EDITED BY: DrummerMax64

Chapter One - A Savage World

The she-wolf cupped the side of her son's muzzle as he hunched over the left side of her hospital bed, tears seeping from his eyes and falling onto the white bed sheets that covered her frail body. She was trying her hardest to comfort him as much as she could, but figured that it was for the best to let it be. Beside her son was his mate, the love of his life that she had come to know over the years. Her paw—or rather, her hoof—squeezed tightly around her son's arm. She was having just as much trouble holding back her tears as he was. Wasn't she supposed to be the strongest out of the two of them?

To the right of the female wolf was none other than her husband, her mate. The one that brought many happy years to her life and three wonderful children that filled their days with sheer happiness. He was everything to her, and her to him. Deep down, they didn't want to let each other go. It was far too soon to say goodbye after everything they'd been through. But, despite what either of them wanted, nothing could stop the cancer that ate away at her very soul. She counted herself lucky that she had gotten to know him, and that they had spent the better part of their years together. It hurt to know that she would be leaving him alone in this world.

It was for this reason that she didn't even turn her head to him. She knew that no matter how strong he wanted to be, the fur around his eyes were also damp and stained with his tears. They had already spoken with one another, said their final promises and goodbyes, and yet she wished that they had more time.

The wolf quipped to herself why everyone was so miserable, but eventually the light thought slip away into the sterile air.

There was something far more pressing on her mind than sadness, something that she'd regret if she didn't act on it right at that moment. That something was the one last thing she wanted to say, that she needed to say. She didn't have much time now.

Her lips parted and smiled as wide as she could while she spoke to her youngest kin.

"You were one of the best things to ever happen in my life. Never forget it."

Reflecting on what her son had become in the twenty-four years of his life, she was glad that she could see him grow up to be something in this world. He wasn't the little pup she used to know anymore. He was a full-grown wolf now. Strong, wise, and caring, he was the perfect alpha wolf for the next generation.

And she was happy. Happy that she got to raise such a wonderful son, and happy that he'd become something they were both proud of.

She spoke up as much as she could, a hint of raspiness catching on her throat, "I love you, Edward."

"I-I love you too mom," he sobbed.

"Ed…" With her remaining ounces of strength, she gave him one last smile. I'll see you again soon, my little pup, her final thought echoed.

In that moment, a snow-white paw fell gracefully back onto the bed, followed by a high-pitched ring that filled the somber silence of the hospital room the group was in. She was at peace.

o o o

"Hey, Ed?" a deep voice rumbled, startling the silver-furred animal lost in his own thoughts as he sat in his office chair, oblivious to what was going on around him. "Earth to Ed?"

The wolf looked away from his computer to find a tall male tiger leaning nonchalantly on the side of his desk. Adorned on his wrist was a gleaming silver watch, and on his body was a light green button-up shirt and denim jeans. It was a usual style for this particular animal, and it never really varied past that.

That detail was the only clue he needed, apart from that sinisterly cheeky grin, to let him know that this mammal was none other than his childhood friend and coworker, Charles Clawson.

Edward awkwardly flashed a convincing smile. "What's up Charles?"

"Well, if you're done staring into space and holding the semicolon key," he chuckled, "Anders and I were gonna go grab some lunch."

The wolf's head snapped back to his computer screen in a nervous panic. Biscuits, he cursed quietly as he clumsily highlighted nearly a page and a half's worth of symbols. Was it obvious that his head wasn't entirely there at the office? Once his surplus of semicolons had disappeared from existence, Edward covered his flustered eyes with his paw.

"So, did you wanna come with? Or not?" the tiger giggled helplessly.

Through a space in between his fingers, the blue eyes of the canid mammal stared at the document in abhorrence. If he were being truthful, he wanted more than anything to pry himself away from the prison that was his desk. A slow day with an even slower writing process was painful, to say the least.

Besides, the world outside wasn't exactly a friendly place according to the press and other stories he'd heard, and being a wolf only added more of a reason to stay firmly planted at his work desk.

