Loss of Heroes is a mainline continuity fanfic by PrinceBalto.
When Nick and Judy are suddenly fired from the ZPD, they must figure out why.
Premise
In a brand new WildeHopps adventure suggested by our admin TechnoGamer, Nick and Judy have it all. They are now the star officers of the ZPD, and, most of all, they have found romantic love in one another. However, when they are suddenly fired out of the blue, they must put their detective skills to the test to solve the crime. What will they discover? Find out in this tale. This is my idea of a sequel to Zootopia, and something interesting will happen to Nick and Judy in the end.
Dramatis Personae
- Judy Hopps- The beautiful heroine bunny cop of Zootopia and girlfriend of Nick Wilde and main protagonist, Voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin
- Nick Wilde- The handsome con artist-turned-cop fox and boyfriend of Judy Hopps, as well as secondary protagonist, Voiced by Jason Bateman
- Chief Bogo- The Cape buffalo chief of the Zootopia Police Department, Voiced by Idris Elba
- Benjamin Clawhauser- The cheetah dispatch for the ZPD, Voiced by Nate Torrence
- Rebekah Clawhauser (OC)- The beautiful cheetah wife of Benjamin Clawhauser, Voiced by Scarlett Johansson
- Finnick- The fennec fox friend of Nick, Voiced by Tommy "Tiny" Lister
- Honey Honey Badger (Deleted character reused here and made an OC)- The honey badger girlfriend of Finnick who is paranoid about sheep taking over the city, Voiced by Mae Whitman
- Stu Hopps- The father of Judy, Voiced by Don Lake
- Bonnie Hopps- The mother of Judy, Voiced by Bonnie Hunt
- Gazelle- A beautiful Thomson's gazelle, Zootopia's biggest pop star and friend to Nick and Judy, Voiced by Shakira
- Soren Oryxhorn (OC)- The handsome Arabian oryx husband of Gazelle and owner of her record lable, Oryxhorn Records, Voiced by Ewan McGregor
- Dawn Bellwether- The sheep main antagonist, Voiced by Jenny Slate
- King Henry Lionheart (OC)- The lion king of Zootopia and brother to former Mayor Leodore Lionheart, Voiced by Liam Neeson
- Queen Katherine Lionheart (OC)- The lioness queen of Zootopia and King Henry's wife, Voiced by Meryl Streep
- Omri Curvehorn (OC)- The ibex secondary antagonist, Voiced by Mark Hamill
- Other characters from the film, all voiced by their original voice actors.
Trivia
- This is PrinceBalto's first story in the mainline Zootopia continuity.
- This is PrinceBalto's fanon sequel to Zootopia.
- In the PrinceBalto fanon, Nick and Judy fell in love during Nick's police training. Thus, by the time he graduated and they said the "You know I love you, Do I know that? Yes, yes I do," line, they are in love and dating.
- Judy has helped Nick secure his own place in her apartment building. His is just across the hall from hers.
- Zootopia is the capital city of a larger mammal kingdom called Terra.
- King Henry and Queen Katherine are named after King Henry VIII and Queen Katherine of Aragon, while Omri is named for an evil Israelite king mentioned in the Bible.
- While Zootopia is the capital of a kingdom and has a king, the city officials themselves are elected.
- I kept the hybrid livestock used as meat sources by predators from the other fanon. These include the birds, like the chiurkey, and various mammal meat animals.
- Despite what the creators/directors of Zootopia have said, in my interpretation, despite this being mainline continuity, Nick does eat meat.
- Honey Honey Badger is the daughter of Dr. Madge Honey Badger, who appeared in the film.
- Nick is twenty-eight years old in my fanon of Zootopia, making him four years older than Judy, who is twenty-four.
Chapter 1
Months had gone by since the end of the savage crisis. Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps were the hero cops of the ZPD. More than that, however, they had found something new in each other: romance. Yes, they were now madly in love. The romantic attraction had had its seeds planted, despite the press conference incident temporarily marring it, during their mission to stop the savage crisis, and those seeds had sprouted as Nick went through his police training, with them falling in love slowly but surely over that period. Then, one day, close to the end of training, Nick and Judy had admitted their romantic feelings for one another and agreed to start dating. Not long after that, four days to be exact, they shared their first kiss. It had been the greatest moment of Nick's life. Their second kiss had been at the end of Gazelle's concert, which happened another several days later. Now, as they were in an area of the ZPD lobby, getting ready to start their shift, Judy expressed some affection. She hugged Nick tightly.
