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Hey everyone! Before I begin, I'd like to apologize for that spontaneous cliffhanger. Like before, I've been planning that since the beginning of Chapter 12, and I have plenty more planned to keep you on the edge of your seats.

Also, soon (not yet), my story will reach 100 favorites! Wohoo! As a celebration, and if you are interested, I plan on posting a bonus chapter. This chapter will contain the events of what happened when the bomb went off from Bogo's perspective. If you are interested, PLEASE let me know in a review or PM, I want to know! If you don't, I won't blame you, that's your opinion and I will humbly accept it in my decision if I post that chapter or not. I already have a plan laid out if I do though. Like I said, it will be completely up to you.

Well, I told you I'd pick up the pace here, and I keep my promises. I do not plan on ending it soon though, and it'll be interesting for me to try to keep that romance part in the story. I don't want it to seem like some romance story that dramatically switches to action and forgets about its other genre. :l

Well, just leave that part of the planning to my trusty helper, my humble editor, and me. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter. Hope it wasn't that boring :S

"Oh yes you are!" Nick chuckled and took a rather large gulp of his steamy elixir of goodness, then he looked up to the sky with a sigh. Mornings may not be his thing, —that spot was reserved for sleep, which he would much rather be practicing right about now— but with the benefit of having the delicious, hot cup in his paw, all seemed bearable. Well, that and the company of a special bunny by his side may also have played some part in that role… but the coffee was easier to blame.

"Nu-uh." Judy shook her head and crossed her arms. "There's no way you can make me." She claimed in defiance.

The fox's eyebrows instinctively rose as his chest puffed out slightly. "Ah, but I distinctly remember shaking on that bet. And as it turns out, I won; you lost. Face it rabbit, you're cornered." Nick snickered while peeking at her out of the corner of his shaded eyes.

She huffed with heavy feet before turning her attention toward the fox. "But I thought that bet ended months ago. You can't just use that as an excuse to make me try something!"

"Well my furry friend, that's where you're wrong." He confidently said with a broad smile. "You see, I don't recall us setting a specific time when I would use the bet, and particularly remember holding off till the time seemed right."

The bunny scowled at him before groaning and looking away. "There's no way out of it now. You refused to try any crickets last night at Ma's house, but you shall today; I'll make sure of that." He grinned, allowing his sharp, predatory teeth to be seen by all. "Mmmm… I can taste it already… One larrrgggeee bug burger, eaten whole."

Maybe he was taking it a bit too far, and it was probably best for his own good if he'd stop before the fox has to deal with a grouchy bunny all day. But gosh darnit, any time she was flustered, confused, or irritated, he thought was the cutest thing in the world; but her sneezes could never be topped… ever.

It was a good thing his companion could never hear his thoughts, —though he swears sometimes she can— otherwise he might've been hospitalized from police brutality from how much he abuses the lone c-word.

"Ugh! Why did I make that silly bet anyways?!" She tugged on her ears harshly. "Stupid!"

"How would I know? Maybe you were too high on carrots? OW!" He rubbed his sore shoulder. Of course, it didn't hurt that much, he was just being over dramatic. Her favorite punching spot has actually became more numb over time. Maybe he should get it checked up… Meh, not worth it.

"That's what you get for making carrot jokes. Did you know too much carrots are bad for bunnies?" She asked nonchalantly.

Nick raised an eyebrow and eyed her curiously. "Really now? Well now, that's something." He chuckled and sipped his now almost empty container. As he passed a nearby trashcan, he threw the styrofoam inside, perfectly scoring without touching it's metal rim once. As the fox gazed confidently towards the uniformed bunny, hoping to brag, the almost speeding van with an antenna resting on top instead stole his attention.

"Hey Carrots… has something on the news happened I haven't heard about?" He asked while watching two more vans of different channels head forward down the street.

"What? You're always on that phone of yours, how could you not be up to date with today's current events?!" Judy teased, hip bumping the fox and continued down the street, except this time with a witty smile plastered on her face. "And for your information, I rarely watch the news. I just find out by talking with Clawhauser."

"Well I haven't been on my phone since yesterday thank you very much. And I bet most of that information is somehow related to Gazelle." He snickered while taking his phone out of his pocket.

"Well, yeah, mostly. If it affects Zootopia in any way, she's always there to give her opinion." She answered easily. "I've never seen someone as proud of her city as she is before; even more than you Slick." She chuckled and looked to her side, though, she was instead met with a brick wall.

"Nick?" She asked while circling her surroundings before finally rested onto the frozen fox in the middle of the sidewalk, eyes glued to his phone. A group of passing zebras grouchily passed separated and regrouped around the furry obstacle. As soon as they passed out of sight, Nick finally looked up. Even with the shades upon his eyes, Judy could clearly see ever word they said, and her blood turned cold.

Without warning, he sprinted straight past the bunny, rejuvenated with newfound energy and never looked back. The bunny didn't question; whatever he saw, she'd find out soon. Instead, she chose to follow closely behind her partner and kept a watchful eye out for any new information she might find.

It wasn't long before the duo turned a corner and entered the well known city square, where many mammals usually enjoyed a calm morning stroll while others went along with their business. But instead of the harmonious site she came to love, Judy's amethyst eyes were instead greeted with a dense crowd of animals, grouped together in the green grass of the court yard with their backs turned. Unfortunately, that's not what caught her attention. No… but she wished it did…

Instinctively, adrenaline rushed through her veins as she gazed with wide eyes at clouds of black smoke slowly rising in the sky near her once beloved building. The surrounding crowd shrouded with flashing red and blue lights harshly whispered together in shock. Ambient children's cries cut the tension in the air present like a hot knife in butter.

