Wow...

How long has it been?

Hard to believe it's been over three months since I crash-landed on this planet.  I figured that I would've gotten used to it by now. But the surreal reality was hitting like a ton of bricks, giving butterflies to the stomach.

Zootopia - a world dominated by a conglomerate of animals - was about to have its very first human police officer working in their midst.  It would be a significant moment in the history of both worlds.  The citizens had no idea what to expect.  Neither did I.

We crossed the red tape, dismantled social barriers, and pulled off the unexpected.  Perhaps the ZPD was much crazier than I thought.

Yet, here we were.  

The three of us rode the police cruiser in style through the bustling backstreets of the exotic city.  It was an indescribable feeling and the future was going to be wild.

Charity, my little coyote friend, sent me a morning text.

Charity:  Heeey!   Good luck on your first day, Cherry!  Keep me updated!  <3

Cherry:  thanks, i will.

I closed down the HUD and refocused on the case files folder.  Both the excitement and the nerve were building up.

Soon we'd be fighting crime... cleaning up the city... and bringing forth justice...That was today's plan.

But plans suddenly changed.  

Clawhauser's voice came over the radio and we were given a new assignment.  Instead of pursuing a street racer near Outback Island, we were assigned to patrol the Skunk Appreciation Parade.

Perhaps parking duty would've been better.   Getting paid to stick overpriced slips of papers under windshield wipers was more engrossing to me.  I didn't travel across the universe to babysit skunks.  Yet, what choice did we have? 

Judy and Nick pulled up to the curb near the venue, just outside Savannah Central.

I stepped out of the police cruiser - gradually taking in the weight of the reality - but no one else followed.  I turned to the duo.  "Are you coming?" 

The bunny shook her head.  "Go ahead and get yourself checked in.   We'll meet you at Sahara Square around noon."

I checked my HUD and it was 9:47 AM.  "Alright, what's our mission?"

They both gave me a funny look.

Judy answered.  "You'll be part of the parade escort.  That means keeping the crowds under control and helping those in need."

The fox turned to me.  "And while you're at it, go mingle with the lovely mammals.  Socialize for once," he smirked, gesturing to the thick crowd of skunk civilians that were congregated ahead of us.  "It'll be good for ya."

Judy started the car back up.  "But please hurry.  The parade will be starting at any minute now.  Tune your radio if you need us!"  

"We'll be on channel seven." Nick reminded, gesturing towards the leather utility belt strapped around the waist of my armor.  "I assume you know how that thing works."

Annoyed, I clenched the old-school device in my gauntlet, ostentatiously waving it back at him.  Shame this world never invented HUDs for communication.  Portable radios were an unnecessary weight to any utility belt.  But the ZPD required all officers to have one.

And just like that, the duo took off faster than a jackrabbit on a date and I was all alone in front of City Hall.   It was a beautiful day in Zootopia, with hardly any clouds in the blue sky, and the temperature was ideal for a summer day.  No complaints so far.

However, hundreds of skunk civilians were lined up outside the government building.   There were also other animal species gathering for the big event.  The crowd appeared to be overly excited about the skunk parade, the excitement was growing, and skunk-themed costumes were being passed around like candy.  Notable among them were the skunk tails.  

The elephants, giraffes, and bears were all wearing skunk tails.  But not just them.  Hyenas, gazelles, and ferrets proudly displayed their skunk tails.  Cubs, teens, adults, and the elderly as well.   Everyone was wearing one.  

They all looked ridiculous.

I weaved my way through the thick crowd of skunk enthusiasts, trying not to step on anyone's tails.  Heads turned and mouths hung ajar. They all gave uneasy stares at the towering human walking in their midst.  I simply displayed the shiny police badge and this put some of them at ease. The rest I had to ignore.

Meanwhile, the sparkled parade floats were being prepped, the area was vibrantly colorful, and there appeared to be no sign of trouble whatsoever.   The only dangerous creature in this area was me.  

Aside from that, I'd be the first human to participate in a Skunk Appreciation Parade. Who would've imagined?  On the bright side, at least the area didn't stink.  I was honestly surprised.   At the ZPD academy, they taught us to never profile a species.  However, I was still human and I erred on the side of caution.  I tried to avoid crowds but animals were pouring into the area nonstop.   There wasn't much I could do.

Everyone was getting overly exuberant about the parade. Some wore black and white skunk colors, others painted their fur, and the rest eagerly flocked towards the streets.   Before I could join them, there was a small check-in stand that I had to pass through first.

Behind the table, there were three young female skunks, guiding animal patrons into their designated parade spots and checking them in.  After waiting in a long line for less than a minute, I approached one of them, half expecting her to get spooked.  

"Hello, welcome to Zootopia's Skunk Pride Parade," the female skunk greeted with slight hesitation, giving an inquisitive stare. "What's your name, sir?"

Feeling no interest in being here, I monotonically answered.  "Officer Chenry."

She raised her brows.  "Wow, could it be?  You're the one from T.V, aren't you?  Looks like ZNN wasn't lying after all," she skimmed through the long guest list with her paw. "Alright, you're all checked in."

"Thanks." I sighed.

She stood up to pass out a large fluffy object.  "Here's your skunk tail."

"What's this for?"  I was thrown off.

She pointed at her own tail.  "You wear it, of course."

I shook my head. "No, thank you."

She gave a puzzled look. "You don't wanna wear a skunk tail?"

"No."

"But you have to wear a skunk tail."

"I have to?"

She looked at me as if I were stupid.  "Yes."

I crossed my arms.  "Yeah, well... that's why I don't want to."

"But everyone's wearing a tail," she pointed at the crowd of non-skunk animals wearing makeshift skunk tails. "You must wear the tail."

I tossed it aside.   "I'm not wearing that thing."

She pulled out a new one.  "But you have to.  Be a good mammal and show your skunk pride."

I walked away.

The young female skunk raised her voice in protest. "Hey, you! Come back here!  Come back here and put this on!"

She was persistent but I headed through the animal crowds towards the giant parade floats.  Eventually, I lost her.  There was no way in hell I'd ever wear a skunk tail.  Plus, I was here to protect, not to dress up as a furry.

We walked through a narrow alleyway, following the painted skunk stripes on the pavement, and took a sharp left turn which led us into another large street opening.  What we saw next was truly mesmerizing.

The entire section of Savannah Central was flamboyantly decorated in bright skunk colors.  Cars, buses, lamp posts, and food stands were all decked out from top to bottom.  Giant subwoofer speakers blasted pop music in all directions, jubilant animal crowds danced around the skunk floats - twirling their tails around - and everyone was having a time of their life.

But I wasn't too thrilled to be here.  This event was just too strange.  Especially when it's all centered around skunks.   How did I go from escorting military convoys to...this? 

Regardless, I had a job to do.  The ZPD assigned me to be here and I had to make the best of it.  A good impression was crucial on the first day.  Plus, Mayor Lionheart and members of the City Council - a badger, a pig, a zebra, a cougar, two bears, a hippo, and a raccoon - were standing at the head of the parade, preparing to make a big announcement.  All of them were well-dressed and proudly wearing their skunk tails.

The hippo and cougar stretched a thick pink ribbon across the street.  A female pig gave the Mayor an oversized pair of scissors.

"I hereby launch the Second Annual-" he cut the ribbon.  "Skunk Appreciation Parade!"

The crowd went wild.  Wolves howled, elephants trumpeted, and tigers roared.  Paper confetti was thrown from the tops of buildings, flying everywhere.

I rolled my eyes, brushing the rainbow confetti off my shoulder.  "Oh, please."

The mayor turned around with a bright fanged smile on his face.  "Officer Chenry, welcome!"

All heads turned and news crews hurriedly turned on their cameras. I gave a friendly nod while trying to remain as hidden as possible.  Members of city hall nervously fiddled with their suit ties but the Mayor already knew who I was.  Thankfully, he didn't hear me.

The lion came over so that he could present me to the press.  However, as he was doing so, he tilted his head as if something were slightly off.  "Where's your skunk tail?"

I shook my head and walked away.  I just wanted to get back to work. The sooner we get this event over with, the better.

With that in mind, I positioned myself between the two main skunk floats.   Their hefty size would surely keep me hidden from the rest of the onlookers.  The Mayor and his reporters were too busy broadcasting the parade.

I felt so out of place being here but I had to make it work.   Maybe if I imagined myself escorting a convoy of battle tanks, then I'd feel better?   I tried but it didn't work.  When I opened my eyes, they were still skunk floats.

At the blow of a whistle, the floats advanced forward.   They were slow enough that we could walk alongside them and we moved down Walnut Street.  

There were more than 300 of us.  Mostly skunks but a fair number of other species.  Everyone had their own unique role in the skunk parade.   Giraffes employed their splendid height to display striped banners across the street, elephants used their trunks to wave flags and shoot out rainbow confetti, and skunks played instruments such as maracas.

Meanwhile, I felt completely useless.  This was going to be a long march towards Sahara Square.   And it was only going to get hotter and hotter.

The nearby parade animals were utterly confused by my presence.   It took them a while but they eventually noticed the ZPD badge, figuring I was here to help.  However, many were cautious and kept their distance.

As an escort, I felt naturally inclined to deploy my phaser rifle.  All soldiers carried such a weapon when protecting a valuable military asset.  But I reminded myself that this was Zootopia.  I refrained from doing so and kept on walking.  

We passed Little Rodentia and prepared to make a left turn onto Acacia Street.  At the junction, incoming car traffic wanted to come in our direction. But I stepped before them and held out my gauntlets.  

The drivers immediately slammed their breaks, appearing to understand my blunt gesture.   It was about time I came into good use.  I attempted to redirect them away from the parade floats but most of them put their vehicles into reverse and immediately sped away as soon as they saw me.  Was I really that unsettling?

Either way, my actions were working to a certain degree.  The main streets were cleared of all non-parade traffic, Zootopian civilians were completely awed by the giant skunk floats, and we gradually made our way towards Sahara Square.  Though the temperature was rising, that didn't stop the crowds from growing larger and larger by the minute.   Eventually, we were completely swarmed by animals on all sides.

Marching with an army of skunks wasn't the proudest moment in my life.   In fact, it was quite embarrassing.  But no one seemed to care.  They were all having a blast and grooving to the music.  I received a few timid stares from the crowd but the nearby skunk performers were doing well to attract more attention towards them.

After we crossed the bridge overlooking the riverside plaza, we finally reached Sahara Square.   We came to the first intersection surrounded by sandstone buildings and parade activity was starting to pick up.   More and more skunks gathered from the sidewalks and joined our parade.

Now we were at double capacity.   I felt tempted to call a fire marshal but I didn't want to rain on anyone's parade.  Instead, I maintained a serious posture and continued to march alongside the skunks.  I had to be careful as to not step on anyone's tails, lest I'd set off an unpleasant reek bomb.

As we crossed another intersection onto Palm View Road, we were met by another dense crowd of skunks.  They also wished to join with their fellow species.   

I tried to stop them but there were too many.  They scurried around the floats and filled the area until the road pavement was barely visible.  This put us at over triple capacity.    

I felt uneasy about the situation but it was surprisingly under control.  No one was causing any major issues and everyone was enjoying the event.  The skunk kits were happy - munching on cotton candy, their parents were proud - taking family photographs, the teenagers posed for selfies - showing off their white skunk fur mohawks, and the spirit of the event was tremendously high.

While we approached the midway portion of the parade, I continued walking among the striped animals, reflecting on the entire experience so far.   It was hard to believe that all of this was real.

Suddenly, a young male skunk took notice of me, inspecting me from head to toe.  I looked away but he lightly tugged at my cloak to catch my attention.  

"Hey, where's your skunk tail?" he asked.

I shrugged.  "I don't wear the tail." 

He furrowed his brows. "You don't wear the tail?" he sounded offended.  "Don't you appreciate skunks?"

I sighed.  "I'm walking with you, aren't I? I just don't wear the tail."

"Who do you think you are?" an irritated female skunk called from behind.

"Put the tail on!" a mouse yelped from below. He wore a white and black tail.

A cheetah cub tugged his mother's shirt, pointing at me.  "Mommy, how come he's not wearing a skunk tail?"

The mother shook her head in disbelief.  Other animals were starting to take notice of my lack of skunk tail.

"C'mon, dude, show some respect!" a moose grumbled.

"What's the matter with you?"

A teenage skunk crossed her arms in indignation.  "Yeah, where's your skunk pride?"

"Hey, Cedric!  Bob!" the same male skunk invoked. "This guy won't wear a skunk tail."

Directly behind him, there was a hulking polar bear with a skunk chilling on its left shoulder.  Standing to his right was a zebra. They both made a full pivot turn, giving me sharp glares.

"Who? Who doesn't want to wear the skunk tail?" the bear demanded, searching through the crowd.

I froze in place.

Everyone pointed paws at me, since I was the only parade participant who wasn't wearing a striped tail, while everyone else was wearing one.  The bear, the skunks, and other parade animals were forming a tight circle around me.  

I tried to appear innocent but they back me up into a nearby alleyway.  It was made of sandstone walls and there was a dead end.  

"So... what's it going to be?" the bear asked, crossing his arms. "Are you going to wear the skunk tail?"

I shook my head.  "No.  Never."

"But I'm wearing the skunk tail," the bear pointed at himself before gesturing to the other animals.  "She's wearing the skunk tail.  They're wearing the skunk tail.  Those gals over there are wearing a skunk tail."

The two cheetahs proudly waved their tails in a fashionable manner.  I wasn't convinced.

The same bear turned to his friend that was perched on his shoulder. "And my pal here? He's wearing a skunk tail."

"But he's a skunk." I protested.

"So?"

"Look around you.  We're ALL wearing skunk tails." the giraffe chided with pride. "So why aren't YOU going to wear the skunk tail?"

This was getting beyond absurd.  "Because I'm an American.  I know my rights." I said.

The Zootopians shot each other confused looks.  More and more skunks joined the chatter. Then... they folded their arms and smiled slyly.

"What are we going to do with him?" the mouse turned to the bear.

After a tense pause, the bear finally stepped forward, cracking the knuckles on his paws. "I guess we're just going to have to teach him to wear the skunk tail."

Upon hearing this, I dashed towards a nearby fire escape ladder, beginning my ascent upward. 

"Get him!" the skunks chanted.

The animals grabbed the cloak and pulled me straight to the ground.  They swarmed me like a Black Friday mob, crawling all over the suit.  The larger animals held my limbs down.

My anger was boiling over.  "Son of a bi-"

I reached for the tranquilizer pistol but the holster was empty.  It must've fallen out.  The phaser pistol could've been a lethal substitute if the ZPD didn't forbid it.  Thus, to my displeasure, all I could do was lie there and be helpless. 

The last thing I remembered was everyone lifting their tails in unison, similar to a firing squad.  However, instead of guns, they were armed with something else.  

Before I could react, my vision became completely blurred by a transparent yellow filter.  It trickled down the armor, spreading like liquefied tree sap, filling the air with a terrible stench.  Combined with the 100+°F Sahara weather in a tight sandstone alleyway packed with garbage cans filled to the brim with expired fruit,  and a 1000 lb brown bear holding me down while the skunks did their work, made this one of the most embarrassing experiences ever since the police academy.

When the animals finished their 'impractical' joke, they merrily gave each other high-fours, snickered among themselves, and rejoined the parade.  Meanwhile, I lied on the pavement like a slug, swallowed up in disbelief.

From head to toe, my entire body was covered in black and white stripes.  Every inch of the armor was spray-painted in that pattern.  Worst of all, there was a yellow oily substance smothered all over the armor.   The smell alone could cause nearly anyone to pass out.

Humiliated, I kicked one of the metal trash bins across the alleyway, spilling its contents.  "Stupid skunks."

I checked around, making sure no one heard that.  Someone probably did.

Regardless, my body reeked and I was a mess.  The animals even had the audacity to attach a skunk tail to my rear.  I immediately yanked it off and chucked it off to the side.

I tried to wipe my visor but the yellow crud wouldn't come off.  The helmet's nanoparticle vibration system might've done the trick but it wasn't operational.  

Instead, I broke off a piece of sandstone from one of the building corners and used it to scrape away the yellow filth.   It took a tremendous amount of elbow grease to clean just a tiny area on the visor.  I only did enough to at least see where I was walking.

Having no desire whatsoever to rejoin that parade, I decided to take an alternative route through the backstreets.  I could hardly see a thing, everything looked disgustingly yellow, I tripped over too many crates, and I was dripping everywhere.

Unbelievable.   

The ZPD better not assign me to patrol another Skunk Appreciation Parade ever again.  This whole event was just plain...stupid...for lack of better terms.

After getting lost a couple of times, it wasn't too long before I finally found a narrow shopping strip that led directly to Sahara Square.  The enormous Palm Hotel in the far distance made it obvious where I needed to go.

While navigating my way there, the backstreets were mostly vacant since the skunk parade was attracting all the attention.  Though, I didn't know why it was so popular.  I'd eventually have to rejoin since that was part of my job.

In an attempt to hide the soiled armor, I cut a long sheet of burlap from an empty potato sack and wrapped it around the shoulders.  It wasn't large enough but it had to do.

As I was walking along, an elderly ibex couple wearing skunk tails came strolling from the opposite direction.  They were briefly taken aback by my appearance before they recoiled at the strong odor.   

"Good grief!  What's that stench?" he nearly dropped his cane, plugging his nose.

The wife frantically waved her paper fan back and forth. "Curse my sense of smell!"

I quickly moved past them and came across a group of cubs wearing green scout uniforms.  All of them wore skunk tails.  

They were frightened at first until they started wiggling their little noses. Upon picking up my scent, they playfully gagged and heaved among each other as a form of mockery.  One of them tried to capture a ZikZok video but I disappeared from sight.

Nearing the end of the narrow roadway, there was a raccoon street cleaner making his rounds.  I attempted to sneak past him but he could smell me from over 100 yards away.

"Geez, I can't decide what stinks more: You...or that dumpster over there." he pointed right behind him.

I looked and saw that there were hundreds of flies buzzing all around.

I was tempted to give him the middle finger but it was glued stuck between my ring and index fingers.  In any case, I carried on walking.

After 7 minutes, I found a bright beam of sunlight pouring into one of the intersections.  I took that East route and eventually came into the glorious view of Sahara Square.  

It was like Tattooine, Moab, and Disneyland all mixed together.  This place was a sweltering desert oasis and resort district, designed for leisure and recreation. Its architecture was composed of intricate clay and rock, mixed with lights and glass textures.  Though the temperatures were soaring beyond measure, that didn't prevent these animals from coming together in mass celebrations.  Truly, the sheer amount of animal activity was overwhelming.

Overlooking the entire event, I shook my head in disapproval.  "What a load of shi-"

"Excuse me, officer," someone interrupted.  "Do you know where we can get our skunk tails?"

I looked down to see a family of meerkats.  Without saying a word, I simply pointed at one of the nearby skunk floats, making a guess.

"Thanks!" the meerkat tipped his hat, preparing to hop away before his nose began twitching.   "By the way, oof!  You don't smell too hot."

I sighed.  "...noted."

Due to the intense heat, yellow steam slowly began to evaporate from my armor.  I decided to cross the busy road towards a nearby roundabout where I could stand beneath one of the palm trees.  Not only would it provide some shade but it'd also keep me socially distanced from other animals.  Plus, it was a good place to provide overwatch.

There was no apparent danger whatsoever and I couldn't sense any at all.  Perhaps a massive stink bomb could've erupted at any minute but the skunks appeared to be keeping themselves under control...at least for now.  Regardless, I didn't trust them, nor did I like them.   

I looked up into the sky and heard a soaring firework explode directly above the plaza, causing black and white powder to rain all over.  Even though it was only early afternoon, the aerial confetti had a unique glittering effect that made the animal crowds eager for more.   

From the upper balconies of the Palm Hotel, cheetah bellhops proudly wore their skunk tails while they were hanging two large skunk banners over the edge of the building.  Each banner was over 170 feet long and over 30 feet wide.  

All the other business establishments, casinos, and restaurants also decided to join in on the celebration.  It was almost like the Brazilian Carnival all over again except it had an animalistic twist and it was more family-friendly.

I would've enjoyed the event more if it weren't for that obnoxious little stunt back in the alleyway.  Suddenly, I was the bad guy and this was Zootopia's way of making a dunce out of me.

As I leaned my back up against the tree, I kept staring at the black and white skunk stripes that were spray-painted all along my body.  Those parade animals hardly missed a spot.  The stench was strong enough that I almost wanted to abandon the space armor altogether.

How ironic, I thought.   Animals typically stunk more than humans in my world.  But that wasn't the case anymore.

There was another public transportation bus that pulled into the Sahara Square intersection.  It was the seventh one that pulled in since I got here.  The interior was completely packed, it had a giraffe-like pattern painted on its exterior, and it parked alongside one of the parade floats.  

The doors swung open and porcupines began to funnel their way out.  Each carried a protest sign and none of them were wearing the skunk tails.  Finally, at least these animals came to their senses.   I wasn't alone after all.

I could barely make out the protest signs but a few of them read as 'What about Porcupines?' and 'Porcupines are mammals too!!'.  They looked legit and I was anxious to finally see some opposition around here.

When the porcupine protesters got into position, just outside of the parade, an elderly skunk came marching over to them.  There were three other skunks with her as well.  All of them were clearly upset.  

Both sides scowled at each other and a fight was about to break out.  I'd watch the first part until I had to step in and break it up.

The elderly skunk lifted her arms, preparing to brawl, but ended up wrapping them around the porcupine, giving her a big hug.  The tensity suddenly died down and both skunks and porcupines burst out laughing.  

Wait, what?

They chatted and mingled with one another.  Skunk kits were even passing out wearable skunk tails to all the adult porcupines.   The prickly animals gladly accepted them.  Now they were all wearing skunk tails and were walking with their fellow skunk friends.

Was this all just...a joke, then?

For the protest signs, they scribbled out the old wording and replaced them with 'We love Skunks!' and 'Skunks + Porcupines = Best Mammals'

I had no comment.

My suit was completely dry and it had a yellow tinge to it.  I could hardly move my fingers because the sticky gunk had filled in the joint gaps.

Just then, I saw two familiar faces from across the sandy square.  It was Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde.

Both were standing behind the police cruiser,  parked alongside the shoulder of the road, with the trunk flung open.  Inside was a thick red cooler filled with pawpsicles and the duo was giving them out to all the little children.  How tender.

They were also wearing skunk tails.

As I made my approach, the cubs scattered themselves in a series of playful screams, pretending I was the bad guy.  They laughed, pointed, and whispered into each other's ears.   I could care less what they were thinking.   

Out of nowhere, a skunk-themed convertible zipped right past me, barely catching the corner of the burlap cloak, and pulling it off my body.   Now everyone in the immediate area could see and smell what was underneath.

"Oh my god!" Nick couldn't contain his laughter. "Cherry?  Is that you, buddy?"

Judy placed both paws over her mouth, trying to hold herself together.  There was nothing funny about this.  Nick only had to look me over once before he knew what had happened.

"You didn't wear the skunk tail, did ya?" the fox imputed.  

I folded my arms in defiance.  "Was I... supposed to?

He gave a half-lidded smirk, gesturing to the animals around us.  "I don't know.  You tell me." 

We all looked around the plaza.  

Everyone was showing off their skunk pride in one way, shape, or form.  Sahara Square had a sea of animals stretched across hotel balconies, restaurant patios, and water parks.  For over a minute, I scanned the entire area, hoping to find at least one mammal I could relate to.  Nothing.

"Oh, boy," the fox plugged his nose.  "You really do stink."

"I'm well aware of that," I grumbled.

Judy stepped forward, trying not to wince at the foul smell.  "Let's take you back to the station so that you can get cleaned up," she suggested.  "We have a really big day ahead of us."

