A request instead of a favor? Oh, good. He had me worried there. I thought sarcastically. When is this ever going to end? 

The cheetah motioned me closer and whispered, "Maybe you could convince the director to let my daughter's friend perform in the musical. It would mean the world to her!"

I paced back and forth, placing a fist on my head. "If that's the only way I'm getting an Amazon Supreme pizza, then so be it."

He smiled gratefully, extending his paw "Here, I can put those pawpsicles in the freezer for safekeeping, and I'll work on your pizza as soon as my daughter's friend is accepted on the show."

This was all feeling really dragged out.  I guess this is what happens when you become a police officer in Zootopia.  I guess these favors have to end eventually... right?

After handing Diego the pawpsicles, I headed for the exit. As soon as I stepped outside, I quickly realized the air had grown slightly warmer than before. In addition, there was forest vegetation on both sides of the river, meaning the entire restaurant had floated downstream since I entered.

Once the river current calmed down, I used the wooden ramp to cross back onto solid land. I followed a dirt trail that eventually led me to the Rainforest District Station, where I waited for the next train. I would've tried out the gondola lift - it looked fun and convenient - but my weight exceeded the ZTA's maximum capacity. Plus, the cabins were too damn small. Either way, I boarded the train and headed toward downtown Zootopia.

The musical rehearsals were in a mixed-use skyscraper just off Lionheart Ave, where the theater itself was accessible via a backstage alleyway. I saw animal crew members unloading stage props and sound equipment from their semi-truck trailers and followed one of them inside.

Perhaps someone would've caught me by now - possibly a security guard or two - but that didn't happen. To my surprise, I blended in relatively well with the crowd, mainly because all the actors wore space-themed costumes. However, their outfits weren't the realistic or dystopian-themed type like mine, but rather the cheesy and arcade-themed type from the 90s. In other words, mine was metallic and alloy... while theirs was plastic and spandex, which were cheap ass materials.

Regardless, I could tell this production was high budget. Most of the props were about as large as an elephant, requiring cranes and pulleys to maneuver them around - such as planets, moons, and stars. Their alignments were inaccurate compared to my world, but who would care? They also had steel towers filled with lights, speakers, elevators, and special effects machines. The list could go on.

"All right, folks, tomorrow, we have our first run-through, so let's get this show in shipshape shape!" the director announced over the megaphone.

"Groups 1, 2, and 3, you're up!"

"Let's go, let's go," someone clapped.

Mammal actors began funneling their way onto the stage. Over in the far corner, a young cheetah hurriedly zipped up her green alien costume and grabbed her paper script.

"Porsha, I'm so sorry... but I have to go and rehearse now," the cheetah hugged her female wolf friend, who wasn't wearing a costume. "I'll call you later tonight, okay?"

The wolf said nothing, burrowing her head into her paws and sobbing uncontrollably.

What a drama queen, I thought despisingly.

With hesitation, the cheetah rejoined the rest of her peers on stage, leaving her crying wolf friend behind. She was a tall Arctic-gray wolf with yellow eyes and bluish-grey and white fur. Instead of a stage costume, she wore casual clothes. She had purple sunglasses, a dark blue jacket with multicolored accents, yellow trousers, and a vintage blue t-shirt with a gazelle on the front.

Knowing she was probably the one who got ejected from the show, I gradually approached the wolf as she continued to sob nonstop.

I sighed. "Are you done crying?"

"Huh?" she looked up in surprise, still sniffling but slowly composing herself. "Oh, hey!" she wiped away a tear and took a moment to look me over. "Are you, like, part of the sky-fi show too?"

I gave her a dumb look. "You mean sci-fi?"

"Oh my gosh, I love your sky-fi costume!" she said with fascination. "Seriously, I've always dreamed of being in a sky-fi show! But he fired me!"

"Who, the director?"

"Ugh, yes!"

"Why'd he fire you?"

"Ugh... it's because they all hate me!" she groaned like a spoiled little brat.

"And why does he hate you?"

"Because he fired me!" she cried out, welling up with more tears.

This is why I never had kids, I sighed. "Fine. Just come with me."

Her tail started wagging. "Oh my gosh, you're gonna get me on the show?"

I shrugged indifferently, beckoning her to follow me.

"Yay!" she bounced with joy, waltzing with proud strides. "I'm gonna be on the show!"

While she wasn't looking, I shook my head and facepalmed. Perhaps the director had a good reason for not letting her on the show. Either way, I'd have to use my alien charm to convince him - if I had any.

"Wait until my daddy hears about this!" she said all excitedly, acting like a teenager.

I said nothing, only parting the curtain so she could pass through.

The wolf and I entered the staging area, where everyone else was already gathered. Overhead spotlights blinded us with their neon-rich colors as our eyes slowly adjusted to the massive space-themed scenery. As impressive as the displays were, it was harder to enjoy them with all the animal actors suspiciously staring at the wolf and me. One thing we both had in common was that we didn't belong here for different reasons. She wanted to be in the sci-fi show but wasn't in costume, whereas I was in costume but didn't want any part in the sci-fi show. It felt too childish and out of this world.

"What the? Who are you supposed to be?" someone inquired loudly over the megaphone across the stage. "Uh, everyone, take five."

Behind the actors, we saw a koala director in a blue suit and a red bowtie standing on an elevated platform. He came down to our level and ran over to the wolf and me.

"Look, I really appreciate the effort, your costume looks great..." he nervously gestured to my entire uniform. "But we need to make this show as PG as possible, like... something a little more... well, family friendly. So please, if you don't mind, I got to ask you to return to the fur and makeup station."

I shook my head. "I'm not here to be a part of your circus," I turned to present the wolf. "But she is."

"Hey!" she greeted him as she flicked up her aviators.

He gave her an awkward wave. "Uh, hi. Nice to see you again, Porsha."

I went straight to the point. "So can you get her on the show? She's ready to go."

"And he thinks I'm awesome!" she added, gesturing towards me.

I shot her a look. I never said that.

The director took a deep breath, "Um, well..." and fidgeted with his megaphone. "Can I have a word with you?"

He escorted us off to the side, behind the Jupiter display, where we could talk privately.

"Officer, you know I truly believe that our show, it's close to being fantastic, maybe even perfect," he paced back and forth around the moons of Jupiter. "But-but, see, to make it the best it can be...well, I had to make some changes. Like...giving the lead role to someone else."

"Why not give it to the wolf girl instead?" I insisted, leaning against the Callisto moon.

"Well, I-I would, I want to... Porsha's a wonderful singer, a very skilled aerialist... but she can't really act," he explained, pointing across the stage where we could see the wolf messing with the props.

"Take that, you nasty alien monster!" she playfully jabbed at one of the green aliens with a boom pole, acting like a complete ditz.

"Yep," I turned back to the director and nodded. "She's terrible."

"Well, I wouldn't say she's terrible... I mean, she's got a lot of potential in other areas... " he said, trying to defend her. "It's just that... we need a mammal who can sing and act for the lead role. I mean, Porsha can sing, which is a good start," he nervously chuckled. "but we're on a bit a tight schedule right now, and we really don't have the resources to train her."

I sighed in defeat. "So there's nothing you can do?"

He shook his head. "No, but really I wish I could. I'm sorry, officer."

As the koala director was about to return to the stage, the female cheetah from earlier walked up to him, bending over to whisper something into his ear. Though I could hardly hear the dialogue, both mammals conversed for over a minute, occasionally nodding and shaking their heads as if they were trying to agree on something. Eventually, they both nodded their heads.

"Ooh. Okay. Um, officer?" the koala called me over.

I came over to them.

"Okay, okay. Um, I think we can get Porsha in the lead role," he finally decided, taking a big breath. "But I got to ask you for a favor."

"Please," the cheetah implored, clasping her paws together.

I crossed my arms. "I'm listening."

"All right, if we're going to do this, we're going to need our in-house choreographer to help train Porsha," he explained, passing out a business card. "He's also the best acting coach in downtown Zootopia, so he will turn her into a pro in no time."

I took the card and read the mammal's name: Corey, the Choreographer. Go figure.

"Okay, great. So where is he?" I immediately asked.

The koala straightened his bowtie and answered, "Uh, well... he's on vacation right now. He's at the Palm Hotel, I believe."

"Can't you call him?"

"Well, I would... and I tried this morning, but it just goes straight to voicemail," he said, pointing to the card. "But don't worry, officer. I wrote his room number on the back."

I read the reverse side - room thirty-three-C, at the Palm Hotel. Finding Corey ought to be straightforward, then.

I left the downtown theater and took a yellow cab to Sahara Square. The district's nighttime activity was becoming more prosaic the closer we got to the hotel. Hence, the drive to the hotel took longer than expected, about a couple of minutes per block, especially with limos and luxury vehicles going in the same direction. Things were getting pretty busy around here.

I had heard quite a bit about the Palm Hotel from Nick and even seen a few posters and billboards during parking duty, but I still had yet to enter its majestic doors. So when I finally got out of the cab and beheld the hotel's massive palm-like structure, I was astonished.

The palm tree-shaped building towered over everyone, covered in lights and what looked like a platinum gold finish. Each scale of the tree had a curved balcony under it, which were presumably for the hotel rooms. Every room took its place in a spiral up to the top. The large glass leaves above them were lined with grandiloquent lights, contrasting with the evening sky.

"Ain't she a beauty?" a random grey wolf noticed me staring and walked up next to me. He was wearing a sharp white blazer and pants, a double-breasted white vest, a black dress shirt underneath, and a purple tie.

I said nothing, only realizing how severely underdressed I was compared to him. In fact, all the mammals here appeared to be either part of the wealthy environment or high society party-goers. Males wore suits and ties, while females wore dresses and skirts. My armor made me stand out like a sore thumb.

The wolf tilted his hat before heading into the hotel with his friends. Everyone else was also funneling through, which made this event feel like the Oscars, especially with all the lights and cameras.

Ignoring the numerous awkward stares, I tightened my hood over my head, concealing my human identity as much as possible, and walked along the velvet red carpet toward the hotel's main entrance.

"Hold it," one of the guards stopped me. He was a cougar dressed in a fancy suit and holding a clipboard that had a list of mammal attendees. "Do you have an invitation?"

"I'm a visitor."

"Sorry, sir," he closed the stanchion rope on me. "But the Palm Hotel is not open to any visitors tonight. It's the Mammal Habitat Inclusion Initiative conference, and only couples seeking future homes in Zootopia are invited."

"Unless you have a room reservation?" the other rhino guard asked.

"No, I do not."

"Then we can't let you through."

I presented Corey's business card. "But there's someone I have to see."

"Then you should call him to come meet you outside," the cougar insisted, letting the other mammals pass through. "Otherwise, you'll just have to wait until tomorrow. I'm sure the ZPD should've told you that. We're very sorry, sir, but rules are rules."

"And tables are limited," the rhino guard added. "Everything's pretty much booked."

"But hey, wait a minute..." the cougar said, placing a paw under his chin. "Now that I think about it, maybe we can let him through with just one exception. After all, our administrators want a more diverse mammal crowd this year."

They both took a minute to have a private discussion. I listened intently.

"Okay," they both decided. "If you bring a date, then maybe we can let you through. That way, we don't break the rules, our attendance quota is met, and everybody's happy. Just be prepared to represent your home district... wherever that might be," he passed out an event flier. "The event starts at seven so you better hurry and find yourself a date."

Easy enough, I thought, giving them a thumbs up before walking away.

As quick as I could on foot, I went to the nearest convenience store and purchased a paper bag full of sweet, dark brown oval fruit. I wasn't sure why this was necessary, but I did it anyway. Perhaps the guards were hungry.

With a bag of fruit in my hand, I returned to the same guards that were ushering mammals into the Palm Hotel. Upon seeing me approach them confidently, they had confused expressions.

"Wait, hold it," the guard stopped me again. "Where's your date? You were supposed to bring a date."

I held up the bag of fruit. "I've got it right here."

The two guards did a double-take.

I showed them the bag's contents. There were plenty of fresh dates to go around. Delicious to the taste and very desirable. However, they both looked at me like I was stupid.

"Really, sir? Are you being serious right now?" one of them asked mockingly. "We're talking about what many youth would call a hot date - not the actual fruit."

"Well, these aren't exactly hot... but they're room temperature."

One of them sighed, and the other facepalmed. "Sir, if you wish to enter this hotel tonight, you must bring a lady friend. A fruit does not count as a lady friend. Are we clear?"

The other well-dressed animals standing in line overheard our conversation and snickered.

Feeling rather stupid, I simply nodded and walked off the red carpet. I guess common sense wasn't much of a common thing for me.

"You can say that again," someone remarked.

"Shut up."

With nothing else to do and feeling like I had reached a dead end, I sat by the Grand Fountain across the Grand Casino. The grass across the lawn was lush, green, well-trimmed, and without a single weed or brown speck. The artificial, clear lake and streams surrounded the hotel, cooling the air slightly. The Palm Hotel loomed proudly above everyone, adding to the scene the ever finer detail of its architectural view for all to marvel at its metallic bark. The intricate platinum around each balcony gleamed while reflecting the cloudless night sky. I bet that son of a bitch Corey was standing on one of those upper balconies.

So how do I get into the hotel without making a scene? I would've shoved my way through the main entrance if it weren't for those rhino guards and the sheer volume of upper-class mammals gathered near the valet parking area. Out of all the nights of the year, why did there have to be a special event tonight?

I chucked the bag of dates aside and stood up to leave, ready to call it quits. This place was a waste of time.

But wait a minute, I stopped myself midway down the stairs. What if I got myself an actual date instead? The type of thing that many mammals keep mentioning - the kind of activity everyone, including Nick and the Howl family, won't shut up about. Would that work? After all, it was just a social appointment or arrangement to do something or go somewhere with someone for a fixed amount of time, hence the term 'date.' Nothing serious.

Charity's name came to mind, so I called her to see if she was available. I wasn't sure why I suddenly felt nervous for some reason.

No answer.

I sighed in relief. But then the coyote called me right back.

"Hey, cutie!" she chirped, using her car's phone speakers. "I'm heading to the gym tonight if you want to join me. I could use a lifting partner!"

"Actually, instead of the gym, could we just... well... could you be my, uh..." I hesitated to ask but relented. "...my date tonight?"

"Really?" she asked, both surprised and excited. "You wanna ask me out?"

I nervously scratched the back of my neck. "Um... yeah?"

"Sure, let's do it!" she said happily. "Where do you wanna meet? What would you like to do?"

"Well... I'm at the Palm Hotel right now," I said, glancing through the crowds. "And there's some weird animal conference going on..."

"You mean the Mammal Habitat Inclusion Initiative conference?" she clarified with a cute giggle. "Yeah, I've heard of it before. My mom and dad went to it last year, and they loved it! You and I should totally check it out and see what it's like!"

"Right, sounds good," I agreed, preparing to hang up. "See you at the hotel."

"Okay!" she said. "I'm going to run home real quick and change into a nice dress. They probably won't let in a coyote girl with a tank top, right?" she quipped.

"Yeah, about that..." I began to say, scratching the back of my head due to the bold request I was about to make. "...please don't wear anything skimpy."

"Skimpy?" she asked.

Now I felt stupid. Perhaps I shouldn't have said anything at all, yet, Charity's wardrobe needed to be addressed. After all, she wore a bikini the last time we were on the beach, so I couldn't risk having more attention drawn to us at such a significant, upscale event. Undoubtedly, Charity was a beautiful animal - with a slender and athletic build... but she still needed to be a little more, well... modest.

"Um... yeah," I said, barely having enough courage to answer. "So, uh... No bare middriffs, no exposed shoulders, and no skirts above the knee."

There was a moment of silence as if she were scrutinizing my words.

"Okay, Cherry," she said in a cute, sassy tone. "I'll wear something 'modest'... if you meet me somewhere in the middle."

"Alright," I agreed, albeit with some hesitation.

She continued. "Let's take off your space armor and have you wear something nice for our date tonight, okay? I want my boyfriend to look sharp."

