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wordsparkthefirst-blog · 8 years ago

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Upcoming Zootopia Story

Greetings and salutations to all Zootopia fans everywhere!

My name is WordSPark, and for the past year or so, I’ve been working on a multi-chapter story featuring our favorite fox and bunny duo, doing their thing, fighting crime, and falling head-first into yet another catastrophic criminal investigation!

I’m really excited about the whole thing; I’ve yet to publish any chapters, because I’ve had the tendency in the past to abandon ongoing projects like this. So as a remedy to that, I’ve decided to upload the story only when the final chapter is completely edited.

The good news? The first 13 chapters are now complete, and only two more chapters left until the big finale! I figure I’m only a month or two away from the big reveal!

However, since I can’t wait, I’ve decided to leave a little sneak preview of the first chapter here on Tumblr for those of you interested!

I also want to give a big shout-out to my awesome beta-reader, editor, and friend, Azdgari, without whom I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this! So, without further ado, here’s a little snippet from my upcoming story! Enjoy!

Judy strained her eyes against the monitor of her computer as her fingers flew across the keyboard. The previous night’s operation had left her weary and with only a few hours’ rest, but that wouldn’t stop her from finishing her report. Sore muscles be damned, it was all she could do to burn all the leftover energy from the raid.

Still, Judy thought as he reached for her mug of coffee, it could be worse. She took a sip of the decaffeinated drink, licking her lips and sighing contentedly. It still had enough sugar to keep her eyes open and her fingers twitching, for now at least. Her mind was stuck replaying the previous night’s events, trying to glean every single detail it could. It had been her first lead in a major operation. And all in all, it had gone pretty much as planned, even if the end result hadn’t been… expected.

As she spun in her chair, Judy glanced once more at her computer screen. She was at an impasse, uncertain what to type. She kept thinking about the mysterious powder that they’d found in those crates. In the end, they’d confiscated well over 200 kilograms of the stuff, but the lab still had no idea what it could be. Judy’s foot tapped against the floor in irritation; whatever it was, she was certain it could not possibly be legal.

Her reverie was cut short by a sudden knocking on the wall behind her cubicle. She spun her chair around and came muzzle to muzzle with her partner, who smirked at her surprise.

“Mornin’ Carrots.” Nick drawled, taking a sip from his own cup of double espresso. He glanced at the screen, raising an eyebrow. “Still working on that report?”

Judy sighed as she swiveled in her chair to face the increasingly frustrating document before her.

“Hey, Nick. Yeah, I’m just… I don’t really know what more to write.”

She glared at the offending screen, wondering what more she could say about the raid. She’d typed all she could think was relevant, but there was something missing. It just felt… incomplete.

“Did Packard come by for the paperwork already?” Nick asked.

“No. I wanted to be done before she came by to pick it up.”

A warm puff of air ran across her ears, and they instinctively twitched against the ticklish sensation. Her eyes darted upwards and she saw Nick leaning over her, reading her report. His breath was slow and measured, smelling of bitter coffee. Judy scoffed and rolled her eyes at his invasion of her personal space and leaned on her armrest, watching Nick as he read her report.

His eyes flickered back and forth, taking in her words. For a split second she allowed herself to simply observe him, something unusual even for her. It was Nick, after all. But she couldn’t help but notice the changes. His eyes were focused, his muzzled seemed sharper. Hell, even his teeth were sharper, and she knew that was no meaningless detail. Overall, his face had a distinctive seriousness about it now that it had lacked before when they’d first met. As she watched his lips move ever so slightly, mouthing the words of her reports, she smiled. His look of concentration was a stark contrast to his usual joking self. In reflection, this wasn’t the same fox she’d met hustling popsicles months back. This fox, he looked…

“Looks fine to me.” Nick said, pulling away from her. Judy quickly averted her eyes, hoping that he hadn’t caught her staring. He teased her enough as it was. He didn’t need any more material; she’d never hear the end of it.

“Anyways,” Nick continued, giving her his trademark grin, “I’m supposed to tell you that the chief wants to see us in his office.”

“The chief? Why?” Judy asked, curious at the sudden change of subject. They had debriefed the chief last night immediately after the raid.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Nick said, his smile faltering so slightly as to go unnoticed by anyone who didn’t know Nick. Not a good sign. “But I doubt it’s anything good. Come on.”

