Chapter 1

“Officer Wilde reporting a 10-32 at Aloe and Main. Suspect is a coyote, approximately 4’6, wearing a black leather jacket and dark jeans. Requesting backup.”

Nick released his walkie and checked the tranq's safety, nodding to Judy. 

“Wolford and Fangmeyer are three minutes out,” she whispered, scanning the street. 

The two had been patrolling Sahara Square, the heat simmering off store fronts as the scorching dust buried itself in their fur. Turning a corner, Nick had spotted the possible glint of a gun tucked into the waistband of a rather angry-looking coyote.  He crept forward for a better look, hoping his eyes were playing tricks—that it was just imagination or an oddly placed piece of jewelry.

He eased up to the window and peeked over the sill. Inside, the coyote typed furiously at a computer, then stopped. He froze mid-keystroke, eyes snapping to Nick's reflection in the monitor. The coyote yanked out the gun, fired through the computer tower, and bolted out the back.

"Crap! Suspect's fleeing, heading south down the alley!" Nick shouted into his walkie as they bolted after him.  “All units, confirmed firearm! I repeat, confirmed firearm!” 

The coyote hit the corner, dropped to all fours, darting into traffic. Horns blared. Tires screeched. The officers bounded past a squealing mother clutching her piglet, staying close on the perp's heels.

“ZPD, watch out!” Judy shouted, weaving through the crowded streets of the marketplace. The coyote glanced back, tripped, and slammed into a skunk. Glasses flew as both mammals went down hard. The coyote huffed, scrambled up the chain link fence, and dropped down the other side. He hit gravel and slipped, loose stones scattering like marbles. Tucking into an awkward roll, he bolted into a construction zone that reeked of hot tar and sawdust.

Nick skidded to a stop and reached for the skunk, who waved him away. "I'm fine, go get that jerk!"

Up ahead, the coyote zigzagged through scaffolding, then froze. Dead end. He spun around, gun raised, snarling. “This WAS NOT how I–!” 

The coyote's words died as two large bunny feet connected with his muzzle. He yelped and flew backward, the gun clattering away. Blood ran down his snout as he sprang back up, snarling.

"You're gonna regret that, carrot muncher! I'll make you into stew!" Blood spattered the dirt as he lunged at Judy, claws extended.

Judy ducked and sprang back, just as Nick barreled in from the side.

Nick raised his arms in triumph as the coyote flew backward into the chain link fence. “Yippie Kaye mother—”

Before Nick could finish his taunt, the coyote was on his feet, cracking a fist across his jaw. “You two are a real pain. Talk about a reset, I’m going to reset you two into the ground.”

Judy caught Nick's eye and nodded toward the shipping container.

"Okay," Nick stood, holding up his paws. "Let's all just take a moment, yeah? This has gotten way more intense than it needs to be, right, Bud?"

“It would have been fine if you didn’t stick your dirty little snout where it doesn't belong!” He took a step closer to the fox, raising his claws to strike.

“Wait, wait, wait! Maybe we can work out a deal where everyone walks away! I’m open to discussing options!” Nick moved backwards.

“A deal? Does this look like a negotiation? You have no leverage here!”

Nick smirked. "I don't. But she does." He ducked and rolled as Judy launched off the shipping container, striking the coyote's back. The coyote flew across uneven dirt into a stack of wooden planks.

He groaned and slowly pushed himself to his feet. A gash ran down his arm, his snout already bruising. He spat on the ground, wincing as blood and a tooth coated the ground. He shook his head. "You shouldn't have done that, bunny." He stalked forward, licking the blood off his lips. "When I—" Cold steel touched his heel. He looked down and chuckled, spotting the gun by his foot. He snatched it up, aiming at Judy's forehead. “Goodbye, rabbit.” 

"Judy! No!" Nick yanked her behind him, covering his face as he braced for the gunshot.

Silence. Nick's ears rang in the sudden quiet. He opened his eyes, tasting copper where he'd bitten his tongue. He opened his eyes and watched as the coyote crumpled, revealing Wolford with his tranq raised and Fangmyer watching his back. 

They did a quick visual sweep before they moved in to secure the scene. “This is Officer Wolford. Send an RA unit to my location. Suspect is down, small tranq was used.” 

Judy scampered over, kicked the gun away, and checked for a pulse. The coyote groaned.  "He's down, but not fully out. Nick? You okay?" She hopped back to him. 

Nick stood frozen, paw on his chest, remembering to breathe. He blinked down at Judy and opened his muzzle. "Uh... y-yeah. Yeah, I... think I am." He shook his head with a shaky laugh.  "Next time you do a vault kick, aim for the face!" His laugh fell flat as he stared at the gun in the dirt.