"What?" I asked loudly, tensing up at the very idea. "Charity, I-I can't do that."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Well, because... " I tried to devise a decent excuse, failing to do so at the current moment. " ...I-I don't have any other clothes."

After what felt like an awkward minute of silence, she giggled. "Don't worry. We'll sort that out."

Later that evening, Charity asked me to meet her a few blocks from the Palm Hotel. I wasn't sure why until we both got there. She parked her mini convertible out in front and crossed Palm View Street. After catching up with her, we found ourselves in a luxury fashion store called Preyda that specializes in carrying bags, travel articles, business suits, and other fashion accessories.

"What are we doing here?" I inquired.

She smiled, grabbing my hand. "C'mon."

I looked around at all the fine silks and fabrics decorating the walls. It was nothing like an armory - no weapons, no ammo, only fine clothing from all over the world. There were so many colors, styles, and materials to choose from - too much for my utilitarian mindset to handle.

"Alright, can we go now?"

"Nope, nice try," said Charity, grinning.

"Well, I had to," I said, though I wasn't grinning like my anthropomorphic counterpart.

After having a quick chat with one of the female feline associates, the coyote turned to me and winked. "See you in a minute!"

"Huh?"

She went into the lady's changing room to try a few dresses. Meanwhile, an elderly male giraffe tailor approached me, gave me a set of clothes, and escorted me into one of the gentlemammal's changing rooms.

"An adult tiger ought to be your size," he said, closing the door behind him. "I'll be outside if you need any assistance."

"Whatever."

Once alone, I grudgingly removed the armor piece by piece, doing so ever so painstakingly slowly. I hated it... but I had favors to complete... I had a date with Charity... and I needed to see Corey, the Choreographer, one way or another.

The white collared shirt fit, but the dress pants had a circular hole in the rear to accommodate an animal's tail, which I didn't have. Thus, I asked the tailor to patch up the hole without trying to sound like an asshole. He must've found my request rather unusual, which I didn't care about, but he was happy to oblige.

With the clothing better adapted to my human physique, I stood in front of the 3-way mirror as the giraffe made a few final adjustments to the outfit with his soft tape measure. The next thing I knew, I was utterly shocked. I almost didn't recognize myself in the mirror.

"Wow..."

It was still me, but... different. Very different. Instead of being clad in armor, I was sporting fancy black trousers, a white cotton button-up shirt, and a silky necktie. It certainly felt nice and lightweight in the Sahara Square environment, though it took some getting used to. With my new appearance, I didn't know what to say... other than I resembled a bearded 007 agent... with blonde hair, of course.

"Are all humans this handsome, or is it just you?" Charity asked from behind.

I turned around and saw a graceful coyote girl wearing a tight silver sequin dress and doing a curtsy. Her soft fur was well brushed, her eyes were divinely vibrant, and she was beautiful. My mouth hung ajar. If this world had any princesses, she was definitely one of them.

"Wow. You look... nice," I genuinely complimented. "You look very nice."

Admittedly, Charity's dress wasn't exactly as modest as I had hoped - her shoulders were still exposed - but I said nothing, for she was still beautiful, and Nick probably would've killed me.

The coyote came closer and smiled, slowly walking her fingers up my tie. "I think you look pretty dashing yourself."

"Um... thanks," I chuckled nervously, trying to loosen my tie. Was it hot in here, or was it just me?

We eventually gathered the rest of our belongings and headed for the exit. The feline associate processed Charity's card for our newly purchased fancy clothing, and we were finally ready to proceed with our date.

"Can I pay you back?" I offered, holding the door open as we left the Preyda store.

Charity shook her head, waving her paw in the air dismissively. "Don't worry about it, baby! I've got you covered."

I persisted. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely! After all, you are my boyfriend," she winked, unlocking her car. "And I don't mind spoiling you once in a while."

I merely shrugged, not fully understanding yet still feeling grateful.

After placing her gym clothes in the trunk, I also set my armor pieces inside. It was the best temporary storage for safekeeping. I would've condensed the nanoparticles, but low fusion power meant they were locked in a solid object state. Regardless, I managed to close the trunk.

Admiring my new outfit one more time via the car's reflective windows, I turned to the coyote and smiled. "Thank you for doing this."

She responded with a hug. "You're welcome, baby."

Now that our hands and paws were free, we began our pleasant stroll toward the Palm Hotel.

It was my first time going out in public without armor, leaving me somewhat vulnerable. Not the best idea. But, unfortunately, I didn't care anymore. Having the warm Sahara breeze blow gently through my hair felt so heavenly.

It's just for tonight, I thought. Might as well enjoy it. Plus, I'd be more presentable in a button-up shirt and tie when talking to Corey, which should make things easier.

As we came to the hotel entrance, I suddenly felt nervous again, unlike other times before. Perhaps it was the new look or the barrage of curious stares.

"Ready to have some fun?" Charity asked.

I took a deep breath. "I guess so."

Being surrounded by a large herd of animals proved intimidating, but my coyote date held my hand as we walked up the carpeted stairs together. The same guards from before were still standing in the same spot near the main entrance.

"Huh..." the cougar guard saw us approaching, nudging the other rhino guard. "That guy looks strangely familiar..."

He squinted, scratching his head. "Indeed, he does."

I raised an eyebrow, pretending to be confused.

"And I see that he brought a beautiful date with him," the cougar smiled, respectfully bowing his head to the coyote, giving her all the attention. "Ma'am, welcome to the Palm Hotel. You're looking phenomenal tonight."

"Thanks," Charity giggled, pretending to blush. "Party for two, please."

"Wait. Are you really with... him?" the rhino asked, sounding disappointed.

"Yes," she answered confidently, holding onto my arm. "He's my date."

"Really?" the cougar asked in disbelief, pointing at me. "That's your date? Him?"

She nodded, leaving them both without words. A moment of silence passed between them as they stood idle. Then, noticing the line getting longer behind us, I cleared my throat to grab their attention.

"Oh, right," the cougar realized, shaking his thoughts and opening the stanchion for us. "Well, in that case, we wish you both a lovely evening at the Palm Hotel event tonight. Enjoy!"

"Yes, please enjoy," the rhino added.

We proceeded toward the Palm Hotel lobby, a massive open area with large red drapes, golden ropes, and revolving doors.

***

A golden-haired stallion opened the door for Charity and me, expressing a smile at us as welcomed guests. I merely nodded and hurried along as I escorted my coyote date through the double doors.

Finally, we were inside. That was easy.

I was astonished by the sight of the main lobby. It resembled the 50s with a décor perfectly mirroring sub-Saharan African artistry. Blue and orange, vivid patterns lined the walls; half-moon light sconces lit up the circular lobby, and a reception desk surrounded a bulky tree and miniature waterfall. It wasn't like the technologically advanced five-star hotels back in my world, but the Zootopian atmosphere felt more natural, comfortable, and exotic.

As we proceeded further into the hotel, we became more impressed by the minute.

The kidney-shaped lobby also had richly decorated palm trees, grass patches, and luscious desert greenery, with red carpeting covering most of the pristine marble floor. A large, heavily branched tree engulfed another reception desk, decorated with hanging lights that ran in the center of the hotel, with bridges stemming out and connected to other floors.

"Pretty neat," I thought out loud.

"Right?" Charity agreed, leading the way.

However, our hotel lobby admiration was briefly interrupted by a random animal making a commotion over by the front desk. He waved his arm around at the poor elephant receptionist, who seemed clueless about how to assist the rowdy guest in front of him.

"My god is a merciful yet vengeful god!" the escalated animal bellowed.

It was hard to tell what was going on, but I presumed he had some negative experience with the hotel. Perhaps he wanted to file a complaint... or maybe he was just homeless. Either way, it caused some mammals in the lobby to give concerned glances and feel uneasy.

"Goodness, I hope that guy's okay," the coyote said.

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Keep walking."

Eventually, the mammal calmed down after a camel manager came and spoke to him. But, damnit. I liked having the attention drawn away from me.

On either side of the two-story lobby were massive glass elevators designed to handle mammals of all sizes. The top of a chandelier hung above the lobby's center, illuminating the area with an array of fanciful golden lights. The melodious music of a grand piano played in the background, making me feel more relaxed.

The lobby was crawling with animals, ranging from tourists, business executives, casino gamblers, and those simply looking for a weekend getaway in the spa and resort offerings in the hotel, who traveled all over the world for a luxurious vacation. Many even had foreign accents, even though they were still animals. Interesting.

I got a lot of points and stares from them - especially from those who traveled from afar or weren't from Zootopia - but at least they were respectful enough to keep their voices down to a whisper. Anything helps, I guess.

Working at the reception halls was an antelope, an elephant, and a bison, all in the hotel's red vest and white collared long-sleeve shirt uniforms. One of them came forward, guiding our group into the Palm Hotel's Grand Ballroom. It resembled the lobby, except it was much bigger, and it had crystal chandeliers, dining tables, and a glass pulpit with a projector screen in the back.

Whatever this event was, I wanted to get it over with... and talk to Corey on the 33rd floor. That was secretly the only reason I was here. First, however, I'd have to wait for the right opportunity before proceeding to the elevators. Until then, I had to get comfortable with these high-society animals, which I could barely handle since the formal atmosphere was surprisingly intimidating.

"Baby, you're sweating." Charity noticed. "Relax. Take a deep breath."

I slowly exhaled. "Let's just... find a table and sit down."

She led the way, and I hurried us along.

But Charity, being the gregarious mammal she was, interacted with nearly every animal we came across on our way to the table. Notable among them were elected officials, nursing school friends, and a red fox lady dressed in a gray business suit.

"Governor Foxington, pleased to make your acquaintance," Charity politely extended her paw.

"Oh, Charity, the pleasure is all mine," the governor smiled, turning to the vixen standing beside her who was wearing a blue tunic dress, "And this is my personal committee secretary, Megan Fawkes."

The vixen gave us a simple nod, keeping her arms formally tucked behind her back.

I rolled my eyes-so many foxes.

The governor raised an eyebrow, shooting me a sly glare. "I take it you've got some kind of beef with foxes?"

"Huh? No, I, uh-"

"I understand," she willingly admitted. "We foxes can be real tricksters sometimes, can't we?"

I shook my head, lying. "No, no. I mean no disrespect, ma'am."

She only laughed. "I'm just playing with you," she teased, extending her paw. "Mister..."

"Chenry," I shook her paw with a fake smile, only to realize that I had just blown my cover.

"Hmm. Is that so?" she inspected me up and down and smiled. "I figured you were. You're that mysterious mammal who joined the ZPD, aren't you? Chief Bogo's told me all about you."

I sighed. "I certainly hope not."

She playfully pushed my arm, much to my annoyance. "Oh, Mr. Chenry, you're too hard on yourself. And don't worry, soon those razorbacks will only be cementing their legacy with life in prison. Just wait and see," she crossed her arms proudly. "Task Force is currently tracking down their whereabouts as we speak."

"Well, good on them," I said indifferently. "Because I really don't care."

"And you won't have to," she said confidently. "Because that's when you know they're toast."

I rolled my eyes. "Right, whatever. That's your opinion."

"It is, and I'm the governor," she smirked.

Just then, a sheep couple came walking by, one of which I recognized as Dr. Bell.

"Diane, Megan, Charity," she waved her hoof, smiling fondly as she and her husband greeted the mammals one by one. "Hmm. Feels good to see you all here! I love your dresses!" she complimented, barely noticing me at the corner of her eye, to her great surprise. "Oh, and Mr. Chenry? Is that really you?"

I sighed, nodding. "Yep. You guessed it."

While her husband stood there nervous, she delightfully took a moment to register my new look. "Gosh, you're looking pretty sharp tonight!"

Charity smiled in agreement, embracing my side.

"Um, thanks," was all I said.

Dr. Bell gestured to our small group. "Mind if we share a table with you?"

Everyone turned to Charity and me.

"Yes," I answered, only to get a slight nudge from Charity. "I mean no, not at all."

Together, we all sat at a large, decorated, circular table, joining the other district ambassadors and elected officials of Zootopia, located at the front of the ballroom near the stage and the pulpit.

Out of nowhere, rats and vermin were crawling all over our table.

Instinctively, I stood up, swatting at them with a linen napkin. "Move! Scat!"

"Cherry, it's okay!" the coyote raised her paws to calm me down. "They're our servers."

She pointed, and I realized the rats and mice were all wearing black tuxedos - which blended in with their fur. Wine bottles attached to parachutes descended from the ceiling above - over various tables around the ballroom - while the rats and mice poured drinks for the guests.

"Right..." I slowly sat down, avoiding eye contact with the mammals at our table. "...sorry."

The tiny servers stood back up, straightened their bowties, and resumed working. Seeing them operating in teams of pairs to pour the drinks was impressive.

One of the pairs approached me with a bottle, offering to fill my beverage. I grabbed the nearest cup to me.

"Wrong glass, sir," they said.

I insisted. They filled it without questioning me further.

"So what's this?" I inquired, lifting the fizzy glass. "Beer? Wine?"

The mouse shook his head. "Sparkling cider."

I quietly sighed, scooting the glass aside as everyone else took their sips and socialized. I just wanted to find an excuse to leave the ballroom and talk to Corey on the upper floors.

"Ladies and gentlemammals," said an announcer. "Please welcome our emcee for the Mammal Habitat Inclusion Initiative, our president of the committee, Debra Swinton."

There was a round of applause as a female pig approached the pulpit.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much," she said. "Thank you."

A projector screen shone brightly behind her, presenting the official flag of Zootopia.

"The city of Zootopia is a gleaming metropolis where any animal can be anything it wants to be. This city is a crown jewel that grows bigger and brighter every year. Join us on this journey across the meadows, through the rainforest, across the sands, and through the snow as we learn all about the wild and wonderful districts of Zootopia."

There was a brief slideshow and an inspirational video showcasing Zootopia and its history.

"The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it's a melting pot where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything."

While she continued giving her speech, I peeked at someone's watch. This was taking forever.

"Whether you're moving here for good or just swinging by for a visit, there's a place for you in Zootopia. The city's uniquely designed living spaces suit animals of all sizes, so no one feels out of place, or excluded. Thanks to thoughtful urban planning, everybody can live, work, and interact together in harmony. Homes are built to accommodate every kind of body. Zootopia is home to the widest variety of mammals in the world. Predator and prey alike shop, eat, and work together in harmony. Here, animals have the opportunity to choose their careers. In Zootopia, anyone can be anything, so the sky's the limit! From the biggest lion to the smallest mouse, everyone is welcome in Zootopia. Which is why, on behalf of the Mammal Habitat Inclusion Initiative, we're pleased to announce two new district expansions coming to Zootopia next year!"

There was a loud round of applause. Elephants trumpeted, wolves howled, and lions roared proudly. I just sat there in silence.

"In the next five minutes, we'll be asking everyone in this room to cast your vote on the future district you and your spouse would want to live in to raise a family. Whichever district receives the most votes tonight will be the first one to receive project funding from City Hall in the early quarter of next year. And don't worry!" she assured. "The second-most voted district will also receive funding later in the same year."

The pig speaker posed the following poll question from the projector screen behind her.

Which district expansion would you like to see in Zootopia?

A. Meadowlands

B. Nocturnallands

C. Canyonlands

The mammals pulled out their phone apps, taking a moment to cast their vote. The room grew quieter, except for the occasional background dialogue.

"The mammal habitat inclusion initiative is really starting to pay off," Dr. Bell chuckled, tapping her phone. "If we get the Meadowlands district, my family's just gonna be so jazzed!"

"Pfft, how about the Canyonlands for a change?" a badger from the other table remarked. "I wanna see a little bit of sunshine."

His fox friend laughed. "But you're nocturnal, Phil. Your eyes barely even open on a good day."

"Pfft, quit your double talk," he said. "I know my mammalian rights."

While they continued their banter, Charity turned to me and asked, "Which district are you voting for?"

I shrugged, splaying my arms. "I don't know. I left my phone in your car."

She knew I was referring to my helmet. "How about we vote together?" she suggested.

"Sure."