Judy hopped from her chair and followed Nick as he stalked off towards the chief’s office. Her mind raced, reviewing procedures and protocols, trying to think of what they might have gotten wrong. Had she messed it up somehow? Doubtful; she’d followed protocol to the letter. Had someone filed a complaint? Excessive force? No, that didn’t make sense either.

“Did he say anything?” She asked him, reflexively gnawing her teeth.

“Not yet. Spots told me he wanted to see us. Both of us.” He replied, his smooth demeanor settling effortlessly back into his voice. She envied that about Nick sometimes. He could play it cool even in the most stressful of occasions.

“You think it has something to do with last night?” Judy asked, catching his eyes as they walked step by step. A familiar sly grin gave her a decent view at sharp canines as Nick tilted his head conspiratorially towards her.

“Geez, Carrots! Not so loud. I thought you didn’t want the others to know.” Nick whispered.

A playful punch to his arm took care of the smirk, but it only caused him to chuckle, and even she was fighting back a smile.

“Oh, shush! You know what I meant.” Judy said, feeling the tell-tale tingle of a creeping blush in her cheeks. The taupe hallways might still be empty, devoid of the morning bustle, but still. He had no shame. Unlike her.

“You think it’s about the raid? Good-enough odds. Maybe he wants to give us a promotion?” Nick asked, only half-teasingly. She could tell there was a slightly hopeful edge to his voice.

“Yeah, maybe.” Judy said, looking down at the ground before them. She had her doubts about any upcoming promotions. She knew the Chief had nothing against either of them, and respected them for their skills. He’d made that clear enough after the Bellwether case, and again after Nick graduated top of his class at the Academy. But promoting a bunny and a fox over other, supposedly more qualified mammals would be an unpopular move.

She’d had that conversation with the Chief before, and he was right. It was one thing to be respected as a fellow officer by other mammals, but having subordinates that could pick their teeth with her bones was something else entirely. The Chief wasn’t willing to risk a widespread case of insubordination. The future, however, still held hope.

Nick and her made a great team, and together they were already working their way to a case-closing record. But despite their unexpected success, she knew Nick had a different outlook on the matter.

She glanced up at him as he simply kept on walking, smiling that stupid grin of his, looking carefree and relaxed, his primary defense mechanism. Masking away the pain from the leers, the insults, the mistrust from other mammals, simply because he was a fox. Even after graduating from the academy with record-breaking scores, it still wasn’t enough. To many mammals, all they’d ever see, was a fox. Bigotry towards bunnies seemed mild when compared to some of the things some mammals still whispered about foxes.

A sudden flash of orange just before her eyes caused her mind to grind to a halt. She faltered mid-step as Nick’s tail swished just past her nose, tickling her sensitive whiskers. Letting Nick take a few steps without her, she once again looked at him. His tail was twitching erratically from side to side, seemingly in discord with the rest of his body. Judy had spent virtually every day with him since they’d first met, excepting his brief stay at the academy, and she’d learned to read his behaviors. Tail flicking? Either he was very nervous, or very excited. Neither was a good sign for her.

She looked closely at him, her eyes searching for more warning signs before finally resting on two manila folders tucked neatly under his arm. Reading the names printed on the tabs, her brow slowly furrowed in curiosity.

“Why do you have the Roughpelt case files? That’s a cold case.” She asked, still trying to read the name typed on the second folder.

Nick smiled at her, clutching the folders tighter to his chest, blocking her view of the name.

“Yes. Yes, it is.” He said, the smugness evident in his voice. Picking up her pace, Judy stormed past him, her worry over the chief’s potential verbal lashing and their discrimination forgotten momentarily. Curiosity was now the only thing gnawing in her stomach.

She hated it when Nick knew something she didn’t. It happened more often that she’d care to admit. And it was one of the things that made him such a good cop. He was much smarter than he let on, and he was constantly making important connections where most others might just see coincidence. Plus, his intricate knowledge of Zootopia’s notorious underworld didn’t hinder him any. But that was cheating, technically. Or at least, she considered it cheating.

Or maybe it just bothered her that he seemed to enjoy tormenting her by withholding information until the very last minute.

