Here is the 18th installment. Hope you enjoy.

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Precinct One, Outside Bogo's office, end of shift after Rootel and Yak encountered Nick at the bank.

Rootel and Yax stop outside the Chief's office. Yax turning to Rootel. "You sure about this Carl?"

Rootel nodded. "I need to understand what the hell happened. I need to understand why Wilde acted like that. I mean, he and Hopps are up for Detective soon. The earliest I've ever seen in my career, and they have earned it. What he did could cost him that. Things are not adding up. If there is really some sort of systemic speciesism going on, then I need to know if Adrian knows about it, and if he does, why we are not stomping it out. The way Hornworth, Wilde, and that vixen made it sound... The idea that turning a blind eye is the way to hurt the fewest mammals? That doesn't sit with me."

Yax sighed, reaching up and holding his hoof just off from the door. "Fine. I'm going to tell you now, as your friend and partner, you're not going to like the answers you find."

Rootel clapped a paw on Yax shoulder with a wry smile. "That much I already assume, but I need to know. I need to understand why. I also want to know why Hopps has a reprimand in her file, and everyone that knows about it seems so damned proud of her for earning it. That makes no damn sense at all. Not from her."

Knocking on the door, Yax nodded. A deep voice coming from inside. "Come in."

Yax and Rootel enter the office, seeing the chief hunched over his computer typing away. Closing the door, they move to the chairs, but otherwise wait to be acknowledged. Bogo glances to the side and sees the two detectives there and frowns deeper than usual. He grabs the computer mouse, clicks a few times, and then sits back in his chair.

Rubbing his hooves over his face, he looks between the two of them. "What do you need Carl?"

Taking a moment, Rootel takes a breath. "Sir. I... We had an encounter with Wilde today, and some of the things that were said and implied are very concerning."

Leaning back in his chair further, Bogo sighed tiredly. "What did the Sargent do now?"

"He refused to answer questions about a crime he was a party to, claiming that doing so would cause more harm than had already been done. He actively spoke against even the initiation of an investigation and pretty much said if we started one, he' would actively work against it. It was additionally advised that Hopps has a reprimand in her file that has prevented her from being promoted. Amongst other concerns with possible ongoing crimes and abuse of citizens due to their species."

Bogo audibly groaned, and motioned to the chairs. "Sit. I assume this was the call out to the bank earlier today about a fox in their vault. I think it was the fox trying to steal something from said vault. I'm guessing that fox was Wilde?""

Both taking their respective chairs, Rootel responds. "Yes sir. Although he wasn't stealing anything, if anything, the bank management was trying to steal from Wilde. They tried to claim that he was behind on his payments, which of course contradicts the initial call. When challenged to produce proof they balked. I know the stories about foxes and other smaller predators getting abused, but I'd never actually seen it. If Wilde hadn't been an officer..."

"Did Wilde lose anything?"

"No sir."

"Then what is the issue?"

"As I said sir, he didn't lose anything only because he was an officer. He was also being charged four times what he should have been, apparently because he was a fox. Not to mention the threats that were being made to him, despite identifying himself. He implied that him getting to keep his things placed other mammals in jeopardy of having their money stolen by the bank, either through punitive fees, or just having their accounts vanished. Something that would certainly place some of them at risk. Even suggesting that Kit Services would be ready and waiting to take kits away from their families."

Bogo nodded. "Ah... You're concerned then if this is true, and I assume why we are not pursuing it?"

Rootel nodded. "Yes sir."

Looking to Yax, Bogo indicated him with a hoof. "Yax, why don't you enlighten your partner. He has apparently remained blissfully unaware of the reality some of the mammals of this city live. A state that they have unfortunately lived at the paws and hooves of the ZPD as much as in spite of us."

