The Time Traveler's Guide to Zootopia

Chapter 35: A New Hustle

The Chief's eyes shot wide in disbelief.

So did mine.

Everyone else in the room stared agape at the fox. Did he really suggest that I join the ZPD? None of us could believe it.

After gagging on water, the helmet's interior was now completely soaked. My face couldn't be wiped dry lest everyone would see. Regardless, all eyes were more focused on the fox.

"What?" he shrugged, showing that he wasn't joking. "We might as well."

"Are you out of your mind, Wilde?" the buffalo irritably grunted. "Why on Earth would we do that?"

"Well, here's the thing, Chief." the fox stood up from his chair. "As much of an Astro-Nut our friend here is, he woke up bright and early, leaped from a three-story window, ran into a raging 5 + alarm fire, and saved over a dozen little kiddos - oh, and two firefighters. Isn't that right?"

The buffalo sighed. "Yes, but-"

"And let's not forget that he thwarted those same razor-bums who happened to be priority number one on last week's roll call assignments," the fox continued. "Do you remember that? Yeah, we almost lost track of them, and lookie what happened. He unwittingly took care of them. I don't know about you Chief but I'd say it's a no-brainer. Let him join."

He huffed. "That is absolutely preposterous! I will not allow it!"

"I'm with the Chief on that one." I agreed.

"Finally, at least some trace of common sense." the buffalo gave me an approving, yet dubious, glance for the first time. He then turned to the rabbit. "Hopps, what do you make of all this?"

All eyes were on her.

Judy placed a paw under her chin and thought for a minute. "Sir, as much as I understand your concerns, my partner might not be as crazy as he sounds."

The buffalo and I looked at her incredulously.

She continued. "After all, Cherry has demonstrated bravery - which is one of the three core fundamentals upheld by the ZPD."

"And what about integrity and trust?" the buffalo grunted. "Clearly, he hasn't demonstrated any of those."

"We'll work on that," the fox remarked. "We all have to start somewhere, don't we?. And besides, that's what the police academy's for."

Academy? I questioned. Clearly, this fox has lost his marbles and Judy was following suit. There was no way this would work. Even the Chief could see that.

As the three animals went back and forth, I could only sit there and shake my head. Everything was moving too fast and it all seemed so absurd. It'd be like working in a zoo governed by animals who tell you what to do and how to do it. Perhaps it'd work in a world like Narnia but Zootopia would be a different story.

The buffalo slammed the case file in exasperation. "Wilde, Hopps, we're not having this conversation."

Nick stood up from his chair. "Why not Chief? How else do you plan on keeping our interdimensional friend here in check? Obviously, traditional confinement doesn't work for him."

"My partner's got a point, sir." the bunny stood up alongside the fox. "Even if Cherry served his three months, we still need to come up with a better long-term solution for him."

The Cheif folded his arms. "And that is?"

"He needs an opportunity to contribute to society" she explained. "Something to keep him busy and productive while he's in Zootopia."

"Bingo!" The fox snapped his fingers. "Like joining the ZPD."

Judy shot him a look. "Nick, he needs to choose."

His face turned mildly disappointed. "C'mon Carrots, he has the muscle mass, the height... maybe some intelligence we could benefit from," Nick explained while tapping my helmet. "What better place for him to work than the ZPD?"

Judy shook her head. "In the end, it's Cherry's decision. The ZPD can be a great option...but it's all up to him."

At first, the fox didn't seem satisfied. But he eventually shrugged in understanding and folded his arms. That's when the room turned quiet again while we all exchanged glances. We were all thinking about how things would move forward.

Meanwhile, my appreciation for Judy grew. She stood up for me and made my future trajectory in Zootopia feel less forced. Never had I seriously considered an occupation on a foreign planet but the time had finally come.

"Let's hear what he has to say," the buffalo suggested.

All eyes were now on me. Many ideas came to mind but I couldn't select what to say.

What would I do if I were me? My past life was filled with plenty of professions - most of which were in the military field. The Intergalactic Stratocracy never had too many soldiers for conquering rebellious planetary colonies, protecting the high order, or securing ultra-rare elements. However, Zootopia wasn't at war and had no need for soldiers. Between my phaser rounds and their tranquilizer darts, trying to be a soldier in this world would be overkill.

Alternatively, my previous world commissioned me as a scientific researcher for time travel. All the complex formulas and tools were stored in my suit's hard drive. Surely they could be useful for the animals of Zootopia. With a bit of decryption, they'd be readily available on demand.

However, I had my doubts.

First, the formulas were highly sophisticated and difficult to explain to the uninitiated. They went into the 4th dimension and beyond.

Second, they required highly advanced machinery to fully implement them. Otherwise, they'd only be theoretical and not applicable. Many of our machines were built from precious resources extracted from other worlds outside of Earth-77.