"Suspect apprehended!" she said playfully.
Nick smiled at his girlfriend as she looked into his eyes.
"What's the charge?" he asked.
Judy smiled.
"Stealing my heart," she said flirtatiously.
NIck nodded.
"So, are you going to arrest me?" he asked.
Judy smiled and pulled him closer by his tie.
"Oh no, my sly fox. I am going to kiss you," she said.
And with that, Judy pressed her lips against Nick's and kissed him deeply for a few moments. Nick eagerly returned the kiss. During that time, Nick thought about everything that Judy meant to him: she was his girlfriend, his partner on the police force, the joy in his life. When he was in the Police Academy, she had helped him get an apartment at her apartment building so that he would have a place to live when he was finished with his training. The one he got just happened to be right across the hall from each other, meaning that, when they were off duty and at home, she was a regular guest of his. Over these months, he had decided that, eventually, he wanted to marry her. For now, though, such matters were of the future. Then, they broke the kiss. Nick was happy.
"Well, shall we go and see what assignments Chief Bogo has for us today?" he asked.
Judy nodded. The two of them headed for the bullpen. Meanwhile, at Zootopia's main prison, the Savannah Central Correctional Facility, noted for being an exceptionally dangerous prison, the disgraced former assistant mayor, Dawn Bellwether, sat, making a phone call in the secrecy of her cell on a smuggled in phone, though nervously, as she knew that the guards were always nearby. The person she was calling answered. He was a Sun bear, working for a ibex criminal named Omri Curvehorn. While Omri himself couldn't call himself in order to protect himself from the ZPD, his agent could.
"What caused you to make contact with my boss?" he asked.
Bellwether smiled.
"I need vengeance on two officers, Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps," she said.
The bear looked at her curiously.
"You want them dead?" he asked.
Bellwether thought about it.
"Perhaps later on. For now, I think I just want to get them fired from the police department," she said.
Hearing a guard outside, she momentarily hid the phone, then resumed the conversation, albeit much more quietly.
"How do you plan to do that?" asked the bear from his end.
Bellwether thought about it. She then thought about it.
"When you relate this to your boss, tell him that we need to infiltrate the ZPD and plant falsified reports about the two of them..." she began.
The bear listened intently as Bellwether spoke of what she wanted to happen. Moments later, the call was over. The bear went to get the information to Omri so it could be put into effect. Bellwether smiled.
"Vengeance will be mine," she said.
Nick and Judy were completely unaware of what was about to be put in motion against them.
Chapter 2
It took some preparation, but, soon enough, the false reports had been made, looking exactly as they should. Omri had his undercover team plant the reports at the ZPD. Once that had been done, they sent a message to Bellwether, who was pleased at the news.
"Now, we just wait. When we get what we want, inform me," she said.
The bear agreed and hung up. As the days passed, the fake reports came to the attention of Chief Bogo. They looked so real that he believed them. He was outraged by what he read: abuses of authority, unauthorized use of force and more. He called Nick and Judy into his office one day. He was furious with them.
"I can't believe this. After all the good you two did, you do this?!" he shouted, slamming the paper down on his desk.
Judy looked at him.
"Sir, I don't know who filed that, but they're wrong. Nick and I have never used force when it wasn't warranted. Please, give..." she began.
Bogo cut her off.
"I honestly wish this wasn't going to happen, but I have no choice. Officers Hopps and Wilde, you're both fired. Please, turn over your badges," he stated.
Nick protested.
"Sir, we haven't done anything wrong!" he said irritably.
Bogo pounded his large left fist on the desk.
"Give me your badges!" he ordered.
Nick and Judy both sighed and obeyed. Bogo looked at them.
"Now, you have a little bit of time to gather your things and get out of here. Also, because of your past successes, I will not report this to the media. I will just leave you to suffer your disgrace on your own," he said.
