button as she brought the microphone end of the device close to her mouth, she was already prepared to answer to the call as she spoke concisely and loudly:

- ZPD, this is car four two, listening in. We have received the warning, what is the situation? Over.

Judy released the answering button on the device, she had pushed it with so much strength that the plastic pin nearly caved into the plastic shell it as attached to, a voice that was nearly unrecognizable came from the other end of the radio line and the exact point of order was brought up on the screen as the information was broadcasted:

- Car four two, this is an all-out call for any available units. We have confirmed that there is a seventeen-nine in progress at the corner of Marinech and Scolde. I repeat, we confirmed a seventeen-nine in progress. Back-up has been requested.

Judy leaned back and released a loud gasp, she felt a cold chill run through her as she knew exactly what the numbers on the code meant, she was just not prepared to hear them broadcasted in the cruiser radio at any point in her career as a police officer. Nick had a frizzled expression on his face, mouth closed, ears lowered, eyes squinted, the fox was sent deep in thought as he tried to remember just what the code given numbers meant but… he was drawing a complete blank. Three seconds later was enough for Nick to admit that the call went right over his head as he turned to Judy and asked of her with his right paw raised in the air:

- Hey, ahm… what does a seventeen-nine entail… exactly?

Judy lowered the microphone clutched in her right paw as she leaned closer to Nick and shouted to him:

- It's a bank robbery! Someone just robbed a bank… or an ATM at the very least.

Now Nick was the one with the shocked expression in his face, now it was apparent for him why Judy was so surprised to hear the code recited on the radio. Nick took a quick look outside the window, just a method for him to estimate the time of day, Judy was not sure what was behind that reaction but Nick spoke up to that as soon as he saw the sun peeking just above the overpass and just behind a line of buildings close to their side of the street:

- In broad daylight?! Someone is feeling ballsy today.

Nick was only trying to be funny with that comment but a new wave of worry hit him and caused the fox to become much more somber in an instant. Nick recalled the address listed by the ZPD informant on the radio, he turned his head away from the passenger side window and his left ear lowered at an angle to the side as he recalled just where the bank in question was in the city, the corner between the two streets mentioned was very familiar to him and he released a whisper directed mostly at himself as he said:

- Wait a minute…

Not wanting to waste any more time, Judy answered to the radio as she pressed the button on the side of the device in her grasp and said:

- That's a ten-four. Cruiser four two answering to the call for back-up at Marinech and Scolde. We'll be right there.

Judy turned the radio off and returned her attention to the street, it was the time for her to get her mind in order and push away any thoughts that were not related to work, once more, her talk with Nick would have to wait. Judy put the gear in drive and turned the wheel, to take a new path that would take her and Nick to their newly appointed destination, all she needed was confirmation of action from her partner:

- You ready for this, slick?

As soon as Judy turned her head to look at Nick and get an uplifting response from him, she was very startled to see that the fox looked to be frozen, she was not really sure why. For a second, Judy believed that Nick was frozen with worry, scared with the fact that they might not be ready for a confrontation with hostile criminals just yet, that was not the case. Nick was, in fact, deep in thought as he drew a map of the streets of Zootopia in his mind as a line crisscrossed all over the detailed diagram of the savanna in his brain until it arrived at the crossing more than eighteen blocks away and it only then hit him why that particular street sounded so familiar:

- Nick? Are you…?

Judy reached for her partner, attempting to nudge him into answering, Nick responded to his own trail of thought in a rather rash manner as the fox reemerged from his own mind and shouted:

- HOLY CRAP!

Judy retreated and tucked her right paw away, her ears and tail darted up as she heard Nick's shout and she asked of him shortly after the shock subsided:

- Ah! What is it? What's wrong?!

Nick turned to face Judy and give her an answer straight away:

- Carrots, the corner of Marinech and Scolde is ATM march. We got to get over there!

Judy was now more confused than before, she had no idea what Nick was referring to and the fox caught up to it as soon as he saw his partner's face. Nick pointed to the street just outside the cruiser and explained:

- ATM march is how most mammals who live in that neighborhood refer to this little corner place dotted with big wide windows and with a bunch of automatic bank machines seated in a row. The place has a lot of security cameras so it is very safe from robbery but lots of mammals use it each and every day.

Judy could hear Nick's serious tone, he made it sound like the safety of innocent civilians could be placed in danger but there was no confirmation in the radio about a possible hostage scenario, it only made her worry more and more once Nick took a long pause in his explanation. Judy made an expansive gesture with her paws as she asked for Nick to fill the gaps in her knowledge with a more clear bit of intel, Nick made a cataloguing motion with his right paw as he said:

- Lots of mammals go there to deposit money, check their balances, pay bills and get paid for their everyday jobs with second-paw transferences. If the robbers or the other police officers damage the machines in any way during a fight… then lots of mammals could be in a lot of trouble.

Judy's ears lowered over her head, she was glad to know that the situation in question was not life threatening but that did not diminish Nick's urgency when relating to it. The fox finished his thought as he said:

- That neighborhood is so far away from any banks or payment firms. Those machines are the safest and only viable means for the families living there to administrate their finances. Broken ATMs can take months to be fixed and that could make the lives of a bunch of mammals way more difficult than it needs to be. Bank managers in this town are a vile breed.

Nick was finished with his thoughts and Judy was quick to formulate a decisive course of action in response to what she had just learned, they had to get to the scene as fast as possible in order to answer the call for back up and ensure that the bank property would stay intact. The bunny officer turned to her partner, unbuckled her seatbelt and told him with a quick gesture of her right paw pointing to her own lap:

- Nick, get over here.

- W… wait… What?

Nick did not understand Judy's words, he just observed as she raised from her seat, standing on two feet over the driver's chair of the cruiser and clarifying to him:

- You know the way there by heart, that's evident, we'll get there much faster if you drive there yourself. Get yourself over here and drive already.

Nick saw Judy standing over the cushioned seat of the cruiser and be so sure of the order she was giving them, it was a good course of action but she still hesitated, he thought that maybe it was because Judy's stance intimidated him slightly so. Nick showed his partner an awkward smile and the palms of his paws as he asked her to halt for a moment and think again about what she was ordering of him:

- Whoa, hang on a sec there, carrots. You told me plenty of times yourself that driving a cruiser is a privilege, plus, my driving can get a little aggressive in high pressure situations. Maybe you should just sit and…

Judy was satisfied to know that the fox had no objections when it came to answering the call to action itself but the fact that he was hesitant in driving the cruiser himself really did not sit well with her. Judy stomped with her right foot over the seat, an act that may have gotten much more of an effect if not for the fact that the surface beneath her had dampened the impact of her foot, she raised the finger of her left paw as she showed the back of her paw to Nick and told him:

- Nick, the longer we stay here discussing this is more time for the crooks hitting those ATMs to cause more damage. If there is a chance for them to overpower the officers on the scene right now, we can't give it to them. You'll get us there faster, that's final. Now, shut your jaw, get your tail on this seat and drive us there!

Judy was confident in her decision and she would not admit any lip out of her partner in that moment, Nick looked at her with eyes wide open and it felt like his heart would jump out of his chest if he did not hold it back. Nick swallowed a small dose of saliva he had in his mouth before speaking to Judy with quick words and a diminutive tone to his voice:

- Yes, ma'am.

Nick and Judy had little time to waste, they had to exchange seats without leaving the cruiser, it did seem like the most swiftly but it quickly turned into a bit of a mess. Judy tried to merely step over to Nick's seat and occupy her new position in the cruiser but the tips of her toes were caught under the inner edge of Nick's left thigh and she nearly tripped, only keeping her balance by grabbing on to the retractable safety rail over the passenger door. Nick tried to merely slip over the center console without leaving his seated position, only to notice Judy placing her right foot between both his legs and the fact that his tail swished all over the place only turning the whole process of exchanging places a lot more difficult.

Nick and Judy halted for a moment, thinking that one may as well give the other the right of way to move around but the two soon began to move again at the same time and returned to disrupting one another, both unsure if a sudden and unplanned move might topple their bodies over each other. Judy raised her right foot while Nick tired his best to slip over to the driver seat while precariously moving behind Judy's reach of sight and touch, the bunny bent her knees while the fox stretched his arms to try grabbing on to the wheel and pull himself onward the situation got a little complicated. Nick was nearly on top of his objective but Judy suddenly slipped as she felt her left knee buckle suddenly and her posterior ended up on Nick's elongated lap, the fox could not move without tipping his partner over and a scene of both awkwardness and hilarity broke off between them.

Judy shouted out a short yelp as soon as she caught herself tumbling on to Nick's body and quickly blurted out to him:

- Oh, my gosh! I'm sorry, Nick. Are you alright?!

- Ahm… I'm fine, carrots. Just got to get to the other side of…

Nick tried to move again, just the spot over his torso as he raised his shoulders, Judy employed a similar method to get off from the fox, telling him to leave things up to her for the most part:

- Hang on, I'll move.

- Wait up there, carrots, I got this.

- No way, just let me…

- Ouch! You just elbowed me!

- Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!

It did not take long until the two officers were set on their seats, now with Nick being the designated driver, Judy stared into the distance with a blank expression before patting down her uniform in an effort to reacquire her poise and making it look like she was unshaken, even if she was freaking out a little bit on the inside and reconsidering if she should just have exited the cruiser in order to switch seats. Nick was a little freaked as well, the fox reached for the seat belt with his right arm and smoothly slid it over his torso to clamp it down on the proper locking slit beside him. Just as Nick was grabbing on to the wheel and placing his feet on the pedals to attain full awareness of the vehicle, the fox thought to himself:

"Damn! What was that?! I didn't even have time to think about how Judy spoke to me before we stumbled around like that, that was weird."

Nick waited for a moment and looked over in Judy's direction as he saw his partner fasten the seatbelt on her side as well, he quickly turned his head to face forward once more and not make it like he was staring at her, the fox regained some greater awareness of the situation as he thought:

"What the hell?! She just ordered me to drive on the spot. I don't think Judy has ever ordered me around like that outside of the training we did before the academy. Not even then she ordered me like that, she was always so polite."

Nick had his ears lowered and his lips pressing shut as he thoughts took an unprecedented route:

"Wait just a second there, did I like that?! Why did I like that? Do I have a thing for having Judy tell me what to do? Do I have a kink? Oh, shit! I think I have a kink!"

Nick's mile a second line of thought was suddenly disrupted by Judy nudging him and then telling him abruptly:

- Nick, we have a job to do! Pedal to the metal! Drive!

Nick shook his head from side to side, he had to get in the right head space straight away. With the course set and the road ahead cleared, Nick reached for the shift and turned on to another gear, he shot a side glance at Judy, now the fox had a more involved and daring look in his eyes, that sharp gaze caught Judy off-guard for a second, as the fox shouted:

- Hang on to your ears, carrots!

Nick stepped on the accelerator and the cruiser screeched its tires against the asphalt, Nick and Judy took off through the streets of the savanna like an arrow and Judy had little time to react to the sudden increase in momentum:

- WhoaaaaaaaaaaH!

Judy yelled out continuously through her breath as the cruiser darted forward, a sharp turn to the left and then another to the right, both felt so abrupt to Judy as she leaned from side to side and had her paws firmly grasping the cushion of the seat under her as to keep her safely and steadily in place as Nick drove ahead, she was half tempted to close her eyes the entire way through and just hope that they would arrive at their destination to offer back-up with the chassis of the car still in one piece. Nick had his eyes frantically scanning every direction shown immediately pass the cruiser windshield, it did not take him any time at all to merge with the path that would take them to the western portion of the savanna the fastest, the fox quickly thought:

"Front, three crossings, take a right at fourth, make it work!"