Finally, they were too dangerous. The formulas that powered our cities, energized our military suits and fueled time travel was the same formulas that led to our destruction. Nuclear fusion, anti-matter bombs, singularities, and cold fusion - to name a few - were all commodities that Zootopia wasn't ready for.

More ideas circulated the mind until they were interrupted by the grunt of a buffalo. "What's taking him so long to respond?" he asked.

I realized that I was lost in deep thought longer than I should have. Everyone was still waiting for me.

"Hang in there, Chief." the fox half-smirked. "He does that."

The buffalo sighed. "Well then, he better respond now or I'll make a decision for him."

Now was my chance to respond. One position came to mind that related to previous experiences from the future.

"Chief, I'd like to become a data scientist, for the ZPD," I said.

Everyone in the room tilted heads at each other. Given they were cops, I doubted they knew the true gist of it.

The buffalo leaned forward with furrowed eyebrows. "What? A data scientist?"

I nodded.

It was the most ideal option. No more punching enemies. Just punching numbers and formulas. The position - while stressful amidst all the fiery competition - was one of the safest careers in my world. Plus, it paid well. Surely, I'd have the advantage in Zootopia if I came from the future.

But the fox chuckled. "Ha! That sounds boring."

I gave him a hasty glare. "No, it isn't."

"Why do you want to become a data scientist?" the buffalo inquired.

"That's what I'd like to know too." Nick wondered.

"He worked as a data scientist in his old world," Judy answered. "He told me all about it in Bunnyburrows and I actually found it very interesting."

The fox rolled his eyes. "Oh boy..."

The Chief gave a suspicious stare. "Is that so?"

"Indeed," I responded. "I've worked years on my planet's orbital defense grid and I believe my experience could benefit Zootopia."

The other animal officers glanced back and forth at each other, seemingly intrigued by my career choice. But the fox didn't seem interested one bit. He simply shook his furry head and silently chuckled. I didn't care what he thought.

Meanwhile, Chief Bogo - with his glasses on - browsed his computer monitor, most likely taking actions to help me secure my desired role in Zootopia. If it all worked out, then I'd have a way to make a living in this new world while also keeping my knowledge exercised so that I wouldn't forget it. Even though I've only been in Zootopia for over a month, not using my data science knowledge has taken a toll on me.

In my world, I applied it daily to keep my mind fresh. Now I felt a bit rusty. But with a new position in this animal world, I had a feeling that everything would be easier and more relaxed. After all, I wouldn't be dealing with petabytes of data regarding time travel anymore. If anything, they'd have me deal with terabytes of worldly data at most.

"So you want to become a data scientist then." the Chief verified. "Is that correct?"

I gave a firm nod, looking forward to the opportunity.

The buffalo then tended to his screen one more time. Perhaps to make the final arrangements.

Unexpectedly, he removed his glasses and sighed. "No, I will not grant your request at this time."

My body leaned forward, hoping I misheard him. "What?"

"First of all, that career yet doesn't exist here.  Second, you don't meet our requirements."

My head turned to Judy and then back at the Chief. My fists were clenched.

"Well, that's a bummer..." the fox quietly mocked in the background.

If no one else was present in the room, then I probably would've thrown my chair at him. Regardless, I had to remain calm.

Trying to control my mild frustration, I slowly exhaled. "What makes you think I don't meet your requirements?"

The buffalo grunted. "Given the nature of the job, you must prove your competence and build public trust. This is crucial as you'd be dealing with sensitive information as a non-citizen of Zootopia."

I figured as much.

"In other words," He read from the screen. "To become a data scientist for the ZPD, you must have a clean record for a trailing four months, a minimum of 900 hours of professional police work within the city, and an active security clearance." he finished reading. "And that's for us. Everywhere else will have the same requirements or more."

"Great," I sighed. "That would take..." I held out my fingers and did a quick calculation. Assuming it was forty hours per week. "...over 5.6 months to complete."

The room went quiet for a moment. Just then, the rabbit's ears sprang up.

"Don't worry, Cherry. We'll get you there!" she said with encouragement. "It'll go by fast."

Maybe she was right? Part of me thought that my extraterrestrial status would override those requirements. But then again, that same status could've added more. In this case, the rules were the same for everyone so I had to consider that lucky to some extent.

"But until then..." Nick added with a smile. "...We'd be thrilled to have you on the force. What do you say, buddy?"

The throbbing arm wasn't helping. The rusty nail wound from earlier reminded me of what I'd be getting myself into. Hence, a data science position would've kept me off the streets. I thought about saying no but there wasn't anywhere else to go. At this point, I had become somewhat acquainted with the ZPD and my gut told me they were the ideal place to be.

As a former soldier from the human world, becoming a police officer in an animal world was a bit bizarre. Perhaps laughable. But... it is what it is. If 900 hours as a ZPD officer is what it took to become a ZPD data scientist, then it might be worth it. Life wasn't free so we had to work at it.