It didn't take long for the rabbit and fox officers to finish passing out the remaining pawpsicles from the cooler.  There were plenty of hungry cubs seeking a strawberry sugar rush.  The blazing hot weather caused the frozen treats to melt as soon as those little paws gripped the wooden sticks.  But the little ones slurped them down before a single drop touched the ground.

As we loaded the police cruiser, Nick placed layers upon layers of newspapers and towels to protect the police cruiser's leather seats.  

"Alright, you big stinker, hop on in," he gestured.

My patience was running drier than the desert air.  "Don't start with me, Wilde."

"Easy buddy," he carefully lifted both paws in defense.  "Don't get yourself all hot-headed,"

He closed the door and Judy turned the ignition key.   With the AC on at full blast, we took Palm View Blvd which led back to Savanna Central.  The parade traffic was unbearable - animals were walking everywhere - but all we could do was wait our turn.  Eventually, we came out of the thick of it.

For a while, the ride was mostly silent.  I didn't feel like talking and my only focus was getting to a shower as fast as possible.  Meanwhile, Nick kept wiggling his nose and looking back at me.

"Carrots, roll down the windows, will ya?   Smell's like something's dying in here."

The bunny only rolled her eyes.  "Nick, it's over 107 degrees outside.  Soon enough, you'll be complaining about that too."

"Good point," Nick admitted.  "But let's be honest, today's a good day to take on the heat."

As the fox tried to roll down his window, his bunny partner already had her paw on the console.  They got themselves into a little window rolling duel.   She tried to go up, he tried to go down.  She ended up winning by activating the child-lock.

"Ha, nice try!" Judy grinned.  "But we haven't crossed Riverside yet.   Until then, toughen up, Slick!

"As long as we're still alive by then." the fox winked, earning a glare from me.  He splayed his paws.  "I'm kidding, of course."

I shook my head at his annoying behavior and stared at my hands.   It was almost as if they were dipped in Coke and left to dry.   They were incredibly sticky and smelled like rotten eggs.  In fact, my entire body was like that.

"So, how was your time at the parade?" I asked, lifting my voice with fake enthusiasm.  "Did you have fun?"

"We did, actually!"  Judy answered.  "There's nothing like a fun parade!  Lots of cute kids, plenty of games, great food, amazing music, and just a wonderful atmosphere overall.  Unlike last year, there weren't any public disturbances or small-scale protests from the porcupines, which was nice!" she happily turned to her partner.  "Don't you think so, Nick?"

The fox only yawned.   "If that's what you call police work, Carrots.  Everybody was happy this year!  The only potential danger was a pulled face muscle from smiling too much.  No chance for a 10-14, a 10-33, or even a 10-45."

As Judy turned a sharp corner, passing through a majestic waterfall tunnel under the freeway, I leaned forward from the backseat.  

"So... you didn't have fun, Wilde?"

The fox shrugged.  "If standing under the blazing hot sun while wearing a dark long-sleeved police shirt and a chokingly tight necktie is considered fun, then yes, why not?" he loosened his shirt collar.  "But... I will say, not having to deal with those prickly dimwits tossing their quills around skunk balloons gave me enough downtime to work on one of my good ol' side gigs."

I tilted my head.  "Side gigs?"

"Yeah, that's right," Nick turned around to explain.  "If you're ever looking for a very expensive wool rug for your new apartment, then look no further, buddy!  I make a whole line of them. Custom-fit too."

Judy facepalmed the steering wheel.  "Oh, sweet cheese and crackers."

The cruiser cabin filled with awkward silence.   Nick simply sat there, grinning at his partner.

"...right." I nodded in confusion.  "I'll keep that in mind."

Silence prevailed once more as we crossed the river road into Savanna Central.

"So, Cherry," Judy decided to change the subject.  "How are you liking your first day so far?   Aside from all... this..." she gestured to my soiled uniform.

I wanted to vent but I kept my composure the best I could.  "I'm just... dandy," I said with sarcasm.  "Couldn't have asked for anything better."

Upon hearing this, Judy went into a state of reflection, solemnly staring down.  She knew I was lying.  "The first day's always the hardest."

As we drove further down Baobab Blvd, the bunny finally rolled down the windows to give the cabin some fresh air.  The hot weather was behind us now and I tried to relax.

Nick's nose started twitching again.  "Phew, that really does reek!" he waved his paw in the air to redirect the stench before turning around to face me once more.  " Did I already mention that you stink?"

I felt a strong urge to punch that fox in the nose.  

After what felt like an eternity in heavy traffic, we finally reached the police station.  As Judy pulled into the lot, I already fled the police cruiser before she could come to a complete stop.   I had to get rid of this skunk slime immediately.

When I entered the lobby, there were numerous ZPD officers mingling and taking a break.  Clawhauser was indulging in his afternoon cereal, as usual.

In order to reach the men's locker room - or in this case, the gentle-mammal's locker room - I had to dodge the officers.  They were the type that would talk anyone's ear off but there was no time for that.  I sprinted across the lobby to prevent them from catching wind of the stench.   Unfortunately, nearly every officer in the ZPD had a keen sense of smell.

Once I reached the locker rooms, I found one of the elephant shower rooms and decided to wash up there.  It felt like I'd be showering in a zoo but this was Zootopia after all.   

While I began to undress, a half-naked elephant stepped into the room.  How do these animals just appear out of nowhere?  I frantically placed the helmet back on.

"Eww, gross!  You stink, dude!" his trunk shriveled up.

Without saying a word, I scooted right past him and moved into the next available locker room.  

It was one size down and it appeared to have a design that was mainly geared towards animals that were the size of tigers.  All along the cold wet floor, there were orange pieces of fur mixed with black fur.  It was uninviting but there was nowhere else to go.

I scanned around the room for other lifeforms, locked all the doors, closed the shower curtains, and turned on the cold water at full blast.  I checked around the corners once more just to be sure.  

The coast was clear.

I removed the helmet, followed by the gauntlets and the armguards, placing them on a nearby shower bench, and activating the showerhead above them so that they could be also be rinsed.  Now I had two showers running.  After I found a bottle of Head, Tail, & Shoulders shampoo, I proceeded with the rest of the armor. 

The nano-sealants were undone around the joints so that the chest plate could slide right off.  I placed it at the base of the shower floor, allowing it to receive the most water, and squirted a quarter of the shampoo bottle onto both the interior and exterior.

Using my bare hands, I scrubbed away at the foreign gunk, rinsing the area multiple times, and pinched my nose to avoid passing out from the vile smell.  The cold water felt excellent on my exposed back - especially the scars from my previous world - but I had to switch to boiling hot water to perform a proper deep cleaning.

For over 30 minutes, I rinsed the skunk-stained armor, making frustratingly slow yet gradual progress.  

Without the armor's micro-surface vibrations being in their full operation, the cleansing task proved to be incredibly tedious.  I ended up using the gauntlet to deploy a nano blade that could scratch away all the remaining skunk paint bits from the helmet.  The pink nose they drew beneath the visor was beyond hideous and had to come off.   It took the most amount of elbow grease but it eventually started to come off.

Whatever chemicals those skunks used back there was truly baffling.  The blue cloak was ruined beyond repair so that ended up in the trash.  How often will I have to replace cloaks on this job?  I never wanted to encounter another skunk civilian ever again.  I hated skunks.

Now that most of the gear was a tad bit cleaner and smelling a little more decent, it was only fair to take care of myself as well.   The body reeked of a similar odor and the skunk spray somehow made its way down to the bare skin.  With barely 1/8th of shampoo remaining in the bottle, I decided to put it to good use.

I stripped myself down naked with the exception of the biomechanical legs - with one side being entirely below the knee and the other below the ankle.  The only way to feel the cold tile was with the fingers since I had no toes.

Little by little, I washed different parts of the body, placing different parts of the armor back on, piece by piece.   I started with the legs, washed them, placed the boots back on, and did the same thing with the thighs and the waist.

All that remained was the upper torso and head.  I squirted the rest of the shampoo onto the hair until the bottle was completely empty.  Using my fingernails, I scrubbed and scrubbed.  And then, I scrubbed some more.   That skunk smell had to go away once and for all.

It felt like my head was burning from all the deep scrubbing but it was necessary.  The foreign gunk wouldn't come out in any other way.  Showers normally took me under 5 minutes to complete but today's shower was taking well over 15 just to clean the hair.

Thankfully, I was almost done and I could get back to work soon.

Everything was finally washed so I proceeded with rinsing out the shampoo. I tilted my head into the cold water of the showerhead and let it run its course.

The foamy shampoo trickled down the cheeks, flowed down the exposed back, and bubbled away onto the tiled floor below.  I simply stood in place and relished the ice-cold water.  Soon enough, I'd have to return back to the surreal world known as Zootopia, and being alone in the shower was the closest thing I had to a previous normal life.

For a little while, I stared down at the floor and zoned out.  My mind kept on wandering.  I noticed the foamy shampoo continued to trickle down my head so I stood closer to the water.   I had been in the shower for far too long and needed to step out and dry off.

I stuck my head directly under the showerhead to give it a final rinse.  By now, it should've been ready to go.

But the purple shampoo bubbles remained in place.

I gave my head another good rinse but the foam continued to flow down the cheeks.

Once more, I stuck my head under the shower and let the water do its work.

However, the shampoo spilled into my eyes.

This time, I placed my face against the showerhead, holding it in place until the shampoo washed away.

But shampoo continued to trickle down my head.

"What in the world?"

I placed the top of my head under the shower and turned the water on at full blast.   That ought to do the trick.

It seemed to work, the shampoo was gone, but then it fell into my eyes again.   Fed up, I scrubbed like crazy, determined to get rid of the shampoo.

But it wasn't going away.

No matter how many times I rubbed my scalp, the shampoo kept coming and coming. It was almost as if it came out of nowhere and started multiplying.

Yet, the shampoo bottle I had been using was completely empty.

I continued to rinse and rinse but the purple shampoo foam kept on getting into my eyes.   None of this was making sense.

"What kind of shampoo is this?" I uttered.

It wouldn't wash away nor would it dissipate.

My eyes were partially closed, the shampoo was blurring out my vision, and I felt so confused.  

After 5 minutes of struggling in the shower, I decided to shut the water off.  Maybe a towel would get this stupid shampoo off.

The locker room fell silent and the only sound was dripping water from the shower faucet.  As I reached for a towel, I suddenly heard laughter.

Standing directly above the showerhead, holding an upside-down bottle of shampoo in its paw, there was a furry animal that I never hoped to see.

"NICK!"

He couldn't stop laughing.  Anger took over and I chased him throughout the locker room and into the offices.  The pursuit had to be cut short upon the realization that I was running around the station bare-chested.  Thankfully no one else saw.

Feeling distraught, I returned back to the locker room to retrieve the gear.  The lagging nanoparticles made it take nearly twice as long to fully suit up. But at least everything was all clean and sparkling white again.

Now it was time to get back on duty.

At least the day was half over, I thought.  I was hoping it was already 2:30 PM but it was only 12:30 PM according to the locker room clock. Turns out, that clock was wrong. It was only 11:30 AM.  The day wasn't even half over.

The three of us regrouped at the main ZPD lobby, preparing to head out to our next assigned district.  The fox attempted to strike up a friendly conversation but I kept a fair distance and didn't speak a word.  It was for his own sake.

"Oh, lighten up, furless!" Nick lightheartedly slapped me on the shoulder.  "Surely you humans gotta have some sense of humor!"

"Oh, Nick..."   Judy facepalmed.  "What did you do?"

I pushed through the lobby's double doors and heard nothing else from them.  Nor did I care.  Besides, it was time for us to take a short lunch before heading out to Tundra Town.  We might as well have a hot meal while we're at it.

Judy and Nick were in the mood for some amazon supreme pizza but I was feeling more in the mood for a burrito.  There were plenty of food trucks around Savanna Central due to the parade.  Thus, we briefly went our separate ways, planning to regroup at the cruiser by the end of the hour.

After scaring away many vendors, I eventually found one who was brave enough to make me a burrito.  No chicken, no sausage, and definitely no ham.   Just straight-up potatoes, guacamole, and melted cheese.  It wasn't cheap but Judy was kind enough to lend money until the first paycheck came.  

I took the food item to-go and found a quiet spot behind the ZPD station.  With only me and the burrito in hand, I sat against the brick wall and leaned back.

"Alone at last..."

When I was 5 minutes into the meal, I heard two animals jogging towards me.  Oh, for Pete's sake.  Frantically, I pulled the helmet down.

As soon as they appeared around the corner, I immediately tensed up.  It was a raccoon and another skunk.

Both were young, appearing to be in their early twenties.  The creamy-colored raccoon wore a black t-shirt with a red stripe and blue jeans.  He carried what appeared to be drumsticks inside his pant pockets.  The skunk wore a yellow tank-top, tan shorts, and a light-blue-colored ZNN hat.  Around his neck, he was wearing... an air freshener?

They approached where I was sitting - as if it were a game of truth or dare - and carefully looked me over.  Both were a bit nervous.  After taking a fleeting breath to boost his confidence, the young skunk put on a shy smile and took a step forward.  

"Stop right there," I ordered.  "That's close enough"

But the little skunk continued his approach until he stood only a few feet away.   His raccoon friend was right behind him.

"Hey there!  I'm Steven with Zootopia New Network, or ZNN for short!" the skunk warmly greeted.  "How are you doing today, sir?"

He extended his paw but I refused to shake it.  This caused his raccoon friend to clear his throat to signal his discomfort.

"Bro, can we just go home?"  the raccoon whispered from behind.

"Of course not! I need this scoop!"  the skunk spoke avidly.

The raccoon nervously glanced back and forth.  "He doesn't look too eager for an interview..."

The skunk whipped out his notebook and clicked his pen into place. "Just trust me on this! Reporting is my lifeblood!" 

When the two of them carefully took a seat next to me, getting themselves comfortable, I shook my head.  "Look, I'm not in the mood."

"Please, sir!  It'll only take a phew minutes of your time," the skunk begged, giving innocent puppy-like eyes.  "What do you say?"

While he eagerly waited for an answer, I looked down at the half-eaten burrito, determined to finish it, but the appetite wasn't there anymore. Hence, I put it away and sighed.  "This better be good."

"Awesome!" he pumped his fist triumphantly.  "Thank you so much!  I just have a phew quick questions to ask you," he flipped through his notepad, suddenly recalling an item on his mind "Oh, and I'd also like to get your two scents on something if that's okay?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Alrighty!" he primed his pen, immediately jotting down notes.  "And you're Officer Chenry, is that correct?  Sometimes I stink at remembering new names."

"Cherry's fine," I answered. "And please don't use puns."

"Sorry! It's kind of a gimmick I have..." he laughed sheepishly.  "Butt I'll stop if you'd like."

"Please."

The skunk mused for a moment, trying to rephrase the wording on his question. "Alright, my first question for you," he finally continued.  "How does it feel to be the very first hooman police officer in Zootopia?" 

I gazed off into the blue sky, reflecting on his question.

What did it feel like?  

Aside from the sheer surreality, it felt as if my whole world had turned completely upside down.  Humans obviously didn't belong here - let alone a human from a dystopian future where nearly all animals were classified as extinct.   Now they were staring into my guilty soul, back from the dead, oblivious to what became of them.

Would serving among these mammals alleviate such guilt?  Rather, could it at least show that mankind was willing to change for the better?  A small part of me felt that it could.

After pondering a bit further, I turned back to the skunk with a short answer.  "Not going to lie, your culture's hard to adapt to.  One can only learn so much from the police academy but your city is an entirely different story.  Granted, your world isn't nearly as austere as my mine... but that doesn't imply that it's any easier.  I mean, Zootopia...it's just... so vast... so different.  There's a great deal to learn from you.  It might take months... or maybe... years..." 

That's when it hit like a ton of bricks. The realization of being stuck here for that long.  

The skunk and his friend were increasingly invested, anxious to hear more.  Even the raccoon put his phone away to listen intently.  Instead, I cycled my thoughts back to simpler matters.  

"But... at the end of the day," I continued, clearing my throat.  "It's good to be in Zootopia, I suppose... and... may I say, it's a privilege to be serving among some respectable mammals... such as yourselves."

Both were flattered.  "Really?"

"Well... some of you."  I clarified.

Both exchanged glances.  "How come?"

They didn't need to know what happened earlier that day.  It was too embarrassing to share.  

"Let's just say that some mammals aren't quite as cordial as you two."

"Oh, why, thank you," the skunk smiled.  "We didn't think you'd be this friendly, especially with all the news articles circulating about you.  I mean, that's such a sweet scentiment from a big, tall, and strong mammal like you," he flexed his flimsy little arm to give a stark comparison.

I shook my head.  "I wouldn't go that far."

"But are all animals that bad?" the raccoon shrugged.  "Aside from bobcats, mountain lions, and  the occasional puma, I'd say most are pretty chill in Zootopia." 

"If not, then I come prepared." the skunk proudly declared.

They gave each other a high four.

I scooted an inch away.

"Which brings us to the next question I have for you," the skunk opened a fresh page on his notepad.  "Now that you've made history and are the ZPD's newest sworn-in officer, how do you plan on establishing law and odor in Zootopia?"

I shot him a glare.

"Law and order, I mean." he nervously chuckled.

I thought for a moment but nothing came to mind.  Plus, the lunch break was almost over and it was time to go.  Judy and Nick would be radioing at any minute.

"Well, today's my first day," I frankly answered, slowly standing up to stretch.  "We'll see how the rest goes.  It's been a rough start... but I have a feeling that it's going to get better."

The skunk cheerfully jumped onto his feet.  "That's the spirit!  Even at ZNN, we tend to have those days where-"

Before he could finish, a dumpster truck dropped a giant metal bin on the pavement across the street, creating a thunderous noise, which startled the skunk.

"Take cover!" the raccoon jumped away, plugging his nose.

We immediately scattered the area and I dolphin dived behind a parked car.

After peaking over, we saw the skunk innocently standing in the middle, wincing at the sudden fright he just encountered.  All his belongings - ZNN hat, notebook, and red canister - were littered around him.

 When he opened his eyes, he and his friend sighed in relief.

"Phew!  That was a close one," the skunk laughed sheepishly.  "Glad I didn't rip on that..."

I exhaled softly.  "Too close."

We helped him gather up his belongings and I found a metallic red canister lying on the ground.  It had a large dent on the side from being dropped and it must've been some sort of water bottle.

"Is this yours?" I asked, holding it up.

"Oh, yes, that's definitely mine, thank you," his eyes went a bit wide and both his paws were extended.  "But please pass it over quickly."

Before doing so, I attempted to fix the dent by popping it out with my strength.

The skunk's eyes shot wide open.   "Wait, wait!  Officer!  Don't press-"  the can instantly exploded.  "...that."

I was covered in a sticky yellow liquid, helmet to boot, just like this morning.  The smell was absolutely horrendous.

"The hell is this?" I clenched both fists in disbelief.

The young animal ran over, covering his mouth with both paws.  "Oh, no!  I'm so sorry, officer!  That was my scent can!"

Animal bystanders burst out laughing.  I almost lost it.  A young hippo pulled out her tablet to record the incident.  The three of us moved behind one of the vacant food stands, attempting to avoid mass attention.

"Officer, I really am sorry," the young skunk repeatedly apologized.  "I probably should've said something sooner."

I tossed the broken canister aside, trying to keep it together.  "Forget it, kid."

The three of us surveyed the sticky mess.  Though the animal civilians took it as pure comedy, the skunk and raccoon genuinely felt bad.

"Might wanna take a tomato juice bath or something," the raccoon suggested, pinching his nose.

The skunk nodded in agreement, pinching his nose as well.

I quickly learned that some skunks in Zootopia carried around a small canister of their own spray - known as 'scent cans' - that could be used as a sort of mace in case of emergencies. In fact, most carried them as a socially acceptable replacement for the rather undignified idea of spraying naturally.  

When they finished explaining, I had no comment.  This city was getting weirder and it was only the beginning.

After we parted ways, I met with Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde at the ZPD.  Our reunion was brief and awkward, for it only took them a little whiff of air to know exactly what happened.  

I didn't speak a word.  I only marched straight into the elephant's locker room and took a second shower.  Even though I passed an entire hour in there, the day was far from over.

Upon arriving at the ZPD garage, Judy and Nick were sitting on the cruiser's hood, filling out paperwork.  That's when we heard the radio chime in.

"All units!  We've got a robbery at Furs National Bank on Frambuesa Blvd.  Do we have eyes on the scene?"

The bunny's ears sprang up as she clicked her radio.  "Officer Hopps to dispatch, we're on our way!"

"Finally!" Nick rejoiced, hopping into the cruiser. "This day just got a little spicier.  Are you ready, furless?"

I loaded the tranquilizer pistol.  "Let's move out."

"Wait, Cherry," Judy spoke up.  "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"Yes," I answered, not understanding her doubts.  "Why?"

"Today's your first day on the ZPD.  I'd prefer you ease yourself into it."

"Relax, Carrots, he'll be fine, we could use the extra muscle." Nick placed on his aviators and activated the siren.  "Besides, he's gotta redeem himself from today's little parade blunder, am I right?"

The fox gave a smirky little wink as Judy stepped on the gas pedal.  I shook my head and ignored him.  It wasn't that funny.

We cruised towards the heart of the city, not knowing what to expect.  

The buildings were becoming taller, the roads got steeper, and the architecture became increasingly extravagant.  At our destination, the tiled road had a tranquil river flowing into a 30-foot waterfall and the bank was situated across the street near its base.

Judy parked the cruiser in front of the stairs leading up to the entrance of the Furs National Bank.  The building had an elegant design, lined with thick columns of various shapes and colors.

Two other ZPD police cruisers joined us -  one with wolves, another with tigers.  Together, we positioned ourselves around the vehicles for cover, training our tranquilizers at the main entrance.  

The bank alarm was blaring, the lower windows were all broken, but no figures could be spotted.  Nevertheless, we heard voices coming from inside.

"ZPD!" Judy shouted, scanning the entrance.

"Come out with your paws up!" Nick added.

We kept our tranquilizers pointed, anticipating any sudden movements from the wanted suspects.  Whoever they were, they wouldn't get away.  

Aside from having talking animal teammates, the memories of being a soldier were slowly coming back.  In a way, it felt natural.  The officers were nervous but I felt right at home.

With our fingers lightly resting on the triggers, we anxiously waited for the standoff to begin.  The intensity was building up all around and I tightened my aim.

But all was quiet.   

The voices died down; the only sound was the misty waterfall in the background.

Today must've been overcast because a shadow was gradually forming around our immediate area.  I looked up and that's when the adrenaline kicked in.  

A metal clank sounded off in the air.  

"Look out!"

The three of us dolphin dived before a giant wrecking ball smashed our police cruiser like a soda can.   It rolled down the street, causing significant damage to the other ZPD cruiser until it came to a grinding halt.

"Guys!  Is everyone okay?" Judy asked, checking on her fellow officers.

Thankfully, most of us were unscathed.

"I'm alright, Carrots!  Thank you!" the fox got back on his feet, brushing the dust off his pants.  "Aside from almost becoming a fox-themed pancake on today's breakfast menu, I'm doing just fine!" he turned around to survey the damage and scratched his head.  "Boy, good thing we're insured because that would totally be -"

Before he could finish, a tranquilizer dart suddenly whizzed past his muzzle, striking the dented hood.  We took cover.  Multiple shots were being fired from the bank's entrance.

"It's the ZPD! Let's take 'em down, boys!" a voice echoed from the stairs.  

"Well done cutting that cable, Maurice!"

"Ha! Oldest trick in the book!" 

I peeked over the smashed hood and immediately recognized them.  It was the razorbacks.  

The same ones who threatened Cody, my jackal friend, during that time when they burned down an orphanage as a diversion to steal unmarked packages.  Last time, there were only a few of them.  But now, more than a dozen were rapidly storming down the stairs, raining shots all around us.  

We were outnumbered.

The wrecking ball they dropped on us took down our perfectly good cover, making us highly vulnerable and exposed.

