Arc 2- The Approaching Storm: Part 6- Beguiling
The precinct bustled with the typical background hum of phones ringing, keyboards clicking, and the occasional murmur of officers exchanging updates. In the center of the organized chaos, Chief Bogo stood tall, his arms crossed as he addressed Nick and Judy with an uncharacteristic gleam of approval in his eyes.
"Well done, you two," Bogo said gruffly, nodding at them. "Catching Bellwether so quickly after her escape is no small feat. After that humiliation in the bullpen, I was afraid this would go on for months. But now that we have her we'll get to the bottom of how she got out in the first place."
Nick leaned back slightly, his sly grin ever-present. "What can I say? She can't outfox the fox—or the bunny."
Judy elbowed him gently, but even she couldn't keep the satisfied smile off her face. "We're just glad we could bring her in before she divided the entire city again."
"Chief! Chief!"
Clawhauser's voice cut through the air as he hurried into the room, his usual sunny demeanor replaced with worry. Behind him, Mrs. Otterton stumbled in, clutching a damp handkerchief, her eyes red and swollen.
"Mrs. Otterton?" Judy asked, her ears perking up with concern.
The distraught otter broke into a fresh wave of sobs, clutching her handkerchief like it was a lifeline. "H-he's gone! My Emmitt's gone again!"
Nick and Judy exchanged startled glances, and Bogo frowned deeply. "Mrs. Otterton," he said firmly, his tone meant to ground her, "start from the beginning. What happened?"
Through her sobs, Mrs. Otterton struggled to explain. "It was a ram… a large one. He came into the flower shop today. He didn't buy anything—just stood there, staring at me." Her voice broke, and Clawhauser handed her a tissue. She dabbed at her eyes before continuing. "And then he said… he said, 'Don't expect to see Emmitt again for a long time.' And then he left!"
Mrs. Otterton broke down into fresh tears, clutching the tissue tightly. "They've taken him again! My Emmitt—my husband—how can this happen again?"
Judy's expression hardened, her ears standing straight up in anger. "This has gone too far," she said, turning to Bogo. "Chief, let us talk to Bellwether. If she's behind this—and we both know she is—she has to have some information on where Emmitt is."
Bogo hesitated, his jaw tightening as he considered. "Interrogating Bellwether is a delicate matter. She's smart enough to play us if we're not careful."
Nick stepped forward, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "We'll handle it, Chief. Judy and I caught her, and hustled a confession out of her. We're the ones who can get her to slip up."
After a tense moment, Bogo nodded curtly. "Fine. We'll squeeze the truth out of her. I doubt she'll last long."
The three turned toward the interrogation room, leaving Clawhauser and Mrs. Otterton behind.
Once they were gone, Clawhauser gently guided Mrs. Otterton to a nearby bench and handed her another tissue. "Don't you worry, Mrs. Otterton. Nick, Judy, and the Chief are the best. If anyone can find Emmitt and bring him back, it's them. They did it once, they can do it again."
Mrs. Otterton sniffled, managing a small, shaky smile. "Thank you, Officer Clawhauser."
Clawhauser beamed, his natural cheerfulness shining through. "It's what I'm here for! Now, why don't we think about how happy Emmitt will be to see you again once this is all over? He's going to need you to be strong for him."
The otter nodded, her tears slowing as she clung to the hope in his words. "You're right. I need to believe they'll find him. Thank you… I mean it. The precinct is lucky to have you."
Clawhauser chuckled and said, "Oh, I don't know. . ."
"No, really. I mean it," Mrs. Otterton said, "You have a way of brightening the day of everyone you meet. You always have a sunny disposition. I imagine that the mammals who walk into the station in need of help are relieved to see such a friendly face."
Clawhauser was blushing through his fur, and he grinned and said, "Well, you're so sweet to say that, Mrs. Otterton. You must have the kindest heart in Zootopia."
Just then, something unexpected happened. The blue, balloon-shaped gem embedded in Clawhauser's collar began to glow faintly, casting a soft light. Mrs. Otterton gasped and reached into her pocket, pulling out the small, butterfly-shaped gem that radiated a pinkish hue.
"What… what is this?" she whispered, staring at the glowing gem in her paw.
Clawhauser blinked down at his collar, then at the gem in Mrs. Otterton's paw, "Ooh! You've got one too?"
The two then exchanged bewildered looks, the glow of the gems intensifying slightly as if responding to their confusion.
