The Fire Triangle, A Zootopia Fanfiction -- Part One: Fuel - 5

Disclaimer: Zootopia stories, characters, settings, and properties belong to the Walt Disney Co. This story is written under Fair Use Copyright laws.

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The Fire Triangle-A Zootopia Fanfiction

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Part One:

Fuel

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Chapter 2 - Taking The Bull By The Horns

(pt. 1)

Nick Wilde was back in uniform again, leaning casually against the wall beside a door marked, 'ZPD - Females' Lockers'.

While he waited for Judy Hopps to appear, the fox recited a line to himself, each time giving it a slightly different inflection, as if rehearsing for a play.

"I know what I saw, Nick. I know what I saw, Nick. I know what I saw, Nick. I know what I saw, Nick."

His recital ended quickly as Judy Hopps came through the door, also in uniform.

...and turned, smiling sweet venom at the fox.

"I know what I saw, Nick." She told him, in a soft, sultry, satiny purr, "and I heard that and you're not funny."

She wheeled a 180 and walked away, casting a cheerful face in every direction but her partner's, as if to inform the world, "Look everybody, SEE how I'm ignoring him?"

Nick sighed, shook his head, and caught up to her.

"All right Carrots, I had my fun. But you saw...what, an animal gone savage; something that hasn't happened in almost two years now?"

Judy stopped and thumped her foot on the ground.

"I know what I saw!" This time her voice was as firm as solid oak.

Nick pretended not to hear her.

"And then you saw him again, less than a minute later...completely normal?"

That finally got her to look at him again.

"I never said it was Howell. It could have been..."

"No Carrots," Nick interrupted her gently, "There was only ONE wolf in that alleyway and that wolf was Officer Tad Howell." As if anticipating her response, he tapped the side of his muzzle, "The nose knows."

Judy sighed in resignation...but not defeat.

"All right, but you know as well as I do that there's an antidote for Nighthowler now."

Nick was especially ready for THAT one.

"An antidote so secret, even the name is kept under wraps," he reminded her, "and the last of the Nighthowler extract was destroyed right after Mayor Bellwether started her prison term. And she's still behind bars if you recall."

"But Doug isn't." Judy countered him archly ...and now it was the fox's turn to look in every direction but his partner's. Like it or not, she was right. While his two chums Jesse and Woolter were later apprehended by the ZPD, Dawn Bellwether's chemist-cum-sniper was never caught. A brick by brick search of the tunnel where he'd last been seen had turned up not even so much as a strand of the rogue sheep's wool.

However Nick Wilde wasn't put off quite that easily.

"Okay, then why would he want to...?" He halted abruptly and changed direction, forming a 'T' with his paws, "Wait, hold it, full stop."

It was time to lay down his trump card.

'Tell you what Carrots, I'll admit you're right if you can explain just one thing to me. How is it that an animal gone savage SPOKE to you and then backed off?"

Judy winced and looked away, sucking air between her teeth as if she'd stuck herself with a cactus thorn. This was the one question she couldn't answer and both of them knew it. Animals darted with Nighthowler couldn't even reason, much less communicate; the only thing they understood was, 'If it moves, attack it!'

But still...

"All right, I don't know." she conceded-and then immediately went back on the offensive, "But can YOU explain what did that to our hippo? Ughhhh, did you get a look at that hot mess?" (She already knew that he had.)

Nick tilted and rolled his muzzle in that annoying manner of his.

"Okay, you know what? Now you're reaching; he crashed through a brick wall, for crying out loud!"

Judy's nose began twitching rapidly.

"That's not what he said to ME...and that's not what I saw when he opened the truck door."

"Well it's what he said in his statement, Carrots." Nick could feel his upper lip starting to vibrate; didn't she EVER let go? "And you saw him in that doorway for what, maybe two seconds before he closed it again."

He regarded the ceiling for a second and drew in a long breath. It was no use; he was going to have to tell her what he knew-but not here, not out in the hallway where they might be overheard. Luckily there just happened to be an office door right beside them, lights off, and apparently empty. Just the same, Nick was taking no chances. He knocked, waited for an answer and then knocked again; still no response. Opening the door by only a sliver, he ducked inside and motioned for Judy to follow. Her ears and eyebrows both shot upwards, but then she hurried in after him and closed the door,

She found Nick leaning his back against the desk, bracing himself up with his paws and facing away from her.

