Hello, my fellow Zootopians!

Welcome to the weird and wacky world of Zootopia - Catweazle-style!

Those of you who've already read this story will notice that I made a couple of changes, both within the story as well as in the author's notes. (I tried to keep the latter as they were, especially in regards of the stats and reviews, but sometimes I simply felt the need for changes.) The reason for this is that this story might be the first one of a trilogy from a chronological point of view, but it was the last story I started to write, way after I'd completed "Now Your Nightmare Comes to Life" and even after I'd begun with "Hammer to Fall." It was originally intended to be little more than a one-shot, a short story explaining a few things which I thought would need explaining. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) it took on a life of its own, expanding way beyond all the proportions I had in mind at the beginning. And it shows when reading the other stories.

There are a huge number of plot inconsistencies or just plain, dumb mistakes I made over the course of the months. This story wreaked havoc with both my other, older stories, opening festering wounds (how's that for an apt name for this story?), i.e. plot holes I desperately need to fill before I can move on with "Hammer." And while we're at it, I can also take care of a few problems within this story, grammar, typos, syntax, style, the whole enchilada. Hence the overhaul. You'll know when I'm done with said overhaul: As soon as the eleventh chapter of "Hammer" is published, you'll know I'm done and content with everything I wrote so far.

So, let's cut to the chase, shall we?

Why does this story even exist?

Very simple: While I was in the middle of writing one chapter of "Hammer," containing a conversation between Chief Bogo and Mayor Lionheart, a thought struck me:

How comes that Lionheart is Mayor? I know that in a lot of stories, Zootopia has a new Mayor after the arrest of Dawn Bellwether. However, it is canon that after the events of the movie, Lionheart once again became Mayor. (In case you doubt this, just look up the entry about Lionheart on the Disney Wiki homepage.) How did this happen? What made the City Council decide to forgive Lionheart to reinstate him, despite of all the things he's done - after all, imprisoning mammals without authorization or an arrest warrant is a capital offense.

And that wasn't the only thought that struck me. How comes that Judy, who almost single-handedly ripped Zootopia in twain during the dratted press conference, became a respected and even beloved police officer again, as most fanfiction writers, including myself, naturally seem to assume? What did she do to make Zootopia love her again?

This is the story of how all this came to pass.

Like I said before, this was, at the onset, little more than a short story, but it blew up to epic proportions. I had originally planned to put it all into just one chapter and be done with it, just to get the topic out of my way, so I could concentrate on "Hammer." But while writing, ideas just kept coming in from all directions, and I merely wrote them down. The one chapter I had planned soon became too big and unwieldy. So after some deliberation with myself, and with a heavy heart, I decided to just continue with this story, chapter after chapter, dealing with as many problems as I could. Because when looking at it more closely, the movie "Zootopia" is full of plot holes itself. Plot holes this story intends to fill.

While we're at it, because it came up in a few reviews: I know that a lot of readers skip the author's notes to just read the story proper. Well, in the case of my stories, you shouldn't. As a rule, I use the author's notes to explain why I wrote the stuff I wrote, what inspired me to embark on a particular story arc. In case you skip the author's notes, you'll probably not understand what I wanna talk about. It's your choice, of course, but I strongly suggest you read the author notes as well. They may be long, but I try to keep them entertaining.

The story itself starts during the events of the movie, a few minutes after Chief Bogo and the ZPD officers arrested Dawn Bellwether, and there are so many canon and original characters in this story, it's kind of pointless to name them all. It's rated T, and for very good reasons. And it firmly belongs in the "Drama" section, with a few grains of "Friendship" thrown in the mix, just for good measure.

This story's artwork was created by Nightsy01, and it was provided to me by the Zootopia News Network site, where this story is also featured (courtesy of my friend, DrummerMax64). I strongly suggest to check out Nightsy01's creations on DeviantArt, because they're really awesome - and I'm not saying this out of sheer politeness, I'm saying it because it's true. And on a final note, I also suggest to visit the ZNN site on a regular basis. If you wanna know the newest and best stuff about our most favorite movie, ZNN's the place to go!

