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Sneak peak: so many new faces so little time“Well well well, what have we here, a wittle bitty bunny playing cop, thought I’d never see the day” The Weasel flashed a toothy smile that was anything but pleasant.Judy could only describe his voice as nasally and annoying with a Zoo York accent she only heard in movies. She could see he held a wild look in his eyes as he bent down closer.“Now what's a cute bun bun like you doing in a place like this" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“Hello, miss, are you okay?”The sheep perked up at Judy’s voice, her white wooly puff swaying with every move. She outstretched a hoof for balance“Oh, my goodness, have you seen my glasses?”
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Prologue: at midnightThere are three rules to every assassination. One, always complete the assignment. Two, don’t get caught, and the most important three, NEVER hesitate. Nick Wilde found himself in quite the predicament as he stands before his target. A target whose clear amethyst eyes showed not fear but a vast pool of courage and determination, even though backed into a corner. A target who was shining under the moon like a divine being blessing a mortal with her presence. “I’ve known for a while now” the target whispers, answering a question that was not spoken aloud. Nick ears twitched at the delicate sound. His face gives way to nothing as he stares quietly down into the small face of his current victim. The sound of the ocean waves crashing below hangs in the air as the moon throws their shadows across the balcony. “As I see it you have two options” her voiced carried over like far away song, soft but persistant. She moved backwards toward the balcony’s ledge, the pearlescent trein of her dress shining under the moonlight. She elegantly hops up to the top portion of the ledge and holds on the pillar next to her. Amythyst eye’s never leaving his emerald ones. In that moment Nick’s eyes widened if just by a fraction “Shoot me or let me fall”
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A small girl, no more than 7, crept slowly into a dark room, the floor creaking beneath her weight. She could hear the hard pattering of raindrops hit the window pane.
“Mommy? Daddy? I can’t sleep” the young kit managed to squeak out between sobs.
Whether it was because she heard a sound or smelled an unfamiliar scent of iron in the air, the girl went very still. Just as she opened her mouth to call for her mother again, lightening lit the room. Although only for an instant the small girl saw the shadow hovering over the bed where her father laid motionless.
She didn’t know what was happening, so she did the one thing she did best, scream. The scream was shrill and extremely loud even to her ears. So loud in fact she didn’t notice the subtle creak of the floor behind her and within that next moment she was yanked from the room. Her feet were moving on their own as they followed the one pulling her by the paw. Everything was blurry as tears matted the fur of her cheeks. She tried pulling away but the paw gripping hers just held on tighter. The corridor they ran through was flashing with a myriad of colors from the lightening glowing through stained windows. Eventually they came across a large wardrobe. She recognized it immediately as her favorite hiding spot. Without further thought the paw that clung to hers, pushed her into the cramped space and buried her with robes and garments. She latched onto the shirt of her temporary protector with a trembling paw, pleading them stay. They looked up and although, their face was covered she saw the conflict of emotions running rampant in their eyes.
“I’m sorry” her ears barely pick up the small apologetic voice of a boy.
He pushed her back into the mound of clothes and put a finger where his mouth probably was, and gently closed the door. Moments past that felt longer than eternity, before she her the voice of one who helped her and what sound like an older male.
“Did you see her, the kit” there was desperation in the older mammals’ voice
“No sir” was the only thing the young one said, and it sent his elder into a flurry of curses.
Their voices grew fainter signaling their departure. The girl was left with nothing but silence and the fast and painful beats of her little heart. Stinging tears pooled at her eyes once more as the full brunt of her situation planted itself deeper in her mind. She closed her eyes and cried.
Before the dream could finish the blaring sound of classical music jarred an unprepared rabbit awake. Groggily and slightly agitated, she shifted upright in her bed while tapping the source of her annoyance. The crust around her eyes was anything but appealing as she placed both feet on a cool hard floor.-how many times is that dream going to resurface- A scowl formed on her face as she shifted through the memory. The dream being one of the few things that ruined her usually bright day, at least by her standards. Stuffed animals fell at her feet as she shuffled off her bed and right across the room into the bathroom.-I just need a quick hot shower and I’ll be me again- her thoughts on repeat until she looked in the mirror. Blood-shot purple eyes stared back at her as if she’d been crying in her sleep, they homed in on her still twitching nose -Okay, a long hot shower-
Twenty minutes later every cell within her small frame had been revitalized. Her face was fresh, and she hopped her way into uniform with a renewed vigor. She placed her name tag on her navy garments. Stealing a quick peek at the full body mirror at the foot of her bed. She was adorable, maybe even innocent looking. Her gaze fell on the bold letters of her name-tag: JUDY HOPPS. There was a sadness that befell her features as memories inched their way to the forefront of her mind. -It’s been so long since that incident, why can’t I just be at peace- Judy sighed and did the one thing that snapped her out of any situation, she slapped herself.-Just remember mom’s words “Although you’re small you shine brighter than anyone. You dance through life with a a captivating beauty, dragging the people around to your own special rhythm. You think of others before you think of yourself so never let obstacles you face break you, even if you falter you can find new path and all while smiling.”-
The echoes of her mother’s encouragement gave solace and quieted the onslaught of misery trying to take over. Without realizing it she had closed her eyes, when she opened them she saw what she truly was or at least would have been. Regal determination had flooded her image with confidence, the kind of confidence one gets only through practice. The calendar next to the mirror caught her attention, specifically the petite handwriting for the current date Tuesday, September 15: Must get to work early, new transfer at 9:00 a.m.