With that, we both voted on the Canyonlands District since we both enjoyed hiking. Charity was into rock climbing. Plus, I was a big fan of Utah back when it existed in my world.

Everyone finished casting their votes.

"And sent it, and it is done, so I did do that." Dr. Bell set her phone down, embracing her husband. "All right, well, I'd say the vote is in good paws. Us little guys really need to... stick together, right?"

He smiled and nodded.

"Like semtex," I remarked.

Everyone at the table turned to give me a weird look. Guess they didn't understand the joke.

The pig speaker returned to the pulpit. "Thank you, everyone, for your kind participation. We are summing up the votes now."

She changed the slide to reveal the poll results. I could care less about what they were, but there were a few audible gasps from the audience.

* Swamplands - 66% *

Meadowlands - 22%

Canyonlands - 7%

Nocturnallands - 5%

There was a brief minute of silence among the gasps before the murmurings began.

"Swamplands?"

"There's no swamplands."

"Where did swamplands come from?"

"I don't know. That's strange."

The mammals continued whispering their concerns to each other while the elected officials turned off the projector.

"Ladies and gentelmammals, I believe we're having just a minor technical difficulty," the speaker announced, dialing a number on her cellphone. "Please be patient with us...and we'll be back with you shortly. In the meantime, please remain seated and feel free to review the district brochures."

The speaker and the officials stepped off the stage, disappearing into the hotel's backrooms. Thankfully for them, the walls were wooden instead of yellow. Regardless, there was confusion about what had just happened.

"Wasn't that weird?" Charity said. "Swamplands wasn't one of the choices."

"Yeah, I noticed that too," I agreed.

"Pfft, swamplands," the badger scoffed from the other table. "What kind of soggy mammal would wanna vote for that kind of moldy-infested district?"

"Not me," said a water buffalo.

The mammals at the other tables continued their conversations.

"I'm pretty sure every mammal in here voted for either the Meadowlands or the Canyonlands."

"I agree. No one wants Swamplands. Did any one of you vote for swamplands?

"Nope."

"Never."

One of them turned to me. "And you... hooman?"

I shook my head.

"Huh, I guess not," he shrugged. "Not like your vote would count for much anyway."

Charity shot him a glare.

He only chuckled. "Anyone else?"

They shook their heads and trunks.

"But... how did Swamplands get so many votes? Even though it wasn't a choice to begin with?"

"I don't know."

"Pfft, probably just a lousy glitch in the system. Maybe those little rodents from Rodentia need to clean out their computer chips once in a while."

"But still... that doesn't make sense."

"Oh, well. I suppose we'll just have to see what the officials say."

"Yeah, I'm curious."

"Oh, look. Here they come," the mammal pointed.

The speaker and the officials returned to the stage, discussing between themselves and switching the projector back on. There was a new image on the screen.

* Meadowlands - 55% *

Canyonlands - 37%

Nocturnallands - 8%

"Thank you, everyone, for your patience once again," the speaker expressed from the pulpit. "We're not exactly sure what happened, but our tech team is looking into it. Most importantly, the final poll has been corrected. Please join me in welcoming Zootopia's newest district expansion, the Meadowlands!"

There was another loud round of applause. Most of the mammals in the ballroom were relieved by the results. Others were okay with it. Charity and I, not so much.

"I guess we'll just have to wait until next year," the coyote said with positivity. "But hey, that's okay! You and I still have plenty of adventures to do in Rainforest District for the time being."

"Right," I agreed, letting out a small shrug. "I mean, this whole 'Mammal Habit Inclusion Initiative' thing doesn't really affect me either way."

Charity smiled, holding my hand. "Wherever you are, wherever you go, that's home for me."

After she said that, I became lost in her big, beautiful brown eyes. Why were they so unique? I wasn't sure. No matter... I couldn't let myself feel this way because I still had a job to do.

Thankfully, the conference adjourned, and the mammals stood up to explore and interact with all the nearby conference panels and booths. Of course, there was socializing, too, including refreshments and mini breakout sessions. It was tempting. But I wasn't here for any of that.

"Enjoy your evening, Mr. Ambassador," the governor finished shaking paws with mammals from other tables before bidding us farewell. "And let me know how everything goes between you two," she said with a wink. "We're excited to hear more about it."

I gave her a confused look.

Charity smiled, shaking her paw. "Thank you, ma'am."

She and her officials departed into another conference room, likely to join another breakout session. Meanwhile, Charity and I did a little bit of exploration, admiring the panels and diverse habitat displays.

As we were walking, Charity read an online pamphlet from her phone. She suddenly got excited and started wagging her tail. "Hey, baby, look! Jerry Vole is gonna be speaking in room four. Do you wanna go?"

I stopped in place, taking a deep breath. "Actually, there's someone else I wanna see."

She raised an ear. "Who?"

"Have you heard of Corey, the Choreographer?"

She shook her head. "No, I haven't. But what time is his session?"

"Same time as Jerry Vole," I lied.

Charity rechecked her phone. "I don't see him on the schedule."

"He's holding a private Q&A session..." I continued lying. "There was a group text about it... and it's in his hotel room."

"Huh, interesting," she said, putting her phone away. "We can go see him, baby."

"Actually, you can go see Jerry Vole," I suggested. "And I can go see Corey."

"Are you sure? I don't mind tagging along with you."

"No, it's okay." I insisted, gently looking her in the eyes. "If we split now, we can receive twice as much information in half the time and share it together later."

She didn't seem on board at first, but my semi-intense staredown must've soothed her a bit.

"Okay, I guess I'll let you go," she said with a sly face, crossing her arms and pointing at me with her paw. "But don't you be wandering off with any other girls, okay? I mean it."

I simply shrugged. "You're the only Zootopian girl I trust anyway."

She ran over and embraced me tightly. "Te quiero mucho."

I returned the gesture, not understanding the dialect.

"Don't be too long, baby," she said, fiddling with my tie. "I'll be waiting for you outside the ballroom."

We both agreed and planned to split up for the next hour. I kind of felt bad, but I still had a favor to complete. If I could just talk to Corey, the Choreographer, he could help train Porsha for the musical show, and everything else would fall into place from there. Just one more small favor.

I headed for the elevators.

Unfortunately, the elevators crawled with golden jackal security guards in black suits. They only allowed passage to those with a room reservation and turned away the rest while the Mammal Habitat Inclusion event was in session.

There had to be a quiet way to sneak past them.

Thankfully, an elephant lady with a huge-ass suitcase was checking in at the main lobby. Her luggage was left unattended on the brass cart, so I snuck myself into her suitcase while she was busy tending to her kids. I had to clear out some of her clothing articles to fit inside, so I quietly tossed them over the check-in counter. I'm sure the hotel staff can return the items to her later.

I zipped up the bag - with me inside - and waited for the lady elephant to finish checking in. It was a bit cramped, yet it was still crazy how I could actually fit in a suitcase.

"Vern, please take this kind young lady and her family to room 10-B," the manager instructed.

"Yes, Mr. Humpherson," the bellhop cheetah complied.

I could hear him slightly grunting as he struggled to push the luggage cart toward the elevator, but he managed nonetheless. We were finally inside the elevator cabin. I peeked through the zipper hole just to make sure.

As the elephant lady's family stepped into the elevator alongside the bellhop cheetah, there was a loud beep sound, and the doors wouldn't shut.

"Hmm," the bellhop read the elevator panel indicator. "I believe we're at maximum capacity."

"Ugh, it's gotta be my matched luggage," she said to her annoyance, firmly tapping against the sides. "I don't remember it being this heavy. Maybe I can see what's weighing us down."

"No need, ma'am," the bellhop assured. "If you and your family could just take elevator 3, I can bring this luggage to your room and meet you there."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Vern. Just leave our bags in the room if you get there before us," the elephant bowed her head in appreciation, turning toward her sons. "Okay, come along, kids. Come on, Jumbo."

They promptly stepped off the elevator with the doors successfully closing behind them. Now it was just me, the light classical elevator music, and the bellhop, who was unaware of my presence. I tried to keep quiet as we rode to the upper floors.

We eventually reached floor ten, which was a start, but I still had twenty-three more levels to get to Corey. The bellhop pushed the luggage cart off the elevator and down the carpeted corridor toward the hotel room. He used a special keycard to unlock the door before moving us inside.

Given that the luggage was too heavy for him to unload all by himself, he called for assistance from another bellhop - a black bear working on the same floor. Together, they unloaded the luggage cart, organized the suitcases into a neat stack, and left the room peacefully.

I waited half a minute in case anyone entered the room. Everything was quiet, with the only sound coming from the marble fountain in the center of the room. Fancy.

Thinking the coast was clear, I started unzipping myself out of the suitcase, only to hear the door opening.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, zipping the suitcase back up.

The elephant family walked in - the mother and her two kids - and settled themselves in as they marveled at their luxury suite.

"Oh, wow... This is very nice," the mother applauded.

Both of her sons couldn't agree more.

"It's perfect!"

"I love it!"

"Look! It even comes with a pool!"

The calves trotted over to the marble fountain to check it out. One of them excitedly hopped in the water, splashing the other.

"Mom, are you sure this water's sanitary?" the other calf asked skeptically. "It looks questionable to me."

"It's fine, honey," the mother said, dialing room service to order food.

The calf barely dipped his trunk in the water, "Yech!" before recoiling back. "But what about bacteria?"

"Tantor, can't you see Mommy's talking?"

She went into the sauna room to continue her phone conversation in private. Meanwhile, the two elephant kids continued to play around the water fountain, blocking my opportunity for a stealthy exit.

Noticing a TV remote on the bar counter next to the luggage, I grabbed it, turning on the 70-inch flat-screen mounted above an electric fireplace. The kids were not interested in ZNN news, so I switched the station to a random cartoon show about piranhas.

With the kids' eyes now fixated on the screen, I carefully unzipped myself from the suitcase and headed for the door. I even dimmed the room lights just in case. Then, I stepped into the hotel's corridor without further trouble and headed straight back to the elevators.

I rapidly tapped the up arrow button, hoping the elevator would come sooner, but I had to wait nonetheless. Then, finally, the bell chimed, the doors opened, and a pack of wildebeests came rushing out.

I tied on a half-face mask to better conceal my identity, just in case.

Once the animal guests disappeared into the annular hallways, I snuck back into the elevator and firmly pressed the button for the thirty-third floor, nearly breaking it in the process because I was in such a hurry.

But as the elevator doors slowly began to shut, someone's paw suddenly caught the doors, preventing them from closing. Then, as they reopened, a slim figure in a police uniform appeared that I hoped never to see again.

It was the maned wolf.

***

"Hmm, you smell familiar," he spoke with a suspicious glare, stepping into the elevator.

I said nothing.

As the doors closed in front of him, sealing both of us in the same cabin, he pressed a button for the thirty-fourth floor. We exchanged glances here and there, but nothing happened. There was a minute of awkward silence before he shook away his thoughts and spoke.

"I heard that the alien is somewhere on hotel premises-that eight-eyed freak from the news that everyone won't shut up about," he remarked, still facing the other way. "Have you seen him?"

Again, I said nothing. I simply cleared my throat and straightened my tie.

He continued on rambling, clenching his paw. "Wherever he is, I'm gonna find him... and show him the consequences of insubordination. He has no business being here while those razorbacks are running loose and parts of Zootopia are flooding. We're short-staffed at the ZPD as it is, my ex-girlfriend is dating him, and what's worse? He thinks he can just come here to this luxurious hotel... and get away with it?"

I still said nothing, only rolling my eyes.

He slowly sniffed the air around him, placing a paw on his holster. "Whoever he thinks he is, I'm gonna expose him for the true fraud he actually is. You'll see. And when those razorbacks are finally apprehended, I'll make sure he shares the same padded cell as them."

Before he could turn around, I immediately placed him into a tight chokehold.

"Argh! What the-?"

He frantically clawed at my bare forearms, shedding a few droplets of blood, but it didn't phase me. I held onto his neck tighter and tighter until he was lying on the floor unconscious, yet still breathing.

"Elevator conversation always gets awkward," I said, taking the tranquilizer pistol from the maned wolf's body.

My adrenaline returned when the elevator doors opened back up, letting us out onto one of the very top floors of the hotel. I scanned the area with the pistol, ensuring the coast was clear. We were finally on the thirty-third floor.

Noticing a red velvet sofa nearby, I placed the maned wolf's body on it as if he appeared to be sleeping on the job. Then, I carefully proceeded into the marble corridors.

After walking through winding hallways for a minute or two, I came to a double-door entrance to what I could tell was Corey's hotel penthouse by the cursive C engraved on the marble wall above. There was loud music and partying on the other side.

Sheathing the pistol and straightening my tie, I approached the doors.

"Hold it right there," a voice on the other side stopped me before I could even knock.

I sighed, proceeding to knock anyway. "Police, sir. Open up."

"Ha, I knew it was you," the voice said. "I could smell you getting off the elevator."

"Well, that's a neat trick, that sense of yours."

The voice laughed hysterically. "And you was here last night too, wasn't ya?"

I shook my head. "No, sir. I wasn't."

"You was here... and you was smoochin' with my brother."

"Smoochin'?" I asked in disgust.

"Snoopin'," he corrected himself. "You was here... and you was snooping for my brotha."

I raised an eyebrow. "Um, sir... are you drunk? Or are you just being retarded?"

"Don't gimme that," the voice angrily cried out, smashing a bottle in the background. "You cops been smoochin' for everybody! Snuffy, Dale, Koslov, that little weasel with the musical, Tommy, Bobby, Lamberty... I could go on forever, officer."

"Okay, you're drunk... and you're retarded," I said, placing my fist against the door. " But the point is, I'm looking for a mammal named Corey... and I'm not leaving here until I speak with him."

"All right. I believe you," the voice said, opening the door. "But my friends don't!"

Three cougars dressed in fancy suits stepped outside; one held a clipboard which I assumed had a list of mammals invited.

"You'll have to excuse our friend," one cougar said, closing the door behind him to silence the party on the other side. "We've been trying to limit his alcohol consumption down to only three packs per day. You know how that goes."

We could hear him collapsing in the background, shattering another glass bottle. Regardless, the party music kept going, and the DJ wouldn't miss a single beat.

"Right," I implied, crossing my arms. "I totally get that."

"Okay, well, what are you doing here?" the cougar asked, flipping through pages on his clipboard. "You're not anywhere on Corey's guest list last time I checked-which isn't surprising."

"Why so?" I asked.

"Let me put it this way," the cougar said. "Corey, the Choreographer, is one of the best film and stage choreographers in all of Zootopia, and he means business. So, unless you've got the money, the status, the reputation, or you happen to be one of the top box office producers or composers worldwide, then he doesn't have any interest in you whatsoever-whatever you are. You've got a nice suit and tie, I'll give you that, but it's not enough to get you past these doors."

"Then have Corey come to me," I suggested. "I just need a quick word with him, that's all."

The cougar shook his head. "As I said before, you're not worth his time. So I'm gonna have to ask you to leave, or I'll call hotel security."

"Let's not do that," I implored, giving in. "I'd prefer to handle this peacefully."

"A wise choice," the cougar agreed. "You can start by heading for the elevators."

"Not a problem," I smiled. "But can I at least leave a brief message for Corey?"

The cougar crossed his arms. "I'm not your personal voice recorder."

"No problem. I can write it down."

He sighed, impatiently passing me his clipboard. "Fine. But make it quick. We've got a big party to go to, and our drinks are getting warm."

"Alright. I'm almost done," I assured him, scribbling down the last sentence of my message. "Did I spell Corey's name correctly?"

"Let's see," he put on his glasses and leaned forward.

I smashed him in the face with the clipboard, shattering his frames. The other two cougars rushed in to subdue me.

I grabbed one cougar by his tie and thrust my knee into his face, knocking him out. The last cougar slashed at my chest, leaving deep claw marks that penetrated my shirt and skin. The pain pissed me off enough that I threw a solid punch into his face, sending him flying across the room. He crashed into a giant fern planter, spilling its soil contents all over the marble floor.