Nick showed expert handling of the wheel and the accelerator, performing just the right amount of torque and pressure in order to get the cruiser to blaze forth, he was the one in control of the 'organism', as he once put it, and he made it roar like an uncaged beast. Nick pressed a button under the dash board, a double tap on the button turned the siren into the appropriate form of alarming bellow that would sound off through the streets, every car gave them the right of way and every eye was directed at them as it was made abundantly clear that they were rolling out to answer an urgent emergency call. Knowing all too well that this was a highly tense moment but still doing his best to ease things off until their arrival, he shouted as if he was in the process of guiding the most epic carnival ride of his life:

- Scream if you want to go faster!

Judy felt the inertia carrying her body around on every turn and straight away, a pit opened at the bottom of her stomach and whatever remained of her undigested meal in there sloshed around, she thanked the heavens for not suffering from motion sickness of any kind. Judy could not help but shout out in response to Nick's driving:

- AAAAAHHHHHHH!

- That's the spirit!

Nick looked out the window and recognized the spot where they were immediately, only one block before their destination was in clear sight, the fox turned one last left before telling his partner:

- We're coming up on our stop. Brace yourself!

- Brace myself for… WHAAAAAAAA…?!

At that moment, Nick performed a masterful drift, the entire street became his undisputed stage on an epic demonstration of reflexes and precision, his dramatic entrance left the officers on the scene as well as the robbers inside the corner bank astonished. During his drift, the fox saw two police cruiser parked right in front of the ATM corner, one in front of the other and both facing the same direction, he saw the front display window of the ATM march cracked and a group of renegades holding up inside, he could only see the blurred silhouettes of the thieves but they looked tough for sure, and it was evident that the officers on sight needed support. It was time for a scrap no one in that street would soon forget. Nick reached for the center console, pulled brusquely on the break lever and made so that he and Judy would park the cruiser right next to the other two, now they had a full three car length shield between them and the robbers with the recently present cruiser four two as the car parked on the left most side of the lineup and having its front grill only inches away from the front bumper of the car in the center, Judy remained seated with her jaw on the floor as her partner said:

- You have arrived at your destination.

As if he was the polite electronic voice from a GPS device. Judy unbuckled her belt and took a minute to check if everything of hers was still in their proper place, the bunny turned to her partner with a wide look in her eyes and her pupils dilated to signify the sheer dose of adrenaline coursing through her entire system, she breathed deeply before letting Nick know how was her status at that precise moment:

- I think… *gasp*… I think I just swallowed my heart.

Nick looked at her with a satisfied smile on his muzzle that quickly vanished as his ears caught the sound of a pin sized projectile hitting the window on the driver's side of the cruiser. Nick and Judy lowered their heads and the fox answered to her previous words by pointing to the door on her side and telling her:

- Hope you saved room for desert. Outside, let's go!

Judy got that and quickly unlatched the knob of the door on her side, exiting the cruiser while keeping her head down as to not be hit by a stray projectile, Nick followed her lead and Judy stood patiently just outside the cruiser to wait for Nick and lock the vehicle behind them. Nick and Judy were now on the scene, side arms drawn and moving to the aid of the others. The ones on the scene were familiar looking faces, except for one ducked in the corner; Wolford, Mchorn, Delgato and Fangmeyer were there though the tigress appeared to have been injured during the confrontation, she was seated with her back against the front left wheel of the cruiser and holding on to her right arm right below the shoulder while her shooter seated unutilized on the floor. There was one last presence next to the officers, a strong looking feline with thick whiskers and cream gray fur in ZPD attire, Judy did not know who the officer was but introductions would need to be saved for later:

Judy was the one who moved ahead, she did not even had to lower her head that much since the cruiser shielded her figure entirely, she did had to lower her ears as to not give the robbers a sign of her positioning as she moved towards the other officers. Nick followed close with swift paces, the fox held tightly to his zapper with both hands and was the first one of the duo to greet the other officers:

- How's it hanging?

The fox spoke nonchalantly as the sound of projectile after projectile could be heard peppering the metal shells of the cruisers, nothing to warrant immediate concern since the reinforced exterior of the cruisers could withstand anything short of a full on stampede. Wolford raised his left paw as he greeted Nick and Judy, the gray wolf smiled awkwardly before saying:

- Nice entrance, you guys, welcome to the party.

Judy leaned closer to Fangmeyer, the bunny asked with a loud whisper filled with distress:

- Fangmeyer! Are you alright?!

The tigress let out a side smile before assuring the bunny officer that she sustained no great injury, Fangmeyer turned to Judy without any difficulty and told her:

- Relax, Hopps, I'm fine. One of those punks hit me with a lucky shot. They showed up branding those tranquilizer guns like they owned the freaking place.

Fangmeyer then grabbed her right wrist while using the thumb and pointing finger of her left paw to hoist her right arm in the air, showing in clear view of everyone the clear disadvantage she was in:

- I'm still wide awake by my entire right side is asleep. I can't shoot straight with my left arm.

Fangmeyer opened the fingers of her left paw and her right arm fell motionless over her lap as if it was nothing more than a dead fish, Nick moved his head from side to side as he said:

- Oh, that is just weird.

- I know.

Fangmeyer saw fit to agree with the fox, her sentence was punctuated by the sound of Delgato rising from behind his side of the cover and letting out two bolts of electricity from his weapon against the robbers, sadly, the lion hit no one and ducked behind cover once more while letting out a disappointed growl. Judy raised her ears and asked of her allies:

- What's the situation?

Mchorn answered to that, drawing ever so close to Judy with his right elbow touching the ground as to offer him support and stability as he remained lowered, and telling her:

- Four perps invaded the arch when no other costumer was around to make a deposit or withdraw, two elks, one weasel and a large jaguar; They broke invaded through the front door and barricaded themselves in there, cracked the alarm system and are in the process of opening one of the ATMs, the one they estimate as having the most money inside.

Nick let out a soft 'Damn' as he looked away, the fox really hoped that they would have arrived before the robbers had the chance of wrecking even one of the machines. Wolford presented the second part of the report as he spoke louder than the rhino and told the rest:

- Also they're tough, real tough. I shot a straight shock at one of the elks and he got right back up. I didn't even think that was possible.

Nick found that most strange indeed, the fox joked for a second as he pointed to the wolf's weapon and asked of him:

- Did you remember to leave it charging the night before?

Almost as if the sidearm was simply a common electronic appliance, no one drew laughter from Nick's joke, Wolford's answer to that was a defiant stare directed at Nick before telling him:

- Don't you start with me right now, Wilde!

As if on cue, another ping of a needled projectile was heard hitting the cruiser where most of the officers were hiding behind, Delgato was listening to the talk while providing suppressing fire from the last cruiser on the lineup from left to right but that would not last for much longer, the lion officer was nearing his last clip of electrically charged ammunition. Judy turned to Mchorn after the subtle shock from the hit subsided, asking the leading officer in that scenario:

- How long have they been like this? Where did they get these weapons?

Fangmeyer was the one to answer the first question, looking over her left shoulder as she said:

- We have been at this for seven minutes, give or take. Me and Wolford were closer on our patrol route when we got the call and our cruiser was the first to arrive, we have been at it the longest and those creeps shot at us the second they caught sight of us. Delgato and Mchorn came by a little later and we have been trading shots ever since. They didn't even spoke up to us or posted any demands whatsoever.

The second question was answered by the second feline posted behind cover, he raised his left paw and answered shyly as he peeked his head right from behind Wolford's shoulder:

- These weapons are actually easy to obtain from licensed websites. They are all using outdated run-of-the-mill security guard issued single shot tranq pistols. I caught a look at them earlier.

Everyone stared at the feline in silence, his imposing feline visage made completely off putting by his nasally voice, the predominant thought Nick had about the feline's annoying voice tonality was due to some kind of allergies, but the fox did not comment on it, opting to simply point to the cat positioned at the rear of the group ad asking for clarification on his identity most of all:

- Who's the new blood?

Nick gestured at the feline with a nudge of his head, Fangmeyer made the introductions as she pointed at the officer with her still active arm and answered:

- That's officer Jimmy Osmorite, he's from precinct two and he was the first one to make the call.

Nick took another look at the feline and asked:

- Seriously? Your name is 'Jimmy'?

No one knew why Nick decided to ask that out of all times, specifically in the middle of a combat situation, everyone else remained silent as the wildcat on the back answered:

- Well… yes. It is a very common name.

To which Nick countered with a snarky, yet completely honest, comment:

- And yet, I have never met a 'Jimmy' in my entire life living in this town. You, sir, are the first 'Jimmy' I have ever met.

Nick said so as he pointed at the feline and made it sound like the two of them meeting, even if entirely by chance, was some grand honor that had to be celebrated. The feline showed off a little smile, for some reason, the tension he felt up until that moment had eased off for a bit. Judy raised her arms in the air and spoke out with a louder volume to her voice:

- Every one, focus up. We're not getting anywhere hiding here and it is about time we get a leg up on this situation. Fangmeyer, you said that they did not post any demands and that there was no one inside when they hit the place.

The tigress heard her name being called out and nodded her head to confirm every bit of information that Judy spoke of. Judy decided to get a leg up on the robbers, if nothing else she wanted to determine exactly what was their end goal and make sure that there would be enough spare time so that she and the others could formulate a foolproof plan of attack. Judy as issued a voice amplifying device by Mchorn, she hoisted the megaphone up with her left paw holding on tightly to the handle on the tool and began to dictate her words to the mammals inside the single-floor structure in a direct and succinct manner:

- Attention, assorted hoodlums, this is officer Judy Hopps from the ZPD speaking. We have you all surrounded and outnumbered. Drop your weapons, come out with your paws behind your heads and surrender peacefully or we will be forced to use force. Be forewarned, there is no outcome where *this* works out for any of you!

Judy finished her words with a slightly threatening overtone, Nick congratulated her by showing an 'OK' sign with his right paw, signaling that he had put his seal of approval on her issued warning to the robbers. Judy turned her attention to the structure and saw something that really put the chill in her bones, as two of the robbers were busy covering the shattered window upfront as their main means of attacking any encroaching presences and defending their position, one of the elks located further into the automated bank was spotted by the bunny officer, he was slouching against the far corner of the interior and handling a syringe filled with an unknown substance:

"What in the cotton-picking heck is that?"

Judy thought as she squinted her eyes and raised one of her brows, she witnessed as the elk in the corner injected himself with the unidentified substance before tossing the used syringe on to the floor, coming up to the broken window without even bothering himself with the countless pieces of shattering glass trudging across the floor and shouted out:

- GO TO HELL, YOU MISERABLE EXCUSE FOR A COP! WE DO WHAT WE WANT!

The mammal who talked back was not slurring his words and he certainly had a cognitive grasp on the situation, but he displayed no fear or compuction whatsoever, that had Judy greatly concerned to the fact that the four robbers were definitely under the effects of drugs but nothing that would damper their responsive reflexes, only affect their behavior and emotions. Judy clutched her left paw into a fist and decided right then and there to investigate further by getting a sample of whatever was inside that discarded syringe, she would have to search for a chance to do just that. To the scare of every officer involved, the robbers added a new level of offense to their resistance, now that they began to talk at all, a bombardment of incoherent insults were heard coming from inside the bank followed by something even more dangerous, a brick:

- INCOMING!