Beads of sweat started forming and Judy’s ears dropped once she realized the time“Uh-Oh” all confidence drained at the fact of it being 8:45 and it takes twenty-five minutes to get the ZPD station. She was out the door faster than a cheetah on steroids. One anxious train ride later, Judy was a pacing mess of nerves as she stood outside the station. Other mammals stole glances at her as if she were a bit loose in the head. -Calm down Judy, Bogo won’t kill you for being a few minutes late- she tried to rationalize, It’s Bogo of course he would, her mind betrayed her. With a huff she accepted that her fate was sealed with death and gracefully walked in. Of course, as fate would have it, not even a few feet away from the door she slams into someone. “I am so sorry sir, I wasn’t looking where I was going and~” Judy didn’t finish her sentence, not because she was rambling but because of the cold, predatorial glare of a fox staring at her. Just as quickly as it had come the glare faded into a lackadaisical grin, his green eyes softened, slightly. If it weren’t for the fact that Judy’s fur was standing on edge she would have thought she imagined it. Stammering “Again, I am very sorry for running into to you” she refused to look at his face. Turning, she starts to leave but the male fox grabbed one of her ears. “Not so fast, sweetheart” his voice was like velvet, at this moment, very annoyed velvet. “Normally I would let this go” he said as he tugged her backwards and spun her around “But, my favorite shirt has been ruined and I have a meeting to get to.” Judy examined the overly green button up for any stains, only to land on one small splotch that was barely noticeable. Any regret she felt was soon washed away by the rising tide of irritation. Her foot started thumping against the sterile white tile of the station. “Sir, is there something I can do to make it up to you” she practically hissed through a smiling facade. Judy’s response seemed to amuse him as she watched his grin turn into a smirk dribbling with arrogance. He stared her down for a good minute until a light bulb went off in his head. He broke all social norm and her personal space as he leaned in too close. “You, me, my bed with nothing but the sheets separating us.” Only she could hear what he said which caused her to pull her ear away from him. The hilarity of the situation clearly reflected in his emerald eyes. In the next heart beat her hand was meeting the side of face. The action caught the eye of few passer-byers. “Not only is what you said despicably inappropriate, you dare display and say it at a police station to a police officer, if you failed to notice. Your pettiness is already speak volumes about you. Maybe you should go rethink your life a bit and come to terms with a thing called respect.” Judy was angry and the fox in front of her had a mix of bewildered curiosity, amusement and, one can only describe as respect, scribbled all over his face. He stood up touching the orange fur on his cheek. Not even sparing him a glance Judy stormed off to Bogo’s office a full twenty minutes late. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THE TROUBLE YOUR IN” Bogo’s voice shouted before Judy could even opened the door.“It takes guts to walk into this office twenty minutes late, Hopps, Not only showing disrespect to me but a fellow transfer officer to boot. This makes us look bad before we even had a fighting chance.” Bogo’s expression was red hot fury and no mammal dared looked straight into that inferno. Pulling a generic plastic chair away from Bogo’s mahogany desk Judy sat and quietly melted into a puddle of embarrassment. There was no excuse for her folly and she knew it. The regret must of have been visible because Bogo’s voice softens, just a little. The big buffalo sighs pinching the ridge of his nose. “Don’t ever do this again or you might as well not come to work that day, luckily for you the transfer that was supposed to be here has also failed to show up on time” As if on que there was a knock at the office door, it wasn’t a large animal from what Judy could tell. There wasn’t a shadow plastered on the door. Bringing herself out of her little regret bubble, she let excitable curiosity take its place in the cockpit of her mind and left it just as quick; at the sight of one familiar paw. -Oh no, no no no no no…I knew that dream was a bad omen. -
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It wasn’t particularly late, but the sky had been painted near black as clouds sheathed the moon from prying eyes. The air was anything but pleasant and the wind was ridiculously strong. Of all the nights to have to work these were not the best circumstances for a sniping. The chill in the air caused the breath from an orange and crème muzzle to billow into smoke. -This is the worst, if it weren’t for the fact that a certain buck lost his target I wouldn’t be here cleaning up his mess- A clawed paw gripped the trigger of a standing sniper rifle. The scope pointed at a dark bedroom, it’s peach colored curtains hung heavily on the inside of the room. The individuals’ memory of the moment he was assigned this mission came cropping up in his mind.
“On September 13th there will be a ten-minute window to dispose of a target who went into hiding three weeks prior, here’s his file. The keys and location of this interaction have been sent to your courters, please be sure not to screw things up like the previous owner of this assignment.” He couldn’t even get two words out before his senior sent him on his way, the outstretched wing of an ostrich holding out his new assignment.
Taking the documents, he bowed slightly and with a clear voice spoke two words that came to his mouth all to easily.
“Yes ma’am!” his face was stoic, emotions weren’t appreciated in his line of business. Thanks to all the training and beatings he endured, there was a confidence in knowing his mental state and attitudes would never be found out through his facial features or torture.
The sound of a car horn below snapped him out of his reverie. The tips of his ears perked up at the sound of voices, more voices then he had planned on. -Why is it that they always leave out the number of possible body guards in our mission files. I shouldn’t even be surprised anymore, but here I am bulking at the security surrounding one Kingpen- Creeping over to the ledge of the roof he’d been propped up on, the assassin did a head count of every mammal guarding his prey. Letting out a disgruntled sigh he watched them lead the penguin inside the sullen dilapidated building.
-Oswald Apteno, you’ve upped your game, his father must be getting desperate since he’s his only son. Okay think, there are seven guards, the most dangerous of them being the two polar bears followed by three jackals, a wolf and a doe. – The cold whip of the wind allowed him to think more clearly. Looking at the watch on his wrist the glowing digits informed him of two things. First there were five minutes left before the opening his superior foretold. The second piece of information made him go cold.
-They expect this done in one shot. One very difficult and precisely timed shot. -
The assassin was glad there wasn’t another agent with him on that gravelly roof as he dropped his head into his paws and groaned. Getting up, he moved back over to the rifle peering at the small room through his scope.-Maybe not so impossible after all- the cogs in his head were reeling putting pieces of a puzzle together -if I were a big bad assassin corporation what would I do to make a penguin uncomfortable. –Lowering the scope and zooming in caused something to catch his attention. In the far-right corner and plastered against a wall, the young tod found his opening.
-no wonder they were so specific with the time interval, he’s practically being served on a silver platter, the only ones to be with Oswald in the apartment would most likely be the doe and the wolf. The wolf will probably stay somewhere unnoticeable and the doe sticking to Oswald like gorilla glue-
The ten-minute opening had started and all that was left to do was wait. Patience was his next best skill, he learned to fall under a trance, so he could keep a calm mind at most times. The sickly yellow light of the apartment flickered on, followed by a squawk about the room being too hot. The wolf moved into view of the scope, his black was fur slicked down and he had far too many scars for a normal body guard. He did an overall sweep of the small room which finally led him out to the small balcony. Seemingly pleased he went back inside.-He’s not normal, if anything he’s worse than the polar bears watching the door. If he catches scent of me this night will become much longer and a lot bloodier. – A revelation made purely of instinctsThere were five minutes left to his opening, every breath inhaled soothed the maelstrom of nerves that tended to curdle in his stomach. The gravel of the roof was starting to dig into his knees, but he didn’t dare shift positions. There was an unconscious smile tugging at his lips.By the two-minute mark something was wrong. Whether it was due to his acute focus or the wind shift, but there was a nauseating scent of gasoline swirling around his nose. Peering into the room he could tell no one was affected inside seeing as Oswald decided to try his hand at flirting with the doe and failing. The plump penguin began making his way to the balcony noticeable crestfallen.By the next minute the building turned into an inferno of flames and explosions that pierced the ears like a knife. It all happened in an instant and for once the fox couldn’t think of what to do because he fell unconscious with a hard hit to the head.When he awoke the first thing he realized was that he was in the gray painted room of The Infirmary, the second most hated place in his mind. Being in the infirmary wasn’t the place of recovery any agent wanted to be in. The bed creaked below him as he tried to sit up, the entire frontal lobe of his head screaming in pain. He was still wearing the all black garments he used for stealth, the shirt was torn in spots here and there.The watch on his wrist let him deduce he’d been out for about seven hours, meaning it was now September 14th. Shuffling next to him made his head snap a bit to quickly to the left, the throbbing pain had to cease before he was staring face to face with a well-groomed artic fox. The problem with this particular fox was that he knew her and if she was there it meant his life was very close to ending.