Disclaimer: Zootopia and all Canon characters are owned by Disney. All other characters, product names, trademarks, and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

…..

Brown's teeth chattered as he threw a trio of small, threadbare towels, or what might as well have been hoof towels to him, into a rusty bucket after trying to dry himself off from the cold shower he'd just taken. He thought roughing it out in the wilderness for his annual herd event was bad, but it wasn't anything compared to this miserable hellhole.

It took him twice as long as it should have to navigate the off-road part of his trip due to the pitch-black sky and the piss-poor trail maintenance. It was a wonder he could find the turnoff at all, given he'd only been out here once before when White had convinced him to tour the facility just after the reconstruction had begun.

And never finished from what Brown could tell.

'Damned useless ram,' thought the wildebeest making his way over to a pile of clothes.

A mumbled hope that White survived the lab explosion was quickly overtaken by the need to warm up and a renewed desire to throttle misspent, or never spent, money out of his once trusted lackey. The facility IR marker lights were out, the vehicle alcove's camouflage had to be manually closed, and the large facility entrance door didn't look solid enough to fend off a single lame elephant, let alone a coordinated TUSK breaching attempt.

And whose bright idea was it to set the electronic push-button cipher lock's code to 1-2-1-2 AND write it on the wall so anyone could let themselves into what was supposed to be his thoroughly provisioned and fully functional backup lab facility?

"Where the hell did my money go?" groaned Brown into the dim light. "And where are the mammals that are supposed to be staffing this place? There should be someone here taking care of everything just in case exactly what happened, happens!"

Buttoning his shirt, Brown huffed to his reflection in the mirror, "Whatever in the hell that was that I still don't know anything about because I'm deaf, dumb, and blind in this dump of a facility."

No cell phone, no TV signal, no internet, even his car radio stopped picking anything up once he'd pulled off the main road.

Thankfully, he'd figured out enough to find the right subpanel and turn on the electricity to the unfinished living quarters before falling asleep on a ratty old mattress left to rot on the floor in what he assumed was the facility's sole bedroom.

But now, awake, clean, and slightly less pissed at what he was seeing; namely, it was the residential part of the facility that was most in disarray, the lab proper, and most importantly, the backup computers were on uninterruptible power and in pretty good shape. Now, taking a few deep breaths, unclenching his hooves, and saying another prayer that White would show up so he could wring his worthless neck, Brown mentally went through what it was going to take to reconfigure the encrypted data line into internet access and spin up a workstation so he could find out what the hell was going on outside the hole he was currently buried in.

-/-/-

"So… where'd you learn to cook like that?" asked Walter. "I thought I was handy with a grill, but what you did with that grouper was pure magic and the dipping sauce you whipped up for the sweet potato fries, total artistry."

Nick tossed the beanbag he was holding and watched it land wide of the target and slide off the board top. "Mostly my mom. She was a great cook. I also spent some time as a line cook at Chateau Peccary, at least until upper management found out there was a fox in the kitchen."

Tossing a beanbag up and directly into the cornhole so it landed on his last two throws, Walter did a quick fist pump and said, "Yay, team Dad!"

"Come on, Mr. Nick, you can do it," yelled Aidan.

Nick lined himself up for his last shot. This was it, do or die. He had to sink his beanbag in the hole, or he and Aidan were out of the game.

"I heard you and Judy are courting."

"Whaaa," choked out Nick as his beanbag flew into a tree, rolled over a branch, bounced off a lounge chair, landed on the cornhole board just above the hole, and slid in.

"Yay, Mr. Nick!" shouted Aidan.

"Yeah, yay, Mr. Nick," grumbled Walter.

"Yup, just like I planned it," chuckled Nick. "And yes, we're courting."

…..

"So… how's it going between you and Nick?"

"Good," replied Judy.

"Just good?" countered Toni.

"Uh-huh, still kind of tired, you know, it was a busy Friday night."

"Busy? Like busy busy, or you know, Busy?"

Judy threw a carrot chip at her bestie and huffed, "Stop it. You're worse than all my sisters put together. Nothing much happened. We mostly just slept a lot."

"Mostly?" asked Toni with a smirk on her face.

"Aaaargh," groaned Judy from behind her ears.

Toni clinked the side of Judy's glass with her beer bottle and, nodding toward all the boys playing cornhole in the yard, said, "You know, Nick's great with kits too."

