After climbing what felt like more than seven flights of stairs, we were on the top floor of the Zootopian Police Department.  From the balcony, I could see that the animal repair crew - mostly consisting of koalas and raccoons - had nearly patched up the last remaining phaser marks I left in the ceiling.   With just a few more brushstrokes of paint, the lobby would be as good as new.

But the Chief didn't drag us all the way up here just to smell the fresh coat of paint.

Rather, we followed the oversized buffalo into his medium-sized office that had windows on both sides of the ornate wooden desk, a dim lamp in the corner, polished award plaques, and an oversized ZPD badge mounted on the wall behind him.

In some ways, it felt like a trip to the colonel's office.

Judy and Nick sat in the same chair like stuffed animals on display at a Build-a-Bear Workshop, whereas I sat in mine like a Black Ops 'sitting bull' soldier but without the Mustang and Sally pistols.

The stocky chief of police sat behind his desk and gave me a long, intense glare.  I couldn't really blame him.  He had a bandaid at the base of his muzzle between his eyes - most likely from when I chucked an empty tranquilizer pistol at his head - and I'm sure he wasn't too fond of it.  No, not one bit.

While we all sat there and didn't speak a single word, we spent the next few minutes listening to the live Zootopian News Network from one of the rolling TV stands.

"In recent news," the moose anchor began, "Dozens of mammals have born witness to the sight of what appears to be a mysterious-looking animal that was spotted just yesterday in the late afternoon throughout Savanna Central."

"That's right, Peter," the female snow leopard spoke.  "Reports indicate that the mystery animal first came out of Central Station before it began roaming the streets.  At this time, very little is known but some have described it as wearing all white and standing as tall as a tiger."

The news report transitioned to witness testimonies and the first was a beaver.  "It just ran past me like a stampede of wildebeests and I've never beheld anything like it,"

"The weirdest thing I had ever seen!" a honey badger commented. 

"I ain't gonna lie, it kinda freaked us out," a thylacine nervously chuckled.

Wait a minute...

The news immediately switched to an aerial street view.   "Surveillance footage also reveals that the mysterious animal was hit by a semi-truck heading eastbound along Acacia Street.  We're looking here at the exact spot where the incident occurred."

The camera panned around a large totaled truck with glass shards and scrap metal scattered all over the asphalt pavement.  The female antelope reporter attentively weaved her way through the traffic cones and pointed out the mess I made.  Never did I imagine it being that bad on camera.

"Despite all the debris you see around me, the animal miraculously survived the impact." she presented.  "Local witnesses say he ran north.  However,  there was another witness who also happened to be present in the middle of all the commotion."

A skunk news reporter held up a microphone to a sheep nurse.  "Ma'am, can you describe your experience?  How do you make sense of it?"

"I...I didn't know what he was exactly... but he saved me," she stammered.  "He ran off before I could say anything..."

I remembered her.  She's the same one the tiger pushed onto the street as he attempted to escape.  The newsfeed then switched to a tall apartment building with a long streak of damaged bricks and a warped rain gutter.

"Look at my house!" A female kangaroo fussed.  "He destroyed my lovely garden and damaged our entire art wall!"

"It almost stepped on my family!" a rodent squeaked.  "We saw its shadow and felt like we were being hunted!  What's up with that?"

"Dear me..." a red panda whined with an accent.  "...whatever that thing is, it don't belong in my neighborhood."

As we continued watching the news unfold all the events from yesterday, I heard a loud crunching sound to my left.  I turned and saw Nick eating from a bag filled with... popcorn?  He seemed to be enjoying the moment. Judy gestured to him to put it away, and he shrugged before he finally obeyed.

The channel presented further testimonials - most of which were admittedly absurd and exaggerated - so I stared down at the floor with the intent of forgetting it ever happened.  It was all too much attention for a human in one day.  Luckily, they only had access to blurry images, but they were definitely trending.   

The camera switched back to the leopard anchor.  "Whoever this strange animal is, the last reported sighting happened to be directly in front of ---"

The Chief switched off the television before we heard her finish.  He tossed aside the remote, exhaled in frustration, and stared me down with his massive arms folded.  

"In other words,  you were defacing public property, recklessly endangering rodent traffic, disturbing the mammalian peace, and later found resisting multiple attempts of arrest!" he huffed.

My head hung low, and I kept quiet.  No sudden movements were made lest the Chief sentence me to a pit of charging rhinos.

"But, to be fair," he continued before plopping a bag containing a familiar-looking object onto his desk.  "You did stop a tiger criminal from stealing an antique necklace."

We all looked at the fine piece of jewelry, which sparkled with the sunlight pouring through the windows behind the chief's desk.  Its value was undetermined, but I could tell it was expensive.  Part of me felt proud but the chief didn't seem mutual about it.

"Boy, that's a one-of-a-kind, Chief, let me tell you," the fox appraised.  "In my former con days, I read about them, and I gotta say, those Zainite gems are worth more than my year's salary.  You can definitely thank Mr. Chairbear for-- "

"--Shut your big mouth now!" the buffalo annoyingly put the bag away.  "I don't share your giddy optimism, Wilde, and I don't give an elephant's behind about what type of gem it is."

Of course, Nick would know what type of gem it is.  Zainite, did he say?  I'm pretty sure we called it painite in my world.  His shifty nature got me into all this trouble, but now he seemingly tried to get me out of it.  How typical.  But the chief wasn't having it, and he continued to give us an unimpressed glare.

Judy boldly stood up in her chair.  "Sir, if I may, he also saved that sheep nurse from being hit by a semi-truck."

The chief leaned forward and angrily pointed at me.  "He assaulted over twenty officers, disobeyed ZPD interrogation protocol, and intentionally discharged an unregistered weapon in the lobby!" he snarled.   "And Officer Hopps, let's not forget that Mr. Cheribim threatened your partner twice!"  

She lifted her paws in protest.  "But sir, he's--"

"--He's a threat to my department and he's a threat to all of Zootopia!" the Chief furiously grunted.  "No matter how hard you try to justify, I don't trust him any further than I can throw him!"

"Well, with your bad knee, Chief, you shouldn't be throwing anybody," Nick remarked.

We all looked at the fox and Judy facepalmed.

"It's true," he shrugged.  "And let's face it, Chief.  You never trusted a fox now, did you?  And yet,  seven months later, I became part of the pack.  What are the odds?  Like a fox, you see our marble-headed friend here as shifty and untrustworthy, but you might as well give him a chance."

The buffalo let out an irritated sigh.  "Officer Wilde, we're talking about an alien here."

"Sir, with all due respect, he's a refugee," Judy corrected.  "Not an alien."  