Disclaimer: The movie "Zootopia" and everything depicted therein belongs to Walt Disney Pictures/Walt Disney Animation Studios, copyrighted in 2016. I own nothing of it. All I do is that I use the property of others for their entertainment value. If that should really turn out to be a crime, yes, I'm guilty of it, but like Oscar Wilde said: "I can resist everything except temptation."

Chapter One

The Aftermath

Oh, is it me they call hero? Oh, is it me they await? Oh, is it me they call hero? Heroes are there to change fate.

Van Canto: "Hero" (Written by Stefan Schmidt, from the album "Hero," GUN Records (Sony BMG), 2008)

Zootopia Natural History Museum, City Center, Zootopia

A hiss. Then, suddenly, words. "… you sick of it?" The voice of Dawn Bellwether was slightly distorted, thanks to the rather low quality of the recording, but it was easily identifiable - and thus invaluable evidence. "Predators! They may be strong and loud, but prey outnumber predators ten-to-one."

"Let's hope this works," another voice was heard. A male voice, barely more than a whisper. A scraping sound almost drowned out the voice. "Never thought I'd enter a museum and push exhibits around one day."

Chief Adrian Bogo looked down at the red fox standing in front of him. It looked as if his left arm was resting on the back of the mammal standing next to him, but the posture made it obvious that the fox was indeed making sure that the other mammal remained standing.

"Oh, look, they fit perfectly! As if the gun was made for shooting them." A female voice, again barely more than a whisper. Bogo looked at the other mammal in front of him. It was obvious that Judy Hopps had seen better days. The last weeks had been hard on her, her appearance left no other explanation. On top of that, she was in obvious pain, standing on one leg while holding the other one up, bent at the knee. But her face was revealing nothing of that sort - she was wearing the brightest grin Bogo had ever seen on a rabbit.

"Think of it - 90 percent of the population united against a common enemy. We'll be unstoppable." Bellwether again. She was talking in a tone of voice Bogo had never heard her use. Gone was the meek sheep, to be replaced by someone who almost sounded like … a predator.

"Damn sheep can't even calculate." The fox again. "Ten to one is almost 91 percent."

"Has anyone ever told you that you are a nitpicker?" Hopps.

"Didn't take you long to find out that one, Fluff." A pause. "I think it's better if I take the serum. I have a breast pocket. Why do clothes for women never have any pockets?"

"No idea."

"Is the pen working?"

"It is."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Great! Well, here goes! Hold on tight!"

The sound of rapid pawfalls, then the sharp clang of a metal tube hitting concrete. Bellwether, shouting now: "Over there!" More pawfalls, combined with gasping and panting. Something that sounded like a punch, followed by shouts of pain. Then, silence. At least for a few seconds.

"That's it?" Bogo asked.

"Wait for it," the fox replied with a snug grin.

Suddenly, laughter. "Well, you should have just stayed on the carrot farm, huh?" Bellwether again. "It really is too bad. I … I did like you." Bogo had no idea why, but the voice he had heard so often over the course of the last years had never sounded so insincere before.

Suddenly Hopps' voice rang out, loud and strong: "What are you gonna do? Kill me?"

Bellwether's answer was a happy-sounding giggle. "Oh, no, of course not." With a chilling abruptness, her voice turned menacing. "He is."

A strange sound, like a silenced pistol, a grunt, Hopps shouting, "No! Oh, Nick!"

Bogo looked at the fox. On the left side of his neck, a blue stain was visible. "What's that?"

"Blueberries. From her family's farm," the fox replied. "They are delicious. You should try some."

Bogo shook his head and concentrated on the recording on this strange (and definitely not officially approved) carrot-shaped Dictaphone.