Nick and Judy left his office in sadness. They gathered their stuff and began heading out. Clawhauser saw this.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Judy looked at him sadly.
"Someone filed excessive use of force accusations against Nick and I, and we just got fired," she said.
Clawhauser gasped.
"Fired? But you would never use excessive force. I know you well enough to know that," he said.
Nick frowned.
"Take it up with Chief Bogo," he said as he and Judy left.
Nick and Judy exited the ZPD and began heading home for their apartment building. A short time later, Judy came to Nick's apartment to make sure he was all right. Both of them were now in regular casual clothes: Nick in his normal shirt, tie and slacks, and Judy in her black pants and grey and purple shirt.
"What are we going to do, cottontail? We are now unemployed. We have to eat and pay our rent, not to mention our other bills," he said.
Judy smiled for a moment. In the course of their romance, he had switched from calling her "carrots" to calling her "cottontail". Then, she got serious again.
"Well, one thing's for sure. It's still daytime, and I am going to figure this out," she said.
Nick looked at her.
"Judy, it could take months. We could be starving and homeless before we truly figure it out," he said.
Judy looked at him.
"Nick, you are my boyfriend and I love you, and I appreciate your concern. As my boyfriend, you'll have to come along with me," she said.
Nick knew she was right.
"All right, my beautiful bunny, where do we start?" he asked.
Judy finally smiled again.
"We're going to need some help. Can you think of someone who might be willing?" she asked.
Nick nodded.
"I might possibly be able to get Finnick's help, and, if we're lucky, that of his girlfriend," he said.
That caught Judy's attention.
"Finnick has a girlfriend?" she asked.
Nick nodded.
"Her name is Honey, and she is a Honey badger. She's a bit quirky, believing that sheep are plotting to take over the city, but she is brave and loyal," she said.
Judy laughed a bit.
"Well, she turned out to be right, to a point. A sheep was attempting to take over the city," she said.
Nick nodded.
"I just have to talk to them," he said.
Judy stood up.
"Well, what are we waiting for? The sooner we ask for their help, the sooner we get it," she said, heading for and opening the door.
Nick wanted to protest, but didn't. He followed her, grabbing his phone on the way out. She went to her apartment, grabbed her carrot pen and phone and then leaving her apartment. They were ready to seek the help of Finnick and Honey. Back at the prison, Bellwether had been more than happy at the news of Nick and Judy's firing.
Chapter 3
Before long, Nick and Judy were outside the apartment building, walking toward their newfound mission. Judy looked at Nick, her shining, shimmering purple eyes full of purpose.
"Where do you think they are?" she asked.
Nick shrugged.
"I don't know. They could be anywhere. We just have to locate Finnick's van," he said.
With that, they moved on. After a good walk, they ended up near the building of Zootopia's largest record company, Oryxhorn Records, who put out Gazelle's music. The owner, Soren Oryxhorn, was also Gazelle's husband. For a second, they stopped in front of the building. Suddenly, off in the distance, they could see Finnick's van.
"There they are. Let's go," Nick said.
Suddenly, they heard a female voice behind them.
"Well, hello there," it said.
Nick and Judy turned around to see none other than Gazelle standing there. She was with her husband Soren, a handsome Arabian oryx. She turned to him.
"It's them, Soren! The hero cops who stopped the savage crisis," she said cheerfully.
Soren smiled.
"Indeed they are, sweetheart," he said.
Judy looked at her.
"So, what's up?" she asked.
Gazelle smiled.
"Well, Soren and I were taking a break and decided to go for a walk," she said.
Judy nodded as Nick checked to make sure that Finnick hadn't left yet. Gazelle continued to speak.
"Anyway, we saw you, and I have wanted to meet you in person since I saw you at my concert. I still remember seeing that kiss you two shared as the show ended. What a perfect way to symbolize our city's newfound unity. I could just tell that you two were in love. Also, I noticed that you aren't wearing your police uniforms and it is a work day," she stated.
Judy sighed.
"We got fired. Apparently, someone filed excessive force complaints against us, something that we have never done," she said.
Gazelle was shocked.