"What does it mean?" Mrs. Otterton asked, her voice tinged with nervous curiosity.
"I have no idea," Clawhauser admitted, though his usual bubbly tone was now laced with unease. "But… maybe it's a sign. Something good, maybe?"
The atmosphere in the interrogation room was tense and suffocating. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly, casting sharp shadows against the cold, sterile walls. Dawn Bellwether sat casually in her chair, her wool neatly groomed and her tiny hooves cuffed to the table. Despite her position, she radiated smugness, a sweet smile gracing her face as she leaned back in her chair. It looked as if she didn't have a care in the world.
Chief Bogo strode in first, his towering presence filling the room. Nick and Judy followed closely behind, both radiating determination. Judy's ears were upright and stiff, while Nick somehow still had his usual sly grin combined with a devil-may-care attitude in spite of the situation.
Bogo didn't waste a second. He slammed his hoof hands on the table, his voice a low growl. "One of your rams just threatened Mrs. Otterton about her husband. Where is he? What have you done with him?"
Bellwether tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Oh, Mrs. Otterton? Such a sweet little pred. She must be worried sick about her dear husband. Maybe you should let Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde do their thing. They're good at finding him, aren't they?"
Judy's fists clenched, and her fur bristled. "Stop playing games, Bellwether! This isn't some twisted scavenger hunt!"
Nick, ever the smooth operator, stepped forward and gave a slow, sarcastic clap. "You know, Dawn, I've got to admit: this scheme of yours? It's got flair. Kidnappings, mocking attitude, emotional manipulation? Evil genius-level stuff. You must be proud."
Bellwether chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, please, Wilde. You're too kind. But spare me the 'good cop, bad cop' routine. Or does the police academy use old cop shows to educate its students?"
Judy took a deep breath, reigning in her frustration. She crossed her arms and stared Bellwether down. "Fine. Let's talk facts. If Emmitt Otterton—or anyone else—is harmed because of your orders or actions, that's on you. We're talking decades added to your sentence. You think your little power obsession or vengeance obsession or whatever is worth it? Let him go, Dawn. It's for your own good."
Bellwether actually let out an almost cute sounding giggle, "Oh, how nice of you, Judy! It's just super the way you're trying to frame this interrogation as a favor to me. But don't worry, the two predators are unharmed—at the moment."
The room fell silent, her words cutting through the air like a blade.
Bogo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, 'two predators'?"
Bellwether simply smiled, her silence speaking volumes. She ignored the question, turning her gaze to Judy. "By the way, Hopps, those scars 'he' gave you healed pretty well, didn't they?"
The words hit Judy like a slap. Her ears folded back as a memory from her childhood flooded her mind. She blinked her eyes as her ears stood up in shock. "What were you doing in Bunnyburrow? What have you done with Gideon? How did you even find out about something that happened over ten years ago?"
Bellwether leaned back, clearly savoring the moment. "Interesting that you care about him. You weren't so forgiving when you gave your little speech about predators being biologically dangerous and genetically flawed, weren't you? You said they were 'reverting back to their primitive, savage ways.'"
The dig was too much for Nick. His usual cool demeanor evaporated as he leaned over the table, grabbing a pawful of the wool on Bellwether's head and pulling her closer. "You need to stop pushing. Now," Nick saud roughly, a growl in the back of his throat, "You don't get to rub her mistakes in her face because you're the one started all this in the first place."
Bellwether didn't flinch. She merely smiled, her composure eerily unshaken, and said, "Awww!You simply cannot keep your paws off my wool, can't you?"
"The next words out of your big mouth better be where those two are!" Nick snapped as he tightened his grip on her wool. Bogo didn't try to stop him, and he had a feeling the buffalo was so frustrated with this sheep that he'd be okay with anything as long as it didn't physically injure her.
"Oh, you're feisty today, aren't you, Wilde? Nice job proving my point, by the way. Force and violence is all you know. You want the address? Fine," She leaned in, her voice cocky and confident, "1208 Glacier Street. It's an out of business storage facility in Tundratown. But I'd hurry if I were you. Time is ticking."
Nick released her with a frustrated growl, stepping back as Bellwether casually adjusted her wool. Judy shot a glance at Bogo, who gave a curt nod. Without another word, the three of them stormed out of the room, leaving Bellwether alone and locked in the room.
She watched them leave, her grin widening. "Good luck," she said to them, although her mind was elsewhere, namely the next phase of her and Discord's plan