Judy moaned again as her ears blushed full-on red.

-/-/-

"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?" yelled a capybara ZPD Officer waving his flashlight toward a car with its hood up and a hanging worklight illuminating the engine compartment. "This is a restricted area. No one's allowed here unless they're on the list. And I don't remember a mangy vixen being on the list."

"My name's Sage, and I am so on the list. I'm– I'm here to… I'm on special assignment for Officer Wilde. He– he texted me to pick up his car."

"Bull crap! Why is the hood up, and what were you doing under the dash? Trying to hotwire this car, I bet. And no way a pelt like Wilde owns a car this nice. Foxes are shifty bottom-feeders, always hustling or stealing from everyone. I can't believe Bogo let him into the ZPD. You let a fox in anywhere and all you end up with is an infestation of you filthy beasts.

"You know, I ought to—"

…..

Cassy gritted her teeth as she listened to the exchange between the speciest officer and the teen vixen from behind a dumpster in the alley. Any other time, she would have jumped out from her hiding place and torn the cop a new one, but she was working way out of bounds on this one, and if she got caught, there'd be hell to pay.

It'd taken her over an hour of skulking through alleys, hiding behind debris, and pretending to be trash to make it past the rings of military, ZPD, and firemammals patrolling around… something that had to be her target. She'd made as good of use as she could of the low-light setting on her phone's video camera, along with picking up some decent audio. But even after all the footage she'd gotten, she still hadn't gotten close enough to her target to get the undeniable proof she needed. Or see clearly past the ZPD command vehicle parked in the intersection, blocking her view of the rubble garnering the most ZPD interest.

Which all meant she didn't have anything beyond the official story of a gas leak that she could sink her claws into and dig a story out of except for…

Something that through her camera, looked like it might be a van sticking out the side of a nearby building.

And snippets of whispered conversations she'd picked up on her way in, worried conversations that used words like 'lab,' 'missing predators,' 'hitmammal,' 'Nighthowler,' 'homeless,' and 'rescue.'

And now Wilde's car. Meaning Wilde wasn't in Bunnyburrow, and since where Wilde was, she was pretty sure she'd find Hopps, told her that her absent bunny cop wasn't on leave either.

All she needed to do was to get close enough to whatever everyone was hiding and get a few clear pictures, and then she'd have something enough to clear away the smoke screen Porkson fell for yesterday.

…..

"Ought to what, Officer Collins?" asked a deep and very unhappy voice coming from around the wreck in front of the convertible and into the light.

"Sir! Chief Bogo!" said Collins, coming to attention. "This pel–, uh, underage fox is in the restricted zone… after curfew and obviously trying to steal this classic convertible."

"Enough!" bellowed Bogo directly into Collin's muzzle. "This is Sage Ryon, master mechanic, and if you'd been doing your job correctly, you'd know her name IS on the access list, put there by ME so Miss Ryon could retrieve OFFICER Wilde's car.

"Do you understand what I just said to you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Now apologize."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry I didn't—"

"Not to me, you fool. To Miss Ryon, and properly if you want to keep your job."

Turning to the shocked vixen, Collins took a deep breath and, after holding it for a few seconds, let out a sharp whistle as he stretched out his arms and fully exposed his vulnerable belly region. Following the whistle with two short grunts, the subdued capybara said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry for my unprofessional behavior. I was rude and offensive, and I was wrong. And it won't ever happen again."

Bogo turned to Sage and nodded toward Collins.

Standing straight, Sage cleared her throat and replied, "Officer, um, Collins. I accept your apology. Thanks."

Collins relaxed and nodded, "Thank you, ma'am."

"Don't relax yet, Collins. Report to McHorn in the command truck immediately. He's been looking for a volunteer to take on a few special duties for the next month. That would be you, understand?"

"Yes, sir," replied Collins with a perfect salute followed by a parade ground turn and a quick jog to find out his real punishment.

Both the small fox and the large buffalo turned to face each other after Collins was out of earshot.

"Are you alright, Miss Ryon?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you for helping me. I can't afford to get arrested. My mom, she'd… you know."

"Of course. How is it coming with Officer Wilde's car?" asked Bogo, holding out a set of keys. "I was able to have these released in case you needed them."