With mouth gaping open, she slowly turned her attention in the direction of Nick beside her where their eyes met. With minds racing, they both silently communicated and understood each other's own thoughts. "Hey Carrots… I might need to withdraw that bet…"

Without warning, Judy sprinted off into the direction of the crowded courtyard. Regrettably, most of the animals standing in the back were all of the larger scale; elephants, giraffes, hippos, but that didn't and never would scare the bunny.

"ZPD! Coming through! Make way!" She shouted while squeezing her tiny form between many pairs of legs and bodies until she eventually stopped face first into a yellow caution tape. Though, the tape lifted by itself, allowing her vision to gaze freely towards the destruction of the once safe haven.

Firefighters rushed in and out of the building, hoses and hatchets strapped on their shoulders as they attempted to contain the blazing fire of the second floor. Nearby EMT workers escorted coughing uniformed officers away from the destruction and towards their humble vehicles full of equipment to rest.

Judy took a deep breath to calm her erratic mind and looked to her partner who simply held the yellow tape up high for her to pass. He didn't face her, instead his covered eyes focused deeply onto the destruction before him.

"For our latest news, we're here live at City Square where at 8:43 PM last night, an explosion detonated inside Precinct 1 and unfortunately set fire to the second floor of the building. We are still unsure what is the cause of this mysterious fire." A feminine voice sounded distinctly through the crowd and stole both bunny's and fox's attention away from the scene. Around the crowd to the far right, sets of cameras and stands were displayed facing the direction of the searing building. Mammals with microphones and headsets occupied the devices while only one, a female snow leopard, stood in front of a camera.

With a gesturing paw, she continued her speak. "Our brave city officials are still trying to contain the fire and are safely escorting any officers still stuck inside the burning building. In a few moments, Officer Captain Higgins will give us a statement on the damage and injuries that may have happened. Please stay with us until then."

"Annnnddddd… we're off. 90 seconds." Said the gopher, setting the camera angle downward and jumped off his stand.

"Higgins…" Judy mouthed while scanning the officers present. With a little difficulty, she finally spotted the chubby hippo near one of the many ambulances present on the scene. He stood over a plump cheetah with a comforting paw resting on his shoulder. In an instant, the bunny hastily made her way under the tape and over in their direction.

"What happened?!" Judy exclaimed breathlessly as soon as she was within hearing range of both hippo and cheetah. Judy didn't take her eyes off of the two mammals, even when the sounds of heavy breathing soon emerged to her side.

"Why... is the precinct on fire?!" Nick gulped. Startled by their sudden entrance, both officers said nothing and instead perplexedly stared back. Their silent atmosphere was broken by the whimpering, hushed whispers emanating from the shaking cheetah.

Rubbing his shoulder, the hippo stepped off to the side and signaled for the duo to follow him around the ambulance. Once they were safely away, Judy decided to speak. "What's wrong with Ben?"

Sighing, Higgins spoke with a groggy voice. "He's… a bit shaken up about all the events. Where were you two? We had an emergency call go out to all officers."

Nick chuckled and rubbed his neck. "Uhhh… Carrots left her phone at home while we went to go visit someone. My phone… was shut off till this morning."

Higgins groaned as he turned his attention towards the bunny. "Well, you shouldn't have been out that long. We made the call around 10, shouldn't you have heard it then?"

"Umm… I-I forgot to set it on the charger last night… And, it… died." Judy chuckled nervously, rubbing her elbow and avoided eye contact.

"How convenient…" The hippo grumbled and sighed. After looking around cautiously for a few seconds, he relaxed and shrugged. "Well, might as well get you informed. At around 9 PM, a… bomb exploded in Bogo's office."

Judy's face morphed into that of complete shock, with color leaving the pinkish flesh visible while the limber ears she had immediately fell flat at the news. "W-was anybody hurt?!"

Higgins eyebrows scrunched up and he eyed both officers in front of him with pity. Sighing, he spoke in a soft tone. "Like I said, the bomb detonated in Bogo's office. It had enough force to knock out the floor there and the second floor balcony. Those in that area were the only ones harmed seriously. Others just suffered from inhaling smoke and dust while others some minor burns."

Even with the slight —if at all— good news, the bunny was far from satisfied. "Who was near the bomb during the time? Was the chief there?" She asked frantically, almost on her paws and knees begging for more information.

"I was hoping you wouldn't ask that… Course you would…" He chuckled before returning to his gloomy state. "Luckily, there were only three mammals present during the bomb whose injuries could be classified as serious. One, Chief Bogo, but he only suffered from slight burns, cuts and bruises thankfully. The other is Officer Zimmers from forensics when the floor collapsed. She only suffered from a broken arm and dislocated shoulder from falling debris... And… Uh, t-three." He sighed and looked to the ZPD building. Thankfully, the smoke piling in the sky seemed to diminish ever so slightly, but lots of it's fumes still polluted the sky.

