"Come on, Nick! You're a fox, and I'm a bunny. How hard could it be to beat me?"

That was what started the bet.

The loser gave up ten dollars, and the winner got to brag to the entire ZPD. While Nick was still debating whether or not to use this particular privilege when he won, he didn't mind making an easy ten bucks. Well, easy would be embellishing it a little bit.

Nick knew that Judy had been Valedictorian of her class; you don't get there from skipping gym class. However, Nick had been highly-ranked in his class as well – one of the reasons they were such a great cop duo – so he felt confident taking on Judy. He knew that underestimating her would be a grave mistake, but he didn't overestimate her as well.

"I mean, come on. It's a friendly bet between you and your best friend – and spouse for that matter – that will have no permanently harmful repercussions. Right? All you have to do is beat Judy in three rounds of close quarters combat, and then you win the ten bucks! Easy! Like she said, you're a fox, and she's a bunny. You're twice as tall as her, for crying out loud!" Nick's mind repeatedly told Nick as the couple drove to the ZPD. The gym there was designed for larger animals – Nick and Judy having joined the force long after the gym was built – but since the couple's two and a half years of being on the force, there have been some small changes.

"Hey, guys!" Clawhauser greeted as the two, lightly-dressed cops walked into the building. "I thought you two had the day off?"

Judy smiled. "We do. Nick and I just wanted to get a little exercise."

Nick rolled his eyes behind her back, signaling to the cheetah that Judy's sentence was a lie. Clawhauser smiled nonetheless.

"Alright. You two have fun!" he said as Nick and Judy walked down the hall. Nick gave the cheetah a small wave as the two cops rounded the corner.

After a few hallways, two left turns, and a right, Nick and Judy finally arrived at the somewhat-foreboding entrance to the gym. The two ten-foot doors towered over the small mammals, each large, gray mass harboring one window too high for the fox and bunny to reach. Judy quickly opened the massive doors and hopped inside; Nick slightly hesitated before joining his bunny.

The room was large – about five meters wide and six meters long – and filled with gym equipment too big for Nick and Judy. Large punching bags hung heavily from the twelve-foot ceiling. Barbels weighing close to a ton were placed on a rack to the far left of the room. Different weight-lifting stations littered the room, giving an impression of an exercise-based jungle. Towards the right corner of the far wall was a small area that had been recently made out for smaller mammals such as Nick and Judy. As of right now, the section only held one station for bench-pressing and a small punching bag; with Nick and Judy being the only mammals of their size on the force as of yet, there hasn't been any need for a lot of new equipment. Near the middle of the room was a large square stage. Six-foot-long rubber ropes connected to the four poles in each corner, making up the ZPD's local boxing ring.

The two cops quickly made their way through the towering exercise stations and towards the giant boxing ring.

"Don't we need equipment, Carrots?" Nick asked, referring to the two pairs of boxing gloves sized specifically for the two mammals.

Judy shook her head as she happily bounced around a large bench-press station. "I thought we'd go paw-to-paw. You know, to make it interesting."

Nick's brows lowered in confusion as he smirked at his bunny. "How long have you been planning this?"

Judy smiled over her shoulder at her fox, a mischievous look in her eyes. "Ever since you brought up that "soft" comment again. Remember that grocery store robbery a few weeks ago?"

Nick chuckled. "Oh yeah," he said as memories flooded his mind, "I remember. You were having trouble taking down the wolf."

"You took on the raccoon! Who else was I supposed to arrest?" Judy was now turned towards Nick, walking backward as she scolded the snarky predator.

"You could've helped me," Nick responded, a look of mock hurt on his muzzle. "That raccoon was a really tough animal to beat."

Judy scoffed as she turned back around. "Oh, the raccoon was tough to beat!" she repeated incredulously.

Nick nodded, a complimentary "Mm-hm!" sounding in his throat. "I'm glad you see it my way, Carrots," he remarked.

"You're going to pay for that," Judy said deviously; Nick shrugged defensively, but made no further comment.

The fox and bunny finally reached the boxing ring. The stage was raised about two feet, a somewhat easy climb for the two mammals. They moved to the center of the ring, giving them plenty of space to move around.

"Alright Nick, are you ready?" Judy asked as she stretched.

"No," the fox replied simply. "Are you?"

