Zootopia: ZPD Mysteries - Case #1: The Blackout at Steel Mountain Manor

Chapter 10: "And That's Why I Love You"

Officers of the ZPD hovered around the hostages like bees buzzing around pollen-saturated flowers, armed with wire-cutters and tenacity.

Nick and Judy were the first to be freed, and they were extremely happy to be free. It was at this point that Nick asked the obvious question: "Clawhauser, how did you get free?"

Clawhauser shrugged.

"It's a long story," he said sheepishly, rubbing his neck like he was uncomfortable.

"Hey," Judy chimed in, "we've got time tonight. It's not like the gala is really over at midnight, you know."

Clawhauser shrugged.

"Well," he began, "I was the first to discover Killdeer was the one doing all these kidnappings. He marched me at gunpoint down the tunnels, and I ended up in the basement. But Killdeer didn't come down to finish the job by tying me up, so I was free to roam around this wine cellar. I found that staircase—" (here he pointed to the stairs he and the other officers had come down earlier) "—and I began to look for a way out. It wasn't easy fitting through those tunnels, believe me; it's no fun being fat. And then, in one of the tunnels, I found a microphone that was open and still hooked to the sound system. It didn't take much calling for Chief Bogo to get him down to a nearby passage—the linen closet near the restrooms—to let me out. I explained to him what I knew and guessed as to where he might appear. Bogo nabbed him, we came into the tunnels and, well, here we are."

Nick shook his head, incredulous. "Who knew such a fat cheetah would be the savior of a bunch of hostages?"

Clawhauser chuckled.

"Thanks, guys, but I'm not a hero."

"Are you sure?" another voice asked.

Clawhauser turned to face the speaker and went white as a sheet. His mouth dropped open, his eyes widened, and he looked like he was going to faint.

Before him stood Gazelle Angela, who, although she was partially covered in coal dust and cobwebs, still looked radiant. She stood with both hooves in front of her, with a shy smile on her face.

"Hello," she said, waving slightly, "I can't thank you enough for all you've done, Officer....?"

Clawhauser looked like he forgot how to speak. He wanted to say something intelligent, but it just came out as "Um uh gah..."

"Um, Miss Gazelle," Nick said, gesturing to his fat friend, "this is Sgt. Benjamin Clawhauser of the ZPD, one of your biggest fans."

"Yeah," Clawhauser finally got out, "my name is Clenjamin Bawhauser."

Nick and Judy both had to stifle laughter as Gazelle extended her hoof for Clawhauser to shake. Clawhauser took one look at her hoof, rolled his eyes back in his head and fell backwards, fainting onto the concrete floor.

Gazelle looked alarmed.

"Is he... OK?" she asked, a little unnerved.

Nick guffawed. "Gazelle," he explained with a waggle in his eyebrows, "he's more than OK. In his mind, he's halfway over the Milky Way galaxy by now."

Gazelle nodded as she looked at Clawhauser's unconscious, smiling face.

Chief Bogo walked up, and, once Nick assured him Clawhauser wasn't in anaphylactic shock or anything, Judy spoke with him.