"Officer E. Carson was the most unfortunate out of the group. H-he was very close to the bomb when it exploded." Higgins breathed in and rubbed his head. "He suffers from burns, broken bones, sprains, cuts… You name it! He probably has it… He did successfully made it out of his surgery… but he hasn't woken up yet, and I think he should've." Shaking his head, he turned his body around and opened his closed eyes. "Look, I know you two were close to Ec-... Where'd they go?" He asked himself, looking around to his now seemingly empty surroundings.

With deplinished stamina, no breath to spare, and a mind starving of hope, both fox and bunny bursted out of the fire exit stairwell. The doors barely even latched back onto their hinges before both mammals ran side by side down the hallway, gazing at the many doors on the floor they occupied.

"One… Three… Four… fiv- Six! That's it!" Judy claimed pointing at a door on the far side of the corridor. Even in their weary state, they somehow found the energy to move even faster and reached the pristine white door in no time.

Yet, even with their burning determination to arrive here, both animals skidded to a stop inches away from the door. During their moments of hesitation, their lungs refilled themselves with lost air while their hearts slowed down to a more reasonable level. Their minds prepared themselves for the worst, and the weeping cries emanating from inside didn't help.

Eventually, Nick took a huge gulp of the sterile air and knocked lightly three times on its wooden frame. With a shaky exhale, he tugged on its handle and pulled the door open.

Though the bright lights from the blinding sun restricted their vision, the sight before them would be forever stained in their minds.

Hunched over, the silhouette of a pure white furred mammal dressed in dark blues rested with their head over the one bed present. Opposite of it, another figure could be seen through the light, who wore a light gray shirt over their white fur, holding a crippled paw but neither face could be seen. Their contours only interested the duo for a second before both pairs of eyes rested on the bed.

Judy's breath became shallow as she stared at the somewhat mummified face laying silently in the bed. She examined his crippled body through her watery eyes. The lump in her throat only got tighter and tighter with each detail she began to notice. Most of his face was obscured by the crude breathing tubes stuck deep inside his dry mouth, along with the many long black cords laid out over his body like a puppet and it's string.

The patches of fur she did see were tainted with specks of black and grey flakes, no longer matching his signature snow like appearance. His pelt was stained with streams of unforgiving red color, while the other regions were shaved clean of hair, showcasing his rippled and crusted skin below. Though thankfully, most of it was obscured by clean straps of gauze.

As if on queue, her feet moved beneath her without command and strolled over to the bed. Throughout the entire time, her lavender eyes never once left the bed; never away from Echo.

Eventually the bunny made it over to the side of the bed and gazed to the two arctic wolves weeping over his unconscious body. Judy's gray gradually rose high towards Luna's shoulder and fell.

In response, the canine rose due to her sudden change in breathing but immediately deflated afterwards. Distorted, incoherent mumbles slipped from her groggy mouth. "T-t-this c-can't be… be ha-happenin-g… N-not again… N-n-not lik-like fath-ther…" Judy's heart dropped to hear such a close friend sound so broken and defeated. Without much thought, her small paw squeezed the other officer's shoulder in comfort, but it instead only further deepened her turmoil and despair.

Judy felt like a ghost, helplessly drifting inside the room and stalked her friends as they suffered in their own study, hoping, no, praying Echo was alright, that he was safe, and that he'd return back to where he belonged; with them. With a bit of difficulty, the bunny let out a shaky sigh and slowly turned her attention back to the fragile wolf.

Judy walked to the front of the bed, where she took the clipboard resting in a pouch. Hesitantly, she skimmed his diagnostic.

'Patient suffers from first and second degree burns throughout the body. While he was unconscious, he inhaled particles of dust and smoke, breathing tool required. Due to the cumstances of his burns and broken bones, medically induced coma was recommended to dim the possible pain. Patient is stable for now.'

Her eyes once finished reading, they then wondered lower to a list. Judy briefly closed her eyes before opening them, quickly skimming the pages.

…

Dislocated shoulder

Grade 3 Concussion

3rd Degree Burns

Various splinters

Broken right forearm

Sprained left ankle

Fractured Tail

Collapsed lung

…

Judy immediately tore her eyes from the page and she calmly sat the chart back into its original place, sighing heavily.

Her dreary eyes eventually fell upon the still stationary wolf who hadn't moved an inch from his state of rest. Who could've done this? She found herself asking. What's the point to it?

Her questions of course went unanswered as the room stayed in it's original quiet state, only filled with the sounds of whimpering and hiccups. Nick's black paw soon invaded Judy's sight as it wrapped itself around Luna's neck. Immediately after, she turned around and squished the smaller predator in a firm hug, but he never complained.

Judy sighed and looked back to Echo. This could've been me. It could've been any of us… She thought darkly, but her next thought brought tears to her eyes. T-this could've been Nick…

Nick's coarse paw brought it's way onto the bunny's arm, slightly startling her, and quickly pulled her into the group hug. Together, they all bundled up together, warmed by each other's generous body heat, and silently wept.

After an eternity, they each let go and rubbed their runny noses. "Hey Luna…" Judy spoke softly, "It's gonna be okay. We'll be here for you…"

The arctic wolf hiccuped and slurred, attempting her best to pronounce her words. "N-no ittss no-not. Echo… he-he-hee's-"

Nick easily cut her off and gripped her into a strong hug. "Gonna heal up and be with you in no time. Trust me. Remember at the academy? Nothing would stop him. I don't expect a few broken bones and scorched fur will either." The fox promised, looking directly into her watery eyes. "And I promise you. We will find who did this, one way or another." Right as he finished, the door of the room creaked open and the certain buffalo's head peeked in.

