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Report:

Case File - The Savage Dark

Reporting Agent: Code Name - Jack "Savage"

Affiliation: Unknown

Current Whereabouts: Unknown

Agent Status: Unknown (Active)

Recording Begins:

"The most difficult thing about law enforcement in a place like Zootopia is finding a balance. The three major agencies that enforce the law are known by their popular names: the ZPD, the ZIA, and the ZBI. In an ideal situation, all three of these agencies share equal power to uphold order and protect the populous, with no control over each other and no jurisdiction over each other's territories, as it were. Because of this, and because each agency has its own specialty in the broad scope of things, there is constant mingling and cooperation between the officers and agents. If the ZBI needs assistance with a kidnapping case, for instance, the ZPD will lend assistance and officers - if any are available - to speed the process. Or if the ZPD needs a certain piece of intelligence that the ZIA can provide, it is freely given as long as it does not compromise existing intelligence efforts. And like most of Zootopia, the three exist in harmony with each other.

"This is, of course, all based on the situation being ideal. When the situation is less than idea, as was the case during The Savage Dark crisis, this harmony slips. Certain agencies, believing that they have the best interests of Zootopia and the outlying territories in mind, will keep all relevant information to themselves. Being who I am, I understand the need for secrets. I understand the need to be careful. But soon enough, often due to inexperienced paws taking on more than they can handle, the keeping of secrets turns into paranoia and the need to protect internal interests becomes an obsession. Covering their own backs while stabbing everyone else in theirs, if you would.

"In the case of The Savage Dark crisis, the greatest sinner along these lines was the (Static). Hm? Oh, I'm not supposed to say that on the record? All right. Let's start that over then."

(Three seconds of static)

"Ahem. As I was saying: in the case of The Savage Dark crisis, the greatest sinner along these lines was the ZIA. And if you try to erase it this time, I will shoot you in the knee. Yes, of course I'm armed. I'm Jack fucking Savage, and after the month I've had there are only two mammals left that I trust, and you're neither of them. Now take your paw away from the button. ...Good lad.

"Where was I? Oh yes. The ZIA covered up everything they knew about the introduction of a new Night Howler toxin, which actually turned out to be dozens of variations - almost all of them in structured to inhibit higher brain functions by lacing them with narcotics - and at great risk to the entire city tried to handle the matter covertly for months. Without assistance, without reporting to the powers that be, and while doing everything in their power to ensure that no one else was involved. Everything in their power included underhanded tactics, violence, espionage, and lawless disregard for the safety of the population. This is what is known in the business as 'going rogue.' And when an entire agency goes rogue, they call me. I didn't know it at the time I made contact with officers Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, but in this case they almost called too late..."

_ _

Some people called coffee the "meaning of life" in the morning, the only reason they were able to drag themselves out of bed. Others enjoyed it for the aroma, a rich scent that could make angels weep and mouths salivate in anticipation of that first hot sip. The rush of caffeine as it hit the system, increasing the heart rate, making the blood flow warm and wiring the brain with enough short term energy to get the day started. Yet others were so addicted to it that they couldn't get through the day without at least three or four cups - sometimes jugs or canteens - to allow them to slosh through their dreary lives thanks to the miracle of a little bean. From the darkest black, to the creamiest sugar laden concoction, it was likely that the economy of the entire world would have collapsed if coffee were to stop flowing into steaming cups or frosty fraps for a thirsty, exhausted world.

For the rabbit with black streaks running across his cheeks, the cup of coffee in his paws was a convenient way to keep watch on the world around him without seeming obvious about it. Anyone who saw a bunny with a cup of coffee, releasing the low contented sigh that he did after taking a sip, could easily have assumed that - like most of the mammals walking down the street - he was trying to wake himself up. They didn't know that his cup was filled with decaf, because the last thing the world needed was Jack Savage high on a caffeine buzz, and that he had been alert and awake for hours already.