Each razorback carried an illegally modified civilian-grade tranquilizer with ketamine-dipped tips and a duffle bag stuffed with gold bars.

"Load up the trucks!" one ordered, firing a dart that almost hit Judy.  "It's payday boys!"

"Yep!  Cover us!"

"Keep 'em pinned!" one chanted.

A squad of razorbacks began firing a barrage of tranquilizers at our totaled cruiser, causing needles to ricochet everywhere.  Judy attempted to fire a shot but was pinned down.

The fox, nearly out of breath, turned to his partner.  "So, Carrots, what are you doing later this evening?"

The bunny became irritated.  "Not the time, Nick!"

The ZPD officers, myself included, waited for an opportunity to fire back, but that moment never came.  There were too many of them.

A wolf officer tried to detain one of the razorbacks loading gold into the truck.  He swiftly approached the large mammal almost like an alpha cornering its prey.  However, the thug reacted quicker and shot the wolf officer in the neck, completely immobilizing him.

"Ha!  Got one!" he cheered, loading another dart into the chamber.  "Who's next?"

"Bring it on!"

"Lookie here, boys!   ZPD's finest won't catch us this time!"

I tried to fire a dart to avenge the wolf officer but my tranquilizer pistol was jammed.  Piece of junk.

Meanwhile, Judy frantically tried to use her radio but it got shot straight out of her paw.  She yanked another radio off of Nick's chest.  

"Ow!" he complained.

She ignored the fox, focusing on the main task.  "Hopps to dispatch!  We have an officer down!  Do you copy?  We need backup!"

After a brief moment, the static radio finally came through.  "Dispatch to Hopps, we're sending backup your way.  ETA is five minutes."

We could hear the trunks closing on the getaway cars.  The razorbacks were almost done loading up their loot.

"Negative, suspects are about to flee!" Judy clicked the radio, trying to stay undercover.  "Send Unit 55 to our location for Officer Wolford!  Divert the rest over to Lionheart Avenue and cut them off there!"

At that moment, there came a sudden realization:  I have armor.  What am I doing behind cover?  In my world, I was so used to hiding behind it whenever we faced Seraphim soldiers.  Their phasers were potent enough to melt through any space-age armor.  But such weapons didn't exist in Zootopia.  They only had tranquilizers for crying out loud.

Thus, I stepped out of cover, which caught the razorbacks off guard.  They must've thought I was a polar bear officer until I revealed myself.   Some even lowered their weapons in utter disbelief.  

"Wait... is that who I think it is?" one asked.

"That doesn't look good."

"It isn't.  It's him!"

"Who?  The alien-mammal?"

"Yes!"

"Well, don't just stand there, you idiots!  Shoot him!"

They loaded fresh darts into their pistols, nearly dropping a few in panic.

"Cherry!" Judy called from behind.  "What are you doing?"

As I approached the stairs, a razorback fired the first dart, striking the upper chest.  I flinched... but nothing happened.  I took a second shot to the knee... but it had no effect.

"Oh, right..." the bunny remembered.

The fox proudly nudged her.  "See Carrots?  Aren't you glad he's on our side?"

The cop duo sighed in relief while the razorbacks growled in frustration, using up all their ammo.

"Why is this happening?" one questioned.

"What on Earth kind of species is this?"

Another desperately fired his last shot.  "I don't get it!"

I grabbed him by the collar, tossed him to the ground, and cuffed his arm to the metal banister.  Pulling out a second pair of cuffs, I moved on to the next razorback.

They decided to fire their darts point-blank, hoping at least one of them would sedate the human, but their efforts were futile.

"Stop it, you fools!  It's no use, we have to run!"

"But sir, we-"

"I said run!" he shouted, shoving them along.   "Take the gold and get out of here!"

The razorbacks piled themselves into the trucks, preparing to drive off.  However, one of their engines had trouble starting up.  I made my approach to that driver's seat, yanking the door from its hinges.  It was time to end this heist.

"Don't worry, boss!  We'll buy you some time!" a razorback boldly spoke.

From the truck bed, he and his friend grabbed a thick rope and looped it around my neck.  Together, they pulled me to the ground, restrained my arms, preventing me from grabbing the driver.

"Go, go!  Just go!"  the bulky razorback struggled, tightening the rope down.  "We got him!"

They anchored me down tight and I was hardly able to move.  They threw more ropes on.

As the engine started, I deployed a nanoblade on each forearm and began slashing through the ropes.  The two razorbacks were terrified.  

"Whoa, whoa!  Who the-?"

"W-what kind of creature is this?" one of them timidly asked.

I stood back up, preparing to stick the hogs in the upper gut.  But Judy and Nick tranquilized them first, indirectly saving the thugs from what could've been a lethal wound.  What was I thinking?

Though they were a bit unsettled by what they saw, the bunny and fox ran over to restrain the limp hogs while I protected them from the incoming rocks being thrown at us.  Other ZPD officers joined in from behind.  These razorbacks did everything they could to keep us away, hoping to thwart our arrest attempts, desperate to escape by any means, but I wouldn't let them.

One of the vans drove off while the truck was preparing to do so.

They slammed the gas pedal and I leaped headfirst onto their getaway vehicle.  

Though I managed to catch the bumper with my gauntlets, I was being dragged through the crowded streets of Zootopia, creating shiny blue sparks as the white armor scraped against the asphalt.  

I dug my boots in, hoping to stop the vehicle in its tracks, but this only created severe road damage and gave the razorbacks another reason to floor it.  I attempted to deploy a nanoblade to cut the vehicle axel but the particles wouldn't respond.  Why now of all times?

Now we were in full pursuit.  The three getaway vehicles split off into two different directions.

In my world, an unmanned aerial assault drone or an orbital precision satellite strike could've easily ended this wild hog chase with little-to-no residue left behind. All it took was a simple wrist tap for military support to arrive in 6 seconds and the targets would be neutralized.  Unfortunately, that type of luxury didn't exist in Zootopia.

The razorbacks turned many sharp corners, recklessly driving through multiple busy intersections. They were shattering flower pots, tipping over garbage bins, smashing mailboxes, and causing extensive property damage.  

Glass, paper, and wood were flying everywhere as the razorbacks drove through a dense shopping strip, causing many mammal civilians to flee.  All the debris kept hitting me in the face, making it harder to hold on.  

Though the hogs were terrible drivers, at least they were courteous enough to not hit anyone - by honking their horn whenever possible.  From the truck bed, the squad of razorbacks cheered themselves on.

However, it didn't take long for one of them to realize that someone had hitched a ride.

As the boar peeked over, his eyes shot wide.  "Umm... guys?"

"Huh?"

"He's... he's still here!"

The rest leaned over to see what was happening.  I shot them a threatening glare.

"What?  This guy's insane."

"Shake him off!"

The driver began swerving the truck side-to-side.  It was manageable at first but then he shifted into a higher gear and started veering back and forth in a maniacal manner.

"Pull over!" I commanded.

He scraped me against street lamps, bushes, and parking token meters.  Coins were rolling all over the pavement.  The impacts weren't too bad... until tree trunks got involved.  Those were pounding my thighs over and over, causing me to nearly lose grip on a bumper that was getting looser.

Meanwhile, the razorbacks were spitting and taunting.

I tried slicing the truck's tires but they were out of my reach.  We were reaching unlawful speeds and my arms were getting tired with all this dragging.  Using only one arm to hang on, I tried slashing at anything within reach but I accidentally destroyed the muffler which made the utility truck louder.

We passed under a rainbow waterfall that flowed from the upper balconies of a skyscraper and we then entered a two-way highway tunnel.  The walls were lined with an intricate pattern of zebra and giraffe stripes that were neatly illuminated by a series of warm LED lights.  

The area was pleasing to the eyes but that didn't stop the razorbacks from ramming against the freeway barricades, trying to get the human off their tail.

Out of nowhere, I saw incoming traffic, and my head struck one of the headlights.  Now I was pissed.

"Enough!  I said pull over!" 

"Ha!  Like that's ever gonna happen," he laughed, holding out his hoof.  "Dilbert, give me the bat, will ya?  I'll take care of this blue-eyed clown myself."

His friend passed him a spiked baseball bat that was full of rusty nails.  Oh, how I hated those things.

Without hesitation, he gave a ferocious downward swing.  It was as if he were trying to beat the max score for a game of high striker.

As the bat struck my forearm, I used the other arm to grab his bat.  He tried pulling it back but I grabbed his forearm and pulled myself into the truck bed.

The three razorbacks became panicked, grabbing any melee weapons they could find, while the third put me in a headlock.

One razorback had a crowbar while the other picked up a shovel.  

The crowbar got bent as it struck my lower calf and the shovel head snapped off as it struck the side of my head.  I used that opportunity to elbow the razorback standing behind me.  

"Gah!" he yelped.

I then flung him into a nearby pond that was conveniently placed under the highway, signaling that we had just entered the Rainforest District.

Hopefully, he could swim.

The other two razorbacks looked at each other indecisively.  They dropped their broken weapons, raised their hooves up, and laid prone along the truck bed while the driver kept flooring it across the river bridge. 

I cuffed the two razorbacks together, secured their bags of gold, and noticed that raindrops were falling everywhere.  They started out soft, eventually becoming more consistent, until the metal truckbed became soaked.

Even though we barely left the heart of the city, the environment changed so suddenly with thick foliage appearing on all sides.  The area was as lush, green, and beautiful as it was intriguing. With its constant mist, the air was warm, humid, and wet from the vast network of tree sprinklers.

Too bad the razorback driver wasn't a tour guide.   He picked a fine route to flee on with plenty of scenery.  However, he took a random backroad that spiraled along a carved section of a massive tree trunk, leading us into the upper canopies.  From there, the road kept going and going.

This district had a striking amount of verticality to it.  The tree that we were in - the one that the road was attached to - was only a third in height compared to other trees around us.  Words couldn't describe how vast this forest was.

I approached the truck's cabin and punched out the back window.

"Oh, crap!" the driver yelped.

I pulled out a phaser pistol, placing the tip against the back of his head.  This caused him to tense up greatly.

"Don't hurt me, Don't hurt me!' he begged.  "Please don't hurt me!"

He had a Gazelle-themed song playing over the radio.  I stabbed the center console to silence it, causing electrical sparks to flicker everywhere.

"GAH!  What the?" he recoiled in fear.

I retracted the blade and grabbed him by the back of his shirt collar.  "Stop. This. Car." I spoke sternly.

The panicked hog frantically looked around, unsure of what else he could do.  His entire body trembled greatly.  Perhaps his boss would chastise him for failing to deliver the gold but his life was only a pulled trigger away from ending.

Losing my patience, I firmly pressed the pistol into his skull, making him wince in pain.

"Alright!  Okay, Okay!" he finally gave in, lifting his hoof from the gas pedal.  "I'll stop, I'll stop!"

As the utility truck slowed down, we felt a sudden jolt that caught both of us off guard.  Another vehicle had violently struck us from behind.

It was the second one from the bank.

It was a bulky off-roading van, measuring more than twice the size of the truck we were on.  It had 6 wheels and was about as large as a moving van.  The front grill had a somewhat menacing appearance, resembling an aggressive horned animal that was ramming us.

Atop the utility van, there was a large group of animals staring right down at us.  Not only was it more razorbacks but there were two female grey wolves as well.  Now we were dealing with a diverse criminal organization.  All the thugs were working together - despite being different species = and some of them I recognized from the bank.

Aside from their blunt melee weapons, each animal was holding some heist equipment and what appeared to be... tree vines?

"It's the alien!" the female wolf shouted.  "Tie him down, boys!"

"Wooohooooooo!" the other performed a howling chant.  The razorbacks proudly grunted in unison.

They all tossed their green vines onto my body, tied the limbs together, and secured me in place.  The three razorbacks in the truck - the driver and the two cuffed ones - were being rescued.  They hurled their bags of gold into the arms of their fellow crooks atop the van while being hoisted up into safety.  

At times like these, I really wish I could just shoot them.  It would've been so much easier.  But City Hall would never tolerate any casualties or severe injuries by my 'alien tech.'  Even a simple weapon discharge could lead to corrective action.  

Begrudgingly, I stopped aiming the pistol, placed it back into the suit, and watched the animals escape.  Time for plan B.

Using all the strength I could muster, I pulled at the vines, nearly causing a few mammals to lose their balance and fall over.  Luckily for them, they had plenty of extra support.  There were four vines in total - one attached to each limb - and there were at least three razorbacks pulling at each one.  It was almost like a game of tug-of-war.

As I began slicing my way through the vines, the female wolves suddenly threw stainless steel chains onto my neck, pulling them tight.  They were harder to cut... but they could only slow me down.  As soon as I freed myself, I'd hop onto that getaway car and take them all down, one by one.

When I broke free, they pulled their vehicle away and immediately took another exit.  I was left alone in an empty truck traveling at over 65 miles per hour.  It was about to go over the edge of the highway and plummet into the watery depths below.

As soon as the first wheel gave way, I made a jump for it.

I expected to land on the wet road pavement.  I'd roll a few times, smash a few tree branches, but my armor could take the impact.  

However, I landed on something else.

Something that was moving fast.

Red and blue lights were flashing and I found myself half kneeling on the front hood of a police cruiser.  I glanced back at the driver and saw that it was Officer Wilde.

"I got you, furless!" the fox proudly smirked.   

"Nick?"  I was mildly astonished.

He tilted his aviators in a stylized fashion.  "Did you miss me?" 

I didn't know what to say.

"Hang on, buddy, let's go catch us some bad guys!" he said, shifting into a higher gear.  "You and me."

He drove the cruiser through giant rain puddles, dodging incoming traffic, and pursued the razorbacks.  Things were about to get interesting.  His former years as a con artist manifested in his style of driving.   I faced myself forward, clenching onto the metal hood to avoid sliding off.

After a few minutes of intense driving, we finally caught up to the thugs.  

They took notice and began chucking baseball bats, cinder blocks, and even fishing harpoons at our cruiser.  I blocked as many of the projectiles as I could by punching them away... but the cruiser still took some significant exterior damage.  Out of nowhere, an incoming rock smashed one of the side-view mirrors.

"Boy, they don't seem to like us much, do they?" the fox remarked.

Indeed, the razorbacks were desperate.  I could see them readying their melee weapons, preparing for what would come next.

"Pull around the truck," I signaled.

He turned the steering wheel.  "You got it, furless!"

"And don't call me 'furless'."

The fox accelerated the cruiser until we were moving adjacent to the van, trying to match its high speed, which took us multiple close-call attempts.  Finally, I jumped onto its side and dug my blades into its exterior wall like an aggressive T-1000 Terminator.

"Alright, furless, it's all up to you now!" the fox waved from the driver's seat, tossing me a pre-loaded tranquilizer pistol.  

As I caught it, I dodged a swing from a spiked bat that narrowly missed my head.  "It's Cherry!" I corrected.

From above, the razorbacks started throwing spiked baseball bats directly at Nick's windshield, almost shattering it completely.  His view became obstructed from the cracked glass which forced him to slam on his brakes so that he wouldn't crash.

The fox and his police cruiser disappeared from view as the razorbacks sped further down the rainforest district highway.  

Now it was just me and ten thugs. 

As I dangled against the side of the razorback's van, the radio sounded.  

"Dispatch to Chenry, this is Francine speaking, do you copy?  Please advise us on the location of our suspects so that we may establish a cutoff route.  We'll send backup your way."

The ZPD's radio channel wasn't HUD link compatible.  I had to answer the traditional way by clicking the button.

"Chenry to dispatch, call it off.  They're mine."

Without further ado, I switched off the radio device.  It was time to stay focused.

The razorbacks and wolves stared me down from atop the van, priming their melee weapons.

"Aim for his paws... or, whatever those things are!" one pointed at the ledge, where my gauntlets were gripping.

A female grey wolf raised her bat, preparing to strike.  She ran at full speed.

I whipped out the tranquilizer pistol.

"Look out!" she ducked.

The dart struck one of the razorbacks in the forehead.  His limp body fell into the open hatch atop the van.

From the utility belt, I scooped up another bullet.  It was incredibly hard to do this with only one arm while dangling all my body weight with the other.

I attempted to shoot that same wolf again but she did a rapid sliding motion and smacked my shooting hand.  The tranquilizer pistol broke in half and fell into the watery depths below.

Great, there goes my non-lethal.

She attempted to swing again but I scooted away towards the back, holding onto the van's rear door.  

A razorback proudly stepped in front of her.  "Let me show you how it's done, sweetie!"

He picked up a large cinder block with both hooves and dropped it onto my head.  It was a complete miss, plopping into the water below.

"Argh, the sun was in my eyes!" he rationalized, pulling out a wooden baton, splaying his arms.  "What?  What do you want me to do?  Block out the sun?"

The unimpressed wolf rolled her eyes.  "It's overcast, you idiot.  Quit messing around and get that creature off our van."

The razorback winked at her, preparing to swing his weapon.  "Watch and learn, babe!"

As he stepped closer, I snatched his ankle.  I then flung him over the edge and a Wilhelm scream escaped his mouth as he crashed into the watery rapids below.

For a six-foot-seven hog weighing over 350 pounds on a 100-foot drop, he made a decent splash   While coming up for air, he angrily waved a fist at me.

The female wolves and the rest of the razorback crew kept their distance from the ledge, occasionally jabbing at my fingers with a spiked bat to prevent me from climbing up.   I kept shifting myself around, attempting to find a gap in the crowd and catch them by surprise.

I couldn't shoot them nor could I stab them.  If I climbed atop the van at the wrong time, they could easily use their numbers to push me off.  Thus, I had to time it right.

We passed numerous animal spectators that were huddling under their colorful umbrellas, gasping at the rather unusual police pursuit that was unfolding before them.  All of this public attention was getting uncomfortable.

Near the wooden sidewalk, a little bear cub was about to take a bite out of his favorite ice cream until he froze in place, his mouth hanging ajar as the sugary scoop plopped to the ground.

The razorback thugs smiled and waved at their fellow Zootopians, nodding their heads to appear all friendly.  Meanwhile, I dangled against the side of the van, trying not to slip off.

We passed the anxious crowds, crossed a giant wooden suspension bridge with questionable structural integrity yet with an intricate design, and we approached a tall dark tunnel.  The sides appeared to be made from a hollow-out tree trunk measuring more than three times the size of any dead redwood tree found in my homeworld.

As we continued onward, the temperature began to drop drastically.

I thought about slashing the van's rugged off-roading tires;  surely, this would be an immediate way to end the pursuit.  I considered the engine... I even reached for it... but it was out of reach.  Regardless, we were moving at over 80 miles per hour and the crash would easily maim or kill all the animals on board except myself.  The golden bars could survive the impact - save it be a few scratches - but the ZPD's reputation would be in jeopardy.

Nearing the end of the tunnel, the walls were gradually becoming whiter in color while clusters of icicles were forming on the ceiling.  Snow fell from the sky and it became clear that we just entered Tundra Town.

Instead of trees, we were surrounded by mountainous icebergs on all sides.  Many homes, businesses, and schools were carved into them.  The rest of the structures throughout the snow-packed valley had an onion-domed-shaped design.

There was a frozen river situated 200 feet below us, meaning that I couldn't safely throw anyone into it.  Not because the water was too frigid but there were herds of animals riding on its little floating ice caps.  Thus, I would have to manually subdue everyone on this van.

Time was running out, a thick blizzard was forming thick fog-like conditions, and the rain droplets from the Rainforest district were becoming frozen, making the conditions increasingly slippery along the van's metal exterior.

It was now or never.

I climbed up the side, pulling myself on top.  

"There he is!" a razorback shouted.

Four of them immediately formed a tight scrum and shoved me right off.   Thankfully, I caught myself on a ledge of the van's lower frame near the suspension, holding on for 'dear life'.   

My armored back scraped against the icy pavement at 90 miles per hour.  I reacted quick enough to climb towards the rear bumper and kneel up against the loading doors.

While I was formulating a plan of attack, there was a thunderous explosion sound coming from the left side. 

One by one, multiple geysers erupted in a chain reaction sequence as we drove past them.  They spewed out thick chunks of ice from their domed bases, producing a thick mist in the blizzard air that reduced our visibility level further.

Using that perfect opportunity, I scaled up the side of the van.

At first, they didn't know I was there.  The loud wind and the white armor kept me hidden from view like a ghost.

They kept looking down the sides of the van, hoping that I must've fallen off.

One of them happily sighed in relief.  "Phew!  I think we lost him!"

That all changed when the glowing blue eyes and my silhouette made a menacing appearance through the snowstorm.  The air cleared up and I came into their full view.

Now it was me against seven thugs. We were on top of a 20 x 8 ft flat roof moving over 80 miles per hour.

"Holy mackerel!" one of them exclaimed, causing the rest to jump in fright.

They all turned around to face the human.

"What?  How did he get past-"

"On your knees.  Now." I ordered.

A few razorbacks obeyed.  The rest were undecided.  The wolves were defiant.  As the high winds blew through their graceful fur, a warrior spirit sparked inside them.

"No, not without a fight." the grey wolf growled, baring her fangs.  "Get ready, boys!"

She lifted her baton, encouraging the rest of her crew to do the same.  With their unique arsenal of melee weapons, they gathered in a semi-circle around me.  

Indeed, they were stubborn.   It was time for them to pay the price.  "So be it," I said.

The wolf attacked first, swinging her baton with all her might.  I blocked it with my forearm, shattering it upon impact.

A razorback struck me in the helmet with a pool stick.  It snapped in half.

Another razorback swiped my legs with a golf club.  It got bent into a V-shape.

The other grey wolf chucked two cinder blocks right at my chest.  All she got was dust and powder.

Unphased, I tilted my head.  "Are you done?"

They gave each other perturbed looks.

Frustrated, the grey wolf shook away her thoughts, resuming her vituperative attacks.  She jumped onto my back, unsheathed her wolf claws, and slashed at the neck armor.  She had some heart - I'd give her that - but she was no match.

I pushed her off to the side with relative ease.  She used her wolf claws to hang onto the van.

A stocky razorback threw a punch at my face only to fracture his wrist.  He rolled away, withering in pain.

Two razorbacks charged me from the front.

I did an uppercut punch into the first one  He fell over and landed on top of his friend.

I felt a spiked bat collide with my shoulder.  The impact left a few nails that broke off and became embedded into the armor gaps.  Fortunately, I didn't feel any pain.

The razorback returned the bat into a swinging position, getting himself into a proper stance.  

"Swing away, Merrill!"  his injured friend cheered him on from the floor.  "Merrill, swing away!"

He swung like a mad hog.

I tried dodging and ducking as much as I could.  He was relentless.

The bat struck the shoulder once again.  I could hear a loud crack... but it actually came from the wooden material of the bat.  I sighed in both relief and annoyance.

"You never learn," I said, pulling the embedded bat from the shoulder armor.

"Wait! the thug cautiously backed up.  "What are you-"

Using the blunt part below the grip, I jabbed it into the razorback's head, knocking him out cold.  I then discarded the weapon, throwing it off the side of the van that was still moving at dangerously high speeds.

The other grey wolf stepped onto an unconscious razorback to propel herself mightily in the air.  She came after me with claws ready, an aggressive face, and a spirit full of determination.

However, I caught the wolf mid-air.

Gripping her by the neck, I slammed her onto the ground, throwing down a powerful punch which she barely dodged by rolling away.  This put a fist-sized hole in the metal roof.  Perhaps I went a bit too far.

Upon seeing this, the razorbacks transitioned from fear to anger.  They grabbed me from all sides.

One pulled by the cloak.

Another rammed from the side.

The other restrained the right arm, pulling it back.

Together, they strived to pin me down, putting forth all their strength.

Despite their efforts, I managed to sprawl myself out.  Using my other arm, I threw a left hook punch.  

The force was substantial enough that spit ejected from the hog's mouth as he fell flat on the roof.  Disoriented, he attempted to lunge after me once more, but I countered with another hard hit to his face.  Hard enough, in fact, that he spat a tooth.