Nick and Judy immediately looked to him in the eye and spoke simultaneously, in more of a command like dialogue then a statement. "Chief, we need to talk."

"And w-what t-then?! Finding hi-him doesn't s-save my brother!" Luna yelled right before the duo was able to exit with the buffalo in tow.

With a deep breath of air, Nick turned around and faced Luna. When he did, for the first time in awhile, she saw a smile; genuine and pure of any destruction and pain that surrounded them. His voice was like a ripple in the water, calming the surrounding bodies with one simple tap. "No it won't, but we can heal."

Without another word, Nick went out the door and left the canine to her thoughts. He left so soon, he never saw her sigh; he never saw her return to Echo's side and take ahold of his paw; and most importantly, he never saw her smile.

"What is it you two want?" The chief spoke in his usual gruff demeanor. Besides the bags under his eyes, and the thick set of wrapped fabric covering his forearm, the straps of cloth across the bridge of his muzzle was the first thing the fox noticed, covering the scrapes and scars. To the best of his ability, Nick hid the cringe when staring at the patches of shaven fur visible on his neck and arm, opening showing his darkened skin underneath. Though thankfully, most was obscured by the pure gray shirt he wore.

"Sir, we want to be put on the case." Judy spoke, eyes glistening with a longing fire of determination.

Bogo didn't reply right away. Instead, he stood in his place and stared at the two with no emotion playing across his face. Rotating on their heels, both became antsy and began to speak further. Before the bunny could release a word, the buffalo grunted. "No."

"But sir-"

"No!" He snapped, instantly silencing the duo. "Not this time! This case is way above your paygrade. I already have a skilled detective coming in to investigate." Bogo sighed and rubbed his pounding forehead. "I couldn't put you on the case even if I wanted to... You're both too emotionally attached!"

"We are very capable of-"

"Enough. I'm well aware of your capabilities! I've given you too much leeway in the past but this… I cannot do. Go home, there's not much you both can do now." Bogo ordered, opening the hospital door and stepped into the room. With a huff of hot air, he closed the door behind him and left the dumbfounded mammals to their staring.

"Y-you k-know that won't s-stop them." Luna feebly chuckled.

Bogo sighed and sat down in the chair next to Mrs. Carson, placing a single hoof on her grieving shoulders. "I know." He turned his eyes to the door with the faintest of a smile present. "That's what makes them good officers."

Nick slammed the brown door behind him, rattling the walls and picture frames near before following behind the bunny through the short hall. After a few steps, Judy abruptly turned to her left and stormed into a room, taking a wooden table from her nearby walls and tugged harshly it to the middle of the room. It screeched, cried, then laid silent.

With a swipe of her swift, gray paw, Judy scattered papers and utensils onto the floor below before crossing her arms. The table rattled when Nick smashed the stack of freshly printed photos and spread them evenly onto the table.

Each photo appeared different, but each featured the same thing; fire, chaos, and destruction. Without a word, Nick looked up and made eye contact with the bunny, who also wore the exact determined face as him. In return, Judy nodded and took out her phone, dialed a number and sat it in the middle of the table.

"Hello?" A soft voice called out from the other end of line as soon as the ringing ended.

"Talk to us Bella." Judy spoke robotically, eyes not leaving the device.

"I dunno if we should be doing this guys…"

"Yeah… Disobeying the Chief's orders directly isn't such a smart idea. But then again, we are probably already in trouble for those photos we sent you a while ago." Maxwell grunted.

"I'm just glad the fire was put out already." Nick smiled briefly. "Look, I know you were told to keep this under wraps and we are extremely grateful for what you have done already but we need to do this. We won't let you get the blame." He said, removing his eyes from the phone and gazed to the bunny across from him.

"We'll claim full responsibility, even if it costs us our… badges." Judy sighed, taking the pinned badge from her chest and sat it lightly onto the table before her.

"We don't want to be-" Bella tried to speak, but was easily cut off by her coworkers.

Nick waved a paw in the air before it rested onto his muzzle, where he rubbed tenderly. "We know the risks of what we're doing and we've accepted that already. But please… This has to be done."

"-Bu… Uh… Em…" Bella stuttered.

A long and heavy sigh covered her broken speech and Max's monotone voice took over. "Fine, you two are so stubborn. What do you need?"

"We need all the information you can give us about the bomb. How much damage did it do, how was the bomb delivered, et cetera."

"Well, the investigators are just now checking out the scene since the firefighters just gave them the clear. We'll have to wait on finding information regarding the bomb. Luckily though, we aren't completely helpless, as it turns out, we can still access the security cameras from city hall. I'll send you this morning's lobby recording… " She said in her soft voice. Soon after, clicking overcame the sound of her hushed voice, but only briefly. "…annnnddd there."

Though it was silent at first, a sudden ping from Nick's phone further reassured her word. Without any time to waste, the fox quickly took out his phone and walked over to the edge of the door, eyes intently watching the scene play across the screen at three times the normal speed.

"Alright. What do we know about the bomb already?" Judy asked, removing her eyes from the fox and towards the photos.

"Well, uh… it's obvious it was created to cause major damage to the precinct, as it set it ablaze." Max responded glumly.

