The Fire Triangle, A Zootopia Fanfiction -- Part One

The Fire Triangle, A Zootopia Fanfiction -- Part One: Fuel - 82

Disclaimer: Zootopia stories, characters, settings, and properties belong to the Walt Disney Co. This story is written under Fair Use Copyright laws.

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The Fire Triangle—A Zootopia Fanfiction

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Part One:

Fuel

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Chapter 9 – Fire And Mirrors
(Continued...Pt. 9)

Judy Hopps thumped her foot impatiently, scrutinizing her partner with a narrow, jaundiced eye. "Okay Nick, now are you ready to talk about it?"

After she and the fox had left Interrogation Room #1, Judy had waited until they were alone before asking him why Conor Lewis's scars had upset him so much. He'd immediately stonewalled her, insisting that she wait until they were outside Precinct-1 before talking about it.

And then he'd wanted to hold off until they were out of earshot of Precinct-1

And then he'd wanted to wait until they were able to find someplace 'private' for their discussion.

That meandering pathway had eventually led them to a table in front of the Savanna Central Pizzeria Pianeta. And even then the fox had refused to answer her questions until the waitress delivered their slices and left them alone.

When she'd finally departed, that was when Judy had (literally) put her foot down. Whatever was bothering Nick, it was a lot more serious—and there was a lot more going on here—than she'd initially surmised.

"Come on, Slick...out with it!"

He sucked at his lower lip for a second, as if trying to think up an excuse for dropping the subject altogether.

Finally, he said, "I think...I can't swear to this, Carrots, but I think Conor was wearing a muzzle when he got those injuries to his face."

"Ohhh-kay, what makes you say that Nick?" Judy tore open a packet of sugar and let it drizzle into her glass of iced-tea, watching him carefully. If a muzzle was part of the equation, it went a long way towards explaining her partner's reticence to talk about it.

By way of response, the fox laid a finger against one corner of his mouth. "Here's where those scars were, right? And it's exactly where the edge of a muzzle would go...or the juncture if it's a full-face model. That's the thing about muzzles a lot of animals don't realize; they leave your face more susceptible to injury than if you weren't wearing one. Keep in mind Carrots, muzzles aren't like face masks; nobody wears one for their own protection, they're put on to protect someone else from you."

"Mmmm," Judy sipped her tea, tasted it, and added another pinch of sugar. At the same time she felt her eyes drifting downward, towards the slices of Giardino Primo pizza laying on the table in front her. She was ravenously hungry, both of them were, but it would be several minutes at least before their lunch would be cool enough to enjoy.

On the face of it, Pizzeria Pianeta was not the best place for them to have this conversation, (which was why Judy thought Nick had chosen it; he was still trying to stall her—and oh NO, you don't!) The reason for this was simple; P-P was another favorite stopover for the officers of Precinct-1.