It seemed so strange to him how the city had suddenly transformed in the blink of an eye. The streets and buildings around the downtown area were abnormally quiet, Savannah Central had begun seeing protestors, and everyone around him seemed incredibly tense. If he had any choice he'd rather not delve into that topic around the mammals he worked with, especially in the news scene. His introverted mindset not even remotely eager to open that can of worms. He could feel the awkwardness just thinking about it…

A deep cleansing of the tiger's throat reminded him that Charles was still standing next to him.

Edward let out a calming sigh, trying his best to keep the smile he had before. "Not really. Thanks for the offer though."

He turned his head away from the now disappointed look that attempted to stare him down to his very core. He tried to ignore the stare as his paws transferred back to their place on the keyboard. A couple of his fingers twitched around the different keys, attempting to find the right words to type into the document. At the top of his screen was the title of the article that he'd been working on since he arrived at about eight o'clock that morning: Preds Going Savage: The Biological Connection. The title was still a work in progress, so of course it was terrible.

According to his clock, a grueling four hours had already passed, and he found himself caught in the repeated cycle of typing and deleting entire sentences and paragraphs. Currently, there were only two paragraphs on the page, and at this pace, he was getting nowhere fast.

Edward was convinced. The dreaded writer's block had now inhabited itself deep within the confines of his mind, and the fact that his work was centered on something so sensitive only made his apprehension worse.

If it were up to him, he would have never taken the topic in a million years, considering the recent events that had transpired in the city since the ZPD's press conference regarding the missing mammals case. It seemed like it was a realm of chaos outside the comfort of his office, and he had neither the intention nor will of stirring up the masses more than they already were.

But, alas, the boss of one of Zootopia's top news outlets, the Daily Gazette, decided to assign one of the few predators working there to write about the current events in the city. And it just had to be about prejudice and the dissidence between predators and prey, when he was just returning from one of the darkest weeks of his entire life. The timing of it all was utterly infuriating.

Charles, who still occupied the space beside Edward's desk, leaned over and inspected his monitor. A mild blush and a sense of uncomfortableness swooped over the wolf, making the already short predator feel smaller as he awkwardly cleared his throat, pushing his chair an inch or two away from his station so that he didn't bump into the tiger. Charles adjusted his glasses, reading the bold title at the top of the screen.

"So that's who they got writing this? Geez, talk about rough."

"Tell me about it," Edward agreed, rolling his eyes, "On top of that they want it by the end of the day too."

"Seriously? That's ridiculous! When did you get it assigned?"

"Yesterday morning. By Horn herself."

"Wait, Danielle assigned this? On your first couple days back?" Charles rubbed his neck, a lighthearted chuckle emanating from his muzzle as he jokingly muttered, "It looks like the boss has it out for you, Ed."

It was Edward's turn to laugh a little, despite the fact his ears were practically pressed against his head. Even with this ludicrous request from his boss, he had an idea of where she was coming from.

"After my last article, I wouldn't be surprised. Didn't it take the whole department just to calm some animals down? Who would have thought writing about a musician would spark so much outrage?"

The Gazette surely didn't appreciate all of the hate mail that poured in that day. Edward was sure that after the dust had settled, his head would be on a figurative pike, and his job along with it. Although, he couldn't help but question why the editor even featured the article to his boss in the first place. Even when Edward tried to rectify the situation and bring the issue to the head of the company, Danielle Horn herself, all she could issue out was a proper scolding for him writing the story in the first place. There was no winning the battle at that point it seemed.

In his defense, he never actually meant to send that particular file—well, files—at all. What had actually happened was that he'd intended to send a collection of other stories he made the week before he took off on a long-awaited honeymoon. But, to his dismay, the only story in the entire collection to make it onto the paper was the one that almost got him fired.

"Maybe they just have a bad taste in music?" Charles tried to reassure him.

"I'd believe you."

They both shared a soft chuckle as a paw shook the wolf's shoulder.

"Well, since you're stuck at the office, you want me to pick up something for you?"

Edward anxiously rubbed his neck and looked away from the tiger, admiring the limited view outside their office window. "I think I'll be fine…"

Charles was unconvinced. "You sure Ed? You're gonna need a little something to get through this monster." Edward's indecisiveness showed as he debated with himself, and his friend wasn't about to budge. "Tell you what, I'll even throw in a coffee for you. My treat."