"I don't care what you think he is!" the chief slammed.  "The last thing I need is an erratic space creature on the loose that's jeopardized my ability to effectively maintain the peace of this precinct.  Now, City Hall has been right up my tail for the last twenty-four hours, importuning for answers, getting the ZIA involved, and we're still unaware of what the devil we're dealing with."

He rummaged through all the excessive paperwork on his desk - pertinent images and legal documents - which must've been overwhelming for any mammal in charge.

"And you..." he harshly pointed at me while trying to look me in the eyes.  "I could lock you up indefinitely and I would not lose any ounce of sleep over it.  That, or I could send you to our science team for research."

I didn't know what to say.  But before I had the chance to protest, the bunny took a step forward.

"Sir, I have no doubt in my mind that Cherry acted irresponsibly and that he must serve his time in accordance with the law."  she focused on Chief Bogo and then turned to face me while continuing to talk to him.  "But he's the last of his species.   Despite all the trouble he's caused, I've seen the good in him and I know we can help him become something better."

The buffalo gave me a suspicious glare before returning back to the bunny.  "How can you be so sure?"

I, too, shared his doubts.

But Judy smiled confidently.  "Because... in Zootopia, anyone can be anything."

The room fell silent for the next few seconds and seemed to grow a tad brighter.  A warm feeling nearly swept over me until Nick ruined it with his obnoxiously loud cough.

Meanwhile, Chief Bogo let out a low groan in protest but didn't say anything back.  He sighed begrudgingly and we all waited for a response.

"Alright, Hopps.  I will let Mr. Cheribim here serve his standard sentence.  And that's for four months... four months!" the buffalo reiterated as he held out three fingers.  Good thing he didn't have more.  "But!  If he gets out of line again, then, as acting Chief of Police and for the safety of Zootopia, I will not hesitate to transfer him over to the ZBI."

After he said that, he stood up from his desk and folded his brawny arms.  His figure blocked the sunlight and cast a minotaur-shaped shadow over me.   I took him seriously and respected his authority, but he obviously couldn't read that from my face.

"Now...  Do I make myself clear?" he asked.

With the handcuff chains rattling, I also stood up from my chair and stared back at the chief.  My eye level was about where his neck was, so he had the height advantage.  However,  I wouldn't let that stop me.

"Clear as daylight," I answered.

"Splendid," he gave a half-faked smile and gestured to the door.  "Hopps, Wilde, take him to cell A113.  I will dial extra backup to assist you with the escort."  The chief then pressed a button on the desk intercom, which made a single beep sound.  "Clawhauser?" he spoke into the device.

"Oh, uh, yes Chief?"

"Send them up."

There was no response.   All we heard was music from a female pop singer.

"Clawhauser?"

"No, I won't give in till I reach the end.  And then I'll start again."

"Clawhauser!"

"No, I won't leave.  I want to try everything.  I want to try even though I could fail."

The buffalo grew impatient and firmly pressed the button again.  "CLAWHAUSER!"

We could hear the microphone fumbling and heavy breathing from the cheetah.  "Oh! sorry, sir!  Wrong button, sir!" he said awkwardly.  "I'm, uh, still getting the hang of the new phones.  Sending them up now!"

The buffalo groaned and sighed.  Judy and Nick tried to hide their laughter, which caused their faces to puff up.  Meanwhile, I took note of the large city map on the left wall and admired all the details.  It had a complete index, color-coded boundaries, road longitudinal lines, and a compass.   Being in a new world such as Zootopia, I felt desirous to study a new map because I ought to know at least what direction North was.  I would've taken a picture of it, but my sitting position was at the wrong angle.

Three minutes later, a familiar team of officers showed up at Bogo's office.  They were Fangmeyer, McHorn, and Delgato.  I greeted them with an upward head nod, and they did the same, albeit in a more professionally subtle manner.   With my hands cuffed behind my back, they turned me around and guided me to the door.

"I want him in full restraints for the next seventy-hours," the chief directed as he held open the door for us.  "Triple check if you have to.  I don't want to see a single loose chain."

Judy held out her arms in doubt.  "But sir, he's not going to--"

"--It's fine," I insisted.  "Put them on."

"That's more like it," the chief nodded in agreement.  "Now, get him out of here."

"While we're at it, do you want us to dangle him upside down, sir?" Nick joked.

Chief Bogo rolled his eyes.  "Be my guest, Wilde.  As much as I want, City Hall would never approve."

The next thing I knew, we made our way across the ZPD station, and everything felt different during daylight hours.   I was previously escorted by unfamiliar and unnamed ZIA animals during the night; but now, I was being escorted by familiar ZPD officers.  A lion, a tiger, a rhino, a fox, and a bunny.   Little did these animals know that they were escorting a creature that pertained to a species responsible for the extinction of their species back in my world.

With that in mind, It was no surprise that they placed a fresh set of restraints upon me.  But it wasn't due to hard feelings. Instead, they were just following orders, and I cooperated the best I could.   

They locked my arms across the chest, tied my fingers together, and tightened the straitjacket in hopes that I'd be properly contained.  Finally, the larger animals wrapped heavy chains around me while the fox and bunny wrapped around the smaller ones.

"A bit excessive, but, oh well.  It wasn't my idea..." the fox remarked, clicking one of the last chain locks together.  "At least we're getting paid for this."

"You saw what happened, Wilde," the tiger reminded.  He checked around me to ensure everything was secure.   "Let's just hope it doesn't happen again."

"We'll be ready if he does," Delgato added.

"It won't happen again," Judy firmly stated as she tightly yanked one of the straitjacket cords to tighten it.  

All the officers stopped what they were doing and looked at the bunny.   They trusted her and hoped she was right because the last forty-eight hours were quite troubling for those involved, physically for those who fought me, and mentally for those who had to handle the politics.

The rabbit then stood atop the metal table next to my chair - the same level as my head - and looked me directly in the eyes.   Even with my helmet, she knew where my eyes were.

Now, she became stern.  "Right, Cheribim?"

With hesitation, I gazed back into her vibrant purple eyes and felt ashamed for letting her down.  But she was willing to give me a second chance.  "Yes," I uttered.

We all shared a peaceful moment of silence - wrapping up the rest of the chains - until it was interrupted by a static voice.

"Dispatch to McHorn.  Do you read?" a male voice called out.

The rhino pulled out his walkie-talkie.  "Officer McHorn speaking."

"You better get down here."

"Copy that.  On my way."

"What's going on?" the fox wondered.   

"It's the protests," McHorn sighed.  "They must've heard the noise yesterday."

"They're still out there?" Judy sounded surprised.

The rhino nodded.  "It's getting messy."