I kicked his limp body into the van's open hatch, creating more fighting space atop the roof.  The female wolf placed me in a chokehold but I headbutted her in the nose, causing her to whimper, and I threw her into the same open hatch.

The other two razorbacks were pretty much helpless.  They clasped onto my legs, hoping to bring me down, but they were too weak.   I grabbed the sides of their heads and bashed them together like a pair of cymbals.  

Both of them collapsed as I pushed them down into the same open hatch as the others.  Now the roof was cleared.

The van was still moving at high speeds through the fierce blizzard on the freeway.  It was unknown if the driver was even aware that his colleagues were taken down.

No matter, I'd climb down the same hatch, take out the driver, and secure the gold.  Easier done than said.

As I approached the roof hatch, another razorback was climbing out.  He was bulkier and taller than the rest of his crew.  He stood parallel to me and pulled out two spiked baseball bats as if he were making a Deadpool impression.

"Remember me?" he smirked, swinging both his weapons which I barely blocked with my forearms.

He swung again and again with brutal force.  His determination was comparable to the grey wolves I fought earlier.  

I kicked him in the gut, making him stoop over and grunt in pain, but he quickly stood back up to recover.  He was the same razorback leader I met on the night that Cody got attacked. 

"The name's Tusk," he reminded, trying to strike me in the head for the third time.  "You've been all over the news, haven't you?" he asked, tilting his head with a wicked grin before he came at me with another attack.  "It's so good to see you, my alien friend." 

"Enough." I caught his bat mid-air, snapping it in half.  "This party's over."

He was down to one single bat.  I tossed the remains of his second bat aside.

"Over?" he laughed.  "We've only just begun."

We got ourselves into a short brawl which he ended up receiving a couple of unforgiving jabs to his face.  

He landed one hit on the armor, spraining his wrist.

To put the cherry on top, I delivered a brutal uppercut to his lower jaw, knocking him back a few feet towards the edge of the van.

He rubbed some blood away from his mouth.  "Ya know, it's not too late to join us."

I began walking towards him.  "That's not going to happen."

He tried scooting away but he couldn't move any further.  I grabbed him by the shirt collars and lifted him up.  I noticed that he still had a scar on his face from our previous encounter at the PUPS store.

He held up his hooves, seemingly begging for mercy.  "Listen, I know you're trying to do the right thing.  But it's not about the money, Mr. Chenry.  It never was."

I threw him down onto the roof, pointing at the loot below the hatch.  "Bullshit.  You stole two pallets of gold."

He shook his head.  "You're failing to see the big picture, my friend.   But don't worry, you'll catch on."

Right as he said that, I heard another razorback approach me from behind.  I elbowed him in the neck and he fell tumbled through the same roof hatch.

The razorback leader Tusk widened his eyes in sheer fright.  Did he really think he could defeat me that easily?

I pulled out my phaser pistol, pointing it at his head. "You would be wise to surrender."

He held up both hooves.

After a long moment of uncertainty, he suddenly looked up and smiled. "Yeah, probably."

Without warning, I felt an immense force strike the back of my head, rattling my entire mortal frame, and knocking me off the van. 

It was a freeway overhead sign that read:

Now Leaving Tundra Town
Tunnel:  3/4 mile

I fell onto the edge of the elevated roadway, trying to grab a hold of anything, but it was too late.  Gravity took over and my armored body plummeted into the icy abyss below.

My body smacked against the glacier walls, scraping against the jagged sides, and my head got banged up a few times on the way down.

I attempted to slow down my descent, jamming my gauntlets into the thick ice, but it was no use.

After falling for over 300 yards, I face-planted into the frozen ground.  My mind struggled to suggest a response as I groaned in pain.

There were multiple contusions detected around my body.

Rolling myself over, I helplessly watched as the razorbacks drove away and escaped into the highway tunnel above, disappearing from sight.  

I couldn't believe it.  Those thugs were barely within my grasp... but they got away.

Feeling anger, I punched a nearby glacier wall to vent my frustration.  "Dammit!" 

It wasn't enough so I punched it again and again.  The ice shattered into tiny bits but I stopped short when I saw red droplets forming.

I looked down at my right gauntlet to see that it was all covered in blood.  Unclenching my fist, I saw that my fingers were not only covered in blood but there was no armor covering them anymore.  The bare skin was exposed to the cold air.

As a remedy, I attempted to move spare nanoparticles towards the fingertips but they wouldn't cooperate.  Nothing was working at all and I was in trouble.

Speaking of which, the radio sounded.

"Dispatch to...Chenry..." the damaged device was staticky.  "Do... copy?  What's... status?  Did you...catch...suspects?"

Clenching the radio in frustration, I was reluctant to answer.  

"Negative."

There was a moment of silence.  The only sound was the cold wind howling through the bottom of the icy canyon.  It allowed the feeling of defeat to sink in further.

Hearing no response, I was about to put the radio away until I heard that same voice again.

"Under...Understood..." the signal became unstable.  "Please...return to...station...and...report back to-"

I crushed the radio under my grip, slowly dropping the pieces one by one.  That was enough ZPD for one day.

I placed a handful of snow on my bloody fingers and began the long journey out of this deep ravine.  The sun was dipping below the glaciers, the snowfall grew increasingly heavy, and night would fall upon this district in less than 2 hours.  The temperatures were already below freezing and I had to keep moving.

As I trekked up the steep hillside, I kept sliding beneath my weight.   Normally, I could deploy nano spikes under the boots but those weren't working either.  The only option was to keep trying.  

I could've called for someone to pick me up but the radio was destroyed.  Either way, I didn't feel like I deserved it.  I decided to just walk home and reflect upon today's crazy events.  

The wind continued to shift around the frozen valley and cold air could be felt throughout the suit's alloy interior.   Most military suits were capable of handling uninhabitable planetary conditions but any small opening around the fingers - with no nanites to seal it off - made all the difference in the world.

From a distance, I spotted some street lights that led to a small town above the cliffs.  I made my way towards it.

As a walked along the snow-packed path, my mind wandered and my head throbbed.  The suit felt looser with each step but I tried not to think about it.  Instead, I pondered a few questions.  What were those Razorbacks going to do with all that gold they stole?  How would the ZPD respond to this?  Why did Zootopia build low clearance freeway signs?

Despite the cold, my anger was boiling over.  Mark my words, if I ever came across those razorbacks again, they'd be neutralized without question.  And next time, they wouldn't have anywhere to run.  I swore myself to it.

Amidst my frustrations, my belly was starting to ache.  Perhaps a warm meal would do me good?   After all, you're not you when you're hungry.   Hunger and anger were basically synonymous which meant treating one would treat the other.

Thus, I walked another half-mile in knee-level snow.  I tore off a piece of cloak to cover the injured fingers.

I came across an igloo-like town, filled with a few thrift stores and restaurants that were carved into the overhanging cliff glacier.  It was illuminated by a network of frozen halogen lights which gave the place a decent appearance.  I probably would've enjoyed it more if it weren't for the negative mood I was in.

Most restaurants were about to close but I spotted one at the street corner with a few arctic patrons leaving.  It had outdoor seating and a snow leopard waitress cleaning up for the day.

I slipped once... maybe twice... on the frozen road, trying to head over before they closed the restaurant doors.  As usual, I pulled the hood over to conceal my identity.  Despite all the news articles circulating around Zootopia, it still felt natural to hide from public view.

I scooted my way past polar bears and arctic foxes summoning a taxi - noticing that its wheels were replaced with... skis? - and trying to avoid eye contact.  Of course, they spotted me at the corner of their eye and snapped a picture before driving off.

Hopefully, they wouldn't find out about today's embarrassing events.

I approached the balcony section of the restaurant and the snow leopard waitress was busy carrying a tall stack of dishes.  She appeared young, no more than 17 years of age, and wore frozen water droplet earrings with white spirals.

Without speaking, I simply found an empty table and sat down.  When the snow leopard waitress turned around, she jumped in fright, nearly dropping all the dishes.  

"Don't run, I'm just a cop," I said, showing the badge.

She exhaled slowly, placing a paw over her chest.  "Oh, jeez, mister, you scared the jeepers out of me!  

"My apologies," I stated bluntly.

The leopard looked me over.  "Shouldn't you be wearing clothes or something?  It's awfully cold out."

"These are my clothes." I gestured to myself, stepping into the light.

"Oh..." she squinted, nodding in understanding.  "I see it now."

"What've you got to eat?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

This caught her off guard.  "All we've got are soups and scones at this hour," she answered, placing a beat-up menu on the table.  "Check it out!"

I look at the selections and only saw bug meat and halibut listed.  

"Are fish and bugs the only meats you have on the menu?" I asked, mildly frustrated with the reality I was living in.  "Doesn't Zootopia have any other meat to offer?"

Her bothered face gradually became filled with a sarcastic expression.  "Of...of course not, mister... that's a very strange question to ask at this hour," she folded her arms.  "Did you hit your head or something?

A flashback played inside my memory:  I was falling down an icy cliff, getting banged up.

"Um... no." I denied, rubbing a small dent in the helmet.

The waitress was kind enough to offer soup samples.  I chose halibut soup.  It smelled strange but I figured it was worth trying.  

It wasn't.

I immediately started gagging from the spoonful and ran over to the edge of the restaurant.  I found a pack of snow and threw up all over it.  That had to be one of the most disgusting bites I've ever had in Zootopia.  It was almost as bad as casu martzu.

The waitress came over to check on me.  I frantically pulled the helmet over my face.

"I gotta admit," she said, trying a spoonful of her own soup, nodding in minor approval.  "It could probably use a little more spice, what do you think?"

I shook my head, trying not to throw up into the mask.  Such an incident would've been disastrous.  My body hunched over to fight the strong urge.  Were those raw fish chunks on the ground?

The snow leopard continued talking.  "Not bad for my first day, eh?  I gotta admit, it's been pretty awesome."

If only I could say the same, I thought.

As I stood up to recover, I realized that my hood had slipped back.

"Jeepers!" the leopard gasped, recognizing the face.  "You're that mysterious mammal guy, aren't you?"

I groaned, kicking powdered snow over the remains of the halibut soup.  "Who wants to know?"

She pulled out her phone's Instagram app and positioned the screen in front of me.  "Check it out!"

It was a montage of phone-recorded videos highlighting the intense brawl I had with the razorbacks atop the high-speed van.  The blurry clips were taken from the perspectives of different animals from different districts.  Thankfully, the pixel quality was low enough to hide most of the suspicious details.  Namely, the ones involving nanotechnology.

However, the edits were making the razorbacks appear more like victims while I appeared more like a failed perpetrator.  The last clip highlighted the final moment where I got hit in the head by a freeway sign.

The leopard giggled.

I shot her a brief glare.

She stopped giggling.  

Below the video, the post read:

ZPD's newest officer fails to apprehend razorbacks.  Where's the famous cop duo when you need them?    #myteriousmammal #zpd #foxbunny #bunnyfox  #razorbacks #rainforest #tundratown

Did they really think this was funny?

The post currently had half a million views and three hundred and seventy-seven thousand shares.  Below it, there was a similar post that made me facepalm.  It was a picture of me taken at the skunk appreciation parade.  Below it, the post read:

Behold, Zootopia's newest and 'smelliest' officer  XD #skunkpride #skunk

It had over four hundred thousand views and nearly nine thousand shares among its users.  I was without words.  

Crap like this was the very reason animals didn't deserve to be evolved.

My technological ability to hack videos and delete them was long gone.  I tried doing it through my HUD but it kept giving me repeated error messages.

Times have changed.  Now I was Zootopia's laughing stock.

"Unbelievable," I shoved her phone screen away, clenching both fists.  "You gotta be kidding me."

"And you gotta let me get a picture with you!" the young leopard smiled, holding her phone out for a selfie.  She was about to tap the camera button with her paw until she realized that I wasn't there anymore.  "Wait, mister?  Where'd you... where'd you go?"

She eagerly looked around the area, filling with disappointment.  Thank goodness my outfit was white.    I was already climbing over the snowy hill and disappearing behind it.  There was no running from all this nonsense but that wouldn't stop me from trying.

I ran over to Iceyene Road and flagged down a 'skidoo' taxi.  The goat driver wouldn't shut up about the social media posts as he drove me over to the next neighboring district.  His laugh was annoying as hell.  I simply kept my hood raised and my mouth shut.

From Fog Street, I boarded another taxi that took me over to Fruit Market Blvd.   Thankfully, the caribou didn't talk but she had the radio turned up at full volume.  Even the radio host was aware of the skunk parade.  

From Flock street, I walked over to Savanna Central.  The journey lasted about thirty-seven minutes and the sky was turning dark.  

Animals were going home for the day but the chatter was still going.  Some were discussing my failed counter-heist against the razorbacks while the rest were highly amused by the events of the skunk appreciation parade.  Which was worse?   Both were equally humiliating.

At the ZPD, the entire place was quiet.  All the police cruisers - big and small- were neatly parked in their designated stalls and there wasn't a soul in the main lobby.  Clawhauser's stacked boxes of donuts were empty, meaning that his shift was over.  

Most of the indoor lights were turned off except for Chief Bogo's office.  I knew that he was waiting for me on the upper levels.

As I ascended the flight of stairs, I saw two familiar faces waiting under the light.  Judy sighed in relief while Nick clapped his paws together.  They both stood up to greet me until the giant water buffalo stepped out of his office.

He crossed his arms, giving me an authoritative stare.  "Hopps, Wilde, clock out and go home.  I'm going to have a word with Chenry."

The bunny and fox were hesitant to leave for the night but they finally obeyed their chief.  It just wasn't worth arguing.   They slowly filed their way past me, staring at the ground, but Judy stopped short when she saw my wrapped hand.

 She lightly touched it with her paw, noticing the dried blood and exposed skin.  "Cherry?  Is that..."

"It's fine," I insisted, pulling my hand back.  "Just go."

Without further question, they continued towards the stairs.

"Good luck, buddy," Nick gave one more wave for the night.

Chief Bogo and I stood outside the office until the duo exited the building.  They glanced back at us one last time before disappearing through the lobby's double doors.

Now it was just me and the chief.

We went into his office and sat down across from each other.  None of us spoke a word.  The only sound was the electrical humming from the light above us.

It felt like an eternity had passed.  The chief stared me down as if he were waiting for me to blink.  He should've known by now that I couldn't do that.

"How's your wound?" he asked, surprisingly he cared.

"It's nothing," I replied.

The room went quiet again.

"So," the chief began, leaning forward in his chair.  "Tell me what happened today."

A lot of things came to mind.  Getting sprayed by skunks, chasing hogs, falling into an icy abyss, and nearly choking on raw halibut.  But I gave him the answer he was looking for.

"I failed to incarcerate the hogs, sir."

His expression remained unchanged.  "And do you know why?"

I thought for a moment, rubbing my sore head.  "Apparently, this city doesn't know how to build freeway signs-"

"Stop," the buffalo interrupted with an unamused tone.  His patience wore thin as he took a deep grunting breath to compose himself.  "Now, I'm going to repeat my question.  Why were you unable to catch the fleeing suspects?"

Nothing else came to mind.  

What more could've been done?  Had I not accepted Zootopia's self-inhibiting conditions of being a sworn-in officer, the outcome might've differed.  A few razorbacks might've perished on the highway but surely the stolen loot was worth far more than all their lives combined.

Bogo waited for an answer. I only shrugged.

After what felt like minutes, he gruffly spoke up.  "It was brought to my attention that you refused to call for backup when it was needed.  Not once, but twice you remained off-channel and didn't respond.   Care to explain why?"

"Perhaps I prefer being a lone wolf."

"You are not a wolf," Bogo reminded.  "And whatever you identify as doesn't justify your actions.  Not only were they inordinately questionable, but you also placed our suspects in an unjustifiable amount of danger, and yet, you still failed to catch them."

"Had I done it my own way - outside the confines of police work - then they never would've escaped... and you know it."

"Officer Chenry, I don't know how your species operates, nor do I care," he said, showing his computer monitor.  "We've reviewed the jam cam footage and we're well aware of your rather... otherwordly capabilities.  But here at the ZPD, we work together as one unified police force and no officer goes alone on any assignment." 

I said nothing.

"Had you not let your pride get in the way, we could've had the suspects behind bars," he continued, giving a sharper glare.  "Instead, you caused millions worth of Furs National Bank gold reserves to fall into the hooves and paws of Zootopia's largest crime organization and you tarnished your public image!   Do you have any idea how serious this is?

I clenched my fist, away from his line of sight.  "Yes sir, I do."

"With that said, I wouldn't lose any sleep over processing your termination forms and taking away your badge.   But," he sighed.  "many of my officers in this department - including your fellow cadets from the academy - have voted to keep you on the force.  I would've decided against them - as nearly half of City Hall did - but Hopps and Wilde spent the last half hour ruling in your favor.  Given that they're my most trusted officers, I'm going to give you one chance.  One chance only.  If you strike out, then you'll be removed from the ZPD without further question.  Do I make myself clear?"

With nothing else to do, I solemnly nodded.

"Don't make me regret it," the chief said, standing up and walking towards the door.  "You've got a lot to work on before public trust can be regained.  Even so, it would take a miracle for you... and I'll be ready with a pen in my hoof when it doesn't happen, as will the other half of City Hall," he opened the door for me to exit.  "But for now, you're dismissed."

As I stepped outside, I stopped to turn around.   "Mark my words, chief.  I will find those razorbacks."

"Don't bother.  You're off the case."

"But-"

"For good!" he huffed.

After a low sigh, I nodded.  "Understood, sir."

I made my way over to the stairs and the chief carefully watched me depart from his office entry.  Just then, another question came to mind.

"And what about the reserves?" I asked, without turning around.

The buffalo answered.  "I've assigned a small task force to take care of that.  I'm not at liberty to disclose their identities but they'll be cleaning up your mess."

Upon hearing this, I left the ZPD without saying another word.  I was done for the night.

Mayor Lionheart's meerkat secretary had left a sticky note and keys on the lobby's front desk containing directions and access to the apartment where I'd be staying near Acacia Street.  Hopefully, it had a decent bed.

It was only two blocks away but the journey there was filled with short bursts of indirect mockery from the anthropomorphic citizens.  They wouldn't dare say anything out loud but their body language spoke volumes.  Had today gone a bit differently, they'd be speaking about heroism instead.   Regardless, the best thing to do was to keep walking.

I eventually found the apartment complex and each building had a unique code inscribed on a bronze plate along the outside.  Not only was this place enormous, but the range of building numbers was 0001 - 3000.  According to the directions, it said: 

On your right, please enter the building with two zero and two three.

But which building? I wondered.  

Was it 0023, 2023, 2033, or 0033?  They all fit the metric.

All of them were within a mile radius of each other.  I didn't understand why the secretary couldn't just write out the actual number.

I approached building 2023 but there was a giraffe couple necking on the front porch. From there, I went to building 2033 and spotted a family of squirrels huddled around a television, snacking on acorns, replaying the jam cam footage from social media. 

For over an hour, I traveled towards the other end of the residential sector.  Due to its sheer size, there was a significant distance to cover.  It was already 10:30 PM and another police shift would start again at 5:30 AM.

I came across building 0033 but the metal key wouldn't open the lock.  Out of nowhere, a panicked kangaroo landlord mistook me for an alien, striking me in the groin with her cane.  She was quick to apologize.  I was quick to leave.

Turns out, my apartment was in building 0023.  It just had to be the last one to check.  It took far too long and my patience was wearing thin.

"What kind of dumb animal wrote these directions?" I uttered, crumbling up the paper.

Just then, I felt myself sink into calf-deep wet cement.  Apparently, there was a construction zone just outside the building and three bear cubs were giggling in the far corner while playing with the orange cones they removed.  I ascended the stairs, pretending nothing happened.

Immature little brats.

I navigated to my apartment door which was labeled 0023-C.  For some reason, the owners figured it was a splendid idea to use numbers before letters.  I went inside and flipped on the light switch.

The place had a basic layout with a kitchen, bathroom, dining room, bedroom, living room, and closet.  It was smaller than the academy dorms but the furniture was more modern and compact.  The walls were painted burnt orange and the floors had a dark wooden pattern.  The ceiling was barely tall enough and I had to duck under some of the door frames.  The kitchen had a neatly placed bowl of Zootopian fruit but I wasn't hungry.   As soon as I saw the corduroy couch, I collapsed onto its soft cushions and relaxed.

"Finally..." I sighed, pulling off the helmet.  "Alone at last."

For once, it felt nice being in my own isolated environment.  It created an illusion that I was back in the human world with no talking animals.  However, the painted paw prints on the furniture and walls served as a little reminder that this was still Zootopia.  Maybe this place could be redesigned later on.

Either way, I tossed the helmet aside and proceeded with removing the boots and gloves.  Unexpectedly, I heard a loud slush hit the floor.  A mixture of water, snow, leaves, sand, and mud spilled from the boot.  In just one day, I walked through a scorching desert, a tropical rainforest, and a fierce blizzard.

After using a mop to clean up the mess, I decided to just take it easy for now.  I turned on the television, grabbed a first-aid kit, and went to the bathroom to patch myself up.  The bare hand bled a good bit but it was nothing too serious.   The forehead though was a different story.

Below the hairline, there was a noticeable bruise about two inches in diameter.  It wasn't nearly as red as the red spot on Jupiter but it still left a good mark.  Placing cold running water over the area helped alleviate the pain, even if it was only for a temporal moment.  

From the bathroom mirror, I saw the news station being broadcasted.  Nothing too concerning appeared but I switched channels just in case.   Now I was watching Zootopia's volleyball championship playoff between hippos and giraffes.  After a rough day, it made for a good laugh.

However, the commercials suddenly came on and that's when I nearly lost it.

"Right here tonight on Zootopia's Funniest Home Videos, we have a real treat for anyone that's been trying to catch a glimpse of the mystery mammal!" a red tuxedo-dressed cougar announced.

I walked towards the television to get a better view.  They were playing that same clip from the freeway.

"Take a look at this, folks!  He's standing all mightily and then... wait for it... BOOM!   There he goes!  Down he goes!   Oh, how unfortunate is that?"

Laughter could be heard in the background and they continued to play the clip over and over again.   They added silly sound effects while playing it in slow motion.

In anger, I tightly gripped the T.V. remote with my bare hand.  The plastic casing around the buttons began to crack apart.

"Peaceful thoughts, peaceful thoughts," I repeated.  "Think peaceful thoughts."

I set the remote down, feeling proud that I successfully controlled my anger.  Thank goodness for that.   The cougar host was ending the program by walking off stage as he waved goodbye to his elated audience.  But instead, he turned around to add another remark.

"And that's not all, folks!  Let's wrap it up tonight and show you one of my personal favorite highlights for today!"

He played a video of me walking around Sahara Square in the skunk-themed armor.  The audience roared and howled in laughter.  That was the last straw.

I ran up to the plasma screen T.V. and punched a clean hole straight through it.   Electric sparks flickered and the room went dead silent.  The only sound was the night crickets chirping from outside.

Now there was no more T.V. which was an instant regret.  Maybe I took it too far.

Regardless, I sat down and rested my head against the arm of the couch.  All I could think of was how much this day sucked.  Unlike past times of getting shot, captured, tortured, or strafed by the Intergalactic Stratocracy on my former planet, the world of Zootopia had its own way of meddling with the mind of a retired soldier.

While staring at the giraffe patterned ceiling, I heard a quiet beep coming from the helmet.  I reached out to grab it but couldn't quite touch it.  Feeling tired and sore, I was too lazy to stand up and retrieve it.  It continued to beep and I didn't have the 'Jedi Force' so I crawled over to check on it.

According to the HUD interface, there were over seven missed calls - three of which were from Charity.  I pulled up her messages and began reading through them:

Charity:   Cherry!  I've been worried sick about you!  Is everything okay?  Please call me as soon as you can  <3

I wasn't sure what the '3' was for - perhaps a typo - but I responded:

Cherry:  all is well, just got home.