The wolf's head tilted in confusion for a moment, then fully processed his friend's words. Coffee and a meal? Needless to say, he was shocked. To say it was unexpected was an understatement.

"Seriously?" Edward graciously asked in a light tone, trying his hardest not to sound ungrateful. "You don't have to do that—"

"Absolutely I do." Charles gave a firm nod and a caring tone, putting a paw on the wolf's shoulder. "Someone's gotta look out for you, especially after the past couple of weeks."

Knowing full well what he was referring to, Edward let out a feeble reply. "Yeah…"

"Anyways, I'm gonna grab Anders and we'll get something. Caesar salad sound good?"

He took no time to nod at one of his favorite meals.

"Cool. I'll see you in an hour, Ed."

"See you."

Edward watched as the tiger sped down the hallway towards the area where their pig coworker resided, then finally glanced back at his computer screen.

To his dismay, not a single element on the page hadn't been changed since his talk with Charles. Even his cursor had remained stagnant. It stared back at him as it faded in and out of existence, taunting him with every blip. More and more precious seconds passed him by. He let out a breath.

If only the article would finish itself.

As he continuously stared aimlessly at the monitor, Edward eventually started to hone in on his ears in the screen's reflection. Slowly, his eyes managed to catch the rest of his features. Droopy ears, bags under his eyelids, a small frown, and messy, second-day old fur. He was a wreak.

His thoughts began to wander once again as he laid back into his chair, staring upward at the ceiling. First thought about his mother at the hospital, how he missed her immensely. Then he thought about the recent news he'd caught wind of, being the proper news junkie he was. Savagery. He couldn't help but wonder. What if he managed to turn savage? What if he'd hurt the people around him?

What if he'd turn during work hours? He could very well be a danger to the entire floor. So, what would stop Horn if she decided to let him go? He could be dangerous—

Quickly recognizing the negative—as well as anxious—atmosphere enveloping him, he took a deep breath and firmly shook it off, his paws rubbing at his eyes before going back to work. There was no way that he'd be fired for who he was. That was against the law, end of story. He tapped his frustration away bit by bit on his keyboard.

While he wrote, he gave a light chuckle as his mind sarcastically thought to itself, Should I even say it? Meanwhile, on the inside, he desperately hoped and prayed that the day couldn't get any worse for him.

Soon enough, he managed to keep a steady groove as words flowed slowly onto the page. At his pace, he could have probably matched his speed to that of a sloth's. Eventually, he found an hour had quickly passed him by, and he now had a distracting kink in his neck, back and arms. At least he managed to get another couple of paragraphs into his article.

Edward stood up out of his office chair and stretched his aching limbs one by one. His gaze swept over the heads of the different animals that worked on his floor and finally outside the windows of the 34th floor of their building. In his scan he couldn't find any sign of Charles or his pig counterpart, Anders.

Eager to receive his food and loathing the thought of returning to his duties, Edward pushed in his chair and slowly wandered over to the long glass window to take in the view.

As soon as he got right up against the window, he put his paw lightly against the glass and honed in on the streets below, spotting all of the different species of mammals wandering the streets of downtown Zootopia—or at least trying to. From the height he was at, the animals below looked like furry little ants scurrying around on the sidewalk—besides the elephants of course—in a very systematic and clean manner.

At this point in the workday, nearly every working mammal in the office buildings was entering the mid-day shuffle. It was common that all of the restaurants in the buildings below would be packed to full capacity, which meant that if you didn't order your food in advance, finding somewhere to eat would be a challenge. Surely the staff members of those restaurants were begging for their own lunch break at this time of day. Edward certainly would be.

Out over the horizon was a sight to behold. Being as high as they were in the skyline, their position in the building allowed them to view the vastness of the Zootopian Bay, the shores of the Sahara District, the outreaches of Savannah Central, and the entirety of downtown all the way down to the beach. If he were standing to the side of the building to his right in the fourth row of desks near the boss's office, he could see the vista of the Rainforest District. As always the boss's office had the better view of this specific angle, and it looked magnificent from that room. Directly diagonal from that area was the view of the snowy cloud surrounding Tundratown. The "view" on the opposite side of where Edward was standing was another office building, which didn't really show off any sort of view other than the mammals sitting at their own desks on the other side.