Judy looked to both Delgato and Fangmeyer.  "You two better go with him," she suggested.

Fangmeyer began to follow McHorn, but Delgato stopped.   "Are you sure you'll be okay with him?" he questioned.   "You know the danger he poses."

"We'll be fine.  He's not going anywhere," the bunny displayed confidence larger than her size.

"That's right," the fox said.  "We'll take Mr. Chair and get him settled."

The lion didn't question their judgment.  "Very well.  We'll be on the radio if you need anything."

"You be careful out there," Nick advised.  "Don't get caught up in a stampede."

"You especially," he cautioned back.

The officers nodded and filed their way out of the room.  Now, it was just me with the fox and the bunny.

But I couldn't believe what I just heard.  Were there really protests going on?  It's too bad I couldn't have selected a different world to crash on.  A world without politics is desirable, but a world without talkative and observant animals would've been a better start.  But a world without the internet - and the power to spread rumors as fast as a wildfire - would've been most ideal.  

Now I had to deal with protesting animals...

Judy and Nick placed me in a larger cell across from the original one they previously placed me in.  The layout was generally the same but more spacious.  It even had a window, albeit with bars.

Judy held the cell door open.  "Well, It's not much...  but it's the best we could do."

I stepped inside to take it all in.  "Is it A113?"

She shook her head.  "Actually, it's A107."

Indeed, it was much better than I had imagined, but I didn't understand.  "Why here?"

"We figured you'd enjoy having a bigger cell," Nick said.  "Plenty of room to roam around and play in.  You're welcome."

I tried to facepalm, but my arms were locked up.  Due to the hefty chains upon my shoulders, I sat down on the nearby bench against the wall to get comfortable.  The fox and bunny decided to join in.  The bunny humorously struggled to get on the bench - which she eventually managed - whereas the fox had an easier time.   Unlike animals from my world, they never seemed to leave my side.  They'd already seen a snippet of the danger I brought, but that didn't scare them off.

"You doing alright?" Judy asked, noticing I was in deep thought.

I slowly turned to Judy.  "I'm fine."

She placed a paw on one of the stainless steel chains.  "I know the last few days have been rough... and the next few will probably be rough as well," she said while taking a brief moment to ponder.  "But things will work out."

Her optimism was appreciated, and I nodded while hoping she was right.   Nonetheless, my mind continued to wander on about future events.

Nick tilted his head.  "What are you thinking about?

"The protests," I answered. 

"Don't worry about them," Judy assured.  "They're only protesting because they want answers."

"Are you going to tell them?"

"Yes," she said.  "But not everything.  Only what they need to know."

"Like what?"

"Leave that to us," she calmly insisted.  "Chief, Nick, and I will take care of it.  We've got a plan."

"That's right, buddy," the fox patted my shoulder.  "Just stay here, relax, let us do the talking, and they'll soon realize there's nothing to worry about."

I was beginning to wonder what this so-called 'plan' of theirs was.  What exactly would they tell their fellow animals?  Many have already seen me, so it was a matter of filling in the gaps.   Those in the Zootopian government were already made aware, but now it was time for the public to get their answer.   As keepers of the peace and upholders of the law, these two officers would have to come up with some kind of plausible explanation that'd calm them down.   Honestly, I had my doubts and felt that it was too much to ask from a bunny and a fox, even though Zootopia was full of surprises.

"And we'll come to visit you," the bunny added.

"Every day if you'd like,"  the fox suggested.  "We're always here."

Their unexpectedly kind gesture took me aback.  "Once a week is plenty,"

"Are you sure?  Nick and I will make time."

Nick pulled out his phone to check the calendar.  "As long as it's not during our lunch break or my gym time, I'm all for it."

Judy rolled her eyes.  "You don't even go to the gym."

"I'm working on it, Carrots," the fox flexed his arm.  "You feel that?"

With a cheeky smile, she punched his arm.  "Like jello."

He flinched in minor pain.  "Whoa,  Easy, Carrots."

"Wuss!"  she teased.

"It's still sore from yesterday."

"You've got jobs to do," I said, not wanting to be a burden.  "Don't let me distract you."

"Keeping an eye on you is our job," the fox proudly declared.  "You can't get rid of us that easily."

"He's right," the bunny agreed.  "And I made you a promise, remember?"

Even after what I'd done to her fellow officers, Judy remained willing to help me out.  She's the one who has seen the worst of me, and yet, she still believed in better things to come.  Truly remarkable that such a little bunny would still have faith in me.

"Why are you doing this?" I still wondered.  After all, humans never treated animals fairly.

But she simply smiled, rested a tiny paw on my shoulder, and said,  "Because our job is to serve and protect everyone.  That includes you."

I was without words.  In my world, it was every man for himself.  Even though we were all part of the same species, we had no desire whatsoever to help one another, much less with someone who wasn't human.  But these two animals - both of different species - would go out of their way to help me.  And for a human?  Why would they bother?   Truly, they were something special.

For once, it was nice to be captured by creatures that didn't try to kill or torture you.   They could've done that for my harsh actions, but they didn't.  Had it been my world, the Stratocracy would not hesitate to inflict corporal punishment upon its victims.  But Zootopia was entirely different, and I had never felt so relieved.

"Hey, Chairbear, you still with us?" Nick motioned his paw in front of my face.  "You're going into deep thought again, aren't you?"

"He tends to do that." Judy laughed.  "Must be getting tired of us."

I shook my head.  "Not at all."

"Well, it's kinda hard to read your face with all the gadget and gizmo," the fox pointed.  "I don't know how you do it, Carrots."

"Trust me, it's not easy," Judy jokingly admitted.  "But I'm usually pretty good at guessing."

"All I can say is it'd be much easier without the helmet," the fox shrugged.  "Just throwing that out there."

"Ha, nice try slick!  But I don't think you've earned that honor in Cherry's eyes."

"Why not?" he smirked. "I'm your partner and I believe the honor is transferrable."

"She's right," I said.  "The answer's no."

"We'll see about that," he jested as he rubbed his paw across the top of my head.  "If you're stuck in Zootopia, then it's bound to come off eventually.   And I'll be ready."

I tried to brush his arm away, but my arms were locked up.  The helmet would always stay on in public.  No exceptions.   I couldn't let them see my human face.  Much less the fox.

Just then, we heard the cracking of a radio.  "Dispatch to Wilde.  Do you read?"

The fox stopped what he was doing and gripped his radio.  "Wilde to Dispatch.  What have we got?"

"We need your assistance outside.  And please bring Officer Hopps with you."

"Copy that.   We're on our way," he finished as he clicked his radio and placed it back onto his belt.  "Welp, Carrots, time to work for a living."