Yax frowned but nodded. "Yes sir." Turning to Rootel. "Carl... I can back up Hornworth and Wilde in what they are saying. I'm not from Zootopia, but you know that. Where I'm from, foxes, weasels, and other small predators don't deal with the crap they deal with here. During my first year in the ZPD, while working precinct 4. I was on the way home and stopped at a MaxiMart. While there, I saw a weasel getting a raw deal. He was just trying to get a job. There was a help wanted sign in the window even. I heard the whole thing. Followed him out, identified myself and I asked how I could help. His answer confused me. Asked me, sarcastically, if I could make him not a weasel. I bought him a meal and asked him to explain the issue to me.

I suppose it was probably the free food, but he accepted and did explain things to me. I got the distinct impression that he hadn't had a proper meal in a long time, considering he ate more than I did and took a to go box. He explained how thing are, for small predators, especially omnivores like foxes, skunks, raccoons, etc... So, being the good cop I was, I gathered evidence, got the tapes from the store, and did my due diligence. Then I filed charges against the store, the management, and corporation, with the civil rights division. The corporation got fined 500 dollars. More to the point, the store got fined 100, the manager 100, and the corporation 300, for not having or enforcing non-discrimination policies. Yes, that was 500, not thousand, only five hundred, and that was only because I collected the evidence I did. Not even a slap on the wrist. Their executives leave that much as a tip somewhere like Greetha's. They then closed that store, which put three raccoon's, two skunks, and a fox out of a job. They also fired every weasel that worked for the chain, along with a handful of other mammals.

When I tried to push for something stronger, the civil rights division chief pulled me aside and asked me to stop. He begged me to stop. Told me that he understood, but I had already done enough damage." Yax was clearly upset as he continued, as his voice tightened in anger. "Those were his actual words Carl. That I had already done enough damage. When I asked him what he was talking about, he handed me a dozen files. They were files that he had personally taken from KS in order to stop them. They were planning on taking the kits from a dozen families, including one of the skunks from the store I started it with, and others that lost their jobs as a side-effect."

Rootel looked as his partner in horror. "Wh... What?"

Yax nodded sadly. "Yeah. I cost more than two dozen mammals their jobs by doing the right thing. The company paid less in fines than one of them made on a paycheck. I don't know how many kits got taken from their parents because if me, and neither did the division chief. He had only managed to stop those in ten of the twelve files he gave me. The other two... A family of skunks with three kits from a different store. Dropped into the foster care system because of me. The other was family of rabbits. Five kits into the system. I tried to track them down. I wasn't fast enough for two of the seven kits, one rabbit and one skunk. The oldest skunk and youngest bunny. They... They got place with..." Tears were flowing down Yak muzzle at that point.

Bogo stepped in. "Enough. You put that scum in prison for the rest of their natural lives, Yax. They won't be hurting anyone else. However, I think he gets the point."

Yax nodded, wiping his tears of anger. "Sir."

Rootel looked on in shock as Bogo continued. "Now, you want to know why Hopps has a reprimand in her file? Why she has been passed over for promotion because of it? Well, she's been passed over because as you know full well, most that end up on the promotion committees don't look at the reason for a reprimand, they just see that flag and then ignore that file. She's only made Sargent because I forced through meritorious promotions after some of their bigger cases.

It was while Wilde was in the academy. Just like Yax, Hopps saw something wrong, confirmed it, gathered evidence, and then filed charges. Just like she would be expected to, like any officer that hasn't seen it before and understands what is going on, would do. Like you are considering doing. She was trying to do the right thing, like I would hope most of my officers would, but... it backfired. Blew up in her face. It cost a bunch of mammals their jobs, and when Judy realizing what had happened, she stepped in, and dare I say, stepped up. She dragged her feet. She misfiled things. She went so far as to use her badge and access to gain access to the KS systems and offices and blocked their efforts to pull the kits of those that she caused to lose their jobs until those families could get back into a state where KS couldn't do anything.

Once that was done, you can bet the KS supervisor in charge had some choice words for me, so I called her in. She didn't deny anything. She knew exactly what she was doing and risking, but if you know her at all, doing the right thing is more important to her than even her badge. I would have just given her a verbal, put her on probation for a few months. Nothing that would have hurt her career. Unfortunately, the KS supervisor had also called IA, because she did in fact abuse her authority, heavily. I put that mark in her file personally, and have been trying to get it removed ever since, but it was the only way I could keep IA off her tail.