The bunny hummed and nodded her head in agreement. "So it was an incendiary, probably gasoline based I think… at least it smelt like it." Judy wrinkled up her nose in disgust and shook her head.

"Hrm, probably, but the reports already in say the bomb also leveled Bogo's office and took out the upper balcony with it."

"A high explosive and an incendiary?" The bunny spoke softly, wide eyes perfectly conveying her current state of emotion.

"Guys, I believe I've found our bomber. Gray male rabbit." Nick spoke over the silence, returning his self back to the table at Judy's side with the phone in paw. "Thankfully I didn't have to wait long. He enters the precinct at 9:21 AM." The fox then turned the phone over to the frozen image of a male gray rabbit casually walking up to the delighted cheetah, tannish paper box wrapped safely under his arm.

Judy slowly reached over and took the screen from the fox, leaning into it in order to get a better view. "Where have I seen him before?" The snickering fox broke her from the screen and she looked at him with a stern face. "Now's not the time for those jokes Nick." He nodded his head in return and beat his chest, doing his best to cure himself of his wheezing and coughing.

"I got this… I'll go see if I can get this guys' face in records while you guys continue to discuss. Gimme a minute." Once he finished his sentence, the rhino's heavy footsteps could be heard as he walked off to some distant area.

"We know what the bomb was intended for, but for who now?" Judy said, sifting through the photos on the desk and pulled out one showing the burning building. "Were they targeting the precinct?"

Nick took the photo from her paws and shook his head. "I don't think so. They had that much power to destroy concrete, they could've done more damage with the support beams."

Gasping loudly, Bella's voice joined in onto the current conversation. "I overheard Clawhauser talking about how the package was specifically delivered for Bogo. I think he was the original target."

Judy moved her paws quickly, desperately searching for the correct one. "Question is: Why?" She asked, taking the photo of Bogo's injuries. She then walked over to a distant bulletin board and pinned the image down, right next to that of the burning precinct.

Both fox and bunny rubbed their chins, intently staring at the two images posted. "I've got a match."

Startled by his sudden return, both mammals ran quickly back towards the table and leaned forward. "Already?"

"Yeah. It actually wasn't that hard. This bunny is one of the top 10 most wanted criminals in our continent. I'll never understand how an entire precinct crawling with officers didn't even recognize him." Max groaned.

When Nick looked up to Judy, watching her eyes grow wide and her ears droop. Judy then slammed her closed fist onto the table. "That's where I saw him from!"

Nick took his phone from his pocket and looked at the suspect on the screen. A few seconds passed and his arm went limp to his side, questionable eyebrow raised toward the bunny. "Uhh… Am I missing something here?"

Judy flopped her head in Nick's direction and stared at him disbelievingly. When he shrugged, Judy sighed and pointed at Nick's phone. "The rabbit. His name is Richard Savage, wanted hitmammal with over a million dollars in rewards for any information regarding his whereabouts."

Nick looked down at his phone, squinting his eyes at the screen. "Wait… Savage, Savage, Savage— I know that name!" He snapped his fingers, looking back up at Judy.

Though, the bunny wasn't impressed. "Yes, brother of the famous ZIA agent Jack Savage. Congratulations Nick…"

The fox lifted his phone and gazed between it and Judy but he eventually rested on his partner. "But I thought you were the only bunny cop."

Judy used her paws to sift through the pictures on the table, throwing the useless ones such as ambulances and crowds onto the floor. "I am… Jack and his brother got promoted to agents after their fame rose as bodyguards for billionaires, not through the line of duty." She sighed, gazing back up at her friend. The quizzical expression and the twitch of his tail told her more than a thousand words. "I see the questions coming, just let Bella read his file."

"Right. Richard L. Savage, former ZIA gone rogue. Uhh… Says here after a bad case, both Savage brother's popularity declined dramatically. Desperately, Richard went to more… unconventional methods to solve the case. He solved it… but it c-cost seven mammals their lives. Ever since then, he's stolen, kidnapped, sabotaged..."

"Jeez! I don't suppose they also teach those agents to build bombs now?!" Though he was truly curious, his question was left unanswered due to Judy lunging a fist onto his shoulder, where he now rubbed gently with sealed lips.

"It also says here this guy was known running with some street thug named 'Redeye'." Max commented, while the sounds of clicks and scrapes could be heard through the phone.

Nick shivered and took a sticky note from the floor. "Gah, can't stand the guy; complete lunatic. He's some hyena with a long scar across one of his eyes. Thank god too, those red eyes he has scared the crap out of me."

"How'd he lose an eye?" Judy found herself asking.

"Not important." Nick shook his head and pointed at the sticky note glued to the bulletin board. On the yellow card, the word 'Redeye' was printed in capitals… along with the crude drawing of what looks like to be some sort of canine. "What is is that he's crazy, psychotic, and hates cops with a passion. Claims that they are corrupt and need cleansing." Nick took a long piece of yarn and tied it around the tack near the note, connecting it with all three images of Bogo, Savage, and the ZPD building.

"So we got a motive?" Judy asked, slowly walking up to come to Nick's side.

Nick nodded his head in agreement. "Looks like it, but that still doesn't explain why he's targeting Bogo. He's obviously the mastermind behind this plan… But what does he want?"

"Is it possible to find this guy?" Bella asked delicately.