Judy gave her fox a smug smirk. "I've been ready, Nick."

Judy took the fundamental stance she had learned back in the academy – paws up in front of the chest and legs apart. Nick rolled his eyes and took the same stance.

"Any rules before we begin, Carrots?" Nick asked as the two mammals began circling each other.

Judy shrugged, a smug grin on her face. "We fight three rounds. Best two out of three."

"What, might I ask, defines a 'round'?" Nick asked, returning his bunny's smirk.

"A round is over whenever I manage to take you to the ground," was her reply.

Nick chuckled. "Oh really? Are all bunnies this modest, or is it just -"

Without warning, Judy swung her leg around, tripping the fox. He fell onto his back with a thud as the air was knocked from his lungs.

"Bunny, one. Fox, zero," Judy said as she stood over her fox. She had the snarkiest smile on her muzzle.

Nick scowled as he picked himself up. "That was a lucky shot, Carrots," he said as he stretched out the pain.

Judy chuckled as she and Nick prepared for the next round. She noticed the look of determination in Nick's eyes; he wasn't going to be caught off guard again.

Judy allowed Nick to throw the first punch. And throw the first punch he did.

Nick brought his right paw around, but as Judy blocked his punch, he quickly jabbed at her with his left paw. He barely clipped her shoulder, but it was enough to take her by surprise and throw her balance off. Nick took the opportunity to bring his knee up to her chest. The bunny blocked with her paws, but the force was enough to push Judy back a step.

Judy placed her right foot behind her, locking her balance in place. As Nick finished his kick, Judy launched a barrage of short jabs at her fox. He only managed to block a few punches while the rest landed on his chest. As Nick staggered backward a few steps and tried to catch his breath, Judy stepped forward and spun her body around for a round-house kick. To her surprise, Nick effortlessly caught her foot just before it hit his muzzle.

Nick smirked as he saw the look of surprise on his bunny's muzzle. He pushed her foot away, throwing her balance off again. Nick then took to the offensive, throwing jab after jab at his bunny. He was pulling his punches slightly – he didn't want to badly hurt Judy– but he wasn't going to throw the fight altogether. While he continued his onslaught, all Nick allowed Judy to do was block.

Judy noticed a gap in Nick's punches: a small, one-second window between every other punch. She smirked as a plan formulated in her head. She blocked a few more punches to get a sense for the timing. Then, as Nick jabbed with his left paw, Judy ducked and stepped into Nick's personal space. She then brought a powerful uppercut to her fox's jaw, hoping to knock Nick to the ground.

Nick, while surprised with Judy's tactic, saw the uppercut from a mile away. He twisted his body to the right as he leaned back; this not only got him out of harm's way, but it put Judy back in the range of his paws. As Judy's failed uppercut threw his bunny off-balance, Nick brought a quick jab to her stomach. Judy doubled over reflexively as she stepped away from Nick.

As Nick threw another punch at his bunny, Judy rolled away with surprising agility. Now that she was out of Nick's reach, Judy could recuperate and catch her breath.

"What's with that look, Carrots?" Nick asked, his trademark smirk creeping over his muzzle. "You'd think you have never seen me fight before."

"I just thought that you wouldn't take this seriously," Judy replied as she smirked back.

A look of mock hurt filled Nick's emerald eyes. "Come on, Carrots. I'm a changed fox; I take you one hundred percent seriously now!"

An unconvinced look on her muzzle, Judy straightened and placed her paws on her hips.

"Alright, seventy-five percent," Nick said.

Judy began to tap her foot, her arms now crossed.

Nick chuckled as his ears folded back in embarrassment. "Fine, thirty-nine percent."

Judy smiled. "That's better."

Without warning, Judy launched an onslaught of jabs and punches at Nick. To her dismay, her fox wasn't caught off-guard. Nick blocked each blow, his defense much stronger than his offense. Judy didn't let up, though; she'd tire Nick out and then deliver the finishing blow.

Delgado walked down the hallway, whistling merrily; he had just survived a dull day of patrol duty. As he walked past the gym doors, Delgado mentally reminded himself to begin his workout regime again. Unfortunately, this thought was written on a mental Sticky-Note that didn't stick very well; Delgado was lucky if the note was still in his head by the time he walked out the front doors of the ZPD.