Shortly thereafter, her reply came in and we started texting back and forth.

Charity:  Yay!  It's sooo good to hear from you again! 

Charity: Can I come over and visit you?  I'm just getting off my nursing shift  =)

Cherry:  sure.

Cherry: sending directions. 

To mess with her, I sent the coyote a photocopy of the same exact directions that I used.  I bet she wouldn't find the place.  Meanwhile, I began to tidy up the apartment by mopping up the icy floor, sweeping the leaves, and vacuuming the grains of sand.

To my surprise, there was a knock at the door in less than 7 minutes. That was quick.

Since I was bare-chested, I thought about putting the combat gear back on, ultimately deciding not to - mostly because I was tired of wearing it. Instead, I draped a poncho over my chest and kept the leg gear on. 

When I opened the door, I saw that it was Charity.  She had the cutest smile on her face and immediately jumped right into my arms.  

"Oof."  I barely reacted in time to catch her slender little body.

She tightly wrapped her arms around me while her fluffy tail happily wagged from side to side.  Even with green scrubs on, she looked quite beautiful for a coyote.  

"Aww, I missed you Cherry!" she nudged her furry head against mine.

I gently returned the gesture.  "Missed you too."

"Crazy day, huh?" she asked, seemingly tired from her shift.

 "Yeah."

After the comforting embrace, I set her down and escorted her inside the apartment.  We both sat on the same sofa and took a brief moment to relax.  After an arduous day, it was nice to have her around.

"Oh, Cherry, was that from today?" she noticed the corner of my forehead and gently began palpating it with her paw.  "Ouch, that looks painful," she then spotted another injury.  "And your paw... it's bleeding."

I examined the crudely wrapped hand and shrugged.  "Um... it's nothing, really."

"Let me grab you some ice and a fresh bandage," she stood up, went into the kitchen to access the fridge, and returned with an ice bag in her paw.  "Here," she said, placing it over the forehead.  "Lean back and try to relax.  This will keep the contusion from swelling."

I held it in place and reclined against the sofa.  "Thanks, Charity."

She sat down on the side to join me, removing the old bandage and began replacing it with a new one.  Even with my five-digit hand anatomy, she was quick to adapt her bandaging techniques.

Come to think of it, this was the second time that she's treated an injury related to the razorbacks.  Hopefully, this wouldn't become a common occurrence if I ever hoped to catch them - which I swore to accomplish.   Without armor, a soldier often forgets how fragile the human body is.

As the coyote finished wrapping the wound, she turned her head towards something in the corner.  Her eyes shot wide open in surprise.  "Oh my... what happened to your T.V.?"

That was a fair question, especially with a fist-sized hole through the screen.  "Um... a kid hit a baseball into it."

She gasped.  "A baseball did that?"

"Yep."

She didn't seem too convinced. Regardless, she didn't question it further.  Instead, she cradled my hand with both paws and rested her head against my shoulder.  We both sat there peacefully and reflected on our day.

"Well then," she turned towards me, smiling.  "Looks like we'll have to do a movie night at my place this weekend.  How does that sound?"

"Yeah, for sure."

Unlike Charity, my enthusiasm didn't really manifest.  It felt like the weekend was just too far away, there was so much to do between now and then.  After all, it was only Monday.  

"Hey," she stroked my hand.  "Are you feeling okay?"

I stared off into space, not knowing what to say.

A look of concern came to her face.  She waited a moment before speaking.  "Tell me, what's on your mind?"

I shook my head and sighed.  "Nothing."

"Please," she continued, only wanting to help.  "I know there's something troubling you."

I didn't much feel like sharing it.  Today's events were already spanning across social media and probably the news station at this point.

 As a human who was arguably the most powerful species in Zootopia in terms of technological enhancements, it felt like the mantle of public respect was lost.  But maybe I was confusing respect with fear?  Either way, both went down the drain and I became a laughing matter for the city.

In my previous world, I was one of the weakest units in the Stratocracy.  Many soldiers outperformed me in a panoply of firepower and military training.  Even a single Seraphim soldier could easily take down ten members of my own squad.

But after coming to the world of Zootopia, the tables had completely turned.  It took the entire ZPD force to bring me into custody - ignoring the fact that a bunny did most of the work.  I had the ability to escape whenever I felt the need and the animal officers were powerless to do anything about it.

Due to such circumstances and their desire to establish peace, they allowed me to join their side as a police officer - given that I abided by a strict set of rules to ensure everyone else's safety.  At first, City Hall's regulations didn't seem problematic.  But I soon realized how much of my military experience would become obsolete.  

Because of this, I could hardly utilize most of the tools that were built into me - not without critically injuring someone.  The phaser gun, the plasma cutter, and the nano blades were all too lethal for the job.  Were it not for my 'loose' obedience to keep them concealed, the razorbacks never would've escaped.

As I sat there and dwelled on it, Charity reached out.  Her ears were low but her eyes were bright and hopeful as always.

"Hey, don't worry about what happened today," the coyote consoled, gently squeezing my hand with her paw.  "It wasn't your fault."  

This made me think about the meeting with Bogo at the ZPD.  "Not completely," I somewhat agreed, trying to match her optimism.  "But still... I should've had them."

"You did your best, didn't you?" she assumed, tilting her head.  "My family and I saw the jam cam footage and it looked pretty intense!" she remained quiet for several seconds before continuing.  "No one should be joking about it.  You were placed in a very dangerous situation and it's not right for those mammals to judge you like that.  I mean, what more could you have done?"

I briefly glanced at the combat gear in the far corner and sighed.  "A lot more."

"Like what?" she wondered, not fully understanding.

I knew I slipped up.  Should I tell her?  Maybe she ought to know the truth.  

"Well..." I started to explain, shaking my head at the very last minute.  Maybe this was a bad idea.  "...nevermind.  Forget it."

Too late.  Now she was intrigued.  "It's okay, you can tell me."

"It doesn't matter."

She leaned in closer, gazing into my eyes, noticing their indecisive movements.  "I feel like it does," she said with concern.

"I'd rather not say."

She tilted her head, signaling her curiosity.  "How come?"

I slowly exhaled, pausing since there was no going back.  "It might scare you." 

A trace of suspicion crossed the coyote's face.  Regardless, she switched to confidence and prepared for what might come.  "I'm sure I can take it."

Could she?  I had my doubts.  Meanwhile, I stared down at the floor, regretting that I brought up the topic. 

"Please, Cherry?" she gave those puppy-like eyes, conveying a sense of trust.  "You don't have to share it if you don't want to.  I'm not gonna force you." she leaned against my shoulder, holding my hand on her lap with both her paws.  "But I'd appreciate it if you did."

For over a minute, my mind was conflicted.  There was no point in holding back anymore.  I could feel the tips of her claws against my bare skin.  They didn't hurt one bit, she was always so gentle with them, but they reminded me of something.

"Very well," I finally gave in and stood up to walk towards the corner of the room.  "You asked."

At this point, Charity was all ears and she gave her full attention.  That beautiful smile of hers was about to come off real quick.

I picked up one of the unbroken gauntlets and sat next to her.

"Do you know what this is?" I asked her.

She held the military hardware with her paws, carefully examining it with her natural curiosity.  

"I'm not really sure, actually." she shrugged, admiring its space-age alloy design that was completely foreign to her.  "I don't wanna say 'alien tech' because you're not an alien to me.  Far from it," she turned her head and smiled.  " I just know that you wear it all the time."

I nodded in agreement.  "Do you know why?"

She pondered for a moment.  "At first, I always imagined it was just your paw until you took it off at the police academy.  That was quite a crazy day for me!" she quietly giggled.  "And that's when I thought of it more as a traditional outfit that humans wore.  Don't get me wrong, the mask and everything matches your cute blue eyes and I like it!  But I think you look much more guapo without it."

I wasn't sure what she meant by that.  "Thanks," I said, grabbing the gauntlet from her.  " But there's more to it than 'tradition.'"

The coyote was at full attention.  She knew that she could only guess based on pure observation.  From there, she would have to hear the real truth from me.

"Do you know what my species is capable of?" I asked, watching her think about it for a moment.   "Did Rebecca ever tell you?"

This made Charity nervous.  Surely, her twin sister mentioned the ZPD standoff and the interrogation at some point.  Then again, she might not have been told everything.  Judy was the only animal in Zootopia who knew the bitter truth about my species.  Now it was Charity's turn.

"My species is capable of mass destruction," I said bluntly, pausing for effect.  "Not only have we mastered the ability to split the atom, but we're well versed in killing each other.  We were always at war."  I suddenly had a flashback from a previous intergalactic battle where thousands of lifeless bodies floated in the vacuum of space.  "It's in our nature."

Charity was shocked and without words.

I placed the gauntlet on, deployed the nanoblade, and continued talking.   "See this?  It's nothing compared to what my species can craft on command," I then deployed the phaser pistol.  "And this?  All it takes is one shot and the target is neutralized."

The coyote's ears hung low, her tail was tucked, and she trembled.  She curled up in fright and it broke my heart to see her like that.  Regardless, I shook away my thoughts.

"And how about this?" I continued, assembling the nanoparticles into a full-length phaser rifle.  The particles struggled to bond together but the scene was still terrifying.  With two hands, I held the weapon and presented it front and center.  "It can vaporize a truckload of animals... even a truckload of razorbacks."

In frustration, I tossed the weapon onto the coffee table.  The particles decompressed back into an armored gauntlet.

"You see what I am, Charity?" I gestured to myself.  "My species falls short.  We don't have claws, fangs, or tails as you guys do."   "We developed this technology to make up for our shortcomings.  We can essentially mimic nature's greatest strengths, use them to our advantage, and go beyond.  What I just showed you was barely scratching the surface." 

The scared coyote wiped several tears from her face, struggling to comprehend what she was witnessing.   "W-Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I could've destroyed those razorbacks!" I clenched my fist, causing blood to slightly ooze from the wound.  "In my world, we did things differently.  Anyone who was caught stealing was automatically shot dead.  Black and white, simple, and no questions asked. None of this police 'grey area' B.S."

Charity remained silent, daring not to speak.  She was still shaking.

"And not only that..." I continued, plopping down in the chair at the opposite end of the room.  "I'm a soldier for the Grand Army of the Intergalactic Stratocracy.  Now, that may come across as gibberish to you, especially for a naive little animal who lives in a 'peaceful' and 'harmonious' society, but I'll make it simple:  At one point, my species controlled the entire fate of the galaxy.  We established order, crushed rebellions, laid waste to rogue planets, and harvested fear from the hearts of our enemies.  We may not have been the most pleasant creatures to be around, but we attained an unassailable amount of respect and we were the best at what we did.  Though our ways were violent and cruel, we did it for the greater good of our species."

I stood back up, pacing back and forth across the room.   From the window, I looked up into the stars in the night sky.

"But now...  my species is no more," I spoke lowly in anger.  "Despite our best efforts, we lost the ultimate battle against nature.  And time travel?  Worthless.  Now, mother nature is laughing her ass off as the last human struggles to find a new life in Zootopia.  A once respectable soldier cannot even perform what he was originally bred for.  He's bound by laws to keep everyone 'safe'.  And what happens? He becomes a complete joke in a world full of talking animals that shouldn't even be talking in the first place!"

Never had I been this upset since my previous world.  Wartime was truly stressful but this city brought its own kind of stress.  Blood was rapidly pumping throughout my veins and I could feel them appear under my skin, especially around the neck.

"And why are you still here Charity?" I looked back and saw that she was still cowering around the sofa.  "Shouldn't you be running away from me by now?  If you're not scared, then you should be laughing like the rest of Zootopia."

Amid the frustration, I shriveled up the wooden widow sill with my bare hands and slid down against the wall.  A small tear trickled down my cheek but I wiped it away.  Today wasn't such a big deal, it was nothing compared to past war experiences, but they all came back to haunt me.  For a moment, I was reliving some of those painful memories and fought hard to cast them out.  Nothing was working and it felt like my mind was falling into darkness.

Just then, I looked up and saw that Charity was gone.  No one was on the sofa and the living room was completely empty.  She left.  Perhaps it was best.

Alone in my thoughts, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.  The room was dead quiet and a cold breeze came in through the open window.

Without a doubt, it was a bitter way to end the night.  I felt soiled, drained, and unworthy to be here.  The truth had to come out at some point, but at what cost?  All I could do was regret it.

As my head fell into a state of gloom, I felt something warm wrap around my head.  

I opened my eyes and saw that it was Charity, holding me against her chest, with her head resting on top of mine.  She stood on the right side and held me close. 

Tears were rolling down her furry cheeks as she gently whispered, "It's gonna be okay."

Nearly overcome with emotion, I hugged her back.  "I'm... I'm so sorry."

For over thirty seconds, we tightly held onto each other.  The room felt peaceful again but I still felt terrible for all the things that were said.

"Cherry," she spoke, looking me graciously in the eyes.  "The first thing I want you to do is to forget the past.  All of it."

I looked back at her and sighed.  "It's not that easy."

"I know," she said, sitting on the floor across from me.  "And it's gonna take some time too.  But I'm going to help you."

In disbelief, I asked,  "Why?" 

She placed a paw on my cheek and answered,  "Because you're worth it."

I shook my head in denial.  "No.  You don't have to do this," I brushed her arm away.  "I've only given you a glimpse of the dark deeds of my species.  You're too innocent, I don't want you to get involved 

"And that's another thing..." she added, pointing right at me.  "I don't want you talking negatively about your species.  Ever.  They may be gone... but you're still here.  And you can show everyone the good that your species is capable of."

I pondered for a moment, furrowing my brows.  "What makes you believe that?"

She waited a moment before answering.  "Because I've seen you do it.  Judy, Nick, and many other mammals have seen you do it," she spoke with a hopeful tone.  "Remember that night when you ran into the fire and saved all those little cubs?  Their families will never forget that, Cherry.  And at the graduation ceremony, Cody thought the whole world of you and told me that you saved his life from the razorbacks.  Don't you remember?"

There was a long pause as I reflected on that occasion.  "I do."

She gave a warm smile.  "Then you should know how much potential you have!" she stood up and extended her paw.  With hesitation, I slowly took it.  We both knelt by the window, admiring the view of the city beneath the starry night sky.  "There's a reason they let you join the ZPD, Cherry.  You're an amazing mammal who can do so many incredible things."

I wasn't so sure about that.  She was far more amazing than I could ever hope to be.  "But after what happened today..."

"You'll just have to move on and forget about it," she said cheerfully.  "Embrace whatever comes next.  Don't let your past stop you from doing the right thing.  Remember what Gazelle said in her famous song," Charity closed her eyes and beautifully sang the lyrics quietly. "I messed up tonight, I lost another fight. Lost to myself, but I'll just start again, I keep falling down, I keep on hitting the ground. But I always get up now to see what's next."

Her voice was so soothing, I nearly lost my train of thought. Whoever this 'gazelle' was, I'm sure she'd be very proud of Charity's ability to sing her song.  I stared onto the city horizon, meditating upon her words.  There was so much to do with so many places to start.  In fact, I didn't know where to start.  "So how do I continue being an officer if no one will take me seriously?"

She thought to herself, not having a clear-cut answer.  "I don't know," she said honestly.  "But you'll find a way, I promise."  She cradled my injured hand and patted it.  "For now, I just want you to be happy... and that's a choice you can make tonight.  Will you do that for me?"

I nodded and squeezed her paw.  "I'll try."

"Try everything," she emphasized.  "It'll take conscious effort, but you can do it.  You can still be happy.  Because, in Zootopia, anyone can be anything."

After hearing that same phrase numerous times, I playfully rolled my eyes.  "Sounds like a cat poster."

The coyote smiled.  "But it's true."

Perhaps it was a good refresher then, I thought.  Sometimes in life, we hear the same advice over and over but we never seem to implement it.  Often, it's because of how simple it is that we feel like it doesn't apply to us.  More often than not, it does apply.  People like myself were too stubborn to accept it.

But tonight, I wanted to change that.  I wanted to walk away from the past and embrace the future with hope.   It would require a major change in attitude but Charity believed it could be done.  Now it was my turn to believe.  

She was a wise coyote, living up to her symbolic nature from Native American culture in my previous world.  Never did I imagine taking advice from a living, breathing animal who showed so much care towards a human. 

With nothing else to say, I immediately scooped her up into a tight embrace, "Thank you, Charity," and held her close.

It caught the coyote by surprise but she joyfully accepted it, happily returning the favor.  She really did like it.

It was a bit out of character for me to do such a thing but the feeling was strong.  I couldn't hide it anymore.  I immediately released her and apologized, "I'm sorry," and stared down at the floor.

"Don't be!" she said, going in for another hug which melted my heart.  "You're perfectly fine."

"No, not really...  I've got a lot to work on," I admitted, nervously chuckling to myself as I went into deep thought.  Tomorrow's roll call at the ZPD would start first thing in the morning and it was already past midnight.  "We should probably get some sleep."

"Yep, I agree," she yawned, stretching out her arms.  "We both have a busy day ahead of us, don't we?"

Thinking about it made me yawn.  "Indeed.

She giggled at my scruffy hair - which was a clear indicator of how tired I was - and had fun running her paw through it.  Since it was getting longer, it would need a buzz cut soon.  Maybe I could ask her to do it?  She probably wouldn't approve.  Maybe I'll just leave it for now.

We both stood up from the sofa to get our bodies circulating again.  Luckily, my bed was only 17 feet away but Charity still had to walk all the way back to her apartment.  If I had a car, I would've given her a ride home, but she seemed to have enough energy to make that trip on foot.

I helped gather up her belongings and escorted her towards the door.  We both went outside, stood face-to-face, and gazed into each other's eyes.   

"Are you gonna be okay for the rest of tonight?" the coyote asked, holding both my hands with her paws.  "I don't wanna leave you."

"Yeah, I should be fine," I responded, feeling much better than before.

She smiled.  "Let's watch a movie together this Friday then, okay?  You and me?"  

I smiled back.  "That would be great,."

"Until then, I'm gonna miss you!" she stood on her tippy toes and gave a warm hug.  

Charity wasn't quite tall enough to reach the shoulders so I helped her out.  It was a good thing she was lightweight because my arms were exhausted from tumbling down the icy cliffs in Tundra Town.

"Good night, my sweet Cherry!" she beamed, tapping her nose with mine.  "Don't forget to text me."

"I won't," I promised, escorting her to the exit.

We waved each other farewell and parted our ways for the night.  The last thing I saw was her fluffy tail disappear around the street corner before I found myself alone on the stairwell.

What a wonderful friend,  I thought to myself.

As I stood outside beneath the sparkling stars, I could feel the gentle night breeze against the skin of my cheeks.  It felt lovely and reminded me of how relieving it was to not have a mask on 24/7.  Realizing this, I quickly went back into the apartment, locked the front door, and closed the blinds on the windows.  It was already too late at night for anyone to see, but I did it just in case.

With nothing else to worry about - at least for now-  I kicked off my boots and went straight to bed.  The cool sheet covers felt incredibly comfortable on my sore back, causing me to immediately slip away into a deep sleep.

The last thing I remembered was being a human.  Most of my dreams involved other human beings.  But ever since I came into  Zootopia, everyone was being replaced by furry animals.  It got to a point where my species never appeared in my dreams again, no matter how hard I tried to imagine them.  I was starting to forget what they even looked like.  At one point, I saw white fur all over my body and a long bushy tail.  It freaked me out a couple of times, causing me to run towards the bathroom mirror to see if I've transformed.

Thankfully, that never happened.  But the dream felt so real that I worried that it could happen.

But even if it did happen, would it really be that bad?  I was unsure about it.

As I went into the kitchen for a third glass of water for the third dream, I saw that it was already 5:30 AM.  Time to go to work.

I unplugged the alarm clock, polished my police badge, and placed the military gear back on.  The armored fingers on the right gauntlet were missing.  Thus, I grabbed a roll of white duct tape from the kitchen and used it to wrap up my bare fingers.  It was a tacky solution but it would do the trick to keep me covered.

I stepped out of my apartment, securing the gauntlets in place, and putting the helmet on last.  As soon as I stepped into street view, I was pelted in the face by a soccer ball.

"Hey, look everyone!  The alien has awoken from his hive!" a bear cub pointed out to his friends.

A few maned wolf pups, giraffes, and two little hippos approached the stairwell, exchanging laughter among each other.

"Very funny," I said, kicking the ball back to them, almost wanting to smash it instead.  "Shouldn't you kids be in school?"

"Shouldn't you be at work?" the hippo girl asked, sniggering.  "You don't wanna keep us waiting on your next embarrassing video now, do you?  Zootube is waiting..."

The rest continued to throw out insults and teases, whispering into each other's furry ears.

I shook my head and began walking away.

They kept following me for the next block or two until their parents called them back.  Surprisingly, they were quite nervous about their kids interacting with a stranger, let alone an alien.

"Hey, you!  Stay away from my son!" a mother giraffe shouted from one of the upper balconies, lowering her head to street level.

"Go back to where you came from, freak!" another called out.

"¡Perteneces a las oscuras cavernas heladas!  ¡sal de aquí!"

I did my best to ignore them.

The rest of the journey towards the ZPD played out in a similar fashion.   Most of the animal civilians along the sidewalk were being either frightful or jocular.  I couldn't decide which one I preferred.

I hypothesized that the older animals were more likely to be fearful of me than the younger ones.  At first, that's how it seemed.  But everything switched when the younger animals near Savanna Central were so nervous about my presence that they slowly backed away.  Three little kangaroos stopped their game of jump rope and hopped away.  Meanwhile, their parents couldn't help but chortle. 

Thus, Zootopia's attitude toward the human appeared to be all over the place.  If they weren't mocking or fearing, then they simply resorted to giving me weird stares.  I tried not to let it bother me, even though the civilians always had their phones out.

From that moment on, I actually preferred fear over mockery.  At least it involved a modicum of respect.  These animals had no idea how dangerous I was, mostly because my grand failure was being repeatedly broadcasted on social media.  No one bothered to reveal the full footage leading up to the final humiliating event between me the razorbacks.  In fact, the media only showed my cliff tumble and skunk pictures since those were the two greatest hits.

Nevertheless, as Charity mentioned, I would just have to embrace the situation.  It wouldn't be easy... but thinking about her made it possible. 

As I pushed through the double doors of the police station, Clawhauser was behind his desk polishing his collection of Gazelle-themed snowglobes.  I tried to sneak past him, mostly to avoid a conversation, but his hyper-sensitive hearing picked up the sound of metallic boot steps.

"Hey, good morning, Officer Chenry!" he greeted with excitement, taking a large bite out of his sprinkled donut.   "Nice to see you back in one piece!"

I walked over to his circular desk.

"How's your head?" he asked, talking with his mouth full.  "Does it still hurt?"

"Like you, it's swollen."

He didn't catch the insult.  "Oooh, wow!  You had a crazy first day yesterday, didn't you?  Officer Wilde told me all about it!  Plus, I saw the video this morning."

"And?" I crossed my arms, not wanting to hear more.

"HA!" he laughed.  "It was the funniest thing I've seen all week!  Those music edits, that skunk outfit, and the after-effects made it very-"

I gave him a glare.

He nervously cleared his throat.   "...umm - scratch that.  It was unfortunate.  Not very funny at all, definitely not a good thing... I'm so sorry!"

The cheetah tried to put on a reassuring look.  I checked the watch and I was already three minutes late.  "Right... I'm gonna head over to roll call now."

I made my way towards the bullpen room, hoping to sneak inside.  Stealth wasn't really my forte.  The officers were already seated and Chief Bogo was making his morning announcements.  

Entering the room felt awkward, especially when arriving late.  Similar to college, everyone would stare at you until you managed to find a seat.  Regardless, I heeded to no one.

The buffalo shot a brief scowl before he resumed reading off the daily assignments.  The other officers were whispering among each other before each of their names was called.