Delgato yelled out as he watched the pitched projectile fly with considerable speed and pass right over the cover that Judy and the others were using, the brick missed Judy by a mile, thank goodness, and landed over the asphalt with a core tingling crunch as it split into two main pieces after its abrupt landing. Nick was shocked to see that, resistance to arrest at that level was something one would normally see in a violent protest but not in a ridiculous situation like that, the fox was already half convinced that the robbers inside the bank were incredibly stupid to be trying something like that. Nick placed his back against the cruiser, leaning his head to look at Judy, confirming she had also placed her entire body behind cover and certify from a glance that she was alright before rambling out loud:

- Was that a brick?! They are throwing bricks at us now? Who throws bricks anymore? Better yet; What kind of mammal carries around a brick with the intent purpose of throwing it at someone?

Even if inanely alarmed, those were good questions posted by the fox, but before anyone else had the time to respond or comment on Nick's reaction, another brick flew in, pitched with more of an arched curve downward and intending on hitting the officers behind cover. The freshly thrown projectile did not hit any living targets, but the sound of metal bashing and denting was heard loud and clear causing all of the officers present to clench up for an extended fight as well as rallying the assailants even more. Nick had his eyes opened wide and his ears standing up straight over his head as he heard the sound of the brick colliding with something, the fox raised his head and dreaded the next sight as he turned his head slowly to the right, the brick was on the floor, only a few steps away from him, which meant that the initial point of its impact was close, very close.

Nick raised his head slowly to catch a sight of the initial descending trail of the second brick, even assuming there was the considerable risk of him putting his head on the path of another flying block, he found reddish specks of dirt, most likely originating from the bricks sharpest edge colliding against the surface of something solid, he looked further into it and that is when he saw the cruiser belonging to him and Judy, the brick had hit its primary mark smackdab over the protective hood and left quite an imprint, everyone watched as the fox sounded out a loud gasp before shouting a hysterical holler that the whole street may as well have heard:

- MY BABY!

Nick was completely uphaled and taken aback by what he had just seen, the fox pressed his teeth in a menacing scowl and sought to repay the damage that the crook had given the cruiser in kind. Nick was letting out no jokes, the fox fully embraced the combat potential of the situation and he began to retaliate, filled by the frustration born of dented pride, he peeked from behind cover and began to fight back. Nick reached over Fangmeyer's lap and grabbed her tazer shooter which was still left to rest on the floor, the handle of the tigress' sidearm was much larger but he could still grasp it and insert the pointing claw of his left paw over the trigger mechanism, he would use that weapon in tandem with his own despite Fangmeyer's brief objection to her weapon being taken away from her inactive grasp:

- Hey! That's mine!

Nick held on to both shooters, used the hood of the second cruiser as a stabilizing hold and emptied out the entire contents of both clips while letting out a thundering growl that could be mistaken by the terrifying rage of an upcoming storm. Nick let out ten shots in total as he pulled both triggers in a stablished rhythm from right to left and back again, although only six of them hit, his target was the elk who had thrown the two bricks, the robber was out in the open and the fox hit his mark in full. The elk was preparing to let out another brick through the window, the last one he had in stock but, to his dismay, a flurry of blue bolts was spotted flying towards him and there was nothing he could do about it. The first shot hit his left shoulder, he lost balance; Then his right shoulder, he let go of the brick; Just as fast came the third, fourth and fifth, two sequential high pitched punches to his gut and another on his chest; And the final hit straight to his head frizzling his fur into a pointy mane. No more bricks were thrown that day.

The elk aggressor, who was too high on the drug induced rush, did not feel the full extent of the pain meant for him but he could feel his body giving up on following his commands as he fell to the ground with his joints locking up from the current and his limbs becoming as rigid as those belonging to a statue, twitching and groaning in pain from the multiple full force charges he just received and without a clue of what had just happened, all the other robbers watched in awe as their ally was taken out of the fight in an instant before falling motionless and back first on to the floor while leaving the faintest smell of burnt fur on his descent. Nick hid back behind cover with the two guns at his sides, the focusing lenses on the barrels sparking up from repetitive use, the two clips were ejected after the internal locking device confirmed that they had no more charge left and Nick rejoiced after achieving the height marks of his short-lived revenge once Delgato spoke out:

- Confirmed… perp is down.

All eyes turned to Nick all of a sudden, mouths half opened as every officer, Judy included got the sense they just witnessed a pit of fury dwelling deep within the fox being opened up. Nick let go of the shooters shortly after he felt his rage dying down a bit, the fox searched around his vest for a new charged clip to reload his shooter but his search was interrupted by the sound of Wolford's voice shouting out:

- Hot damn!

Nick's response to that was a side glance followed by the sound of his shooter being reloaded and locked back into active form and an impactful whisper as he said:

- You're Goddamn right! This shit just became personal!

After letting out what he wanted to say, shortly after the rush of anger left his body cool down, Nick settled his shooter along with Fangmeyer's down to the ground and worked in reloading each of them individually, the fox fetched two cartridges that were both charged to the brim with electrical energy and slid both of them into the handles before cocking the two weapons with mechanical precision and giving the larger shooter he had taken as a last second loan back to the tigress before telling her:

- Thanks for letting me borrow this.

Judy was the one officer in that group who was most surprised with Nick's course of action, the fox was not too subtle about his love for vehicles but to see him act in such a manner, with primal rage aimed forth at a selected target, it was an incredible thing Judy was not prepared for and had only just witnessed. Judy had her ears standing straight up and parallel to one another, she could feel a violent blush building up on her face and the only thought that crossed her mind was:

"Oh, my God! Is it wrong of me to want to see him do that again?"

A shout came from inside the structure, the jaguar spoke loudly to the other two perps defending their position, shouting without a lick of strategy in his mind and only focused on the main objective of their incursion:

- Get him back on his feet and keep them at bay, I almost got this thing open.

Every one outside the bank could hear that shout, followed by the screeching noise of an electric power tool digging relentlessly against a thick metallic surface, Judy covered her ears as she pulled her elongated lobes down in an effort to dampen the excruciating noise, all the other officer winced after the sound was in full effect except for Nick and Wolford, the only officers who stood up to check up on the origin of the loud noise. Nick peeked the top of his head over his side of the cover once more but he was almost pegged by a flying dart, the fox slid down back to the ground after the sudden jump that the noise of a fling needle so close to his right ear gave him. Judy noticed Nick's quick dodge, she leaned closer and asked of him:

- Nick, did you get hit?!

The fox turned to her and answered to her question before posting one of his own:

- Nearly. Don't these guys ever run out of ammo?

Fangmeyer reached for her shooter with her left arm, grasping the handle of the sidearm before hoisting it up and telling Nick:

- These punks really came to play. They must have a bag full of tranq-darts.

Wolford joined the conversation as she spoke with loud volume to his voice, communicating urgency without actually yelling the new piece of information that he managed to surmise towards his fellow officers:

- Not just that, they brought over some heavy tools. That sound from just now was an industrial saw. I think their leader just cut the door of a safe open.

Nick recalled for only a second the sound he had heard, he was glad to know that Wolford had come to the same split-second conclusion as he did about the tool that was used but he was also worried that they were only instances away from letting one of the robbers slip away with the goal behind all of that chaos and allowing them to do so without a lick of subtlety. Judy decided to take action in order to hinder the efforts of the robbers, launching an attack that they would not see coming from a covert position not too far from her initial cover spot. Judy moved her head around, just in time to hear as her partner spoke up:

- We have to make our move now, pinned down or not. If one of those guys makes off with the money in even one of those ATM safes, they win and we are left in the dust.

Those words only motivated Judy to take action quicker. The bunny officer could not peek her head over the cover offered by the line of cruisers without considerable effort that would only place a detriment in her own safety, like climbing on one of the wheels for a stepping ladder of sorts or maybe going back inside her own vehicle and opening one of the windows that faced the line of fire, both risky moves, she formulated a third option. With her size working in her favor, Judy walked slowly and keeping as close to the ground as she could until she arrived at a breach formed by the space between two of the parked cruisers, the front of her own cruiser and the front of the one belonging to Fangmeyer served as a prime spot for her to sneak forth unnoticed. Judy made a sign to Nick and told him with a set of paw gestures that she would scope the scene and be back in a jiffy, the fox agreed to that with a nod of his head.

Judy pressed on, she kept at hiding while taking on a quick survey of the situation as a whole, the remaining elk and the weasel were both placed behind pillars of stone embeded by the inner walls that once held the frame of the now shattered window, brought to pieces by harsh impact, they were the vanguard that protected the jaguar as he cracked the safe of the last ATM machine. It was a tricky situation to be certain. The jaguar dressed in a black hood that made him bland nearly flawlessly with the shadows in the back could be seen putting down the heavy tool he just used to cut out the hinges of the safe before aggressively pulling debris and several wires out of his field of view, overwriting any and all safety measures in order to get to the prized contents locked inside, Judy gasped as she saw the large feline reach into the metal box and pull out bundle after bundle of bills, there was less time to act than she initially thought.

Judy kept scanning the interior of the minimalist bank, she could just about see the interior as she creeped just below the notice of the robbers posted upfront, she decided to leave that spot while taking at least a single shot at one of the vigils by the window. Judy was as low as she could be to the ground, the front axle of the cruiser to her upper right and the limited cover of the bumper by her upper left, she took her chance and fired a dart from her shooter towards the second elk of the group, he had come out of his cover to check up on the crook that Nick managed to take down, to immobilize another robber was a chance she could not let pass by. Judy held firmly to her shooter, took in a deep breath and adjusted the sights at an angle that felt natural to her as she moved her wrists around in synchrony, she squeezed the trigger and let a dart fly off towards the exposed backside of the second elk, a small and difficult target from her point of view to be sure but one she knew that she could hit. Judy saw as the green projectile connected and the panicked reaction of the elk as soon as he felt the sudden sting:

- Ow! Where did that come from?!

Judy released an enthusiastic huff from her nose before crawling backwards to her previous position in order to tell the others what she had seen and promptly managed to pull off. Judy reappeared from under the cover of the cruiser, her resurgence act startled some of the others, but not Nick in particular. Judy's partner came close and made a signal to her with his right paw as it rotated in the air for a couple of seconds, he asked her for a quick resume of what she saw, she leaned close to the others and spoke fast:

- I think they are about to make their escape, the jaguar in the back already got into the safe and is collecting the money into a bag. I put a dart in one of the shooters from where I was watching and I think that slowed him down but I have reason to believe that they are all under the influence of performance enhancing substances, so it may not last for long. We need to act now. I think I have a plan.

Everyone became silent, each officer wracking their brains in order to come up with a winning strategy, Nick could think of only one thing to do:

- Everyone, listen up! Judy has a plan!

Every ear and eye turned to Judy, the other officers listened carefully to what the bunny had to say and she seized the chance straight away by gesturing slowly with her arms and paws while speaking:

- We need to attack this situation from more than one angle. We need to split their focus and then pinch them from both sides. Here's the worst part: Someone is going to need to stay behind and act as a decoy to make them think we're still doing the same thing as before.

Following that, Fangmeyer raised her left paw up to the height of her jaw line and said:

- I volunteer for decoy.