Bellwether had just made her phone call, alerting the ZPD of an emergency situation at the Natural History Museum. Now, Hopps was heard again. "No, Nick! Don't do this! Fight it!"

Bellwether's voice cut in. "Oh, but he can't help it, can he? Since preds are just biologically predisposed to be savages." The glee in her voice was unmistakable.

Suddenly a growl was heard, violent and feral. More gasps, irregular pawfalls, and growling. Lots of growling.

Suddenly, Bellwether's voice was drowning out the noise. "Gosh, think of the headline! 'Hero cop killed by savage fox!'"

Hopps answered: "So that's it. Prey fears predator and you stay in power?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"It won't work!"

"Fear always works. And I'll dart every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way."

Bogo nodded. "And that's the smoking gun." He looked at the pen. "How do I turn this thing off?"

"Just press the button once, and shortly, sir," Hopps said.

Bogo did, and the pen went silent. "You still have the serum you took out of the gun?"

"It's right here." The fox took something out of his breast pocket. "I suggest you handle it with care. It's the last one left, and if this breaks in your hoof, you'll turn savage."

Bogo nodded, taking the tiny blue sphere with extreme caution. "McHorn!" he shouted.

A rhino approached the small group immediately. "Yes, sir?"

"You have an evidence bag with you?"

"I have." McHorn took a tiny plastic Ziploc bag out of one of the pockets of his uniform.

Bogo put the sphere into the bag. While McHorn sealed it, Bogo ordered: "Get this to forensics on the double! And keep the bag closed at all times until you're there! Do not, I repeat, do not allow anyone to touch what's inside! That includes you!"

"Of course, sir." McHorn turned around and, true to his orders, ran towards the exit with surprising deftness, considering his massive stature.

Bogo took out his cell phone, dialed a number and waited a few seconds. "Doctor Peralta? Chief Bogo here. Listen up! Officer McHorn is on his way to you; he will arrive in a few minutes. He's carrying an evidence bag containing a tiny pellet. You will analyze the contents of the pellet. Consider it a Class A poison. Full protective suit." He waited for a reply. "What it is? Well, we think the contents are the reason why predators have been turning savage. You'll start working on an antidote, and you'll do it now." Another pause. "I don't care. From now on, this is your top priority. Everything, and I mean everything, else can wait. You are hereby authorized to make use of every resource imaginable, and you're authorized to consult with every expert who may be able to help you. This needs solving, and it needs solving YESTERDAY. Understood? Good."

Bogo disconnected and pocketed his cell phone again. "So, let me see if I get this straight, Hopps: You find out that the reason the predators turn savage is a serum, created from a flower which happens to grow in your home town. You return to Zootopia to rectify the mistakes you made, and instead of coming to the ZPD, you ask this fox for help?"

To his surprise, Hopps bristled. "This fox, sir, has a name," she spat. "His name is Nicholas …"

"Wilde, I know."

Hoops looked at him in astonishment and even fear, while Wilde's expression was difficult to read. His grin had vanished, though, but he seemed to be rather unperturbed by Bogo's knowledge. If he was afraid, he managed to hide it completely.

If he was honest with himself, Bogo had to admit that he should have been the one to be afraid.

A former cop, or rather - and much worse -, a cute, tiny bunny, whom he had decided to belittle from the get-go, had joined forces with a well-known con-mammal, a sneaky, untrustworthy fox of all mammals, vigilante-style, to unravel a crime which could have thrown Zootopia into chaos, possibly even civil war.

These two misfits had basically done the job he was paid to do.

Nothing even remotely similar had ever happened to him.

It was a truly humbling experience for Bogo.

Wilde obviously decided to play the cool, nothing-gets-to-me guy. "Have we met? I mean, other than on that platform in the Rainforest District."

Bogo shook his head. "We haven't, but isn't it true that you are in a business relationship with an infamous arctic shrew whom most mammals would characterize as a mob boss?"