The fox sighed and shook his head, though Bella couldn't see it. "Sadly, no, he's basically a ghost; always changing meeting spots, doesn't leave a trace of himself, and scares the crap out of you, especially with that laugh of his." He shivered while strands of hair rose on his neck.

"Ugh! So we're stuck with no leads?!" Nick's ears flattened at the sound of her squeal. Looking down, Nick fumbled with the useless pictures on the table.

"Uhhh… Maybe we can start with the bomb parts?" He suggested uncertainly.

Bella sighed. "No, don't think so; the reports freshly came in. Though they're new and could easily be false, they say all traces point to being completely homemade; it wasn't a professional bomb. But they did find traces of C4 in it."

"Ugh!" Judy groaned, tugging harshly on her ears and slammed her head onto the table.

"We'll get this Judy, I don't doubt it." The fox attempted to sooth, placing both paws on her rigid shoulders.

Judy harshly rose up and pushed his arms off. "Don't you get it?! We've solved cases tougher than this mess with scraps of evidence; nothing compared… this!" She yelled, pointing a sharp finger in the direction of the bulletin board. "Look at everything we've solved together! Hundreds of assignments but look at us, stuck without a single lead or clue to point us in the right direction!" The bunny cried, pounding her forehead over and over on the far wall covered from top to bottom with selfies, while some even featured criminals or civilians.

Eventually, she stopped and opened her tired eyes. The first thing she registered was the grinning face of Nick's keen muzzle, eyes half-lidded with an unforgettable smirk, side hugging the bunny. Judy couldn't help but smile at the image, even if it was faint. She remembered when they took it all too well, of course she would; she always did.

It was that one time they were stuck together in a darker zone of Tundratown, spying on a nearby arms deal in progress. It was that day she made that wretched, hasty decision for Nick, and now, she was full heartedly regretting it; badly.

Shaking herself from her the unwanted thoughts, she removed her head from the wall and looked back to the table's direction, watching her partner work. The fox combed through countless images, pinning those of importance onto the nearby board while hastily communicating with their friends on the other line. Occasionally, he tugged and pulled on his sharp, pointy ears, with predatory teeth shining brightly by the nearby dim lamp; but Judy didn't mind.

With a gloomy expression, Judy turned back toward the wall and stepped back, eyes floating from frame to frame, each slightly brightening the diminished flame inside. Picture after picture, case after case, both cops, partners, and friends stood side-by-side one another, holding each other tightly as they proudly displayed their great work behind them.

Nick didn't know, but she knew the board by heart, and could easily place each photo in order from top to bottom if asked. Afterall, most of her alone time was spent in this very room, facing that very wall. It was her pride, her passion, her love. And every step of the way, the fox was there; not a single photo could be found with him absent.

If it wasn't for the recent uprising of thieves, stealing useless items of non importance, the board wouldn't be so full; they had only been working together for 4 months afterall. Though, her favorite of the bunch had to be Harry Otter, poor kid stealing absurd amounts of fireworks. She had once asked herself why he did it, but never could find out a plausible explanation. The kid wasn't rich, and taking fireworks wasn't going to gain him or his family any money. Fireworks were explosive afterall, small alone, but devastating at times together. Only someone smart enough could use them—

Judy's eyes grew wide at that moment. The answer was right in front of our faces, and we didn't even see it. Quickly she turned around and faced the fox slamming his fists on the table. "Nick." Her voice was quiet and soft, still attempting to recover.

Once he didn't respond or even agknowledge her presence, she tried again… and again until it worked.

"Nick!"

"NICK!"

"What?!" He eventually screeched, crudely turning Judy's direction with bloodshot eyes.

"Look!" She said, pointing at the wall of pictures. When he gave a completely confused expression, she rolled her eyes and ran over to tug him towards the wall, pointing at the various images idly resting upon it. "Look! Harry Otter, Jenny Swift, Duke Weaselton, Dawsey Atoms, Clyde Huston… What do all these animals have in common?"

Nick looked at her with furrowed eyebrows and a dense face. "Uhhh… They're all criminals? Seriously, what does this have to do with the—"

Judy quickly interrupted, pointing at each accused criminal with every object listed. "Each one was caught stealing various household items! Fireworks, wires, plastic, tape, jars, paper wrap… And Bella said we couldn't trace the bomb because of—"

Nick shrugged off Judy's paw and walked up to the board, examining it more closely this time. "All the materials used are found in a standard households. The items stolen directly corresponds with the case…" His voice ran cold, staring at the photos with wide eyes.

"It explains why 'Redeye' wasn't mentioned until Richard, why the spree of crimes have been happening over useless stuff—"

"And why they managed to get their supplies unnoticed by us… Carrots you're a genius!" He happily scooped Judy up into his arms and tightly hugged her. He then sat her quickly down and sifted through paperwork littered across the floor.

After a while, he seemingly found what he was looking for, and the expression present on his face was all but pleasant. "But there was a lots of reports of stolen items by many…" He said dryly, giving the paper over towards Judy.

Judy looked it over, and the skin under her fur too fell bleach white. "Which means there are probably more bombs out there…" She gasped and turned around, making eye contact with the fox where they both shared the same astonished expression. "Thank you so much Max and Bella! We've got some suspects to interview! We'll call when we have the chance! DON'T TELL THE CHIEF! Bye!" Judy scrambled for the phone on desk while Nick was already out the door.

"Uhh… By—"

Judy grabbed her badge and ran out the door without a second glance, quickly behind the fox. Both officers hopped into the parked cruiser in the street and hastily turned the machine on.