Judy's ears lowered. She inched closer to Nick. A car horn honked somewhere distant. “A real gun. Nick, we’re not trained for this. Not really.”

His ear twitched. The silver handle glinted against dark dirt, half-buried from the scuffle, its weight somehow making the air feel heavier.

"This is bad. This isn't some bust we improvise our way out of. This is..." Nick kicked a bolt away, letting the weight of unspoken words linger. “It’s been, what, a decade since anyone even saw a piece like that in the city? From what I remember from my time with Finick, even the black market doesn’t move ‘em anymore.”

Judy’s ears twitched. “So how’d he get one? 

“I guess I always knew in theory guns are possible in the city… but I’d have bet my fluffy tail we’d never see one. I’d say it might be a little more than slightly alarming.”

Judy stood still as the wind whipped around her fur, an icy chill creeping down her back despite the warm summer sun. 

A groan behind them broke their focus. The coyote was coming to, paws cuffed behind his back, still looking drugged, with a small patch of gauze on his head from when he fell. He stirred and winced, shaking off the grogginess.

Nick crouched beside him with an easy smile. “Rough fall, huh? Want to tell us why you’re strolling around Zootopia with firepower?” 

The coyote snarled and snapped at him. 

Nick wiggled his eyebrows, grinning wider. “No? What if I promise to be your bestest friend?” 

"I wouldn't tell ya nothing even if you offered up the bunny as a sacrifice. Though one less prey in the world would be tempting," he spat.

Judy raised an eyebrow and shared a glance with Nick.

Wolford strolled over, the ambulance lights casting shifting shadows around them.  "Found this on him. Haven't had a chance to look at it. I'm going to help escort this guy to medical." He tossed a small black book to Nick.  "How could we possibly cause chaos while just patrolling?" Wolford mocked, waving a finger at them. “This is why I have trust issues when you tell me it'll be an easy shift with you, Wilde.” 

"It's not our fault that we find criminals and do actual police work. Tell Fangmeyer to get a new partner; hers is slowing her down!" Nick laughed as Wolford flipped him off and walked away. 

Fangmeyer shook her head as she reported to the medics.

Judy moved closer, glancing at the black book. As Nick flipped through it, she saw dates and times scribbled in shorthand, the pages coffee-stained and torn.

Nick stopped at the current month and showed it to Judy, his brow raised. "See, I mark my calendar too, but if I were a sloppier mammal, I might do something like... this. Looks important," He tapped the highlighted entry. The address and time for earlier that day were written in black ink, highlighted yellow, and circled multiple times in red.

"If you ever used those planning powers for good, the world might know peace." She took the book to look at it herself. "According to this, that meeting should have happened a few hours ago. We should find out what's at...1173 Palm View?" She frowned. "That's a glitzy area. What business would a gun-wielding criminal have there?"

"I'd ask him, but the medics just took him away. Not that he'd give us much. With the way he was looking at you, I'm not so sure he was joking about turning you into lunch. You think his rabbit stew recipe was passed down from his great-grandmother, or do you think he came up with it himself?” 

Before she could respond, an aggravated voice floated in from around the corner. ”I don’t need to go to the hospital, I'm fine! I gave you my statement. May I please go now?” 

Nick nudged Judy, then stepped around the ambulance with her. 

The skunk squinted and waved, limping toward Nick. “Officer fox! Please tell your friend I got shoved, not shot. I’ve been pushed around since high school; this isn’t new.”

“Sir, you’re limping,” the EMT stressed.

The skunk crossed his arms in annoyance. He was on the smaller side, wearing a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, a blue polo, and tan khakis. “The limp? Old injury. AV club in high school is more dangerous than one might think.”

“Sorry, sir, we just like to be on the safe side. Just sign the release and we'll let you go, but please, if you aren’t feeling great for any reason, contact a doctor, okay?”

“I’m fine. Honestly. This is the last thing I needed today. My boss is going to kill me,” he grumbled, looking at his watch.

Nick tipped his head as he walked over. “Crazy boss? I got one of those. I like to push his buttons, see how close to a mental breakdown I can get him.”

The skunk gestures vaguely back towards the city center. “You have no idea. We’re in final integration for that new ZPD-net upgrade and everything that can go wrong, is going wrong, and my boss is one problem away from ending up on a psych hold!” Max took a breath, reaching up to adjust his glasses. “Not to mention the bureaucratic nightmare of installing all these systems are. It’s like the ZPD has forms for their forms! Now I’ve been tackled mid-coffee run. So, yeah. Fantastic day.”