The quickly dilating pupils in Wilde's face showed that Bogo had hit his mark. He opened his mouth to say something, but Bogo beat him to it. "And isn't it true that you have a business associate going by the moniker of Finnick, with whom you have a long history of scamming and hustling?"

Hopps looked at Wilde in obvious distress, while Wilde still looked unmoved. "I have one question, if I may, Chief," he said in a business-like tone.

"Go ahead."

"Where are your pawcuffs?" He stepped away from Hopps and raised both paws in a gesture which clearly acknowledged defeat.

This move surprised both Bogo and Hopps. "No!" the bunny shouted. She tried to turn towards Bogo, but her injured leg gave out immediately, and she toppled over with a yelp of pain. Before she was even close to hitting the ground, however, Wilde had managed to break her fall, pulling her upright again. She gave Wilde a look of gratitude, then she turned towards Bogo and said with a speed befitting a machine-gun: "Sir, without his help, I would have been truly and utterly lost. He doesn't deserve to be arrested! Please, sir, don't do this to him! He even …"

Bogo raised his hoof, which was very effective in silencing Hopps. Looking at Wilde, he said: "I don't really understand the game you're playing here, Wilde. You're one of those mammals most would call an opportunist." He looked around. "I fail to see your opportunity here."

"Excuse me?" Wilde was still business-like, as if his freedom wasn't on the line here.

"You help to bring a criminal to justice without having been offered any kind of reward. You help a city which has done nothing to support you. You help a police officer you barely even know. And when you defend her, you defy me, a mammal ten times your size. And now you walk into the literal lion's den, knowing full well that it could earn you a stint in Elkatraz. Why did you do all these things?"

Wilde took a deep breath. "I guess you don't realize how life was for most predators in Zootopia over the course of the last few weeks."

"You're wrong, I do realize. As a matter of fact, I had to suspend several outstanding officers, just because they were predators - the City Council gave me no choice. And every time someone reported some atrocity perpetrated by prey against predators, the DA, who's appointed by the City Council, was strangely reluctant to press charges." He looked towards the back, where Higgins was still reading Bellwether her rights. "I guess I understand this better now."

"You've only seen the tip of the iceberg." He made a pause, obviously thinking hard, then he plowed on. "You are right on all your accusations. I am a con-fox, I make a living hustling mammals out of their hard-earned money. But not only was it becoming increasingly difficult lately to make ends meet, it sometimes became outright dangerous to walk the streets. I was harassed on an almost daily basis. Okay, I've been harassed before -comes with being a fox and a con-mammal, I guess -, but never this often, or this severely. It was high time that somebody did something about it. And when Officer Hopps asked me to help her, I knew I had to do it. I did it for myself, for my health, even for my survival, and for the health and survival of all the other predators forced to endure harassment. I did this despite being fully aware of the consequences. So if you wanna arrest me, now's your chance. The way I see it, my hustling days are over anyway."

"And why's that?"

Wilde looked at Hopps. "Because I know a bunny who'd go into conniptions, should I return to my former lifestyle."

"You're willing to face jail time, just to please her?"

"I am."

Bogo nodded. "I see. You know that Ms. Hopps left the ZPD a few weeks ago, I assume."

"I may have read about this in some newspaper, yes."

"Well, when she left, she emptied her locker, but she left behind one piece of paper, obviously because she thought she wouldn't need it again. It's currently sitting in a filing cabinet in my office. Tell me, are you really willing to enter the Zootopia Police Academy?"

And finally I have gotten to you!

Wilde's jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and he stared at Bogo wordlessly. Bogo continued: "If you are, let me tell you that the ZPD demands full commitment. You either do this and walk the full mile, or you leave it be. There is no middle ground. You either make it, or somebody will break you. You cannot hustle your way through this."

Wilde had obviously found his voice again. "Wait, that's rubbish! I cannot apply. Not now, not when you know who I really am."