Sage waved a paw and chuckled, "I don't need—"

Bogo cleared his throat and jiggled the keys in his hoof.

Taking the hint, Sage took the keys and said, "Thanks, but the engine's been damaged, and it's not safe to try starting. That's why I was under the dash. I was pulling a couple of fuses so no one could try jack it until I can get back in the morning with a tow truck."

"What happened to the engine?"

Sage reached back into the car for a scorched metal something about as big as a medium-mammal sized pack of playing cards, and handed it to Bogo. "This went through the grill took out some hoses and punctured the radiator."

"What is it?" asked Bogo, turning it over in his hoof.

Sage shrugged, "I don't know, it kind of looks like part of a computer. See the connector sockets on the end? And the way it's built like a brick, it might be like one of those black boxes they have on airplanes in case of an accident.

"It's kind of burnt and melted a little, so I don't know if it's still any good."

Nodding as he bagged the device, Bogo asked, "Do you need me to call you a tow truck?"

Sage huffed as she said, "No way, those old hook and chain trucks you guys use will scratch the crap– uh, sorry, I mean, no thanks. Aurelio has a nice wheel-lift truck. I'll grab it tomorrow and be back for Nick's car first thing in the morning."

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" asked Bogo.

Sage chewed her lip for a moment before finally saying, "Thanks, but my mom and I owe Nick big, and I pretty much know how important his dad's car is to him, so if you don't mind, he asked me to take care of it, so I'd like to be the one to do that for him. Sir."

Bogo chuckled as he thought, 'Foxes and their favors, no better currency in the Commonwealth.' And then aloud, "Of course, Miss Ryon, I understand perfectly. I'll make sure your site clearance is good for tomorrow. And please let Aurelio know that the ZPD will cover all the repair and restoration costs, and if he needs anything, to call me personally. He has my number.

"If you're done for the night, I'd like one of my trusted officers, Connor Pawson, to give you a ride home."

"Uhh, my mom might kind of freak out if a cop drops me off. Maybe I better just take the Metro or something."

"Don't worry. I'll write you a note you can give your mom to let her know you're on special assignment to the ZPD until Officer Wilde's car is back to its fully restored condition.

"With pay."

…..

Cassy started to follow Sage and her new friend, the Chief of Precinct One, when she was forced back into hiding by a pair of serious looking Commonwealth troopers that stopped and surveyed their newly expanded perimeter, a perimeter that now included a red convertible.

"Damn," grumbled Cassy silently while putting away her phone. 'Time to leave.'

Turning to skulk back the way she came, Cassy caught a peek of Bogo introducing Sage to a large wolf, giving her a brilliant idea on how to get close to her target first thing tomorrow morning.

-/-/-

Judy's still slightly pink ears swiveled at hearing the front door open, followed by a voice calling out, "Hey, everyone, look who I found skulking around out front."

"Mr. Finn, Mr. Finn," yelled both Aidan and Tyler abandoning their side of the cornhole game mid-toss for fishing around inside a wheeled cooler.'

"Don't forget to say 'Hi' to your uncle Kyle," said Toni.

Both boys stood up straight with blueberry pawpsicles in paw and deadpanned, "Hi, Uncle Kyle."

"And what do you say to Mr. Finn?"

Both boys hugged Finn before saying 'thanks' and running back out to the backyard.

Finn smirked as he looked up at Kyle and said, "Pawpsicles ain't skulking."

Kyle shrugged as Toni said, "Maybe not, but I hope it includes babysitting so I don't have to be the one to watch them bounce off the walls from all the sugar."

"Nah, you's know as well as I do, they're all natural, no extra sugar, so they'll be fine."

"Yum," said Walter plucking out something not a Pawpsicle from the cooler, "Chubby Bubby ice cream sandwiches, are these new? Talk about sugar and fat and everything good in life, all you have to do is figure out a way to deep fry these babies, and you'll be famous."

"Walter, you know you shouldn't…" started Toni.

"Mmmm. What'd you say, Hun?"

"Never mind," said Toni, pointing her mate toward the yard so he wouldn't drip any of his treat on the carpeting.

"And these are for you guys," said Kyle, pulling out a six-pack carton of bottles, half blueberry soda and half carrot soda.