Judy turned her head quickly to the left to look at the tigress, still struggling to move while having her right side numb from the dart she took:

- Fangmeyer, are you sure? You said it yourself, you can't shoot straight like that.

To which the tigress responded:

- Luckily for everyone, I don't have to shoot straight, I just need to shoot a lot.

Nick nodded his head and helped the tigress get into position, reaching into the right side pouch of his belt and pulling out an extra cartridge of electric shots before telling her:

- Here you go, in case you need a quick refill.

Fangmeyer nodded her head and took the cartridge for herself, she recognized that Nick had good intentions but it would still be challenging for her to perform a reloading motion with only one active arm at her disposal, no matter, it might prove interesting for her to try. Wolford volunteered to stay by Fangmeyer's side and provide cover for her and the rest, Nick pointed to Jimmy and suggested he stayed behind to help as well and assume a position further to the left to make the robbers believe that the offensive mounted against them was expansive, the feline in the back of the group hesitated for a moment but he agreed on his given role for the plan to succeed. With the decoy front established, Judy turned to the others in order to organize a division between them:

- Now, the rest of us will split up in pairs, one officer at front and one support will be essential on both sides for the pinching maneuver.

Judy took to silent shortly after those words, waiting for the remaining officers to choose a course for themselves and not wanting to assume being the undisputed leader at the time. Mchorn spoke first as he raised from his spot on the ground:

- I'll take left.

He said so as he began to crawl into position, getting on his knees to move a little faster than before while keeping away from the field of vision of the assailants. A new salvo of projectiles was starting to fly and pinging against their cover, it alerted the officers that the clock was still ticking, Delgato took a step back before coming a little closer to the spot he originally defended and right before he spoke out:

- In that case, I'll go for the right.

Nick showed a sharp stare before turning to Judy and telling her:

- Alright, carrots, you go with Machorn, I'll stick with Delgato. We will both run interference once we come closer to the scene. There is a service door near the back, that's how we'll get them, just don't let your guard down.

Nick agreed the her partner's plan was solid but there were still some concerns, particularly on the part of Judy. The bunny officer came closer to her partner and whispered to him, getting close to the right side of his head as she asked in a soft tone of voice that did not let out any drastic protests against the plotted course:

- Are you sure about this, Nick?

The fox answered to her right away, placing his left paw over her right shoulder and telling her:

- It's a good plan, carrots, I'm sure of it. The thing is… it's only gonna work if we all are on board with it and we all need to act fast.

Judy reached for her shooter and prepped it for action, she certified herself that there was no way her trusty sidearm would jam in the middle of action again. It was time for bold action and she was ready for it. Judy nodded her head and Nick got that as the cue to yell out:

- Everyone get into position, we move out once we make sure the path is clear for each of us.

- 'RIGHT'.

The officers answered as a collective. Judy took her place next to officer Mchorn, she still looked rather anxious to move out while being separated from Nick but she still had trust in the other officers so they would all have to make do. Just before Nick moved by Delgato's side, the fox called out to the rhino officer and told him:

- Don't you worry, Mchorn. She's tough. She'll keep you safe.

Leaving right before either Judy or the rhino close to her could deliver any response to the fox at all. Nick crouched close to Delgato as the lion performed final checks on his armament and to his own mane of all things, Nick peeked his head to the side of the last cruiser at the right side of the lineup and spotted his mark from far away, there were so many scents in the air at that time that the fox was beginning to feel a little disoriented but his main focus for the plan as still in clear view so he turned his head upward and told the lion:

- There is our chance, it's a straight path into the main room inside but there could be a chance that they're keeping an eye on it. We wait until all hell breaks loose upfront before moving out.

- Got it.

Delgato answered to Nick and prepared for a short dash while lowering his right arm and tucking his tail closer to his left leg which was taking most of his bodily weight for support. Delgato kept his eyes aimed forward before asking of Nick in a whisper:

- Hey, Wilde, are you sure that this maneuver is going to pan out? Not that I doubt the plan or anything, but it is risky.

Nick turned his eyes to the left and turned his head at a miniscule angle in the same direction before answering:

- I know it's risky. All of this is risky. But I'm not going to let these guys off the hook for what they are doing and I'm not going to back down when everyone's safety is on the line like this.

Delgato could not help it but crack a little smile which went unseen by the fox, Nick finished his thought by posting a small remark as he said:

- Besides, this is gonna work. I tried the same maneuver back in the academy crucible. Granted… back then I was being tossed through the air and I was severely unprepared for it.

Delgato turned to Nick before saying:

- Now there's a story I would very much like to hear.

Fangmeyer adjusted herself next to the hood of her cruiser as she prepared to dish out the distraction that would give the others a chance to move up at the robbers, she pumped her left paw with the tightest grip on her weapon's handle twice in the air and the others got it as the signal to get set, three seconds later and sparks began to fly as Fangmeyer and Wolford along with Jimmy fired away blue bolts from their weapons into the exposed interior of the bank. Mchorn and Judy took off first, the rhino stepping forth with wide and soft strides while Judy moved right next to him with quick steps, they searched for an angle of attack and found it straight away as they saw the elk Judy had tagged before panicking and trying to fire indiscriminately in the direction of the cruisers, not even picking up on the extra movement coming from the right. Judy took the lead while Mchorn held back for a second and fired off a shot of his own at the first sure target he could spot.

The elk was still sluggish due to the dart that had been planted on his backside, his movements were still somewhat quick but his reflexes had been greatly dimmed thanks to Judy's quick thinking from before, the rhino officer let out two shots from his taser and they flew at such an angle that would make it easier to divert the attention of the robbers, Judy placed her back against a wall, the armed weasel only inches away from her as she prepared for a probable confrontation, but now it was up to Nick and Delgato to make their moves. Nick took the path forward first as he and Delgato advancing towards the other side of the window sill, Nick saw Judy and her large gray escort moving to the other side of the building, he could not hold back his worry for her safety, but he had to remain focused. Nick took aim while on the move, the weasel saw his comrade receive a shot that came from a whole other angle than the ones fired before, Nick could see the muzzle of the mammal popping out from behind the pillar at the far left, he took his shot. Nick pulled the trigger but the first shot from his clip hit the side of the pillar, the impact of the spark so near scared the weasel but now he was aware of their movements and he was taking aim at them. Nick kept on the move as he yelled a quick heads-up to Delgato:

- I missed!

Vague but accurate warning directed at the lion, who answered in turn as he aimed his shooter:

- I won't!

Delgato and the weasel traded shots, granted the lion was a much bigger target but that did not discourage him in the least. Delgato hastened his step, he ran ahead of Nick and fired a bolt of electricity from his weapon at the same time the weasel shot a dart from his one piece of armament, the two shots crisscrossed in midair and both hit their respective marks, the weasel riled in pain before falling to the ground and letting go of his weapon, a growl of frustration could be heard inside of the bank. Clearly the jaguar was losing hope in his chances for a clear getaway but the plan was still in motion.

Nick and Delgato placed their backs against the side of the corner, they would be far safer there and would have a clear path to the service door, taking the last robber completely by surprise. Nick turned to the lion next to him and noticed that there as a new addition to his uniform:

- Dude! You got a dart on you.

Delgato checked his chest and found the dark feathery end of a dart sticking out of his right lapel, that did not worry him that much, the lion simply reached for it and took it out before flicking it off like it was nothing more than a bothersome mosquito. Delgato turned to Nick shortly after and told him:

- It's cool. It got me in the vest. I'm fine.

Nick took a step to the left as he approached the service door and asked Delgato:

- You wear yours under the uniform too?

- Sure do. I don't like it how it covers the area of the badge and it snags on my shirt all the time when I try it to wear it on the outside.

Nick made a quick waving sign with his left paw making it clear that the lion officer got the point across, the fox responded to that further as he said:

- Totally get that. I took it to wearing the vest on the inside of the uniform because it snagged on the shoulder and it also slipped down on the shirt. I like it better on the inside too because it chafes against the chest fur but not in a bad way.

Delgato nodded his head twice, the massive mane over his head undulating with the motion in a smooth way as he said:

- Agreed.

Showing that he and Nick shared quite the similar point of view when it came to fashion and accessibility. With that exchange done, Delgato turned the corner and hopped into the scene, he aimed ahead while Nick covered his sides, kneeled next to the outside and ready for a scrap, Delgato roared and spoe to any malcontent still ready for a fight:

- ZPD! PAWS IN THE AIR!

There was little response to the lion's thundering shout, three of the robbers were seen on the ground, there was the elk next to the window crawling as slow as a snail on the ground in a futile effort to get to safety, a weasel, unconscious on the floor and another elk which Nick had taken down during his enflamed rage laid down flat in the middle of the room. Wolford was seen outside the window, he told Fangmeyer with a signal of his left paw that they could now halt their tasks as decoys and cancel any further shooting as to not accidentally hit their allies, Judy and Mchorn jumped through the sill of the shattered window right after hearing the fox calling out in a humorous tone of voice:

- Oley, oley oxenfree!

Judy entered the bank and began to look around, surveying the floor as she walked very slowly and turned her head from side to side while having her ears directed upwards, as if having her sense of hearing on high alert would automatically aid her in finding what she was looking for. Mchorn entered after Judy with some difficulty, the bunny performed a vaulting leap over the window frame while he had to raise his thick legs over the obstacle one at a time, he had to raise his legs slowly to prevent the seams in his uniform from overextending due to his size and walk carefully as to not accidentally step on any of the countless shards of glass on the floor, Mchorn had tough skin so he could not even be bothered with the specs of glass but the larger ones could do some serious damage. Not only that, the rhino had to move with a slight hunch as to not have the tip of his horn colliding with a high point on his way in.

Fangmeyer and Wolford got out from behind their cover, Jimmy appeared, supporting Fangmeyer's right side as they moved while having paw-cuffs at the ready to arrest the perps inside the bank, Fangmeyer moved in close while hanging on to the side of her left arm which was still in the process of regaining awareness before asking out loud:

- Did we win?

Delgato turned to her as Nick explored around, the lion left the fox to do his thing before answering to the tigress' question:

- We sure did. Careful where you step on there is glass everywhere.

Nick walked closer to Delgato and gladly reported to the whole group what he had found on his survey of the interior:

- They busted through a lock on the fuse box and flipped the switch down, freaking broke it off. That's how they disabled the security measures on the ATMs after getting in. Aside from the wrecked machine in the corner, getting the rest of the place on working condition again will be as simple as screwing in a lightbulb.

Wolford stood outside by the window within earshot of the others as he said with some relief in his voice:

- That's good to know.

That is when Nick felt compelled to hit them with the bad news:

- Yes, but the machine that they opened up is totally wrecked. Wires, screen, internal safeguards. Not to mention all of the minted money scattered everywhere.

Delgato holstered his weapon as he said:

- Sheesh… what a mess. And… what the hell is that smell?

Delgato took a short whiff of the air and he felt a scent that offended his nostrils, he covered his muzzle by placing his left arm around his face with the joint of his elbow covering the entrance to his nose and the cloth of his sleeve providing a rudimentary air filter, though he could still sense the smell as he drew another breath and Jimmy was the one to answer to that question. While still supporting some of the weight of officer Fangmeyer over himself, he Jimmy nudged his body to the left with his right paw raised and said:

- That's nefterine-solis, concentrated mint and neft essence. It is a strong fragrance that spills from the safe in order to place a tracking scent over the paper used for the money in case the lock in the safe is opened inappropriately. Very pungent but it does the job well.