Thus, with a sigh, I responded, "Fine... I'll join the ZPD."

"Yes!" the bunny was stoked.

"Attaboy, that's the spirit!" the fox cheered, patting my shoulder.

But the buffalo sat behind his desk and continued to give an unimpressed glare. Upon noticing this, Judy's excitement mellowed out.

"Are you okay with that, Chief?" she carefully asked.

He didn't respond. As a sign of dominance, he exhaled through his nostrils. After a few seconds passed, he turned his attention to the other officers standing in the back. "Wulfric, Fangmeyer, what are your thoughts?"

They both looked at each other and nodded.

The wolf then took a step forward. "Honestly sir, I find it prudent. I don't want to arrest him again."

"And you, Fangmeyer?"

"I'm not too fond of the idea," the tiger admitted. "But if Hopps and Wilde are in, then so am I."

Once again, I marveled that most of the ZPD officers would look up to the fox-bunny duo - metaphorically speaking. But above all, I marveled that those two little critters would give me a chance.

After what felt like minutes, the Chief begrudgingly sighed, looked to everyone in the room. I had a feeling he would say 'no' and oppose the fox's crazy idea.

A tense moment passed before he turned to me. His glare was as sharp as a knife.

"Don't make me regret this," he said with a stern tone. "But it's settled for now. Mr. Cheribim, you will be sent off to the Zootopia Police Academy first thing tomorrow morning."

A wave of relief swept over me. The rest of the officers nodded in satisfaction.

The buffalo gathered up the forms from his desk. "Hopps, Wilde, I'm assigning you both as escorts. Help Mr. Cheribim fill out an application along with these associated documents." he passed the file to Nick. "As for the rest of you, we meet in the bullpen at 0900."

The officers slowly filed their way out of the room, one-by-one, and Judy gestured me to come along. These next few months will be interesting. But before I could step through the doorframe, I heard the buffalo gruffly clear his throat.

"By the way, Mr. Cheribim," he called while standing up.

I turned around to face him.

He gave another menacing stare and pointed. "Your first paycheck is going towards reparations. Your first two that is."

At first, I didn't know what he was talking about. But I remembered the broken window from the third floor, the sliced padlock from the prison cell, and a few other things.

"Either the pay's bad or the damage is," I said with sarcasm.

The buffalo didn't find it humorous. If anything, it made him more irritated. Not a good way to start. That fox was already having a bad influence on me.

Hence, I gave the Chief a thumbs up and slowly backed away. "Of course, sir... I wouldn't suggest otherwise."

My body turned to exit the room but my left shoulder skidded the doorframe, scraping off some of the paint. What a klutz I was. The buffalo facepalmed and the fox-bunny duo whimsically awaited me outside.

We exited the office together and we all felt free again. It was the same feeling one got after taking a college test. Whether or not you pass or fail, it always felt refreshing to step out and take a breather.

On the ceiling above us, there was a large glass dome window with a unique metal frame that had a web-like design to it. The early morning sky had a livid color but no sunlight had bled through the top yet. Thus, the ZPD building was still illuminated by artificial lighting until the natural sunlight would take over in the next few hours.

From the upper floor balcony, we overlooked the entire ZPD lobby as we moved along the banister with a prairie grass design. We began our descent down a flight of granite stairs, I followed the bunny-fox duo and tried to keep up with their energetic pace. It was evident that they were both looking forward to the day, especially Judy.

"Alright," the fox clapped his paws together. "Now that we took care of business, who's hungry?"

"Nick, It's not even close to lunchtime yet." Judy rolled her eyes. "And besides, you just had two muffins."

"They were small ones, Carrots." Nick made a tiny gesture. "You think that's gonna fill me up?

"You're looking pretty full around the middle," Judy playfully poked the fox's gut, causing him to stoop over. "Ha! You see?"

"Whoa, whoa, easy on the abs, fluff," he held his arms out. "I'm still sore from all those crunches, you know."

"The only thing you're crunching is potato chips and you know it!"

"C'mon, Cherry. Help me out, will ya?" he graciously begged. "You must be hungry after prowling the streets all morning."

For once, I agreed with the fox. My appetite had significantly increased since the blood loss from earlier. "Sustenance would do me good, actually," I said to both of them. "If we have the time."

"Boom, that's what I like to hear," the fox approved.

We both looked at Judy. She pulled out her phone to check the time. "I suppose we could grab a quick bite. There's a Hucklebear Diner right around the corner."

"I was thinking the same thing, Carrots. Great minds think alike."

"I'll pay you back after the first paycheck." I offered.

"You mean the third paycheck," Nick winked.

"Right..."

Judy waved her paw. "Don't worry Cherry, we got you covered."

Nick folded his arms. "Of course, by 'we' you mean 'you'. Right?"

"Oh, look who's being so generous today." Judy grinned.