I mean, I can't prove it, but there is a suspicion that she got one of her siblings to hack KS. Her knack for knowing when KS is going after a family they really shouldn't is uncanny. KS has at this point tried to request anyone but her and Wilde for call outs. Standing order is if they do that, they are to send WildeHopps, even if it is their day off. With only a handful of exceptions, KS has backed off whenever they show up now."

Rootel frowned sharply. "Sir... That implies that the reason KS were going in was inappropriate at best."

Bogo nodded sadly. "Yes, and I can assure you that is something I am not ignoring, but also not something I can share the details on. Back to the point. It isn't right or fair, but it is the world that mammals like Wilde have to live with. I have my own mistakes in that area. The wrong assumptions made about both Wilde and Hopps being some of the more recent. To answer your question, despite putting that in her file, she made me proud. She saved several families from being broken up by a system that is currently designed against them, and many more since then. A fox, weasel, skunk, raccoon, or other smaller mammal, rabbits, etc... Once they are in the system, they never get out, or at least not easily.

Even when they're taken for something like parents losing a place to live, even once they get a new place, KS won't re-place them without assurance of stability. Something very few in such a position can ever claim to the satisfaction of KS. It doesn't help that the decision is based on the case workers judgment, not some actual set of rules. They have a set of general guidelines. How that is interpreted is up to the case worker.

The fox that started the whole thing with Hopps, now works as a dispatcher in precinct four. Several of the others who lost their jobs as a result of her actions now also work as dispatchers or 911 operators. They were all call center workers, for a collection agency of all things. They're now some of our best dispatchers and operators in precinct four and six. They're good enough I've been suggesting that we bring on a few here as well in the call center. Because of all the shit they deal with, they have cooler heads in a crisis, and the ability to let abuse slide right off so they can dig through a bad situation and get help going faster than most."

Rootel looked between the Chief and his partner for a moment. "Surely there is something that can be done. If this is the case, then it is no wonder they have such higher crime rates."

Bogo shook his head. "That's another falsehood I had to get over myself. The statistics are heavily skewed. As much as I hate it, Wilde has opened my eyes on this. It is why we are pushing the anti-species profiling initiatives. Arrest rates without convictions for marginalized species, like foxes, weasels, and others, is through the roof. Actual statistics show that they have a lover than average actual crime rate by species compared against initial arrest records. The problem lies after a few arrests, when they have lost a job, or been kicked out of an apartment because of the baseless arrests. How many arrests? How many days in jail for things you didn't do, do you think you could survive before you lost your job? Before word got around that you'd been arrested a few times, and the assumption mammals make about you because of that? A lot of them end up turning to crime at that point to survive.

Do you know how many times Wilde was arrested before he entered the academy?" Rootel shook his head and Bogo nodded. "Two hundred times, plus some, and that's the times he got caught. He's admitted to giving officers like yourself the slip many more times than that. While what he did was only marginally legal, it was legal. It was also the only thing he could do, because of that baseless arrest record, at least at first, and that is true for most of them. Yet, because of attitudes like what you just suggested, and I was all to ready to express when I first met him. They are assumed to be criminals, and arrested on those suspicions alone. Arrested for having the bad luck of being near cops when something happened." Bogo's voice getting harder as he became clearly angry with himself. "And when they do get screwed over by an over zealous cop, prosecutor, or biased jury, then yes, what other options do they have? Even if they had not done anything before, now they have a conviction on top of their species.

That's what happened to all of Precinct One's favorite small time crook weasel, and WildeHopps most common arrest. Hell, they've forgotten to file charges or a report on Duke more often then they have done it. They keep tabs on him. Usually pick him up when they know he's not been doing well, or when it's going to be an extra cold weekend. Duke can't get into shelters because of his record, so they pick him up on a Friday night, and he gets three meals and a comparatively warm bed for the weekend. By Monday, they have forgotten why they picked him up and he gets let go. It's gotten to the point that the guys in lockup check the weekend weather and if WildeHopps is on shift, they prep a bed for him. Duke is on a first name basis with most of them at this point."