Although, there was that sticky note war around a year ago that completely took over the lunch hour. Was it still going on? Edward couldn't remember. He hadn't even considered walking over to the other side of the floor since he'd returned. Maybe he'd go look after he finished eating.

The sun made the high-rise buildings shine like stars, nearly blinding the onlooking wolf. The water looked magnificent as it crashed along the shores, the few animals who appeared to have all the free time in the world completing the pleasant scene as they happily ran up and down the beach. Just looking at the view nearly made all of his negative energy float away with the wind.

If Edward had the option, he would just stand in the spot he was in right now and stare at the setting forever. If only he hadn't had his job and an adequate paycheck. Even now he still held onto the hope that with the money he earned and put in savings he could acquire a new apartment in one of the taller buildings downtown, that way he could one day experience this beautiful skyline every day.

However, he would have to make do with his current situation: the "Grand Pangolin Arms. 'Luxury Apartments, with Charm'." He could imagine the old armadillo now.

Out of the corner of his eye, just outside the Sahara District, he noticed a small boat coasting over the waves of the bay. A twinge of jealousy overcame him. How he would love to feel the breezy cool air flowing through his fur and the smell of the sea filling his nose…

"Woah, what's with the huge stain Charlie?"

Both of Edward's ears twitched. He honed in on the familiar name as he pushed the scene away from his thoughts. He turned around and stared confusingly at the small pack that stood around his desk.

Leaning against his work-space was Charles, a group of four of Edward's other coworkers standing in an arc around him. They were all giggling happily along with the tiger. For a second, Edward wondered why, but he quickly put the pieces together.

Nearly half of Charles's pristine green shirt was drenched in a hideous brown.

The tiger laughed it off and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, some cutie bumped into me on the way out. I'm not too worried though, I got a spare shirt at my desk."

The lone badger in the group snickered. "You at least got her number, right?"

"I think I would have had more luck as a sheep," Charles cackled. "What do you think, could I pull off wool and stripes?"

Everyone burst out laughing as Charles struck a pose. Edward couldn't help but chuckle along with them at the absurd pose his friend was making. Did the time away make him forget the tiger's comedic charm?

Looking at their phones and watches the group said their goodbyes and fled to their desks, leaving Charles to wait for his wolf friend. In his paw was a large sized coffee with the Snarlbucks logo printed on the protective cardboard sleeve. On Edward's desk was another large sized coffee and a Styrofoam to-go container that was undoubtedly the salad he was offered.

The wolf walked over to the tiger, greeted by a deep voice and warm arms. "There you are! Thought you may have left for the day or something. More coffee and food for me, right?"

"Well, it seems like you got more than enough for today." Edward hinted glumly, gesturing at Charles's stained clothing.

"Yeah," he admitted with a sigh, "Good thing I got a spare though. Let me tell you, between you and me, I've never seen someone go as far as intentionally tripping me to get attention before. I was lucky enough to save one coffee."

Edward was confused. Wasn't it accidental? "Intentionally? Why would you say that?"

"Well, after her whole posse laughed it off and called me a 'dumb pred,' it's hard not to put two and two together."

Edward was appalled. Intentionally tripping another animal just for a laugh? The wolf began to fume as his arms folded over his chest. "What did you do?"

"I apologized, got back in line and pretended the whole thing never happened." Charles shrugged. "Thought it would be best not to start anything. Anders though, he almost lost it. Could you imagine him going off on a bunch of sheep? I would've paid to see that."

"That would be funny…" Edward uttered, looking down at his boxed salad and drink.

The divide between predators and prey was getting worse it seemed, and his friend was a prime example.

"But, that aside, I managed to get you a Caesar salad and a medium coffee, two creams. It's not a five-star meal, but its lunch."

"Thanks again Charlie… A-Are you sure you don't want me to pay you back for it?"

"Don't worry about it. Besides, I could never repay everything you've done for me. It's 'cause of you that I've got this job to begin with. Plus, you've saved my hide more than enough times than I'd ever admit, I think it's the least I could do. So, eat up. I gotta change my shirt. I'll see you 'round."

"See ya…" Edward trailed off before they exchanged a quick fist-bump, Charles parting with his coffee in paw and en route to his own desk.