“It’s that bad isn’t..Skye” he croaked out and her icy blue eyes narrowed“I’m surprised you remembered my name agent Wilde. It’s been, I don’t know, three years since you last spoke to me.” The bitterness seeping from her usually lovely voice made his heart contract in guilt. He didn’t let it show however, sticking by the decision he made so long ago.She sighed letting her face fall, her voice returned to the one he knew so well “Nick, you know why I’m here.” Her features steeled as she handed him a black folder. He flipped it open and found the pictures of seven mammals, all with varying degrees of burn marks.“The events of last night have been on the news nonstop, the worst part is that the council is trying to push the blame on you Nick. They think you’ve betrayed their trust, this debacle is putting to many spotlights on the shadows we hide and in and the council refuses to accept that your innocent in the matter seeing how there is no real proof.”Nick understood the meaning of her words, ultimately deciding that death was in future, at least until Skye added something, creating his lifeline.“They’re willing to give you one more chance to prove yourself, since you are one of the best.”Nick knew that wasn’t the full reason and if the council was giving him a second chance, it must be an extremely important target. Skye handed him one more folder, a folder of a new target.“You have to go undercover and before you complain, you have no choice. The target is not yet confirmed as the one they are looking for.”Nick grimaced and opened the folder, there he saw the head profile of a smiling gray rabbit with vibrant purple eye. He almost laughed, but stopped short, he couldn’t keep the grin of amusement from form on his canine face.He looked at Skye “Why is the council worried about an adorable little bunny” he couldn’t even get the words out before his laughter filled the room. Once he quieted down he peaked at Skye who was stoned faced, she cleared her throat.“Meet Judith Laverne Hopps, suspected missing heiress to the richest family name and company in Zootopia. The current issue the council has with her is that the company her family owns is the current piggy-bank funding most of this organization.”He must have had a very dumb look on his face because Skye smirked at him and said“Of course, this is all speculation, the current head of the company has been trying to hunt her and her mother down after they disappeared from a previous assassination attempt. If I remember correctly that was your first mission with your father and ~ “her voiced died down at the look on his face.At the thought of his first mission, memories came flooding back of that night. It was blurry, but he remembered it was storming out in the countryside. It was his father and another trainee with them. It was difficult for nick to think back to that night, he recalled bits and pieces. Running through the halls, a female kit, screaming and a wardrobe. For Nick the clearest memories came afterward when the organization hauled his father away even though he was successful. He never understood why he couldn’t see his warm smile. The council held that tidbit of information under lock and key. The whole reason Nick was trapped as puppet was because his father was trapped.“I’ll go” his face was blank as he stared at the bunny’s profile “if it is her, what does the council want” he whispered already knowing the answer.“To terminate” Those two words became his lifeline as he resolved to finish the task.“Fine but on one condition, instead of freeing my life…I want to free my father”Skye’s face softened, a huff escaping her lips as she raised her paw to shake on it “Deal, you will now be known as Nicholas P Wilde, ZPD officer of precinct 1, your first day starts in the morning at 9 a.m.”The meaning of her words was lost on him as he memorized the picture in front of him -such a waste-The next day Nick found himself wearing normal clothing for once. His reflection showing him all his good qualities. He felt the green shirt and navy tie with orange stripes Skye gave him were working wonders for his image.
-I can’t ever be mad if I’m called a narcissist because If I had a clone, I would date myself-
Pulling away from himself he roamed his new apartment. It was all dark hardwood floors with brick walls. From what he could it just had his living essentials in it, the oddly shaded bathroom was in the back and off to the right. His bed was the same only to the left. The kitchen was open and off the side with the tv and couch near the front door.The white folder that was sitting on the marbled kitchen counter was like a stab at reality for fox. He became rigid remembering why he had any freedom. The folder was already open when he reached for the slip of paper with the profile and picture of Judith L Hopps, a 24-year-old rabbit police officer. Nick was still finding it hard to believe this fluffball was his target, especially with those eyes.There was a chime from the watch he wore signaling it was time for him to leave. Nick placed the page back down and headed out the door, his gaze growing cold.On the bus ride over to the station however, Nick was beside himself as he tried to figure out how he should act out his new role. The bus let him off right in front of the ZPD station, the meeting he was supposed to be at didn’t start until 9 and he made no intentions of arriving early. That was when he decided that he doesn’t need to put up an act and headed to a coffee house up the road.Fifteen minutes later and about five minutes after nine Nick had his coffee and was making his way up to the station until a newspaper caught his eye. A weathered looking meerkat was relaxing against the red umbrella'ed stand, their eyes flitted up to meet Nicks.“Care for a newspaper” Nick ignored the scraggly voiced mammal and read the headline, “Explosion at the Smitty, Seven Confirmed Dead”. The gears in his were spinning at the oddity of those numbers-There should have been Eight- His legs had been moving on their own back toward the station before he abruptly stopped. Revelation hit like a storm at sea, he thought back to the pictures Skye showed him.-There should have been eight! Think Wilde, who was missing- his mind was reeling with the new thought – Owald was out and so was the doe. The Jackals took the biggest hit, since they weren’t recognizable and that leaves the other two pictures, both had white fur. – Nick knew exactly who was left and his face grew considerably darker. Before he could even continue down that thought path he was jolted forward by a push to the back.Some of his coffee was now dripping from his paw and from behind he heard the gasp a female.“I am so sorry sir, I wasn’t looking where I was going and~” Nick turned as her voice trailed off, there was fear laced throughout her small features. He felt a bit bad because the face he was making wasn’t directed at her. In that next second his face returned to normal with an overly relaxed grin and calmer gaze.She was fumbling over her words when he took note he was talking to a bunny. In the next moment she turned to leave and out curiosity for confirmation he reached out to grab her shoulder but nabbed her ear instead. Nick didn’t know what to do next with this awkward circumstance, so he let instincts take over.“Not so fast, sweetheart” he heard the slight edge in his voice but continued anyway.“Normally I would let this go but,” he pauses to think of an excuse as he gently tugged her back toward him. “My favorite shirt has been ruined and I have a meeting to get to.” Nick knew full well how petty that sounded because the spot on his shirt was barely visible. From the look she gave him she knew too, but at that moment in time he was just looking at her eyes.- Wow, her picture does not do her justice-There was a small rhythmic tapping that pulled him from his thoughts. Looking down he saw that she was thumping her foot against the white tiled floor.“Sir, is there something I can do to make it up to you.” The annoyance in her voice was obvious even though she was smiling.She was way too cute, it made him want to tease her and so he did, just so he could see her reaction. He felt a smirk creeping on him as he broke the social norms of personal space and laid it on thick“You, me, my bed with nothing but the sheets separating us”An angry blushed form as she pulled away from him, he knew he went a bit too far even before he felt the hard sting across his face, A couple stars danced across his vision
-She definitely isn’t a weak bunny-
“Not only is what you said despicably inappropriate, you dare display and say it at a police station to a police officer, if you failed to notice. Your pettiness is already speaking volumes about you, sir. Maybe you should go rethink your life a bit and come to terms with a thing called respect.”Nick was speechless as he held his face and looked at the young rabbit. Not only did she hurt him physically but verbally too. There was a small part of his mind that was dying of laughter at the fact that he’d been KO’d by an adorable ball of fluff. She spoke of respect she earned in his head, he watched her storm off, and he felt the acute gazes of the mammals passing-by.Looking at his watch it was twenty past nine and deciding that he is probably now considered a bad example of a new officer, transferred or not. He hurriedly asked someone for directions to the chief’s office. He was off before they even finished their statement.The white tile gave way to green carpet as Nick searched for the name Bogo. The day so far has been filled with so many unexpected happenings the fox just wanted lay down and let it all sink in. He finally found the nameplate for Bogo’s office but stopped short of knocking due to a loud voice talking to someone. The other critter never spoke, and he wasn’t going wait at the risk of further being late. He knocked twice on the wood and cracked the door open.
-Let the operation begin-
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Judy’s heart was slowly sinking into her own little pit of despair as she stared at the entrance to Bogo’s office. She slid down into the overly large chair, allowing her ears to flop forward and hide her face. Her mind wasn’t even in the same room as the chief started speaking.“Officer Hopps meet Officer Nicholas Wilde, as of-“Nick interjected before the chief could continue“Nick if you will, only my dear mother calls me Nicholas and I don’t see her in the vicinity.”The voice had come from right next to her so she lifted one ear to peek.-Same orange fur, same muzzle, same green eyes,- Nick noticed her watching and she saw a grin form, showing his canines.