Judy stood up on the bench.  "We'd better get going then," and she hopped off.

"Nice chatting with you, Mr. Chair," the fox saluted.  "Or do you prefer Mr. Bench?"

My head reclined in annoyance.  "Cherry's fine."

"I actually prefer Blueberries but we'll go with that," he smiled as he pulled out a random blueberry and admired it before plopping it into his mouth.  "Even though it matches your eyes."

"Alright, slick, let's leave him alone," Judy playfully pulled him along by his police uniform tie.  "We've got a job to do."

"Hey, I'm coming, I'm coming," Nick nearly fell over.  "Easy on the neck, fluff."

The bunny-fox duo left the cell and closed the door behind them.  With the keys in her paw, Judy climbed up the bars to lock the gate.

"We'll check back on you soon, Cherry!" she waved from behind the bars.  "And please... ...promise me you won't do anything stupid."

I gave her a single nod, and she returned a thumbs-up gesture.  They both disappeared behind the concrete wall until the fox popped his head back to see me.

"Remember, It's only for four months!" Nick reminded, giving a wink. "Hang in there!"

For him, I gave an indifferent stare until Judy pulled him by the necktie again.  This caused him to jolt forward and disappear behind the concrete wall.  About time he left.

Now I was alone.  The metallic cellblock door closed behind the animal officers, echoed across the hard floor, and silence took over.    Four more months of prison in the same old block.  Great.   

But at least my personal cell was larger than the previous one.  It was situated across the hallway, so I stared at the wall where I had sat originally.   I have the same position and same posture but beefier chains and no chains strapped to my legs.   That meant that I could run in here if I wanted.

I stood up to stretch my legs, jogged in place for a couple of minutes, and ran back and forth within my cell.   The chains jingled and jangled like reindeer on Christmas, but I was no reindeer.  Instead, I was a lunatic soldier that was chained up for a reason.

"Do you need to use the bathroom or something?" a random voice asked.

Immediately, I stopped what I was doing, felt awkward, and turned around.   It was a male cougar officer with tan fur, cream muzzle, dark ear tips, and brown eyes.  I had seen him before, so luckily, he wasn't one of the animals I punched in the lobby.

He mysteriously looked me over, squinted, and tried to get a grasp of what I was.  "Or are you trying to get out of those chains?"

"No, officer.  Just stretching." I replied.

With the police baton firmly gripped in his paws, he lightly tapped at his palm a few times and carefully returned to his seat.   He had a simple desk arrangement in the far left corner of the room where he could see me clearly.  He exhaled and pulled out a book to read while carefully glancing up at me once in a while to make sure I wasn't doing anything disorderly.

With no more desire to run around my cell space, I decided to lay down flat on the floor - face up - and pass the time with a peaceful nap.  My position felt somewhat comfortable, but I realized that the overhead caged light blinded my eyes, making it harder to relax.

Just then, I remembered there was a bench attached to the wall.  Thus, I could use that to place my head under and block out the above light.  I tried to stand up, but I couldn't.  My arms were tied down together in the straitjacket.  Great.  

Instead, I used my legs to slide across the floor.  With the chains being unevenly distributed and having different sizes around my torso, it was much more cumbersome to move properly.  

The cougar warden slowly lowered his book and raised both eyebrows in confusion as I gradually slid my armored body towards the wall so that my head was beneath the bench.  After a tedious effort, I finally got into position, and the bench was directly above my head.  Now I could relax.

But before I could close my eyes, the warden tapped the bars of the cell to get my attention.

I lifted my head.  "What is it?"

He pointed with his baton.  "The bench folds out into a bed, you know."

I reclined my head back and sighed.  "Thanks..."

The warden was kind enough to deploy the bed for me.  However, it took him a while because he felt more comfortable calling in two hippo prison guards to watch over me while he entered the cell to fold down the bed.   It turns out it was behind a metallic compartment within the wall that folded out and over the bench for support.

Later, a young female horse brought in a single blue blanket and white pillow, even though the blanket wasn't necessary.  My suit kept me at an optimal temperature, so I used the blanket as an extra pillow.   Despite it being thin for my broad shoulders, It was nice to have an actual bed instead of sleeping in a chair.

After a couple of hours, the light outside began to dim, and it was almost evening.   A female kangaroo brought in a food tray that actually had a decent enough scent to trigger the taste buds.  It's a good thing it wasn't steak because we all know that non-tree-hugging traitors don't deserve steak.  Back in my world, humans ate it all up until it was forever gone and had to be made artificial.

Instead, the food tray consisted of corn, green beans, a slice of bread, potatoes, and a cup of water.  Without my arms being free, I had no way to eat it.  The female kangaroo was kind enough to offer a spoon feed, but I decided to refuse.  She insisted on helping me - making promises that there was nothing to be ashamed of - but I kindly rejected her offer.   I told her that I'd fast for the next couple of hours until the straitjacket came off.  She understood but begged that I at least drink some water.   Thus, I did as she recommended, and she, of course, gave a puzzled reaction as the water filtered through the nano barrier of my helmet.  She asked about my biology, but I shook my head and didn't answer.

The evening became night, and the lights were out.   Well, it's almost out.  They left on enough light for prisoner visibility, even though my white armor was easy enough to spot in the dark.

The next day, I slept through most of it.  I felt hungry but refused to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner until the restraints came off.  It was one thing for a human to feed an animal, but it was an entirely different thing to have an animal feed a human.  I just couldn't allow that to happen.  However, I did drink enough water to stay hydrated, even though a kangaroo giving a human some water felt almost as strange.

For the first time in a while, I used the restroom.  One of the few times I could leave the cell space even though the restroom was only a couple of yards away.   As usual, they called multiple animal guards to ensure I didn't try to escape.   Instead of one toilet size, there were multiple different toilet sizes.  I almost stepped on one, and I thought it was a toy until I realized that it was actually built for a mouse.  And yes, they had two more toilet sizes that were larger than the one I thought was built for a human.  In my head, I could hear the famous elf praising how big they were.

Back in my cell again, I decided to do some exercises to pass the time.  I jogged here and there, did some squats, and added some leg lunges.   With my arms tied up, it all felt a bit awkward, but I kept going because staying in shape was important to me.   The cougar warden didn't say anything because he already knew that I used the restroom.

Two days later, and after a few brief visits from Judy and Nick after they kept getting called back to work, there was a team of jackal guards who came into the cell block.  The same ones who initially escorted me to the interrogation room a few days earlier.

While five of them were posted outside my cell, three of them came inside, and the middle one - a golden jackal - had a set of keys on a keyring that jingled with joy.   It was time for my restraints to come off.   We were finally past the 72 hours.  That is, we passed the three-day mark in jail even though I still had four months to go.