"Carrots," he said, not looking in her direction, "What I'm about to tell you is something us predators don't like to talk about, so I'm asking you please, not one word to anyone else about it, okay?"

Judy felt herself softening; she knew that tone of voice; the first time she'd heard it was when Nick had told her how he'd come by his mantra, 'Never let them see that they get to you.'

She went over and took him by the arm.

"Nick, you know you can count on me," she said, and then, as if to prove it, she put her right paw over her heart while raising the other one, "You have my word Nicholas P. Wilde, whatever you say here stays here, I promise."

The fox couldn't help smiling; that was his Judy, ever the bunny-scout. He pushed himself up off the desk and turned to face her.

"Carrots, you may not know this-heck, I'm SURE you don't know this-but it's possible for a predator to go savage without any help from a Nighthowler dart."

She took a step backwards, looking stunned.

"Not crazy-savage," he added quickly, raising his paws, "Not like Manchas or those animals we saw in the medical lab, and the effect is only temporary, not permanent or until you're given the antidote."

Seriously?" Judy was staring at him with her nose twitching.

Nick drew an invisible 'X' across his heart

"Perfectly, Carrots; it only happens once in a blue moon-but it DOES happen. Sometimes, when a wounded predator finds him or herself cornered, with no way out but to fight their way out, it can set off something called a TSE."

Judy looked at him even more curiously.

"A TSE, what's that?"

"A Triggered Savage Episode," Nick told her, and then looked at the window shades for a second.

"And you thinks that's what I saw?" Judy asked him.

He mulled it over for a second before answering

"Honestly, I don't what you saw Carrots, but the way you described it, it sure as heck SOUNDED like a TSE-and those were almost the perfect conditions for it. Howell was injured, check. He was trapped, check. And there was a hippo coming at him with an iron pipe, double-check." He looked at her earnestly. "Do you understand now?"

"I-I think so, Nick," Judy answered him, pulling thoughtfully at her chin for a second. "But what I still don't get is, why's it such a big secret?"

The fox sighed and leaned against the desk once again.

"Because if a predator has a TSE, everyone starts looking at him differently from then on; they're afraid to get close him and don't want to be around him. I know this is going to sound a little over-dramatic, but if word gets out that Tad Howell had one, it could be the end of his career with the ZPD."

"But the same thing happened during the Nighthowler crisis." Judy raised her paws in protest, "Everyone was shying away from predators back then. But they all got over it afterwards."

"That was different Carrots." Nick was shaking his head, "Everyone knew afterwards that those episodes had been set off deliberately-and by something that could make anyone go savage. But before that, when it looked like it was only predator species and that the episodes were happening spontaneously, how did everyone react to it then?"

Judy could only nod at this. She knew exactly what it had been like; that time on the metro train, when she'd watched a mother rabbit pulling her kits away from a tiger that was just sitting and minding his own business. Was that what it would be like for Officer Howell if it became known that he'd had a Triggered Savage Episode?

Well SHE wasn't going to be the one to make it happen, the bunny cop told herself with stiffening resolve. Tad Howell was a good officer, and what the heck else was he supposed to have done, just lay there and let that hippo work him over?

"Okay Nick, now I get it," she said, laying a paw on his arm again, "And I won't say another word about it, not to anyone." As if to emphasize the point, she extended her other arm straight out from her side, pantomiming the act of letting something fall to the floor. "Subject dropped."

Nick patted her paw and forced a smile, "Not quite Carrots, as Chief Buffalo Nickel would say there's still one more item on the docket-and the answer to your question is no, it never happened to me."

Judy gave him a lopsided smile of her own.

"You know fox, there's only one thing worse than partner who doesn't understand you."

"What's that?" he asked.

"A partner who DOES understand you," she said, and then clasped his arms and looked up at him. "Thanks Nick, I know how hard it was for you to tell me that; thanks for keeping me from acting like a dumb bunny...again."

His expression became suddenly dark and grave.

"Uh Carrots, I don't know if this is a good time to tell you this, but..."

Alarmed, Judy interrupted, "What Nick?"

He winked and his face turned instantly impish.

"You were never a dumb bunny."

Judy groaned, but couldn't keep from smiling.

"Oh, you!"

Someone knocked on the door-and then opened it without waiting for a reply.

"Excuse me Dr. Hocico, but..."

It was Francine Trunkaby.