-Same annoying grin, yep that’s him-
After letting out a breath she straightened herself and focused back on Chief Bogo whose face was contorted with anger.“I don’t care what you want to call yourself, but don’t interrupt me again Wilde. You’re here because of the favor I owed your precinct head, don’t make me regret my decision,” he huffed.Nick on the other hand wasn’t fazed with his grin still intact his voice rang out,“Yes sir!” Anyone could tell he wasn’t serious at all when he said it though. Bogo’s hoof took its mantle at the bridge of his nose once more“As I was saying, starting today officer Wilde will be your new partner Hopps.”Judy blanched at the words now hanging in the air, she a minute to allow herself to process them one at a time.-Partners!- she was looking back and forth between the buffalo and the fox. Fate was having a ball, with her as it’s main entertainment. “But, Sir!” Judy stammered about to continue protesting when an orange paw jutted out in front of her face.“Nice to make your acquaintance Officer Hopps.”Judy turned to face the paws origin, whose face was now gentle with a genuine smile. With a little bit of guilt Judy decided to stand and shake the paw of her new partner.“Judy, please, welcome to precinct one officer Wilde.” She gave her best smile
-Maybe earlier was just a bad mishap of irritation, that or he’s a prankster. Give him a chance Judy.-
Normally she would be shaking with excitement, now that she had a partner, but unconsciously there was doubt squirming in the deep recesses of her mind.Chief Bogo finally spoke up, tired of waiting for the touching scene to end. “ Are you two done? There is still important information to pass along and I’d really like to get you out of my office.”The pair brought their gazes back to the buffalo, somewhat puzzled that there’s more to say.The next words were said with reluctance, “As you know on September 13th Smitty’s exotic motel was blown to pieces with seven found dead. Due to being short on officers, we have not investigated the scene properly , which is where you two will come in. Begrudgingly, I am assigning you to check out the scene along with Wilde.”Any thoughts rattling in Judy’s head were quickly washed away by a wave of new emotions. She had been at the ZPD for over six months with no action. If anyone were to look at her face now they would see sparkles in her huge eyes.-Finally! I finally get to do something besides those menial tasks that anyone could do!-Her excitement was hampered a bit, as the face of her mother popped up in her head.
“Judy, whatever you do, stay out of the spotlight as much as you can. It’s been years, but you are still important and don’t think for one second you won’t be targeted.”
Her words echoed clear as day, reminding Judy of her position.-I love you mom, but I can’t sit here and do nothing when I could be helping, its why I came here even though it was dangerous. -Taking a determined stance, Judy picked up the vanilla folder the chief had slid over to her. “ Everything we currently have is within the contents of that folder. I expect a detailed report on my desk when you’ve finished documenting everything. This is only an investigation Hopps, do not engage with any possible suspects that could be hostile, do I make myself clear”“Yes sir!” was her only response.“As for you Wilde, I expect the best of my officers. Do not be a disappoint to this station and your previous post. Do you understand?” The chief’s gaze was hard as he stared Nick down. Bringing a paw up to his forehead in salute the fox echoed Judy.“Yes sir.”“Good, now get out.”Judy hopped down from her highchair and joined Nick who was now leaving, she made a mental note not to step on his swishing tail. Now that they were out of the office Judy felt the weight of the Chiefs glare lift from her shoulders, slumping against the wall by the doorway. The body of red fur that was now her partner kept walking down the rounded hallway. She caught up to Nick planting herself right in front of him.“So, you couldn’t care to mention the fact that you were a police officer, which certainly doesn’t excuse your comments earlier, in fact it makes it worse” Judy found herself rambling and cut herself off. Nick had returned to his nonchalant attitude and was looking down at the rabbit. He took in a deep breathe before speaking.“Listen carrots~”“Judy” she interrupted.“Carrots,” he reconfirmed smugly, “First of all, you stormed off, second, I didn’t have to explain anything to someone I didn’t know, especially a little bunny who slapped me, if you recall. And third, my teasing did go a bit far, but you can be sure it won’t ever happen again.” The last part wasn’t said with a smile in fact Judy found it to be very cold.Nick sidestepped her and waved his paw “Ta-ta carrots.”
-Maybe it’s not too late to protest this partnership.-
Judy looked down at the case folder and back up in the direction her partner left in. Squinting she could still see his shadow against the curved wall. With a Huff, her legs started jogging after him soundlessly against the carpet.“Wait!” she managed to get out after catching him again“Ok look, I know we got off to a bad start earlier, but before you get lost, why don’t we start over and you let me show you around.”“I don’t need help Carrots,” he brushed her off.“Oh yeah, where ya going now?” she asked, skepticism in her words“To get my uniform.”“That’s in the opposite direction.” she pointed her ears toward the way they came.Nick paused mid-step and turned his head to look at the bunny“I knew that,” he said turning around completely“Uh-huh, just like I knew you were going to say that when you’ve been here for what? An hour? Your not that slick, slick.”“Alright, alright, lead the way carrots.” Judy was happy she got her way, as she lead her new partner through the corridor
~Detour time~
Judy walked nick upstairs all the way to the fourth floor, which was the pasteurized roof. The grass was still a lushes green billowing in the wind. The sky had turned overcast and the air was now cold making them both shiver.“Why are we on the roof.”“Because I am forcing you to go on my personalized tour of the ZPD building.” Judy smiled triumphantly.“I’m out.”Judy grabbed onto Nicks arm making him stop.“You might as well do it now while we have time to kill, think of it as my apology for earlier.”One long glance later Nick relented “ Fine but throw in a cup of coffee,” Judy’s ears perked up and she started dragging him back inside. The wind picked up and Judy just barely heard words being said from behind“I’m sorry for earlier too.” The voice was hardly audible, even to her sensitive ears, so she pretended not to hear it but accepted it in her head.About half an hour later, they finally arrived at uniform pick up, which happened to be near the lobby.“Sly bunny,” Judy heard her companion say.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” she said with a straight face.“uh-huh and I’m guessing you didn’t know that the direction I was heading was perfectly fine, when I was first trying to get here. It wasn’t just your way of getting me to follow you, so you can get what you wanted, by showing me around.”“Well I never said you were heading the wrong way, I just gave a light suggestion, it just emphasized the fact that you didn’t know where you were going” she smirked at the fox with her paws behind her back“and here I thought you were just going to be a dumb bunny from outback.”For a split-second Judy’s face twitched as if a sore spot had stabbed, reminding her of her origin. She laughed it off easily“Just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover, Now hurry up and get your uniform so we can start our investigation.” Casually backing away Judy left Nick to his own devices while she got her emotions in check.
