Zootopia: Parallel lines

Chapter 1: Voyeur

2 years before the Savage case.

The sun was set high in the sky, the cool breeze of the morning soared over the shinning buildings and sky scrapers below. The weather was always good and pleasant during summer at this hour of the day. Except if you were one of the many animals that lived in Zootopia, the chaotic city was always moving. The sound of Cars of many sizes and the magical symphony of thousands of animals talking and yelling. It doesn't matter if it was winter at 5 am or summer at 6pm. You could find any kind of animal doing any kind of thing, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, from a street vendor selling oddities and trinkets to bankers and elite business executives, from prey to predator. It was Zootopia after all, you can be anything. The city was alive.

It was a busy day, Monday 10 am. Every animal was rushing and running to arrive on time to their jobs or tasks. In a big city like Zootopia, you need a lot of gears and cogs to keep the metropolis up and running. One of these gears was the FBI Central Headquarters, which was located at the center of the city, downtown.

The Building was a large structure, mirror glass covering every wall and a modest amount of green areas surrounding it, the building raised from the ground up to 80 stories tall. It was an impressive view to any animal passing by.

At the entrance of the building, in a chair that was at the edge of the lobby, a female artic fox was waiting patiently. "Special Agent Vivian Carter" was displayed on her ID strapped to her belt. Her fur was white as Ivory except for the black tips of her ears and tail, her frame was slim and elegant, wide hips and noticeable chest. The Vixen was quite beautiful but what shined above all her features where her eyes. Two piercing ice blue orbs that seemed to shine with the sun light. Her gaze was something many animals adore, and many others fear.

Vivian was starting to feel impatient. Scrolling through her phone, playing with the zipper of her grey coat, counting how many titles were on the floor, double checking the documents she was holding. Her patience was being tested. Every now and then she took a quick glimpse at her wrist watch, only to be hit by the reality that only 30 seconds have passed since she last checked the time.

"Where the hell is she?" said to herself. She was about to make a call on her smart phone when the animal she was waiting for appeared at the sliding doors in front of her. A tall Female wolf stepped in. This Wolf was Black as the night, her ears rosed high with pointy tips. A serious face combined with a long and solid muzzle make her look menacing. The hairs on the back of her head and neck were thick enough to form a wavy mane. And her most menacing and breath-taking feature, a pair of big amber eyes. Her gaze only say one thing, death. She was a mix of beauty and danger. No doubt why she was the chief in command of this agency.

Samantha Varkkas, her name was enough to send a wave of shivers to every criminal, or whoever stands in her way, FBI staff included. Every animal respected and feared her…except for this little white fox which jumped off her seat and followed without hesitation.

"Sam! Hey wait!" said Vivian while the wolf just kept walking towards the elevator without even looking at her.

"Morning, Vivian" said Samantha with a tone of discomfort in her voice. The Vixen managed to keep with the wolf pace.

"Morning…..So, did you reconsider what I said yesterday?" Carter asked with a hint of desperation.

Samantha hearing this just sighed. "Again with this, Vivian?" replied, a little annoyed by the sudden question.

Samantha pressed the elevator button. It was on the 55th floor so it will take a couple of minutes. She took a long breath and mentally prepared herself for the upcoming conversation.

"Aww come on! Just answer the question, Sam." Said Vivian.

"How many times in a single week I have to tell you? IM NOT INTERESTED." Said the wolf.

"But Sam! This is our guy! He is extremely talented!" Replied in defense.

"For the last time, NO! How many times do we have to go through this? It has been 2 years and you just keep talking about this guy….Frank? Jim? Whatever his name is."

The doors made an audible chime and opened. The elevator was spacious and as the rest of the building, it was made of glass giving a 360° view. Samantha stepped in followed by Vivian. In a fast and almost monotonous move Samantha pressed the "78" button and the doors closed. The small room quickly started to ascend.

"His name is Nick. Nick Wilde for your information." Vivian corrected her fellow boss.