Fangmeyer noticed the scent as well after taking a long whiff through her nose, though most of the other officers did not mind the smell that much, she turned her head to the right to avoid the smell and saw as one of the robbers was still in somewhat active form, the elk closest to her, the one who was posted in active vigil by the left side pillar, he was dragging on the floor and trying to reach his weapon:

- Yeah… that's not gonna fly with me.

She said so as she tugged on Jimmy to get her closer and then kicked the weapon out of his reach, Judy heard the weapon sliding on the floor and that only filled her with frustration as she continued to search around. Jimmy let go of Fangmeyer, he kneeled down and began putting the cuffs on the immobilized perps in clear sight, the feline looked so happy to be a part of the successful police operation, even if it was only a small part and the operation was quite brief, he was still happy that it all seemed to work out in the end. Jimmy came by shortly to grab the nearly immobilized elk's arms, place them behind his back and then slap the cuffs on his wrists, seconds later Jimmy would look to the left and see Judy still meandering about in search of something, he looked around as well after getting up on both his feet in the hopes he would find whatever the target of her search was even if he had no idea what to search for.

The other officers decided to isolate the crime scene but they were all perplexed about Judy's behavior as she just moved about in a concentric circle having her eyes moving to different spot of the floor beneath, Nick raised his left paw as he moved a single step in her direction and asked of her:

- Hey, carrots, are you alright?

Judy placed her paws clutched into fists on the lobes of her head, her ears drooped and then propped up with not even a second of difference, she turned her entire body to the right and then to the left while letting out a very important request directed at everyone:

- Please, just… nobody move.

Nick froze up in place with his paws up, immediately prompt to attending Judy's request, Wolford felt his fur spark up after hearing Judy's words and even his tail halted all movement, Delgato was already placed very still in the spot right next to one of the ATMs and as for Mchorn, The rhino was in the middle of a short stride across the room but he still complied with the bunny officer and ended up frozen in a very uncomfortable position. Judy moved her eyes around and was glad to know that all the other officers attended to her request, she kept on the search until she finally found what she was looking for, on the far corner of the room there was a square chrome that served as the fanciest trash can that Judy had ever seen and she only had to move it aside about two inches in order to find the syringe that one of the criminals had used to inject himself. The liquid container was emptied out but Judy still had hoped that it may contain traces of the unknown substance that was used.

Judy reached for the back of her belt and retrieved a thin plastic bag which she used to pick the syringe up from the floor without leaving her own prints over the plastic surface of the ampule, grabbing it from the bottom of its little plastic plunger, there was just no way Judy could place the entire syringe inside the plastic baggie as she usually do with evidence that had to be transported so she brought it over to Fangmeyer while telling her:

- I thought I spotted something like this earlier. They all show traces of substance abuse. We have to take whatever this is to doctor Pura and figure out what it is.

Fangmeyer reached for the evidence and picked it up by making a pinching motion with the claws from her right pointing and thumb, she brought the syringe closer to her field of vision and inspected the interior to check if there were any traces of moisture that could alert them further to the use of anything considered illicit. The tigress looked over at the bunny and told her:

- Good thing you're observant, Hopps. I didn't even catch them using anything like that.

Nick raised his right paw in the air as he looked to the left and right before asking of everyone present there, signaling with his right paw pointing from side to side as he said:

- Speaking of… 'observant'… did anyone else notice that there were actually supposed to be *four* of them?

All the officers froze once more, it only hit them that one of the perps was absent once Nick pointed that out, they began to look around in a huff, the elk who was cuffed but still conscious on the floor showed a wicked grin as he turned his face on the floor to face another direction, one of the thieves was missing but that should be impossible. Nick looked around, trying to pick up on any suspicious scent but he had no trail to follow, as far as he knew there were only a limited set of entry points in the structure and they had all of them covered. Fangmeyer drew her weapon, nearly letting it fall to the ground since the feeling on her right arm had yet to fully return, Jimmy did the same. Mchorn began to look around and, from his advantageous point of view being marginally taller than anyone else in the room, he noticed a doorway that lead to a bathroom.

The doorway had a plaque that marked it with the clear letters, 'W.C.', it was easy to open it since the safety lock only closed from the inside to assure privacy, the rhino pushed the door in with a slow motion of his right paw and he saw the small rectangular window on the far wall opposite to his position wide open. The fortified glass had been pulled out and removed from its frame and there was no grated hold on the other side to prevent someone from using that as a way out, terrible security oversight, but then again… the window was too far up and too narrow, no mammal could use that as an entry or an exit to the building. Yet… it happened. Mchorn turned to the other officers, pointing to the window he just found and yelling for them all:

- We got a runner!

The sound that confirmed that their leader had escaped with enough finances taken, caused the smile from the cuffed elk on the floor to turn into a full on chuckle, Fangmeyer really did not appreciate that and rushed to silence the laughing punk, mostly because she did not wish to hear any inane bragging out of him. Judy, Wolford, Nick and Delgato answered to that by moving closer and taking a quick survey of where that exit could end up going, Judy's ears were definitely quicker than the lion's senses as she caught the sound of the hastened steps and breathing of a runner just outside and moving further by the second. Judy pointed to outside the widow, shouting for everyone to hear:

- Outside, turning the block, he is getting away!

Judy jumped out the window, taking speed and momentum enough to turn into a blur as she returned to the street, landing by the sidewalk with a combat roll over the right side of her body before taking off in the direction perceived by her as the one followed by the leader of the robbers. Nick was just about to follow her but he figured it would be for the best to call on additional help, the fox pointed to Wolford and Mchorn before telling them:

- Guys! Let's not just stand here like a portrait, let's go!

The wolf and the fox followed Judy's lead, leaping out of the window and getting over to the street to pursue her target on foot as well, Mchorn tried to exit the bank in the same way as he got in, vaulting slowly through the window but he decided to get in a cruiser before giving pursuit, taking the time to retrieve his keys and ordering of the other officers whostayed behind:

- Arrest these other three stooges and call this in. We are not losing that guy or any of the money.

With Mchorn decided and locked in pursuit, Fangmeyer assumed command as the senior officer on sight, she nodded affirmatively before watching as the rhino hopped aboard the cruiser he came on, buckling up and taking off with a screeching reverse turn and then an effortless forward take over to the end of the block to the right. In hindsight, taking a cruiser for the pursuit would have been more efficient but still costly in a sense since gauging the speed of the feline being chased would have taken too long as well as not taking into further consideration the alleyways he might have used along the path to duck out from the sight of other squad cars. Trapping the jaguar on foot was the best course of action followed by further support from others, Judy thought so and she counted on Nick and the others to pick up the pieces.

Judy reduced speed as she looked back, she kept at a nice pace and, in a matter of seconds, she could see Nick and Wolford following on her trail, the three officer matched speeds before too long and Judy said:

- I knew you would catch up soon enough.

Nick smiled while keeping pace with her, breathing in a long dash of air that he would use for both communication and dashing purposes, the fox then spoke to her:

- Of course I would. Also, you waited for me.

Judy looked at him and showed a little wink before telling him:

- Like I promised that I would.

Wolford felt proper to intermit in the middle of the exchange and tell the two of them:

- Alright, you're both adorable. Now let's go get that looser!

Nick, Judy and Wolford were now running through the streets as a group, set in a 'V' like formation as they moved ahead. Judy still had the precise sound of the thieve's breath and footsteps recorded in her mind but there was the chance that he could move through a more crowded area and give them the slip after a short time, luckily, that part of the savanna was not seeing too much movement and they could apprehend the jaguar if they moved quickly. Judy let her hearing guide her, she could still listen clearly to heavy set of steps and claws grinding against the concrete, there was a clear trail that she could follow for the time being, she pointed ahead with her left paw and let the other two next to her know:

- I think he just turned a right on the next block over, he is trying to take a route that would make it impossible for cruisers to follow close.

Nick's face began to brim with the new light of opportunity, the fox raised his right paw and said:

- That's great, the alley on the next block over ends at a wall, we can corner him from both ends.

Wolford began to pick up on what the fox officer was saying but the wolf did not know those streets very well, Nick already had an ambush route in mind and relayed instructions as soon as possible:

- Wolford, take a left over there, then cross through a Chinese place known as Colin's, there is an alley entrance right around there. If you wait for us right there then we can box him in no problem.

The wolf responded to that with a thumbs up and went on his way. Nick's next plan worked as a charm, just as the jaguar was turning the corner to hide in the alley, he found the wolf officer already waiting for him. Wolford sensed the smell of the marked bills in the robber's pouch form a considerable distance, the wolf stood straight and attentive, a brick wall nearly tice his height placed right behind him, that surprised the jaguar greatly and he thought about turning back the way he came but two other officers were already there with weapons drawn to take him on. The jaguar retreated slowly into the alley, there were no windows sills or fire escape ladders to help him get out of there, only trash bags to each side and flimsy looking clothes lines extended to the third floor of the building above, it would appear that there was no viable escape route for him unless he could suddenly sprout wings and fly.

Wolford gave congratulations to Nick and Judy, the fox had made an exemplary call by having the trio split in moderate way for a meeting path, he nudged his head up and his ears flopped around as he looked at Nick right behind the robber and told him

- You guys are two for two today. Gotta love it.

Nick showed a little smile after hearing that but he and Judy did not take their eyes away from their target, or their shooters for that matter, the feline adjusted the strap of the currier bag over his right shoulder and looked around with gnashing teeth in his mouth and unhinged rage in his eyes. Judy could now get a much better look at the leader of the robbers, he was dressed in a much more sophisticated attire than all the others who were arrested up to that point with a black cotton coat as outer wear and a designer brand yellow shirt placed in large contrast against the dark coloration of his fur, he turned his head to look at the two officers who were gradually pushing him further into a corner and Judy could then see his dark eyes with dilated pupils , that confirmed how elevated his levels of adrenaline were. Judy tried to reason once more with the leader of the bank raiders by telling him with clear words:

- You are surrounded, put your paws up and drop the…

Before Judy had time to finish her sentence, the Jaguar took off, barreling fast down the alley on all fours and advancing straight at Wolford, a course of action no one saw coming. Wolford pulled his trigger but the zapping flash missed his target by a single inch, the feline did not even bat an eye and he took the chance to make his miraculous escape by jumping on Wolford:

"Is this guy insane?!"

The wolf thought so as the jaguar jumped on him, placed his hind and front paws over the wolf's body and used him as a spring board, jumping forth and clamping his claws against the brickwork of the wall. The jaguar climbed up, using the momentum of his leap to carry him most of the way before he grabbed the very top of the wall and vaulted to the other side, Nick and Judy were definitely distressed to see that, whatever drug those robbers were on did not only made them tougher but much more agile, they both moved over to aid Wolford who was not only shocked and startled like he had never been before, he was also flat on the ground and with wide tears on the shirt of his uniform:

- Damn! Wolford, are you alright?!

The wolf checked his body for any signs of serious wounds, the only things that hurt him were his shoulders, his tail… and his pride, he had no idea that someone could ever try such a daring and reckless move outside of some action blockbuster. Wolford released a sigh, mostly directed at himself from relief and disappointment, before answering:

- I think I'll be fine, but I really did not see that one coming. We just have to follow that guy… somehow.