She’d been steadily pacing the marbled floor when she heard her name being called“Judy! Hey Judes!” She turned to the direction of the voice realizing it was Clawhauser tucked contently in his circular reception desk. Walking over she saw that his desk was just as messy as the day before with clutters of donut, cereal and other snack boxes laying about. She found herself worrying about him sometimes with how overweight he was.“What’s up Clawhauser?” She hopped up to sit on the edge of the cluttered desk.“Don’t act like you don’t know what happened ealier, I saw all of it!” Clawhauser was wringing his paws in excitement“Who was that fox?! Why were you angry? Is it possible to get his number?” The last question made Judy drop her head in her paw with a groan“Clawhauser!”“Whaaat! You cannot say he isn’t handsome, with that nonchalant bad boy vibe. Oh by the way I also heard that you finally got your first case! Not as exciting but congrats! Here, have a donut.”He brought forward a box of donuts that was hiding under the front portion of his desk. An orange paw reached into the box from the side, picking out a blueberry donut.“Don’t mind if I do.”Judy looked down to her right and made eye contact with the paws owner. He had the navy blue uniform of the ZPD on. Clawhauser’s words came echoing back about Nick being handsome.~I guess Clawhauser’s right- She rolled her eyes at the thought From behind her, Clawhauser was squealing with twinkling eyes.“You’re working here! Hi, I’m Clawhauser, it’s nice to meet you. I was just trying to get Judy to tell me what happened between you two this morning. Maybe you can dish since she’s being tight-lipped.” He laid his head down on the desk while his spotted tail swung with anticipation.Judy’s ears grew hot as Nick promptly introduce himself and start recapping their chance meeting. She jumped down and moved behind the fox to push him towards the exit.“Time to go, see you later Clawhauser.”
~I refuse to let rumors start spreading, Clawhauser cannot keep a secret and I am already like a joke in this department.~
The cheetah looked sad for a hot second before he started munching down on donuts and talking to everyone who came by. Judy let out a sigh of relief as the duo continued toward the exit.“Now that wasn’t very nice Fluff, you can’t hog me all to yourself, what would the other mammals say?” Nick was grinning beside her“Sweet cheese and crackers,” Judy decided to ignore the comment, abruptly turning when she realized they needed to go get a cop car.“Just come on, we have a investigation to begin”As soon as the duo acquired their car, thick drops of rain began to pummel the windshield as they drove through Savannah central. The sky was a dreary gray and the wind was blowing the tree’s every which way. It was silent inside the vehicle as it sped down the roadway. Carefully, Judy peered sideways at Nick while keeping her attention on the street. He was looking out the window, starring at the mammals running away from the rain. His fur was a stark contrast against the black seat, and the green in his eyes were reflected in the window. To Judy the whole scene was oddly peaceful.
~So, he can make those faces too, he’s looks so different, even if I have only known him a couple hours~
“You should pay attention to the road, I’m not ready to die yet Carrots.”Judy jumped at the sudden sound his voice, focusing back on the thoroughfare. The rain was coming down harder and in the distance thunder could be heard.“You know what I’ve been wondering?” Judy’s ear turned at the sound of Nicks voice.“What made you decide to be a cop? I can tell your all geared up and ready to leap right into the action, but seeing as how you’re a “cute widdle bunny” I’m sure you must get treated like dirt. No one would take you seriously, not even to consider whether you could be great. If it were me I’d have given up, so Carrots, why a cop?”Out of the corner of her eye she could tell Nick was looking at her now, Ignoring the cute comment, she sighed, hesitant to speak“ I lost someone and I blamed myself because I couldn’t do anything. I became a cop to help people, so no one goes through what I did and in Zootopia, you can be whatever you want to be” ~In my case, whoever I want to be.~The expression Nick gave her was unreadable as he looked back through the window, gazing at the storm ridden sky.“Dumb bunny, you’ll find that this place likes to break mammals of everything including their hopes and dreams.”The hum of the car was the only sound between them until Judy finally said“I think it’s better to try then to give up all together.” her gaze was gentle as she looked over at the fox who lightly snorted fogging up the glass.The storm died down to a drizzle by the time Judy stopped the car in front of a now destroyed Smitty’s. The brown brick building was covered in scorch marks and the entire upper floor was demolished. Buildings right next to it did not escape unscathed as the sides showed signs of a fire.Getting out of the car, Judy allowed the scene to fully sink in before she made her move.
~Who in their right mind would do this?~
Nick joined her on the sidewalk, she noticed he was glaring at the scene before them. He looked down at her and tilted his head towards the door.“let’s go”Soundlessly they walked through what was once a doorway, but all that was left was pieces of the frame. The first floor of the building was covered in wet soot and fallen debris from the second floor. It looked as if someone had maneuvered the debris to make some walking space. The reception desk had been broken in several placesNick treaded ahead of her making a beeline for the desk. He was quickly rummaging through the parts that weren’t completely crushed. Pulling out a flashlight Judy went over to the left corridor, it was still intact except for a whole in the ceiling near the stairs. The carpeted stairs were almost completely destroyed, luckily, she was a light weight and very nimble. She cautiously crept up the stairs having to jump midway through due to a missing section.Once on the second floor she realized she bit more than she could chew. Although the first floor was clear it was only because the second had yet to collapse. She saw beams upon beams, all burnt to near ash. Bricks were tossed about and there was no clear way through.
~Guess I’m the only one small enough to make it up here, score one for the small critters~
Looking around Judy spotted an opening in one of the rooms to her left. She had to focus on the floor as to not step on any cracks on her way to the room. The room looked the same as everything else, burnt to a crisp and she only saw one way out. Near the corner where the bed was located was a hole that connected to the next room. Being short, she used the bed to grab hold of the edge and pull herself through.The ceiling had crashed down in the next room making her hesitate before softly landing. She quickly moved over to the door and managed to push it open just enough to squeeze passed. Judy was able to move easily through the rest of the darkened hallway
~The document mentioned that most of the victims were near and in room B7, which is…here~
She stopped in front of a room without a door and raised her flash light at the blackened walls. Glancing around there nothing that looked out of place or different than the previous rooms. The balcony portion of the room had fallen off bringing parts of the wall with it. Going deeper in she noticed a scorch mark that was darker than the rest and blasted upward by the busted heater.
~ If there was a charge in here then this entire incident could have been a set up, but why?~
She grabbed the camera from her utility belt and took snapshots of the entire room. She took shots of the hallway and the route she used to get there. Back downstairs the hallway lightened slightly from the sun coming out in the lobby. Judy could see Nicks camera flash down the other hall and was about to meet up with him when a blinding light hit her eye. It was coming from an enclosed part of the reception desk that was now broken open. The sunlight was hitting something reflective.“Hey Nick!” She yelled, moving toward the broken desk“What is it Carrots,” he shouted back from one of the rooms.“Come here, there’s something in the desk out here.”“I just checked that desk, things don’t just magically appear out of nowhere” His sing-song voice was getting closer to where she was now kneeling.“Well when I last checked, desk don’t have reflective surfaces on the inside. Think you can crawl underneath it and find some kind of compartment.”Nick complied, wordlessly disappearing out of her sight.His muffled voiced came through the wooden wall “Well well well Fluff, looks like we have ourselves a safe.”Judy hopped up and Nick popped up, tossing a book, money and a rolled sheet of paper on top of the counter. Surprised she raised an eyebrow at him.“How’d you get the safe open?”He shrugged “It was already open, must have happened from when the desk was damaged.”Nick proceeded to check out the large book he brought out while Judy examined the rolled up document. Nick’s voice broke the silence first. “This is weird, this is the ledger for the last two weeks, minus the victim’s name only one name has popped up constantly throughout. Not only that, but who puts a check-in ledger in a safe?” His face was scrunched in thoughtJudy placed the paper she had been holding down for Nick to see too.“Make sure you bag that. There’s also this which happens to be the blueprints of this building, from what I can tell there’s supposed to be basement” she pointed at the location on the page “I think an entrance was located inside but it must have been blocked by debris, It looks like there’s another out back.”With those last few words the duo headed outside to the back of the building. There were a couple of rusted out cellar doors protruding from the ground. Nick forced them open with a grunt and waved his hands downward“Lady’s first.” The gesture made Judy roll her eyes to the heavens, but she went first anyway. The steps on the way down were moist and slippery. The air smelled of mildew and she couldn’t see an immediate light source the further in she went. Her companion however, briefly vanished within the darkness and a bulb came on washing the room in a harsh white.He came back with a smirk plastered back on his muzzle “Seeing in the dark does have its uses, even if there’s not that much to see”Judy noticed that there really wasn’t much to see, just pillars of the foundations crumpling here and there. Right before she deemed the basement worthless, she saw an orb on the back pillar off to the left. It was black and too large to not be something important. Walking up to it she pulled out a small evidence bag and gentle retrieved it from its position. She almost dropped not because it was heavy but because of what was on it.