"Hey, I helped him get the job. I'd say that's pretty generous enough."

"Speaking of which, we still need to fill out Cherry's paperwork first."

"We can always do it at the breakfast place." Nick insisted. "We can beat the morning rush while we're at it."

Judy thought for a moment. "Actually, Nick, why don't you go run and grab us a table? Cherry and I will get the paperwork and meet you there."

"Don't keep me waiting too long, fluff. I can only resist the smell of blueberry waffles for so long."

"We'll be quick!" Judy said with a smirk. "Until then, don't let the pancakes rise faster than your tummy!."

After giving her a wink, the fox proudly marched through the double doors, headed outside, and disappeared from view. Judy beckoned me to follow her across the lobby and that's what I did.

The central front desk was vacant, the polished flooring echoed with each step, and memories from the previous month began to pour in. The trophy case the rhino rammed me into had been replaced, the laser impact hole in the ceiling had been painted over, the punched crater in the floor had been filled with polished mortar, and many other things were also repaired.

Like a dented car, the ZPD successfully removed the obvious defects. Even though the miniature creases were still present, they were hardly noticeable anymore. If only the same could be said of that parked van beneath the third story window I smashed earlier.

Thankfully, property damage could be replaced and I could make amends. Even though it all happened a while ago, I still felt shame. The animal officers had healed from their physical wounds but now I'd be working alongside them. How would they accept that? Ignoring movies or novels, there's never been a recorded time in history when a human would unite with an animal police force.

As we passed through a series of interconnected hallways containing decorative wooden panels, we took a sharp turn and the ground changed into an olive-colored carpet. The bunny led us directly into a spacious room filled with numerous office cubicles that were organized into an array.

All of them were empty - not a soul in sight at this early hour of the day - but many individual desktops within the officer's cubicles were uniquely decorated. Some better than others. A few were laden with styrofoam coffee mugs and phone chargers while others had sports memorabilia - soccer, of course - and celebrity calendars.

Furthermore, I saw dumbells, snowglobes, stacks of paperwork, a box of donuts, and even a ball of yarn - for whatever reason. I couldn't help but admire the personality this place had and it gave me a sneak-peek perspective on what these officers were like outside of work. Though the ZPD must've gotten busy during peak seasons, that didn't stop these animals from enjoying themselves during downtime.

However, out of the many things I saw, something stood out above the rest.

Most of the officers had photographs of family, friends, and relatives upon their desks. It served as a reminder of why they were here and who they were doing it for. Overall, it gave the entire atmosphere a greater purpose. To serve and protect those they deeply cared about.

In my world, the Stratocracy wasn't anything like that. We didn't have close family or friends to look after. Just fellow soldiers in identical armor whom we only called brethren because it was all we had.

In the end, we only fought to further our spread across the stars. We conquered worlds, traveled dimensions, cheated death during multiple mass extinction events, but we never had a true purpose.

Granted, it wasn't our fault. The Stratocracy had good soldiers but they had no other choice. Most of us were pre-programmed to follow orders and the corrupt individuals above us had all the keys. I was certain that humanity would've lasted much longer if we had loved ones to protect instead of simply trying to survive in an unforgiving universe. Otherwise, if we would've died sooner anyway, then at least a righteous death was its own fair reward.

Shaking my tangent thoughts, the rabbit officer led the way into her office cubicle. It was cleaner than the rest, more organized, and had all the same family pictures from Bunnyburrows. Hazel, Cotton, Donovan, Bonnie, and Stu were all there. Including the other 277 family members.

Judy sat down in her rolling chair and cheerfully typed away at the computer. I figured we'd quickly grab the documents and get out of here so I stood at the entrance and leaned on the cubicle wall.

"Please, have a seat." she gestured, returning to her computer.

While I heard the pink printer going, I found a small cushion stool and slowly sat down in the cubicle corner. It was quite a small seat but comfortable nonetheless.

As she stapled the printed documents together, I leaned forward onto my knees and reminisced.

"We're very excited to have you Cherry!" she expressed. "I almost can't believe this is happening."

"Neither can I."

She began typing again. "Are you nervous?"

"Not really," I answered until I felt minor pain in my arm, reminding me of the encounter with the razorbacks. "Well, maybe a little bit."

"That's completely normal. I'd be worried if you weren't," she said before turning around in her rolling chair to face me. "The ZPD's a hard job, it really can be. But it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. Nick and I both love it and we'll teach you everything you need to know."

I nodded. "That'd be great."

We both sat in brief silence.

"So..." she began, "...what makes you want to join the ZPD?"

I cocked my head to the side a bit and I thought for a moment.

"Aside from wanting to become... what was it?" she tried to remember.

"A data scientist." I reminded.

"...a data scientist," she continued. "...and my partner pressuring you?"