Judy looked up, there was just no way that they could follow the jaguar with distance to spare, he would surely get away, she had lost his trail and calling for back-up would do them no good without a precise location of the robber. Nick had the gears in his mind grinding as he tried thinking of a solution right away and the fox suddenly felt a new strike of brilliance hit him, though his mind was still reeling when reminded of what he just saw, he became even more worried once he recalled how Judy pointed out the 'substance abuse' from the other robbers, what kind of drug makes possible for any mammal at all to do something like that, to demonstrate that near absence of fear?

Nick looked behind him, he cursed in silent as he had believed that there would have been no escape for the thief at first, he looked up and sniffed the air, the scent of the marked bills still present in the alley and fading fast, there as little time to waste. After a few shorts seconds as he recalled the route taken up to that alley, Nick figured that the thief was not trying to make himself scarce in any way, the robbery in broad daylight, the insults, the weapons, that was all a production, a spectacle that demanded an audience. The robber would not dare to hide, he would continue to run off towards the most daring escape route in those proximities. It was almost like the jaguar was provoking the officers into a chase for the thrill of it while still believing that daring moves and risky tactics would allow him to come out on top.

Nick turned to Judy and called out to her, he said that he had a hunch of the probable route that the jaguar would take, Nick knew precisely where they were in the city and what lied only a few blocks away from their position, it would be a stretch but it was also their best option, he finished his thought by tapping the tip of his nose with the tip of his right pointing finger. Judy hesitated, finding the robber would be hard enough, but if they took off without clear direction it would only be for the worse, then again, her partner might have been on to something, she decided to take the chance and listen to Nick, the fox proceeded to guide them both out of the alley and on to the busy streets of the western savanna.

The movement was hectic around those parts, multi-lane streets with long crossing and plenty of busy mammals wanting nothing more than to get on their ways for home, for shopping or straight to work. As the street light flashed green and allowed the crowd of different mammals to cross, a shout was heard from the back of the crowd, moose, deer, tigers, giraffes, so many citizens could her a shout coming from right behind them followed by a sudden dash of air passing by their feet, soon all of the tall mammals were paying attention to the presence beneath as they notice the two small officers passing by and the bunny dashing in front shouting:

- Please, move! ZPD pursuit in progress!

Nick could not help but laugh a little bit, even when being assertive, even when in the middle of a high stress situation, Judy could not be anything more than polite towards others. Nick and Judy crossed the streets and all of the drivers coming from either side of the street lanes watched with their heads moving slowly from one sidewalk to the next as the two officers passed by with impressive speed, the fox pointing ahead and providing directions while the bunny moved forth in haste and in trust by her partner. Nick reduced his speed, he caught the line of a scent in the air, it was faint but it was a sign that they were getting close, he pointed to the next direction that they had to go:

- Fluff, this way!

Before Judy knew it, Nick and her were squeezing through a narrow passage between two buildings and hopping over the wooden fence of an old empty lot, emerging on the other side next to a spacious area right under the freeway that lead north. Judy continued to follow Nick's directions, next thing they were descending a wide stairway with huge steps and a long rail posted in the middle of it placed near a large column that offered support to the freeway up above, Judy watched where she was stepping so that her descend would be much faster while Nick hopped over the rail and let the sliding of his posterior over the metal carry him down in an efficient and entertaining way. Judy looked ahead and saw several youths of different species, hanging on to colorful boards and most of them having ownership of stylish backpacks, most of them were seated by a stone bench located in the middle of the space and having their faces buried in their phones while a few dared to ride their boards by the numerous ramps strategically built all over the place. Judy had her ears raised and she nearly stopped her walk with a heavy stomp of her right foot on the hard floor which only carried her forward as she asked out loud:

- Is this a skate park?

To which Nick simply replied:

- Zootopia! Don't you just love this town?

Nick and Judy continued forward, passing straight through the park, though Judy could not resist saying a few quick words to the young mammals that were posted by the bench in wait. Judy saw as two female tigers, one of them having a very distinct and shimmering piercing on her ear, as well as a male bison with his board in his reach, standing next to a young timber wolf with a basketball under his left arm, took their eyes and minds away of whatever they were talking about and looked straight at the two officer cutting through their hang out spot. Judy pointed to the teenagers and spoke out as quickly as she could the one set of words that every youth expect to learn from a responsible police officer:

- Stay in school kids!

Nick came right behind, following on the same path and speed as he shouted, meaning it in the same sense but more as an outright order:

- And do your Goddamn homework already!

By the time Nick and Judy got to the other side of the skate park and dashed through another block, Judy looked up and saw the imposing new sight ahead, an enormous construction site where many builders, mostly porcupines and beavers, worked in constructing an enormous condo that extended into separate buildings. Past the unfinished front gate that lead to a small street into the construction zone, Judy took note of how each building was separated by a forking pathway that split it into four different 'sectors' as clearly demarked by signs, each of the apartments had very similar layout, though the rooms and structures themselves were still having form imposed over them. There were still visible steel beams on the lower floors and many of the higher points of the structure were still being added and mended either by titanic cranes or rickety looking scaffolding. Nick reduced his speed for a moment, he checked around and sniffed the air, there was a thin trail, lingering close by, he could smell the same scent from the before, the smell of the marked bills, the thief was close.

Judy poked Nick's left side, she inquired of him:

- Anything?

Nick looked around, the sound of tools banging, large engines roaring and parallel conversations would almost feel welcome to the fox, but his mind was far more focused in finding a specific mark. The 'High Acres' had been under construction for so long, only through increased support of city hall have more funds been poured into the assembly of the massive housing development, it became harder to believe if it would ever be completed or if it would have been affordable at all. Nick continued to search, the wind blew slowly over the two officers, the scent became stronger, and a peek at the interior of the sight revealed the presence of one who really should not have been there:

- THERE HE IS!

Nick yelled, Judy looked forth, the jaguar looked to his left and saw little to no option except run away and the epic chase began anew. The robber dodged and weaved around, moving pass several workers who were shocked to see the hunt unfolding in front of them, the jaguar passed under a ladder that was still in use, a beaver was posted near the top rung as he placed a new coat of epoxy on a soon to be placed window, the sound of harsh impact was heard, the feline had delivered a violent and sudden blow to the side of the ladder, very near its base, it would slide off and tip over if nothing was done. The beaver let go of his glue injector, it hit the ground and the upper canister of the tool broke apart, leaving a puddle of the sticky substance to spill and puddle on the floor, the worker hoped that he would not be prey to a similar outcome.

Judy looked to the left and slightly up, she noticed the worker in danger and she knew that she was closer to offer aid, Nick noticed the need to help as well and he was stronger, he decided to intervene right away. The two officers dropped their speed and cut a path to the left, Judy thought about telling Nick to let her handle that while he focused on keeping after the thief, but that thought left her mind after a split second. Judy approached the right side of the ladder and looked straight up to check on the angle of possible descent while Nick positioned himself at the very front of the ladder base of support, the fox placed his legs in a stance that would favor the right side of his body and held on tightly with both of his paws to the lateral stilts which supported the ladder against the wall.

While Judy placed herself at a fluid stance as she moved about, trying to make sure that the worker would not suddenly fall, Nick placed most of his strength and weight into returning the ladder to a steady angle. In a matter of seconds, the fox applied all the strength he could in returning the entire of the ladder to an appropriate state of balance, Judy kept staring at the top of the ladder with barely a blink in her eyes until she made sure that the ladder was safely positioned once more. The jaguar was getting away but Judy knew that the safety of a civilian took priority, besides, Nick decided to help out at the same time as she did. They looked up and made sure that the beaver up top was alright, confirmation that came shortly:

- Everything alright up there?

Nick asked and the worker showed a thumbs up, he was far too shaken with what just happen to do anything else, but he resided unharmed at the top of the ladder, being as tuckered and gripping as tightly to the top row as he could to retain some level of safety. Nick and Judy returned to their pursuit, the jaguar had the audacity to reduce his running speed and look back in order to 'admire' his handiwork in staling the two officers with a more pressing matter, Judy was beyond furious as she laid eyes on the perp once more, she took after him like an arrow, passing over obstacles as she followed on a straight path towards him. Nick followed shortly after, yelling out so that he could rebuke to the actions of the mammal being pursued:

- DUDE! NOT COOL! THAT WAS SO NOT COOL!

The jaguar heard Nick's words and released a laugh and wicked laugh as he returned to making his escape. The workers continued to watch, utterly baffled with what they were seeing, Judy could only hope that other mammals would stay out of the path of the chase as that there would be no further risk of someone getting hurt. There was still chance of catching the fugitive but they would have to hurry up and play it smart, Judy saw ahead and noticed the jaguar climbing up a precarious platform with the bag in his hold and a malicious smile still on his face, she hopped to it with a hastier pace in her feet as she told Nick:

- Let's get him! This is our chance!

Judy tried hopping over the platform, following the same path that the jaguar used to get up above, he was moving towards the next floor of the building under construction dead ahead, with a few calculated jumps she just might get into firing range and immobilize him with a dart shot, that was her plan at least. The lobby of the building had a higher ceiling as compared to its other subsequent floors, it would be quite the climb, Judy prepped her legs for the tallest jump she could muster but Nick stopped her as soon as he saw the robber at the top platform, reaching for something, something heavy:

- Carrots! Hold up!

Judy felt Nick's tight grasp on her right shoulder, halting her movements and urging her to look before she leapt, she reached for the hold of her partner with her left pa to urge him on letting her go but her mind changed as soon as she looked up and saw the reason for Nick to hamper her like that. The robber had a big bag of cement powder over his head and he slammed it down over the wooden support of the platform causing it to crumble down, Nick and Judy only had a couple of seconds to move out of the way before any flinging debris or the unloaded cargo itself caused an inescapable impact over them. The jaguar stood at the edge of the upper floor, looking down on the two officers and reveling on the chaos he had just caused, he moved ahead, following the edge and hoping to get further into the construction site before getting away for good.

Nick called to Judy, the target was still in sight, but sorely out of reach, there just had to be a way to turn that situation around. Nick and Judy dashed forth with the jaguar in sight, he was going to disappear from view shortly, keep heading into the building before finding a spot amidst the labyrinth of barren corridors and unfinished floors where he could slip away. Judy saw that there was a modest set of scaffolding up ahead, they could climb that and use it to get up at the same height level of the thief but the standing leans on the scaffolding were very limited and climbing that one level at a time would only let the target get further away. Judy moved her arms with both of her paws closed into fists, showing just how frustrated she was, she kept looking at the jaguar getting further away before saying:

- Shoot! I don't know what to do. We're going to lose him.

Nick turned to Judy in the middle of their run, he had a daring idea. Nick spoke out while the two of them kept moving at the same speed:

- Carrots! Do you trust me?

- What?!

Judy turned to Nick, unsure of why he was asking that of her in the intermits of such a critical moment. Nick made the question once more, putting emphasis on one word in particular:

- Do you *trust* me?!

Judy could see the determination in Nick's eyes, but she did not know what he was planning or why he felt the need to ask that of her, he knew that she trusted him with everything, maybe more than just that. Judy had her eyes focused on Nick, she had to answer him quickly, time was running out and something had to be made but the fox needed an answer first, Judy nodded her head once and said:

- I trust you.

- THEN HOP ON!