He held his muzzle in pain, attempting to draw his pistol, only for me to disarm him quickly. He desperately crawled toward his dropped walkie-talkie, hoping to call hotel security, but I grabbed the other fern planter by the door and bashed his head into the ground.

"Peaceful thoughts," I said to myself, dragging the three cougars into a nearby storage closet.

Cleaning the blood off my shirt and grabbing the cougar's pistol and keys, I returned to the foyer and unlocked the doors to room thirty-three, suite C. I entered the party amidst the music, refreshments, and herds of mammals putting their groove on. None of them had heard what happened outside. Perfect.

"Hey, uh, wait a minute..." the drunk voice from earlier spoke from behind. "You're not supposed to be in here-"

Without looking, I shot a tranquilizer dart into his forehead. He laughed hysterically before collapsing onto his pile of beer bottles again. I pulled the tranquilizer dart out from his forehead to avoid suspicion.

"Alright, buddy, you've had quite enough for tonight," his friends saw him lying on the ground. "Let's take you back to your room, shall we?"

They escorted him out as if it were just another day at the bar, and the party kept going strong.

Now I just needed to find Corey...

I trudged through the crowd, moving past the lava lamps, trying to get to the other side of the ginormous penthouse, where there was an expansive window with a spectacular night view of the gleaming city. Everything was loud, everybody was dancing, and most of the mammals were about my height or shorter, so it wasn't as much of a struggle. The real battle, however, was trying to find Corey without knowing what species he was.

Perhaps asking around would be a good start. But how could I with all this noise? It was so loud in here that I couldn't even hear myself think.

"Are you Corey?" I asked a random couple.

"Get lost," was their reply.

I approached someone else. "Do you know a guy named Corey?"

"Who's Corey?"

I turned around and asked another. "Have you seen Corey?"

"No, but my friend saw him last year," said another.

I bumped into a hippo. "Are you Corey, the Choreographer?"

He gave a thespian bow. "No, but I'm Kai, the Chiropractor. Does that help?"

I groaned, continuing my search elsewhere: the living room, the game room, the theater room, and the patio. No luck.

"Hey," a female voice tapped my shoulder. "You look lost."

I turned around and saw an okapi dancer. She was wearing red lingerie and a thin veil. She was slim, medium height, and had horizontal stripes on her thighs - almost like a cross between a zebra and a giraffe.

"You look lonely, too," she added, swaying her hips back and forth to the music.

"I'm looking for Corey, the Choreographer," I said, scanning the crowded room. "Have you seen him?"

"He'll be here soon."

"How soon?"

"Soon," she simply answered.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Do you see that stage over there?" she pointed over the crowd.

"What about it?"

"Me and my pom squad are putting on a show in a couple of minutes. If we win, we get to meet with Corey at his office party tonight to kick off his next major film project!"

I scratched my chin. "A party within a party? Now that's just stupid."

"Don't be such a party pooper," she said. "You should join us on stage and help us win! We could use a mammal like you."

"Why would I do that?"

"Don't you wanna meet Corey? The best Choreographer in all of Zootopia? And have him train you to become a superstar?"

"I could care less about the last two."

"Then come Join us!"

"Why me?"

"Because you're big, you're strong... and you're not drunk."

"Drunk?"

She leaned in to whisper. "One of our members got a little carried away. I don't think he'll be dancing with us tonight."

"Dancing?"

"Don't worry, we're doing it as a team. Just follow our lead, move your hips along with the beat, and you'll be fine."

"I'd prefer not to," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "Just tell me Corey's species, and I'll find him myself."

"Come dance with us on stage... then I'll tell you."

"Okay, now you're just being ridiculous."

"What? It's just a small favor," she splayed her hooves unapologetically. "We're one mammal short. If you come help us, you'll see Corey either way. But only if you come dance with us."

I debated the situation in my head. With over a hundred animals in this penthouse, I didn't have the energy to interrogate everyone. But to dance in front of everyone? It was preposterous. However, I didn't know what else to do that would yield quick results.

"Fine, whatever," I reluctantly agreed to the okapi's plan. "But Corey better be there."

"Quit your rambling. Let's get dancing!" she led the way.

We joined the rest of her team by the bar where the stage was. Based on their exotic choice of outfits, I had already regretted wanting to help them with their little dance competition.

"Yo Cosmo, tell that guy to remove his mask - whatever he is," the male squad leader was referring to me.

If we were in a global pandemic, you'd all be praising me. I muttered.

"Worry about yourself. I'll take care of him," the okapi came over with a mini box of golden bling for me to put on.

"No thanks," I dismissed the jewelry. "I'd rather be the outlier."

"Just pick three," she insisted.

I settled for the silver necklace and clip-on earrings. Everyone else was getting ready on stage, making me incredibly nervous. This whole thing was becoming a lot of effort just to see Corey.

"Alright, everyone!" the elephant DJ announced. "Put your paws and hooves together for the pom squad!"

The hip-hop music started without warning or even a countdown. The okapi and her friends were already dancing like crazy. I tried to keep up with them without collapsing from stage fright. Good thing I was the tallest one in the back - with the more experienced dancers up front.

Regardless, I danced to my heart's desire—which wasn't saying much. Despite how much I was sweating, I felt like I was doing pretty decent. Part of me was having fun, while the other hoped the song would be over soon.

"Who is that guy?" someone called out from the crowd.

"I don't know, but his dancing sucks."

I ignored them and kept on dancing. They chucked a tomato at me, but I dodged it. However, a second tomato pelted me right in the face.

"Son of a bitch," I jumped off the stage, going after the one who did it.

The crowd gasped as I taught the timberwolf a quick lesson, pulling his shirt over his head and punching him right in the muzzle.

I climbed back on stage and continued dancing. The audience eventually started cheering us on again, albeit not so much for me.

After a moment, the music switched to an electro-dubstep. Everything got more intense. That was when a security team of golden jackals in black suits stormed into the penthouse. They spread themselves out among the crowd, appearing to interrogate a few of the partygoers.

"That's him, the one on the stage," a cougar among the crowd pointed me out to the jackals. "He's not even on the guest list."

"The one with the mask?"

"Yep, that's him. That's the guy."

The golden jackals got themselves into position.

My heart skipped a beat, as did the music.

The golden jackals climbed onto the wooden stage, pointing their tranquilizer guns. My fellow dancers slowly backed away.

"Jacker Holmes, chief of security for the Palm Hotel," the stern-faced jackal presented himself. "Paws where I can see them!"

Without thinking, I jumped off the stage and ran for the exit. The jackals pursued me as I ran across the drink bar, accidentally smashing other animals' glass beverages, which upset them.

"Yo, hey!"

"Mi martini!"

"Watch it, punk!"

"Aye, rayos!"

The party music kept going as all the chaos ensued. Many animals simply stood there and watched; others continued dancing carefree, while some tried helping the jackals. A meerkat crawled up my back and started throwing punches, but I flicked him away with ease.

"Don't let him escape!" a group called out.

I saw two jackals lock the suite doors, so I ran the other way toward the window, dodging and bumping into different animals. I was trapped and had nowhere else to go.

The other jackals fired their tranquilizer darts as I took cover behind the grand piano, narrowly escaping their line of sight. Meanwhile, the mouse pianists panicked and leaped away from the keyboard.

"I've got him!" a drunk rhino charged.

I popped out of cover and fired a shot at his head. However, the tranquilizer dart barely struck the base of his horn, leaving him completely unaffected by the tranquilizer solution. He continued to charge at full momentum.

He rammed the front of the grand piano I was hiding behind, pinning me firmly against the penthouse's giant glass window, which began to crack under pressure. I could feel and hear my ribs cracking as I got sandwiched between the piano and the window.

"That's enough!" the jackal chief chastised the rhino. "Don't hurt him!"

"Don't tell me what to do," the drunk rhino argued, preparing to make another move. "Now, stand back."

"Wait, stop! Don't-"

But it was too late. The rhino bashed into the piano at full force, shattering the entire penthouse window and causing me to fall toward my death.

Fortunately, I had grabbed the edge of the window sill. I was barely holding on as I saw the piano plummet 1,000 feet down the exterior of the building, splashing into the artificial lake below. The night air was fresh, and I could feel the calm wind brushing against my face.

"Help! Somebody please help me!" someone cried out.

I looked down and saw one of the jackal security guards. He was holding onto my leg for dear life, slipping to my boot, desperately digging in his claws for a better grip.

I thought about shaking him off... but I knew that wouldn't sit well with Charity.

"Stop squirming!" I shouted, reaching down with one hand to grab his paw while using my other hand to hang on.

I grabbed him by the tail with heavy exertion and swung him back up to safety. I could hear him panting like crazy while he slowly recovered from a panic attack. Now it was my turn to climb up.

However, I suddenly felt raindrops on my forehead. Yet, there wasn't a single cloud in the night sky - not to mention we were in a desert biome. How strange.

Soon enough, those raindrops transitioned into a steady flow of water until the entire opening of the window turned into a vast waterfall, gradually compromising my grip.

"The hell?" I cursed under the wind. I slid my slippery hands across the ledge, up toward the suite balcony, as I dangled against the side of the building.

I could hear an alarm going off inside the hotel. What was going on?

After climbing over the balcony's stone balustrade for safety, there was a buildup of water on the other side of the sliding glass door-about a few inches deep. I opened the door, and water came rushing out, overflowing onto the porch and falling down the side of the building.

Stepping into the luxury bedroom, I saw the pendent sprinklers were activated-including the ones in the spa and the pool. As far as I could tell, every sprinkler head in the suite was activated, constantly flowing with a steady stream of water.

From the indoor bedroom window, I looked down at the chaotic scene on the party floor. Everybody was panicking and evacuating the room while being sprinkled with heavy amounts of water.

"Is there a fire? Where's the fire?" a doe asked frantically.

"We don't know, ma'am. Please follow the evacuation instructions," a hotel staff member advised.

A cheetah held up his flashlight. "Alright, everyone! Please follow me to the nearest exit!"

"Ugh, my clothes!" a partygoer complained.

"Please stay together!"

"I don't smell smoke!" an elephant said, using his ears as an umbrella. "Is there smoke in here?"

"C'mon, let's go!"

"We need you all to keep moving!" the jackal security guard guided the crowd..

"Someone get Val from the control room on the phone."

A mammal pulled out his radio. "Val, we need fire door number 33-C unlocked."

"Is the fire supression system shutting off on your level?" the voice on the radio asked.

The hotel staff member shook the water from his fur. "Negative, it's still going."

"Then call the ZFD and evacuate the building!" the radio voice announced. "We need to get everyone outside."

I continued watching from afar as the situation became increasingly hectic. Like everyone else, I was soaked, confused at what had just happened. Then, one by one, animals disappeared from the suite, grabbing their wet belongings as the pendent sprinklers kept running. Eventually, the entire penthouse was abandoned.

However, one mammal was hurrying up the spiral staircase to his bedroom, intending to grab his luggage and evacuate like the rest. Based on my intuition, I already knew who it was.

"Corey, the Choreographer," I greeted, sitting in a soaked chair next to his soaked bedframe. "We need to talk."

The cat flinched in surprise. "What? Who are you?" he raised his voice in frustration. "Are you crazy? We need to get out of here!"

I rolled my eyes. "It's just water..."

"All my production notes, ruined. My entire weekend vacation, ruined. And my movie scripts? Also ruined!" he quibbled, packing up his suitcases. "I'm getting outta here!"

"Don't be a pussy," I said, standing up in front of him. "I'll make this quick."

"Forget it! I'm already soaked!" He complained, pushing past me.

I held onto the doorknob tightly, glaring. "Don't."

He reached for the door with his claws unsheathed.

I quickly snagged a book from the nearby bookshelf and smashed his forearm.

Corey roared as he fell onto the floor, writhing in pain. "You... you broke my arm."

I stood over him. "There are 432 bones in a tiger's body. That's one."

He backed up against the bedframe. "What do you want from me?"

"I need you to train a young wolf girl for Zootopia's downtown musical." I simply stated. "That's it."

He frantically waved his paws in the air. "Gee! Okay, okay! Fine! You could've just called me!"

I sighed in annoyance.

"But you gotta work with me," he pleaded, flipping through the wet pages of his notebook. "My production schedule is super crazy right now. I have client meetings all over the place. If I'm gonna train this mammal of yours-as soon as you're asking me to do it-then I'm gonna need someone to attend my next meeting for me. It's with the mayor."

"The mayor?" I asked.

"Yes, with Mayor Lionheart," he confirmed. "I need to get filming permissions from the mayor for my upcoming movie project. Our last filming location got inundated and vandalized... so we need to secure a new place up in the Canyonlands District and reset our previous land contract."

As the pendant sprinklers continued to rain upon us, I stared down into the water, knowing where this conversation was going.

"You're a law enforcement officer, aren't you?" he asked, observing the badge on my belt. "Between you and the Mayor, that shouldn't be too difficult to arrange."

I gave a half-hearted chuckle. "It sounds like you're asking for a favor."

"No, it's not really a favor," he assured. "It's more like a...uh..." he tried to think of another word but failed to do so. "Well... I guess you could say it's a favor."

"I thought so."

"Yes, if you could do that for me, I'd really appreciate it, " he held out one of his soaked briefcases. "Everything's already enclosed. All I need are filming permissions from the mayor, and that's it." He rang out the water from his tie." You think you could do that for me?"

I shook my head, moving damp hair out of the way as the ceiling sprinklers continued drenching us. Then, after taking a deep breath, I gently accepted Corey's briefcase. "I'll see what I can do."

"Excellent, thank you so very much," he clapped his giant soaked paws together, gathering up his wet belongings. "I'll head on over to the downtown theater once I've cleaned myself up a bit and hear what happens between you and the mayor. Just text me when you're done because I don't typically answer my phone."

Without saying another word, I descended the bedroom staircase and headed to the suite exit. Corey stayed behind to finish packing his wet belongings. Unsurprisingly, the suite's double doors were left wide open... but the door locks were busted, and the wooden finish around them was partially warped - most likely from a public stampede during evacuation.

As I stepped outside into the foyer, something caught hold of my eye. I turned around to see what it was. There, on the white marble wall, above the doorway to the suite entrance, was blue-paint graffiti writing that read:

Why Do You Have To Act Quickly During A Flood?

Because it's an Emergent C

Except that the letter C came from what was already engraved on the marble wall; in other words, the name of Corey's suite. The rest of the letters were painted.

"Emergent C, Emergent Sea... Emergency?" I muttered while drenched under the continuous downpour of water from the above ceiling.

Regardless, it was time to get out of there. Since the elevators were out of service, the only way out was down the stairwell.

Truly, I was disgruntled that someone would take the time to vandalize such a beautiful marble wall - especially at such an upscale suite that must've cost a fortune. Not anymore, unfortunately. The Palm Hotel already had more than enough to deal with, let alone a faulty fire alarm system.

Upon entering the main lobby, my legs were met with ankle-deep water. The situation was even more chaotic than I imagined. Hundreds of mammals moved left and right, holding their luggage above their heads as they waded through the water, trying to evacuate.

"Ugh, gross!"

"I can't believe this!"

"It's like a swamp in here!"

"Can I get a towel over here?"

Apparently, it wasn't just the 33rd floor. The entire luxury hotel appeared to be affected, with numerous animal guests still in their pajamas and bathrobes. Overwhelmed hotel staff tried to calm the guests, take in their complaints, and keep the crisis under control, but almost to no avail. Ceiling lights flickered slightly; the pendant sprinklers wouldn't shut off, and pieces of luggage were floating everywhere. It almost felt like being on a movie set for the Titanic.

As I scooted past another herd of wildebeests, I went into the grand ballroom to find Charity. She was over on the far side, helping smaller mammals - such as rodents and young cubs - to evacuate.

"Cherry! Come over here and help us." she beckoned, cradling a baby raccoon boy in her arms while the parents carried the other siblings.

A family of mice was stranded on a dining table, unable to swim due to the rising water levels. They climbed onto my shoulders by Charity's guidance and hitched a ride. I grabbed all their luggage with one hand and let the dad mouse sit in my other hand. Together, we all trudged through the water and headed for the exit.