The wolf turned his head and stared at the box and cup, still not fully convinced they were his yet. Just having the drink and salad on his desk brought a sense of warmth to his heart that hadn't been there for quite a while. Maybe the world wasn't such a bad place as he thought.

Edward picked up the cell phone lying on the left side of his keyboard and quickly set an alarm to go off in forty minutes time. Although he had an hour left in his shift, leaving early became a definite possibility since he only had one assignment for the entire day. All he had to push through was that dreaded writer's block.

After plugging the charger cable into his phone, he swiped his mouse and minimized the window containing his nearly complete work, opening the Internet browser. In the address bar, he typed in the URL for the Zootopia News Network and waited patiently for it to load. The news was a common pastime for the lunch hour, and made the day go by quicker.

As soon as the page fully loaded, Edward was greeted with the news company's logo and the newest headline story. Today it read: Three More Predators Gone Savage, Now Twenty-Three Confirmed Cases. With a scowl he quickly scrolled past the headline to the other topics below.

He started attempting to read off each title on his screen, but was distracted when he opened his box of greens. Growls roared in his stomach as his mouth salivated—it looked magnificent. Better than bugs any day of the week. He tore apart the wrap from his plastic cutlery and singular napkin and pulled his food close. A click of his mouse brought him to the first article as a bite of scrumptious lettuce leaves entered his muzzle.

The first story was about the new renovations being made at the Natural History Museum and how work was being completed quicker than expected.

Edward remembered the museum pretty well. Long before he became a journalist, he was a nerdy, anxious young pup attending school like any other young mammal at his age. One day, the class took a day out of their busy schedule to attend a field trip to the heart of Zootopia for their history class. Because of how long the distance was between the Tri-Burrows and the city, his mother had agreed to chaperone and tour along with his class through the Museum of Natural History.

There, they learned more about the pact that predators and prey made to coexist without the need for violence. If memory served him well, he would always be the one to hold up the entire class to absorb every single piece of information from every plaque and every display. At times, he and some others, his mother included, dreamt that he could've been a history teacher or a librarian with the amount of time he spent reading about animal history in school, but in the end always settled with his passion for writing. Edward couldn't even remember most of what he was taught anyway. It was incredibly boring stuff.

According to ZNN's sources, the new renovations included some long-awaited maintenance on a few of the exhibits and systems in the building and some new displays featuring some newly acquired artifacts from distant countries around the world. The museum was set to open the following summer.

Finishing up the first article in record time, Edward jumped past a story featuring an interview with a doctor about the savage predators to someone who made a lasting impression on his own career as of late. This next story involved the pop star Gazelle, the cover image of her sporting red flashy attire at one of her famous concerts nearly covering the entire screen. He rolled his eyes. If it weren't for the title, he would have skipped this article entirely just at the mention of the pop star. His cursor hovered over the back button before he managed to spot the word prey in the paragraphs.

Against his better judgment, he inevitably conceded and gave it a chance. Thankfully, Edward wasn't disappointed. Apparently, there was a rumor going around that she would be taking part in organizing a protest against the recent prejudice that was plaguing the city. She gave the ZNN no comment about the subject.

A bite of salad chomped inside his mouth as a loving smile formed on his muzzle. If this story was, in fact, true and she was organizing this protest, the respect he had for her would go through the roof and to the stars. Maybe he and his wife could attend if they were lucky.

The next story on the chopping block talked about how crime was on the rise as more and more predators became victims of various hate-crimes around the city. Edward didn't have the nerve to read the rest.

Edward's fork angrily poked through the Styrofoam container, the squealing noise it made drawing his eyes toward the now empty box. He took the napkin and wiped off his face before sealing away his trash, the entire box ready to be thrown away later on. He grabbed the coffee sitting to the right of him and wisely blew into the small cavity. Taking a slow sip of his warm coffee, he continued to read.

The next article made him smile and blush like mad as he stared at the cover image.

The space program had finally unveiled their newest rocket, the RAM-12, in hopes of sending mammals further than the moon. Tests of the rocket late yesterday morning went flawlessly with no issues to be spoken of. Plans are in the works for a test launch of the Astro VI using the newest rockets. There was no set date, so it was up in the air about what could happen with the newest space technology.