Nick said that as he interlocked the fingers of both of his paws together, the fox showed that to his partner in the hopes that the message of his last second scheme would reach her in time, Judy watched perplexed as Nick took a long stride forward, changing the nature of his very momentum as he turned his body around, slammed on the breaks and lowered his paws in order to provide Judy with a launching platform. Judy felt a sudden shock overtaking her mind, Nick was now right in front of her and waiting for her to step over his paws, she had to wonder if her partner had gone mad during the chase, many questions raced through Judy's mind as she tried to decide between rushing forth as she was doing before with her fate in the paws of her friend or stop completely.

What was Nick doing? Was that the plan in its entirety? Would his strength be enough to get her up to where the thief was located? What would she even do once and if she got up to the next floor? Judy only had a split second to decide but it felt like a whole lot longer had gone by, she was unprepared, but she still went for it at full steam. Judy raised her right foot high while tucking her knee up, she raised both of her arms and placed them over the sides of Nick's biceps in order to get support, stability and mitigate some of the inertia from her initial run, Judy looked ahead and now she and Nick were looking eye to eye.

"This is going to be either really cool or really stupid."

Nick thought so as he felt his body and Judy's interlocking in the start of the daring maneuver, Nick began to untuck his knees, empower his shoulders, extend his arms, it was time to see just how strong he was and if his admirable knowledge of physics would pan out after all. In his mind, Nick had become the most admirable launching system, a pressurized spring ready to expand his entire body had been wound up to its very limit and it was time to let loose, to transfer all of the energy he had stored up to an immaculate projectile, he looked at Judy and pressed his teeth as his muscles rumbled and he let out a mighty battle cry.

Nick raised his arms in an ascending parabola until his paws reached right over his head, his elbows remained fixed as his shoulders did most of the work, his knees propelled his upper body up and exerted the same amount of effort as both his arms, Nick jumped up almost two feet from the ground and, just as his spine arched slightly back forcing his head to obey the same route of movement, the fox saw as his partner took flight. Judy applied some effort of her on to the maneuver, she wanted to make sure that it would work, even if there was a tiny voice in the back of her mind yelling that such a crazy action would not work at all, she still went for it. Judy untucked her right leg, Just as Nick's paws pushed her upwards her leg pushed him downwards, Judy suddenly felt as her body tensed up and then… became as light as air, it felt amazing.

Like a rock fired from a catapult, Judy ascended, going up and forward as her entire body was carried by Nick's motion, she could hardly believe she had done such a thing. Judy moved her eyes around as she checked just how much of an impulse she managed to acquire, she had to be more than nine feet from the ground and it was a rush like she never felt before clearly accentuated by the breeze passing through her ears. Judy had climbed to certain heights before, but she certainly never believed that she could soar like that, turn her back on the forces that held her down, the adrenaline in her mind made it feel like everything was moving in slow motion in order to grant her as much time in that new perspective as she was allowed to have. Judy opened her arms, she looked back and saw as Nick fell down on the ground, the fox had given his all and then some to become a launching pad for her, he fell back first on the gravel and dirt beneath him, that had to be uncomfortable. Judy looked ahead, she was at the apex of her jump, her body was losing momentum, gravity was pulling on her and she was starting to fall, but the scaffolding was right in front of her now, right at eye level, she extended her arms forth to grab at it and…

- Oof!

Judy let out as her torso collided with the outer edge of the scaffolding, she could see the jaguar, running off, now it was her chance to stop him for good. Judy reached for her shooter, her right arm extended high and forward as her left arm provided her with purchase over the scaffolding, she hoisted herself up, took in a deep breath and spoke out:

- Hey, you, scumbag!

The jaguar felt as curiosity overtook him, he looked back only for an instant and regretted it immediately as he felt to sharp needles sticking to his chest. He looked at the face of the one responsible for it and then he fell to the ground while letting out a groan. It was done. Nick turned his body around over the gravel, his right paw offered most of the support as he hoisted himself up, tucking his legs and snapping up to both of his feet as he looked up to witness the derriere of his partner dangling from up high. Nick gave a few steps back and shouted for his partner to hear:

- Carrots… please give me some good news.

Judy Turned her head around, she put more effort in keeping herself safely elevated by the strain of her left arm, she raised her right pa, still gripping to her shooter, and performed a little waving motion in the air as she said:

- I got him! We got him!

Nick pumped his fist in the air and let out a 'Yes!' in a triumphant whisper, but it was not just him and Judy celebrating. Every worked who witnessed the chase walked closer for the confirmation that the thief had been apprehended and they all clapped and cheered for the two heroic officers. Nick looked around and showed a little wave of thanks before turning his head up and looking at Judy, still precariously perched by the edge of the scaffolding, having her natural strength and a thin slab of wood being the only things that separated her from a collision with the ground, she directed her voice at her partner as she holstered her weapon and placed her right arm over the edge to pull herself up to safety:

- Nick, I'm coming to you, just let me…

Suddenly, there was a strange noise, a creaking and snapping sound that came from alarmingly close to her, Judy looked around and saw as the scaffolding platform began to rattle and shake, the wooden wedge that provided so much of the bunny's support over such heights was starting to come lose.

- Oh, No! Oh, No! Oh, No! NO! NO!

Judy spoke repeatedly, hoping that doing so might give her more of a chance to remain up there, her legs wiggled in the air as she instinctively searched for a foothold, there was none around. Nick heard the sound, he had his eyes focused on Judy, he saw her irregular movements before calling out to her:

- Judy?!

Nick looked around, the onlookers to the whole scene heard as the scaffolding began to give but they all hesitated to move for some reason, Nick had little time and little choice but to shake both of his arms in the air and yell out:

- EVERYBODY, GET BACK!

The wood slab was coming lose more and more with each second, the scaffolding was unreliable, Judy was going to fall, that as a certainty. Judy was not too high up, but she feared that with her size, plummeting without preparations and exhausted from the chase as she were, she would get very hurt. The platform lost a bolt, the level where Judy was holding on to became unmade, the wood by the edge could not hang on any longer and it came lose at last, there was little for Judy to do but brace up for impact. Nick, looked over his left shoulder after confirming that there was no one else around who could get hurt, he saw Judy falling, he had to act fast, the fox ran and positioned himself right below her, next to the supporting base of the scaffolding, he opened his arms and directed the palms of his paws up, his eyes focused, his body tired but still rearing to get more done, this was grave, it was an emergency, it was…

- I got you. I got you. I got…

'Wham!"

Once again, the fox was on his back, the hard and uncomfortable gravel pressing against his back and tail, the fox had closed his arms around Judy as soon as she hit his torso, he hoped that he had successfully cushioned her fall from that height and that she was not hurt. Judy felt the sudden impact of her colliding against Nick, she had her eyes closed the whole time, her arms tucked and her legs stretched out, she felt the arms of the fox around her snapping close as she landed and the softened blow of both of their bodies hitting the ground, her entire world shook and darkened, there was an extended moment of silence.

Judy began to notice the sounds of the world around her as she breathed in, deeply and slowly, she heard the wind blowing past her, the fast beating of her own heart, the scrunching sound of the gravel underneath, and then… the strongest sound of all, Nick's heart, right next to her. Judy opened her eyes, she readjusted her body, untucking her arms and raising slowly as she used Nick's chest as a supporting stand to push herself up and looking over him. Judy and Nick had their eyes meeting, a few specs of dust floating around them, the bunny swallowed some saliva and spoke up:

- Hi there.

Nick raised his head from the ground, looking at Judy as his muzzle showed a little smile before speaking to her in response:

- Hello.

Judy had her right paw placed over Nick's chest, the left side of his torso could feel the small bit of pressure that she was applying over him and that felt really pleasant, Judy's fingers tightened in a grip without pulling or pinching over Nick himself as she spoke again:

- You… caught me.

Nick shook his head from side to side as he said:

- Meh… it was no big deal.

Judy pressed her eyes shut, she could still see the precise expression on Nick's ace even ith her eyes closed, her left hand was opened as she gave Nick's chest a soft tap with it and told him:

- You are crazy. I cannot believe that your idea worked.

Nick moved his shoulders up and down once, the sound of the gravel underneath moving slightly as he made that motion, the fox spoke up in response:

- Yeah, I can't believe that worked either. I am just really glad that you… LOOK OUT!

Nick yelled out in the middle of his sentence as she reached for Judy with both of his arms, placing the palms of his paws on the back of her head and tucking her body closer to his chest once more, Nick rolled over the ground with Judy safely wrapped in his embrace, now he was the one placed on top of her and she soon figured out why. Nick could see that the scaffolding was starting to buckle, lean and tumble, it threatened to fall right on top of them and his quick thinking deduced that rolling into a defensive position like that would be far better to protect Judy from any falling debris right away. Thick metal pipes and shards of wood fell around them along with a metal bucket filled with torque nuts which was haphazardly placed at the very top of the scaffolding, Judy had her eyes closed for most of it and she shouted loudly as soon as the lurid banging of the scaffolding coming apart and collapsing to the ground hit her ears. Nick and Judy emerged from that without injury, the fox raised first from his tucked position as he looked around, Judy followed soon and her first reaction was to check on her partner:

- Nick! Are you alright?

Judy had beaten him to it, he wanted to ask if she had sustained any injuries at all, but he could see from a remedial look that she was alright. Judy raised from the ground in a huff, she reached for Nick and her right arm wrapped around him before her opened paw slid up and down over his back. Judy was in search of any gashes or bumps on his uniform, trying to verify by touch alone if he needed medical attention, she reached further over him but her arm was not long enough to perform a thorough search over his entire backside so she had to lean further ahead and she placed the left side of her head over his torso once again as she continued her search. Nick released a little puff of air from his mouth before he answered:

- Hey, fluff, I'm fine. You don't have to get all worried like that.

Nick got back on his feet and he extended his left paw down to give Judy some assistance in getting up as well. Judy reached for Nick's left paw with her right paw, his fingers closed around it and gently tugged at her wrist, Judy rose up, hoisted by Nick as if she weighed nothing at all. The workers approached the position of the two officers once more, before Nick and Judy could make full note of it, an entire crowd of mammals in hard helmets and construction worn attire had already gathered around them. The overseer of the site opened way through the crowd, a male chinchilla pushed his workers out of the ay as he cut through until he was at the forefront and asked with a very unsatisfied tone of voice due to the chaos and delays spotted all around the main path of the main building under renewal:

- What is all of this?! What in blazes has happened here?!

Nick approached the overseer, the burly rodent with long whiskers stepped past the crowd as his long and fuzzy tail dragged on the floor behind him before stopping completely and crossing his arms as he waited for an explanation. Nick was stepping past the remnants of the scaffolding which laid all around their position, he tried to speak up in response to what had happened but Judy cut through before even a single word had left the fox's mouth. Judy stepped quickly in front of Nick's path, she placed her left paw over his chest as to halt his motion and speaking at once before speaking herself, assuming a level of authority that ranked much higher than the overseer as she reported to him:

- Everything is under control, sir. A thief broke into your construction zone with traceable stolen property and he is now unconscious and immobile on the second floor of that building over there.

The chinchilla walked a large step in Judy's direction, he pointed a finger of his left paw right at the bunny's face and made sure to seem as unflappable as possible as he spoke up to her:

- This is a closed area for structure and zoning as ordered by city hall. Who do you think you are by dragging your troubles all over our working place?