Rootel was clearly in shock. "Sir. I..."

Holding up a hoof to quiet Rootel, Bogo sighed. "I get it. You didn't know. You're a good detective, Carl. So this is some education you have apparently missed as an officer. Like Yax, you're not from Zootopia initially. The city has great aspirations, and works towards making them real, but it has a very long way to go. Do you know what Hopps and Wilde have been working on? What Wilde still works on when he can?"

"Uhm... No sir. I know they've been working with Chromest and Ghalt, but not what about. I just assumed it was to work towards their Detective. They're both more than able to do the job. If it were up to me, they already would be, they just have a knack for it."

Bogo cracked a smile for a moment. "I'd agree with that, and the work they are doing will certainly go a long way towards that. No, they are working on the case, and all of it's spiraling consequences, that saw dozens of officers across most precincts fired and the union turning its back on them. Do you understand how badly you have to fuck up for the union to turn it's back on you? Hell, they actually spent a week in Bunnyborrow to see her family, then on the way home, arrested one of the deputies there and returned him here for prosecution. All of them were active members of anti-inter-species hate groups. Every single one of them had been using their positions to twist evidence, plant evidence, and outright frame one or both members of inter-species couples for crimes.

That deputy actually used his position to cover up at least three lynchings. The Sheriff out there is still cleaning up and arresting the perpetrators. It's hard going because the attitudes are more ingrained, but the big rabbit families are bound to gossip, and the younger members are more tolerant and are proving to be the best source of info. Even a few of Hopps cousins have been arrested. I had to have Wilde promise to keep her in the city for two weeks when she found out. It is one of the few cases that she is not allowed to work."

"Obviously."

Bogo nodded. "Yes. Not for her lack of trying. One of the more notable cases they have worked, which spiraled out of the initial case. That initial case is what resulted in the arrest of officers in this very building. That notable one spun out of the review that has to happen when officers are arrested. Everything they touched for their entire career is gone over. That's what WildeHopps has been working with Chromest and Ghalt on.

It was the last case they worked before Hopps went on maternity leave. A fox accused of murdering his mate, a deer doe. Herd and Metri were the responding officers and despite the fox being in the accident, literally crawling away from the scene to try and get help, they booked and charged him with Mammalcide.

There is debate on the question of if they had actually tried to pull her out of the car, that she might have survived. The coroner that did the autopsy has been fired, medical license revoked, has pending charges, and every case he worked is now being reviewed as well. Yeah, he was part of it too. Sadly, she was cremated per her families wishes, so we'll never know for sure.

After that, WildeHopps, being who they are, noticed other things. The prosecutor on the case has been canned, and disbarred I might add. He was also working with and part of the same group as Herd, Metri, and that coroner. He made sure other charges were added on. The fox fighting with them in an injured state to try and get them to help, or to get away from them to try and help as his mate was drowning in a Tundratown river; was charged up as resisting arrest, assault on an officer, etc...

He got paroled just before Hopps and Wilde got word from the judge that his record was cleared. They have been trying to find him since. He has been kicked out of multiple shelters because they don't bother to update their damned systems but maybe once a year. So they still show him as being on parole as a convicted murderer. I've fielded a dozen calls from shelter administrators complaining about Wilde. They shut up right quick when I let them know that they have been turning away mammals for crimes they didn't actually commit because they couldn't be bothered to keep their records up to date. I may or may not have threatened to charge them with accessory by way of negligence, if it can be shown that a mammal committed a crime due to being turned away due to their out of date records. The mammals parole officer is supposed to call both Wilde and myself the moment he shows... if he shows."

Rootel looked on silently for a moment. "I don't know what to say. Please tell me there is a task-force put together on that? If what you're saying goes that deep... How many other cases are tainted? How many other innocent mammals have records and were forced to turn to crime for survival?"

"That is exactly what WildeHopps has been working on. As for the task force. Not yet, but I expect Wilde and Hopps plan on proposing one for when Wilde gets back from his paternity leave."