He had slept the required three hours, showered, and changed his clothing to something more street causal without sacrificing style; pair of dark jeans, a simple black button up shirt, and a white sport jacket, the former of which was left unbuttoned. His temporary badge, which identified him as a ZIA agent was tucked into his belt. One of the biggest mistakes young agents made was trying too hard to go unnoticed, dressing out of a style that they were comfortable in. And if an agent was not comfortable in their own clothing, someone would notice it quickly enough. But he was comfortable as he strolled along the sidewalk, taking another sip of his coffee as he watched the black and white cruiser pull into the lot only a dozen yards away.

After the encounter the night before, he had been left with as many questions about the two as answers. Foremost in his mind was their ability to focus, beyond the fact that Wilde was a walking bomb without a fuse, just waiting for someone or something to push the button that turned him savage. Their.... Amorous attitude, and almost complete lack of control had been off-putting, but he was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt considering the unique situation. And the fact that she was, or had been, in heat had almost certainly played a part.

At least they managed to be punctual. Maybe I'm being too hard on them. They have potential, but they're not agents.

This train of thought came to an end when he saw Wilde hop down from the passenger side of the cruiser, giving a rather graceless stumble when his paws hit the ground. He was sure that the slight limp would have gone unnoticed by most, but it made his own eyes narrow. Particularly when Hopps walked around to meet him at the rear of the vehicle, an energetic spring in her step and a glow that was damned near blinding radiating from every follicle of fur when she smiled up at the fox. The fact that Wilde sent her a look that was equal parts besotted and annoyed before he slipped his sunglasses into place was all Jack needed to see.

He really hoped there was a dentist around when all of this was done, because these two were going to rot his front teeth right out if he wasn't careful.

Still, it only took a moment for them to spot him once they stopped looking at each other. And he respected the way both of their faces went instantly business serious. Especially Wilde's, which shouldn't have surprised him. The fox seemed capable of going from a friendly sort of charm to cool and expressionless at the flick of an ear, which is what he did now when the two of them started in his direction. It slightly offset the unkempt appearance of his ZPD uniform, slightly off regulation with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his tie slightly looser than it should have been. Hopps, who was a step ahead of the fox in their approach, looked neat as a pin, if there was any other way for her to look in what appeared to be a body suit designed specifically for her. And where the fox's fur still appeared scruffy in some areas around his neck and ears, her own fur was smoothly groomed and well kept. If he had never seen or heard of them before, he never would have believed that the two of them were partners, much less lovers.

"Look who it is," Wilde was already saying before they reached him, and he felt a moment of tension where he wondered if his code name would be blabbed out on the streets. "Agent so and so. Sorry, Stripes. I forgot your name."

"Lapin," Hopps supplied as both of them came to a stop in his path, her with her arms folded across her chest and him with his paws shoved into his pockets. A united front against who they both saw as an adversary. It was as cute as it was telling.

He didn't stop his stride or change the direction of his forward motion, however. It was when he was only a foot from both of them that the social drive to avoid contact with a stranger kicked in, and they both pivoted to the side to let him pass.

"Agent Lapin will do," he said, not turning but knowing that after a moment they both started to follow him towards the ZPD lobby entrance. "It's good to see you both dressed. We have a lot to do, starting with your transfer into my care."

"Shouldn't you buy us a drink first?" Nick said with easy sarcasm saturating his tone, though from the reflection in the glass doors they were walking towards, Jack could see that his mood was not as playful or relaxed as he tried to let on. The fox was watching him very closely, measuring every step, and staying very close to his partner.

"Hm," was his only reply for a moment, tossing the cup of decaf into the trash bin as they reached the door. He swung it open, and waved them forward. "You might want a drink before the day is done."

Wilde merely looked at the trash bin with open regret as they walked past him. "I'm pretty sure that breaks at least two regulations. Caffeine abuse is not tolerated at the ZPD."

"It was decaf."

"Six regulations," he amended, and with a long suffering sigh entered the building after his partner.

The ZPD hadn't changed at all since the last time he had been through though those doors, right down to the rotund figure of the exuberant cheetah sitting behind the welcome desk. Presently having a friendly, if one-sided conversation with a stag in pawcuffs and antler restraints, it took the large feline a moment to notice their entrance. The moment he did, Jack saw the friendly amber eyes take on a world of surprise when they settled on him, his paws slapping over his mouth as he leaned over it to look down at the three of them.