Judy’s ears perk up. “ZPD-net? You’re with RooVault? I think I’ve seen you at the precinct.”

“Lead tech, actually. On the new facial recognition software,” the skunk says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Max Stripewell. We’re practically coworkers, I guess. I was actually just on the way back from your precinct. Jen called, and it seems the reporting software is being buggy again. I got sick of waiting for the remote connection to be approved and figured I would head down in person. Ask for forgiveness later and all that.” He manages a small, tired smile. “You guys get the fun part. I just get error logs and not enough caffeine.”

Nick chuckles. “Tell me about it. When it works, it’s great, but half the time the damn thing is crashing. If you find a way to get rid of all the red tape in the word give me a call.”

Max genuinely laughs at this. “Don’t think I’m not tossing around a few ideas myself! Gotta figure out what the real world equivalent of ‘turn it off and back on again’ is. The reporting software isn’t even my department! But I was asked to assist so here I am. Listen...” He fumbles in his pocket and pulls out a business card. “This was a mess, but you handled it great. If you ever have issues with the new system, give me a ring. I can at least point you to the right mammal to yell at.”

“Max Stripewell?” Nick raised an eyebrow, studying the card. “Fitting.”

“Yeah, almost as on the snout as a rabbit named Hopps,” he huffed.

Nick barked out a laugh, giving the skunk a paw shake. “That's fair. Anyways, thanks for the contact info. Always helpful to know everyone.” He tucked the card into his wallet.

Judy stopped next to Fangmayer, a few feet away from her partner. “Did you already call it in to Bogo? I have a feeling he’s going to want to be kept up to date to the minute on this one.”

Nick slid into Fangmeyer's cruiser and opened the laptop. "Hey, Fangs, I'm gonna submit my report on your laptop. Hopefully, the system cooperates this time, and it goes quickly."

Fangmeyer waved him off, turning back to Judy. “Yup. He was less than amused at having a gun show up on his watch. He wants to fast-track the CSU report and get this guy booked ASAP for questioning by one of the detective units, but said for us to keep working together on canvassing and seeing what else we can find in the field. You two are just about done with your shift, right?”

Nick opened up the reporting software, navigating to the reports section. He typed out his badge number and filled out the brief description of what happened. A cartoon gazelle assistant popped up. "It looks like you're trying to file a weapons incident report! Would you like help?"

Nick clicked yes.

"Great! First, let's verify you're not a robot. Please select all images containing fire hydrants."

After the captcha, the form refreshed, erasing everything he'd typed. The gazelle frowned apologetically. "Oops! For your security, sessions expire after 5 minutes of inactivity. Let's start over!"

"Oh come on! It's only been sixty seconds! Is Max still here?" He glared at the screen. "I really hate these updates."

Fangmeyer walked over and leaned against the door. "Hypothetically, if I take it and log it all, would you pick up my shift next week?"

Nick watched the cartoon gazelle mock him from the blank screen. “Toss in lunch next shift and we have a deal.”

"Fine, but I get to pick the place." She gave him a fist bump and walked away.

"Looks like we have the evening free." Nick rubbed his snout as he slid out of the car. “Gotta say, it's very much needed after a shift like this one. Movie night?”

“Movie night,” Judy agreed.

The sun had set by the time the final scene played on the laptop between them, the room lit only by the screen's blue glow and filled with the buttery scent of popcorn. 

“Why do they always have exactly one bullet left in scenes like this?” Nick asked, tossing popcorn at the screen.

On screen, the small rabbit with ink black stripes on his cheeks had just retrieved his gun and checked the mag. It was empty, save for one last bullet.

Huddled behind a dumpster, Jack frantically tore the sleeves off his tuxedo jacket, wrapping them around a deep gash on his arm. His shirt hung in tatters, exposing bruises and blood-stained fur to the cold air.

Peering cautiously around the edge of the dumpster, the shadow of a wolf loomed against a nearby wall. 

Jack peered to the right, whispering into his earpiece, “Relax, Luther. It’s way worse than you think.” He grinned, cocking the pistol as his ear perked up.

"Come out, Jack. I can smell you. This is the end, I've trailed your blood," snarled the wolf, drawing nearer.

 A wry smile spread across Jack's face. He raised the gun. With a grunt, he dove out from behind the dumpster, firing a shot into the night. The wolf looked down at himself and laughed. “Looks like you missed. Now I know you don’t like to lose, but it’s time to accept defeat.”

“You sure about that?”