"Whatever, He is just another delinquent with cheap card tricks and fast hands"

"You know that's not true. He is a Con-artist, one of the best out there. I´ve been watching him for…a while, and I know that he has the qualifications and potential to be a great acquisition. Here, take a look." Explained the vixen while shuffling the bunch of documents she was carrying. Finally finding the desired document she restrained the paper in the face of Samantha "Look! He was able to fool the Blazers leader. Fooling him completely by selling him a bunch of junk which he thought were car parts, earning at least 8000 bucks in the process. 8000 for selling a bunch of old boxes!" The fox said excitedly.

Samantha, Lowered the sheet of paper with her paw.

"I don't care if he fooled a gang leader. He is still a cheap con artist, Vivian, and he is NOT qualified for the job"

The room chimed again indicating they have reached their floor. When the door opened they were greeted by what it seemed to be a tiny city inside the building, the FBI HQ. Animals walked here and there, phones ringing, printers and scanners working endlessly. It was like the inside of an ant hill, every animal made something different that made possible other animal´s job. The combinations of all these actions made possible the total security of zootopia in a deeper level. Something that even the ZPD can't do.

Samantha made her way through all of the staff and agents with Vivian at her tail, but the stubborn fox didn't stop talking about the same subject. Which made the wolf visibly annoyed.

Samantha office was a big room that was above all the cubicles and desks. Some large and slick glass stairs connected her office with the lower level. It showed that she has authority to all the staff.

Climbing the stairs with the non-stop talking fox behind, she opened the door and felt a little relieved of seeing her familiar work space. Her office was her sanctuary, her second home.

The office was the opposite of modest, it was big and spacious. 2 of the walls were adorned with photos, medals and alike. Some sofas and a coffee desk in one corner, a flat screen in the opposite corner and a big glass desk was placed in the middle of the room with a high end black chair (which looked as comfy as a bed). But the cherry on the cake, was the BIG window that was behind. All the wall was the window, giving a gorgeous look of the city.

The sight of her chair made Samantha smile with relief, only for being interrupted by Vivian which passed through her legs and stood in front of her.

"Are you even listening to me?" Vivian Asked slightly displeased by the lack of interest of the wolf.

"I stopped listening 5 minutes ago" Replied Samantha. Closing the door behind her and heading towards her chair.

"Come on Sam! This guy is perfect!" pleaded the white vixen.

Sitting on her chair and getting comfortable, Samantha gave her a devious grin "My my, it seems that you are falling for him, don't you? Otherwise you wouldn´t be bothering me every day with this"

Vivian went red. She could feel her cheeks heating up. "What?! Me? Falling for him? Pfff nonsense." she replied quickly. Sure, she finds Nick Wilde quite handsome and she might have downloaded a couple of pictures of him in swimsuit outfit from his Furface account and…nah who is she trying to fool? She finds him very attractive but she has to keep that to herself and be professional. Or at least it what she think she´s doing.

"Vivian, I know you since our days on the academy. You are OBSESSED with this fox" chuckled Samantha.

"Im not obsessed. And by that fact that you know me, I know you. Sooooo I know how you feel towards Agent James, It would be a shame if he misses this information don't you think?" Vivian said almost singing the whole phrase.

"Oh hohoho, you are playing with fire here, V." Samantha said almost with a menacing tone

Both of them laughed in unison. It was no secret that Vivian and Samantha were close friends. It was in the days of their training where they met. They were only rookies back then, slowly climbing to be the best. They saw each other as rivals but at the end of the day they became friends from the beginning. It was inevitable but Samantha was the number 1 in everything due her courage and strength. Vivian at the other hand was always the second, but that didn't let her down.

When the laugh died they stood in silence for a moment before Samantha spoke.

"Vivian. Seriously, I need you to focus. Please forget this Nick Wilde once and for all. Your job is to find potential animals that can aid us. Hackers, lawyers, you know the thing. We need this people and your job is to find and bring them. I'm telling you this as your boss and your friend. I´d hate to replace you, V." Samantha said with a serious and concerned tone. She was indeed concerned about this "obsession" her friend suffer.

The vixen just gave up and sighed heavily "Ok, you win. I'll stop…"

"Thank you, V…Now get back to work!" yelled the wolf.

With a smile, Vivian just chuckled "Yes ma'am!" replied with an exaggerated salute. Exciting the office.

Just a moment after closing the door with a grin on her face she spoke to herself

"Sure, I'll give up…in your dreams, Sam."