"Julius?" The voice held a quiver that made Jack raise one eyebrow, a gesture that he saw was mirrored in Wilde as he came up to stand beside them. Surprise came over all three when tears glimmered in the big cat's eyes, then with a mad scramble the oversized feline crawled over the desk so suddenly that it had the buck and arresting officer pulling back quickly. The cheetah took a very undignified tumble off the edge of the desk, sending papers flying as he landed on the ground in an undignified heap. Jack moved to help him up, and found himself squished when he was lifted off the ground and folded into a bear hug while the excited and emotional cheetah squealed and bounced up and down. "It is you! You're alive!"

"The last time I checked," the rabbit grunted, feeling like his eyes might be squeezed out of his skull along with what little air was left in his lungs as he was swung back and forth in a very undignified display of affection. "Benjamin? Benjamin!"

"Oh, right! Sorry!" After he was set back on his feet, Jack took a deep breath as he looked up at the large feline, adjusting his shirt and doing a mental inventory to ensure that all of his bones were still in one piece.

"It's good to see you, too. But who told you I was dead?"

"Oh, well, after 'the case,'" Clawhauser began, using air quotes and a wink that was about as clandestine as a bullhorn. Jack knew exactly which case he was talking about, of course. "When the ship exploded, the coast guard was only able to recover one body from the wreckage. When it turned out to be a bunny, we feared the worst and hoped for the best. But then the ZIA confirmed that you were the body recovered. But here you are!"

Jack simply sighed, and a little better prepared for it this time, took a deep breath a second before he was picked up and crushed again. Thankfully, it was a shorter hug this time, and he didn't have to fight for his life before he was set back onto his own two paws. His thoughts turned towards the short sightedness of his ZIA contact for telling the ZPD that he had died in the explosion. It should have been obvious that there was a very good chance he would need to make contact again, as was the case now. He would need to make sure that his ZIA handler was replaced with someone less incompetent in the near future. Or at least have a good, long talk with him about interpersonal relationships and unnecessary death certificates.

"I'm happy to see you, too, Benjamin," he repeated, and flashed a friendly smile that wasn't at all fake. He really had found it impossible not to like the cheetah, and the personality that made that true had not changed much at all. "And I am sorry for the error. I'll have to make sure that's cleared up as soon as I handle my business here."

"Oh, oh! Right! What can I do to help you?" Clawhauser seemed to notice Wilde and Hopps standing nearby, and at a glance Jack could tell that they were a little befuddled and amused by the display. "Oh, hi guys! Have you met Agent Lapin?"

"We've met, Clawhauser," Hopps replied, seemingly trying to keep her curiosity and her laughter at his expense in check at the same time. It gave her face a scrunched up sort of look, with eyes that were focused on him in a look that was cute in the way bunnies were cute to other bunnies. Blue eyes rolled skyward when he turned his attention back to the cheetah.

"I'm here to meet with the Chief, Benjamin. Though assuming that he also thinks I'm dead," he muttered under his breath, reaching up to slide one paw over both ears to smooth the fur absently before he shoved that paw into his pocket. "this could be a longer conversation than I anticipated. What do you think? Should I just go up, or do you want to buzz ahead to let him know I'm coming?"

Because his gaze rested on Clawhauser when he asked the question, the cheetah looked perplexed and a little uncertain. "Oh, I don't know. I usually have to call ahead if someone wants to see the Chief. But I bet he'll be really happy to see you! OooooH! A surprise! He'll be so happy!"

"Yes, happy. Or something equally bracing," Jack muttered to himself, even as the excitable cheetah beamed at him again before he seemed to realize that there was still a stag in cuffs standing beside the desk. When he excused himself, Jack turned his attention back to Nick and Judy. "I'm pretty sure Bogo hates surprises. Let's go then. No reason to further our stay of execution."

Stay of execution had been the right term for it, Nick decided as he leaned against the wall on one side of the door to Bogo's office while Judy paced in front of it. From behind said door, the volume of Bogo's voice seemed to go through various stages, most of which were either loud and angry or low and dangerous. The fact that the conversation, if it could be called that, had focused on Jack's disappearance three years ago and the apparent faking of his death made him feel like they were just waiting for their turn in front of the firing squad. Still, it was at least a little satisfying to hear Mr. Breaking and Entering get the teardown from the Chief.