"Why would Wilde need paternity leave? He get some vixen pregnant? Didn't know he was seeing someone. Always figured he and Hopps would end up together."

Bogo laughed, a genuine smile crossing his muzzle for a moment. "I guess you missed the memo from the other day then. Hopps and Wilde have been together for years, and now we have confirmation that Wolford and Fangmeyer are also, and have been, and item."

Waving his paws in front of himself, Rootel laughs. "Wait. Mike and Lizz?"

Bogo's smile returns for a moment. "Yes, Mike and Lizz, and for four or five years they have managed to keep it under wraps. Lizz's cubs are Mike's, and Judy's are Nick's."

Rootel couchs as he breathed a bit of spittle in his shocked gasp. "What? How? They're not even..." Shaking his head. "Never mind, not my business."

"Yes, and true to form, Hopps and Wilde are helping out, and doing their up most to disrupt things for the better. It's almost like a damn super-power with those two. I cringe every time I give them a case, because no matter how careful I am, it always spirals. Gave them a convenience store robbery. They took down a three district wide insurance scam that it was part of. Gave them a simple community policing fluff piece. It was just supposed to be a blasted meet and greet. They end up catching a mass murder that we thought was dead. Turned out he had just been on vacation and had come back to Zootopia for a family reunion. I mean, that's just not normal. It may be offensive, but that rabbits feet are lucky. Have you ever watched them interrogate a suspect?"

Rootel shook his head. "Can't say I have. Why?"

"You really should. It is something so very strange to watch. If Wolford and Fangmeyer pick up the silent conversation ability by hanging out with WildeHopps, then as a team, they'll be all but unstoppable."

"I will do that. Wait, what do you mean silent communication?"

Yax laughed. "I have seen them sir, and it is down right spooky." Turning to Rootel. "Carl, it's like they know the others thoughts. Wilde will pick up on something, but Hopps will field the question on it, or Hopps will notice something, but it'll be Wilde that will pounce on it. They just look at each other, lock eyes with each other and... It is weird, but amazingly effective."

Bogo nodded. "It is. I still don't understand how a Tiger can be intimidated by Hopps, yet I have watched one turn into a bawling mess. On that note, I need to get back to this." Indicating his computer. "Anything else?"

"No sir. I just... A lot to think about, sir."

"Yeah. I'll just bet. Now get out, I have to finish this before I can go home. You still want to complain about Wilde, do it tomorrow."

Getting up, they head for the door. Rootel stops and looks back. "If anything sir, I want to be on that task force."

"I'll consider it, if and when Hopps and Wilde ask about forming it."

"Sir."

With that they left Bogo's office and headed for their own office. Yax dropping into his chair upon arrival "So, satisfied now Carl?"

Taking his own seat, Rootel shakes his head. "Not even remotely. If anything I'm more put off then before. I'm starting to understand where Wilde was coming from today, and if anything it only makes it worse. I cannot imagine the guilt and rage you must have dealt with after all that. My respect for Hopps and Wilde has gone up significantly. Yet my sense of Justice is screaming at me. I guess I'll have to get you drunk to get the rest of that story out."

"Yeah, been there. You will just have to focus it elsewhere. That damage you would do if you push the thing about the bank... As far as the story. No, sober, and then drunk afterwards to deal with it. If I'm drunk when I tell it, I'll want to hunt down some mammals."

Waving his paws in surrender, Rootel sighed. "I get it. I'm horrified by it, but I get it. I'll be deleting the report I had started. Now I'm not sure if I do want to hear it. Sounds like we will both need something extra strong afterwards." Getting a nod from Yax, Rootel turned to face his desk and log into his computer. "I'm not however going to let that go. I can't. I just don't know how I can go after it without causing a lot of mammals to be hurt. Yet."

"When you figure it out, let me know, because I could really use the outlet."

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A/N / Keep the reviews and comments coming, it's making Muse happy, which lets me work on this and other things. And also remember, if you see issues, misspellings, etc... Let me know in PM, I'm under no illusion of being perfect and want to fix those things I miss.

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