"You know, maybe I could help you," she said kindly.
Nick nodded.
"We need plenty of help. Without steady paychecks, we won't be able to pay our rent at our apartments," he said.
Gazelle listened intently, looked at Soren and back at them. With a nod from her husband, she had an answer.
"If you don't mind, we could be your sponsors and help you out in your time of need. We could even take this to the other authorities to investigate on your behalf," she said.
Judy smiled. Gazelle, Soren and the company that Soren had built were known for their charity work.
"That would be wonderful. Thank you," she said.
Gazelle nodded.
"You're welcome. Now, we have to go, see you soon," she said.
With that, and after Soren said his own goodbye, they left. Nick and Judy continued on to Finnick's van. It hadn't left. Nick knocked. A moment later, Finnick, clad in his collared shirt and green shorts, opened the door, revealing himself and his girlfriend Honey.
"What's going on, Nick?" he asked.
Nick was about to speak when Honey intervened. She wore a black tank top and camo pants. She saw Judy.
"Hey, it's the cop who had a part in arresting my mom when the ZPD arrested Lionheart," she said.
Judy frowned.
"Wait, Dr. Madge Honey Badger is your mother?" she said, remembering when she and the other ZPD officers arrested her and the former mayor Leodore Lionheart.
Judy noticed that she looked like her mother, though, as a younger Honey badger, she was thinner. Honey nodded.
"Well, at least she was rather quickly released after her polygraph test proved that she had committed no wrongdoing," she said.
Judy frowned.
"So, you want to hate on me too?" she asked.
Honey shook her head.
"No, even if that was a bit irritating. If it weren't for you, Bellwether would have succeeded and I would have been proven right," she said.
Judy looked at her curiously.
"Right about what?" she asked.
Honey narrowed her eyes.
"You haven't seen it? Sheep are attempting to infiltrate the city and take over. Bellwether's plot was just the start," she said.
Finnick stopped her. He then noticed that they didn't have their uniforms on.
"Hey, where are your uniforms?" he asked in curiosity.
Nick sighed.
"We got fired," he said.
Finnick was stunned for just a moment.
"Fired? But, after what you did for the city..." he said.
Nick frowned.
"Someone filed excessive use of force charges against us," he said.
Honey scoffed.
"Ha, you wouldn't do that from what Finnick has told me about you two," she said.
Judy nodded.
"You're right. That's why we sought you out. Would you two be willing to help us figure it out?" she asked.
Finnick and Honey looked at one another.
"For an old friend, anything," Finnick said, knowing that it was the right thing to do.
Nick and Judy then got into the van, and they headed off. Meanwhile, Gazelle had decided to take this matter to the ruler of Terra, the mammal kingdom that Zootopia was the capital of. The ruler was the wise and mighty Henry Lionheart.
Chapter 4
It wasn't long before Gazelle, Soren and their tiger bodyguards headed for the beautiful royal palace, which was the biggest building in Zootopia, located in the downtown area and was a historic building. They were stopped at the gate by the Grizzly bear chief of royal security, William Clawman, who was usually called by his surname. When he realized who it was, he nodded.
"Gazelle. What can I do for you on this fine day?" Clawman said.
Gazelle smiled.
"I need to see the king," she said.
Clawman looked at her curiously.
"What is so important that this needs his attention?" he asked.
Soren stepped in.
"It involves some injustice at the police department. Since King Henry is the highest authority in the land, I think this fits under his jurisdiction," he said.
The bear guard understood.
"Very well, if you will wait just a moment, I will get you in," he said.
He then entered his guard shack and reported over the radio. A moment later, they were allowed in. Before long, they were walking down the hallway to the throne room. The palace was a magnificent sight to behold, with artwork, artifacts and more everywhere. There were expensive rugs and tapestries on the floor and walls. A while later, Gazelle and her husband, along with their bodyguards, entered the presence of Henry and his wife and queen, Katherine. King Henry looked at the pop star.
"Gazelle. What brings you here this day?" the lion asked.
Gazelle bowed and smiled.
"Your majesty, I come before you today to tell you have an injustice in the police department," she said.
Henry nodded. That caught his attention.
"What is this injustice?" he asked.