I looked up at the ceiling and noticed that the pendant sprinklers were finally turned off. All that remained now was the cleanup, which I imagined would be a nightmare in the hotel's current state.

As we were walking past a team of animal firefighters entering the hotel, Charity noticed something on me. "Did you get your ears pierced?"

"Huh?" I realized I still had the silver bling on, "No," and shook the junk off my head, letting it fall into the water. "They're fake."

She laughed. "Sounds like you had a lot of fun without me."

"Not really."

"So how was your meeting with Corey?"

"It sucked."

Her ears dropped. "Baby, what happened up there?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "The same thing as down here, I guess."

"You didn't see any kind of fire?"

I shook my head.

"No smoke? Like nothing at all?" she asked.

"Nope. Nothing."

She stared across the lobby in puzzlement. "Wow, that's so weird..."

I was quiet for a moment, thinking about what to say. I then noticed Charity's beautiful dress was soaked and felt bad. "I'm sorry your night got ruined."

She let out a tired laugh. "Tonight's been adventurous, to say the least, but I'm okay. I still had fun. I just hope everyone else is okay. Hopefully, no one got hurt."

Yeah, about that... I reflected, averting my eyes.

We finally made it outside the Palm Hotel. Instead of a luxury resort, it looked more like a refugee camp. Hundreds of animal guests were sitting outside alongside their damp luggage, making urgent phone calls to family and friends to come to pick them up. At the same time, an additional fleet of fire trucks filled up all the valet parking areas.

Once we were on dry ground, Charity gave the baby back to the raccoon family now that their paws were free. They thanked her for her help.

I tried putting the mice family down somewhere quick and convenient- perhaps on top of that trash can over there - but Charity had a safer suggestion. She found an elderly caribou who was kind enough to let the mice rest on his antlers.

After funneling through the heavy traffic jams outside the hotel, we took a fifteen-minute walk in the opposite direction, finding ourselves out in the vast open desert, away from all the crowds. Things were much quieter now. The night air was crisp, clear... and sandy. Part of the lonely roadway was partially covered in sand from Sahara Square's low winds.

"It's kinda cold tonight, isn't it?" Charity shivered.

"It kinda is," I likewise shivered, escorting her to her car.

We both walked a little bit faster as the desert wind picked up. It definitely felt more chill than usual.

I brushed some of the sand off the car trunk before popping it open. My armor and cloak were still safely stored inside. I grabbed the blue cloak and draped it over Charity's shoulders.

"My, what a gentlemammal," the coyote smiled, burrowing her cheeks into the fabric.

I grabbed the rest of my gear from her trunk, stowed some of it in a duffle bag, and quietly scoffed. "I'm far from gentle."

She calmly closed her eyes, slowly sniffing my cloak.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"It has your scent. I love it," she said cheerily.

I cautiously raised an eyebrow. "Do I smell... bad?"

"Baby, you smell fine," she giggled, getting herself more snuggled into the cloak. "It's just...Coyotes like to know the smell of their boyfriends."

"Right," I was a little weirded out. "I can see that."

She was still cute, nonetheless. A good friend, no doubt. We shared a brief moment of gazing at the beautiful night sky on the horizon. It was rather cold, though, because we were still wet from the hotel. I figured it was time for us to get going, so I opened the car door for her.

"Do you wanna come home with me and dry off?" she offered.

"I need to go speak with the mayor," I said.

"About the hotel incident?"

"No. About something else."

"Can I give you a ride?"

"I've got my motorcycle," I lied, pointing at a random one in a lot behind us. "But thanks, though."

"Please drive safe, baby," she gave me a quick hug. "Text me when you get home, okay?"

"I will," I told her, even though I didn't have a physical home or a motorcycle anymore. I never told her what had happened; she didn't need to know. Judy and Nick didn't need to know either.

Without further ado, I double-tapped her car trunk to send her on her way. In response, she popped her arm out the window as she drove off, giving a peace sign. I stood by the stranger's motorcycle, pretending to start it until her car disappeared behind the sand dunes.

Now I just had to get to City Hall and meet with the mayor. From there, he could grant filming permissions to Corey, and then Corey can help train that female wolf in her acting. Simple enough.

***

"Alright, let's do this," I said to myself, tying a scarf around the lower half of my face.

I strapped my armor gear to my back and hot-wired the stranger's rusty dirt bike. It was about my size, except with long annoying handlebars as wide as vulture wings.

"What a piece of junk." I remarked.

After three lengthy attempts with increasingly greasy hands, the engine finally ignited and reved with life. With barely one tank of gas left, I was on my way to Savannah Central, flooring it most of the way. As a fun detour, I drove through construction zones and unfinished road ramps. Oh, how I missed having a motorcycle...

As I passed the watering hole and towards the grand building that bore the name of my intended destination, I found myself by the steps of City Hall. I deployed the dirt bike's kickstand to park it along the curb, only for the rusty kickstand to snap in half, causing the dirt bike to fall over on its side. I didn't care and left it.

A hippo security guard blew his whistle. "Hey, chief. You park there, I'm towing it."

"Whatever," I ignored him, proceeding up the steps.

The building resembled two giant elephant tusks standing vertically and parallel to each other, except toward the bottom, where they curved away from each other. Between them was a series of waterfalls cascading behind a semicircle array of eight flagpoles representing different regions around this world. I didn't know who, what, or where they represented.

In front of the colorful flags, on its own lower rooftop connected to the same edifice, were giant orange letters bearing the official name of the government building.

CITY HALL

"Well, here I am," I muttered, splaying my arms. "A place where political liars come to fester."

"Hmph," an elk in a business suit shot me a glare as he passed by.

Upon entering the through the glass doors, I looked around, awed at the new surroundings. It was perhaps the biggest lobby in Zootopia I've been in, surpassing that of the ZPD in terms of square footage. However, unlike the ZPD lobby, it was only one floor - not as vertical. The floor consisted of tan-colored tiles that seemed to give off a slight gleam in the moonlight. Despite the size of the building or at least the size of the area we were in, its setting was relatively simple. There were quite a few brown lounge chairs against the walls and black framed brown doors leading to other sections of the City Hall building.

Interestingly, golden brown, flat support beams reached up to the lime green ceiling above before splitting into smaller and smaller branches. They gave the impression that they were supposed to resemble trees, reminding me of the animalistic feel for which this city was built.

My armored boots echoed as I ventured through the halls. I changed my pace to softer steps instead, keeping the rest of my gear hidden behind my back in a duffle bag as I searched for the mayor's office.

Various animals were going about in a hurry, most dressed professionally in suits, dresses, and blouses. I quickly deduced that these animals most likely worked here. I noticed more and more of them appeared as I went further into the building.

Thankfully, I was somewhat dressed for the occasion, still wearing my button-up shirt and tie from the hotel, which helped me to blend in better. Too bad the fabric was torn in some areas. Regardless, I straightened my stature, moved my hair back, and tried to look as friendly and presentable as possible. I finally felt like I was doing better.

However, there was one thing I was starting to realize among the mammals of City Hall. I could see it in their eyes-a common theme and pattern. Everyone looked so worried, tense... and anxious for some reason.

Was it a bad day at work? Perhaps something else was going on?

Something big?

I jumped slightly at the sudden opening of a large pair of meeting room doors. A large group of mammals was funneling out while surrounding a sizeable animal storming out of the office. He was a lion, burly yet slender at the same time, with brownish-gold fur. He wore a dark blue suit, a paler white dress shirt underneath, and a red tie. Clipped on the right side lapel of his jacket was a gold Z pin for Zootopia. Based on his rather large mane, he fit the role of king of the jungle quite well. Nevertheless, he didn't seem to enjoy his part too well. The animals around him weren't giving him much space and only peppered him with loads of questions, comments, and concerns.

"Enough!" he bellowed out, pushing past them. "I don't need excuses, commissioner, I need answers."

They continued to follow him. "Mayor Lionheart, please. We're doing everything we can."

"Really?" he splayed his giant paws. "Cause we've got two whole districts gone dark, and you can't tell me why! Now I'd call that awfully far from "doing everything you can"!

I stayed close to the mayor and his subordinates as they converged outside his office.

"Sir, it may be time for us to evacuate the lower suburbs," a mammal holding a tablet said. "We still don't know why this is happening. If my calculations are correct, it could destroy Zootopia's entire-"

"Okay! I heard you, Mooseberg, I'll take care of it!" he slammed a folder closed, facepalming with stress. "Now, please, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with Herds and Grazing."

As the mayor turned around, a hyena carrying a tall stack of bindings bumped right into him, causing papers and documents to fly everywhere.

"Stripefang! There you are," the mayor called out loudly, brushing off his suit. "Where are those Herds and Grazing documents I requested earlier?"

"Yes Mr. Mayor, they're right here in all this... mess." the hyena stammered, looking through the scattered papers.

Lionheart put his fists on his hips, looking annoyed. "Well it's really hard to review them if they're all over the ground now isn't it?"

"But sir... your appointment is here. Miss Bianca and Bernard from the Rescue Aid Society have arrived."

Upon gesturing to them, Lionheart gazed downwards, and his expression changed from an annoyed frown to a charming smile. "Ah yes, Miss Bianca and Bernard. Glad you could come."

I looked down too, and all I saw were two mice. One was a female white mouse wearing a purple cap and a purple scarf. Concerned about her appearance, she could be seen putting on perfume and beauty powder. The other was a gray male mouse wearing a brown cap and a red sweater.

Not wanting to wait my turn, I help up my police badge to grab the mayor's attention, essentially cutting in front of the mice couple.

As Lionheart noticed me through the crowd, his face became mildly shocked. "Why, if it isn't Officer Chenry! Zootopia's first foreigner to join the ZPD force! Almost didn't recognize you! Welcome! Always happy to see the results of my Mammal Inclusion Initiative at City Hall!"

I nodded, giving a forced smirk as I shook paws with the mayor. "Yeah, sure. Glad I could make it."

"Come! Please step into my office," he motioned behind him. "We could use your help with something."

"Something?" I asked in confusion, following him and the mice couple into his spacious yet simple office. "I'm just here to ask a quick question."

"Yes! Of course," he closed the doors behind us. "We'll get you all squared away. Please have a seat!"

The mouse couple sat on a paperweight couch on Lionheart's desktop while he also took a seat. They waited for me to do the same. With some hesitation, I sat in the big chair in front of his desk. Behind the mayor was a fantastic window view of the city, with a flag pole on each side bearing the official flag of Zootopia.

"Mayor Lionheart," the female mouse spoke first. "Please excuse us for interrupting you during this crazy time, we're from the Rescue Aid Society of Zootopia. I am Miss Bianca, and this is my partner, Bernard."

"Yes, the assistant mayor told me all about you," Lionheart said, pulling out a stack of documents before sorting through them. "And we're appreciative of all your rescue efforts currently underway in the lower sections of Rainforest District. It is a very stressful time for all of us," he sighed, rubbing his temples. "Until we can get to the bottom of this, our primary concern right now is public safety. And that includes yours."

"But you don't understand," the female mouse interrupted. "A little boy and a little girl have gone missing since the flooding. They need our help."

The mayor was shocked by this news. "Miss Bianca, please. It's too dangerous! Especially for a mammal of your size. And you want to go in there while it's still flooding?"

"I don't think it's a matter of wanting, it's a matter of duty," she said.

"Wait. What's going on?" I cut in, seeking clarification. "What are you talking about?"

The mayor's office went silent as their heads slowly turned toward me. It was the same anxious gaze everybody had in the lobby.

"Haven't you... haven't you heard?" Bernard asked shyly.

Pondering for a moment, I replied, "I'm aware of the hotel flooding."

"It's not just the hotel," Bianca said with pain in her voice. "It's everywhere. It's all over Zootopia."

I crossed my arms. "What do you mean?"

There was another long moment of silence.

"The climate walls are shutting down," the mayor answered in a distressed tone. "And we don't know why."

This came as a significant surprise to me. Feeling skeptical, I switched on the office TV to see for myself. The ZNN breaking news station came up first, showing me everything they said was happening in the city-assuming it was all true and not just fake news.

Unfortunately for them, it was all real.

So many communities were now underwater, with many more on the way of being at risk or in danger. Even the jam cams confirmed it. For example, earlier day footage revealed water levels only a foot deep along the lower avenues of Vine and Tujunga. Now all the cars on that same street were underwater, thanks to the melting snow and ice glaciers from Tundratown. Even Sahara Square wasn't fairing too well.

"Can't the walls be rebooted?" I asked the mayor.

Apparently, that's what the engineers were trying to do. He explained that the climate walls of Zootopia have been self-sustaining for over seventy years, ever since they were first built and commissioned by the city council. Using clean and renewable energy-wind, solar, and hydro-they were designed to be left alone. The walls only required minimal maintenance on the exterior every couple of years. But no one has ever needed to go inside. The mayor showed me the charts. Fortunately, the wall had a vast network of service tunnels and accessways in case of emergencies, except that many were underwater, blocked off, or inaccessible due to flash flooding and debris. Hopefully, the crews can figure something out quickly because, at this rate, the entire city will be worse off than the Palm Hotel.

"Well, that's too bad," I said nonchalantly, staring out the window.

The female mouse stood up. "The water levels are rising fast, it's urgent that we leave immediately! Those poor missing children need our help!"

Lionheart nodded in agreement. "Yes! I'll assign Officer Chenry to go with you," he jotted down his signature on a few documents. "Officer Hopps informed me that humans are perfectly capable of swimming."

"They are?" Bernard asked in surprise, looking at me in fear.

"Oh, thank you, Mayor Lionheart!" Miss Bianca shook the lion's giant paw, barely touching the tip of his claw. "You are very kind!"

"Wait, hold up," I said defiantly. "I'm not going with you."

The mayor frowned in annoyance, placing both paws on his hips. "So the ZPD's going to pay you for what? Standing there?"

"I'm not here for the ZPD," I stated, opening up the briefcase the tiger gave me at the hotel. "I'm here for Corey, the Choreographer. I need you to grant him filming permissions for his next major movie project. Just sign here." I indicated.

"Hmm, great idea," he thought mockingly, putting a finger to his lips. "Our city's on the brink of an ecological collapse, and you want me to sign papers... for a MOVIE?!"

"Yes, sir."

He let out a long sigh. "Tell you what," he said, clapping his paws together. "You help this lovely couple find the missing kids, and then I'll sign your documents, okay? Alright? That okay with you?"

After a long internal mental debate, I threw up my arms. "Fine. Whatever."

"Goody." Lionheart grabbed the paperwork from me. "I'll take these off your paws. Now get outta here. Go make your mayor proud."

Miss Bianca put on her purple scarf, motioning to her partner. "C'mon darling, let's get a move out!"

The couple hopped off the desk, then the chair, and headed for the door.

"While we're young, Officer Chenry," the mayor rushed me out of his office.

"I'm going, I'm going," I muttered.

I carefully followed the mouse couple out of Lionheart's office, ensuring I didn't step on them. Once outside the foyer, we noticed a long line of elected animal officials waiting to see the mayor. Good thing Bernard and Miss Bianca had an appointment that I could cut into. Otherwise, I would've tried to fight my way in.

After a minute or two of walking, we were outside the steps of City Hall. News crews had their vans parked alongside the curb like a fleet of food trucks, waiting to broadcast a formal address from Zootopia's elected officials regarding the current crisis. In the background, the main fountain of Savanna Central was turned off. There were no more fancy water shows being displayed. Despite this, the fountain was still overflowing, covering most of the surrounding park grass. The water had not reached the streets yet.

"Okay, so now what?" I asked the mouse couple.

"We must find the children and get them to safety." Miss Biana answered with her paws held together. "They're still out there... somewhere in Rainforest District..."

"Do we have any leads?"

"None so far," she confessed, turning to her partner. "But we did receive a clue on where they were last seen."

He unfolded a large piece of paper that was almost too wide for him to hold. "Yeah, uh, according to the map, it looks like they were last seen near Willow Hollow-just below Rainbow Falls, it looks like."