Nothing came to mind. All I really cared for was to make a living on this foreign planet. Nothing more. They had their own rules so all I was doing was going through the motions. I would've been happy to skip the step of becoming an officer if I could've just become a data scientist for Zootopia from the get-go. However, that wasn't an option.

Hence, I sat on the edge of the seat, not having much to say. Even though she was only a little bunny, I felt the pressure of giving a better answer. There was none to give and she knew it.

She took a deep breath, sat up straight, and moved her chair closer. Her voice was serious. "Cherry, why do you want to join the ZPD?"

The cubicle grew quiet.

My mind ached, I fidgeted with my gauntlets. "Well... I...."

She stood up. "Take off your helmet,"

Words choked in my mouth. "I beg your pardon?"

The bunny leaned forward. "Take off the helmet, look me in the eyes, and tell me."

She folded her arms and patiently waited. I couldn't believe it. It's been over a month since she last saw me without it. No matter, I had to do as she requested mostly out of professional courtesy.

Therefore, with a bit of hesitation, I pulled off the headgear and set it on the floor. It initially felt uncomfortable but I pushed through. My exposed head immediately met the gentle breeze from the air conditioner above us and I felt somewhat vulnerable. Regardless, no one else was in the office area.

Her purple eyes met with my blue eyes in a way that I wasn't used to. Now she could see every movement and expression that was previously hidden. In a way, the helmet gave me confidence when interacting with other beings. It masked my emotions and gave a sense of power over those I gazed upon. But not anymore. At least, not with this bunny.

"There, that's much better! See?" she smiled, her voice calmer and quieter. "Now, why do you want to join the ZPD?

I placed a gauntlet to my chin and pondered. Why did I want to join the ZPD? A few intentions came to mind but they were in dire need of revampment.

After a couple of seconds, I lowered my gauntlet and spoke. "Well, I... I've made many mistakes in my previous world, Judy. Most of which, I still reflect upon to this day." My eyes lowered to the ground before refocusing back to Judy. "But now, I just want to set things right. Make things better for everyone."

She reverently crossed her paws on her lap. "And Cherry... how do you think the ZPD can help you in that regard?"

I answered. "As a former soldier, I fought for peace. Back when I had the chance. It was during the last days of my species. Do you remember when I told you about that?"

The bunny nodded, her eyes downcast. "Yes, I do remember."

My face became desolate. "Those days were heart-wrenching. I took a psychic blow and nearly gave up on living."

As I struggled to speak, Judy patiently sat there and listened. Her vibrant orbs had a soothing effect, enabling me to continue.

"But the day we went to Bunnyburrow forest, you gave me hope, Judy. You reawakened my purpose." A small affiliative smile then filled my face. "Now, I realize, the war's over. It's all in the past... and here we are now. You guys are protectors of peace and that's what I want to do. Help protect it. And I feel like this opportunity with the ZPD could make me whole again."

Upon saying this, Officer Hopps gazed and pondered. Nearly a minute passed and a gentle smile came to her face. "You know, Cherry, you actually look better without the helmet," she warmly commended. "It's nice to see your real face again."

Even though I disagreed, I couldn't help but give a light chuckle. "Thanks, Judy."

While reaching for the helmet, she placed a paw on my forearm. "You don't have to wear it."

She got me thinking. Indeed, the fresh air felt nice and cleared my head. Perhaps she was right.

But I solemnly nodded, scratched the bridge of my nose, and proceeded in placing the helmet back on. "I know."

Now I felt secure again. No one saw anything.

"Alrighty, then." she cleared her throat. "Well, I think you'll be a great fit for the ZPD. We're excited to have you!" she turned around to grab the stack of papers. "Now that we've got what we need, let's hop along and grab some breakfast!"

Both of our stomachs growled in agreement. The rabbit eagerly stood up, I followed, and we promptly exited the cubicle. Weaving our way through the same maze of hallways, we eventually returned to the main lobby.

From a distance, a few animal officers were just arriving for their early morning shifts. They caught glimpse of us, Judy gave them a friendly wave, and they vigilantly waved back. Chances were, they knew what I did a few hours ago. Regardless, they tended to their normal routine while we passed through the double doors of the main entrance.

It was still early morning, with barely much light outside, but the sun would soon rise over the exotic skyscrapers at any minute now. The streets remained somewhat calm as they were before. But I noticed city activity gradually picking up at the far end of Savanna Plaza. Luckily, the breakfast diner was situated on a block corner, just across the street from the ZPD, so we headed straight over.

The place was called HUCKLEBEAR DINER according to the bright rectangular sign posted next to the entrance. Above it, was the figure of a bear in chef's clothes who seemingly appeared to be juggling pancakes. Approaching the entrance, I would've held the door open for Judy but she already beat me to it. As she kindly held the door open, I gave her a 'thank you' gesture and we both entered the diner. I had to duck a little bit but the ceiling was tall enough once inside.