"Over here, buddy!" Officer Wilde gestured to an empty seat close to him.  "Come sit down before you fall down," he winked.

A few officers snickered behind him.

Reluctantly, I sat down.  "Can't keep your mouth shut?"

"Hey, lighten up, furless!" he playfully gave a nudge on the shoulder, "Ow!" hurting his paw.  "Look on the bright side:  At least Zootopia doesn't have to be afraid of you anymore."

"Which is what I'm afraid of."

Judy, who was sitting on the other side of the fox, came into view.  "Don't worry, Cherry!  Once you get your new assignment, today will be a new opportunity to start fresh."

I tried to remain optimistic while Chief Bogo continued reading off names.  "Hopefully."

"Are you doing okay after yesterday's incident?  the bunny inquired, looking concerned.  "With all that's been happening lately, we tried calling you last night - including this morning... but you never answered."

"Yeah, what's up with that?"  Nick asked.  "I thought you had a phone around your head 24/7.  Or did that break from the fall?"

I laid my head flat on the table, annoyed by the fox's demeanor.  "No.  Just needed time to clear my mind.  That's all."

Judy was still worried.  "But are you feeling okay?"

"Fine.  Doing much better," I answered, remembering the good friend that came over last night.

"Well, I gotta say, furless, that was quite an 'action show' we got ourselves into with the razorbacks.  Wouldn't you agree?" he looked to the both of us. "Boy, that was intense!  We probably could've had them if it weren't for -"

"Let's not talk about it, Wilde," I interrupted, not wanting the other officers to hear.  "Let's just move on, get our assignments, and get out of here."

"That's the spirit!"  Judy complimented. "We'll have another chance at catching them, I'm sure of it!"

Nick rested an arm around his partner in a hopeful manner.  "If Chief Buffalo-Butt is feeling generous today,  maybe he'll let the three of us have another go."

I nodded with anticipation.  "I'm calling it."

Chief Bogo finished reading off the names of nearly every mammal in the briefing room as he passed out their assignments.   

"Officers Grizzoli, Fangmeyer, Delgato - undercover," the three placed on their respective disguises.  "Snarlov, Higgins, Wolfard - Rainforest District SWAT," the three placed on their nylon chest armor.

Each group funneled their way through the side door and only a few of us remained.

"Hopps, Wilde," he grabbed their full attention.  "We have vandalism reports coming from a warehouse in Tundratown.  Find out more information.  See if it's a lead on our suspects.  Bring me further updates."

Without saying another word, he gave the case file to Officer Hopps.  

"And what about Officer Chenry?" the fox asked.

The Chief sighed, giving us a blank stare.  "Parking duty."

I turned to the duo.  They were also confused.  

Nick decided to play along.  "Oh, Chief, this is just another one of your 'just kidding' moments, right?"

Bogo's face remained serious.  "Dismissed."

I sat there puzzled, thinking this was a major downgrade compared to yesterday.

"Sir, if I may..." Judy interjected.  "Officer Chenry deserves more credit than he's received so far.  Please, let us work with him."

"Agreed," the fox smirked.  "I've seen him in action.  He's better at dropping thugs on moving cars than dropping papers on parked cars."  

"I'm well aware.  Just don't care." He said bluntly.

Nick continued.  "With a little bit of fine-tuning, he can help us solve-"

"Hoppes, Wilde, you're dismissed without further argument," the Chief became stern, pointing toward the exit.

The duo was about to protest further but I held up my arm and nodded as a gesture for them to leave.  It wasn't worth the hassle.  

Officer Wilde threw up his arms.  "Whelp, so much for Chief feeling 'generous.'"

Likewise, I wasn't too happy either but I decided to embrace my fate.  Perhaps I could gain the Chief's favor by doing so.

Just like that, the bunny and fox marched out of the room.  Now it was just me and the buffalo.

There was a moment of silence between the two of us.  He carefully stared me down while I simply stood in place.  It was as if he were waiting for me to blink.

After pacing back and forth, he finally spoke, "I've risked putting the ZPD's reputation on the line before.  I will not do that again."

"Understood, sir."

The buffalo grunted in a furious, low tone.  "Until I say otherwise, you will only be placing tickets on parked carts.  Do anything else or reveal any more space gadgets under that armored skin, you're off the force.  Consider that 'generous.'"

He exited the room, closing the door right behind him.  

I was left alone in my thoughts, feeling upset over the new 'parking duty' assignment.  Was I really meant for that?   Absolutely not.  

In the bullpen room, there were police data charts all over the walls - consisting of box plots, scatter plots, whisker plots, and histograms - making me wish I was a data scientist for the ZPD instead.  Though they were over-simplified, they still reminded me of working with military databases for the Stratocracy as a part-time soldier.  Being an officer for the ZPD, albeit acceptable, was a step-down.  But placing tickets on parked cars was an insult to my work experience.

Nevertheless, I just had to embrace it.  That was the best thing to do until things settled down.  The more I thought about Charity, the easier it was for me to leave the room and gather the police gear together.

Funnily enough, the parking duty position hardly had any gear.   It was just an orange vest, a dusty tri-motorcycle, and an ugly blue tophat sitting in the garage.

"Alrighty, you'll be needing this," a jaguar officer held open the vest to try on.

I shook my head.  "I'm not wearing that."

"But... but you kinda have to." he insisted, sounding almost offended.  "All meter attendants are required to wear one.  How will oncoming traffic see you?"

I lifted the garage door, causing sunlight to pour in.  "Trust me, if I get hit, I'll survive."

As I started walking out, I felt the jaguar touch my shoulder.  I gave him a deadpan stare.

Appearing to feel uneasy by the human towering over him, he nervously asked, "Sorry, um... aren't you going to take the...uh... trike?  It has all the ticket pads and gear you might need."

"No." I scoffed at the deplorable vehicle.  "I'll take the ticket pad and walk."

I grabbed the blank tickets and went over to Savanna Central station, passing through the herds of gossiping animals.  From there, I took the train over to Sahara Square where I was assigned to the Dunes.

It was a shaded area but still miserably hot.  The buildings were carved into the sandstone walls, giving the appearance of being at the bottom of the grand canyon except with paved roads, sidewalks, and plenty of parked cars.

Aside from the hundreds of weird stares, nothing was out of the ordinary.  Just a typical day at the red arches.   

All the vehicles were parked for less than two hours, none were deserving of any violation tickets unless there was such thing as giving tickets to animals who ugly cars.  If that were the case, then I would've already written well over 300 tickets.

Thus, for the next hour, I simply walked around the square, brushing particles of sand with my boot under the hot sun.

From across the street, I spotted the maned wolf.  He and his dingo partner were out on paw patrol.  I tried to hide the ticket pad from their view but they already spotted it from a quarter-mile away.   Both were laughing and getting the other citizens involved.  

I felt like giving them the bird but decided to remain professional.  Plus, I didn't think these four-fingered animals knew what a bird was - except for the one that flew and the one from golf.

Speaking of dingo and golf, I heard the metal 'ding' of an expired meter from the parking lot of a nearby golf course.   Finally, something to do.

I printed my first ticket and pinned it under the windshield.  So far, so good.

Five minutes later, five more dings could be heard.  Parking meters were expiring all over the place.

Without mercy, I slapped tickets onto all the windshields.  Perhaps getting paid to do this wasn't so bad after all.

One by one, the vehicles were getting marked by red papers.  I started at the golf course, moved towards the Sunday Meerkat Market, and eventually towards Palm Hotel.

There was a red limousine parked near the central fountain.  Another was parked in the middle of the street.

I gave them both a violation ticket, accidentally pressing a little too hard on one of the glass windshields, causing it to crack apart.  "Oops."  

Making sure no one was around, I slowly backed away, pretending that didn't happen.

Next, I went over to Beach Promenade Street.  The buildings were lower in height, the zone was a bit more ghetto - especially with the majority of the population being foxes, but the fine-grained sands gave it a little more sparkle compared to the upper-class areas.  No parking violations to report.  Just a weird fox kit melting his popsicle for no reason.

For the rest of the afternoon, I wandered around Sahara Square, paying no special attention to the curious animals in the area.  The key was to keep moving so that no one would have a chance to initiate a conversation.

Everything was going pretty well.  The day was almost half over and street crews were cleaning up yesterday's skunk parade.  Thank goodness for that.

Feeling a bit thirsty from standing under the hot sun, I went over to the plaza to get a cold drink.  I crossed the busy street but felt a sudden tap on my shoulder.  It was a long-necked animal with a tropical shirt and sunglasses.

"Hey!  You gave me a ticket!" the giraffe said.

"So?"

He wasn't at all pleased.  "So... take it!" he slapped the paper against my chest.  "I don't want it, nor do I deserve it."

I didn't even lift my arms.  "Negatory.  You violated your time limit."

"By what?  Like seven minutes? " he splayed his hooves, attracting everyone's attention.  

"Seventeen," I corrected.

"What?  C'mon, I can't afford this!  It's not fair."

"That's your problem." 

The giraffe kept giving me a hard time but I phased him out.  The animal civilians appeared to feel bad for him but I certainly didn't.  He got what he deserved.

Thus, I trudged through the blazing hot sand to take a different shortcut, hoping to evade the crowds.

Since I never got a drink, I went over to the southern oasis resort, just outside of Palm Hotel.  I cupped my gauntlet into the water and took a brief sip.  Today's temperature was soaring well over 103 degrees so it was perfectly justified.  

After checking the humidity, I realized there were over 12 unread messages in my HUD.  I took a seat on the sandstone ledge to check on them.  However, before I could read the ones from Jay and Cody, I heard someone approaching.  Something big.

 A hippo mother and her girl came marching along.

"Sir, what's your problem?!" she fumed, holding a wrinkled piece of paper.

"I'm sorry?"

She pointed at my chest, pushing me back a few inches.  "You can't just give my daughter a parking citation at her own swimming lessons!"

"Yes, I can."

"How?  Why?  Explain yourself!" she demanded.

"I wasn't even there for two hours!" the daughter added.  "The rec center always has free parking!"

"Did she park on the east side?"

"Yes," they both answered nonchalantly.  "What's that got to do with anything?"

"East side's reserved for Camel Dash patrons on even days.  Today's not an even day."

"How were we supposed to know that?" she complained.  "That sounds made up and I say that's fraudulent!"

"The sign is right there." I pointed.  

This made her more upset.  "I don't care!  This is beyond frustrating!  You're making my sweat boil and turn red.  We're not going to pay for it!  Take it back now or so help me."

I stood my ground.  "No, ma'am.  You can take your daughter's citation and contest it in court."

"Or... how about I contest it with you?" she countered.

"That won't be -"

Before I could finish, the two hippos shoved me into the pool of water.  Satisfied, they gave each other knuckles and wandered off.

While I sat in the water, I pulled out the meter pad to see that it was broken.  Thankfully, I had no more tickets to give out.

Later that day, I was met with further opposition from the civilians.  Rush hour was not a good time for anyone and a family of rats literally had me cornered.

"Wow, seriously, dude?  You really gave me a ticket on my birthday?!" one of the rats questioned, examing the citation that was larger than his own body.  "Uncool!  Totally uncool!  Let's go, guys!"

They finally left me alone and scurried along.  However, it wasn't long before a cheetah civilian crumpled up his citation and threw it at me.  

"Hey freakshow, why don't you go back to space where you came from?"  he threw out insults, circling around me like a vulture.  "Or how about the circus?"

I simply bent over and picked up the crumpled citation.  If he won't accept it on paper, then he'd have to accept it by Zmail.

As I went over to the train station,  I saw a hyena relaxing in his convertible car with his feet hanging off to the side while blasting rap music at max volume.  It was the same animal from earlier who wouldn't move his car away from the fire hydrant, just outside the hotel.  

I would've called the Timberwolf Towing Truck company (TTT) but the hold time was too long.  Instead, I placed a 3rd parking violation ticket on his windshield.

He didn't seem to mind.  Instead, he did a hyena laugh.

"Citizen, it's time for you to leave."

"Nah, I'm good," he yawned.  "But thanks tho."

I walked up to his door and became stern.  "Do you want me to give you another ticket?"

His ears perked up.  "Yes, please!  I'd like a ticket to Gazelle's concert!"

"No.  That's not what I meant."

"Let me know when it's ready!"

He did another hyena laugh, further testing my patience.  I wished to drag away his furry corpse but I didn't want to get in trouble.   Ever since yesterday's incident, I was under stricter Zootopian laws, yet, it felt like everyone was taking advantage of it.

From behind, I heard the loud honking of a pickup truck - the same one I ticketed earlier.  It was full of teenage lions with mohawk-like manes.

"Yo, Mr. Skunk-boy!" one of them called out, tossing a stack of wrinkled citations at my head which made the crowd laugh.  "Thanks for the tickets!  We don't need them anymore so you can have them back!"

"Pull over," I said, pointing at the driver.

"Huh?" he pretended not to hear.

"Pull over."

"No, it's a cardigan,"  the lion showed me his knitted garment,  "but thanks for noticing.  Bye!" and he drove off before I could catch him.

Across the street, the same elephant lady from earlier was trying to park her oversized tour bus in front of the casino's employee parking lot.  What was it with these animals?

I went over and tapped on her window.  "Ma'am, for the 3rd time, you cannot park here."

She pondered for a second and waved her trunk at me.  "Nope, sorry, sir!  You never told me that," she laughed.  "I don't recall you ever doing that." 

"You are mistaken," I imputed, crossing my arms. "Which is odd, since memory shouldn't be a problem for you."

Upon saying this, one of the elephant passengers rolled down his window and used his trunk to spray soda all over me.  I was a sticky mess but at least they departed.

From there on, many civilians refused the parking tickets I gave them.  The majority ended up on the streets, in the trashcans, or secretly taped to my back.  

As rush hour continued, all I could hear was a barrage of animal voices ringing through my head.

A female beaver repeatedly tapped her tail at the ground in frustration.  "What a joke! My tax dollars pay your salary!"

"Ugh! Yeah, you really are a freak!" a gay tiger growled.

"Your kind doesn't belong here!" a moose grumbled.

Too bad my helmet didn't have a mute button.  None of the animals at Sahara Square Train Station were allowing any personal space so I had to go find myself a dim corner.  Even so, I could still hear them exchanging gossip.

Were it not for Charity's kind words, I probably would've lost it.  Thinking about her always kept me going.  She and I both knew that I had to embrace the situation.  

That night was a rough sleep.

The next day was Wednesday.

During roll call, Chief Bogo gave me the same assignment:  Parking duty. Only this time, it would be in Tundratown instead of Sahara Square.

Everything was pretty much the same as yesterday:  The animals wouldn't cooperate with their human meter attendant, and rumors about the razorback encounter continued to spread.

Later that day, I boarded the train, hoping to return to my apartment for the night.  The seats were completely filled, which made my legs feel more like spaghetti.

For over 10 hours, I've been placing tickets on parked cars... or at least trying to.  Now I had to wait another 15 minutes.

To make matters slightly worse, I boarded the wrong train, which meant that we'd be traveling all the way to Bunnyburrows and back.  In total, the trip would amount to 45 minutes since it was an express shuttle.  Thus, it would be almost 8:00 PM by the time we returned to Zootopia.

Might as well enjoy the ride, I thought.

As I stood against the back wall of the train cabin, I ducked down to admire the colorful sunset reflecting upon the lake waters.  Indeed, it was a beautiful sight after such a long day.  If only the circumstances in Zootopia were a bit different, then I would've enjoyed the scenery a little more without dreading another day of work tomorrow.  

While the train moved, my focus shifted to the animal civilians who were seated.  Most of them were either on their phones or gossiping about the tall human.  However, there were three animals in particular that briefly caught my attention - mostly because they weren't fixated on their phones.

It was a bunny mother with her little bunny child.  Without a doubt, she was adorable.  Both were talking to a young white wolf, who appeared to be in his late teens.

"'Ruthy?' That's a cool name." the wolf complimented the little bunny sitting next to him.

Her face lit up, filling with a smile. "Really?"

The young wolf nodded. "Oh yeah."

"Well, what's yours?" she asked.

"My name's Luke," he presented himself.

Her smile grew wide. "Wow! Now that's a cool name," she complimented back.

"Thanks," the young white wolf laughed.

She looked out the window, in childlike wonder. "Is Zootopia cool too?"

He looked outside the window too, thinking for a moment. "Yeah," he answered. "Yeah, it is."

"Well, it's nice to meet you... Luke?" the mother held out her paw.

He stood up and shook it gladly. "That's me."

She smiled, looking down at her child. "Say goodbye, Ruthy."

"Bye, Luke," she waved farewell to the wolf as they walked away. He waved goodbye in return.

The seat was open so I took the empty spot next to him, trying to get some rest.  

"You really think Zootopia's cool?" I asked.

"Yeah," he nodded.  "I do think it's cool actually."

I thought for a moment.  "Maybe."

As we came out from behind an icy mountain, the city came into full view again. Truly, it really was remarkable. We passed through several more districts of the Zootopia precinct and watched our environment switch from prairies to deserts, deserts to tundra, tundra to rainforest, rainforest to swamps, and swamps to city, all in a matter of several minutes. 

Perhaps this place wasn't so bad after all.  I just needed to have a positive attitude... similar to Judy, Nick, and Charity.

Once the train emerged we saw once again the wondrous skyline of Zootopia as our train approached the city. Taller buildings swished by, and our environment was suddenly urban again as we became surrounded by exotic skyscrapers. We finally completed the full trip.

The ears of the Zootopians rose at the top of their heads as they listened to the intercom.

"Now arriving at Savanna Central Station."

We all piled out of the train as one giant flock/herd and funneled our way through the gates.  The street lights along the sidewalk activated and everyone was heading home for the day.  I wanted to call it home, even though I didn't belong here.

Regardless, it didn't stop me from getting a good night's rest - minus the nightmares of transforming into a furry animal.

The next day was Thursday.

It was already 5:30 AM and almost time for roll call.

All I had to do was push through two more days and then I'd be able to visit the Howl family and be with my friend Charity again.

As usual, I posed in front of the bedroom mirror, making sure my soldier/police uniform was crisp and clean.  Everything was spot on except for two things:  First, someone stuck a piece of gum on my badge because of the parking citation I gave them yesterday.  Second, the thumb armor on both gauntlets had fallen off.

I grabbed one of the kitchen knives to scrape off the gum from the badge.  Next,  I used white duct tape to cover up the skin on both thumbs.  From afar, no one would notice the makeshift repairs.

I went over to the ZPD to take my spot next to Judy and Nick for roll call.  For once, I actually made it there on time before the buffalo arrived.  All the officers were quieter than normal but conversations surrounding the razorbacks hadn't died down yet.

"Any word from task force?" I turned towards the fox, asking out of curiosity.  I remembered Chief Bogo mentioning that he'd deploy them to go after the razorbacks.

"Still no word from them," he shrugged, sipping his morning cup of coffee.  "No names, no leads, no clues, nothing, nada, zip."

I turned to Judy.  "And what about you guys?"

"Just an empty warehouse, as far as we could tell," Judy reviewed pages from her notebook.  "Lots of broken windows, plenty of empty crates, signs of vandalism, but our forensics team couldn't find any connection to our razorbacks.  No prints, no claw marks, and not even a single strand of fur."

"That's too bad."

"But that's okay!" she remained positive.  "Nick and I are gonna go sweep up the area again to see if we missed anything.  Sometimes, you never know."

"Well, good luck to you both," I said.  "Hope you find something."

"We kinda wish you were there, buddy.  I hate to see you missing out on all the fun," Nick nudged his partner.  "Don't you agree, Carrots?"

"Yes, absolutely," she said before her ears became droopy.  "We could've used you with all the heavy lifting that's been going on.  I really wish Chief Bogo would reassign you with us."

"Regardless," I shrugged.  "My fate's sealed and I'll take it as it is."

A moment of silence passed between us.  Chief Bogo still wasn't here yet.

"So how's parking duty?" she wondered.

"Wonderful.  I love it."

She rolled her eyes and laughed.  "You're such a liar."

"Ha, sorry buddy.  Even with that pretty face of yours, we could see right through it." the fox referred to the mask.

"Yeah," I chuckled a bit, having mixed feelings about it.  "It's okay.  But as I said before, I'll just take it."

The door swung open, "Atten-hut!" and the animal officers performed their typical tribal chant for their chief of police.

We went through the same motions as before.  Names were called, assignments were given, the duo was summoned to investigate another potential lead, and I was the last officer in the room.

Bogo took his precious time reviewing case files from his podium.  He probably thought I was invisible at this point.

To break the silence, I guessed out loud,  "Parking duty?"

"No," he grunted in annoyance.  "There's been a change of plans."

My interest peaked.  "I'm going after the razorbacks then?"

"No, you're not." He said firmly.  "I'm sending you to Outback Island."

This caught me by surprise.  "Outback Island?" It was a place I've never been to before.

"And you won't be placing tickets." The buffalo clarified.  "You'll be working as one of the prison guards. Two of them were hospitalized this morning.  Your assignment is to relieve their staffing shortages."

Prison guard?  I had mixed feelings about this.  "You really want me to work at the prison?"

"Yes." He huffed impatiently.

It sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.  "But... why me, Chief?"

"I'll give three reasons," he said.  "First, you're well-acquainted with that environment. Second, you'll be away from public view. Third, we've had a rise in parking ticket disputes of three hundred percent."

In just two days? I thought incredulously.  If the animals on the street don't like me, then should I work at a place where they'd hate me?  The very idea of working in a dark, cramped, and possibly smelly location didn't seem too pleasing.

The buffalo raised an eyebrow, noticing a lack of response.  "Is there a problem?"

Reluctantly, I gave in.  "No, sir."

"Splendid." He opened the door.  "Clawhauser will give you the directions."

Sure enough, I went down into the lobby and the fat cheetah had everything prepared.  The prison address, a jailer baton, and keys to the tri-motorcycle.  I kicked off the third wheel, placed the vehicle into gear, and departed from the garage.

I couldn't believe I was actually driving.

Aside from the fellow mice and rat drivers sharing the same road, Zootopia was comparatively easier to drive in compared to my world.  Every section of the road was neatly divided into small, medium, and large lanes.

After crossing the bridge near lowland avenue, moving further into the rainforest district, I felt a sudden bump as I accidentally veered into one of the smaller lanes.   There was a trail of blood on my front wheel, stretching more than 16 feet across the asphalt.

"Aw, hell... was that a rodent?" I instantly slammed on the breaks, coming to a complete stop.  This couldn't be happening.

I hopped off the motorcycle to identify the roadkill.  

Turns out, it was just a ketchup bottle.  

Someone must've dropped it at the restaurant back there.  False alarm.

"C'mon, move it, you big ice-walker!" a mouse in a convertible shouted.  "I don't have all day!"

I saw that I was blocking all the incoming rodent traffic with the motorcycle.  Hundreds upon hundreds of miniature cars were lined up in an area about the size of a regular car.  Thus, I quickly jumped back onto the ride and journeyed towards the prison.

In just a few moments, it came into full view.

Outback Island was a small, lush-looking island, situated a fair distance from the hub of the city, on the outer rims of the rainforest district.  Despite it being called an island, it was actually only surrounded by a large river that flowed down to and around it as it reached the lake.

It appeared to be fairly small and surrounded by thick woods on either side of the river surrounding the island. Along the outskirts, it was home to other mammals of Zootopia.

Like Alcatraz, the prison building was on an island.  Unlike Alcatraz, the prison building was far more welcoming in appearance.  Even though the interior was most likely full of cement and bars, the exterior had plenty of greenery and architectural scenery.

When I parked the motorcycle to check in with the tiger security guards, we heard the moaning and crying of a rhino prison guard.  A team of antelope paramedics carried him away on a stretcher towards an ambulance.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my legs!" he wailed, tightly holding onto one of his sprained limbs.  "Oh, God. I can't feel my legs!"