With a loud crash, the car carrying the arming device crashed through the alleyway, slamming into the back of the wolf, sending him flying as Jack dove to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed himself. 

Judy groaned as she gestured towards the bunny flying through the air on screen. “Okay, it was holding up... until that happened. You have one bullet left, and you take a wild shot at the getaway car, hoping it kills the driver, AND hoping he swerves to hit the other bad guy?"

Jack landed gracefully, tucked and rolled, then turned to face the wolf who lay motionless under loose bricks, a sedan balanced on top, tires still spinning. Behind the wheel sat a weasel, a single bullet hole between his eyes. He growled through heavy breaths, “And I think you don’t know Jack.”

The rabbit re-holstered his gun, brushing off a few lingering bits of dust and straightening what was left of his jacket, before turning to walk out of the alley and into the night, his figure disappearing into the shadows.

"Okay, that was ridiculous." Nick closed the laptop as Judy turned on the light. He stretched his muscles, still aching from the earlier tackle, his jaw tender where the coyote had connected.

“It wasn’t that bad. I kind of liked the fight choreography,” Judy said.

“That line alone should be a crime. Honestly, I’ve seen much worse, although I don't think I'd list it as one of my favorites. It wasn't bad. It was just kind of a basic spy movie, a bit unoriginal,” he conceded, tilting his head as he stared at the credits.

A piece of popcorn bounced off Nick's muzzle. “It was fun! You're just speciest against bunnies, aren't you?" Judy grinned, paws brushing the fox tail in her lap.

“Oh, you know me. I am just disgusted by bunnies. Can’t even be in the same room as one, they are just so repulsive!” He chuckled, flicking his tail to smack Judy’s side. “I just feel they could add a little more plot to the movie. It wasn’t bad, just... the villain felt flat.” 

Nick pushed off the bed and stretched, yawning. "Granted, it's one of Jack Savage's earlier films. They were still figuring out what they wanted him to be." He scratched behind his ear. “Weirdly, I wish it had more inaccuracies. What stuck out to me was how realistic some scenes were. Maybe someone's making extra cash as a consultant?"

 “I noticed that as well. You think if they have a consultant, that it’s someone we know?”

“It's for sure Bogo’s side hustle.” Nick snorted. “Still… some of those takedowns? That’s not movie choreography. Someone trained that bunny.”

She hummed in mock agreement, gathering the thrown popcorn kernels into the bowl. "What's on the list for next week's movie night? We did something recent this week, so maybe something classic? I still haven't seen 'Alien,' even though you keep bugging me about it when you're the one in charge of the list."

"I needed to make sure you had enough culture to appreciate it properly. It was my father's favorite. Can't have you disrespecting it with your pop culture ignorance." He replied.

Judy sat up and tilted her head towards him. “So that’s where the movie obsession started?”

"From my dad?" He slid the laptop carefully into the bag. "Yeah, I guess so. Movies were always something special in the Wilde household. And he…”  Nick hesitated, wrapping up the charging cable. “He was a real film buff. Every Friday night, without fail, we'd have our little movie night. Just the two of us, a big bowl of popcorn, and whatever VHS tape he'd managed to get his paws on that week."

He chuckled softly, lost in the memory. "Sometimes it was the latest blockbuster—obviously always a very legal copy, I assure you. Other times, some obscure foreign film he'd found. I kept it up even after he was gone."

He chewed his bottom lip, then shook his head, slinging the laptop bag over his shoulder. "Now I get to continue it with you." 

The words immediately made Judy teary-eyed. Nick laughed softly and let her hug him, patting her head with an eye roll.

Judy smacked his chest with a snort. “Thank you. I feel honored to continue the tradition with you.”

"Yeah, well, no one else has been worthy since my dad." A soft smile tugged at his lips as he looked away. “So, uh, as a member of the bunny species,  what did you think of Jack Savage?” he asked, changing the subject away from himself. 

Judy sighed and let him change the topic. “I thought Jack Savage was cool. Nice to finally see a bunny in action movies.”

Jack Savage wasn’t new to the movies, but his popularity had spiked after the Nighthowler conspiracy two years ago. Nick would swear that it was Judy's fault. How could anyone call a bunny action hero unrealistic when Zootopia had the real deal?

Judy would never call herself a hero. Just another cop in the badge. Danger came with that badge, and she did what needed to be done.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Should I be worried about some competition, Carrots?"

"Please." Judy scoffed and punched his arm, then went back to picking at the comforter. "As if any fictional character could compete with my real-life partner. Though your one-liners are worse than his."