Gazelle sighed.
"Do you remember Judy Hopps and her fox boyfriend? The ones who saved the city from Bellwether's plot?" she asked.
Henry nodded. He remembered them well from the news reports by Peter Moosebridge and Melissa Snowpaws.
"Yes, I remember," he said, keeping on with business, though the idea of a bunny dating a fox did catch his attention.
Gazelle continued.
"Well, apparently, someone filed an excessive use of force complaint and they were fired. What I ask of you is an investigation to be launched," she said.
Henry considered it.
"Think of it, dear. From all accounts, those two are shining examples of what a ZPD officer should be. It sounds suspicious to me," Queen Katherine said.
The king took a moment to think it over. He wisely took his wife's advice, showing that he wasn't above doing so, despite being the most powerful mammal in the world.
"Very well. I will send a message to Chief Bogo and begin investigating," he said.
Gazelle and her entourage bowed, thanked the king and left. Henry then turned to his chief adviser, a raccoon.
"Send a summons to Chief Bogo. I will speak with him soon," he said.
The raccoon bowed and left to call and give the summons to Bogo. Meanwhile, back in the van, Finnick spoke.
"All right, where do I go?" he said.
Judy looked up.
"Stop at a restaurant, I don't care where. We need to go somewhere where we can plan strategy, and eat," she said.
Honey smiled.
"There's a good place here in Savannah Central. It's called Stripez, and it has all kinds of food there," she said.
Judy nodded.
"Good. Finnick, go there," she said.
Judy sank back in her seat, looking at Nick, allowing herself to think romantically for just a moment. He was twenty-eight years old, just four years older than her twenty-four year old self, and so handsome. Looking into his eyes, she could see the real him: a young adult male with all the needs and wants and hungers and passions of one in that age group. He was so handsome that it metaphorically took her breath away. The memory of the way he had treated her when they first met, calling her dumb bunny and such, had been replaced by the love he had for her.
"Oh Nick..." she said wistfully, laying her head on his chest.
Finnick tried his hardest to ignore what was going on. Nick held her close to him.
"Don't worry, cottontail. We're going to get through this," he said.
Before long, they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, parked, got out, went in, ordered their food at the counter, and paid Judy had ordered the carrot salad, Nick the roasted chiurkey with rice and foccia bread, Honey the pepperoni pizza and Finnick a camow burger with fries, along with their drinks. Everyone got their drinks at the drink station, then sat down at a table and the planning began.
"What we need to figure out is what is going on?" Judy said.
Nick immediately jumped in.
"Perhaps someone planted a false report. I saw it once on a crime drama," he said.
Judy considered it.
"Well, it does seem to be the only thing that makes sense," she said as the food was brought.
As they started eating, Nick knew what had to happen.
"We need to figure out who did this to us. It is likely a criminal that we arrested, one that wants revenge on us, but who?"
Judy thought for a long while. Then it hit her.
"Bellwether," she said.
Honey nodded.
"Yes! It has to have been the sheep!" she said.
Ignoring her, their conversation continued. Now that they had a basic concept of what likely happened, they knew that they now had to prove it. At the prison, Bellwether was beginning a new part of her plan: escaping from the prison.
Chapter 5
After their meal, Nick, Judy, Finnick and Honey left the restaurant and headed back for the truck. They were glad to have eaten well, and now they were ready for more searching.
"So, where to now?" Finnick asked.
Judy sighed.
"We need to find some way to figure out those reports," she said.
Nick shrugged.
"We're not cops anymore there is no way," he said.
Suddenly, they heard Clawhauser's voice.
"Chief Bogo just got summoned to the king's court to be asked about this," he said.
They all turned around to see Clawhauser standing there with his beautiful wife, Rebekah. Judy remembered seeing her at the savage crisis protests. His words got their attention.
"Really? That's great. Hopefully, he'll be forced to investigate the claim reports," she said.
Meanwhile, Nick was deep in thought. Perhaps this was an opportunity, an opportunity to begin a new and different life with his girlfriend away from the ZPD, whatever that entailed. Rebekah smiled.
"Perhaps you'll back to work before long," she said.
Judy smiled.