We all watched as the injured pachyderm was transported away.  My mouth hung slightly open but the helmet kept my surprised expression hidden.

"Well... looks like we're short by three big mammals now." the tiger warden speculated as he scanned my ID badge.   "Good thing you're here."

"What happened?" I asked, noticing his scar.

The striped cat casually shrugged.  "Just some rowdy mammal prisoners.  Nothing new here."

Feeling somewhat nervous, the officers escorted me inside the concrete building and gave me a grand tour of the entire prison block.  They presented the individual inmate cells, the cafeteria, the broken vending machines, the washer room, the courtyard, and even the Biblioteca.

Though the place smelled like a zoo, it was unlike any prison found in my homeworld.  It gave off a much friendlier vibe with its traditional steel bars and green striped walls as opposed to high-intensity laser grids.

The guards guided me down the stairs and into one of the main mess halls, standing on each side of the double doors.

When they opened them, a sudden gust of erratic energy filled the air.

Behold, it was a triple-decker room, chalked full of animal inmates of different shapes, sizes, and species.  Indeed, they were incredibly noisy and rowdy.  Many were playing cards, gawking at each other's obnoxious jokes, arm wrestling, doing pull-ups, and merrily strutting around in their bright orange prison uniforms.

It was like an animal-themed prison party at Disneyland.

As soon as I stepped into that room, the entire mood changed.

Like night and day, all the inmates went from ear-splittingly loud to dead silent in a matter of seconds.  No one moved, no one spoke, and the only sound was a toothpick dropping from the mouth of an inmate who gasped in fear.

The antelope guards came in from behind, clearing their throats, and presented me to all the aroused inmates.  "Attention!  Ladies and gentlemammals... this is Officer Chenry."

No response.  Just the creaking of the air vent shafts from above.

"He will... uh... be working with us now." the guard nervously loosened the shirt collar tie around his neck.  "So, please... Be on your best behavior."

I slowly panned my head around, shooting a glare at each and every one of them, slowly invoking fear into their hearts.

Indistinct murmurings could be heard.

The antelope whispered.  "Would you like to... uh... say something?"

"No," I said bluntly.

Was I supposed to give a friendly introduction?  These animals were criminals and I would treat them as such.

One way or another, the prison atmosphere made me appear more intimidating to these inmates than I had intended - I could see it in their eyes - which was fine by me.

Hour by hour, I made frequent patrols around the prison block, tapping my baton against the metal gratings, ensuring that all inmates were obeying the rules - some of which, were previously disobeyed before past prison guards were hospitalized.

The best part about the job was that I never had to talk.  My presence alone made all the inmates shudder, making them think twice before daring to commit any wrong move.

But over time, they began to study me.  They'd whisper among each other, make gestures with their ears, and do signals with their tails.  They even timed my corridor patrols, examined all my patterns of movement, and made surprisingly accurate predictions on where I'd be next.

"Shh, shh, he's coming, he's coming."

"Quick.  Act natural!"

I came forth out of the corner.

The silver fox and her black bear friend slipped away into their bunk beds, throwing bedsheets over their heads, pretending they were asleep.  Other animals across the hallway did the same.

Even as a human, I knew what they were up to.  Such suspicions should've been reported to the prison warden but I decided to let it slide.

I went into another prison corridor and waited for the elevator.

"What's he doing?" one inmate asked.

"Um, he's just standing there... menacingly."

"How's it coming?"

"Working on it..."

"Don't let him see you!"

Even with a deteriorating HUD, I could still pick up their muffled voices from 70 yards away.  How convenient.

I walked over to the jaguar's cell, causing him to frantically hide his belongings.  He and his hyena pal stood upright, trying to give their best innocent smile.  Unconvinced, I lightly tapped the side of their jail lock.   Multiple paper clips fell to the floor.  All of them were bent.

The inmate acted all surprised.  "Oh... how did those get in there?"

I said nothing and pulled out two extra padlocks from the satchel and fastened them to their cell door.

The upset jaguar punched the hyena in the shoulder.  "You idiot!  That took two weeks to plan!"

"How was I supposed to know?"

"Know what?"

"That the new alien guy has eyes on the back of his head?"

The two were left alone to bicker back and forth.  Meanwhile, I decided to proceed with the rest of my patrol.  I stepped into the elevator and descended to the lower levels.

In the same manner, the inmates hunkered down in their little cells, performing their routine cleaning chores.  Based on the warden's facial expression, he was immensely impressed by this.  None of the inmates would ever complete their chores back when the previous prison guards were on duty.

Overall, it was a peaceful and stress-free environment - except for those behind bars.  These animals didn't have any cell phones or tablets to spread mockery, nor did they have any place to run.  They were stuck with me.

Since I was on a roll, I volunteered to take the night shift.  Might as well earn the extra cash to pay off that one window I broke at the ZPD.

Everyone was sound asleep in their cells and three rhino guards were patrolling the hallways.  I sat in the warden's office to finish up yesterday's paperwork since no one else bothered to do it.  While I sat behind the computer to create a DBMS for the ZPD prison, the entire office room started flashing red.

A static, yet frantic voice came in through the radio.  "Officer Leonardo, here!  We have suspects on the loose in E-block, level 3.  I repeat, we have suspects on the loose.  We need backup!"

I snatched up the radio,  "On my way!" and bolted through the door.

The blaring alarm woke up the rest of the inmates, prompting them to peak through their cell doors. I waved the tranquilizer gun in the air to keep them in place.

Upon arriving at E-block, multiple cells doors were left wide open.  Chaos filled the room. Several inmates were in a power struggle against the three rhino guards,  coming close to taking them all down.  One inmate, in particular, was leaping from shoulder to shoulder, stealing their keys.  It was the silver fox.

She tossed them to various animal inmates with their paws extended through the bars.

"Here!  Catch!" she tossed another pair of keys.  "Now's your chance!"

More and more cell doors swung open while animal prisoners were making a break for it.

Unable to allow this nonsense, I immediately intervened.  Not only did I catch keys but I also pushed some animals back into their cells.   I closed the door behind them and ran over to the other animals rushing for the exit.

One group tried to call the elevator.  I threw my police baton at the buttons panel like a javelin, effectively shutting the system down.  They were cut off.

Another group attempted to flee through the main exit but I pulled the emergency lever to seal off the room.  Now they were trapped.

One by one, I shoved the inmates back into their holding cells.  Many tried to scratch the face but ended up with dull or broken claws.

The three rhino guards eventually recovered from their hefty brawl.  However, one of the inmates was still outside of her cell:  The silver fox.

She was wearing her bright orange uniform and positioning herself on all fours.  Though she was trapped, I could tell that she wouldn't give up.

The three rhino guards decided to team up against her, hoping to escort her back into a holding cell.  

To everyone's surprise, she climbed up a cell grating and landed a hard kick on one of the rhino's noses.  This knocked him out clean and she proceeded towards the other two rhinos.   Both of them collapsed to the floor in both pain and confusion.

All the animal inmates in the room cheered her on.  She gave them a thespian bow.

Because I was already pissed about losing against the razorbacks, I would never allow myself to lose against those who should've stayed behind bars.

I ran over to the silver fox, attempting to restrain her, but she dodged all my moves.  She was simply too quick and nimble.  Like an acrobat, she did backflips, somersaults, and cartwheels off of my back.  Soon enough, it was pretty clear that she was just toying with me.

While she made the suspects laugh, she also looked for another escape route.    Whether or not she was looking for an air vent or a small window, she decided to make a run for it.

"Go, go!  You got this!" an inmate cheered.

"Freedom!" another inmate sang.

One of them whistled.  "You go, girl!"

The silver fox was beyond my reach.  Thus,  I grabbed one of the steel chairs and chucked it across the room like a frisbee.  

The inmates gasped in horror.

Even the guards were appalled.

All four legs of the chair stabbed into the brick mortar, causing it to crack.  The silver fox was pinned just below the neck, unable to move or breathe.

I walked over and pulled the chair out from under her muzzle.  She fell to the floor coughing and panting.  Lucky for her, she never got impaled.

Everyone watched in dead silence as I grabbed the mammal by the shirt collar and tossed her back into her prison cell.  She cried in discouragement and I kicked the door closed.

All prisoners were now secure.

I brushed my hands together in victory but no one else seemed to share the same attitude.   The prisoners now had their spirits shattered and their confidence was all gone.  All was well.  But why were the rhino guards giving me those petrified looks?  I didn't much care.

Since the rhino guards were practically worthless in keeping order at the prison, the least they could do was clean up the remaining mess.  All three of them got bested by a silver fox, making the night shift feel more like a one-man job.

For the rest of the night, I sat in the warden's office waiting for another prison alarm to go off.  Three hours passed and nothing serious happened.  I decided to finish building up the DBMS for the ZPD prison since these animals were still using pen and paper with filing cabinets.

For the next hour, I sat there in peace, typing away at the computer to hopefully complete the project before morning.  Progress was being made until I heard a light knock at the door.

I stopped what I was doing and sighed at the untimely interruption.  "What do you want?"

"Officer Chenry, may I come in, please?" the rhino guard asked, peeking his head through.

"Proceed."

He took a seat in one of the nearby chairs, causing the floor to vibrate under his weight, which also tipped over the coffee mug that was filled with pencils.

He stared at the floor for a brief moment before speaking.  "Can I have a word with you?"

I closed the paw laptop.  "Proceed."

He fiddled with his hooves, appearing to be conflicted with what he was about to say.  I was a bit surprised by this since most rhinos in Zootopia had no fear of being in the presence of a human.  After all, they were much larger in stature and packed on the extra muscle to overpower any animal.  

"Listen, I've been thinking...  what you did back there in E-block... that final act we all saw you pull off... that wasn't such a good idea," he solemnly said, looking to the floor.  "You can't just do that to one of our inmates."

Upon hearing this, I told him,  "That's why no one will remember your name."

"But... but what do you mean?" he wondered.

I stood up from the desk and stared out the window overlooking the entire prison block.  "You're all ineffectual," I said.  "Unable to do what needs to be done."

"But that was wrong what you did!" he argued, nearly choking up.  "You made that poor fox cry... you scared everyone in that room... including me.  You ought to apologize."

"Negatory.  I lay down the law."

"But-"

"That's it." 

Out of frustration, he stood up in my face and eyed me down.  "What is wrong with you?"

"Ask yourself that," I countered, unphased by his sheer size.  "No wonder guards like you get replaced."

"Who do you think you are? You think you're better than us because you're different?" he got heated but managed to cool himself down.  "You're not in charge."

"Neither are you."

He appeared to have a strong desire to smash me in the face.  We both had an intense staredown and he, like so many others, waited for me to blink.

"You know what?" he continued, remaining surprisingly calm and collecting himself.  "I kinda think you had a pretty rough night.  Why don't you go out and take a break?"

"Fine," I thought, the shift has lasted for over seventeen hours.  "...maybe I will."

With tender mercy, I clocked out and exited the prison.  Many prisoners sighed in relief as they watched me depart through the gate, even though I'd be back in two hours.

What would be the best way to pass the time?   Go for a ride around the city and catch some fresh air?   There was so much to explore.

I started up the motorcycle and drove across the stone bridge connecting to Outback Island.  Today was a chilly, overcast morning with refreshing gusts of light wind.  Most individuals preferred a bright, sunny day but this weather was perfect as it is.

While riding through the forest, I pondered the upcoming weekend.   I'd get to see Charity later tonight and then I'd go visit the Howl family on Saturday.  Back at the graduation ceremony, they were kind enough to invite me over for a homemade dinner.  Since they were a wolf family, I imagined they'd prepare something a little more special; something that didn't fall into the typical vegetarian diet making up 90% of Zootopia.

Further down the winding road, I remembered not having any groceries for the apartment.  The fridge and cupboards were all empty.  Not only should I stock up on breakfast items but I also needed to buy a few crucial items such as white duct tape, basic hygiene products, and maybe a couple of first aid kits.

Thus, I changed course and headed over to downtown Zootopia.

Within minutes, trees became homes, homes became buildings, and buildings became elegant skyscrapers.  I was in the heart of the city.  None of the animals suspected me of driving an actual motorcycle and pulling the hood over kept me hidden.  Sooner or later, I'd have to find parking and expose myself.

Sure enough, the animal civilians were already laughing and staring, unlike the prison where the inmates knew how to keep their mouths shut.  I ignored anyone who came by, ducking under any phone cameras,  focusing solely on grabbing supplies and getting out of here.

The entire area reminded me of Lombard Street from my homeworld.  It was just as steep, had multiple crooked roads, and contained a massive display of flowers.  However, Zootopia's version was three times more elaborate and seven times larger.   

Skyscrapers stood like giants on all sides, a gracious waterfall poured under the balcony of a garden restaurant, falling 8 floors down onto the street below, creating a watery mist that sparkled in the morning sunlight, and a crystal-clear river flowed down the roadside.

I traveled uphill, passing multiple strange stores such as Targoat, Ram's Club, iPaw, Yak in the Box, and Mousy's.   This place literally had everything.  With so many choices on all sides, I wanted to settle for something simpler.  

On one of the upper balconies overhanging the waterfall, there was a hardware store next to a produce market.  Both were less crowded and were situated high above the rest of the storefronts.  I decided to go there.

I picked up the items from the list I had in mind, plus a loaf of bread, cereal, and some... milk?  At least, I hoped it was milk.  I flipped over the carton one more time to examine the label.  It did say almonds on the back.  Plus, I paid a fortune for it so it better taste good.  The wombat clerk said it would.

Carrying all the items in one giant paper bag, I walked out of the store and came to a fine view of the city.  The sky had cleared up, the sun was out in its full splendor, and the air was crisp and clean.

I was about to go descend a flight of stairs but a herd of animals was already coming up.  I stood aside to let them pass.   

A large rhino in a full business suit was trotting among the crowd.  He was wider than most rhinos I've seen in Zootopia so I gave him some extra space.  

As I was checking my HUD for any updates from the ZPD, I felt him collide with my shoulder - almost as if it were done on purpose.  All my groceries fell to the ground, spilling everywhere. I watched as my can of beans rolled down the stairs.

"Hey!  Watch where you're going, freak!" the rhino imposed, casting a shadow over me.

"Excuse me," I tried to be polite.

I went to reach for my almond milk but he stepped on the carton, completely smashing it.  I scooted towards the grocery bag that still had the loaf of bread in it.  The rhino went ahead and flattened it as well.

He proudly cackled, checked his golden pocket watch, and walked away.  

Animal bystanders saw what happened, gasped in surprise, but didn't do anything about it.  I tried to salvage whatever I could but there wasn't much left.  Did I order pancakes?  No, that was my bread.

I glared back at the rhino as he passed through other animals and came towards a little white sheep.  She struggled to carry her tall stack of groceries and was unlucky enough to get knocked over by the same rhino.

"Outta my way, fluff-face!" the horned animal huffed at her.

She adjusted her glasses and frantically apologized.  "Oh, sorry! I'm so... I'm so sorry, sir!"

He kicked away her groceries before leaving her alone on the pavement.  

 "Oh, mutton chops," she cried out in a sad tone, staring at the mess before her.

I felt so inclined to shoot that rhino in the head but ultimately decided against it. Instead, I went over to check on the fragile sheep.

"You alright, ma'am?"

She turned her head in astonishment with widened eyes.  "Oh!" she gasped, initially frightened. "Um... I, uh... "

"Here, let me help you," I said, bending over to collect her scattered items.

She stared in wonder, slowly shaking away her thoughts before joining in.  "I, um, that would be... um... thank you, sir!"  

"Don't mention it."

We picked up her items together and placed them into the bag.  I went for the rest while she studied my face for a bit, coming to a sudden realization. 

"Oh!  Oh my... It's you," she said in amazement. "It really is you, isn't it? You're... You're Mr. Chenry, right?"  she then noticed the badge.  "Well, Officer Chenry, I should say."

I sighed, not feeling so proud to be out here in public. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Oh, no, no it's an honor to finally meet you," she said, extending her hoove. "I've, uh, I've actually been wanting to meet you for some time.  Quite a long time, in fact."

"Thanks, I'm 'honored,'" I rolled my eyes at her annoying voice crack, picking up a wallet that was lying on the ground.  I brushed the dirt off and held it out.   "I assume this is yours?"

"Oh, yes!" she sighed in relief, holding onto her chest as if she were about to have a heart attack.  "Thank you... thank you, so much!"

I was going to pass her the wallet but noticed something... strange.  One of her ID cards was sticking out sideways.  I lightly pulled at the corner and saw the last name inscribed upon it.

I read it out loud and couldn't believe what I was seeing.  "Bellwether?" 

The little sheep's face filled with indisputable shame.  She didn't know what to say.

"You're Bellwether?" I asked in a stern tone.

She fidgeted with her hooves, averting her gaze.  "Well...I, uh... I go by Dr. Bell."  

I crossed my arms, confirming my suspicions.  The eye color, the glasses, and even the height matched her record.  Wait until the ZPD hears about his.

"Nice try," I pulled out the tranquilizer pistol.  "But on behalf of the ZPD, I hereby place you under arrest."

Her eyes widened with fear.  "Wait, what?"

She began backing up slowly as if she were planning to flee.

Without hesitation, I snatch the little sheep by the wool and pinned her face down on the ground.  Many animal bystanders were shocked by this.  Thus, I pulled out the radio to make my intentions abundantly clear.  

"Chenry to dispatch, I have Bellwether in custody.  South of quadrant A6.  Do you copy?"

I waited for an answer, hoping someone would respond.

"Officer Chenry?" it was Clawhauser speaking.   "Is that you, my friend?"

"Who else has this voice?" I asked irritably.

"Oh, right," he realized his mistake.   "...But wait, did you just say Bellwether?"

"Affirmative."

Bellwether struggled to speak under my grip.  "S-Sir, sir!  Please!  I...I can explain-"

I held her down tighter.  "You'd keep your mouth shut if you knew it was good for you."

The civilians grew increasingly fearful and gradually backed away from the immediate area.  Some stayed behind to snag a video on their phones.  I shot them all a harsh glare which made them leave promptly.

Finally,  there was an answer on the radio.  "But... Officer Chenry, that's impossible... former Mayor Bellwether is already behind bars."

"And you verified this?"

There was a long period of silence.  

"...Well?"

Clawhauser clumsily picked up the radio as if he dropped it in his pile of candy wrappers.  "Um, I don't really know, actually.  Let me go get Chief Bogo for this one.  Please wait."

Why get the Chief involved?  Just send a cruiser over, take Bellwether away, and be done with it.

While waiting for a response, Bellwether attempted to speak, "Sir!  It-It's not what you think! I'm not-" 

I pressed her down further until she was nearly mute.  Her voice crack was getting on my nerves.

On the radio, a familiar voice chimed in.  "Buddy, I'm telling ya, that cotton-candy-headed ex-mayor is serving justice as we speak," the fox proudly proclaimed.  "You can thank Carrots and I for that."

My patience was dwindling.  "Why don't you put someone more humble on the line?"

He passed the radio over to Judy.  

"Cherry, please," she said.  "I just got off the phone with the prison warden on Outback Island.  It's been confirmed.  They already have her."  

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." 

Though the rabbit was trustful, a small part of me didn't want to take her word for it.  My grip loosened, albeit slightly, on the sheep named 'Bellwether' but I continued to keep her pinned with one hand.

Another voice took over the radio.  It was Chief Bogo himself.

"Chenry!  Let her go," he barked.  "Unless you want to lose your badge and embarrass yourself in front of the city again, I suggest you do it."

Oh, shut up, I thought.  Catching Bellwether would've been redemptive if anything.  I may be new to this world, but I knew who she was and what she looked like.  A power-hungry weakling who despised predators.

My instinct was to proceed with the arrest.  The cuffs were ready.  But the thought of losing a job and facing more public shame lingered in my head.  Civilians were still watching and everyone on the radio advised against my actions.  

Thus, with great hesitation, I responded back, "Fine.  Play it your way."

I released the sheep from my grip, resulting in her coughing nonstop.  She was free to run away, thanks to the ZPD, but she stayed in place to recover.  Her energy was drained.

"Alright," I crossed my arms, casting a shadow over her.  "Who the hell are you?"

She slowly stood up, brushing dust from her skirt.  "I'm, uh, so sorry for this misunderstanding, Officer.  But, um...My name is Dr. Bell, Head of Research for Zootopia's General Hospital," she looked to the ground as her face filled with depression.  "Well, at least... I used to be."

"So you're Dr. Vespera Bellwether then?" I verified, reading her full ID card before handing it back to her.

"No, no, please.  Please don't use that name," she pleaded, holding up her hooves.   "I'd rather not associate myself with that monster.  Not only did she almost destroy Zootopia, she has brought nothing but shame to our family and deserves to be locked up."

"How are you two related?" I asked.

She sighed, pausing for a moment.  "She's my sister.  Better yet, she was my sister."

"Go on..." I motioned.

The sheep approached the edge of the plaza balcony, gazing upon the city's horizon.  The rest of the animal bystanders had walked away at this point, rolling their eyes at her.  I almost did the same thing... but decided to stay.

"Ever since we were lambs..." she continued.  "...we had a rough beginning.  We were both picked on in school, mostly because we were prey.  For many years, we were underestimated, underappreciated... and we were both tired of it.  But... no matter what, we always stayed together in a herd, trying to remain hopeful of better things to come.   As we grew older, we studied our own separate ways; she went into political science while I went into medical science.  Throughout my residency, I interacted and operated with mammals of every kind.  Even predators.  At first, I was completely against the idea, refusing to take any predator patients... but over time, I developed a strong bond with them.  They trusted me with their lives.  I learned that predators weren't nearly as bad as they seemed.  I just hoped and prayed that my older sister could go through a similar experience while working in the city.  When she accepted the role as Assistant Mayor, I rejoiced.  Watching her stand next to a predator like Lionheart made me think that she finally had a change of heart... just like I did.  I was so proud of her.  I knew that she could finally make Zootopia a better place, dispatching all fear between predators and prey," she clenched her hooves in frustration.  "But I was wrong."

I came over to the railing, interested to hear more.

Dr. Bell carried on with her explanation.  "Instead, she allowed years of hate to consume her until it was absolute, hiding it under a facade of white wool during the Nighthowler Crisis - which deceived everyone, including me...   All until her true nature was finally revealed by Officer Hoppes and Officer Wilde, the true saviors of Zootopia.  Thanks to them, she's locked up for good, unable to divide Zootopia ever again.  Though she's defeated, the seed of fear hasn't been eradicated, Officer Chenry.  As a doctor, my name and title have earned a negative reputation across the board.  No one will dare schedule their surgery with me... not even a basic checkup... and I don't blame them.  If I wasn't a Bellwether, then I wouldn't take any chances either.  Not with anyone associated with that dreadful last name - especially in the medical industry."

"Hence, you changed your name to Dr. Bell," I concluded.

She nodded.  "It was the only way for me to feel better about myself.  I swore that I'd never become anything like her.  As a mother of two beautiful children, I had to remove all traces so that they wouldn't get bullied for it... and possibly go down the same path as she did."

"Right... I guess that makes sense."

"Even though we will always resemble her on the outside, the least we can do is show prey and predators that we're very different on the inside.  That is, we can show them that we truly love and support them, and truly want what's best for them.  Even if they won't let me provide medical treatment like I used to, it won't stop me from trying to help them."

I took a brief moment to ponder the situation, figuring that I had better say something.   "Well then," I began, looking over at the same horizon.   "Perhaps I owe you an apology.  Every sheep in Zootopia looks the same to me.  When I saw your last name, I thought you were her."

"Oh, no, no, please!  You don't need to apologize," she said.  "You were only doing your job.  I cannot blame you for that."

"If I've injured you in any way,  then it's within your legal right to press-"

"No, no," the sheep interrupted.   "That won't be needed.  In fact, now that you're finally here, I should be thanking you."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Well..." she thought.  "Where do I start?  It's something I've been wanting to do for a while," she nervously chuckled to herself.  " I suppose we should start from the very beginning."