Upon stepping inside, we were both blasted with the delicious scent of pancakes, eggs, garlic toast, and French toast - whatever they called it here. Plus, a relaxing tune of instrumental music softly playing in the background. There was a wooden podium in front of us with a young waiter texting from behind. Surprisingly, he wasn't a bear but a deer who wasn't on the menu.

"Hi! Welcome to Hucklebear Diner! You're here early!" he happily greeted.

Judy smiled. "It's never too early for a hearty breakfast!"

"Right you are officer! You've come to the right place! Now, how many of you today?"

"It'll be three of us today! Me, my partner, and my tall friend here." she gestured.

The deer's eyes shot wide as he nervously looked up. I gave a small wave.

"Oh...um...Him? He's with you?"

She nodded. "Yep!"

"Ah...okay, um... right this way!" he hesitantly pointed with his hoove.

We followed the deer through the diner and he led us towards the back. There were no patrons at this early hour, we practically had it to ourselves, and it didn't take long until we spotted the only other animal patron who'd be joining us. The red fox with a blue uniform.

While he casually sat and tapped away at his phone, his ear twitched as we took our seats across from him.

"Well, well, if it isn't Cherry and Carrots!" he greeted. "Despite your names, too bad you both aren't food, cause boy, I'm starving. What took ya so long?"

"Oh, please, Slick," Judy teased. "You're one to talk about punctuality. Besides, we were only gone for like seven minutes."

"That's too long, fluff." he yawned. "But I guess I'll forgive you this one time...if you pay for my entree."

"Ha! Nice try, but no." she grinned. "You can pay for yours while I help pay for Cherry's."

Nick put his arms behind his head. "Well, isn't he the lucky one?"

After he said that, my injured forearm began to pulsate. "You better believe it."

We all got comfortable in our seats, Judy and Nick continued teasing each other, and Nick entertained us nonstop with online news articles that he found humorous. Despite it being early, he wouldn't keep his mouth shut.

The deer waiter came over, placed cold glasses of water upon the table, and opened up his notebook.

"Hello again!" he greeted. "Can I get you guys anything else to drink?"

"Coffee, please!" Judy and Nick said in unison.

"And for you...sir?" he asked me rather cautiously.

"Dihydrogen Monoxide."

His brows furrowed. "I'm...I'm sorry?"

"Water."

The fox leaned across the table. "No coffee for you, Cherry? Carrots is paying."

I shook my head. "No thanks. When I drink coffee, I can't sleep."

"I'm the opposite," he gestured to himself. "When I'm asleep, I can't drink coffee."

I let out a sigh. Judy facepalmed and the waiter laughed. As we glanced at our menus, I couldn't help but feel mildly confused at the organized selection. There were two categories - vegetables and meats - and they were supposedly organized based on the patron's diet. I was previously lost in the city of Zootopia but now I was lost in one of their menus. The names were unlike those from my world and the choices weren't the same.

Common breakfast food items that I dearly enjoyed - ham, sausage, steak, and bacon - were nowhere to be seen on the menu. Eggs, bread, waffles, and cereal were all there - those I was familiar with - but everything else both looked and sounded foreign.

For some listed items, I had to turn to Judy for extra guidance. She was kind enough to thoroughly explain and Nick provided his additional insight as well.

In the end, I was too grossed out by the artificial meat items that I ultimately decided to just stick with hash browns and eggs. There was no way I'd be eating bugs, no matter how much artificial flavoring was added. Nick tried to convince me but I couldn't trust him.

Thus, we ordered, we chatted, and it didn't take long before the young deer returned with our food items. For how small and tooth-picky his arms were, I was impressed that he could balance three plates on one side without dropping them.

"There you go!" he gently set the food on our table. "Hope you guys enjoy! Let me know if you need anything!"

"Thank you very much!" The bunny said politely.

The deer happily bowed his head, gave me a nervous glance, and went on his way.

Now it was finally time to indulge in the pleasures of a morning meal to start off the day. Everything smelled good, it was steamy, and it all looked so inviting. My mouth was feeling a bit dry so I decided to start off with a quick sip of water and reached for the glass.

As I took a sip, I noticed that I couldn't even taste the water. Were my tastebuds that bad? But water in general didn't have a taste. Just a wet texture and that was it. However, I didn't even feel the watery texture at all.

While taking further sips, Judy and Nick both went wide-eyed. Nick had food in his mouth but he struggled to hold in the laughter. What was he smirking about? Judy then passed me a napkin but I was unsure why.

But after looking down at my torso, I saw that it was completely soaked. Water dripped from the seat of my chair. I quickly realized that the drink failed to enter the permeable layer of my helmet near the mouthpiece.

The fox burst out in laughter. "Whoa, buddy, we're here to eat. Not bathe ourselves."

"You alright, Cherry?" The bunny asked.

"I don't understand..." I expressed disbelief.