Judy showed a squinted look of frustration directed at the overseer, she stood tall as she gently pushed the paw of the overseer away from her face and told him without dropping her stance of authority:

- We are officers of the ZPD on official business and we did not '*drag*' this chase towards your working area. We apprehended a criminal while making sure to protect the workers in this area from injury. Which brings me to this: That pulley system is not settled properly, those fellows are not wearing the whole safety apparel for a construction of this caliber and *That* scaffolding was clearly not safely placed. Who is the one responsible for the safety check on this sorry excuse for a workplace? Because they are about to be in serious trouble.

The chinchilla saw the sharp look on Judy's eyes as she pointed around and listed the many spotted infractions and stepped back promptly, a short retreat as he reevaluated his way of speaking to her as to not risk being detained on the spot as well for being too rowdy towards an officer of the law. Judy placed her paws on her hips as she waited for a response herself, the overseer really did not expect to have anyone talking to him like that in any situation, despite his stature he was the one in charge and in control of that work zone, the chinchilla fiddled with his fingers as he struggled to find the right thing to say:

- Well… ahm… I mean…

At that moment, a straight answer came from someone on the crowd, a stumpy arm was seen raised as a mammal from the front row of workers, located towards the right portion of the group spoke up and said to Judy:

- Yeah, hey…

Most eyes turned to the new voice, a beaver with long buck teeth that made his voice whistle on certain syllables as he then pointed to another worker near hi and said:

- Carlson was the one who put up the bolts on that platform, last time I checked.

Willing and unshaken by reporting the shortcomings of his co-worker, the beaver soon felt a harsh bump that his the back of his left shoulder, the reported porcupine had given him a hefty punch to the side before saying in disapproval:

- Ya freaking snitch!

Judy turned to the overseer and faced him once more before telling him:

- There will be words and significant fines, be certain of it. For now, me and my partner will do our jobs, but I am coming back.

Judy finished her words and turned around entirely in order to enter the building and search for a flight of stairs which would take her to the upper floor far safely than being launched up there once more by Nick. As Judy moved out of the immediate field of vision of the workers and their superior, Nick moved a single step to the direction Judy had gone and told everyone who was still watching them, as he pointed both of his paws over his left shoulder and said with a bragging expression on his face which looked very tamed at the time:

- Yeah… I'm with her.

Nick dashed off so that he could catch up with Judy and match speeds with her, he leaned closer and whispered to her so that his voice would not be projected around the hollowed structure they were now in:

- That was awesome! You nailed it.

Judy felt like she could finally let the solemn look on her face melt away, she showed a soft smile to her partner before telling him:

- Thanks. I wasn't sure I was going to keep up the 'tough cop' look on me for much longer.

- Whatever. You put that guy on his place straight out. Way to take charge, fluff.

Judy raised her shoulders as she tucked her head between them, flopping her ears down for a moment as she asked Nick:

- You don't think I was… too mean back there, do you? I only wanted to get that guy off our backs right away so we could do our jobs.

Nick shook his head for a moment before he turned to Judy and answered her:

- Carrots, you were a total *Boss* back there. Now, c'mon, the stairs are right over there.

Nick closed the compliment aimed at Judy before pointing out with his right paw at an angle in front of them that the access way to the upper floors was well in sight. Nick and Judy climbed two rows of stairs together before arriving at the floor where the jaguar was located, the layout of that floor was slightly different than the one they just came from, but Nick already had a good feeling of which direction they needed to follow. As soon as they left the stairs and walked through an empty threshold leading to the second floor, Nick and Judy saw a big hallway, every seven steps or so there were doors with equal distances from one another that lead to a different apartment under ongoing design. The path to their right seemed to go on into the dark and the path to the left had a trail of light that they could follow right to their target.

Judy walked ahead with Nick right behind her, after passing by three doors or so and not even bothering to check their interior, the two officers entered a large antechamber that separated the two wings of that particular floor, hard to believe that the other twelve floors above had a similar design to the one they were now, a strange mixture of practical and grandiose. Judy only had to take a quick look to the left, past the corner between two cylindrical concrete pillars, there were some empty cans on the side, some tarps folded by a bench as well as a few bags of cement powder left in a nifty little pyramid like arrangement and she could see the body of the jaguar still laying in there:

- Just like I left it.

She said as she rushed with cuffs in hand to finish the arrest. Nick walked close to Judy, his steps were much slower than hers, the fox felt like he could let his guard down for a moment since there would be no possible way that the robber would get up any time soon, the two of them came close. Judy looked at the robber and started to look for a safe angle that she could employ in order to slap the paw-cuffs on him, she reached for the left wrist of the feline which was placed closer to the spot where she was settled, approaching cautiously as she set her right knee down, there was a sign of movement. Judy rose back up and stood on both her legs as she asked:

- Did you see that?

Nick had his ears standing straight up as Judy walked back next to him, the fox looked around, a little nervous to admit that he had his eyes over Judy and nothing else the entire time they had been up there, before answering her:

- Saw… what? I didn't see anything.

- Nick, his tail. I think his tail just twitched.

Judy stored her paw-cuffs away on her belt and approached Nick, placing both of her paws over his torso and gently pushing him away while performing a single long and decisive step of her left leg in his direction. Nick tried to calm Judy down by telling her:

- Carrots, there was no tail twitching. This bozo just got two darts to the torso. I'm pretty sure there is no way that…

- LOOK OUT!

Judy pushed Nick away as fast as she could, she noticed another twitch and the robber delivered a burst of movement shortly after. The jaguar rose from the ground just enough so that a large swing of his right paw from left to right would hit any target near his back, his torso moved up as a swing from his arm spurn a decisive reaction from Judy. The jaguar had his claws out and they nearly shredded Nick on the spot, the fox lost some balance as he felt his partner pushing him away from danger but he did not trip down, Nick and Judy repositioned themselves to face the robber and Nick released a loud puff of air from his mouth as he said:

- I guess he is still up.

The jaguar placed his right paw on the floor before he pushed himself up and rose on to his feet but his entire body looked extremely wobbly and unbalanced as he stepped around, he was fighting as the inebriation caused by the anesthetic from the darts was taking a hold of him, yet he still moved about, that should not be possible. Judy acted fast, she slid another cartridge loaded with three new darts into her weapon, she aimed up and fired two of them, they hit center mass, straight to the chest... it did not seem to have any effect.

Judy and Nick stepped back, the jaguar grabbed the two new darts he had on him, reaching for his chest with his left paw in order to remove the two fired needles at once and then toss them both aside. Nick and Judy stepped back as to keep out from the criminal's reach, he kept stepping ahead and Nick felt compelled to ask out loud:

- Holy crap! What is this guy made out of?!

Judy did not say a word but she was actually a little freaked as well, whatever that substance was that the robbers were using seemed to have raised their tolerance to tranquilizers tremendously. The jaguar took another swing directed at the officers only this one was less focused than before, he hit nothing but air as he tried to follow Nick and Judy's presence and ended up stumbling and falling down, the jaguar ended up tossing himself near a wall where a stack of unattended metal pipes were leaned against, the noise of the thin hollow cylinders colliding with the ground made Judy a little unnerved. Judy turned to Nick as the duo aimed their arms, both unsure if keeping the attacks from their side arms coming would yield any effects at all, Judy asked:

- Any ideas on how to take this guy down, slick?

Nick turned his eyes at Judy while aiming his weapon and answered her:

- Actually… I'm open to suggestions, carrots.

The jaguar tried to rise and he tripped himself up, trying to get a steady support by reaching with his right paws to one of the pipes on the floor but it rolled away and that only spurred the feline to pull himself back up without any assistance. Judy looked at the criminal and noticed how the tranquilizers may have actually been having an effect, they were stacking themselves up inside his circulatory system but he just refused to stay down, though his movements were slowed and his perception most likely blurred, he only needed a good enough push to stay down already. Judy gave a few more steps back and placed her shooter back in its holster, she spoke up to Nick as she placed herself in a wide stance, telling him with a demanding shout:

- Nick, swing me!

Nick turned his head to the left, projecting his voice as he looked for Judy's visual presence near him, unsure what the order she gave him even meant at that point:

- What?!

The fox yelled out as he asked, Judy reiterated her order as she was seen advancing towards Nick with large hops and telling him once more:

- Swing me!

Judy jumped and presented to Nick her left paw, just as she was coming down from her leap, Nick got the sense of what she was telling him, a new combined assault, less flashy but still just as risky. Nick reached for Judy's arm with both his paws and subsequently let go of his shooter, he responded a little too late so Judy had lost a little bit of momentum when she was caught in midair by her partner, an oversight which Nick would have to correct, the jaguar was back on his feet and advancing towards them, Judy looked at her partner and Nick took to swinging her in the air. Nick turned his lower body to the right and his upper body followed the direction of the spin, the speed of which raised Judy's feet from the ground, the maneuver was working but still had to be performed all the way through. Nick performed a full spin with Judy held tightly in his grip, Judy made sure that she held on to her partner while keeping her eyes out for the trajectory of her spin, her target was on sight and just in reach.

"Here we go!"

She thought as the force of the spin increased on her arch around. Wielding the courageous bunny like a battle mace, Nick swung Judy at an upward arch from left to right and Judy delivered a double kick to the jaw of the jaguar, the perp did not even saw what hit him. The jaguar hit the floor like a fallen tree, a heavy thud was heard echoing around the building and that one was decisive, Nick slowed his spin and set Judy down slowly, the cop duo looked at their work and Nick had little else to say except:

- That… was… AMAZING! And crazy… mostly crazy.

Judy laughed as she tightened her grip over Nick's paws before saying:

- Says the fox that tossed me up into the air not even half an hour ago.

Judy and Nick shared a moment of silence, looking over each other until Judy decided o give a gentle tap with the fingers of her left paw over Nick so that he would let go of her, the fox quickly freed the bunny from his hold as soon as he realized that he was still hanging on to her. Judy asked Nick for some help as they finished the arrest together, they approached the knocked out feline and placed the cuffs on him, Nick then proceeded to call the rest of the officers who were left without any updates on their situation after leaving the bank and alleyway behind.

Nick stepped back and tossed his body over the pile of bags of cement powder nearby, it was a rigid stool to be seated over but it mattered little to him, the fox just wanted a nice spot to catch his breath:

- Dude… I don't think I have ever been this tired before in my entire life.

Judy walked closer to him, seating herself by his left side as they shared the same cement bag as a seat and telling him amid gasps for air:

- You're telling me. I'm about to drop down on the floor. Nice hustle, slick.

Nick laughed out loud but his short breath only aloud for a short interval of laughter before he returned to deep breaths. Judy leaned her body to the right as he placed her head over Nick's chest, using him as an improvised repost pillow to lay her head over, she closed her eyes for an extended period of time as she took a quick assessment of her body and her current condition before asking of her partner:

- You don't… mind it, do you?

Judy opened her eyes slowly as she looked up, her ears twitched and moved about as she waited for an answer coming from Nick, she felt as the fox placed his left paw over the side of her head, keeping her in her resting spot and patting her softly before letting her know:

- I'll never mind your company, fluff. Stay as long as you want.

Judy really appreciated that, she closed her eyes again and the two officers just waited there until their backup came by to transport the jaguar into lockup. Nick and Judy remained still, reveling in their most recent triumph and in each other's company, keeping still and silent in the unspoiled bliss of their touch and warmth and utterly unaware that their entire confrontation had been watched. The presence truly responsible for all of that chaos had his eyes on the entire time and neither officer truly knew.