Taking their precious time and being as cautious as possible, the golden jackal unlocked the chains one by one while the other jackals assisted with the other restraints.  I could tell they were slightly nervous even though they tried to hide it.

The chains dropped everywhere on the floor, the straitjacket became looser, and I was now free. Instead, I was free within my confined cell.

The jackals then gathered up the heavy chains and folded the other restraints.  I rubbed my sore wrists, sighed in relief, and gave them a grateful head nod.  They slowly backed away with a worried look in their eyes, but they soon realized that I meant no harm.   

One of them, being a bit curious, was about to ask me a question until his director called him back into formation and left the cellblock.  Whatever he wanted to ask, it would have to wait for four months.

Judy and Nick continued to visit me here and there as the next few days went by.  They came more often than they should, so I advised them to come less frequently because I knew that they had other things to worry about.   I asked about the protests, and they informed me that they were starting to calm down.   In fact, the Zootopians began to grow curious while others remained scared of who I was.

They kept asking what kind of animal I was, and they responded that I was a polar animal, but they wanted something more specific than that.   In other words, we had to give them a name as long as it wasn't human.  It had to be something familiar but believable.

As a minor joke, I suggested the term 'Polargeist' to describe me, but Judy wasn't too fond of the idea.  Next, I suggested 'Nanoberg' as a play on words between 'Iceberg' and 'Nano' since my suit was made up of nanoparticles.  Again, that idea didn't last long.

Judy suggested the accurate term 'Human' to describe me, but I didn't feel comfortable with it.  The public demanded a species identification, and we had to give them one.  Time was running out, so we all took a moment to brainstorm.   

With nothing else coming to mind, Nick threw up his paws and whined that we were taking forever to come up with a name.

"Why not just call him Polar Man?" Nick lightheartedly suggested.  "If he's 'Hue-man' but wants to be this weird 'Polar-geist' thing, then I believe we have ourselves a compromise."

I shook my head and sighed deeply.  "No offense, Wilde, but that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Of course, I continued to bash his idea and shoot it down.  However, to my great and utter surprise, Judy Hopps thought the name was perfect.   She even called him a clever fox for that.

The rabbit jotted down the name with her carrot pen and closed the booklet.  "Good!  It's settled then."

She and Wilde happily skipped their way towards the door, but I had to stop them.  Nevertheless, they were already committed.   They informed me that the term 'Polar Man' would only be used for the public, whereas the term 'Human' would only be between us and the ZPD since most officers at the ZPD already knew I was a human.  We couldn't lie to the public so there had to be some hint of truth in the wording.   

"But what about Polargeist?" I wondered.  After all, it was a name I didn't want to leave out.  Perhaps it could've been something to adopt later.

But Judy shook her head and smirked.  "No offense, Cherry, but that's the dumbest thing my bunny ears have ever heard."

Upon hearing this, my posture dropped.  The fox gave me a mocking shrug and followed the bunny out.  I guess a species couldn't pick its own name after all.  So much for that.

No matter, I had to embrace disappointment and trust that the fox-bunny duo would do their part to appease the public.  They wanted answers, so they had to give them something but only on an as-requested basis and not so much as a broadcasted basis.

Three days later, the three hyenas were temporarily transferred into my cell block.  I initially felt annoyed with their presence, but they invited me to play a game of cards with them, so I accepted.  The rules in Zootopia were quite different; the cards themselves had portraits of animals instead of humans, and instead of a card with a diamond or clover pattern, it was a card with a hoof or paw pattern.   

The hyenas, as one would expect, made fun of me for losing the first few games, but I kept my cool.  Things changed when another prisoner decided to join in.  A cheetah, in fact.  He was in his early twenties and got caught trying to steal a sports car from a sloth.    Once he got the hang of the game, he won almost every single time, and the hyenas jokingly accused him of being a cheater, or 'cheetah' as they'd say. I didn't get it.

The next day, all of them were transferred out and released from prison.  Part of me felt thankful since they were annoying as hell, but another part of me enjoyed their company.  Thus, they served their sentence time, but I still had a way to go.

One week later, I was doing some pullups on one of the ceiling bars.  My goal was to hit thirty by the end of the weekend, but I struggled to get past twenty-seven on every set.  Next, I did some pushups on different spots along the cell floor.  My goal was to hit seventy by the end of the day, but I had a hard time getting over fifty-seven.

Suddenly, a group of animals in white lab coats - accompanied by two ram security guards - entered the hallway.  One was a female honey badger, a male armadillo, and a female arctic fox. 

They stared in wonder while I continued to do my pull-ups.  I was already in the middle of my fifth set and didn't want them to disturb me.  In other words, I didn't want them to throw off my groove.    

Doing exercises while everyone stared at me was never fun, so I stopped what I was doing and approached the bars.   The female fox quickly scribbled down a few notes on her tablet, whereas the armadillo was more traditional and used a pencil and clipboard to note down his initial observations of me.  As for the honey badger, she was carrying a medical bag.

I didn't like where this was going.

I waited for them to speak, but I couldn't tell if they were nervous or if they were only here to stare me down.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Mr. Cheribim, it is a privilege to finally meet you. I am Dr. Madge," the honey badger presented.   "And this is Dr. Armadillo, my colleague, and Bianca Raposa, my assistant."

The female arctic fox gave a warm smile and extended her paw through the bars.  The armadillo did the same.  However, I simply stood there and massaged my gauntlets due to the number of pull-ups I had done earlier.  I just didn't feel like shaking their paws, so I gave them a blank look.  This caused them to slowly retract their arms.

"We come from the Zootopia Medical Center, and I'm the head administrator for the Mammalia Species Research Institute." the badger explained.  "We are here because we have taken great interest in your unexpected arrival, and we wish to conduct a series of simple tests to ensure the overall well-being of both you and the general public."

I folded my arms.  "What kind of tests?"

"They will be simple physical examinations and pathological tests.  All of them essential to reassure that you aren't carrying any diseases that could potentially be passed on from one mammal to another," she explained.  "This same information will also assist us in the event that you sustain an injury or an illness so that we can determine the most appropriate course of treatment for you."

I definitely didn't like where this was going.   Now I wish they hadn't come, but I told myself that I had to cooperate to avoid trouble.   With that in mind, I walked over to the bench, sat down, and held onto the sides.  "Let's get this over with."

"Excellent," Dr. Madge smiled while the rest of the animals in lab coats eagerly prepared their tools.  "We promise this won't take long,"

The cougar warden opened the door for them, and the cell was now filled with over seven animals, too much for my liking.

