Era of the Tame Collar

Wilder Times

He tucked it away inside a small drawer inside his tiny apartment. She had asked him why, and he had told her that though it held terrible memories, he found it harder to part with than he would have thought. He wore it when he still had his father and mother, and he remembered his fifth birthday when his father leaned down and snapped it around his neck. His father had been upset, and Nick didn't understand why then. But he did now. And even though he disliked the collar, and wanted to keep it hidden from sight, he kept it because it was the last thing he had that reminded him of his father. He even denied going with Honey, Finnick, and Clawhauser to a giant event in the predator side of town where everyone threw theirs collars into a giant pile, and lit it on fire. Nick did want to go, but everyone would be suspicious of him for not ditching his collar. He also could imagine how many animals would be talking and mentioning his park, which would of made him uncomfortable, even though he wouldn't have shown it. No, he decided to go have dinner with Judy and her family that night, which he enjoyed a lot. They were getting to know him better, and so far many of them liked him.

There was one member of her family that muttered to himself, saying that "Predators are inherently evil and can't control themselves.", or "Removing the collars was the worst idea ever". But Nick and the rest of them ignored him. For the most part, Nick's new life hanging out with Judy and being free was amazing. There was one issue though, and that was money. Nick didn't have a job. And once Judy found out about how he and the other used to hustle money out of animals, they had to stop. She promised that they could all stay with her until they found a place for work. Luckily, with the gigantic change sweeping the city, it made it easier for predators to find work.

But for some reason, Nick found it hard to find a place to earn money. And even though he had a rabbit best friend, his collar off, and a new representation of being the "hero predator", he was still a fox. The most untrustworthy animal of them all. Judy told him not to dwell on it, but he couldn't help it. And after awhile, he started thinking.

"I wanted to take you out here tonight to show you something," he said to Judy, breaking the silence between them.

"I figured." she said, casting a small smile.

"Well, heh, I just wanted to talk to you about something that I came up with. It's about what you asked me a few weeks ago, that early morning after Animalia. You asked me if I wanted to open up the park again."

Judy's ears perked up.

"Yes?" she asked.

"And, well, I just wanted to take you out here, to show you the place that was once Wilde Times. I haven't been by here since, that night. And, I wanted to show you the place, you know. Let you see what old Wilde here built with the help of his friends."

He smiled, and was about to turn the corner of the fence, where the entrance would be into the parking lot for the small clinic, and the giant warehouse.
He tried to keep in the gasp.

The place was a wreck. And not just classic Nick Wilde wreck, but a wreck. The windows were broken, the yard and parking lot out front were covered in trash, and toilet paper and other items were sprung everywhere.

Nick could read spray paint on the side of the building that read "F predators." and "How the tables have turned, chompers"

The large blue banner that hung across the building that read "chompers only" was covered in mud, ripped to shreds, covering the ground in front of the warehouse doors.

Judy stopped at the entrance to the parking lot as Nick walked in, towards the clinic.

He looked down, picking up a small orange piece of paper off of the ground. It was covered in mud and who knows what else, but the fox could make out the picture. It was him, giving a thumbs up, smiling. He wore it collar, all the collars flashing on the side of it. Green, yellow, red. It said "Wilde Times" and on the bottom, said "I'm not just the president, I'm also the.." but broke off right there, the paper being ripped. Nick could remember almost every slogan. They had this place going for a few months. It was amazing. And now, the place had been vandalized.