Bogo allowed himself a small chuckle. "When reading your application form, I couldn't help noticing that you answered the question whether you've ever been arrested or charged with a criminal offense by ticking the 'Yes' checkbox first, only to scribble over your answer and ticking 'No.' Do you really think it's that easy?" He made a pause. "Do you really believe your criminal record would not have come under intense scrutiny, regardless of how you had answered the question, once you had applied to the ZPA? Application is one thing. Each year, hundreds of mammals apply to academy training. But most never even make it into the Academy - they're rejected outright, usually because the initial tests show that they lack the qualities needed to become a police officer. Some, however, are rejected because of their criminal record. And just so you know, this includes trifles like traffic violations. A hustler, who's probably guilty of felony tax evasion, would never stand a chance; he'd be rejected even before his application could have reached the ZPA."

Wilde frowned. "Why are you telling me this? If there's no chance for me to apply …"

"Oh, you can apply, but in the current situation, being accepted into the ZPA is out of the question for you, and would probably even end in you being arrested." He made a pause, looking at Hopps. "However, if you could find a respected police officer, such as her, who would vouch for you, there may be a slight possibility that the Chief could put in a good word for you." He made another pause, leaning forward and thus closing the gap between him and Wilde, fixing his stare on the much smaller mammal. To his credit, Wilde didn't even flinch. "And if said Chief throws his weight and influence around, it may even be possible that the DA and the Mayor, whomever that will be, could offer you a full pardon, given what you've done for the city here. Which would in turn mean that your application would in all probability be accepted without compunction."

Hopps gasped, her nose twitching wildly. Then the twitching subsided, her ears drooped, and her features softened. "I cannot vouch for him, Chief. I'm not a police officer anymore."

Bogo nodded. "Right. However, should you happen to look into the aforementioned filing cabinet, you may also find a badge a certain rabbit police officer may have lost in the Mayor's office."

Hopps gasped again. "You … you want me to return to duty?"

Bogo gave her one of his most stern stares. "Those are not the words I would use, Hopps. You solve this case, and I applaud you for it. However, the fact remains that you did it on your own, and I can't, and won't, promote vigilantism. Not to mention the fact that you made a complete and utter fool of the ZPD. You two managed, on your own and with very limited resources, what all the officers at the ZPD were unable to do." He made a pause. "I'd much rather present you to the public as a police officer solving the case, instead of a vigilante who did the job we should have done. You'll still receive full credit, and you deserve it, but you'll get it as a police officer, working undercover to solve a case."

Hopps visibly hesitated. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth, but at this moment, Wilde spoke up: "It's what you wanted your entire life, Carrots."

Carrots? Bogo flinched. Another one of the countless demeaning nicknames for rabbits. But she seemed to take it in stride. Interesting.

Hopps looked at Wilde, then she took a deep breath. "I am requesting reinstatement into the ZPD, sir."

"Granted." Bogo nodded. "Welcome back, Officer Hopps."

"Thank you, sir." She looked at Wilde. "I would like to ask you to consider offering Nicholas Wilde the chance to apply to the Zootopia Police Academy, sir. He could be an outstanding police officer. Without his help, I would never have been able to solve this case."

Bogo looked at Wilde. "Mr. Wilde, do you want to apply to the ZPA?"

Wilde straightened, looking into the eyes of Bogo. "I do, sir," he said without any hint of hesitation. Bogo noticed that, for the first time, Wilde had responded to him with a posture and tone of respect.

"Good. I will give this my full consideration. Please come to my office tomorrow, so we can go over your application one last time."

"Thank you, sir."

"Good." Bogo looked around. All other officers had left the museum, taking Bellwether and her henchmammals with them. "Let's wrap things up here. Hopps, you should go to the hospital to have this leg looked at."

She nodded. "Of course, sir."

"Will you take her there, Wilde?"