"Thank you, Rebekah," she said.
Clawhauser put a paw on Nick's shoulder, but looked at both of them.
"If I find out anything else, I will report it to you," he said.
Nick and Judy smiled. With that, the group got in the car and headed off. At the same moment, Chief Bogo arrived at the palace and was admitted. Before long, he was before the king.
"Ah, Chief Bogo," King Henry began.
Bogo bowed.
"King Henry. What have I been brought here for?" he asked.
Henry smiled.
"This is about the officers that were fired for the report given on them," he said.
Bogo nodded.
"Officers Hopps and Wilde. I was just as surprised to hear that report, especially about those two. For their sake, I did not go to the media and left them to suffer their disgrace on their own," he said.
Henry looked at him.
"Did you really and truly look at the report papers?" he asked.
Bogo sighed.
"They looked in order, your majesty," he said.
Henry was ready.
"That is why, effective immediately, I order an investigation into the papers," he said.
Bogo looked at him.
"But, sire, I..." he protested.
Henry held up a paw.
"I order it. Now, go back to your station and begin. So let it be written, so let it be done," he said.
Bogo bowed and left to do as told. Back outside, Nick and Judy realized that they needed more help in the investigation. Judy knew what she had to do.
"We need to go down to the ZPD and ask if we can have some of their assistance in our investigation," she said.
Nick smiled.
"Ok, but what if they say no, which they likely will," he stated.
Judy became determined.
"Then we will deal with this when it comes. For now, Finnick, take us to the ZPD building please," she said.
Finnick nodded. They drove to ZPD headquarters. With Clawhauser having his lunch break with his wife, Officer Fangmeyer, the tiger, had taken over for the time being. He was surprised when he saw them.
"Hey, what are you two doing here?" he asked.
Judy smiled.
"We're investigating our firing, unofficially, and we have a suspicion that Bellwether had fake reports planted," she said.
Fangmeyer took a moment to think it over.
"Bellwether? But she's in prison. She got a life sentence," he said.
Nick shook his head.
"Perhaps she found someone to plant them for her," he said.
Fangmeyer stood up. He had never heard of something like this before, save for in TV and movie crime dramas. He sighed.
"You will have to speak with Chief Bogo. He will be back shortly, if you want to wait," he said.
Nick and Judy didn't have time to answer before the Cape buffalo walked in. He saw Nick and Judy.
"What are you two doing here?" he asked, neither happy or angry.
Judy stepped forward.
"Chief Bogo, with all due respect, we are here because Nick and I have started our own unofficial investigation into the matter of our firing, and we were wondering if we could have assistance," she said.
Chief Bogo glared.
"As it so happens, I have just been ordered to start an official investigation into this matter. King Henry believes that the reports that came to my desk were fakes," he said.
Nick smiled.
"That's what we've concluded too, sir. We also believe that they were planted on orders from none other than Bellwether," he said.
Bogo turned.
"Do you have any evidence of this?" he asked.
Nick shook his head.
"No, but it is the only option that makes sense," he said.
Bogo nodded.
"Very well, you may be on this investigation, but in an unofficial capacity. You may stay for now, but you will have to leave tonight to get a good sleep," he said.
Nick and Judy agreed. The investigation was then launched. That evening, Nick and Judy went back to Grand Pangolin Arms after dinner. Judy looked at Nick.
"Would you mind if I stayed with you for a bit? Just so you have some company?" she said flirtatiously.
Nick smiled.
"The company of a gorgeous bunny like you? I'd love it," he replied.
Judy momentarily went to her apartment to put on comfortable clothes. Nick also got comfortable. Moments later, his beautiful girlfriend was in his arms as they sat down together, sharing a wondrous, deep kiss, cuddling and talking of the future. At the prison, Bellwether was now ready to escape to freedom. There were operatives sent by Omri who were disguised as guards. They would start messing with the electric systems. When she was out, Omri would have a vehicle out there ready to take her to his base.
"In moments, I will be free," she said.
She then braced herself for what was to follow.