With that she went to her office in the lower level. Spying the Con-artist again through the screen of a computer, waiting for him to make something that could convince her friend to recruit him once and for all.

4 years later

The evening was lovely in tundra town. The cold atmosphere gave the oddly sensation of the need to embrace your partner and to seek warmth. It was a popular place among lovers. That's why it was also a very popular place for the best restaurants and jewelry stores. It was a win win for everyone. You could take your date for dinner to a fancy restaurant and after that what is better way to satisfy your mate but with a nice gift? Maybe a gold ring or a diamond could do the trick.

One of the finest jewelry stores of all was the Goldenheart Jewelry. Only the elites buy their fancy metal there. From pop stars to politicians. It was a spotlight for sure.

The building was quite impressive. The Russian like structure stood in a corner of a very transited avenue. With large windows, golden details all over the place and a pleasant lighting.

The security however, wasn't exactly good. Because this place was so popular and visible that vandalism and crime in general was alien near the store. The Security guards were well aware of this fact, giving them the chance to sit back and take a nap because, who would be stupid enough to steal from this store?

Inside the store, all sort of animals where browsing and admiring the craftsmanship of the many jewelry items. Rings, Necklaces, Watches, Rubies, you could go on and on, the place was an oasis for luxury.

Near a display, a rabbit with a long white coat was watching some of the collars on a display. A staff employee which was a lioness, caught the potential customer and rushed to provide her some information about the items shown.

"Is there something that caught your eye, miss? We have plenty of designs aside from those." The lioness said with a sweet voice.

"No thanks, only watching" Replied the rabbit with a rude tone.

The lioness felt the response and simply turn around and left the customer be. Not everyone was in the mood while browsing these goods, though to herself.

The lioness spotted another potential customer. This time, a fox with black shades and a black jacket. He was eyeing some rings lazily.

The lioness again, focused on doing her job, spoke to the fox.

"Good evening sir, May I help you with something? You seem to be interested in our spring collection of rings, I may suggest you other designs if you wish"

The fox didn't turn his gaze and simply replied "No thanks sweetheart, Just checking."

Again, the lioness was surprised by the way this customer cut her. Two negative customers in a row. "Today's not my day" she thought to herself. And with that she returned to her post beside a ring display.

It was odd. The rabbit and the Fox just kept lollygagging, not doing anything in particular, it was like they were waiting for someone or something, "should I call security?" The lioness thought for a second. She was about to call the security manager when a commotion outside the building caught her attention.

A Black van suddenly halted in front of the door, making the wheels scream in protest of such violent stop. Suddenly the back doors of the vehicle slammed open and 4 large animals rushed towards the door. 2 Bulls, a wolf and a tiger. They were all dressed in black with tactical vests and gas masks, and the worst part, they were armed with shotguns.

It was too fast, they opened the door and immediately knocked down the 2 wolf guards with the butt of their guns. And before anyone could react, the tiger shot to the ceiling with his gun. A loud BANG made everyone scream and seek for shelter.

"NOBODY MOVE!" yelled the tiger, pointing his gun to the Armadillo manager which was behind a counter. "DON'T YOU DARE TO SET THE ALARM OR I'LL BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF!" and with that order, the manager just froze.

The 2 bulls started hunting down for anyone that wanted to play the hero. They just pointed the gun at whoever stood up and yell to stay on the ground. With a shotgun in game, it worked like a charm.

Meanwhile the wolf was breaking the displays and grabbing all the goods as fast as he could. And he was fast.

The employees and customers were terrified. Frozen in place and begging for mercy. The two bulls where very cautious and did their job very efficiently.

One of them spotted someone that didn't drop to the ground, a rabbit, she was facing one display giving her back to the bull.

"Hey you! Yes you, rabbit! On the ground or I'll use your fur as a scarf!" Yelled the bull, but the rabbit was not even responding.

"I'm talking to you!" He stepped closer. He was about to grab her shoulder when suddenly the rabbit spun around at a tremendous speed with a taser gun in her hand. "Good night" replied the bunny girl. The bull wasn't able to do anything when two cables flew from the gun to his chest, yelping in pain and falling to the ground unconscious with an audible thud.