"Hey Nick?" Judy eventually spoke as she clicked her seatbelt. Nick hummed and gazed sideways for a second before returning his attention back towards the street in front of him. "How do you know Redeye?"

The cruiser slightly swerved to the side, but the fox quickly recovered. "Not important! C'mon, keep an eye out for one of those thieves!" He commanded nervously, pointing a finger out her window's direction.

He sipped lightly on the bottled water before setting it down next to him along with his cheeseburger and picked up his binoculars. "Fools…" The bunny mumbled as he shook his head, jotting down a few notes. Once he was done, he sat the notepad down and returned his eyes toward the crowded the Square.

His bored eyes eventually caught sight of the bright flashing of blue and red lights from a tinted black vehicle approaching in the street. Curious, he pulled the binoculars up to his face and observed a well dressed warthog step out of the van, when the looked up and down at the partly scorched building. The rabbit turned around and pulled a hefty radio from one of the many pockets of the backpack behind him. "Hey Red… I think the ZIA just showed up." He said into its speaker, which a line of static buzzed in return.

"Do those idiots really think they can do anything?" The other end hummed, though it was mostly filled with a creaky laughter.

Savage chuckled in response and nodded his head. "Apparently so… Just look at them scratching their heads." When the bunny rose the binoculars to his face once more, he witnessed something that tore the smug expression off his face. "Hmpf… Looks like the bomb didn't kill that old beast after all." The bunny grumbled into the handheld radio, watching a buffalo walk up and escort the warthog inside the burnt mess.

The other end sighed, before buzzing once again. "Oh don't worry, we'll get him eventually. Though I do believe we did get some pelt; wolf I believe, but I'm not sure." He chuckled hideously.

"Good, the less of those corrupt bastards, the better." He grunted and turned his attention to the vast crowd in the distance. It didn't look the same as this morning, but it was still hard to move around in the usually open area. Thankfully, the rooftop he rested upon had a perfect view of the nearby streets and full outlook onto the ZPD building.

A small figure out of the mixed crowd caught his attention, and he trailed it's silhouette with the enhancing tool. "Well well well… Looks like the weasel is seeking redemption after all…" Richard chuckled, "Quite smart too."

"Oh? And why's that my friend?"

"Dense crowd, distracted law enforcement officers, and plenty of distractions for civilians. Take your pick. I'd say it is the perfect place for weasels like himself."

"Maybe those things I said to him weren't true afterall…"

"I wouldn't give peasants such as himself so much credit. Those like him always seem to find some way to disappoint."

"More fun for me…"

A few seconds later, the weasel was abruptly pulled and dragged into a less known area, away from the crowd; though the bunny could still see them. "Busted…" He cringed.

"Not careful enough…"

The weasel was then forced towards the back of a brick wall and slammed onto the ground. Richard gagged disgustingly at the sight while the rabbit officer towered over the thief's pathetic form. The fox partner did nothing but stand behind her with crossed arms and impatiently tapped his foot.

Though he expected abuse to be normal, there was something oddly different about this duo by the way they acted. They were famous of course; after all, who hadn't heard of the fox and bunny. Still, these cops were agitated, using aggressive force in the middle of a very populated area next to camera crews; yet they didn't seem to care one bit. They were acting suspicious, very suspicious, forcing a random nobody to talk like they knew something… Something that was worth all the publicity they'd get afterwards...

Something they shouldn't know.

"Sir, we've got a problem." He crackled, taking his finger off the radio's side and intently watched the weasel talk hastily to the fox and bunny.

First of all, I hope you all enjoyed this packed chapter! I sure had some fun when I finally had the time to create it. I hope I touched some emotions but I know it wasn't enough to break those tears… I'll save those juicy parts for later. Second of all, I am very curious to know if you all want that bonus chapter or not. 100 favorites is just right around the corner and I surely wouldn't mind giving you a sneak peek under the cover on what caused Echo to look like a mummy.

Third of all, I believe I used more of an artistic view and broader vocabulary when writing this, though I'm not sure. It does feel like it, and I know why. I have that type of personality that easily mimics or copies that of others. For example, if I watch some show about a protagonist who is super smart (Limitless, Lucy, etc.), it literally feels like an intelligence boost. Same goes for when I watch some funny movie who socializes a lot, I become talkative. It's a reason why I can't stand hurt/comfort, because after watching/reading, I become extremely depressed and sad. *shivers*

Recently, I've been reading a book; for your information, it is a true work of art. As such, this darn adaptive personality of mine mimics and steals ideas and vocabulary I find there. To summerize me up, I learn best from watching or experiencing myself; I'm an extremely quick learner. That's where most of my writing techniques came from. Thank you to all those authors out there who make beautiful works of literature, I learn from you guys. C:

Enough of my history lesson, I give to thee responses to the explosive comments I got for the last chapter! Thank you all SOOO much for that and I deeply hope to hear your opinions of this chapter as well as if you want that bonus chapter or not. I thank you 13 with all my heart.

Note to all you reviewers, do you want to see that bonus chapter I mentioned at the very beginning A/N of this chapter? I really want to know!

Archangel12575 - Haha d'awww…. I really wanted to… Just, a little? *grunts* Finnneeeee. Nah… Jk, I never planned on killing Echo, just wanted to make that moment with the bomb just that much more special. Did I do alright? I hope this chapter was good enough.