Judy laughed as she failed to duck from the empty water bottle that Nick tossed at her gently.

"Hey, your dad thought I was hilarious last time we visited! Just hoping you don't take inspiration from these movies and pull even crazier stunts. We already give the Chief reason to drink most nights."

“Do you think we should buy him another bottle?" It was a running joke that the Chief barely touched alcohol before Hopps and Wilde joined the force, a joke he'd started himself. After one shift where they'd taken down a bath-salts lion that two larger officers couldn't handle, Bogo declared he'd need something stronger than Advil. Wolford claimed he had done the heavy lifting and just "tired the guy out" for them.

Nick shouldered his laptop bag. Both phones chimed, and they shared a look. Nick read the message and barked a laugh. “What the hell are the chances? Okay, universe, very funny. You're not even being subtle anymore.”

“This has to be a joke. Did you do this? Who did you pay?” Judy asked, glaring at Nick.

He shook his head and held up his phone. “This isn’t me, I swear! It’s the best coincidence of my life, that's for sure.”

Judy stared at the phone in her lap, rereading the message. ‘Palm View address Belongs to Jack Savage. Please interview first thing in the morning. – Bogo’

Nick leaned against the wall, chuckling as he rubbed his temple. “Well, Fluff, I think that's enough cinematic masterpieces for one night. Same time next week?"

"Yeah, of course." Judy yawned.

"Hey, Fox! Did you enjoy the movie?!" came a muffled yell through the wall.

Judy sighed as her neighbors' voices pierced through the wall. If she were being honest, this place was becoming more headache than the charm she once thought it had.

"It was okay for a mindless action flick!" Nick shouted back. 

She shook her head, ears lowering. “Nick! Don't engage! I swear, I need to find a new place.”

"You know, I was gonna wait to mention this, but I've been thinking the same thing. This apartment is awful. I’ve seen broom closets in Little Rodentia bigger than this.”

Judy side-eyed him. “Your charm never ceases to amaze me.”

"Mine's not much better! It's one of the few places that rivals yours for 'worst place to live in Zootopia.' But if we pooled our money, we could find somewhere closer to work with way more space for about the same price." He counted off the advantages on his fingers.

"You know, you might be onto something, Slick. This place has served its purpose. You sure you'd be up for moving in together, though? I mean, bunnies are social creatures, but I know you cherish your personal time."

Nick's ears perked. "I haven't gotten sick of you yet! Besides, think of the possibilities. We could find a place with actual walls between rooms, maybe even a kitchen that fits more than one mammal at a time... or you know... is more than a microwave on a nightstand."  He jerked a thumb at the microwave in the corner. “Seriously, did they advertise that as a kitchen? That’s beyond a hustle, that's a straight-up scam.”

Judy shot a look at the trash can in the corner of her "kitchen," filled with 'Carrots for One' packages.

“I paid for both the microwave and the nightstand it's on," she retorted. “Minimalist lifestyle and all that is in, right?”

“Minimalist, yes, completely and utterly void of everything, no. That's just sadness re-gifted in a pretty package.”

“Okay, yeah. It’s pretty bad.”

Nick pushed off the wall. "I have contacts with places lined up. We can look after work tomorrow if you're free."

"It's a date then." The words were out before she could stop them. Judy froze. "I mean, not a date date. Just a… You know, a friend date? With a space in the middle, of course."

Nick raised a brow, smile twitching. “Are you quoting me now?”

Judy blinked. “Wait—was that—oh.”

“Mmhmm.” He reached for the popcorn, as casually as could be. “Didn’t know I was that quotable.”

"Well, don't get used to it." She grabbed the soda cans a little too quickly, busying herself with cleanup.

Nick chuckled.  "Don't worry, Carrots. If this were a real date, I'd at least iron my shirt and pretend to care about your favorite dumpling."

"Har. Har. It's the garlic chive ones, for the record." She rolled her eyes. “Not that it matters. Because it’s not a date.”

"Obviously." His tone was utterly deadpan. "Two cops investigating urban cuisine and rental markets. Textbook police work.

Judy sighed. “You’re exhausting.”

“And yet, strangely irresistible.”

“Good night, Nick,” she said, ushering him to the door with a shove.

He stepped into the hallway and grinned over his shoulder. A quick flash of a blush warmed his cheeks, hidden by his red fur. “Sweet dreams, partner. Don’t stay up too late obsessing over how platonic this is.”

"I hope you trip over your ego on the way out!" The door clicked shut.

Judy leaned her forehead against the door.

“With a space in the middle,” she murmured. “Right.”