"Then we should start searching there," she told Bernard, helping him fold the map. "And find out where they could've gone."

Bernard scratched his head. "Now we just.... gotta figure out how to get there."

"The train, obviously," I suggested.

Miss Bianca's ears lowered. "Oh, Officer, I wish we could. But the lines into Rainforest District are currently down."

"But how?" I doubted her. "The tracks are high ground."

"Yeah, they are, but... the waterfalls are overflowing onto the tracks," Bernard explained, pointing at a subway map. "Normally, they flow or split around them... but they're pouring right onto the railway bridges... causing some of them to collapse."

"Oh, darling... Even the highways are affected," Miss Bianca added, showing us her phone.

Despite the tiny screen, numerous road sections were highlighted in red and orange on Zoogle maps. I didn't believe any of it was accurate. However, a quick side glance at the Zootopia Central Station revealed half of it was out of service, marked with yellow tape on the escalators and closed ticket booths.

"So how are we gonna get there?" I asked, still not convinced by the whole situation.

"We can take a boat ride there," Miss Bianca said, leading the way. "Our friend Wilbur's in the boating business."

And that's what we did. The mice's pig friend hooked us up with a wooden boat fitted with a rain cover and a small motor. The vessel was large enough to hold all three of us. We floated down the newly formed stream into Rainforest District to begin our search. Everything around us looked the same to me. It didn't seem like there was any disaster at all.

But as we got closer and closer to the climate wall, things started to change.

There were abandoned cars, overturned houseboats, and wooden debris floating in the river. Where there were once busy roads, they were now completely covered in murky water. Traffic lights, lampposts, and stop signs had their tips barely showing above the water's surface. The power was out in some places, and even the homes on higher ground were experiencing flickering lights that would soon go out. With water being the only available route of transport at this time, the river was highly congested with mammals on boats and canoes trying to evacuate Rainforest District with their packed-up belongings.

It was a mess.

Everyone was wet, cold, and visibly upset about the situation. Unfortunately, the residents had nowhere else to go except back into the central city or higher ground - assuming the water levels wouldn't continue rising.

While moving in one direction, everyone else was floating in the opposite direction downstream. Going upstream proved challenging, especially when trying to dodge other boats without capsizing each other. For most of the hour, all we could do was stay in place and wait our turn until a small gap appeared in the water traffic. With the extra debris and dense animal population, we were barely moving toward our destination.

Meanwhile, Bernard sat on the stern of the boat, staring into the water, disheartened. He just saw a herd of elephants swimming in the murky water, using their trunks as snorkels while they hauled their stuff on their heads.

"Now, guys, we mustn't lose hope," Miss Bianca reminded us as she stood on the bow of the boat. "Those two kids are still out there..."

She was shivering in the wind and rain yet unwavering in her resolve. On the other paw, Bernard didn't seem to share her optimism. As for me, I was just losing my patience, being stuck in boat traffic. I broke off pieces of leaves from overhanging trees as we floated under them and crumbled them up to pass the time. But, unfortunately, the inclement weather was only slowing us down.

"You never told me the identity of the two missing kids," I said, filling up my canteen with rainwater.

Miss Bianca turned to her partner. "Darling, you didn't tell him?"

After being zoned out for a minute, Bernard shook his thoughts. "Ah, yeah, I got it right here," and opened up their case file. "Let's see..." he began reading, trying to keep the papers dry. "The kids are both jackals. Brother and sister jackals. The youngest one is Penny... and her older brother, his name is C-"

Before he could finish, I snatched a copy of the case file, "I'll take that," and hopped off the boat. I landed on the mossy river bank adjacent to us and began trekking up the hill as the mice couple floated away.

Miss Bianca reached out with her paw. "Officer, wait! Where are you going?"

"Improvising," I replied, moving through the slope's vegetation. "If we split up, we can find the kids faster."

"But officer... we're supposed to stick together. Mayor Lionheart asked you to help us."

"I am helping you," I said, climbing up the tree. "And I'm gonna do it my way."

The mice tried to reason with me from a distance until their voices eventually faded as I disappeared from their view. I watched as their boat went the other way. Now that I was alone again, I pressed onward through the upper avenues of the Rainforest District.

For over an hour, I moved through the quiet neighborhoods. There wasn't a soul in sight. Shops were closed, street lights were dimmed, and many of the overhanging bridges had partially collapsed from waterfalls in places where there weren't supposed to be waterfalls. It was almost like the entire forest was sinking into an ocean, becoming less like a forest and more like... a swamp.

All I had to do was find the missing kids. From there, I could get the mayor's signature for Corey's filming permissions so that he could train that wolf at the theater. The rest would fall in place...

Not knowing where else to look, I decided to move toward the massive climate wall dividing Rainforest District and Tundratown. The structure was easily visible from a distance, yet it took a while to get there. Going on foot was better than going on the boat - there was significantly less traffic and wood debris. But the main downside was navigating damaged bridges and jumping through waterfalls without getting swept away. It felt like an obstacle course at times. Regardless, I eventually made it to the climate wall.

It was massive, to say the least.

Standing more than 500 feet tall, the wall stretched as far as the eyes could see in both directions. Most of its surface area was covered in vines, trees, and shrubs, with a few cement patches in between. There were also a few waterfalls coming over the top. In addition, a deep moat stood as a separator between me and the wall. It prevented me from proceeding. I looked down the cliffside and saw a deep river abyss and extreme rapids at the bottom.

"Close... but not close enough." I thought to myself.

There was no way to reach the base of the wall except by a bridge. I looked around, and all I saw were collapsed bridges. Even the train track wasn't an option due to the visible wreckage at the bottom of the cliff.

Finding the two missing kids was my primary objective - that's what I should focus on doing - but I kept wondering about the climate walls. Why were they starting to fail? What was the cause? And was there an imminent solution to fixing them?

On the other side of the collapsed bridges, near the base of the climate walls, there were hardhat crews gathered in groups. Beavers, rhinos, and wolves, to name a few. They appeared to be surveying the damage and trying to repair the climate walls. I saw their tools, forklifts, and sandbags being brought in by a helicopter from Sahara Square.

"Well, it's about damn time." I muttered, taking a seat on a damp log. Perhaps that climate wall can start working again.

I found some rain cover under an old willow tree by the cliffside and started a small campfire to stay warm. It felt nice. I'd search for the missing kids here and there and come back to the same spot. I tried exploring different areas within my vicinity but had no luck for the next few hours.

I took a power nap under a giant leaf, had a leftover snack from the hotel, and curiously observed the same hardhat crews from across the valley. I figured they would've found something by now... but they didn't. Instead, they simply stood there, texting on their phones and fiddling with their power tools. At the same time, the waterfalls continued to cascade rapidly into Rainforest District.

Something wasn't right.

That was when my attention shifted from the missing kids to the climate wall. I had to get inside and find out what was going on.

Backpedaling the same route I took, I headed to the ZPD station to get some answers. Specifically, to get into the climate walls.

The park fountain in Savanna Central was still overflowing, except now the water had reached street level. Sandbags were placed around the park to keep the water at bay. The water appeared to be about an inch deep.

I ascended the steps into the ZPD building and stepped into the lobby. It felt like forever since I'd been in here. So many good memories - especially violent ones.

"Oh, oh, Officer Chenry!" a familiar voice shouted from the circular desk. "Come over here! Quick! I need your help with something!"

I sighed, approaching the fat cheetah. "What is it, Clawhauser?"

"My computer's been acting up... and it's driving me crazy!" he rapidly clicked his mouse. "All my applications are running really slow today. "Are you an IT guy?"

"Maybe," I stated, scratching my head in thought. "Have you tried clearing your cache and cookies?"

"My what?" he asked, his mouth stuffed with cereal.

"Your cache and cookies."

He hesitantly looked around. "Oh, uh... are you sure?"

"Yes. Clear them out."

"Okay..." Ben said, turning toward his computer. He pulled open his desk drawers and dumped them all on the floor. Coins, cash, and cookie crumbs littered the area.

"That's not what I meant!" I facepalmed.

The cheetah gave a confused look. "You said to clear my cash and cookies."

"CACHE, not cash," I iterated.

"But I cleared the cookies, though! Look!" he proudly pointed at his desktop until he checked his computer. "Aww... but my computer's still slow."

"Just forget it," I waved my hand dismissively. "Now, where's Chief Bogo?"

"Oh, um... he's upstairs in his office, trying to figure out this whole 'climate wall' situation," he gestured to the upper lobby floors.

I jogged up the flight of stairs and barged straight into his office. "Chief Bogo!"

"What?" he quickly put his phone away, trying to cover it with his hooves.

"I need to speak with you, sir."

He grumbled in annoyance. "Knock on my door! Knock next time!"

"Yes, sir."

He sat frozen in his seat, shifting his eyes around. "... Did you see anything?"

I shook my head. "No, sir. I didn't see you playing with the app again."

"Good!" he shoved his phone under his desk, crossing his oversized forearms impatiently. "Where in the grazens heavens have you been?"

"I've been... busy," I answered simply.

He raised his eyebrow with a frown. "And may I ask for the real reason you haven't been showing up to work lately?"

"It's a long story... "I replied, thinking of a way to explain my absence. "But it's got something to do with the climate walls. I request your permission to go inside them and find out what the hell is going on."

"Permission denied," Bogo said flatly. "The last thing we need is a foreign mammal with an impetuous reputation, like yourself, to interfere with the world's most extensive thermal mechanism that could spell catastrophe for the entire city. You have no idea how delicate the circumstances are. What's at stake."

I clenched my fist. "I'm not that reckless.

"As Zootopia's Chief of Police, I'm not taking unnecessary risks with you. I've already assigned officers to assist the ground crews and civil engineers at the climate walls until this situation gets resolved. This is priority number one. Until then, only authorized mammals may enter the perimeter. Hopps and Wilde will be addressing the public while they're in recovery."

"Recovery?" I asked in surprise.

"A mudslide flipped their cruiser, causing mild head trauma," the buffalo informed. "The doctors said they'll be okay. But they'll be immobile for the next few days. As the smallest mammals on the force, they're lucky to have survived."

I stared down at the floor, feeling sorry for them. "I didn't know."

"You would've known if you were here for duty," Bogo grumbled irritably. "We're short staffed as it is, and we have a major crisis on our paws. Do you even realize what this could mean for Zootopia, Chenry? It could bloody well be a disaster that'll take months to recover from, years for all we know."

"Chief Bogo, if you want me to work, then let me work," I said firmly. "All I need is access to the climate walls."

"No! As you're clearly not from this world, you technically have no rights, let alone should you have any rights to our city's sophisticated climate systems," he argued. "Based on your current track record, I believe you are unfit for this urgent assignment. Letting you put tickets on parked cars was already a public risk to begin with."

"With all due respect, sir, you have no idea what you're-"

"Shut it, Chenry!" the buffalo boomed. "And don't even get me started when you worked at the Outback Prison! I know what happened that day."

"I did what I had to do to keep the prisoners in line."

"And yet, you failed to honor the civil and mammalian fundamentals this city upholds. We need good cops like Hopps and Wilde in this challenging situation. Not you. For that, you're off this case moving forward. Do not attempt any further investigations concerning it."

"Sir, if you'd just give me a chance, I can-"

"Stay away from the climate walls, and do not interfere with the operation!" he interrupted, shooting me a glare. "That's an order."

I sighed, "Yes, sir."

"You're dismissed," he told me calmly. "Now leave."

I left Bogo's office feeling pissed and discarded at the same time.

***

The water level had risen by another inch in Savanna Central. Cubs were playing in the shallow portions while parents voiced their concerns about the future of Zootopia.

Regardless, I tried not to worry about it. This wasn't my city, and I didn't give two shits about it. It wasn't my problem. My species already fought against climate change long ago... and we lost. Why bother? A human can simply adapt. But the other animals in Zootopia? This was their home; it was everything to them. They couldn't just move on.

Should I do something then? I debated the thought in my head. Perhaps I could revisit the climate walls from a different angle/biome and see what I could find. A way inside? Now I was curious.

I took an elevator to Zootopia's tallest skyscraper to gain a vantage point. Then, using one of the coin-operated binoculars mounted to the rooftop, I gazed through the lenses to survey each of the city's districts.

The climate wall on the Sahara Square side had heating coils the size of buildings. Typically, they'd be glowing a bright orange color as a form of infrared heating. Instead, however, they were powering down and going dark. In addition, high winds were picking up in the distance, causing larger-than-normal sand dunes to form at the base of the walls, blocking anyone from accessing the wall's interior.

Meanwhile, the Tundratown side appeared to have cold air cannons that were no longer blowing cold air out into its own district. The snow cannons beside the train tracks were also visible, except that they weren't creating any snow to add to the current ground cover.

I rotated the binoculars to the North and noticed a long mountain range splitting off between Tundratown and Rainforest District. Avalanches could be seen spilling down the mountainside, packing up tightly against the side of the climate walls, blocking anyone from entering. What a disaster. I could also see melting snow, ice, and slush engulfing entire cars and buildings near the lower sections of Tundratown. It was only getting worse from here.

"Well, shit..." I muttered in frustration. Not because of the climate wall situation... but because the timer ran out on the binocular machine. I had no more coins left.

I squinted and saw police lights out in the distance.

ZPD units seemed to surround the base of the climate walls wherever there was a gap in the snow, sand, or waterfalls-which were very few and distant places in between. Otherwise, their vehicles would be buried or swept away by the elements. But the animal officers were just standing outside. It was almost as if they were still trying to get inside the climate walls, unable to proceed.

I decided to take a closer look at the climate walls from the Sahara Square side. Dealing with mounds of sand was better than dealing with ice and slush. So I took a cab ride to get there. As soon as I stepped out of the vehicle, I felt a chilly wind brush up against my face. My driver quickly sped away. With sand blowing in the air and piling up against the wall, I wore my helmet as a face shield.

When did Sahara Square ever get cold in the middle of the day? The sun was out, and the sky was blue... yet, it didn't feel like much.

"Officer Chenry, what are you doing here?" Officer Francine noticed me approaching the perimeter.

The female elephant stood by a squad of police cars parked in front of an exposed concrete section of the climate wall. There were many other officers as well. In the scene's center was a sizeable garage-like door made of industrial-grade metal. Animal crews knelt around its base, using snap cutter tools, circular saws, and hacksaws to open the door. Yet, despite their tired and sweaty looks, they were barely making any progress.

"I'm sorry, officer, but I can't let you come through here," she lifted her trunk up to my chest. "Chief Bogo's orders. It's nothing against you."

I gently pushed her trunk aside. "I'm not asking for trouble. I'm just looking for answers."

She sighed, lowering her trunk. "It's not like you can go much further from here anyway."

We both turned to face the sealed door into the climate wall. After one of the power tools got overheated and snapped in half, the animal crews took a break from their arduous labor. At the same time, the desert wind kept blowing in the background.

Francine splayed her hooves in frustration. "We can't find another way inside. There are dozens of doors, but they're all made of solid cast iron."

"Don't you have keys?"

"Well, we would if they actually worked. That is, if the locking mechanisms weren't so rusted. Or if the doors weren't so thick and heavy. Unfortunately, these doors were not meant to be opened on a regular basis. In fact, no one's ever had to open them for over half a century."

"Until now." I added.

"Exactly, yes. We have the keys, the maps, and all the schematics... but what good are they to us now? We can't even get inside to find the root cause. We have the tools, but they exert a lot of effort on this kind of dense material. It also takes a substantial amount of time, especially if we have several layers to cut."

I examined the entryway. "Are there more doors behind this one?"

"I sure hope not, officer. But if there is another safety door behind this one, then we're in big trouble. It could take days to cut... and by then, it might be too late. We're running out of time."

After we stood in the wind and pondered for a minute, the animal crews returned to resume their work. They activated their portable generator, replaced their broken saw blades, and started cutting at the solid door again. Again, metal sparks flew, new machinery equipment was brought in, and everyone was hacking away. However, they still had a long way to go.

"Well, good luck..." I said, leaving the area in peace. Not like I could do anything.