~It can’t be~
She couldn’t move her legs, wouldn’t budge an inch as a sweat started to form under her fur. Her heart rate increased, and her stomach dropped.
~of all the circumstances that could surround this case why is it this one?~
“You alright, Carrots?” Nick called over to her snapping her out of her tranceSwallowing she gripped the item in its bag and went back over to her partner “Peachy, I found something on the wall, take a look” she handed him the bag and brushed past him all in one movementNick followed her while examining the orb, they were back at the front of the building by the time he spoke again.“Hey Carrots, isn’t this the insignia to that huge trading corporation” Judy stopped, allowing her eyes to shut before turning around
~Be normal Judy, No one knows!~
“what insignia” her voice was tight but nick didn’t notice.“The one with two carrots making an x, its right here at the bottom of this ball” He held it up for her to see.Acting was one of the skills Judy considered important and right now it was her best asset. Peering closer at the small object she raised an eyebrow.“I’m not completely positive, we’ll have to make sure to mention it in the report.” She took a moment and offered him a small impressed smile. “Good eye officer.”An hour later they were back in the car, after deciding there was nothing else to be found. Judy was appreciating her job of wrapping the entire building in bright yellow caution tape. Her mood however was still on the fritz after their earlier discovery. She was silent as they drove back to the station, lost in her own head.
~I can’t stay on this case, but what would I tell the Chief? I can’t explain why I can’t stay on the case, I mean, that is if he even keeps me on this case. Why did that stupid company have to be involved, how is it even involved, moms going to freak out…maybe I shouldn’t tell her, ugh~
A cool breeze brushed against Judy’s cheek calming her, she noticed Nick had rolled down his window. The silence although awkward at first had become comfortable as both were carried away with the wind and their thoughts.
~He’s not so bad, at the very least he’s tolerable.~
He perked up suddenly and looked over at Judy with a glint in his eyes“Hey, what do you call a three-humped camel?” there was a pause then he said it “Pregnant”Judy groaned and the fox was so happy with himself.
~I take it back!~
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 4: Calm
It’s been a long time since Nick last had a real job. Yet, there he was sitting in Judy’s dreary grey cubicle, writing the report for their investigation. Judy had left him to his own devices which brought more silence and soft clicks of a keyboard. He wasn’t fully focused on the report as he went over all the evidence they found in his head. A slight mal ease settled in his stomach recalling the last few hours.He stopped typing, staring blankly at the computer screen until he finally laid back in the swivel chair; allowing his head to rest and his mind to delve into the events of the day. If there was one thing he had learned about his line of work, it was that it was never easy,
~This has to be a setup, First I run into her, well she ran into me. Then I’m assigned her partner and we just so happen to be working the exact case that set me up in the first place. It can’t be a coincidence my luck isn’t that good ~
Nick was acutely aware of the ticking sound of the clock on the wall to his left. There wasn’t much time left to his shift and the fox had just started to wonder where his target had gotten to. To him, she didn’t seem like the type to run off for hours leaving a newb to do all the work. Then again, he felt she would probably get caught up helping every mammal who asked nicely. He couldn’t stand overly righteous and enthusiastic mammals, mainly because of the dark pit he’d been living for most of his life. The words he had spoken in the car were a truth he felt she needed to hear. A couple more minutes passed before he went back to writing the report.An hour later Nick had finally finished putting in all the details to their case and Judy still hadn’t come back. Now Nick was annoyed as he saved the document and got up to wander the station. He figured if anyone knew where she was, it was the fat cheetah in the lobby. Although agitated, deep down Nick was glad she wasn’t with him, it allowed him the peace of not thinking of his mission, if only for a few seconds. He paused at the door that led to the roof, contemplating disappearing for a while. Before his paw could touch the door, he heard something that sounded like his name. Sure enough, as soon as he turned his head there was a mass of grey fur running toward him, hand waving in the air.
~So much for disappearing~
He sighed putting his partial façade back up. Judy was catching her breath before she was able to say anything“I’m sorry Nick for leaving for so long, I was asked to help with a new security drill and one thing wound up leading to another thing and then another and anyway I’m sorry” She managed to say all in one breathThe fox wanted to laugh because he’d been right, he let his features rest into a casual smirk.“Uh-huh, sure Carrots, thanks so much for leaving me with all the work while you ran off to play with your little friends, well big friends in your case. Just so you know I finished the report plus examined every inch of your computer while you were gone and I gotta say what I found was not the least bit surprising.”Nick found he liked teasing the bunny, it allowed him to see the personality behind the mask. In all retrospect, he did have a good look at the computer but only the physical portions. The look on her face spoke volumes however, and he now wished he would’ve snooped further. She thumped her foot in quick succession against the carpeted floor and closed herself off by crossing her arms. Her eyebrows knitted before she began talking“That is a breach in privacy, officer.” She was glaring daggers.Nick shrugged his shoulders and turned away from the fuming rabbit, “Come now Carrots, don’t get your cute widdle tail in twist, nothing could be found, at least on the surface anyway.”realization lit her features but soon turned into a scowl again. “Don’t call me cute!”“But it’s such a fitting description.” He said, his face mimicking fake surprise. He knew rabbits hated to be called cute from previous experiences, but he couldn’t help making a joke of her.“I don’t care how fitting it is, only bunny’s get to call other bunny’s cute.” She rolled her eyes exasperated.Nick was about to speak again, but she held up a grey paw to shush him.“As much as I am sure you would love to continue your mocking banter, we need to get back to work, we have two hours left and patrolling to be done and I cannot afford for another lecture from Bogo over minuscule things, such as not working.”The fox could tell Judy was being dead serious from the cold stare down she gave him. His smile trembled for just a second before letting out a sigh and following the leaving Bunny.
