Wilde Card (Zootopia Original Story)

2: The Herrenvore Rebels

Song: Evil Eye, Simon Viklund

"Being the officer's daughter, Flayre Wilde is a descendant of Robin Hood," a voice stated.

"So?" Another voice asked as a white face emerged. The room was dim, lit only by old light bulbs being repeatedly flown into by tiny moths. The room's guests sat at a long wooden dining table. But the last thing the table was used for was eating.

"What's that got to do with anything?" He was a sheep who'd recently been released from prison, on the charges of being directly involved with the Missing Mammals Case. His once-woolly fur was shaven: his blue denim clothes actually fit him. His arms were folded.

"The importance is," the first voice continued, "she's just as sly and sneaky as they are. We can frame her: foxes will be in a bad light once again. And her father... you've heard of his reputation. We can easily remind people of his exploits: felony tax evasion, for one."

"You're supposed to be the descendant of Bambi but I don't see you jumpin' the right hurdles," another voice said. A chair creaked in the darkness. "Aren't you forgetting that Flayre is best friends with the Mayor's son: the descendant of the mayor?" This time, a hare had spoken. He was leaning back in his chair with his furred feet propped up against the table, hands behind his head.

Suddenly, there was a thwack as a pair of antlers hit a wooden board. Many of the animals in the room flinched, a light squeaking followed. The first person spoke again, "being a deer does not make me a descendant of Bambi, Matthew. I suppose, given that logic, you are the descendant of the first hare to lose a race. Try to keep up? We can frame Flayre Wilde and Konni Lionheart in a similar trap. Then, we'll frame their parents, and then other predators in the public eye, and so on. Then people will realise that predators are too... savage to have that amount of power."

"How do you suggest we do that?" Asked a timid beaver.

The buck took a dart and threw it across the dingy room. It hit a newspaper article, or—more specifically—a picture of ZPD Officer Judy Hopps, in the nose. "We find a weak spot." Nobody responded. The buck blinked his burgundy eyes. "Play innocent: hit them when they least expect it."

~

Konni had told his father that Flayre was with him. The mayor had passed on the information to the police department, putting them at ease.
Nick, alternatively, was led to believe that his daughter was in a holiday home with the young lion.

"It's weird that she left in the middle of the night, though," he was saying to Judy as they walked up to the staff room of the ZPD. "And she didn't bring much more than her bike."

Judy was in a similar situation to Konni: She also hated lying to her best friend. She decided she'd tell him the truth later that day: perhaps at the end of the shift, when they didn't have anything to worry about.

"You two are on patrol today," Chief Bogo said, pointing with a pen between his cloven hoof-fingers, his rectangular reading glasses placed comfortably on the bridge of his nose. Judy thought that would be okay. There were very few problems on patrol; she could tell him meanwhile. "And Judy," Bogo called as they left the room. Nick was waiting for her outside. "Don't tell him anything." He spoke slowly, sincerely.

What did she do now: Ignore the chief? Most definitely.

~

"I'm bored," Flayre said, for the third time that afternoon as she plonked down on the sofa. She wasn't an indoor person. "Can we go for a walk?"

Konni shook his head, his short mane falling around his neck. "We need to stay safe." He used the TV remote to flick through the channels until he found something somewhat entertaining.

"What if someone followed me here last night? That would throw it, huh?" She laughed, nudging his arm. He tensed: what if someone had?

"Why don't you go have a nap?" He suggested. He turned off the TV and stood from the sofa.

"I'm not opposed!" She declared, lying down.

Konni made his way into the kitchen and pressed a button on the back of the tap. There was a small microphone installed into it, which connected him to the one on his father's desk. "It's Konni. Make sure no one followed Flayre here last night... please."

"Affirmative," said the voice on the other end of the line. It hadn't been his father – probably his new assistant: a Giant Panda named Pinto.

Konni sighed a breath of relief, and then made his way back into the living room to find that Flayre was gone.

~

"So let me get this straight," Nick began, baring his sharp white teeth. His ears were flat back against his head. He was irate; Judy could smell the epinephrine radiating from him. "My daughter is in hiding with Lionheart's son and he doesn't know that he's also in danger?" He had to speak quietly, in nothing more than a hissed whisper.

Judy's pink nose twitched. She'd fear for her life if she and Nick weren't so close. "Yes."

Nick adjusted the dark aviator sunglasses on his face. "And Chief Bogo told you not to tell me that my daughter is in danger?"

"Nick–"

"Doesn't he know I have connections? I could tear this apart from the inside-out in under twenty-four hours."

"These rebels are different."

"How?"

"Because they're old and new all at once. No amount of 'hustling' is gonna help you."

When they got back to the station, Nick stormed into the Cape Buffalo's office. Bogo took one look at Nick, then another at Judy. He sighed deeply, rolling his eyes. "I told you not to tell him."

"How dare you withhold information from me about my daughter?" Nick sneered in return. Judy carefully closed the door behind her and cleared her throat. The chief sighed. Before the rabbit could say anything, however, her phone started ringing -- she stepped outside to answer it.

"Auntie Judy," a young voice began. Judy's ears snapped up. It was the voice of Benjamin, her nephew. He and his sister were living with her while they studied at a school in Zootopia. Like their aunt, they did not aspire to be farmers.

"Bug? What's wrong?" The young rabbits were made aware what hours Judy worked every week and only called when absolutely necessary.

"There's a man here who's asking questions-..."

Judy's heart dropped, and before he could even finish his sentence, she stormed back into the office, where Bogo and Nick were now talking quietly, with Nick in the large spin-chair facing Bogo. They both stopped to see Judy's widened purple eyes, her ears erect. Judy placed her phone on the table and put her nephew on speaker.

"Say that again, Bug?"

"There's a man here asking questions. He's looking for you. He wants to come into the house."

"Listen to me, Bug, do not let him in." Chief Bogo had spoken.

Bug panicked when he heard the chief's voice. "Is something serious?" He asked. Judy asked where Jade, his sister, was. "She's upstairs: doing homework. The man looks impatient but he's trying not to show it."

Being an officer, Judy wouldn't have children stay with her without them knowing the basics on how to read body language on different animals.

"Can he hear you?"

"No, I told him to wait outside so I could call you. The door's shut."

"Ask him his name." Nick instructed. They heard a click and the opening of a door before they heard Bug ask the question.

"He says he's John Smith."

The three police shared an irritated tut. Of course he wouldn't reveal his name.

"Okay, close the door again, Bug. Wait there, we're coming to you." Judy instructed.

There was a pause, and the mumble of a background voice.

"He says he doesn't have long."

"He can wait," Nick said.