The medical representatives set up camp, sanitized the area around me, placed a few layers of clean cloth, and put me into position.

"Does your species have a pulse?" one of them asked, feeling my wrist.

"Well, yes... yes we do."

"I can't feel it anywhere.   Do you mind locating it for me?"

"Just try a different test," I said.

From the briefcase, everything such as stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, gauze, lubricant, tuning forks, otoscopes, and a few other tools were placed on or around the metallic medical tray.   We went through the basic physical tests, and they did their best without having me feel violated, but there was only so much that they could do.  Of course, they didn't forget to bring out the syringes.

"Alright, Mr. Cheribim," the arctic fox took a deep breath.  "We'll need to take a blood sample."

"Good luck with that," I spoke with honesty.

The white fox's face filled with confusion, she looked to Dr. Madge, but she gestured her to proceed and prepped my arm.  Carefully using her paw, she cleaned the area around my forearm and positioned the needle.  She tried to feel around the area for a vein but couldn't find one, so she decided to take a guess.

Shaking her hesitations away, she built up enough confidence and pushed the needle into my forearm.  To their surprise, the tip of the needle completely broke.  They tried another one, but it got warped.  The lab-coated animals had no idea what just happened and were utterly baffled.

The arctic fox's ear twitched, and she tilted her head.  "Um... Dr. Madge?"

"I... I don't understand," the male armadillo put on tiny glasses to get a better visual.

"Your anatomy is entirely different, unlike anything I've ever seen," the badger commented as she took time to palpate the surface of my armor.  "But it looks like...  some rare case of scleroderma."

I shrugged. "If that's what you think it is."

"Is it?" she asked.

"You're the doctor. You tell me."

The honey badger looked to her assistants and then at me.   I could tell they were desirous to collect extraterrestrial samples, but my armor halted their efforts and led them to disappointment.  

"Mr. Cheribim, I'm afraid we cannot draw a blood sample from you at this time.  Not with our current tools." the honey badger acknowledged.  "Whichever condition you may have, it would disqualify you until we gather ample data to determine your eligibility criteria.  It could take time."

Upon hearing this, a part of me rejoiced.  I never liked being examined by doctors, no matter how nice they were.   Humans were one thing, but animals were an entirely different vector.  But another part of me knew that these animals wouldn't give up.  As long as I was on Zootopia, we'd have some inevitable follow-up appointment.   I had plans to leave Zootopia - hopefully sometime in the future - but these doctors would most certainly get to me before I ever reached that capability.  Thus, I decided, let's get this over with.

"Maybe try again?" I suggested.

The armadillo's head lifted.  "I beg your pardon?"

"Try again,"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Cheribim," the badger approached.  "Our tools are just not compatible with your anatomy." she held up the broken syringes to make a point.  "Given you're classified as an endangered species, we must seek out more sophisticated measures of obtaining a sample.  We sincerely appreciate your cooperation but your bloodwork will have to wait until we come better prepared."

"How many syringes remain?" I asked.

The badger, the armadillo, and I looked at the arctic fox.   "One," she said.  "We just have one more."

"Give it a shot," I encouraged.  "I'll guide you."

Their faces filled with slight hope, and the arctic fox prepped the final syringe.   As before, she sanitized the upper part of my forearm but had no idea where to place the needle to avoid breaking it again.  I directed her to place the tip between the armor plates because the armor was thinnest there.

Unknown to them, I manipulated the nanoparticles to expose the skin but kept it hidden from view.  This injection tactic was similar to the one used against me in the lobby when the bunny shot a tranquilizer dart between the armor plating of my fingers.

After a few seconds of uncertainty, the arctic fox looked to me for approval and then at Dr. Madge.  We both nodded.

Thus, she carefully pushed the needle into my forearm, and I gave a slight flinch.  We were in business now.  The vial began to steadily fill with the crimson-red fluid they'd all been waiting for.

"Success!" Dr. Madge smiled.  

"It actually worked," Dr. Armadillo couldn't believe his eyes.

"Thank you, Mr. Cheribim," the arctic fox finished cleaning the area around my forearm and placed an adhesive bandage atop my armor plating.  It wasn't necessary, but I kept it on.

However, I tried to seal the needle puncture site, but the nanoparticles didn't obey for some reason.  Strange.  Maybe my suit was getting old, as I feared.  Now, I was stuck with a small opening in the forearm plating, and I could feel a slight air breeze pass through it.  Luckily, it wasn't too noticeable and gave me another reason to keep the bandage on.

They sealed off the red-filled vial, placed it into their medical care, and packed up their belongings.   They got what they wanted.

"Be sure to drink plenty of water," the honey badger recommended as she passed me a complimentary bottle.  "We can't thank you enough for your full assistance and cooperation."

I popped open the bottle and held it in place.  "No problem."

"We'll run some tests and update you on the results.  I'm certain there'll be nothing to worry about." the armadillo said while picking up his stethoscope.  "Until then, we wish you a good day, Mr. Cheribim."

"Yes, thank you," the female arctic fox nodded.

One by one, the doctors extended their paws, I shook them, and they filed their way out of the prison cell.  The ram guards closed the doors behind them and passed the keys to the cougar warden.   Now, the entire prison block fell silent again.

Little did I know, things would stay silent for quite a while.

Three hours turned into three days, and three days turned into three weeks.  Now, it was official.   I've been locked up inside a Zootopian prison longer than I've been outside of it.  The monotony and boredom began to take over, and, combined with silence, things were starting to get mentally rough. 

The pushups, pullups, and situps helped to a certain extent, but my mind begged for a mental exercise.   My arms were massive enough, but my head lacked an inflow of ideas.   Thinking about my previous world pained me greatly, so I had to turn to something else.

Luckily, the rabbit-fox duo kept their promise to visit me frequently even though I advised them to come less often.   Though their visits were frequent, they were cut short by radio calls, and they were quick to tend to those.    I asked them for a status update on the protests, and I learned that they were still occurring, but the tensions seemed to die down.   The general public knew that a mysterious animal was being locked up for investigation, and they didn't know when I'd be released.   Thus, they continued on with their daily lives but put the whole situation on a hiatus until the time came for me to be released.   Who knows how that would go?   Would the public buy into the 'Polar Man' B.S.?    I didn't think they would, but then again, my idea of being called the 'Polargeist' wouldn't be any more helpful.