I might have blasted the door open if I had my Stratocracy armor in its prime. Too bad those days were long gone. The suit had degraded into a 'lockdown' mode, meaning it no longer had any offensive capabilities-only defensive. The only exception was my bare hands and my empty tranquilizer.

Like Chief Bogo said, let the professionals do their work. This wasn't my business. After all, I still had some favors to deal with. Favors like helping to find the two missing kids.

They were still out there. Ever since the climate walls started going down. With nothing else to do, I returned to Rainforest District to resume my search.

I took the same route as before. Thankfully, it was still traversable. However, the area had become more hazardous than I remembered. The water level had risen by more than six feet since my last visit. As a result, lamposts, traffic lights, and cars were no longer visible above the surface. The electricity was out, and the only inhabitants remaining were the mammals living in the canopies. Even they were strongly advised to evacuate Rainforest District. I heard the announcement on the police radio. A state of emergency was officially declared for Zootopia.

I chuckled. What else is new? A state of emergency was normal in my world.

I trudged through wet bushes and came upon a cliff. The nearby rope bridge was broken, dangling over the edge. I grabbed one of the vines and swung to the other side, arriving at a new meadow. That was where I found a stuffed teddy bear lying on the ground. It was wet, soggy, and must've belonged to a kid.

Perhaps I should keep going.

I walked along the root of a tree, navigating past the steep and mossy terrain until I saw a large object come into view. At first, I couldn't identify it. There were rain clouds all around it. So I moved in closer to get a better look.

I climbed down the first cliffside and slid to the bottom of the second cliffside.

After the vapor clouds partially dissipated, I realized it was just the climate wall. Nothing that I hadn't already seen before.

However, things were a bit different now.

The waterfalls pouring over the top of the walls were more relentless than before. Most of the cement was overgrown and covered in thick forest vegetation. Any sign of a bridge connecting to the wall was already long washed away.

However, this was also a different area with slightly different terrain. I didn't see any rivers or rapids flowing along the base of the wall due to a massive tree growing up the side of the wall. Saying that it was massive was an understatement. Not so much the height but the width. The tree's canopy was large enough to support a beam for an upper roadway.

I decided to climb up and investigate, getting stabbed by branches. The slippery slope gave me more than enough cuts and abrasions.

Upon reaching the canopy, I came across a secluded area unlike others I've encountered. It had its own pond, stream, and waterfall confined on top of the tree itself, almost like an ecosystem within an ecosystem.

Feeling tired, I sat down for a moment.

I stretched out my hand to feel the hurtling drops of water from the sky. Then, taking another second to behold the beauty of this new area, I looked at all the trees and the partially collapsed street looming above me. The rain, the mist. I heard the sound of water droplets falling off the leaves, into the streams, and onto the metal roof of an abandoned public bus submerged in the pond by the small waterfall. The bus must've been swept off the road.

It was the evening, the sun still giving its light, beaming through the canopy of branches and leaves at the height of the forest, but not for long. Pretty soon, the forest would take on a dim gloom, leaving me to search for another entrance into the climate walls in the dark.

Feeling somewhat disappointed, I got up to head for the next area. There was nothing here. But then, from the corner of my eye, I spotted a small figure sitting by the waterfall.

It was a little boy, a teenage cub with pointy ears. His fur was all wet, his ears droopy, and he sat all alone with his knees up to his chest, crying.

"Cody?" I recognized him through the rain. "...Is that you?"

The young jackal didn't say anything, only sniffling and shivering in the cold while his toes were dipped in the pond. He kept his head down on his knees and refused to lift it.

I quickly pulled out the soggy paper Bernard and Miss Bianca gave me earlier regarding the two missing children and reread their names. Just to be sure. Penny and... Cody? Wait... He's one of the missing kids? I couldn't believe it...

"Cody!" I called him once again through the sound of lightning. "Hey, Cody."

He didn't respond. He didn't even turn around or move. Instead, he kept facing the waterfall, staring out into the forest space. Something wasn't right with him.

I walked over to where Cody was and sat beside him, letting my legs dangle in the cold water due to the rock's narrow sitting space.

We didn't say a word to each other.

I glanced at his soaked clothes and noticed they were torn in some places. He also had a few light scrapes on his body. I waited for him to say something-anything-but he only kept sobbing as his tears rolled down his face, mixing with the steady rain.

"We need to get you home, kid," I said, breaking the silence and pausing for a moment. "You can't stay out here."

He wiped his nose, burying his face in his paws.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, hoping he'd respond.

A moment of silence passed between us as the only audible sound came from the pouring rain in the background. If he wouldn't speak, neither would I. Patience was the only way forward. I sat with my arms crossed and waited. And waited.

Still nothing.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Seeing the kid like this gave me heartache.

"My sister..." he finally spoke, struggling with his words, unable to fight back the tears. "I...I tried to save her... but she..."

I felt the jackal's head fall against my side. His tears streamed down my armor.

"I... I heard her screaming..." he cried out. "I ran as fast as I could... but she... she was gone..."

"Easy, kid." I consoled him, putting my arm around his shoulder. "Easy."

"I... I failed," he cried softly. "I failed to protect her, Cherry. I promised her that her big brother would always protect her. And I wasn't there for her..."

"Penny?" I recalled the name. "She's your..."

"My sister," he finished, wiping away tears. "She's my... she's my baby sister."

I went silent for a moment. "I didn't know you had a sister..."

He nodded. "She's like my... my best friend... we're only three years apart," Cody wept. "We... we were out playing together... playing hide-and-go-seek like we always do after school. I counted to a hundred, told her I was coming... but then she... she screamed... then she was gone... couldn't find her. I've waited for her ever since... hoping and praying she'd come back..."

"You've been out here for hours," I said.

He shook his head, forcing his ears behind his head in despair. "I...I can't go home, Cherry. Not like this. Not without her. What if she's still out there? What if she's... I... I don't know what to do..."

He cried into my shoulder for the next little while. I didn't really know what to say to him.

"It's all my fault," he exclaimed, grabbing a piece of rock. "We should've just stayed home!"

The frustrated jackal chucked the rock across the pond as hard as he could. It flew past the small waterfall, colliding into the thick vegetation behind it, making a soft metallic dinging sound upon impact.

This caught me off guard. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear... hear what?" he sniffled.

I stood up from our spot and waded across the pond toward the small waterfall. The back side of the waterfall had loose vegetation and vines, so I pulled them down, revealing a rusty single door. From the looks of it, the door hadn't been maintained in years - perhaps decades.

"Kid, you're a genius." I praised.

"Genius? M-Me?" he tilted his head, confused. "What... what do you mean?"

I inspected the door. It was smaller and thinner than the other doors leading into the climate walls, which was surprising. It also had claw marks around the outside - fresh ones - and the door appeared to have been opened recently, despite its exterior age and weathered condition.

I motioned Cody to come over. "Recognize these?"

He ran over to where I stood and felt the claw marks on the door with his paw. He sniffed them too. His eyes then shot wide. "Those are my sister's! I know it! I recognize it! She must be in there!"

I tried the door handle, but it wouldn't budge. Not even by a centimeter. I tried kicking the door down multiple times, aiming my boot below the latch to get the maximum effect. Despite my efforts and nearly breaking my leg, the door remained firmly shut.

I sighed. "It's locked from the inside. Dammit."

"Oh no... No, no, no! Penny!" the jackal banged his fists against the door, scratching it with his claws. "Penny!"

No response.

"Penny!" Cody desperately called out to her. "Penny! Please! Can you hear me?"

Still no response. Just rust, dust, and interior echoes coming from the other side.

"Someone must've taken her," I deduced, judging by the angle of the claw marks. "Hence, the screaming."

Cody grew uneasy. "But by who?" he asked. "Who would do such a thing?"

I looked down, thinking. Trying to connect the dots. There have been so many recent chaotic events happening in Zootopia. The climate walls were shutting down, the Rainforest District was flooding, and the Palm Hotel fire suppression system got compromised. But what else? The Natural History Museum got vandalized, and even my apartment flooded. Yet, somehow, these events were all connected. Each had something to do with water and flooding. That was when it suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. Why didn't I think of this before?

"It's the razorbacks..." I said, clenching my fist. "They're behind all of this."

"The Razorbacks?" Cody asked, bewildered.

"They're sabotaging the climate walls from the inside, trying to flood Zootopia."

The jackal put his paws to his head. "But... But why? Why would they do that?"

"They want to turn this city into one giant swamp," I said, crossing my arms. "In other words, a shit hole."

"Didn't they steal all that gold from the Zootopia treasury and flee the city like a couple weeks ago? I thought they were long gone."

"Last week, they raided the ZPD station," I recalled. "They probably needed the gear to comfortably execute their master plan within the city."

A tear rolled down Cody's face. "But... my sister... why would they take her away? She didn't do anything wrong."

"No, she didn't," I assured him. "Regardless, she inadvertently found another way inside the climate walls. The Razorbacks would've taken her away to prevent their plans from being exposed."

"W-what should we do then?" Cody asked. "Should we tell the ZPD and have them send backup?"

"Tempting..." I said, thinking for a bit. "But no. Your sister's a hostage now. The Razorbacks control the climate walls. If we send backup, it may cause the Razorbacks to flee. Or worse, they could weaponize the climate walls if their demands aren't met. We need to handle this discreetly."

The jackal slowly nodded in understanding. "Okay, so, what can we do then? We don't have a key to get inside."

I placed a hand under my chin and pondered. The kid had a point. Then, out of nowhere, a crazy idea came to mind.

"I know a way," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. "But I'm gonna need your help."

He nodded, placing his paw on my forearm. "Anything. Anything to get my sister back."

"You're not gonna like it," I warned.

"Why? What is it?" he was curious.

I began walking down the slope. "You'll see."

***

He followed close behind, hiking through the vegetation with me until we were out in a clearing.

"So what's this plan of yours?" Cody asked. "Where are we going?"

"Cliffside Asylum," I answered, thinking of the only place I could create something illegal without getting caught. But sometimes, you just have to take matters into your own hands.

The asylum was located in the Meadowlands, far away from the inner city. It was accessible through a maintenance tunnel in the Rainforest District, which we could easily walk to. The main building was established on a small island in the middle of a waterfall. It was accessible by a spanning bridge over the crest. Presumably, it was once a working asylum and/or hospital but was at some point abandoned for unknown reasons.

I also knew that the asylum was used to treat the animals who had turned savage from the Night howler sickness. Since then, the building has been weathered down and vandalized with graffiti. Windows were broken, the roundabout was littered with potholes, and cobwebs filled nearly every crevice. On the doors was a sign posted.

RESTRICTED AREA

We went inside the asylum, and everything was dark. As I led us to the upper laboratories, the abandoned hallways echoed our footsteps. Cody stayed close, nervously holding onto his tail while we entered the laboratories. I hooked up one of the old dusty generators by the weathered computer console and powered up the screen. Even though the glass was cracked, the monitors still had decent enough displays.

"Nice to have a little bit of light in here, right?" Cody sighed in relief, nervously chuckling.

I removed my helmet, cleared the junk off the counter, and set my helmet down. Next, I yanked six wires off the back of the computer and connected them to my helmet's central processing unit. Within minutes, a series of blueprint images appeared on the screen. I smiled as I scrolled through them.

"Wait... what are those things?" the jackal pointed.

"Geriatric weapons schematics from the Stratocracy Historical Archive," I replied, jotting down some notes.

He tilted his head. "Um, what does that mean?"

"If we're gonna rescue your sister, we'll need to force our way into the climate walls," I explained, gathering any useful supplies around the room. "That means breaking the door latch. By using the proper tools."

Deep down, it wasn't just for the doors. No. If I faced those Razorbacks again, I would need some offensive capabilities. I intended to put those sons of bitches down for good.

The jackal's tail swayed back and forth as his eyes were glued to the screen. "So these are...tools? From your world?"

"Yes." I set the scrap items on the workbench. "They come from different eras of my species."

I swept through the asylum to loot any metal pieces. IV poles, bed frames, light fixtures, whatever I could find. Some of them I had to break apart forcefully. I later returned to the lab and saw Cody seemingly mesmerized by the images on the screens.

"Ex-Em-Five, A-Kay forty-seven, AN-ninety-four?" he tried pronouncing a few blueprint names from the screen. "I've never heard of any of these tools before."

I shook my head as I began cutting the steel tube. "A young boy like you shouldn't have to."

He nervously and slowly exhaled. "Dang, dude. They look kind of... scary."

"Really?" I was surprised by this. "How so?"

"I... I don't know," he said with a shiver. "I don't really know how to explain it. It's just... they're so otherworldly... so alien-looking," he then turned toward me. "Um, no offense."

"None taken," I said, polishing the steel barrel of the gun. "If it makes you feel better, you can think of them as cordless hole punchers."

He glanced over at what I had built so far. "Are they... dangerous?"

"Not if they're in the right han-...paws." I corrected.

The jackal carefully observed as I extracted springs from medical devices and welded them together. Next, I began crafting the stock trunnion, bolt piston, extractor, and gas tube. Later, I found an old tranquilizer pistol grip and foldable stock from the asylum's security room and combined that with the upper receiver. It was a lot of hard work putting the pieces together, but things started taking shape.

"So... which one are you building?" Cody asked.

I sighed, setting down the screwdriver. "Well, that's the problem, kid. Each weap-...tool, requires a specific list of materials, which we don't have. I've scoped every floor in this asylum. So I'm combining several schematics, downgrading their interiors to account for missing parts, and improvising the design as much as possible."

With all this crude scrap metal and the limited time we had, the best I could build was something less accurate than a Kalashnikov model... and perhaps more probable of jamming than a Vietnam-era rifle.

And it was true. Making a fully operational gun in Zootopia wasn't an easy task, especially when the designs originated from the human world. My world. In this world, the materials were weaker and more volatile. There were compatibility issues that kept coming up, some of which I could address while others I could not. Even the steel material on the barrel felt different in my hands while working with it. Regardless, I had to make it work. The result would still be more powerful than anything anyone in this world has ever forged.

"Is there any way I can help you? I'll do anything that gets us closer to my sister," he offered, seemingly unaware of what my plan entailed.

"Bullets," I said, holding up the empty magazine. "We need bullets."

"Bull-Itz?" Cody asked with a funny look. "Like that one cheese snack brand?"

"No," I chuckled, amused by the furry kid's apparent lack of knowledge pertaining to human warfare. "I'm talking about projectiles... for the cordless hole puncher."

"Oh, gotcha. I guess that makes sense," the jackal looked at the schematic again, still trying to understand it.

"And to power them, we need some nitrocellulose."

His ear pointed straight up. "Wait, nitro-what?"

"-cellulose," I finished, writing it down. "Nitrocellulose."

Cody scratched his head. "I'm sorry, dude... but I don't know what that stuff is. Can you tell me?"

"It's a mild explosive. Used as a projectile propellant."

The jackal placed a paw to his chin, thinking. "I don't know if we have that kind of stuff here in Zootopia."

"Are you familiar with flash cotton?" I asked.

The jackal nodded. "Yeah, I am, actually. I've seen it on shipping labels at my work."

I snapped my fingers in victory. "It's the same stuff."

"Oh, really? That's cool," Cody exclaimed. "I didn't know that."

I nodded. "Know where we can find some?"

"There's this one place-the only place I know of... and it's actually close by. It's where all the shipping labels come from-At least, I think that's where they grow all the cotton. I can take us there right now... if you'd like."

I set my tools and prototype gun down and gestured toward the door. "Show me."

"Hopefully they're still open," he crossed his fingers.

An hour later, we found out they were closed.

Sorry, we're closed.

That's what the wooden sign said hanging outside the wooden gate.

"Dammit," I cursed, pounding my fist against the door.

"Dude, please...You really need to stop swearing," the kid nervously advised. "It's not good for you."

I glared at the tiled ground, shaking my head as I pointed my finger at him. "Now's not the time, Cody."

We recently exited the Cliffside Asylum to visit an old shrine on a high mountaintop above the clouds. We were standing under a lonely peach tree, waiting to get inside. Though it was only a mile away and offered incredible landscape views, the annoyingly steep incline left us both tired and very short on time.