She pulled up short, catching her breath and then staring at the fox and bunny with small, hard eyes

Nick and Judy hurriedly let go of each other, realizing too late that this only made it look even more like they'd been up to something when the door opened. Judy would later be grateful that at least they'd resisted the temptation to protest, "This isn't what it looks like." That would have REALLY confirmed their guilt.

It didn't seem to matter to Officer Trunkaby; her broad face darkened with contempt-and at the same time, it seemed to light up like a Christmas display. Judy could almost hear her thoughts, 'Oboy, wait'll I tell the gang about THIS!"

She wanted to crawl under the desk and stay there for the next ten years; of all the officers who could have walked in on them, it just had to be the one who thought the Rafaj Brothers were too easygoing in their attitude about predator/prey relationships.

But then Nick Wilde folded his arms and met the elephant's gaze measure for measure.

"If you don't mind, Officer Trunkaby, we were having a private conversation; and why did you just walk right in here instead of waiting for an answer after you knocked?" he narrowed his eyes zeroing in on her oversized ears, "You weren't by any chance listening in on us, were you?"

Trunkaby darted her eyes away for a second, upwards and to the left....and Judy realized with a start that this was exactly what she HAD been doing. At once the bunny's embarrassment vanished and she was reaching inside her pocket, fumbling for her trusty sidekick.

"I couldn't hear what you were saying." The cow elephant tried to protest, and Nick's paws went straight to his hips.

"Oh riiight, as if that makes any difference; you know how the Chief feels about eavesdropping on fellow officers."

Judy knew that tone of voice as well, and as far as she knew Chief Bogo had never expressed any sort of opinion on the subject; Nick was bluffing.

But it was a good bluff; Francine hurriedly raised her hooves, "It's your word against..." she started to say, but then stopped abruptly when she saw Judy waving her carrot-pen in the air.

The air around the elephant seemed to darken or a second, and then she quickly turned to leave...but not before determining to get in the last word.

"And you know how the Chief feels about disobeying his direct orders." She countered, pointing with her trunk at the fox and then the bunny, "If either one of you think you're going make detective after THAT little stunt, think again."

She slammed the door and stalked away, causing the floor to tremble with every step she took.

Nick sighed and looked at Judy.

"Did you get any of that?" he asked, nodding at her carrot pen.

"No, didn't have time to switch it on," the bunny cop answered putting it away; one good bluff deserves another.

Then she said, "Listen Nick, if she's right and we're in trouble for leaving the command truck against the Chief's instructions, I want you to know that I'm taking full responsibility."

The fox's reaction nearly blew her through the back wall of the office.

"Like HECK you are Carrots!" He almost snarled, "Nobody put a gun to my head and made me follow you out of that truck. I'll take my own lumps for my own actions, thank you very much."

Judy leaned towards him, face hardening. "Don't give me that Slick, I know you. You only came after me because you weren't going to leave me to face that hippo all by myself."

Nick poked himself in the chest.

"Darn right I did, Carrots. That's what good partners DO-they stick by each other when the going gets roughest. And don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing for me if it had been the other way around."

Judy spread her arms in exasperation.

"Nick there's no reason we should BOTH lose our chance at making detective."

"Yes there is, fluff." The fox responded, and then surprisingly he turned away from her once more.

"If I make detective and you don't, then we won't be partners anymore; the Chief will pair me with someone else." His voice had descended to a near mumble.

Judy stopped, blinked, and blinked again; she hadn't thought of that, the fox was right.

He turned to look at her over a shoulder.

"And if I have to choose between making detective with someone else or sticking with you as a regular cop, then there's no contest, Carrots. You got me into this and you're my partner, first, last, and always."

"Oh Nick," Judy reached to lay a paw on his arm, but then stopped herself at the last second. Wouldn't it be just their luck to have someone ELSE walk in through that door right now?

"Okay," she told him, summoning up as much resolve as she could muster, "Then let's get our tails to roll call and face what we have to face together."

At the entrance to the precinct lobby, Judy stopped for half a second, bracing herself. By now everyone in the building must know about that kiss Nick had given her.

And it would be the command truck all over again; snickers and murmurs and sardonic looks, coming at them from every quarter.