The wolf stopped a few paces past the doors as the unmistakable sounds of two mammals sparring reached his ears. Backtracking, Delgado cracked open the gym doors, his curiosity getting the better of him. He was surprised to see Nick and Judy hashing it out in paw-to-paw combat. He was even more surprised to see how quickly the tables seemed to change between the two mammals; Nick would have the advantage, and then Judy would somehow get the upper paw.

Delgado chuckled as Judy landed an audible punch on Nick's chest. That had to hurt, the wolf thought. The fight grew even more entertaining as Nick quickly recovered and took to the offensive. Delgado watched as Judy was pushed back as she blocked each of Nick's punches.

Delgado felt someone walk behind him. An idea formed in the wolf's head as he turned to see who had passed him. The large form of Officer McHorn lumbered down the hallway; his workday finished as well.

"Psst! McHorn!" Delgado whispered, catching the rhino's attention.

The large herbivore turned, a bored look on his face. Delgado excitedly beckoned the rhino over. Rolling his eyes, McHorn lumbered back to join Delgado.

The wolf brought a finger to his muzzle to signal the need for silence and then pointed at the scene inside the gym. The rhino nonchalantly turned his gaze to the boxing ring. He raised an eyebrow as he processed the sight of Nick and Judy sparring. Nick had the advantage, but this was to be expected; he was a fox, and she was a bunny. McHorn raised the other eyebrow as Nick quickly foiled one of Judy's attempts to turn the tables on him.

"Ten bucks says that Judy wins," Delgado whispered, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

A rare smile touched McHorn's lips. "You're on."

Nick was running out of breath. If he didn't do something soon, the match would be over, and Judy would win the bet. The fox continued jabbing at Judy from different directions, keeping his speed erratic and unpredictable. He pushed his bunny further back towards the edge of the ring. As he threw punch after punch, Nick searched for an opening in Judy's defenses.

After a few more punches, Nick found what he was looking for. Not only was Judy stepping away from Nick, but her upper body was leaning back; this left her legs vulnerable to attack. Nick smiled slyly as his plan came together.

Nick faked a low left hook, immediately following up with a fast punch with his right paw. Judy's attention was whisked from one side of her body to the other as she blocked both punches; this was the distraction that Nick needed. The fox crouched and spun his body around in a swift, low kick. The look of surprise on Judy's face was priceless as she fell flat on her back with a soft thud.

Judy took a moment to catch her breath as Nick stood above her. He wore a very proud smirk on his muzzle.

"Bunny, one. Fox, one," he said as he extended his paw. A competitive gleam in her eyes, Judy took Nick's paw and let him help her up.

As the two mammals stretched out their muscles, Delgado and McHorn were joined by more officers. The bets were split down the middle while Clawhauser was having a tough time deciding which side to take.

"What's going on here?" Chief Bogo bellowed as he entered the hallway. He was surprised to see so many officers peeking through the gym doors like a bunch of gossiping schoolgirls. He was even more surprised when every officer simultaneously shushed him. The water buffalo was slightly taken aback; it was on very rare occasion that his officers had the gall for such behavior.

The chief pushed his way to the front of the crowd, determined to see exactly what had all of his officers' attention. Whenever an officer protested, Bogo simply shot him a death glare; the officer would immediately shut up and move away. Finally, Bogo reached the gym doors. He was surprised to see Nick and Judy circling each other on the boxing ring. Everything fell into place as he finished processing the scene.

Bogo leaned over to Delgado and whispered, "What are the odds?"

Delgado snickered. "Fifty bucks on both Nick and Judy. Of course, that could change if Clawhauser would make up his mind."

Bogo smirked. "Make it sixty on Judy."

As the two mammals circled each other, Nick's mind worked in overdrive. If he was going to win, he had to create a strategy. Being taller, Nick knew that ducking under Judy's punches was not an option; he'd have to lean out of the way. However, Judy could duck under Nick's punches. While this could be a problem, Nick could line Judy up for a well-placed kick if needed. He smirked; this was going to be quite a final match.

Judy was also working on a strategy. Being faster, Judy knew she could hold Nick back with a relentless barrage of punches. Her legs could deliver powerful kicks and launch her in the air. An idea sparked in Judy's mind at that point. She smirked as the idea grew into a plan; if she can pull it off, Nick will definitely be surprised.

