Jackson Savage

Hate at first site

Slumping into the empty locker room, Nick Wilde tossed the plastic bag that held his uniform into the trash. There was no amount of cleaning that would make it suitable to wear ever again. Tossing the spare cloths he was wearing into a heap at his locker, he slowly ambled over to the showers.

As the currently lukewarm water washed over him, he rested his head against the wall and sighed. This was literally his craziest day on the force.

Walking into the main atrium, Nick was surprised at the absence of an annoyed Judy tapping her foot at mach speeds waiting for him. It was just chatty little Clawhauser there to welcome him.

"Hey Benji, got ya' something." He had three cups in a holder with him and tossed one to the rotund cheetah.

"Thanks, but you know I'm not much of a coffee drinker."

"Even if it's an eclair latte?"

The feline's eyes lit up like search lights, "No. WAY!"

He took a less than tentative sip and busted out in giggles, "This is amazing! Thanks so much, Nick."

"It was on special." He lied; he just thought the cat would enjoy it.

"So where's Judy? She's usually berating me by now."

"Oh! She's up in the Chief's office. He stopped by earlier. Said he wanted to see you both. I guess I should have said something sooner."

Nick waved his fellow officer's worry away. "Not a big deal, I tossed you the coffee first anyway."

Lazily taking the stairs up to the second level balcony, he made his way to the Chief's office thinking about what he was calling them in for before briefing in the bullpen. Last time he did that, he put them on a week long surveillance operation. Boring as all get out, but it had a lot less day to day paperwork. Still, he'd rather have something a little exciting. But in less than twenty-four hours he'd wish Bogo had put them on parking duty.

Pulling the door open, he saw Judy standing in front of the Chief's desk. Her lavender eyes bright and shining, her little cottony tail twitching happily. Nick has caught her looking like that before, usually in some rare moment of daydreaming. What he'd give to have her look at him like that.

As he pulled the door further, his day immediately started to sour. He saw what exactly was causing Judy to look so enthralled. It was another rabbit, a bit taller than her, a shade darker too. His black tipped ears were slimmer, a tad pointier, and didn't fade into the grey but abruptly switched with two slashes of black. Three stripes of black fur, almost like war paint, sat on each cheek. And he was dressed extremely well. To an untrained eye he just looked like he wore a business suit well. But Nick could tell, those were tailored. Tailor fit brands from which a single piece would cost him well more than a week and a half's pay check. If it came from the clearance rack. On sale. With a coupon.

"Oh Nick!" Judy turned to her partner, grabbing her drink out the cup holder in his paw, "Thanks."

The new rabbit looked at Nick with his steely gray-blue eyes, "Nick Wilde, just the fox I was looking for."

He looked at the extended paw in front of him. "Last time a bunny came looking for me, it caused nothing but a heap of trouble. So you'll excuse me if I'm the slightest bit weary." But he took the paw with a smile and gave it a good shake.

"Didn't catch your name."

"The name's Savage. Jack Savage."

That bastard rabbit even had the nerve to steal Nick's drink after that. He didn't even finish it. Complained about it being too sweet, that the mammals on this side of the pond have too big of a sweet tooth for their own good. And that they don't know how to make a proper cup of tea. That seemed ridiculous to Nick. It's just hot water and dried leafs. What's so damn complicated about that? He thought it was just a bunch of Zootropolis snobbery. Sister city across the Antlerific Ocean.
—–———
Nick turned the heat up in the shower and took some shampoo from the closest dispenser on the wall. Some of the other officers brought in their own soaps and cleansers, and Nick was among them, but his was all the way back at his locker. So he was thankful that there was a generic dispenser.