The other 3 thugs turn their heads to their fallen comrade. What they say made their blood turn cold. A full sized bull was taken down by a rabbit, but not any rabbit. The Rabbit dropped her white coat revealing a Police uniform. And it was not any bunny cop, it was THE BUNNY COP every criminal feared, Judy Hopps.

With this, the other bull panicked and pointed his gun at her. But suddenly, he felt all his limbs turn heavy. Lowering his gaze to his body, he spotted a dart that was stuck in his arm. And soon after, he couldn´t stand by himself anymore. With a loud thud he was on the ground as well.

The other two thugs turned their heads to the other side only to find a fox wielding a dart gun.

"Not so fast, buddy" replied the fox with a mockery tone.

The robbers then realized something, the dart gun had two barrels. And two barrels meant two darts. So the fox had another one already loaded.

The Wolf tried his best to aim his gun at him but the fox was faster and managed to shoot the last dart directly to the wolf's nose. In a split second the wolf was down.

Finally the tiger decided to do what was the best for him. RUN!

"Screw it!" said the Tiger.

He threw the shotgun and ran towards the main entrance. But he forgot about something, rabbits are damn fast.

"Stop right there!" The bunny yelled. And with that she sprung and ran towards the last burglar.

The tiger didn't stand a chance because he was so focused on opening the door that he didn't realize that the bunny somehow managed to cut the distance between him and his fallen companion, and in a blink of an eye, the only thing he could see was a pair of fuzzy feet connecting to his face with a force of a big league player.

With that, all the four Robbers where down.

"Nice kick there, carrots. Remind me to never upset you" said the fox.

The bunny in question just chuckled "You better keep your word, nick. And nice aim by the way" Pointing the two unconscious animals with darts strapped to their bodies.

"I never miss. We better call backup, I hate cleaning up our mess" replied the fox with a dry laugh while Judy called for their fellow officers to aid them with the "clean up".

30 minutes later.

The Scene was chaotic, the once peaceful store that was full of rich customers spending their cash on luxuries now lay surrounded by a small army of cops. The street nearby was closed with a yellow tape displaying "ZPD" and some officers re-directing the incoming traffic of vehicles.

The ZNN was on the scene as well, covering the recent accomplishment of their beloved city police department.

The ZPD made a small perimeter around the scene. A large blue van was parked with its back doors wide open ready to receive 4 criminals now, handcuffed and immobilized.

The one directing the orchestra was a large and tall water Buffalo, his name was well known around the city, chief Bogo. Big, Strong and aggressive. His methods were always rough but surprisingly effective.

The buffalo was making sure all the evidence was collected and analyzed by his officers. Sighing heavily with relieve while taking a killing gaze to one of the bulls that was arrested, making said bull tremble in fear, chuckling to himself in the process.

He was glad that this was over because it has been months since this small gang of animals were causing trouble. Well timed and effective robberies of all kinds all over a city. They could never catch these criminals no matter what they do, he was about to ask for help to what he hates most, the FBI. But he realized that the solution laid in his very precinct. His ace under the sleeve, a Bunny and a Fox.

He hated to admit it but the truth was in plain sight. Since the famous Savage case 2 years ago, officer Judy Hopps became one of the best cops the city had, and also, the best he have ever seen all over his career. She was brave and full of enthusiasm, something that lacked many cops these days. Also she was stubborn and thick headed but sometimes this is what it's needed. And that was proven to him many times before.

He also knew that she couldn't do all the work alone. She would need a partner, and said partner was a good looking fox, Officer Nick Wilde. Bogo hated this fox to the bone due his attitude and his peculiar issue with following the law (not to mention his past as a con artist) but he had to admit it, this fox was a good cop. He knew every goon and crook of the city. He knew exactly where to find what you needed. The fox also could think as a criminal and give the ZPD a valuable edge. But what make Nick Wilde a valuable asset to the ZPD, and was the reason why Bogo didn't kill him, was his ability to blend in and go undercover. He was invisible and he knew it, giving him a powerful weapon to rely on.

Both of them, Nick and Judy, were the secret weapon of Bogo. Case after case, these two somehow always solve them. Robberies, kidnapping, gangs, mafias, and the list went on and on. They were practically invincible.