Oddly enough, Edward already got this piece of intel last night, the reason being that his wife actually helped design the rocket. She was so excited when she came home from work, so delightfully giddy that this rocket finally tested well. He was genuinely happy for her, proud even. Unfortunately, she couldn't share much about the designs or the readings at the time—due to several corporate and governmental non-disclosure agreements—but she promised that it was spectacular. If only he could be in her shoes right now.

The next story was—

B-bzzzz. B-bzzzz…

His cell phone began shaking and vibrating, drawing his attention away from the news as his head shot over in its direction. A silent curse fluttered in his mind. He picked up the device and stared at the clock confirming that it was indeed correct. Time had passed by so quickly he didn't even realize that his forty minutes for lunch had expired. With a couple of swipes on his smartphone Edward disabled the alarm, then quickly closed the ZNN webpage.

A muffled groan escaped his muzzle as his cursor hovered over the tab that held his topic. After a minute of silent debate, he finally yielded and brought the document back up to full screen. For another solid minute, he stared at it aimlessly in deferment, thinking how much he didn't want to be a journalist in that moment. But, unfortunately, it was he who had chosen this career path willingly. No matter what topic was thrown at him, it was a job. Maybe he could spin it in a more positive direction?

Unable to spare any more time, Edward finally surrendered to his work as his paws moved gracefully and quickly around his keyboard. A familiar tune filled the desolate air, as he quietly remembered the lyrics to Gazelle's Try Everything. Words popped onto the document like clockwork. Soon a paragraph had been finished, then another. He had found his spirit for a moment, thanks to his wife.

Leaving at three o'clock might not be such a pipedream after all, he thought with a newfound smile.

o o o

In her office several rows away, the lone gazelle watched the grey-furred predator conspicuously through the metal blinds of her window. He was working diligently on his topic, and it looked like he'd found his footing. But, despite the avidness he displayed towards his work, something else loomed like a cloud right over his head, and Danielle could plainly notice it.

Look at him, she thought to herself with a scowl, sitting so nice and snug in his chair, like nothing's even happened. Do you think he's even considered it? Considered that he could be a danger to the entire floor?

While she watched, one of her rabbit writers poked their head up from their desk and stared wide-eyed at her with a dazed expression.

A huff ended her gawking as the metal blinds harshly flicked back to their normally shut position. She turned to the right and began to stroll over to the table that held her water heater and coffee maker. A nice hot cup of green tea was exactly what she needed. It did wonders for bringing her peace in the more stressful times of her career, or even bliss in the best.

While she grabbed one of the three white porcelain mugs and began brewing her tea, she thought quietly to herself. She couldn't help but recall the news, the recent events. Not the trivial 'save a life', 'corrupt politician', or silly 'celebrity' kind. No, this news was the 'concerning, should be wary' kind.

This was about the predators. Those unpredictable, murderous savages.

That wolf, sitting at his desk writing as he normally did, writing some terrible story about who knows what, was a major concern. What if, somehow, he managed to turn right before her eyes? What if he were to harm—or even kill—the animals around him? She would be liable for their very lives.

She grabbed one of the spoons sitting next to her set of mugs, put a cube of sugar in the tea, and began to slowly stir as she walked over to the far end of the room, standing in front of the pane of glass. She looked outward to the Rainforest District, to her home, then took a small sip of her drink.

For the sake of her company and her workers, she had to take action to protect them. It was a shame that their protection meant losing one of the best writers on the floor. She honestly liked his work. However, there had to be a line drawn somewhere. The safety of her writers, editors, and staff could be at stake. Her father would've surely agreed. There would not and could not be any savagery in her company if she had any say in the matter.

However, there was the issue of how to even go about this. It seemed like another problem in and of itself.

What to do, she thought coldly to herself. She couldn't just lay him off right then and there. With the work he'd done over the last two years, it wouldn't hold up anywhere if she fired him with no real justification. For now, all she needed was time as well as patience. This was something that needed delicacy. Rushing it would only hurt her and her business in the long run. In the back of her mind, she silently hoped that some sort of opportunity would present itself to her.

She stared blankly at the forest beyond the downtown area as a nice sip of green tea slipped comfortably down her throat. Her opportunity would come. She had all the time in the world.