~ I hate going undercover! ~
A couple hours later and a thousand menial task completed the duo once again return to the station. With their shift finally ended, all that was left to do was to go their separate ways. Nick however, felt he needed more confirmation about his little bunny target. Near the exit where they first met Judy was heading out and this time when he reached out he caught her shoulder.“Not so fast Fluff, I believe you owe me the greatest cup of coffee a fox could ask for.”She looked back at him incredulously “ Now? It’s almost 7.”“You forget that I’m nocturnal.” He responded bluntly “And I don’t want some mediocre cup I want the best cup”Her face fell flat before her eyes drifted toward the heavens “Alright follow me your foxness, I know just the place, but I don’t think it’ll be to your liking.” She smirked as if she got one over on him.“I’m a very open-minded individual fluff, I can take any setting you could possibly place me in,” Accepting the unspoken challenge.“Uh-huh”, she started walking away again with him right behind her.Two bus rides and a ten-minute walk later they arrived at their destination. Nick froze at the site of a overly adorned coffee shop named Meowsies Coffee Love. There were so many different shades of pink it caused a gagging reflex in the fox. A big white cat with heart eyes lit up near the entrance with the menu written on a small chalkboard. From outside he could tell the inside was much worse but surprisingly packed with mammals. This was no place for a mammal such as himself.Nicks composure was immediately regained when he took note of all the couples floating about. He glanced downward at the same time as she glanced upward. There was a small smile tugging at her mouth making him raise a questioning brow at her.“I know you might be thinking the absurdity of this place speaks volumes, but I can assure you that of all the coffee I have drunk this place is currently number one.” All of this was said in a smug but completely serious tone. The fox chuckled gently, more to himself than at her, He made the first move towards the overly adorned café.“Carrots, I think I’m more surprised that you would even set foot in this place, let alone with someone like me. What will the other mammals think as we enjoy ourselves, who knew you could be so scandalous. We’re here now though so we might as well make the most of it, right sweetheart.” He turned just in time to catch a small twitch of her nose as she accepted the ditch she dug for herself and followed him in.The inside was just as he predicted, crowded with pink oozing from every corner. A couple of customers gave them curious glances as they entered the establishment. It was only a few paces to the counter where they were greeted by the spunky voice of a vixen.“Welcome to Meowsies where love is found in every cup, how can I help you today?”Nick was casually skimming over the menu while checking out the barista at the same time. She was a mix of deep oranges and soft grays with muddy hazel eyes. He never considered himself a player but he did enjoy the rarities of another’s fur against his own. Being an assassin allowed him access to hidden clubs and the sorts, but he found that many ladies in his line of work fit three generic categories. Dark, crazy, or haughty. It became boring rather quickly unless he managed to find one that was like Skye, whom he considered normal, at least for an assassin anyway. Thinking about it now however caused the fox to unconsciously roll his eyes at the idea of dating Skye.“Penny for your thoughts mister?” The vixen spoke in a more genuine manner. Nick picked up the tell tell signs of an accent. He huffed slightly amused, “ Nah, these thoughts aren’t worth such a luxury, but your time is another matter.”She flashed a toothy smile, “Well, if it’s about coffee I have all the time in the world.” Nick decided to put her in the interest category of his mind. From the corner of his eye he saw the small dead pan expression of a bunny burning holes into head, she blinked twice as if signaling him to hurry up. His amusement grew as he opened his muzzle again. “In your personal opinion, what is the best thing a fox could get from this fine establishment.”She became a bit sheepish suddenly as if she realized something, “I’ll give you my opinion but honestly I think your partner here knows more than I do, she comes in quite often, ordering something different each time.”Nick took a long glance at Judy who shrugged “You have to be able to try everything.” She looked up at the vixen with a smile, “And we only work together.”Nick gasped placing his paw above his heart in faux astonishment “ But, honey bunny, what about all those long hours of hard work we put into this partnership.”She looked incredulously at him “Oh please, as if nine hours could mend all the little nuances that originated from your muzzle alone, and don’t ever call me honey bunny again or I’ll find a way to put you under the jail.” She looked back at the barista, “I’ll have a carrot cake latte with blueberry muffin for here, I’ll be in my usual spot and please keep him as long as you want.”Just like that Judy flounced away, up a stair case made of a deep brown wood. The two foxes were staring after the rabbit until the vixen broke out in laughter. “I like her, there aren’t too many interesting mammals that come around here. She gives me a break from all the stuffy couples who waltz up paw in paw.”“She’s an open book, predictable but you continue reading for the fun.” Nick rested against the glass cased counter. The vixen raised a brow at him curiously.“Sounds like you know a lot, been friends long?”“Nah, we only met today, I just happen to be good at reading mammals.”The vixen grinned then and started working on a the complicated concoction Judy had requested. Nick could tell she’d been working there for a while, with how quickly she was handling the equipment.“Soo Mr. Good-at-reading-others, what can you tell about me?” she asked him while whipping milk into a froth. She was very relaxed as she gleamed at the fox with a soft grin. Nick looked at her from top to bottom and considered everything that’s happened so far before looking her in the eyes.“You’re not originally from around here, I’d say maybe the country side. You weren’t expecting to work here of all places but you’re a hardworker. I’d say your more on the down to Earth side of the spectrum with some spunk mixed in but not an open book like our dear bunny friend. However, I’d bet a new fox customer has piqued your interest.”She came back to the registered and rested two mugs down in front of him. She huffed amused“I’m impressed, Mr.?” She said the last part as a question“Nick. Nick Wilde”“Quinn, hope you don’t mind but I took the liberties of choosing a drink for you, after all you did ask for my opinion.”A deep blend of blueberries and carrots wafted up to his nose causing a slight twitch of happiness. No one knew blueberries was one his favorite things to eat and just through smell he could taste the ghost of them lingering in his memories. He wouldn’t say he’s been deprived but he was definitely lacking them more in his life.“If what my nose is telling me is true you’ll be seeing me more often than you’d like.”Quinn perked up with a sly smile, “ And how do you know what I would like.”Nick took hold of the two cups and started walking away while talking over his shoulder, “ Lets call it instinct.”With those last words he made his way up the stairs where Judy had disappeared. The first thing he took note of was that the lighting upstairs was much dimmer. There was an electric fireplace resting against the brick wall to his left. Small rounded lights hung above every table spotlighting a couple mammals here and there. The hard floor he was just on gave way to plush burgundy rug. This small area had to be the coziest place he stepped into in a very long time.It didn’t take him long to pinpoint the small bundle of grey back in the corner and buried nose deep in a book. He treaded over lightly thinking about how he’ll definitly be back during his little stay. Judy looked up as his shadow approached“Done with your flirt fest already, I was hoping she’d keep you longer.” She said cocking her head to the side.“Then you would never get your hands on this delicious cup of coffee in my paws, not that I would have complained”Nick carefully placed the mugs down as he sat across from her. It wasn’t long before the same silence that had filled the car earlier took hold. Judy went back to reading the book that had so captivated her, while he took a tentative sip or two of his coffee.-Wow, this is amazing, It’s official, I’m coming back here. - His ears perked up at the sound of Judy putting her book down and surprising him with a question. She was looking at him intently while picking up her coffee.“So, since you got to dig into my life a bit, why did you decide to become a cop. From what I saw after we came back your lacking in some key points in this gig, minor things really but it’s enough. Maybe your old place was very lax, but I need to be able to depend on my partner, everyone already underestimates me as it is.”Nick knew she had a point, her bringing it up caused a memory to come floating to the surface.
He was a young kit with his father sometime after they had been recruited. There were tears that matted his fur because of the rough training they put him through. His father had already been used to the pain and his face showed the regrets he held as he looked down at his son. Closing his eyes his father knelt down and handed him a few books that he’d been given for more training.
“Son, it’s going to be alright, I know it’s hard, I know your scared, but as long as I am here I will protect you the best I can. I have a surprise.”
His father patted his head and pointed at the books, they had the words police academy on it. His father decided not to tell him what exactly they were for at least not until much later. Nick stopped crying and looked back and forth from the books to his dad.