And as much as he hated it, Wilde was the star tonight. He managed to track down the robbers and successfully guess their next target in only 2 days! Amazing was the only thing he could think of. Indeed, it was amazing how a rabbit and a fox could do so much.

The red fox was leaning lazily over a car while his Bunny friend sat over the hood beside him, chatting and laughing over their recent victory.

"Again, Good job you two. Next time, leave something for the rest of the boys" the buffalo said with a heavy voice.

"Thank you, sir! We are just doing our job!" Replied Judy with excitement.

"And for our payment, carrots. Don't forget that" Said Nick with a joking tone.

Judy laughed and elbowed him playfully.

"Anyways, You earnt yourself some time. You got tomorrow for free…..But I want you early the day after, do you hear me!" The buffalo commanded. "Enjoy yourselves." And with that, he turned and continued to attend all the paperwork and the TV reporter that was begging for an interview.

"Woah, if that´s his happy side, I can't imagine his bad side" Nick commented with a sarcastic tone.

"Oh let him be. He is a great man…just a little rough"

"So, what are you planning for tomorrow?" Asked Judy, almost knowing what his friend will say.

"Mhmm, there is a new coffee shop opening in sahara square, just beside the library in sixth avenue. Wanna come? Coffee´s on me this time" Replied the fox with his characteristic smirk and rised brow.

"Sounds nice! It's a plan then!...wait you? Paying? Who are you and what you did with nick?!" Judy said jokingly.

"What? I can be a total gentlemen sometimes. But not tonight, dinner's on you."

"JA! Classic of you, Nick."

The two of them have this routine. After work, they eat together at the same place for the past 2 years. The bar & restaurant they frequented was called "Draken´s B & B". So much that they always sit on the same table. The restaurant was modest but was famous around the officers of the ZPD. The police force loved this place because it was big enough but comfortable for all kind of animals. They served food for both, predator and prey, and the best part (at least for Nick) was the top quality beer.

Nick didn't fell in love with the place as fast as Judy did. It was like replacing his bar of choice. But time gave him the chance and at the end, it became his favorite place as well. And tonight, wasn't so different as the previous ones. The duo deserved a well earnt meal and beer.

Meanwhile, that same night at the exact same time

The FBI Chief in command office was now a small base of operations. 3 Agents, a Polar bear, a lynx and a gazelle were carefully listening the instructions of the wolf in front of them. They were planning a meticulous and delicate operation. Samantha Varkkas spent the last 3 days gathering information and planning a strike to take down a notorious gang of robbers.

She was visibly tired, exhausted and frustrated. The only thing she wanted was to end this however she could.

This case wasn't easy, these guys were stealthy and they knew how to hide. The analyst's predicted that the next possible target of the gang could be a jewelry store in tundra town. They didn't know which exactly but it was the best shot the FBI have.

"Connors, I want your team ready to strike at the east side of tundra town" Commanded Samantha. The lynx just nodded.

"Hoffman, your team is going to be undercover in the main plaza you hear? I want them ready for action" The big bear just nodded as well in agreement.

"Williams, your team is sticking with the north of tundra town." The gazelle replied a simple "Yes ma ´am."

Samantha was walking side to side behind her desk, she was nervous. This was their only chance and she won´t fail.

"Ok gentlemen, we only have one shot, one night, do you understand? If any one of you messes up this one I'll make sure you won't be able to walk again!...Now, The routes we have to cover are-" Before the wolf could finish, the door opened and a White fox walked in without caring at the 4 gazes that were thrown to her.

"Carter, Get back to your post, I need you to keep me informed abou-" Again, before she could finish she was cut by Vivian.

"That won't be necessary. Boys, you can leave" With that, the 3 agents looked at each other with a nervous look.

"Vivian! What the hell are you trying to-" For the 3rth time in a row, Vivian cut her speech turning on the TV that was behind them.

The TV came to life and quickly the news broadcast was displayed. A Female snow leopard spoke.

"Breaking news; Chaos in tundra town this evening. 4 masked animals made an attempt on robbing a notorious Jewelry shop but their plans were cut off by two brave Officers of the ZPD. Officer Judy Hopps and Officer Nick Wilde successfully arrested the attackers while being undercover. Reports say that the 4 robbers were the responsible for the last 6 strikes of the previous months. Chief Bogo confirms that there were no casualties and the burglars will have to deal consequences. And once again, the Cop duo, the fox and the rabbit, do it again. Now in other new-" The TV suddenly was shut down by the white fox.