"It wasn't my call, as I've said twice," he heard Jack's voice say. Through all of the yelling, Jack's tone had remained calm and even, if a little apologetic at times. Now it was a little strained and rushed. "Someone dropped the ball. Someone who never bothered to inform me that they reported me as dead to the ZPD."

"Reported you were dead in great detail," came Bogo's reply, and his tone lowered so that Nick had to strain even from his place right next to the door to hear what was said. "A report that said you were overpowered by the bear, and were forced to detonate the explosives while you were still onboard the yacht. A report that colored my reaction to Mayor Lionheart's Mammal Inclusion efforts, and nearly caused me to derail the career of one of my best officers before it had even started!"

Casting a glance at Judy, who had paused in her steps to blink at the door, Nick gave her a lopsided grin and a wink when she turned her eyes to him. Actual praise from Bogo often came in the heat of the moment rather than friendly conversations and pats on the back. And that was pretty high praise, which caused a little pinking of her nose.

That's right, beautiful. I don't call you superbunny for nothing.

"Well, it looks like things turned out for the best anyway," Jack responded, where the only sound of reply from the Chief this time with a snort of derision. "It is actually Hopps, and her partner, that I am here to talk to you about."

"What have you gotten my officers into, Jack?"

Nick almost imagined he could feel the temperature drop through the door along with Bogo's tone. A tone that was devoid of patience, devoid of care, and only wanted to know one thing: What had the rabbit done to endanger his officers. It made the fox feel all warm and fuzzy inside and out, in a way. Not that he would ever tell anyone that.

Then he realized that the Chief had called the rabbit by his... Well, Nick could only assume that it was his spy name, code name, secret identity, or whatever mammals who walked around breaking into police officer's apartments without a care in the world called it. But he had called Jack, Jack. It was a little relieving that he wouldn't have to keep a secret from The Chief, and from the look on Judy's face she was feeling the same way.

"It's not something that I caused, but it is something that I intend to help correct," the rabbit injected smoothly, sounding about as affected by Bogo's lethal tone as he would have been from walking across the street. "This would be better said with both of them in here, if you would allow me?"

"Wilde! Hopps!"

"We're up, Carrots," he said, keeping his tone as light as possible. Not that he believed Bogo could actually blame him for being secretly poisoned. Well, maybe he believed it just a little. And maybe he was a little more nervous than he should have been, because Judy certainly seemed to notice. She came to stand beside him in front of the door and gave him a little encouraging hip bump.

"We'll be fine. It's not like he can blame you for any of it," she assured him, confirming his own thoughts; a fact which made him release a windy sigh before he propped his drooping ears up and reached up to open the door.

First thing he noticed, and was surprised by, was the fact that Jack wasn't sitting in one of the large chairs across from Bogo's desk like everyone else did. He was actually standing on one corner of the desk, his arms folded across his chest in a way that made the fox groan internally. The fact that the Chief didn't seem bothered by it gave the very clear impression that the buffalo saw Jack as an equal, which meant that the rabbit was very likely about to become his boss for the short term.

The second thing he noticed was that Bogo's normally stoic expression flicked between Judy and himself, as if checking to see if there was a visible sign of what had caused Jack to get involved in the first place.

Nothing to see right now, Chief, he thought as he easily climbed up into the chair next to Judy and sat looking up at the larger mammal. But give it time.

"Over the last three months," Jack began, obviously seeing no need to wade in slowly. "There have been random occurrences of savage mammals throughout the city. There is no obvious pattern, no select group of targets as was the case with the Night Howler incident. Predator and prey alike have been affected, with various degrees of severity if you believe the ZIA reports on the matter. However, if you track the occurrences in correlation with the case files and the length of time between capture and containment, it becomes obvious that their involvement in the case goes deeper."

"So, you're not actually ZIA?" Nick interjected, somehow managing to not to feel like an idiot when asking it when he already knew the answer. "There hasn't been a lot of 'our involvement' or 'we contain them' lingo going on, Jack."