"I will, Chief."

"Good. There's a press conference I need to conduct."

"A press conference?" Hopps asked.

"Of course. That's the second arrested Mayor in three months. It doesn't get much more high-profile than that. The press gaggle will want answers."

Hopps looked at Wilde, who grinned. "I guess we need to stop arresting Mayors, don't you think, Carrots?"

Hopps returned the grin. "Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we?"

Bogo shrugged and turned towards the entrance. Hopps and Wilde walked by his side, with the fox supporting the rabbit, who was limping in obvious pain. Bogo was walking very slowly to allow them keep up. "I couldn't care less, Hopps. There'll always be Mayors. There are far more than enough politicians in Zootopia - sometimes I think they spawn on damp locker room floors. One of them is sure to run for mayoralty."

"The Assistant Mayor takes over first, right?" Hopps asked Bogo.

It was Wilde who answered. "Unfortunately, yes."

She looked at him with a frown. "Why is it unfortunate?"

"Because Aries is a ram. And he was Bellwether's campaign manager when she ran for office first, some twelve years ago. After she made it into the City Council, she made sure he'd follow her four years later. It's just new wine in old wineskins."

Bogo looked at him. "You think he's in league with Bellwether?"

"You can bet your buffalo butt on it."

"Should I let some of my officers look into it?"

"Couldn't hurt. He's corrupt and opportunistic, and he'd definitely profit from prey ruling over predators, seeing as he owns Aries Security, a security company founded by his father, who was just as bad as him. By the way, employees of Aries Security are responsible for quite a lot of harassment against predators."

Bogo did a double-take. "They are?"

"They tried to beat up me and my colleague, for one. Thought playing hardball with a red fox and his tiny fennec fox friend was easy as pie." Wilde grinned. "Unfortunately for them, Finnick always has a few baseball bats lying around, and he knows darn well how to put them to good use. And he's much stronger than you'd expect from looking at him."

"Well, you are con-artists …"

"Who were simply sitting in the back of his van, enjoying our after-work-beer. The work we had done before may have been bordering on being illegal, but at that very moment, we were doing nothing illegal whatsoever. Whoever opened the van to get us, I guess they can be accused of breaking a few laws, like breaking and entering. Especially since they had arrived in an unmarked black van with no license plates. One of them, however, had been stupid enough to still wear his uniform. That's why we know who they work for. And I can tell you with certainty, none of them had been among the mammals we had hustled in the last three years. In fact I don't recall ever having hustled goats and sheep working for a security company. So it can't even have been revenge that drove the mammals."

"Where did this happen?"

"Sahara Square, in the only side alley along Acacia Avenue, next to the pawn shop run by the hyena, I keep forgetting his name."

Bogo knew the surveillance map of Zootopia like the back of his hoof, still he needed a few seconds to recall the important pieces of information. "There should be two traffic cameras in the vicinity. With any luck, we may have caught them in the act. I'll have someone look into it."

"Really?"

"You can bet your scruffy tail on it," Bogo said deadpan, eliciting a slight chuckle from both small mammals. "A crime is a crime, whether it is committed against a law-abiding citizen or a hustler. If we have the incident on video, and if it affirms your story, heads will roll at Aries Security."

"Great. It happened 17 days ago, just so you know."

"Understood."

"So Aries isn't any better," Hopps said. "Who else is there?"

"Well, the Democrats have the majority, so the new Mayor will most likely be from their ranks. We have Swinton, who's a lazy slob and not interested in anything else than her make-up. Then there is Merino, another sheep who's probably in league with Bellwether. She only joined the Council recently, but rumor has it she's destined for great things. Caballus only became Councilmammal to prevent the Council from doing anything which could harm his construction company." He made a pause. "The rest are mere yes-mammals who just sit there, doing nothing, barely even realizing that the citizens of Zootopia look up to them, hoping they'd make the right decisions for them and the city on the whole. Castor may be an alternative, but he's too young and inexperienced, and he doesn't have the support most other Councilmammals have."