Besides the protests, the fox and the bunny did other things that I didn't expect.  Judy brought in delicious blueberries from her family's farm and managed to sneak enough inside the prison block before Nick ate most of them.   He enjoyed the blueberries as much as I did and struggled to leave enough for me.    If I got lucky, then I'd be able to consume between seventeen and twenty-seven of them even though the basket could hold up to 100 blueberries.   I wasn't sure why I enjoyed them so much, but all I could say was that they were three times better than any genetically produced berry in my homeworld.   The Zootopian blueberries were easy to eat; they easily filtered through the helmet nano barrier every time, and they boosted my mood.

Judy was a good friend, and I felt grateful for her to go out of her way to help me.   I thought she'd forget about me and let me rot away in this cell, but she didn't.   I wasn't too fond of her fox partner, but both were inseparable, so I couldn't have one without the other.   Whenever Nick came in to visit me, I'd pretend I was asleep so that he wouldn't bother me.  But as soon as Judy walked into the prison cell with him, I immediately sat up on the bench and greeted her.    It would've been more formal to remove my helmet and acknowledge her presence, but I could never do so with the fox tagging along.

Nevertheless, the fox had a few surprises of his own that I didn't anticipate.   One day, he brought in his guitar and played a few songs to brighten the mood.   I never liked that fox, but I could not deny that he was quite a talented musician.  His vocals were surprisingly on point, his tone was on par, and that was one of the very few times that I nodded in approval.  Of course, he never ceased to tease me... and I never ceased to mock him back, but that's what came in the 'Wild' package, as Judy once said.

Several hours after lunch, Jay Howl texted me again to see how I was holding up.  He and his family saw what happened on the news and expressed concern about my status.  I told them not to worry and that all would be well.  Nevertheless, they continued to send me motivational messages to get me through.

Three days later, I found myself pacing back and forth in my prison cell and felt incredibly bored out of my mind.   Judy and Nick had already visited me for the day, but now they were gone on duty.   The main problem with their visits was that they went by too fast.  They'd be here between five or ten minutes - depending on when their radio would sound off - and then I spent the other twenty-three hours doing my own routine.   Whether that be eating, sleeping, or exercising, I could never keep myself busy enough to pass the time.   Due to their busy schedules, they could only come once a week because there were increased reports of crime occurring within the Rainforest district.

Knowing that I'd be stuck in Zootopia for a while, I took it upon myself to learn more about this city so that I could become better prepared when it was time for me to be released.   On their next visit, I asked Judy and Nick to bring me a map of Zootopia city, along with some history books.   

Judy kindly brought in a colorful foldout transit map of Zootropolis, along with some historical texts, while Nick brought in a pile of magazines regarding casinos, palm hotels, and something about a Mystic Spring Oasis, which had nothing to do with history.

As I read up on the history of Zootopia, I learned that it was once a watering hole location for mammals that wandered far and beyond their lands.  Over two thousand years ago or so, the predator and prey families gathered together and formed an alliance that took place near modern Plaza Square.

Unlike mankind's history, the animals here had reached their own period of renaissance faster than us.  Eventually, their era of industrialization came about, and many more animals migrated towards the urbanized sector of Zootopia, where their skills and diverse species helped to shape the city into what it is today.  Though they were more united than my species, that didn't mean they were free from pride and prejudice, so it was necessary for legislative acts to be passed.   One of the most distinct ones was the Mammal Inclusion Initiative, which actually helped to ensure that Judy Hopps would become the first rabbit officer of Zootopia.   It was nice to read about someone familiar who made history.   Of course, the children's textbooks wouldn't leave out the fox now, would they?

After reading the basic history, I moved on to other texts to familiarize myself with the residents of the city.   There were over two hundred species of animals, many of which I had never seen in real life.   The most haunting thing about the species book was knowing that most of them were either extinct or endangered in my world.   It got to a point where I felt haunted, so I had to take a deep breath and put the book away.  Rather, I had to stuff it under my mattress.   Perhaps I could read it later, but things were getting too overwhelming for me.   

All the animals in this world were no longer ghosts.

Feeling uneasy, I had to distract my mind with something else.  Nick's pamphlets were colorful but a bit too colorful for my taste.  Instead, I opened up the Zootopia Transit Authority map and took the next half hour to study the Zootopia routes, roads, and highways.   Since this city was about a third as big as most major cities on my former planet, I had no trouble becoming familiar with all the terms.   After an additional half-hour, I felt comfortable enough to admit that I had most of it memorized.   However, that knowledge would truly be put to the test in the next five months.  Chances were I'd become another lost alien tourist.

Two days later, I had read most of the pamphlets, books, and articles that the bunny-fox duo gave me.   Now, I was bored again and powerless to do anything about it.  All I could do was wait for time to pass.

For the next seventeen hours, I couldn't sleep.  I grew restless.  It got to a point where I deployed a sharp nano knife on my fingertip and began to scratch my name on the floor.  I drew the letter 'C' partway but decided to stop to avoid trouble.  Thus, I collapsed the nano blade into my gauntlet and sat still.  I tried to meditate but was unable to do so.

The day turned to night, and night turned to daytime.   I didn't get any sleep.  My morning exercises were finished. I only took one bite out of breakfast, and all I did was sit there.   Had it been four months yet?   No.

It had been only over two months.  That's it.

On the other hand, a three-month punishment was a bit too generous for violently attacking over twenty ZPD officers.  Assuming I attacked twenty-three officers and my sentence was ninety days, then that means I got approximately four days of prison time for each officer I took down.  Individually, it wasn't that much. 

Three nights later, I had another restless day.   I began to have dreadful dreams of my former world, and much was going on in my head.   It got miserable enough that I even removed my helmet to get some respite.  But as soon as the cougar warden returned, I placed the helmet back on and only got three minutes of fresh air.  Why can't I just be left alone?  That's one thing I missed from my old world.

On the fourth night, it was like any other.  I was devoid of sleep, full of darkness, and with nothing to do around me.

I sat at my bedside and stared down at the floor.  My eyes sagged, depression grew, and my head began to throb as if some strip of barbed wire were passing straight through.  I took three aspirin tablets - fit for an animal the size of a tiger - but they didn't help at all.   According to the warden's clock, it was 1:07 AM, but time felt irrelevant.  

Another night of mental hell.

Zootopia was a great city.  Don't get me wrong.   But I didn't belong here, and I felt so out of place.  A human surrounded by caring animals.  It's as if this dimension were tearing me apart because I was a misfit. 

As I rested my heavy head upon my tightly closed fist, there was a light glare at the corner of my visor.   It must've been the warden turning on his desk lamp, but this light was more orange than white.  Perhaps he got a new bulb.

However, the light felt off, so I pushed through the pain to find out what it was.  I stood up in place, walked over to the edge of my cell, and peeked through the bars.  It turns out there was nothing off about the warden's desk space.   But where was that orange light coming from?  Was it coming from an outside streetlight post?  One way to find out.