He noticed the slightly annoyed but mostly surprised look from Bogo. A look that turned towards the rabbit, who merely shrugged it off as if it meant nothing. "Somehow Wilde here was already aware of who I am."

"Which he shouldn't be," Bogo concluded, and rested eyes that somehow always managed to look just a little pissed on the fox.

"It's not like I've been breaking into government buildings and stealing classified information about rabbits," Nick grunted, making sure to keep his face as blank as Jack's was. "I was a street fox. People in that world talk. Not a whole lot goes on a city like this without someone noticing it, even if you don't want them to. And you, Jack, make noise, even if you need bunny hearing to catch most of it. You may want to consider dying your fur, though. Stripes are pretty memorable on a rabbit."

This made Jack frown, which made Nick flash a cocky grin in return.

"Back to the subject at paw," Bogo interrupted, his hooves folded neatly in front of him as he glanced between the two before he settled his gaze on Jack. "So that's why you're involved? You think that the ZIA is either the cause of this, or knows the cause."

"More than think it, Bogo. I'm still not one-hundred percent on the reason behind it, but the effect is very clear. The ZIA is pulling a Lionheart, but they are doing it with beforehand knowledge of who the targets are," he continued, gesturing towards Nick with one paw. "As agent Lapin I was assigned to Wilde, to monitor him for the first signs of becoming savage since he was exposed to the toxin."

And there it is, Nick thought as he watched the Chief's face turn from stoic curiosity, to shock, and then to worry as dark eyes settled on him. He had to resist the urge to show his teeth, just to see if he could get the massive buffalo to jump. It was a hard struggle, but he managed to hold it in when those stunned eyes turned to Jack.

"It's pretty obvious that he's not a savage, Jack," Bogo said evenly, then frowned as his gaze moved between Nick and Judy. "Are we talking about the blue narcotic that Hopps was exposed to? Was Wilde exposed as well? Was that the cause of their... Encounter in the rainforest?"

The fox nearly rolled his eyes at not only the mention of the rainforest, but at the fact that Bogo seemed to be considering the idea that everything that had happened between him and Judy had been the result of a drug. The eye roll was shelved when he saw that Judy was looking down at her paws with her ears pinned back, a small frown turning her mouth down as a look of concern wrote itself all over her face. She had obviously never considered that possibility, and neither had he. Because it wasn't true.

"No." He wasn't even aware that he had said the word himself for a moment until she turned her eyes to him, but that didn't stop him from continuing. "That is not why, and it has nothing to do with what's happened between us. You know that, Carrots."

Even as she didn't look convinced - with a lingering spark of doubt in her gaze that he wanted to stamp out - Jack interrupted.

"I'm not sure you can say that with certainty about anything in the last 48 hours or so, Wilde. You were already under the effects of the toxin by the time you encountered the weasel, Edgar Stoat."

The flare of rage came from deep inside him, a rage that he hadn't even known was still lingering. With his attention focused on Judy for the past two nights, there really hadn't been room left in his mind to even think about that fucking weasel and what he had done. But just the mention of him, and the fact that Jack was not helping him mollify Judy's ridiculous doubt caused it to bubble close to the edge of boiling over.

"It's not the reason," he ground out, hardly managing to keep his voice from becoming a growl as he turned his eyes to Jack. The speculative look that the rabbit gave him only increased his irritation, and his ears folded back as he tried to ease back the emotion.

"Then what was the reason?" Jack asked causally, pacing a bit along the length of the desk so that he was standing parallel to him.

"She was hurt, not thinking clearly. She needed help," he provided, even though he already knew from the deadpan look the rabbit leveled on him that he wasn't buying it. He had no doubt everyone in the room could hear it when he started to grind his teeth, but he gave in and snapped his real reason. "I wanted her, all right! I had wanted her for months, but what was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to say 'Hey, Carrots, I know I'm just a fox that you pulled out of the gutter, but I'm in love with you?'"

"Nick," came her whisper soft voice from beside him, along with the light touch of her paw.

"It's what I felt," he said in a low tone, relaxing the fist he had formed without realizing it when she stroked silky fingers over the back of his paw.