"I wanted to stop over and say 'thanks.' Both of you were right about my problems being mostly me. I pulled my head out of dark places and found a job in subsurface construction, and last week, when they found out I was only a couple of classes away from my Underground Architecture degree, they promoted me and said they'd pay for me to finish my degree."

"Wow, thanks! This is the good stuff, too," replied Nick.

Judy rolled her eyes as Nick popped a lid on one of the blueberry bottles and took a swig.

"What Nick meant to say was congratulations, that's great."

"Yeah," said Nick. "I didn't know you were into construction, especially underground dens. That's pretty cool."

"More than just dens. There are a lot of burrowing mammals that are interested in setting up underground. The outfit I'm working for has a contract to build a five-store strip mall, and a restaurant under a new community platted north of the Meadowlands. When they're done building it out, the community will be mixed use, up and down, with enough room for almost five thousand families.

"My boss's biggest problem right now is hiring enough qualified mammals to do the work. There aren't as many small mammals willing to work underground as there used to be."

Nick started to raise his paw, when Judy said, "Two of my brothers are in town, and they're both into construction, and I know for certain they don't mind working underground. They used to build underground play forts when we were growing up. They even did one for a groundhog couple in town as a surprise for their grandkits."

"She's right," added Nick, "if your boss wants experts in underground construction, tell him to hire rabbits. I mean, foxes can dig, but rabbits take it to a whole new level. Carrots showed me the underground bolt hole her family paw dug out when their main Warren house was first built. The place is amazing, water cisterns, toilets, food storage, blaster proof doors, and a fully finished, 170-yard long secondary tunnel exit. You wouldn't believe it."

"Really?" said Kyle. "I've only read about that kind of underground construction because, as far as I can tell, most of the best paw dug work was all done pre-Accords."

"It is, or was. We use them for storage now that bunnies don't have to worry about foxes hunting us and… you know, using their fangs and claws on us and—"

Toni bit her lips together.

Finn snickered.

Nick smiled.

Kyle looked confused.

Judy looked at all the now silent foxes around her until finally looking at Nick, she said, "Behave, or I'll light the Bun-signal and unleash the Lagomorph Legion on all you foxes."

Grabbing a carrot soda and a strawberry Pawpsicle, Judy made her way out to the backyard with no tail wiggles for her misbehaving fox.

"Lagomorph Legion?" asked Kyle.

"Don't ask," said Nick as Toni dragged her brother by the arm out to the backyard to help the pink-eared bunny organize a new game of cornhole.

…..

Setting the cooler in the kitchen and waiting until the cornhole game was fully in swing, Finn looked up at his partner and said, "You know she's gonna make you pay for that later, right?"

"Uh-huh, and I'll deserve it."

"Well, give her this; maybe the beatin' won't be so bad," said Finn, handing Nick a clone of Judy's old phone.

Grabbing another bottle of blueberry soda from what Kyle brought and snagging a beer for Finn, Nick nodded toward Judy, saying, "Thanks. And thanks for the save Friday night. Giving Clawhauser a heads up on us going undercover made all the difference in the cavalry showing up in time to save our tails."

"Sure, for her, the kits like her, so not a problem. For you, I's got a stack of parking tickets I need fixed."

"Done. Anything else?"

"Yeah, have you set up a meet with Big yet?"

"No, not yet, but I've been busy. I'll maybe do it later after I'm done in Bunnyburrow.

"Ow."

"Yeah, 'Ow.' Try saying that without a head. After what you and Cottontail pulled off, you better believe Big knows you're back in town. Which means if you don't call him, he's going to call you, and Big calling anyone ain't good."

"I know, I know," groaned Nick. "Maybe Carrots and I can sneak off to a forest somewhere and live there, you know, costume up and make the world a better place while in hiding."

Motioning Nick to bend down, Finn poked him again, "Enough with the Robin Hood crap, set up the meet and talk to Big. The longer you wait, the colder he'll make the water he's going to ice you in."

"Thanks, Buddy. You know—"

Nick's phone rang.

Nick checked the caller ID and, not seeing anything, answered it.

"Hello, Wilde here."

…

"Yes, sir."

…

"Of course, sir. Tomorrow evening will be fine."

…

"Yes, sir. I'll let Judy know too."

…

"Goodnight, sir, and give my best to Fru Fru."

Finn huffed.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" said Nick.

Fishing a small envelope out of his pocket, Finn handed it to Nick and said, "Maybe not."