I approached the window above my bed and glanced outside.  Nothing suspicious could be spotted.  I scanned the area and found nothing but illuminated streetlamps down below.  For how late it was at night, I wouldn't think any activity would be going on.

But I spotted something strange in the distance...

It was about twenty-six degrees clockwise due north.  Ahead in the distance, about 0.6 miles out, there was a bright orange light.  

It was a fire.

And it wasn't small.  I could tell it was a fair size and burning at an accelerated rate.  The building wasn't necessarily a skyscraper - as far as I could tell in the dark - but I estimated it to be approximately seven stories tall.

At first, I didn't much care.  Not my problem.  Not my responsibility.  The authorities could handle it.  Someone else would take care of it.

For all I knew, it could've been a burning warehouse that was common in my world.  Assuming the animals of this city had developed sufficient smoke alarm technology, I'm sure everyone within the vicinity had been alerted.

Thus, I backed away from the window and sat back on my bed.  I then took a moment to meditate and put myself to sleep.   Over the next while, I succeeded because my eyes felt heavy, and I was out.

But something unspeakable occurred to me.  

My mind raced through the fabric of time, and I felt myself temporarily transported back into my former world.   A planet that was devoid of life and full of darkness.  Earth-77.

Another horrendous dream...

And an agonizing flashback...

I found myself standing on the granite cliffside overlooking a broad valley.  It was six years after we had lost the war, and we were barely holding on.  There were no stars in the night sky; everything around me was clouded in a vapor of darkness. I was assigned overwatch, and I held a rifle.   It was a cold, silent, and lonely night.

We thought we were safe until we detected an anomaly...

A slip-space rupture was breaking the silence...

Echoing through the valley...

One unlike any other...

They found us...

A hostile intergalactic battleship was now hovering over Yosemite forest.  Our troopers were taking refuge in the forest bunker, but the Seraphim crew had already acquired them.  In response, they activated a concentrated beam of ionized energy that began to glass the entire forest and ignite it like a tinderbox.  Within seconds, the entire scene became a wasteland, and my men were gone in the blink of an eye.

I powerlessly stood on the cliffside and watched animals of all species, shapes, and sizes burning alive.  They fled the forest - ran together in herds, packs, and families - but their sad corpses were helplessly incinerated down to the bone as they attempted to flee the infernal blaze that was tearing their home apart.   What a horrible scene!

Innocent animals dying and caught in the middle of mankind's wicked ambitions.  They were gone...  all gone...

The howls, the cries, the whimpers...  the pain...

The guilt...

Never would my fellow humans want to inflict such a terrible tragedy on any creature... 

And yet...   our enemy brought it upon anyone or anything that inadvertently stood in their way...

We didn't ask for any of this...

And yet, we had failed them...

They were collateral damage...

They were no more...

In that instant, my mind jolted me awake, and I was back in Zootopia again.  Only three minutes passed, and I had to do something.  Those animals needed help, and they needed it fast.  I peeked outside the prison cell window again and noticed the fire had gotten bigger.  The flames had risen.  Nothing compared to Yosemite, but the past guilt weighed upon me nonetheless.

With no time to waste, I decided to head for the cell door.

I would no longer remain idle...

Mankind didn't have to be the enemy anymore...

Though it's been centuries, we were perfectly capable of doing good...

It was never too late to act...

I deployed the nano blade in my arm and sliced the metal lock open like butter.  Now I was outside of my prison cell and I could feel my heart racing against time.

The cougar warden couldn't believe it and tried to process what had just happened.  His face filled with horror at my undisclosed ability.  Did they honestly think that nanotech was limited to guns only?  With a confident enough mindset, anything was possible.  Though I couldn't organize the particles into the shape of claws, I could organize them into the shape of swords because I was more familiar with them.

Next, he immediately jumped over his desk, causing papers to fly around, pulled out his tranquilizer pistol, and pointed it right at me.  

"Hey!  What are you doing?  Get back in your cell!" he ordered.

I gave him a firm glare.  "I'm heading to the fire."

He tightened his grip.  "No you're not, sir!"

"Stand aside."

He took a quick step forward and blocked me.  "I said get back in your cell!  This is your last warning!"

I let out a sigh.  "Are you reall going to shoot me?"

He stared at me aggressively, tail flailing back and forth and arms fully flexed.  His adrenaline was pumping, and he was about to make the same mistake as every officer had previously made in the lobby.  Time to spare him the trouble.

"Sir..." he growled.  "Do as I say or I'll--"

At that exact moment, I sliced off the tip of his pistol with my nano blade and tripped him onto the ground in the blink of an eye.  He crashed onto his back, so I held him down with my boot on his chest.  I then pointed the tip of the nano blade and held it inches away from his face.  Rebecca said no guns, but she didn't say anything about knives.

"Stand down," I ordered.  "I'm leaving."

He tried to free himself by lifting my boot, but it was useless.  I had him pinned, and he surrendered.  I grabbed his handcuffs, locked him to his chair, and crushed his radio so that backup wouldn't be on my tail.  That is, figuratively speaking and not literally.

"You don't know what you're doing!  You can't do this!" he struggled to free himself, his claws unsheathed.  "When the Chief gets word of this, you'll never be free."

I was about to exit the room, but before I did, I calmly approached him, placed a gauntlet on his shoulder, and looked him in the eye.  "Sorry officer... but I once stood helplessly on the sidelines...  and I won't do it again."

After saying this, I turned the other way and headed for the nearest door.   Using my nanoparticles, I converted them into the same sharp blade and sliced open the door lock.  Since it was double-reinforced, it took three attempts, but I finally loosened it and kicked it wide open.

"You can't run away!" the cougar desperately reminded.  "The ZPD will find you... and they will catch you!"

I stopped again and collapsed the blade into my arm.

"Don't worry," I said as I unraveled a roll of nearby packaging tape to silence him.  "I'm coming back."

After wrapping him up, I saluted the cougar warden and headed down the hallway.  His muffled groans were no longer heard, and I was finally alone.

I took a sharp left and found all the doors sealed and locked tight.  However, instead of trying them, I gazed toward the end of the long hallway and saw a full-panel window.

Approaching the base of the window, I tilted my head down and saw that I was more than three stories above street level.  

The road was empty, with no trace of animals outside as far as I could tell, and there were only a couple of parked cars along the base of the building.  

The coast was clear.

I made my way towards the end of the hallway to get a running start and couldn't believe what I was about to do.   Next, I pivoted 180 degrees to face the window, got into position, and made a full-on sprint.

Nearing the end of the corridor, I used my momentum to shatter the glass, and I jumped out the window.