Samantha just stood there dumb folded with her mouth open. Her look of disbelief made Vivian smile as never before. Meanwhile, the 3 present agents looked at her boss with a nervous hesitant view.

"Leave" Samantha just replied. Without doubt the 3 agents ran out of the office in fear of being scorched by the anger of Samantha.

Vivian, smiling side to side sat in the chair that was in front of Samantha's desk. "Didn't I tell you, Sam?"

Samantha sat in char, letting herself fall on the seat. Bringing a paw to her forehead and sighing heavily. She couldn't believe it. She worked herself to death for the past 3 days only for being shut down by a cop. Not any cop, it was the GUY Vivian kept bothering her with for years. The smile on her friend´s face didn't help it either but she had to admit, she WAS right.

"Ok, give me those documents. Ill check this guy" Said Samantha with an angry tone

"Here ya go" Vivian replied with a cheerful voice handing her some documents. Only to annoy her wolf friend even more.

Without any moment to lose, Samantha eyed as quickly as possible the document she was holding. Nicholas P. Wilde was on labeled on the top of the paper. There was a well detailed resume of the fox latest achievements, the word: "Savage Case" was underlined with a red marker, courtesy of Vivian´s hand. Indeed was impressive, but what impressed her the most was that this fox took the down the case SHE was supposed to solve. Then something caught her eye, this rabbit, It was mentioned in all the cases, Juddy Hopps, the partner of the fox.

"What about the rabbit?" Asked her white friend

"Oh, her? Nah, forget about her" Vivian said waving her hand as if it was nothing.

"Are you sure? These reports mention her. "Your" reports here say that she did most of the job on these cases" Samantha was genuinely curious about this.

"Im 100% sure, Hopps is a cop, a good one. But that's just it, she´s a cop from the heart, nothing more. Protect and serve is what she does. They just follow orders. Nick in the other hand. He is an Intel guy. He tracked down YOUR thieves before…well, you."

With that, Samantha gave one las look at the documents and gave another heavy sigh.

"OK, Vivian. You win…You have authorization to recruit him"

Those words were like honey for Vivian´s fuzzy ears. Without thinking it she jumped and threw a fist to the air accompanied by a "Woooohoooooo!" and after that she made some sort of victory dance.

Samantha didn't want to admit but her friend reaction was adorable and hilarious. But she had something else to say.

"BUT! I want you to keep this as secret as possible. I don't want any trouble with the ZPD or Bogo you hear? I don't want to go through that legal crap again" Explained Samantha, remembering a peculiar "conversation" she had with Bogo years ago.

"I got it covered, Sam! Don't worry! I've been preparing for this moment for a long time so I got this." Replied Vivian with a cheerful voice.

"All right then, tomorrow you'll hunt down Wilde. Ill assign agent O'Neal to you. And please, keep this as secret as possible"

Vivian just nodded a little way more that she wanted but that was it. She excited her office and the moment she stepped out of the room, she gave another "Woohooo!" and the odd dance again. Samantha couldn´t help but chuckle. Eyeing one last time the documents of this Nick Wilde, "Let's see what you have to offer Mister Wilde" muttered to herself.

The next morning Agent Vivian Carter and Agent Jason O´Neal were waiting patiently inside a black van parked beside an alley in sahara square. The driver, agent Jason O´Neal, a Buck. Was eyeing the crowds searching for the objective.

"Are you sure our guy is going to show up?" Asked Jason skeptically.

"Oh I'm 100% positive, my sources never fail me" Replied Vivian which was in the passenger seat, wearing a pair of black shades.

It was a matter of minutes when the Fox in question showed up, walking on the street ahead. He was being accompanied by a rabbit. It was obvious for Vivian at this point.

"That's our guy? Yuck, look at that hideous green shirt" The Buck said.

"Yup, that's our guy" Vivian smiled while never leaving he sight off him.

"So, what's the plan?" Jason asked, waiting for instructions

"Just follow them for now. We don't want them to spot us"

The two agents kept their gazes on the fox and the rabbit. Watching closely from the shadows.