“What’s your hurry, Carrots?” Nick teased as he walked calmly behind him, not bothering to keep up pace.

“You know I hate it when you do that, Nick.” She muttered, trying to focus on power-walking the rest of the way to the Chief’s office.

“Do what?” Nick questioned innocently. She didn’t bother looking back to confirm it, but she was certain there was that characteristic smirk plastered on his muzzle.

“Have it you way, Wilde. But don’t complain if I keep things to myself later.”

“Please, Carrots. You couldn’t keep a secret if your life depended on it.” Nick said, chuckling. “Need I remind you of your little confession last week?”

She could almost swear steam was coming out of her ears as they heated up with a stubborn blush. She raised her index finger violently, never breaking pace or looking back at Nick, lest she feel inclined to kick him.

“That was one time, Wilde.” She muttered through clenched teeth. “And how was I supposed to know you still had my pen?”

Nick just chuckled, and she knew he was enjoying this immensely. At least he’d be in a good mood when the chief stomped them both.

“How was I supposed to know you’d confess to something like that?” Nick asked coyly. He was just toying with her now. She hated it when he did that. Not really though. But it was fun pretending to hate it.

“You know full well that I’d had more than my share of-” Judy started, but before she could finish her sentence, the door to the Chief’s door opened just a few feet in front of them, and it’s bulky resident stepped outside, glaring at them with his ever-present scowl.

“Wilde. Hopps. About time.” He said, his voice uncomfortably loud in comparison with his low tone.

Sharing one last glance with Nick, Judy stepped inside and attempted to quell her nerves. Nick followed quickly behind, closing the door quietly behind them.

There you have it. Sorry for the long post! Still, I hope you guys liked it! There’s plenty more where this came from! Feel free to leave any thoughts or opinions, and I hope you’ll enjoy this story. Coming this Summer!

Cheers!

-WordSPark

#Zootopia #zootopia fanfic #nick wilde #judy hopps

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wordsparkthefirst-blog · 9 years ago

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A Zootopia Fanfiction

Prologue

The air was thick with dust, and his nose itched relentlessly against the sand-peppered breeze. Fighting the urge to sneeze, he tightened his grip on the tranquilizer gun and stalked forwards towards the southeast entrance of the warehouse. The old abandoned building definitely had a macabre sense of abandonment about it, reminding Nick of old noir mafia films. A smirk flickered across his muzzle as he thought of how cliché the whole thing was. A police raid on an old abandoned warehouse, in the dead of night. Then again, clichés had to come from somewhere.

The moon hung low in the sky, barely bright enough for most mammals to see clearly. For Nick though, it might as well have been noon. He watched with keen eyes as the other SWAT teams headed towards their objectives. He led Delgato and Fangmeyer towards their own designated entrance with ease and confidence, silent in the still of night. It was a simple task. Wait for the signal, bust in, and subdue any suspects within. After that, it was up to the sniffers to dig up any incriminating evidence. All in all, a simple, if exciting, day at work.

As he arrived at the door, his thoughts once more focused on the task at hand as he took point, signaling to his team to stay low and follow tight. Nick breathed deep. Everything was set. His team was at the door, and all he had to do was wait for Hopps to give the signal, and they would burst in. Nick reached towards his belt where he stashed his flash grenades, but thought better of it. It would probably hinder him in the end. Once more he smirked as he cocked his gun. He was a better shot in the dark anyways.

He could feel the adrenaline rushing through his bloodstream, hear the frantic pumping of his heart within his chest. Time seemed to slow down, and he could sense every detail, hear every whisper. The thrill was unique, but it was always enjoyable. A year ago, he would have felt the same rush after getting away with a risky scam. Now, he was on the opposite side of the law, and loving every minute of it.

“All teams in position?” Came the tinny voice of Judy Hopps. Nick's ears twitched as the other teams sounded out, each and every one of them already in position and ready to move in.

“Foxtrot in position at the Southeast entrance, over.”

“Confirmed, move in on my count…”

Nick felt his lips curling instinctively, baring his fangs. If he were brutally honest, he had to admit that he loved this part of the job. He blamed Judy for it. The incredible sense of accomplishment of bagging the bad guys was unlike any other. And darting them had its perks, too.