Domfactor2 - It was? :D I really hope I kept it at that good level or even hopefully improved. I'm not sure. One cannot tell if their work is adequate; feedback, preferably honest with the touch of respect to not being overly blunt is the key to improvement. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

Gabe5Bricks - He'll live… or will he? Muahaha, I was aiming for dohs feels with Echo, did I do good? I wasn't trying to make people cry so it wasn't at that level of sadness but pretty close (right?). I'm really glad I got Nick's mom somewhat correct with no information about her given xD I just did what I thought would make a great character and something that seems motherly. Thank you for the kind word and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

MrAndersIversen - Thank you for those awesome words. But I must object on my chapters being good. I believe that some are better than others and others can really use some improvement, but what it is is what it is. Also, don't compare my story to yours, that doesn't do anything but make you feel bad. Trust me, I know (I do it way too often xD) That's fine with updating, update when you can, don't feel obligated. But you must know that I am looking forward to that next chapter whenever you do update. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter… I think it could've been better :S (I say that every time)

PointyHairedJedi - You're right, I did in a way base him as best as I can on that joker. I am very open to any ideas you may have or things that would seem best to fit that role. I do have somewhat of a layout and plan for this whole arc but give me any ideas you have, I'll see what I can do. Thanks for suggesting :) PMs fine for me lol (Sorry I didn't message you first, I would've just school just started recently and I already have homework :lllll) I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and it didn't seem… i dunno, boring?

KevinStoner - Haha really? I couldn't help but check your profile to see if I may have read your story in the past but I couldn't find a FanFic there :o Is it on a different site? I wouldn't mind a good read :P And I think a lot picked the name Vivian for Mrs. Wilde because a female fox is a vixen; I guess it's a play on the words. And wow, really? Same or nearly identical? O.O What's that saying? "All great minds think alike?" ;)

Foxlover91 - Haha sorry about those cliffhangers… I wanted to do that for quite a bit, just like I have other things planned xD I didn't overcook jelly bunny did I? I was hoping I simmered her juuuusssttt right. I also hoped I got Vivian's personality the same you (or anyone else) thought of. It's tricky not knowing since they didn't really 'show' show her lol Again, sorry about these darn cliffhangers xD But I promise you he isn't dead (yet…) :) Hope you like this chapter!

ALookInsideMyHead - Cliffhangers FTW! To be honest, I was kinda worried that the transition from calm to suddenly an explosion would be a bit too much of a shock, slightly irritating the readers. I'm glad to know that it wasn't the case for you. :) I do hope I don't push the boundaries on techniques like that. There are plenty of things I plan on doing but I'm not sure how you'll react. I guess there's only one way to find out lol I hope you liked this chapter and I hope it wasn't boring :l I am way too paranoid but nothing I can do really that'll help xD

Lockdown00 - Oh no… They're on to me *sprints away* YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT SECRETS I HIDEEEEEE!

Pedo-Sandwich - Darn… Am I predictable? Gahhhhh… I dun leik feeling that way. Maybe I should throw some twists in to throw you off track. Well, we'll see how it goes. :) I hope you really did enjoy this chapter and I really am wondering what you think. Also, don't forget that question about 'said' bonus chapter. Well, until your next review I guess!

Zootopia fan of fiction - Wwwhhhhaaatttt? Nahhhh, why would she have a reason to be jelly now? :3 Haha, I hope you really did enjoy this chapter and I am very pleased to hear you liked the previous one. I've got a lot planned but I'm not sure if you'll like it, but I guess we shall see.

Agent007 1 - Sorry! I couldn't help it! Hones…. Yeah, okay, not really. But I don't think I have that dramatic cliffhangers in the future… Or maybe I do but I really don't know yet xD But in all seriousness now, thank you for such a positive review. It isn't often a review pops up actually analyzing the story based on plot, characters, and grammar, and I'm glad I passed those tests. And yeah haha, I wasn't sure about that chocolate thing. The only main reason I have for doing that is to give my story personality; a touch of uniqueness between the rest. Though, I'm reallllyyyyy glad that date was accurate xD I have nooo clue (and I hope I don't have to suffer those awkward moments ever too) Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for those words of encouragement.

Lefalleneur1 - Thank you so much for those words. I am constantly trying to improve. Sometimes we have good days, sometimes we have bad days. I hope how I wrote this one was on a good day. Sorry it may have took so long for this chapter to come out, but I've been a bit busy with everything, but turns out, school actually gives you more time to write than I thought xD Who knew? Anyways, I reallllyyyy hope you enjoyed this chapter. I don't like to disappoint.

Thank you all for reviewing and I wish to hear from you all again in this chapter. I thought I might incorporate my previous OC's, remind you guys about that bet Nick has yet to fulfill, and build up that suspense. Hope I did alright. Before I go, I have something very important to say to my friend ice in dark., no, I have not forgotten about you; never. Between school and procrastination, I haven't had time to reply to your message. Don't fear you have done something wrong, you are perfectly fine, it is me who is wrong here. I've been thinking deeply on how to respond before I do; I want it to be perfect and I need to think everything through first. REALLY hope you understand. But I promise I will reply soon once I have the time, and I keep my promises.

Thank you all again for all the support! It means sooo much to me. Until the next chapter! Ciao

Edited by N-I-C-K-E-L-A-Z-!