Chapter 6
Those agents of Omri Curvehorn posing as prison guards went to work, starting with the electrical systems that controlled everything in the prison. Within moments, the entire prison was plunged into darkness. The alert alarms no longer worked, and, worse, the electric locks that were used on the cells, as the prison had been upgraded with them due to it being the most dangerous prison in Zootopia, no longer worked. It didn't take long for the prisoners to figure this out, including Bellwether. Her time was now.
"On to freedom!" she exclaimed.
Outside in the cell block, it was pitch black, as it was night. What could be seen was the flashlight beams of the guards as they ran around trying to round up the assorted murderers and other thugs that were now out of their cells and unshackled. Suddenly, Bellwether heard a voice.
"Miss Bellwether, this way," the voice said.
The sheep could barely see, but she knew that it was one of Omri's team, the same Sun bear that she had been on the phone with. She ran as fast as she was able. With all the chaos around her, the guards couldn't have seen her. Finally, they got to the front door, which had opened when its electric locks failed. Escaping through a hole cut into the massive gate, they headed to the car. When they got in, it took off. In the car was Omri himself. He looked at Bellwether.
"Hello, Dawn," he said in a voice that, despite not being intended as such, was rather menacing.
Bellwether sighed.
"Omri Curvehorn. A pleasure to finally meet you in person," she said, though she could only barely see him due to the night.
Omri nodded.
"Well, we are now on the way to my home. You can hide out there, and you will be protected," he said.
Bellwether was quite happy with this arrangement. Back at the prison, one guard managed to get a call into the ZPD over a cell phone, telling them that a power outage and escape had occurred, and Bellwether was gone, as they had stopped by Bellwether's cell on the way out. For Nick and Judy, the night had passed in peace. They got up early, bathed, got dressed, picked up breakfast from a McDingo's fast food restaurant, and headed to the ZPD station to begin helping with the investigation. When they got in, Chief Bogo looked distressed.
"What's wrong, sir?" asked Judy.
Bogo sighed.
"Last night, there was a huge prison break at the most dangerous prison in Zootopia. Among those who got out was Bellwether," he said.
Nick looked at him.
"Do we have an exact number of criminals who escaped?" he asked.
Bogo shook his head.
"I have already sent out Fangmeyer with a team to try and locate Bellwether. For now, let's focus on your reports. They are about to be examined in the lab," he said.
Nick and Judy nodded.
"Ok, we're ready," Judy said.
Bogo motioned and led them to the station's crime investigation, which had all the best equipment for solving the crimes. The head of the lab, a pretty lioness named Senna Clawson, was waiting for them.
"So, shall we get started?" she asked eagerly.
Judy smiled.
"Let's do it," Judy said.
Senna scanned the reports into the computer and began checking them against proper reports. The ones against Nick and Judy did not match.
"No match. These reports that made it to Chief Bogo were false," said Senna.
Bogo stood there stunned before finally turning to Nick and Judy.
"I was wrong. Forgive me. If you want, I could give you your jobs back," he said.
Nick and Judy looked at each other.
"Thank you, sir, but we need to think about it. Nick and I have been thinking a lot about our future," she said.
Bogo was about to say something when Judy's phone went off. It was her parents, wanting a video call. She answered.
"Hello," she said.
Stu and Bonnie smiled through the camera. Stu looked at his eldest child.
"Hey there. How's the search for a new job coming?" he asked.
Judy smiled.
"We're assisting in one last investigation, then we will make our decision," she said.
Nick came to stand behind his girlfriend, and Bonnie saw him.
"Nick, you take care of my daughter, do you hear?" she said.
Nick nodded.
"With my life, Mrs. Hopps," he said.
Content, Stu and Bonnie ended their call. Bogo looked around and took a deep breath. Just then, his phone rang. It was Fangmeyer.
"Sir, we've located Bellwether. She's at the estate of Omri Curvehorn, that other criminal we have been trying to locate," he said.
Bogo was excited.
"Good, but we must wait until this evening to try and capture her, let her get comfortable. Also, how did you find this information?" he asked.
Fangmeyer smiled from his end of the phone and explained how he had overheard the Sun bear say it to someone he was talking to at a gas station while refueling.
"Good. You can come back with your team. We will prepare for this evening," he said.