"You seem to be pretty knowledgeable when it comes to the City Council," Bogo observed.

Wilde shrugged. "I know everybody."

"So, what do we do?" Hopps asked.

Wilde looked at her with a frown. "We? What do you think? I'm going to take you to the hospital so you can have that leg looked after. And the Chief is on his way to the ZPD HQ for the press conference."

Bogo nodded. "It is not our responsibility to determine who the next Mayor of Zootopia will be, Hopps. It'll sort itself out without our help."

"Yes, but Zootopia needs a good Mayor now, not just the next in line."

Wilde actually laughed at that. "You're a regular riot, Carrots! The Councilmammals are all just politicians, which means they are cheats and liars, and when they're not kissing cubs, they're stealing their pawpsicles. All that changes are names and faces, that's it."

"Lionheart was better."

Wilde hesitated. "Well, yes, he was, but … he's a liar. And a criminal."

"No he isn't. You heard Bellwether."

Bogo stopped dead in his tracks. "What did you just say?"

"Bellwether told us that she framed him." She pointed at the carrot pen Bogo still held in his left hoof. "It's all on the pen, the final thing before the recording ends."

"You think he's innocent?"

"We believe so, sir."

Wilde shook his head. "You believe so Carrots. I don't. He falsely imprisoned fifteen mammals to make sure he stayed in power. Doesn't sound like being innocent to me."

"Yes, but … he didn't have a choice." Hopps took a deep breath. "He was right. When we arrested him, he told me that what had happened could destroy Zootopia." She looked up at Bogo "You were there, too, sir. You heard him say that he imprisoned the missing mammals to protect the city. And seeing what happened after …," her nose began to twitch again, "after I shot my mouth during the press conference, I have to agree with him. He has been right all along. You can't blame a Mayor for doing what is best for his city."

Wilde considered this. "Maybe that's true, Fluff. Still, he broke the law."

Suddenly, Hopps grinned. "Look at you, Slick! We'll make a law-abiding citizens out of you yet."

Wilde shrugged. "I better start acting like a cop, I guess, seeing that I just applied to become one."

"That's the spirit, Nick!" She looked up at Bogo. "Lionheart's your friend, right?"

Bogo's posture became rigid. "How'd you figure out that one?"

"When you arrested Lionheart, you told him, and I quote: 'Never thought you'd do something like this, Leo.'" She made a pause. "Sounds like you go back a long way."

"We do," Bogo said. "We first met in High School, and we've been buddies ever since. Hell, I was his best mammal! I'm his oldest cub's godfather!"

"So you were disappointed."

"I was. Still am." Bogo sighed. "I'm with Wilde on this one. He may have had all the good reasons in the world, still he committed a crime, and for that, he needs to be punished. It doesn't matter if Bellwether hoodwinked him into doing what he did, the decision itself was his, and his alone."

"Sure, Chief, but what should he have done? Letting savage mammals go on a rampage? Let the public know that predators turn savage? You saw what happened when the public found out. Back when we arrested him, I thought he'd done it merely to make sure he stayed in office. I'm not so sure anymore. He had seen the problems and had done what was in his power to make sure they never materialize."

"Yes, but false imprisonment is a crime, Hopps!"

"Maybe so, but if someone is coerced into committing a crime, don't you think it could count as extenuating circumstances?"

Bogo hesitated again. "I think so. I'm not a lawyer, nor a judge. I'm just a cop."

"And you'd probably be pleased if your old friend is released from prison and reinstated."

"Of course, but … I just don't see this happen. The City Council's not likely to invite him back with open arms."

"Maybe someone could convince them."

"And who could this mammal be?"

"You, for example."