“Ready… All teams move in! Go! Go! Go!”

Nick signaled Delgato, who moved forward and aimed a vicious kick at the door. The force sent it reeling at the hinges and Nick scurried in, looking down the sight of his gun and searching for his prey.

All around him he could hear scuffles and shouts of “Police! Stand down!” But he was focused on his task, and he deftly maneuvered his way across the cluttered containers and broken down machinery.

The inside of the warehouse was dimly illuminated by a few rays of moonlight snaking through old, greasy window panes, and a few hanging lights here and there. It looked to have been a packaging plant at one point, seemingly abandoned to the ravages of time in the middle of a busy day of work, with rusting metal machines and rotting boxes and crates strew haphazardly throughout the building.

But Nick had made his way through worse dumps than this before. And now, with the police academy under his belt, and already a good couple of months on the force, weaving through the dense, dark environment seemed like a walk in the park. His focus was entirely on reaching his objective: center mass.

By now, Judy would have broken through from the opposite end of the warehouse. Judging on his squad’s brisk pace, he figured they would meet in the middle. With two fronts, pincering in the main group of suspects should be a cinch.

Thankfully, Nick heard no signs of any serious struggle, and best of all, not a single shot. Glancing to his left as he ran, he spotted Rhinowitz and one of the hogs from TUSK taking down a heavy-set brown bear, cuffing him while they read him his rights. But something caught his attention. Nick slowed down just enough to catch the slightest glimpse of the bear’s face, and saw that he was smiling smugly. Something about that smile rubbed him the wrong way, but he quickly shook his head clear, and kept sprinting. He had a job to do. He could worry about smiling bears later.

Nick finally spotted a cluster of mammals gathered around a table, large wooden crates stacked up all around them, the only things that didn’t look as though they belonged in an incinerator. The mammals, however, didn’t seem overly concerned. They seemed to be waiting for them. Nick smirked, feeling confident. This would be easier than he had thought.

Nick raised his gun, scanning the menagerie of mammals before him. None were familiar, and none looked too friendly. Still, no sudden moves so far. That was always a welcome surprise.

“ZPD! Get on the ground, now! Spread your arms, let me see your paws!” Nick shouted, Fangmeyer and Delgato copying his actions, shoving a few of the more resistant mammals down on the ground.

In the midst of the chaos, Nick spotted a single mammal still standing, resolutely ignoring his orders, and made his way towards her. He recognized her as a mongoose, nearly as tall as he was, impeccably dressed in a silk suit, accenting her feminine figure. Her fur appeared slick and clean, almost reflective, and her face bore a disinterested expression. He immediately disliked her, reminding him too much of himself in a different time.

As he approached her, she spoke in a strange accent, calmly and pleasantly.

“Officer, you’re making a rather unfortunate mistake, I’m afraid…”

Nick grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around, immediately grabbing her paws and locking them behind her back as she protested.

“Only mistake I see is right in front of me. Silk is so last fall. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be used-”

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with, do you?” The mongoose interrupted him, her voice carrying a bit of a snarl. Just as he was about to reply, he spotted movement from the opposite end of the crates, and turned just in time to see Judy and Wolford enter the scene, guns at the ready. Nick smiled.

“About time, Carrots! I thought you bunnies were supposed to be fast,” Nick teased just as she spotted him. She flashed him a competitive smirk, holstering her gun and grabbing her own set of cuffs.

“Can it, slick. I’m only late because I had to help Higgins fit through the door. What’s your excuse?”

Nick merely shook his head, chuckling. “No excuses, Carrots. I won fair and square. Coffee’s on you for a week.”

“You two bet on a raid?” Came the incredulous but amused voice of Wolfard from somewhere behind them as he handcuffed a resigned-looking horse.

“Of course not. Just on who got to their objective first. Now, what do we have here?” Judy said, making her way towards Nick, her ears perked and alert. Nick moved his captive to the side, letting his partner get a look at the rebellious mongoose.

The mongoose twisted her face towards Judy, her false smile projecting nothing but venom.

“Ah, the famous rabbit officer. I should have known.” She said, with only the slightest venom permeating her honeyed voice. Nick tightened his grip on the handcuffs, and began to walk her towards one of the crates, Judy falling in line with her as she looked back towards Nick.