“When I was your age, I wanted to be a police officer, I wanted to fight crime and lock up the bad guys.” He chuckled, but his eyes turned sad “Look where I am now, but that’s not point, these books are standard addition policing books that every officer used in training and I am giving them to you.”
Nick picked up a book and started flipping through the pages, his father rarely gave him things, so he was curious. He landed on a page involving tackles and looked up at his dad again and said.’
“If I learn these can I become an officer and get us out of here.” His eyes were full of hope and naivety.
A shaky smile formed on his dads face and he patted his sons again
“Of course!”
Nick smiled sadly at the memory of the now fading features of his dad’s face and the youth he lost.
Of course I found out later it was ploy to cheer me up, -
Back to the present Nick realized Judy was still waiting for a response, so he decided to tell her the semi-truth.“I became an officer for my dad. He hasn’t been in my life for a very long time and it’s funny I can barely remember his face but right now it’s all I have. Whether I suck at it or not, if it keeps me focused I’ll be sure to improve in no time. After all I am a fast learner.”She let go of a breath she’d been holding, as if his answer could make or break their current partnership. Her eye’s fell ever so slightly before she spoke again“I’m sorry about your dad he must’ve been a great man”“Just so you know he’s not dead” Nick interrupted“I didn’t assum~” she stammered slightly but he gave her a look saying otherwise, he rolled his eye’s his lazy smile returning to his face.“A bit of a dramatic assumption Carrots,” He took another sip of his coffee and it was her turn to roll her eye’sAs she picked up her book again Quinn came bounding to their table, plates in both paws. She set them down causing Nick to raise his brow at the extra plate.“It’s on the house” was all the vixen said as she sashayed away.He looked down and saw a piece of pie in front of him, very fresh and oozing blue on the sides, it made his mouth water. He took a bite and everything in life was good again, there was no mission, no evil corporation, no targets, at least until he heard a giggle from the fluffball in front of him.“I think she likes you.” She said in a whisperNick gave her a pointed look, but lifted a note up that was underneath the plate “is the sky blue?”“Yes, yes it is.” Judy responded, and Nick genuinely chuckled, letting the conversation end.By the time Nick waltzed backed into his apartment evening had settled in. The room was pitch black and the rain that had stopped earlier had roared to life again in full force. it started as soon as Judy had parted ways with him. Now all his clothes clung to him and his fur dripped nonstop onto the wooden floor. Nick didn't care however. he just wanted to pass out into a cold sleep.Not even bothering with the lights he flung his clothes off and headed toward the shower. He was inches from the bathroom when he noticed a scent that was distinctly rabbit. His body went rigid not because someone broke into his apartment but because of how familiar the smell was.-Jack?- Nick turned around again to look at his apartment, everything was as he had left it. It didn’t surprise him in the slightest,-If it was Jack, I won’t know what he came for- Nick’s eyes darted to the window and he noticed the lock was still undone. He let his head hang in exasperation
- This day has been way too eventful; can I get a break at least-
He took a mental note while entering the bathroom to ask Skye to replace his window. Moments later steam bellowed about the bathroom fogging up the mirror and small window. Nick sat soaking in the tub letting the day sink in. He wandered off mentally staring at the tiled ceiling.
-This day made absolutely no sense, coincidence after coincidence especially now that someone broke into my apartment-
At that thought Nick sunk deeper into the water allowing it to surround his muzzle.
~ When was the last time I saw Jack….All I remember is Skye crying and a notice about an agent who had gone MIA. Of course, I put two and two together but still, why is he back? Where did he go and what does it have to do with this assignment? If it has something to do with this assignment. ~
The water had gone cold and Nick got out. Drying himself off before falling over into his bed. Nocturnal or not all he wanted was sleep, and sleep he did in a single heartbeat.
He awoke during a storm, the claps of thunder rattling the muraled windows. He was not at home he was on mission. The carpeted floors were as dark as blood and the walls shone with dancing shadows as the storm raged on. His father gave him an assignment to make sure the surrounding area was clear and that no one would disturbed his mission. He was shaking with anxiety and adrenaline since it was his first assignment. He wandered the halls opening and closing doors to clear the parameter. Nick had just finished closing one door when he heard the silent sobs of a girl. His ears perked to see where it was coming from when he saw the small silhouette of a mammal slowly creeping against the wall, instinctively he crouched down to stay hidden.
“Mommy! Daddy, I’m scared”
Nick had picked up from her soft mumbles even through the loud cracks of thunder. Distractedly he started to follow but someone came out of one of the rooms behind him. It was an older rabbit, her eye’s shone bright like violets. She gasped and paused when she saw him dressed in all black and that was when they both heard the shrill scream. Nick panicked and swiftly ran to knock out the mammal in front of him, he was too young, he couldn’t bring himself to kill her. Instinctually she dodged him and skirted pass running top speed down to corridor. Still panicking he ran after her but hesitated when he saw the small quick movements of shadows out the corner of his eyes. It was further down a connected hall and when he sniffed it smelled like his partner. Nick ran in his direction instead figuring two is better than one.
When Nick reached the next hall his partner was gone, his scent stopping further down the hall by a large dresser. The panic that coursed through him turned into adrenaline as he sprinted towards it. There was another scent muddled in with his, but Nick didn’t know whose it was it was too faint. As he approached the dresser his partners scent veers off but it lingered heavily near the piece of furniture. There were feelings of wonder floating about in his head as he tried to figure out why. One heat skip and Nick was slowly opening the dresser another heart skip and Nick closed it just as quickly understanding the situation. He moved away as quick as possible before he bumped into his father.
Nicks father was flustered and huffing loudly before speaking
“Did you see her, the kit” He spoke franticly
Nick didn’t know what to do, but he didn’t want to get his friend in trouble nor did he want to give away the secret he just discovered. So he did the one thing he felt he did best, he lied.
“No sir.”
It wasn’t the first time Nick had lied to his father, but it didn’t make him feel any better about doing it. His father flew into a flurry of curses and began to walk down the adjacent hall toward the direction of his partner. Nick heart couldn’t stop racing and he couldn’t help this feeling of dread bubbling in his stomach.
The scene changed it was a couple days after his last mission, his father had come to him early in the morning saying he was going away for a while and he didn’t know how long. There were two agents behind him dressed too formally to be from their department. Nick looked from them to his father eye’s growing huge
“Dad what’s going on?” His father wasn’t forthcoming with that knowledge and the two agents behind him started to cuff him and bring him out of the room. His father smiled meekly at him.
“Remember to take care of yourself son, no matter what happens I’m proud of you, I’m sure you’ll turn into a fine young man”
The agents behind Nicks dad yanked him back and was pushing him through the door. Nick jumped up to reach out to his dad but was blocked by the white paws of a polar bear. Tears began pooling in his eyes and matting the orange fur of his cheeks.
“Dad,…WAIT DAD…BRING HIM BACK!”,
Nick tried to wrestle his way past the polar bear long after his dad was out of view. The struggle was pointless, deep down he felt it, but it was all he could do before there was a sharp pain to head and darkness consumed him.
Nick’s eye’s popped open, he noticed he was wet with sweat or maybe it was water he didn’t know. His heart was racing as he took in the surroundings. Slowly he managed his breathing, slowly he calmed down allowing reality to come back. He turned his head to check out the green glow of his alarm clock.~2:05am.~ , He let out a breath and dragged a paw down his face~this mission sucks~