I was about to pound my fist again until the door creaked open. An elderly mammoth in a monk-like outfit was letting us in. Cody and I looked at each other and shrugged before entering.

The mammoth put his hooves together and bowed. Cody bowed, too, out of respect, but I didn't. The mammoth then walked off without saying a word.

"Okay... that was weird," I said, glancing around the mountain shrine.

We were in a tranquil place with mammals of all kinds, young and old. Not quite as big as Angkor Wat, but large enough to host a diverse community like Mystic Springs Oasis. Everyone here mostly had robes on and hardly spoke to one another, which I appreciated more than naked animals. Instead of waddling in mud, they congregated on straw mats and meditated in the shrine's various gardens.

"Now we just need to find the cotton."

Cody pointed across the lawn. "Maybe we can try that tower building over there."

I followed the jackal up the wooden steps of the monastery between the two lit torches, scooting past mammals who briefly took note of us before resuming their prayer gestures.

"Hey, kid. Sorry about what I said to you earlier," I apologized.

He looked up with slightly hurt eyes. "Nah, it's okay, dude. Don't sweat it. I totally understand."

I tried to lighten the mood. "Perhaps a swear jar is what I need."

Cody let out an innocent laugh. "Then I'd probably be the richest mammal in all of Zootopia."

I rolled my eyes. "Haha. Very funny, kid."

He smiled as he opened the double doors for us into the tower. We stepped into a medium vertical room with wooden floors, candles, incense burners, and altars. Above us was a square hole in the roof to allow the passage of air and sunlight. Below it was an enclosed garden containing a green patch with what appeared to be white cotton growing on it. I knew that was what we came here for.

However, the cotton was well protected by the elders and garden keepers. They were busy growing and treating it with nitric and sulfuric acid from their copper kettles. Ultimately, their plan was to use it to make fireworks for their upcoming ceremony.

As tempting as it was to run over there and grab a handful of cotton, I refrained from doing so, as I was above hurting or harming the elderly. Plus, there was someone else standing in the way.

He was a muscular gray snow leopard with yellow eyes, golden irises, two teeth sticking out of the bottom of his mouth, and whiskers shaped like a mustache. He also wore a purple robe and a black belt. In one paw, he held a wooden staff with burning incense smoke coming from the top, while in the other, he was sipping some tea.

"Hi, Mr. Lung," the jackal waved shyly, recognizing the snow leopard after bowing to him. "You probably don't remember me. It's me, Cody from PUPS. I used to pick up and deliver cotton orders from you a few months ago."

He took another sip of his tea and returned a slight bow. "Ah, yes, my favorite jackal delivery boy of the region. Good to see you!"

"This is my friend, Chenry," Cody introduced me.

The leopard gave a slight head bow. "Welcome to my tower, Mr. Chenry."

I didn't bow. Nor did I say anything. The Stratocracy bows to no one.

Slightly bothered, Cody continued. "We're sorry to come in during your after-hours, but my friend here could really use some of your flash cotton. It's super important."

I nodded in agreement.

"Sorry, boy. But our garden yields have suffered these days greatly," the leopard spoke, setting his tea on the table. "You've heard about the crisis happening in Zootopia, have you not? In trying times like these, we consider this cotton plant sacred, a valuable resource that need not be wasted on worldly trivialities. We need the fuel to keep our community warm and to celebrate our upcoming holy festivities with fireworks."

"So what's it gonna take?" I asked, annoyed. "A ritual duel between you and me?"

He held the tip of his staff close to my head and laughed. "If that's what you desire, then so be it. I'm aware of your impetuous reputation... and I'll accept your challenge."

"Great. And then you'll give me the flash cotton?"

"Just a small batch," he held up a finger. "But only if you can claim victory over me will you have earned it."

I crossed my arms. "What does that entail?"

"By putting me flat on my back into a pinning hold. Nice and simple. I'll only give you one chance. But I can assure you, my tail won't even touch the floor. Not even a strand."

I scoffed. "I can take you with my eyes closed."

Cody didn't seem to like where this was going. "Um... Chenry?"

Mr. Lung got into position. "Then come forward, young warrior. Have your resolution. Show me what you've got in the art of karate."

"What?" I lowered my fists. "I don't know karate."

Upon hearing this, he relaxed his stance. "Then I cannot duel you, for I am the headmaster of karate here and will tolerate no other form that would desecrate these sacred grounds."

"Well, that's just great," I said sarcastically.

The leopard gestured outside the door. "If you wish to learn karate, then I suggest you mingle with my former master's students. If you are willing, they can show you our ways."

I paced back and forth, wanting to tear my hair out. "I don't have time for this!"

"Return to me when you're ready," the leopard grandmaster said, signaling his shirtless guards to escort us out of his tower. "I'll be here, waiting for you."

Back outside again, we descended the sanctuary's stone steps into a meditation garden where all the martial arts students came to find peace.

"Are you really sure about this?" Cody asked, worried. "I mean, are you sure you wanna fight him? He's the headmaster of this place."

"You got any better ideas?"

"Well, no," he confessed, sitting on a log in deep thought. "But I can try thinking of something."

I shook my head. "There's no time, kid. Let's just find someone who knows karate."

"Well, we're in the right place," Cody gestured around the area. "Most everyone you see here knows karate."

I glanced around the vicinity, nearly bumping into a Corsac fox going up a flight of stairs into one of the temples. The young mammal wore a dark blue tunic with black bottoms and looked somewhat official. In addition to all the leg and arm wraps, I assumed those were indicators of experience and seasonality.

"What about him?" I quietly suggested to Cody, to which the Corsac fox overheard us and gave me a weird stare.

"That's a she," Cody corrected in a whisper. "And her name's Master Zhen," he gave her a friendly wave across the stairway, to which she responded with a satisfied nod. "But yeah, she specializes more in Kung Fu though, not karate."

"Okay then. What about that kid over there?" I pointed across the lawn between the two peach trees. A young gray and silver fox sat on the grass with his legs twisted into a pretzel, talking to himself as he meditated. At least he had regular civilian clothes on.

"Kristofferson?" the jackal also recognized him. "Yeah, he's pretty good—definitely knows karate. I think I delivered a new whack bat to him once."

I walked over to the meditating fox and crouched down to his level. "Hey, can you give me a quick karate lesson?"

He opened his eyes and nodded.

Moments later, the three of us found an empty patch of grass in the corner of the garden. As we stood in position, I reminded the fox we were in a hurry.

"OK. Normally, we start with some breathing exercises and such. Stand like this," Kristofferson stood with his paws clasped in front of him.

I mimicked this with my hands, trying to keep up with him as we went through the range of motions. Cody helped me out a little.

"This next part is mental," the silver fox said. "Position yourself on the balls of your feet," he stood lightly poised with his arms out.

I also mimicked this.

"Close your eyes," Kristofferson directed.

I closed my eyes.

"Let's review the principle agility techniques: jumping, flipping, landing," he demonstrated, repositioning himself.

I nearly fell over a few times trying to match the fox's flexibility. Karate was different from my preferred martial art. In the Stratocracy, we used Krav Maga on our enemies more. Even so, I was rusty with the basics.

"Now for a rudimentary version of the cyclone chop," the fox continued. "First, you need to get a running start. Then, as you arrive at the destination of the chop-" he demonstrated. "-lean and thrust into the point of contact, paw remains open and straight, then withdraw instantaneously. Remember, it's the pull-back that matters. The pull- " he illustrated. "-generates the force of the impact."

I attempted the karate move and sought feedback. "How's that?"

"Try it again," he said, repositioning my arm with his paws.

I reattempted, directing my energy at the wood plank, which broke it in half, albeit only partially, and leaving a splinter.

"Am I getting better?" I wondered.

He repositioned my arm again, fixing my stance. "Well, you're sure as cuss not getting any worse."

I sighed. "This is why I use pistols..."

"Technology is a means, not an end," a rat ninjutsu instructor spoke as he meditated near us. "It is you who must prevail in battle, not your weapon."

Tell that to my boot, I muttered.

"OK. Let's review the basic techniques," the young fox continued the lesson.

"No thanks," I said, realizing how late it was getting. "That's good enough."

"But you're not ready," he warned as I exited the garden.

"He's right," Cody agreed, tugging me to the side. "You've only got one chance against the headmaster."

I continued up the stone steps. "One chance is all I need."

***

After reaching the top of the shrine tower, I flung open the tower doors harder than I should have. I lowered my arms awkwardly. Despite this, I grabbed everyone's attention, including the snow leopard headmaster, who slowly turned around and smiled. He gave his staff to one of the elders and flung off his robe, revealing his muscular physique and loose-fitting pants.

"You've come too soon, my unworthy opponent," he declared, getting himself into a Zenkutsu Dachi stance with his paws ready. "Now we shall see what legends will speak of you."

I chose the Heiko Dachi stance.

Within a matter of seconds, many community members entered through the tower's doors to witness the legendary fight. The headmaster versus the alien. Torches were lit, a circle of spectators formed around my opponent and me, and the room's intensity increased dramatically. The atmosphere almost felt like an arena now.

"Let the challenge begin!" the mammoth tapped his staff on the ground.

The match started.

I thrust my leg up in the air as hard as I could and kicked the grandmaster right in the face. He fell flat on the floor.

The match was over.

The crowd gaped with awe before they chanted and cheered my name. Cody sighed in relief.

I stepped over the leopard's unconscious body and headed for the cotton garden. Along the way, I was bombarded with pats on my back, high fives-or in this case, high fours-and a collection of compliments.

"Impressive move!"

"Well done, warrior!"

"Huh... that was anticlimactic."

Naturally, my confidence was pretty high at that moment. Little did they know that I actually spiked the grandmaster's tea.

I grabbed three handfuls of cotton and headed for the door. The jackal kid proudly waited on the other side.

At last, we got the nitrocellulose we needed.

"Alright, let's get the hell out of here," I said as we descended the tower steps.

Cody cleared his throat, holding out his paw.

"Right," I slipped him a quarter. "Let's go."

We exited the mountain shrine, walked through the meadowlands valley, and returned to the Cliffside Asylum to finish building that 'cordless hole puncher.' The prototype was in the same spot I had left it. All I had to do now was make bullets.

The process proved to be a pain.

I tore away the asylum's brass and copper pipes to forge projectile casings. Next, I extracted lead and other valuable elements from the anesthesia machines before configuring the double-based propellants. Then I went into the abandoned pharmacy to pull all the nitroglycerin vials off the shelf. Cody grew uneasy with the chemicals' smell, so I played music to quell his anxiety and distract him. I was hammering away and grinding crude materials together for the next hour. Finally, I combined the compounds with the cellulose cotton and sealed them behind the primer.

I brushed my hands together and let out a tired sigh.

The bullets were now ready. At least, I hoped they were.

I went outside onto the asylum patio and loaded a clip into the magazine. Next, I inserted it into the gun and racked the slide back, preparing to fire a couple of test rounds. Then, adjusting the iron sites, I switched off the safety and aimed the gun into the lake.

However, I hesitated to pull the trigger when I saw Cody standing in the doorway. He was curious about what I had created.

Shaking my thoughts, I fired the first shot. The recoil kicked hard into my shoulder, unlike my former sci-fi weapons, and I could feel the raw power as the bullet casing hit the ground. A tiny splash in the distance indicated that a projectile successfully exited the barrel. It actually worked!

I tested a few more rounds. The gun's accuracy suffered greatly beyond 100 yards, yet that didn't matter to me. The climate wall interiors ought to be CQB anyway.

Feeling content and ready to take down those razorbacks, I slung the rifle over my back and walked back inside the asylum.

Poor Cody heard the gunshots and hugged his tail in fright. His mind didn't seem to know how to register it. Perhaps I should've said something to him? I decided not to. Instead, I patted him on the shoulder and walked past him to gear up for battle.

I made some tactical pouches and fitted them over my armor. In the past, my armor and weapons were all integrated into one system-nano blades, plasma ammunition, and power cells-being summonable on command. Such wasn't the case anymore. I had to improvise once again- using my sci-fi armor merely as a defensive uniform while using my hand-made rifle as the new solution to extend my offensive capabilities. This resulted in the necessity to carry additional magazines on my body, including a tactical knife, backup pistol, explosive rounds, and tool kits.

It was like mixing old-fashioned with sci-fi. Old with new. Tacky and tactical at the same time. Maybe groovy. Either way, I had to make it work.

Cody and I left the Cliffside Asylum, somewhat glad we'd never have to return there again. I was okay with it for the most part; in fact, it was my favorite place to work in secret, yet Cody couldn't stand being in a room for more than five minutes alone. It was kind of annoying at times, but I tried to be understanding. After all, he was a good kid who helped me out tremendously.

Using an abandoned ambulance we hot-wired, we traveled back to Rainforest District as far as we could—as far as the roads would take us. I taught Cody how to drive so I could ride in the back seat to avoid public detection. My new appearance was somewhat controversial and needed to be kept a secret. The last thing we needed was to draw attention to ourselves, for we couldn't let the razorbacks know we were coming—that I was coming after them.

We drove down the South Canyon road, through the Ficus Underpass, and out Acacia Alley.

Upon arriving at the edge of the service tunnel connecting the meadowlands to the rainforest, we had to make an abrupt stop. The highway was still intact, except it was littered with piles of broken tree branches and canopies, almost as if a hurricane had passed through. We peeked out the window to see that Rainforest District had significantly changed since our last visit.

The water levels had risen immensely, and the sprinkler systems made to produce artificial rain were still running, reminiscent of those from the Palm Hotel.

We got out of the car and started walking, climbing over the wood, tree trunks, and debris scattered along the roadway. Fortunately, we were not far from the secret door we found earlier—the one leading inside the climate wall. According to Cody's phone, it was less than a mile away.

One section of the road became unstable under the rumbling and roaring waterfall, so I tied a rope to the edge of the railing for us to rappel down. Unfortunately, Cody was afraid of heights. He held tightly around my neck, nearly choking me on accident as we descended into the misty valley. Thankfully, our paws and boots touched the ground before I turned too blue.

We found the same tree growing up the climate wall and climbed until we reached the isolated canopy. The industrial door was still visible and accessible, only covered in a few fallen branches, but nothing too concerning. We still had a clear way in, assuming I could break the locks.

"Cover your ears, kid."

He did so immediately, keeping his eyes tightly closed.

I racked the gun slide back and took aim at the door. As soon as the sound of lightning filled the air, I pulled the trigger and fired three consecutive rounds. One for the latch and two for the hinges.

With the door partly damaged, I ran up to it at full speed and kicked it down hard, causing it to flop on the ground and stir up a dust cloud. The opening was pitch black. I activated my tactical flashlight, expecting someone to be setting up a trap, and kept my gun aimed. After a few seconds of sweeping the dark entryway, it was declared clear.

"Stay here, kid." I put my hand in front of him. "You'll be safe here."

"I can help you," the jackal said, trying to scoot past. "Please, let me help you."

I shook my head, handing him a spare radio instead. "I need someone on the outside I can trust."

Reluctantly, he accepted the device, cradling it with both his paws. "Are... Are you sure?"

I looked him in the eyes. "Positive."

He wanted to protest, but I held him firmly in place by the shoulders, letting him know I was being serious. One kid was already enough to worry about in the climate walls.

"Here, take this," I gave the jackal my ZPD badge. "If anyone suspicious tries to come by, you show them this badge. Make them think you're with the ZPD."

Cody flipped open the badge and looked at my photo ID. He then shook his head. "Dude, I don't think this'll work. I'm not 7'3"."

"Yes, it will," I begged to differ. "Just do your best."

After taking a deep breath, he finally gave in. "Okay..."

I slung my gun back and headed into the darkness. Time to put an end to this.

"Please... make sure my sister's okay," the jackal pleaded from behind. "Bring her back home safely."

I nodded, disappearing into the climate walls. "You have my word."

But those razorbacks wouldn't be so lucky. I intended to make them pay for all the calamities they've wrought upon the city of Zootopia, even if that meant killing them. The hunt was on.