"The very beginning?"

"Yes," she said.  "By chance, do you remember attending the Carrot Days Festival in Bunnyburrow?" she inquired, placing a hoove under her chin.  " I, uh, believe it was over six months ago."

Bunnyburrow?  Carrot Days Festival?  I vaguely recalled that event.  It was the first social gathering I came across after crash-landing on this planet.  The same place I met talking animals for the first time.

"Yes, I was there," I answered.

"My son was also there," the sheep explained.  "He told me all about you.   I believe you two briefly met while he was playing soccer."

Memories were flooding back.  He was one of the first animals I met in this world.  "Wasn't he also with a bunny and a fox?"

"Yeah, that's right!   Those two were his friends from school," she acknowledged, followed by a short chuckle.  "How much more do you remember?"

"Not much," I shrugged.  "They accidentally kicked a soccer ball over to where I was hiding, I gave it back to the little fox cub, but then they ran off."

"Hmm, sounds like they were pretty shy - which I completely understand" the sheep blushed, splaying her hooves.  "Who can really blame them?  Your species is unlike anything the world has ever seen."

"Which I'm not too proud of," I sighed, knowing that I towered over nearly every mammal in Zootopia, except for giraffes, elephants, and some tigers.  "I didn't mean to scare your son."

"But you didn't," she insisted.  "Because, three months later, after you saved me from getting run over by that truck...  you saved my son's life."

"How?" I asked in disbelief.

"You rescued him from the fire," she said, holding a hoove over her heart.  "And it wasn't just him.  You saved many other cubs that night.   As a mother, I can't tell you how grateful I am."

 I couldn't believe the coincidence.  "That was your son?"  

She nodded.

"The same one from Bunnyburrow?"

"Yeah, all true."

Never did I imagine the rescue that night having such an impact later on. "I'm glad your son was okay."

Dr. Bell smiled before pulling something out from her purse.  "He did suffer from multiple 3rd-degree burns all around his inferior tibia.  At least, we thought he did... until we discovered that it miraculously healed on its own that very same night.  Such injuries normally take weeks to recover from."

She extended her hoof in a cupping shape to pour something into my gauntlet.  I held my palm out.  Like an hourglass, tiny white particles formed into a pile with a diameter no larger than that of a dime.  It almost looked like salt.

"I found these on the surface of his skin, beneath all the burnt wool." she pointed out.  "He said you used them during the fire rescue.  I...I don't know what they are exactly... but they seem like... some sort of... healing beads," she tried to guess, taking a moment to ponder.  "Anyway, they belong to you."

Upon closer inspection, I saw that they were nano-particles.  I tried adding them to the suit but they wouldn't move.  Nor would they respond.

"Thanks," I gestured, noticing that their energy levels were also depleted.  "But they're practically worthless now."  I brushed my hands together, allowing the wind to take them away.

We both took a minute to gaze onto the horizon.  The skies were clearing up and the red rocks from Sahara Square were illuminated by the sunlight.

"You really are a hero to me and my son, Officer Chenry.  We've seen you a couple of times at the police academy, we tried to say hello, but you were pretty busy.   Gosh, we even came to your graduation ceremony because we look up to you," Dr. Bell smiled for a brief moment before a look of sadness overtook her.  "I just wish more mammals in Zootopia could see that.  They just don't understand how fortunate we are to have you on the ZPD... To have you on our side.   And I'm so sorry for what those pesky razorbacks did to you."

"Whatever.  They're gone now."

"But... doesn't it make you feel a bit... worried?" she asked, appearing anxious.   "Like where they might strike next?"

"No," I answered.  "If and when they strike again, I'll be ready."

I checked the time on my HUD and saw that I had to be back at the prison in 30 minutes.  Enough time and money have been expended on this balcony.

"Alright, ma'am, I should get going," I prepared to walk away.

The wool animal quickly stepped in front of me in a fidgety-like manner.  "Wait, sir, please!"

I stopped in place.

She looked up.  "I want to help you in any way I can... but as you can see,  I'm just a meek little sheep," she admitted, lifting her toothpick arms.  "Since you've already got a lot on your paws, I want to buy you some groceries.   Looks like you and I both had a bit of bad luck back there," she laughed lightly, looking at the smashed groceries that the rhino stepped on earlier.

I shook my head.  "You don't have to do that."

"Please, sir," she begged, clasping her hooves together.  "I'll never be able to repay you for saving my son's life...   but it would mean so much if you'd let me buy your groceries.  Money is tight and there's no need to add that stress to your workload.  Please."

With great reluctance, I finally gave in to her kind offer.  We both went back into the store and did some shopping.   A seven-foot-seven soldier following a two-foot-five sheep must've been quite a sight for many animal shoppers.  They gave us a lot of perturbed looks but the sheep paid no attention to them.

I tried to be as minimal as possible but she bought everything.  I tried to buy only one half milk jug but she bought two whole ones.  I only wanted white duct tape but she got me three different colors.  I grabbed the cheapest cereal on the shelve but she replaced it with a higher-quality brand.  I picked up the factory-produced bread but she insisted on the homemade whole wheat bread.  Everything was a major upgrade compared to what I previously got.  This sheep was too kind.

I loaded the side trunk of the motorcycle, intending to store the refrigerated items in the prison's breakroom fridge until I got home to my apartment.

I turned to face the sheep.  "Dr. Bellwether, once again, thank you for-"

"Dr. Bell," she reminded with a shy smile.

I facepalmed.  "Right... Dr. Bell... thank you for buying me groceries... especially after I've held your neck for five minutes.  I'll find a way to pay you back."

"Please, there's no need, sir," she said, casually waving her hoof.  "I just want every officer to know that they're appreciated for their hard work.  It's not easy putting your life on the line for this beautiful yet crazy city of Zootopia."

"Especially at the prison," I added.

Her mouth hung wide open.   "Wait... you work at the prison?  But why there?"

I shrugged.  "Bogo assigned me."

"Oh, dear," she shuddered in place, anxiously tugging at her floppy ears.  "I hope they're not mistreating you in any way."

"Not anymore," I said, getting on the motorcycle and starting up the engine.  

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked.  "I feel like I didn't do enough."

"You've done plenty."

"You can always let me know if you think of anything."

I shook my head.  "No.  But thanks again, doc," I started backing up, making myself perpendicular to the street.  "Before I depart, is there anything I might assist you in?"

She fidgeted with her hooves, unsure of what to say.  "I, uh, I think I should be okay."

I still felt bad that she bought me all those items,  "Are you sure?"

She went into deep thought, staring at the ground.  "I, um, I don't really know."

I tilted my head.  "You don't know?"

She paced back and forth.  "Well, I, uh, it's hard to explain... but um... maybe there is something."

I waved my gauntlet, gesturing her to continue.  "Go on."

The sheep was conflicted.   "You don't have to do this... but... I guess it never hurts to ask," she indicated.

I checked my watch.  The seconds were ticking but I did my best to wait patiently.

Finally, she took a deep breath.  "Hmm.... maybe you could do me... one small favor."

"Yes?"

She took a step closer, looking at me with somewhat depressed eyes.   "Sir, if it's not too much to ask... I'd like to visit with my sister.  My former sister, I guess you could say."

"For what purpose?" I asked, thinking her request was rather suspicious.

"I... I don't know," she said.  "But I just feel like I should.   Would that be okay?"

At this point, I was highly doubtful.  Nevertheless, I was interested in seeing the two sheep together as a confirmation that Mayor Bellwether was actually in jail.  If not, then I'd throw Dr. Bell in jail without any further question - regardless if I had the authority or not.  Part of me didn't believe she was who she claimed to be.  After all, she looked exactly like Mayor Bellwether and could very well be Mayor Bellwether.  I had to see for myself.

Thus, I nodded.  "Fine.  Consider your request granted."

"Will they actually let you do that?" she worried, surprised at my sudden positive response.  "I don't want you to get into any trouble.  Besides, I can always try booking an appointment."

"No need, I'll take care of it," I advised, pulling out a sheet of paper and writing down directions for her.   "Take a Zuber and meet me here in one hour."

Outback Island had no parking for visitors.  Hence, it was best practice for them to be dropped off and picked up there.  

In my world, it took a nearly insurmountable amount of effort to grant visitor rights to any prisoner.  Extensive background checks, inter-planetary shuttles, and genetic makeup tests would have to be conducted before proceeding to the next step in the protracted process.  Even then, there were no guarantees and the Stratocracy could deny any request at any given time.  By doing so, the visitor would have to start the process all over again, thereby discouraging them from ever trying again.   This was done purposely to break the spirits of the prisoners, convincing them that no one would ever come.

However, in Zootopia, the process was surprisingly simple.  No paperwork, no phone calls, just a basic psychological screening.  

Dr. Bell arrived on time but I packed on an extra set of sheep cuffs just in case.  Never at the prison had I ever seen former Mayor Bellwether behind bars.  I patrolled every hallway and never came across her once.  This was going to be interesting.

As I escorted Dr. Bell through the prison corridors, I came across the silver fox that I forcefully locked up earlier.   She and her fellow inmate were having a conversation between cells.

" I mean... him. Look at him." she pointed.  "He gives me the creeps. I can't stand being locked up here any longer."

The bear raised an eyebrow.  "Haven't you seen him on T.V? He's pretty much a joke at this point... at least, that's what I've heard."

The dejected silver fox stared down at her feet.  "But still, he's so... different. Like... ever since he came here... he's been giving me nightmares."

The bear expressed empathy by wrapping his paw around her and shooting me a quick glare.  "Now that you mention it... he kinda does."

I shook my head and pressed further down the hall.  I could care less about whether or not they were having dreams.

"I'm so sorry they talk about you like that," the sheep said, peaking back.

"Just keep walking," I instructed.  

We boarded an elevator that took us two stories down underground.  The lowest level required a specific access key which I was able to replicate with a few nanoparticles.  It was better than waiting for the tiger warden to return from his 3-hour break.

After passing through several steel-grated gates, we found ourselves in a large room with six empty cells.  I pulled out the cuffs, ready to use them, until Dr. Bell and I spotted an orange object sitting in one of the cell corners.  She was facing the wall, using her hooves to scratch tally marks into the mortar.

There she was.  Even smaller than I imagined.

Taking a quick breath, I approached the bars, giving them a light tap with the baton.   "Prisoner 62275, come forward."

No response.  She continued scratching.

The sheep doctor shot me a few nervous glances, taking a few deep breaths.

I tapped the bars again.  "Dawn Bellwether."

Still no response.  The room grew colder and quieter.  Maybe that was just the AC.  

Over half a minute passed.

Tired of her games, I slammed the baton against the bars.  "Respond!"

This frightened the doctor, which wasn't my intention.  But the former mayor simply chuckled, turning around with an ugly sheep grin.  

As I watched the two sheep come close together, I was surprised by how similar they appeared.  Same height, same glasses, albeit with different colors, and nearly the same voice.  The only main difference between them was their attitude and clothing.

The one in orange casually approached the cell grating.   "Well, if it isn't my little baby sister coming to visit me after all these years.  How nice of you to drop in." she briefly looked at me before turning back to her sibling.  "Brought a new predator friend with you, huh?"

"That's apex predator, to you." I glared.

She adjusted her oversized glasses and scoffed. "Hmm, just as I thought - you're nothing more than an unredeemable breed with an unjustified superiority complex over prey like us, aren't you?  You're nothing special.  You may be loud and strong, but you're always predisposed to become-"

"Stop it," Dr. Bell interrupted.  "That's enough from you, Dawn."

The former mayor chuckled.  "Oh, I see.  You haven't changed one bit, sister.  Prancing around with other predators, thinking you'll get along with them just fine, living in your own little false fantasy.  How typical."

Dr. Bell had nothing to say.

Bellwether continued. "If only you joined me, we could've fulfilled Zootopia's destiny together. Imagine what you and I could've achieved. Instead, you're stripped of your title, years of medical study have gone to waste, and you're no longer reputable like I am." she chuckled with a facepalm. "Gosh, what a waste of potential you are."

She stared solemnly at the floor. "It was a sacrifice worth making... in the best interest of Zootopia."

The sheep in orange laughed. "And yet, you will always be a Bellwether. Distrusted by your own prey family, doomed to remain as a member of a soiled herd."

Dr. Bell clenched her hooves."Why? Why are you like this?"

"Like what? Bellwether mocked.  "Is there something wrong with me?"

"Everything... Your disdain towards predators... all that you tried to do," the doctor cried out.  "You never gave them a chance!"

Bellwether crossed her arms.  "Oh, and why should I?"

The doctor stepped closer.  "Because they're just like the rest of us.   Vulnerable and imperfect, but they're willing to change for the better... if you just let them."

"Ooh, I definitely changed some of them alright." she laughed in a pitiful manner.  "And I could've changed all the predators in Zootopia ... if it weren't for that traitorous bunny and that deplorable fox!"

"Don't you dare say that about them!" Dr. Bell angrily pointed.  "They're our heroes!"

"I made Judy a hero!" she fired back, trying to get close to Dr. Bell's face.  "Together, you, her, and I could've united all prey against a common enemy... to dispel fear from the hearts of Zootopia forever!  We could've been unstoppable!"

"You could've destroyed the city!" Dr. Bell argued.  "Why would you do such a thing?"

"Little sister... it's either us or them.  Don't you get it?  Do you not know your history before the Great Migration?" she interrogated further.  "Predators would run amok in the plains, feeding upon our families of herds and flocks in their old savage ways!  Our ancestors did nothing but spend all their days living in fear, creating a false illusion of harmony between two worlds!  How long will that last?  If we don't rise above the predators, then they will!"

Upon hearing this, Dr. Bell immediately grabbed Bellwether by the shirt collar, pulling her face in and slamming it against the metal grating, shattering her glasses.

"You're a disgrace to Zootopia!"   she yelled, trying to chock Bellwether further.  "You're a disgrace to everything our animal ancestors worked so hard to build!"

I quickly intervened, creating distance between the two.  "Enough!"

Dr. Bell was furious, barely managing to calm down.

Meanwhile, Bellwether lied on the floor, writhing in pain, rubbing blood away from her nose.  Her orange prison uniform had traces of red stains around the neck.

"Let's go," I ordered, escorting Dr. Bell out of the prison block.   

The two sheep exchanged threatening glances between each other before we disappeared behind the large elevator door.   I summoned a medical team to go in and treat former Mayor Bellwether's injuries since it was proper protocol.  She didn't deserve it but all prisoners were entitled to basic healthcare.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

She stared shamefully at the metal floor as we rode up the elevator shaft.  "I'm... I'm so sorry.  It's just... I lost my temper."

"Good hell," I sighed, even though I knew that I was one to talk when it came to violence.  "I thought you'd be more civil than that."

"I...I know... that was not the right thing for me to do," she admitted, wiping a few tears from her face.  "Please forgive me."

I pulled the door lever and shrugged.  "What's done, is done."

We stepped off the elevator and walked down the winding prison hallways.  For five minutes, we navigated through the maze of locked-up mammals until we were found ourselves outside in the fresh air again.

While we waited for the Zuber to arrive, Dr. Bell came over to the warden's office where I was filling out paperwork for the new wolf inmates that had just arrived.  Things were getting busy at the prison.

She lightly tapped on the door panel.  "Listen, um, Officer Chenry?  About what happened back there.  I wish I could take it back."

"Forget it," I said, stapling stacks of papers together.  "Just move on."

"I don't know if I can," she doubted, looking at her bruised hoof.  "I'm related to her... I've become a lot like her in some ways... and we both know what she tried doing to Zootopia."

I quickly scanned the wolves' pawprints, funneled them into the next room, and closed the door behind me.  

"A friend of mine once told me to forget the past and embrace the future.  Perhaps you should too."  I invited, placing a stamp on the inmate's documents.  "Otherwise, you'll only live in fear and pain."

Her floppy ears perked up slightly, appearing to have some ounce of hope.  "Do you really think that might work for me?"

I opened the main gate for her Zuber ride that just arrived.  "If not, then do a Google search and find a different 'inspirational' quote."

"Google?" she was confused.

"Zoogle." I corrected.

She laughed in a very shy manner.  "Ah, yes, alright.  

"Thanks again for the groceries," I waved.

"Oh, of course!  Just tell me if you ever need anything, okay?" she slowly backed up, trying to grab the car's door handle without looking, awkwardly missing it a few times before she actually found it.  "You've always got a friend at the General Hospital, Officer Chenry. Alright. Bye-bye!"

I closed the main gate and the Zuber drove across the bridge leading away from Outback Island.

Now it was time to finish the paperwork.

Thus, I returned to the office, only to discover a mysterious envelope sitting on the table.  I went to discard it- since junk mail was as common as shed fur - but the tiger warden stopped me from doing so.  Instead, he used his claw as a letter opener to pull out a letter containing an important update from Chief Bogo.

The tiger read it out loud.  

"Due to a sudden increase of reports for animal inmates experiencing prolonged nightmares, it has been decided that Officer Chenry will be transferred over to an alternate assignment starting next week.  This is to promote the general welfare of everyone involved at the prison on Outback Island until further notice."

What kind of nonsense was this? I uttered to myself.   As soon as got settled into a new assignment, the ZPD was already shifting me around.  From razorbacks to parking duty to prison duty, what would follow next?  Would they finally come to their senses and let me go after the razorbacks?   It didn't seem likely.

Regardless, the weekend was here at last.  The inmates on Outback Island celebrated my departure by stealing the catalytic converter on my motorcycle and using it as an elephant blowhorn.   That ride was a piece of junk anyway so it didn't matter.

I went back to the apartment to drop off the groceries.  As I reached for the upper cupboards, I felt a loose object on my right bicep.   I thought it was my cloak snagging on something and that's exactly what it was.  However, it was snagged on a cracked section of bicep armor.

"Aww, crap," I whispered, attempting to fix it.

I lifted the armor flap to check on its wear and tear.  The skin under the bicep armor was now fully exposed.  The armor plating wouldn't anchor down like it used to, nor would the nanoparticles obey my neuro commands.  Where was that lightning when I needed it? 

 Unraveling some white duct tape as a temporal yet crude fix, that's when Jay Howl called.

"Hello, Cherry!"  the happy wolf greeted.  "H-How are you doing, brother?" 

I put my helmet on speaker mode while placing grocery items away. "Hi Jay, not too bad."

"That's good to hear!  Are we still good for tomorrow night at 5:30 PM?  My wife's preparing a delicious halibut dinner that you don't want wanna miss out on!"

I started feeling sick to my stomach.  "Excuse me one sec."

"S-Sure thing bud!"

I ran over to the nearest garbage can and nearly gagged my insides out.   The very thought of halibut soup was still fresh on my mind.  Fingers crossed that Jamie would actually cook it better.

Once I recovered, I took Jay off mute.  "Yeah, that will be fine."

"Awesome!" he said cheerfully.  "Our den is on the s-seventh canopy of Rainforest District b-but we'll send you the address shortly!"

"Want me to bring anything?" I offered.  "Like an appetizer?"

"Nah, that's okay, brother!   We s-should be all set and... Oh!  Wait... my son is talking..." I could hear a wolf cub talking excitedly in the background.  " Ha! Well, brother, he's w-wondering if you could bring him some Lobo's Cookies?"

"Not sure what those are... but I'll find some." I committed.

"You d-don't have to do it if you don't want to." he gave a warm chuckle.  "You know my son, he loves his sweets."

I cracked a smile  "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Cherry, you're the best!  My family and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!"

The call ended. Just like that, Saturday was already planned.  Since today was Friday, it was time to spend it with my dear friend.

She lived over in Rainforest District but on the southern 8th canopy.  The forecast was for heavy rain and low temperatures, just the way I hoped.

I followed her directions and spent nearly a half-hour climbing up the wooden steps.   It almost felt like ascending Home Tree on Pandora except there were animals instead of Navi.

It would've been wiser to take the main road since it might've cut the travel time in half.  Nevertheless, one of the roads has a long wait time for zeppelin crossings and it was a good excuse to explore the area.  Honestly, this district was three times better than the Savannah Central district my apartment was currently in.   Perhaps I should move here instead?

After crossing a wooden bridge suspended over a 700-foot deep valley of tree roots and waterfalls, I found the address that she gave me.  The area was absolutely stunning and the tree homes brought forth a sense of youth.

Thunder and lightning could be heard in the far background.  This was my opportunity.  

I stood on top of an elevated platform and held my arms out while it was pouring all around me.   I kept hearing the thunder but never got the lighting.  I waited and waited but only became further drenched.

"Hey, Cherry!  What are you doing out here?" a beautifully familiar voice giggled from one of the treehouse doorsteps.  "Come inside where it's warm!"

"One sec." I waited for the next lightning storm.  Surely it would come at any moment.  A minute passed but it never showed up.

She grabbed my hand, escorting me out of the rain.  "C'mon, silly!  Let's go in."

Perhaps another day, I thought.  Not like this district would run out of lightning storms any time soon.

I went over to the wooden coat rack near the circular door and hung my helmet and cape out to dry.  The bicep armor was no longer tight and secure like it used to be.  Thus, I dropped it on the floor, and scooted it off to the side.  Armor deterioration was unfortunate but I wouldn't let it spoil this lovely Friday evening.

Even though it was chilly, windy, and pouring like crazy outside, the cool air felt wonderful on the skin.  It was the perfect environment to relax and be with my friend.

"Ready to watch a movie with me?" she smiled.

I nodded.  "Let's do it."

Towering 170 feet above the canopy with extraordinary views of the forest, her treehouse apartment made a perfect shelter for such a rejuvenating occasion.

It was almost like Tarzan's treehouse but better... much better.   Though it was smaller, more geared towards coyotes, it felt safer and far more sturdy.  Plus there weren't any nosy leopards stalking around.

She had the T.V. all set up for us and we made ourselves comfortable on the sofa.  The movie she selected was Zoomanji: We Come from the Jungle which was quite fitting, to be honest.

I sat at one end of the couch.  Charity immediately cuddled up next to me with her furry head resting on my chest.  I didn't really know what to think of it.  Perhaps being with an adorable coyote wasn't so bad.  

While we were watching the movie, a cold gust of wind would randomly blow through the room every once in a while.  Since we were high up in the tree canopy, I imagined it was harder to keep the place insulated with all the wooden wall gaps.  Nevertheless, the coyote was always positive.

"My feet are cold," she shivered, curling up tighter next to me.

"Put on socks or something," I recommended.

"Socks?" she gave me a confused look.  "What are socks?"

"Nevermind," I said, giving her some extra blanket.

She gratefully accepted it and cuddled up even closer.  I grew up in cooler temperatures so the cold never really bothered me.

Due to how crazy this week has been, Friday was the best respite I've had in a while.  Not having to go to work the next day was a blessing.  Zootopia racked my head at times but small moments like these meant a lot.  

As a human who's fought in many intergalactic wars, there was hardly anything to look forward to.   Far too often, we had the fate of some planet resting in our hands.  If we ever failed, then entire nations and colonies would be at stake.  But in Zootopia, the only thing at stake was not actually having any steak.  It was a bad joke... but it got the point across.  

On Monday, I took the loss against those razorbacks a bit too hard.  Precious gold reserves were lost, animal civilians made fun of the situation, but it was nothing compared to what I've experienced in previous defeats between my people and the Seraphim.  There was no loss of life.

Back then, we were programmed to fight as if we were expendable robots. We were ordered to keep our military gear deployed at all times, masking any emotion we might have and striving towards perfection. But here in Zootopia, I had room to make mistakes, unveil my emotions, and be human for once.

After the movie, the coyote and I gazed out the window to admire the splendid rainstorm. It could make anyone feel grateful to have shelter, and the rain provided the most ideal ASMR.

A few minutes passed, and I felt the coyote's ear gently brush against my chin. She turned her head and gazed into my eyes. "Hey, Cherry, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I said, trying to prepare myself for what was coming.

She smiled. "I hope you're ready."