Dumb Fox

Chapter 12: Rush Hour

Black and gray clouds had begun to cover Zootopia's skies, especially in the arid zones of the big city, such as the Sahara Square and Savanna Central. Meanwhile, in a dead-end street, near Jumbeaux's Café, there was a female rabbit and, in front of her, three little foxes tied by a rope. Ex-Officer Judy Hopps was interrogating the skulks.

   "S-s-so, do you know him?" Judy asked excited. "What a relief! He was a friend who helped me crack the missing mammals case but... it didn't end very well and I've been looking for him since the conference. But you actually know him, aren't you?"

   The three little canids saw each other grimacing.

   "Of course, yes ma'am, he's our closest friend! What do you wanna know?" said the gray fox and leader of the gang with a smirk.

   "Fantastic! Well, first of all, I would like to know: How is he? Is he okay?"

   "Yes, yes, he's fine, great, the old Nick had never been better."

   "Oh... I see, it's nice to hear that and, do you know what he has done lately? Does he keep doing...?" the doe moved her paws trying to choose the right words. "You know, his hustles? Or does he no longer do them?"

   "Ha ha, of course yes, bunny!" said the brown-furred fox. "That rascal still sells Pawpsicles and does many other hustles like... ouch!"

   The leader of the foxes nudged him in order to silence him.

   "Actually, not everything has been so good; the business isn't go well, for all of us, you know?"

   "What do you mean?" Judy asked.

   "Everyone thinks we predators can go savage at any time and no longer trust us, much less a fox. If they never trusted one before, there's no way they believe in us now."

   "Heavens... I get it, but I had no idea," the doe murmured sadly and guiltily. "By chance... Haven't Nick tell you about me, have he?"

   The foxes saw each other again with malice.

   "But of course, he has talked a lot about you, the officer Judy Hopps who found the missing animals, of course, he hasn't stopped talking about you for a single day."

   Judy's ears rose in happiness and she drew a big smile on her little face.

   "R-r-really? T-that's great! I didn't think he... and me... and he... well," the doe couldn't hide her happiness after hearing Nick missed her too. "That's wonderful. And what did he say about me?"

   "Nick said he hates you," answered the leader with his eyes closed and a big smile.

   "He miss...! Excuse me, w-w-what did you say?" her ears began to droop slowly.

   "Finnick's friend is beyond mad at you. There's not a single day he doesn't stop cursing your name since watched you at TV, bunny," said the swift fox.

   "It couldn't..." Judy's nose started twitched and her ears had been already down.

   "Oh yeah, now I remembered, he told us about a dumb bunny that betrayed him, Nick couldn't expect more coming from a stupid prey. He didn't stop complaining about how annoying was that ungrateful doe and how much he hated her for mocking him" said with impertinence the honey-color fur fox.

   "Enough...!" the female's voice was about to broke off.

   "Yeah, yeah," the leader commented cynically. "Nick cursed your name like there's no tomorrow and said a lot of swear words, some of them I didn't even know, but he kept saying over and over again: 'I wish never had met that dumb bunny!' or some like that"