The crowd outside the gym doors waited in anticipation as the two mammals continued circling each other. None of the officers dared to make a sound in fear of ruining the fight.

Judy threw the first punch.

Nick blocked the punch, throwing Judy's paw back. Judy spun her body around to continue the movement, bringing her right leg up as she spun. The momentum of her spin added to the force of the kick, which Nick barely blocked. The predator staggered backward as his arms absorbed the force of the impact. Judy wasted no time as she began to attack Nick. Her fox managed to raise his defenses, but the kick had thrown him off. His blocks were sloppy; his reflexes, slow.

Nick knew he was in trouble. Judy had started strong – he didn't expect anything less of his bunny – but now she had him cornered. If Nick didn't get his act together, Judy would have him on the ground within moments. Nick focused on playing defense; he forced his attention to Judy's punches and how he could keep them from hitting him. He stood his ground as he blocked blow after blow. Within moments, Judy could no longer land a punch on her fox.

Judy was surprised. She didn't expect Nick to regain his senses so quickly, let alone effortlessly block every one of her punches. Judy decided to change course. She threw a few more punches before crouching down for a low kick. As her fox jumped to avoid the kick, Judy quickly followed up with a punch to Nick's chest. To her delight, the punch landed, knocking the air out of Nick's lungs. Judy advanced as Nick staggered backward; now was as good a time as any to try out her plan. She slowly picked up speed as she carefully thought her plan over; if done wrong, both of them could get severely hurt.

Nick only had a split second of respite before Judy charged at him. A familiar phrase rushed through Nick's mind as he helplessly noticed Judy's plan:

Oh cheese and crackers.

Judy jumped at Nick. She placed a paw on his shoulder to keep her balance as she wrapped her legs around his neck. Judy leaned back, the weight of her body enough to bend Nick over. She twisted her body around before unwrapping her legs; the momentum flipped Nick over onto his back. The fox gasped as the air was once again knocked from his lungs.

The crowd behind the gym doors gave a collective and drawn-out, "Dang!"

Judy kept her pose for a moment, pleased that she had managed to pull off the stunt. She soon realized, however, that Nick needed help getting up.

"What was with that move, Carrots?" Nick wheezed as he leaned on his bunny for support. "You were like the frigging Black Widow!"

Judy harbored an innocent look in her amethyst eyes. "Well we did just watch Captain Zootopia: Civil War," she replied.

Nick scoffed. "Watching a movie does not make you a spy, Carrots," he said before lovingly rubbing his bunny's ears. "But you did a good job. You earned my ten dollars."

"And bragging rights," Judy added happily as she helped Nick out of the boxing ring.

Nick forced a chuckled. "Yeah, that too," he said as he ruffled Judy's ears. "In all retrospect, though, you do deserve some headway in our bantering; I've started to feel overpowered during our conversations."

Judy gently jabbed her elbow into his stomach. "I've held my ground plenty of times, Nick! Being around you for two-and-a-half years, I've learned a few things."

"But you still haven't learned enough, Carrots," he remarked. "You let me live down my mistakes."

"Unlike the entirety of Precinct One?"

Nick scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "What?" he asked, unsure of what Judy meant. He followed her gaze to the gym doors.

"Great," he said, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

The two mammals could now see the large group of officers behind the gym doors exchanging money. About half of the crowd was now sixty dollars richer; the remaining officers just had their day ruined.

"Don't worry," Judy said, gently nudging her fox. "If they say anything, I'll just go 'Black Widow' on them."

Nick chuckled. "I appreciate that. In fact, the sooner we get home, the sooner I can show you my thanks," he said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Judy smiled as she caught the insinuation and hurried her efforts to lead her fox out of the ZPD.

What did you guys think? I would like any and all critique on my fight scenes, seeing as this is one of the first times I've written "paw-to-paw" combat. Also, yes, this story is related to The Strongest Bonds. In fact, just about every Zootopia story/one-shot I write (excluding Behind the Villain: Bellwether) will be related to The Strongest Bonds for consistency's sake.

Speaking of The Strongest Bonds, if you haven't read that, I recommend that you do. Especially since I have started on the sequel, Family Ties, and will be updating that story every Friday.

I hope you guys got a laugh out of this. I know I did; I had a LOT of fun writing this one-shot! Until next time!