Not this time. Instead when the fox and bunny entered the foyer, everything was business as usual in ZPD Precinct One. Nearly all the other officers were too wrapped up in their own affairs even to pay attention to her and Nick. Of the few glances they did receive only about half were looks of amusement and/or scorn.. One or two of the others actually nodded approvingly and Gaby Fangmeier even raised a salute with her coffee-cup. Judy felt herself relaxing; maybe the razzing wouldn't be that bad after all.

Checking in at the reception desk, they found Benjamin Clawhauser keeping company with his favorite morning treat, a box of Zombie Doughnuts. Unusual for him, he was ignoring the fried goodies and concentrating instead on a tablet held in a pair quivering paws, staring at the screen so intently, he seemed to be trying to will whatever was pictured on it into existence.

Nick hailed him first and Judy followed.

"Top of the morning, Clawhauser."

"Morning Benjamin."

He ignored both greetings, instead practically thrusting the tablet into their paws.

"Hey guys, have you seen this? Ooooo!"

The tablet was built for a large-sized mammal size, but in his haste and excitement Clawhauser somehow forgot. As a result, Nick and Judy nearly dropped the pad as soon as they took hold of it. (In their paws, it was nearly big as a picture window.) Working together they managed to heft it back upwards and tilt it vertically. What the heck had been holding that cheetah so enraptured?

It turned out to be Stagslist ad. The opening banner read,

Direct from Zao City - Gazelle Japanese Tour Shirts!

And below this was more text

Oops, Big Mistake

On Gazelle's last tour of Japan, somebody accidentally doubled the order for tour shirts, and now you get the benefits.

Incredible artwork, by Saburo Miyusagi (Furry Tale) voted one of Japan's Top Ten Manga Artists by Tokyo Go! magazine.

Available In Most Species Sizes.

Three Different Colors - Red, Blue and Black.

You'll want to hurry up and get in early, at the Meerkat market last weekend, we were sold out before noon.

Underneath the text were front and back images of one of the shirts, and now Judy was impressed. If anything, that pitch had been an understatement; the artwork on this shirt was nothing short of amazing.

In the center of the tee was Gazelle, depicted as a winged Ninja princess, while her four tigers were placed one to a corner and done up as post-modern samurai warriors, each one brandishing a different weapon. The colors were vivid, the detail amazing, the work of a true master. Yes, the lettering was all in Japanese characters, but that only seemed add an air of exotica to the shirt-and the calligraphy was every bit as exquisite as the drawings. The back of the tee however was something of an anticlimax, showing nothing but tour dates; (presumably, everything was written in Japanese.) It didn't matter; the front side of the shirt more than made up for the back.

"Wow, no kidding Benjamin." Judy said, nodding to the cheetah, "This is really something."

"I can guess who's going to be the first animal in THAT line," Nick Wilde added with a wink in her direction.

The obese cheetah only sighed and seemed to deflate.

"Awwww, I wish I could," he said, pointing at the bottom of the tablet screen, "But I have the duty and they're selling them all the way down in Bunnyburrows this weekend; the Carrot Days Festival."

At the mention of her hometown, Judy Hopps didn't hesitate.

"Well hey Benjamin, my family lives in Bunnyburrows remember? I'm sure if I asked, they'd be happy to grab one of those shirts for you."

At this Clawhauser practically gushed like a schoolgirl; pushing his paws up into his cheeks and swishing his tail like a willow tree.

"Ooooo, could you?" His voice was a high-pitched squeal.

"Sure no problem," Judy told him.

"But uh, do you think you can take this first?" Nick added with a small grunt, referring to the big cat's tablet which was now beginning to make its weight known. "It's kind of heavy for us smaller mammals."

The cheetah's mouth went wide in a long slow gasp.

"Ohhhh, I am so sorr..."

"Claw-hauser!"

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The Easter Eggs in Chapter 1, Part 3 were:

1. When Nick says to Judy, "Now Carrots let's just calm down and pin this conversation to the wall..." From Disney's "Bolt' - a variation on the line Penny's agent used whenever he wanted to shut down one of her protests.

2. When Nick says to Judy "I may have deserved that." Jack Sparrow-excuse me, Captain Jack Sparrow delivered several variations on that line in the first Pirates of the Caribbean film

3. When Nick tells Dr. Hocico, "Put it together, soldier; you'll never win the Medal of Heroes that way." The Medal of Heroes was the prize in the Heroes Duty game that Wreck- It Ralph won and then later tried to get back from Vanellope.

4. If you couldn't spot the reference to Apocalypse Now for yourself, I really can't help you.