"Don't understand what? How to drink?" the fox teased.

Really though, what was going on?  The helmet filters weren't working like they were supposed to.  As a test, I picked up a hashbrown slice and tried plopping it into my mouth, but it failed to enter the helmet's permeable layer. For some reason, the nanoparticles were malfunctioning, not allowing the passage of any food.

In a heartbeat, I came up with an excuse. "Everything's fine...I must be tired, is all."

Judy and Nick both looked at each other. They weren't buying it.

Judy then turned to me. "You can take your helmet off."

"What?" I hoped she was joking.

"You'll need your strength for the day," she said.  "Eat up."

"Not with him," I pointed at the fox. "No. Absolutely not."

A big smirk came to Nick. He looked at Judy and then at me. He thought today would be the day. He was sorely mistaken.

"Cherry, take off the helmet." Judy pleaded.  "There's hardly anyone here."

"I'd rather starve."

"Take it off, my friend," Nick said with a relaxed tone. 

"I will never-"

"Please, just take it off," Judy urged once more. "You don't wanna waste food, do you?"

"But-"

"You heard her." the fox said.  "Let's see that face of yours."

My blood was starting to boil, I considered storming out. The two furry officers had me stuck in a minor predicament. They patiently waited, my body begged for nutrients, I wanted privacy, but not all demands could be met.

"Oh, for fox sake..." I murmured.

Begrudgingly, I gripped both sides of the helmet and pulled it off. After firmly placing it on the empty seat next to me, I began to dig into the hashbrowns, pretending nothing happened.

Judy was content to see me partake of the breakfast. But Nick's mouth hung wide open.

It's as if he were a kid who just witnessed an amazing magic trick. The fox swiftly looked back and forth between me and Judy and then back at me again. She only smiled and ate her breakfast.

"Oh my God! Carrots! Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" he gasped. "Is that really him?"

His curious green eyes were fixated on my glaring blue eyes.

Nick laughed triumphantly. "Wow, Carrots, he actually fell for it! I didn't think he would ever take it off."

The bunny said nothing, grinned, and took a sip of coffee. I felt violated. The fox wouldn't stop staring.

"Cherry-buddy, I must say, you're quite the specimen, aren't you?" With both paws, he slicked his pointy ears back. "So this is what humans look like? "

I kept quiet and ashamedly sipped some water. He pulled out his phone to quickly snap a picture but Judy gently stopped him. He tried again but Judy intervened once more. Thankfully, he didn't resist her gestures anymore but that didn't stop him from his fascinated gazes.

"Not gonna lie, you were freaky-looking with your alien apparatus." he continued. "But without? I gotta tell ya, you're not as ugly as I thought you'd be."

I let out a low, annoyed sigh. "Thanks..."

The fox leaned back on his chair, continued to observe, while the rabbit and I focused on the food.

"Nick, aren't you going to eat your breakfast?" Judy asked.

He shook his head, not even paying attention to it. "Not just yet, Carrots. I'm trying to take it all in."

"Get used to it," I said firmly, returning to the hashbrowns.

It was getting hard to enjoy the food with the fox constantly staring but I did my best to phase him out. Despite the circumstances being less-than-ideal, the breakfast tasted excellent and it was nice to eat without having food pass through a nano-barrier.

"So where's all your fur?" the fox asked.

Without saying a word, I dived into the scrambled eggs. After taking a few big bites, I lifted my head and saw that the fox wasn't at the booth anymore. He was gone. But where'd he go? Judy was still here.

Before I could slip more food into my mouth, I felt something grab the top of my head. I turned my torso and spotted Nick standing on the same booth bench right next to me. How'd he get there without making a sound?

He stood on his tiptoes, his arm fully extended, and rubbed his paw through my short blonde hair. His pads softly scraped against my scalp. So much for personal space.

"Is this really all the fur you have?" he asked, brushing through my hair.

"That and other places." I sighed.

He further inspected my head. "Really, like where?"

"Don't ask," I murmured before I felt a tug on the side of my head.

"What about these?"

"Those are my ears."

"Gee, they're so small..." He pulled them both outward. "Check these out, Carrots!"

He really got on my nerves. "Please stop doing that."

"Come on, Nick, leave him alone and eat your breakfast." Judy facepalmed.

The fox didn't listen. He went for the hair again. "It's so soft, so fluffy! It's like cotton candy..." he whispered to himself.

I brushed his arm away. "Paws off, please."

He took a step back, nearly tripping on my helmet which caught his attention Don't do it. But too late. He lifted the hardware and jokingly placed it on his head.

Now he looked like a bobblehead and Judy struggled to contain her laughter.

"How do you even see out of this thing?" Nick's voice was muffled. "Yeah, no wonder you can't eat.  Might as well eat with a trash can over your head," he laughed.

I reached over, "Alright, give me that." and pulled the helmet off.  