Bogo let out a guffaw. "Weren't you listening, Hopps? Lionheart's my friend! The moment I start putting in a good word for him, that's the moment when mammals start accusing me of being biased. I am the ZPD's Chief, I need to be impartial. All are equal before the law. I merely enforce the law, and I'm not allowed to care who the perp is."

"But let's put your friendship aside for a second. You'd agree with me that, as far as mayoralty is concerned, he would be the best option."

Bogo looked at Wilde, who returned the gaze and nodded. Bogo nodded, too. "He would certainly be."

"He was the first Mayor in a long time who really cared about the citizen," Wilde added. "When he became Mayor, things finally began to change. Before that, it sometimes was outright dangerous for a fox to cross the streets at night. Lionheart and the City Council appointed a new DA, and he immediately stepped up to press charges against thugs who went after foxes. Yes, there still is a long way to go, but under Lionheart, things finally started to improve for everyone involved, not just for one group of mammals. Yep, if I had any say in this matter, I'd prefer Lionheart over most of his competitors."

"Me too," Bogo said, "but my opinion will count as biased. So I cannot put in a good word for him."

"Then let me do it, Chief," Hopps said.

"You?"

"Yes, sir. I will put in a good word for him. I will tell the people of Zootopia that Lionheart is the Mayor this city needs."

"Hopps, you are a police officer. You're a subject of the City Council, too. You cannot take sides. You need to be impartial at all times. Justice knows no favoritism."

"Do I really need to show favoritism? All I need to do is to present the facts of the case. I can show that Lionheart had no choice but to act like the way he did, that Bellwether forced his paw. She was the true culprit behind everything - she coerced Lionheart into his criminal behavior. She even admitted that she framed Lionheart, it's on the pen, and Nick and I can confirm it. If I mention all this, maybe the Councilmammals and all of Zootopia will realize that he is their best option."

Bogo sighed. "Of course, but you need to avoid sounding like you officially endorse Lionheart."

"That goes without saying, sir."

"And when will you want to do this?"

She hesitated, but then she looked Bogo in the eyes. "At your press conference."

Bogo stared at her in surprise. "That's out of the question, Hopps! You belong in a hospital!"

"Sir," Hopps stare became even more intense, "I need to do this! I screwed up royally the first time. It's my fault this city almost fell into an all-out riot. My fault, and mine alone. I need to make this right! I need to make amends. Sir, please, let me accompany you to the press conference!"

"No, Hopps! You are in no fit state to address the press!"

"Sir, this is more important than me! To hell with my leg - I need to do this, even if I can't walk anymore after this. I need to fix this, and I need to do it now!"

"You can't even stand on your own!"

"Nick will support me."

"I will," Wilde said immediately. He put on a smirk. "Besides, I guess the press wants to see the bunny who solved the case."

"And the fox who helped her do it," Hopps added, looking at Wilde.

Bogo looked from her to him, and back again. He so wanted the two of them to go directly to the hospital. A deep gash in the shin was not to be trifled with, particularly one which was probably already infected.

But he wouldn't force them to go to the hospital.

During her first press conference, Hopps had turned herself into Enemy Number One of a lot of predators in Zootopia. Her inexperience, her naivety, her lack of knowledge, had caused her to make a blunder of galactic proportions, a blunder which caused a lot of pain and suffering.

It was high time this came to an end.

It was high time for Judy Hopps to apologize to the mammals of Zootopia, to start making amends.

Bogo heaved a sigh. "Fine, Hopps."

This rabbit will be the death of me yet! She and her fox friend!

As usual, I've hidden a few references to books, movies, or songs in this story. And I'm asking you to find and name them. If you manage to do so, you will receive a honorific mention in the next chapter.

I hid one quote from the book "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." (This will probably be a tough one.)

Another quote, slightly changed this time, is from the movie (not the book) "The Hunt for Red October." (This one should be somewhat easier.)

Thanks for reading! Please send me your reviews to let me know what you think about what I'm doing here!

Take care!

J.O. aka TheCatweazle