"You hunted Stoat down that same night, Wilde." Jack seemed to have ideas other than calming him down, and after sitting on the edge of the desk and leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his paws clasped in front of him, he continued. "What were you going to do when you found him?"

The question made him jolt internally, and flinch away from Judy. He knew. That damned rabbit knew exactly what he had been planning to do to the weasel, and just the fact that someone aside from himself knew the truth behind the lowest he was sure he had ever sunk made his guts twist. The self-disgust was so intense that he pulled himself away from Judy, hopped down from the chair and paced away from them. "I... Don't know."

"Was it the first time you thought about killing someone?"

He flinched away from the words and the bunny, but even the self-reproach couldn't tamp down the flare of anger. His tail lowered along with his ears as he shook his head.

"Yes. Wait, no! That... I wasn't thinking that," he said in a low growl, and watched as Jack held out a paw to Judy to keep her sitting when she started to rise.

"Oh come on, Wilde," the rabbit said, jumping down from the edge of the desk. Nick watched him approach warily, his muzzle twitching with the desire to curl. "Last night you were ready to bite my head off for looking at her. This weasel hurt her. Put her in mortal danger. Who knows what might have happened if you hadn't gotten there in time. If he had stuck around long enough to finish the job. Maybe played with her a little beforehand. I heard some predators like to play with their food."

"Stop it!" Judy cried as she jumped down from the chair and moved towards them.

Nick was aware of the movement because of the shift in the dark ring at the edges of his vision. The world had drained of most of its color, and the rage wouldn't be pushed back. It boiled well past the edge, a white hot flash that mostly revolved around the idea of what could have happened. What might have been if he hadn't heard her scream, hadn't been fast enough to get to her before she ran into the forest. And the weasel would have done more if he had been given the chance_._ The scraggly little bastard, with his paws on her; claws, teeth, scratching, biting, blood, death.

"I was going to kill him!" he snarled when it all snapped, and he lunged towards the striped bastard who had put the ideas in his head. The only thing that held him back was Judy, who physically put herself between them and hugged her arms around his waist to push him back. "I wanted to tear his throat out, and I was going to do it! I couldn't stand what he had done to her, and what I had done because of him! I wanted to see his worthless corpse rotting in the gutter!"

Bogo was already on his feet and around the desk before Jack halted him with a paw. He had backed up a step, but no further. To Nick's gaze, he looked unafraid on the surface, but the eyes of a savage could see every little quiver of muscle and quiver of ears and twitch of nose that signaled his desire to run. It only made him want to advance further, but the pressure against his stomach and the tight arms around him kept him steady where he was.

"Nick!" Judy cried, and when he felt the pull of her claws through his uniform and into his fur, he stopped struggling against her. He'd been baited and he knew it, but that didn't stop the fury.

She did, though. When he stopped struggling to reach Jack, his breathing coming in deep breaths that always exhaled on a growl, she relaxed her grip around his waist only to reach up and climb up the front of his uniform. He didn't resist, allowing his attention to be drawn from everything else in the room to the bunny that wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed herself in close to him. His paws came up to wrap around her in turn, though his grip was not meant to be soothing or comforting as the soft words she whispered to him were. His grip was protective, even if he already knew that what he felt the need to protect her from was not in the building. He breathed in the scent of her, nudged his head alongside hers just so he could be a little closer. Seeing the wide eyed surprise, the fear and the shock on the Chief's face confirmed what he already knew; it wasn't his own eyes that the larger mammal saw.

The only person in the room who seemed to be calm was the striped rabbit, who watched the process of his calming with a familiarity that irritated the fox, but didn't do much to further his anger. When he spoke, his voice was calm and aware, but didn't share the thick tension that otherwise hummed through the room around them.

"I am sorry for this display," he said, shoving his paws into his pockets as he wandered back to the desk and with an easy vertical leap planted himself on the surface again before he turned to face Bogo. "But I think everyone in this room needed to know how dangerous this situation is. How dangerous _he_is. And I needed you to understand, Chief, why I have to take them under my wing and off your hands for now. At least until a treatment can be found."

Nick knew already that there was really no argument against a case like that.