“This is the ringleader, Nick?” She asked, the mongoose hissing as she almost tripped on one of her comrades still lying on the floor.

“It would seem so. Either that, or this weasel has a pathological need for attention.” Nick said, smirking at his perp. She growled at his remark, and his smirk only grew wider. If there was something he was good at, it was pressing mammals’ buttons.

“I am a mongoose, you ignorant canine. My name is Christina Whitfur, and you are invading my property. I hope for your sakes that you have a warrant…”

“Well no, actually.” Judy interrupting, casting a sly look towards Nick. “We usually just make a habit of breaking into old warehouses for kicks.”

Nick chuckled, which only infuriated the mongoose even further. With a final shove, they arrived rather unceremoniously at one of the crates surrounding them while the rest of their fellow officers continued with their arrests.

Twisting her around to face her, Nick presented his trademark smirk and looked at her through half-filled eyes.

“Well then, Whitfur, since we actually do have a warrant, and are going to arrest you anyway, want to make things a bit easier on us and just tell us what’s in all of these crates?” Nick asked smoothly as Judy smugly produced the warrant for their forced entry.

Whitfur, however, did something Nick did not expect. She smiled, revealing sharp canines, and looked at him with utter confidence. Something didn’t sit well with Nick at all. That was the second sign so far.

“Officers, you are making a grave mistake, I’m afraid. But seeing as how I am a reasonable mammal, I will give you one chance to release me, and leave these premises. I promise not to seek legal action against you or your police department.”

Something in the back of Nick’s mind told him that they’d already lost. Whitfur had also realized as much. Her smile grew wider with his stunned silence. But Judy was another matter entirely.

“Fine then,” Judy said, grabbing at the lid of one of the crates, “We’ll just have to add refusal to cooperate to your ledger. Pity.”

As Judy began to lift the lid, Nick began to smell a peculiar scent in the air. It tugged at a distant memory, but he couldn’t place it. Still, it rubbed his fur the wrong way, and he knew to trust his instincts… most of the time…

“Um, Carrots…?”

Judy ignored him and lifted the lid clean off, revealing rows upon rows of neatly packed glass cylinders, each containing a swirling cerulean liquid. Judy and Nick both stared in amazement at the sheer quantity of the tiny glass beakers. And judging from the volume of the crate, there were plenty more stacked underneath.

Nick furrowed his brow, trying to think. Something was eerily familiar here, yet he’d never seen anything like it before. A shudder ran down his spine as the mongoose began to chuckle. Judy turned towards Nick, and her expression probably mirrored his. They were in uncharted waters now.

“Very well, officers. You’ve just signed your resignations. I shall cooperate for now. Shall we go and speak with your chief?”

Nick felt the sudden urge to growl, but swallowed it, not wanting to release the anger he felt at that moment. They’d been tricked, played right into this shifty little mongoose’s paws. And the worst part was that Nick still couldn’t understand how.

He remained standing there, dazed, until finally Judy grabbed Whitfur by her arm and began to take her away.

“Come on, Nick. Let’s go. The chief needs to see this.” She mumbled, apparently just as struck as he was.

With one last glance towards the crates and their strange, ethereal contents, Nick turned and paced after Judy, ignoring the jumble of sounds of his fellow officers making their arrests. Absentmindedly, Nick grabbed his radio, clutching it nervously in his paw.

“Chief, this is Wilde. You there?”

“What is it, Wilde?” Came the eternally-annoyed voice through the radio’s tiny speaker.

“We rounded up the suspects, and secured the warehouse, but… well, I think you need to see this for yourself, Chief.” His voice was haggard, no hint of confidence left.

The radio went silent for a while before the chief finally spoke again, his voice much quieter this time.

“Understood. I’m headed there now.”

“Oh, and Chief? Might want to get someone from Biohazards… just in case.”

The radio was silent after that, and Nick slowly paced after Judy and her perp as she read Whitfur her rights. As he watched, the mongoose twisted slightly and looked back at him, showing him a bright smile, and a dangerous glint in her eyes. Despite being the larger predator, Nick felt as meek as prey beneath her dark gaze.

Something was definitely wrong. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

#zootopia #zootopia fanfic #fanfiction #wildehopps

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