After Fangmeyer told him the location, the two cops said goodbye and hung up. Bogo then turned to Nick and Judy.
"If you two like, you can go home. We will inform you when we return," he said.
Judy shook her head.
"No, I want to confront Bellwether about this," she said.
Bogo nodded.
"Very well. But you will have to stay out of the way until we catch her," he said.
Nick and Judy agreed. Once Bogo left, and they walked into the lobby to rest a minute, Nick pulled her close and kissed her.
"Judy, please don't let your anger at Bellwether get the better of you," he said.
Judy smiled.
"Don't worry, I won't," she said.
Nick was happy to hear it. Back at Omri's home, Bellwether was still settling in. However, regret for all of her actions was starting to creep in. She was beginning to feel remorse. Maybe, just maybe, a violent criminal boss, one second only to Mr. Big himself in terms of criminality, wasn't the way to go. It would have been better to just serve her life sentence.
Chapter 7
When the time came, Chief Bogo assembled his best officers for this mission. Nick and Judy came along too, riding in a different vehicle. Eventually, they got to the sight. Bogo looked at them.
"Now, stay here until we return. Omri Curvehorn is very dangerous," he said.
Nick and Judy nodded, leaving the chief to go on with his team. Nick then smiled at Judy.
"Well, cottontail, now is as a perfect time as any to again discuss our future, and for a surprise I have for you," he said, feeling his left pocket to make sure that what he had in there was still there.
Judy smiled.
"What is that, Nick?" she asked, holding him.
Nick looked into her eyes, then pulled out a small box.
"Judy, the love of my life, will you make me the happiest fox in Zootopia and be my wife?" he asked, opening the box to reveal a ring.
Judy was stunned for a moment, but then found her voice.
"Yes, Nick! I will!" she said, kissing him.
When they broke the kiss, Nick smile.
"This ring is actually a family heirloom for the Hopps clan," he said.
Now Judy was curious.
"Tell me," she said.
Nick nodded.
"Well, do you remember when we went to see your family on our day off last week, and I went off with your parents for a bit? Well, I got their blessing to ask for your paw in marriage? However, when I mentioned that I couldn't afford an engagement ring, they gave me this one. Your mom said it belonged to your great-grandmother, who was about the same size as you," he explained.
Judy looked at the golden ring as Nick slipped it onto her ring finger. It was beautiful. This moment got her thinking.
"You know, Nick, when this is all over, I think we should move on from the ZPD," she said.
Now it was Nick's turn to be curious.
"What do you have in mind?" he asked.
Judy smiled.
"How does our own private spy and detective agency sound?" she said.
Nick allowed himself to think about it. It was a great idea.
"I love it, cottontail. Let's do it. However, we're going to need to find other jobs until we get it going, and find one bigger apartment for when we are married," he said.
Judy acknowledged this.
"Perhaps Gazelle can help us again. Maybe her husband will have openings at Oryxhorn Records," she suggested.
Some time later, Bogo and his team returned, unscaved, and with Bellwether, Omri and the other criminals in tow. Through the open window, Judy looked at Bellwether.
"I forgive you," she said to the sheep, her voice kind and gentle.
Bellwether finally smiled.
"Thank you. Now, I am going back to prison, and I know now that I won't get out except when my life is over. Have a good life, Judy," she said, her tone obviously indicating that she had let go of her hatred of Judy.
Nick and Judy watched as Bellwether was placed in the car to be taken away. Bogo looked at Nick and Judy.
"Well, now that that's over, I want to offer you two your jobs back," he said.
Judy smiled.
"With all due respect, Chief Bogo, we have to decline," she said.
Bogo was stunned.
"But where will you go? What will you do?" he said.
Nick looked him in the eyes.
"We have a plan: we are going to open our own private spy/detective agency," he said.
Judy nodded in acknowledgement.
"Also, Nick and I are getting married," she added.
Bogo smiled.
"Congratulations, you two. In that case, I hope that you don't mind working with us, as we would be happy to call on you," he said.
Judy was pleased.
"We will be ready," she said.
With that, Bogo left, ready to return to the station. As the car they were in pulled away, Nick and Judy shared one of the best kisses of their romance.
THE END.