To prevent him from toying around with it, I kept the helmet on my lap until breakfast was over. Before the deer waiter returned to collect our plates, I shoved the last bit of scrambled eggs into my mouth and placed the helmet back on.

Because of him, the interior was itchy. Stupid fox. He dishonored such a technologically advanced relic. I didn't care if the helmet's software was degrading or if his intentions were only all fun and games. He needed to be put in his place. Thankfully, my grim emotions were masked.

"Ugh. You looked so much better without it." the fox complained, splaying his paws. "It's not even that comfortable, buddy."

"I'm sorry Cherry, but Nick's right." the bunny concurred. "There's no need to wear it all the time."

"Yeah, don't be camera shy. Show some face once in a while."

I shook my head. "No thanks."

They turned to each other and shrugged. I didn't know why they cared so much but they already pushed further than they had to. Going forward, the helmet would stay on unless I said otherwise. End of story.

"So why do you like to wear it so much, furless?" the fox wondered.

I pondered for a moment.  "It's the last remaining relic of my people.  The Stratocracy."

Judy tilted her head, confused.  "Wait.  Strat-tawka-what?"

"Stratocracy."

They both tried pronouncing the word but struggled.  The bunny especially.

"Oh, c'mon, Carrots.  You and your family can spit out complex four-dollar words for all that plant husbandry... but you can't even pronounce new alien vocabulary?  Ouch."

"It's...it's not alien," I said.

The fox shrugged.  "Boy, it sure sounds alien to me.  So, Stratocracy, huh?  Interesting...   Can I join?"

"Sorry, Wilde.  They only recruit humans."

"Well," he jokingly threw his paws up.  "So much for diversity and inclusion.  Definitely not like Zootopia."

I was about to say something to him but refrained from doing so.  The joke would've been on me anyway.  My species was extinct while his species wasn't.  

Soon enough, the waiter returned to clear the rest of our table. He left a tray of three paw-shaped blueberry mints, took Nick and Judy's payment, thanked us for coming, and departed.

Since I was feeling full and satisfied, I scooted my mint over to Nick. He happily plopped it into his mouth. For any future food items, I'd have to find someplace private to consume it lest they see my face again. But in Zootopia, it was hard to find such privacy.

Now that breakfast was over, it was time to get down to business. But instead of Huns, it was paperwork. Lots of it. Seemingly as numerous. And instead of a sword, we had a carrot pen.

Judy covered our entire table with the necessary ZPD forms. She carefully laid them all out in an organized fashion and kindly circled the places I needed to sign. From a glance, most initially appeared standard minus the animal logos and the acronyms.

As she passed me her orange writing tool, It took me a moment to get used to it. Come to think of it, I haven't written anything by hand in almost six years. Everything in my previous world was computerized so we didn't bother with ink, lead, or chalk. I had to use a spare napkin to practice my penmanship and reactivate those dormant muscles. Three minutes later, I felt confident enough to proceed.

It all started with a name - the first blank space on nearly every form. Accordingly, I jotted down 'Cheribim' and called it good.

But the fox picked up the form and shook his head. "Sorry, buddy. I know filling out fifty forms isn't a way of spending a Friday, but you gotta write out your full name."

"He doesn't have a full name," Judy reminded.

The fox gave a funny look. "Really, why not?"

Judy shrugged and they were both curious so they turned to me.

"In my world, there were so few of us," I explained. "We didn't need last names."

Upon hearing this, Judy went quiet to reflect.

Nick broke the silence. "Well, we gotta come up with something," he said, twirling the carrot pen. "Otherwise, our lovely folks in the mammalian records department will send it right back and that means more paperwork. For you guys, of course."

Despite the irritating animal he was, the fox had a point. That's when a simple idea came to mind. "Judy, Nick, what are your full names?" I asked.

They took a long peek at each other and smiled. With the carrot pen in his paw, Nick scribbled on a spare napkin and it read:

Nicholas Piberius Wilde

Interesting, I thought. A bit formal for a fox but admirable nonetheless. Nick then attempted to pass the same pen to Judy. But he held it up high enough that she couldn't reach it. She stood on her tiptoes, her arms fully extended, but she couldn't grab it. Nick got a good laugh but she ended up jumping higher than her own height, snatched the pen, and elbowed him right in the gut. She got the last laugh.

What a dumb fox. Did he not know that bunnies could leap with such ease? At least he knew when to quit teasing until he could fully recover again.

With the carrot pen in her paw, the bunny unfolded the same napkin and wrote her name above Nick's. The calligraphy was surprisingly cleaner and read as:

Judith Laverne Hopps

Impressive, I thought. It sounded like the name of someone famous. And it was.

She saved the city of Zootopia, restored harmony, and went out of her way to help those in need. Big and small, predator and prey, it didn't matter. Truly, she was an impressive little bunny.

Nick even took a moment to doodle a heart between his name and her name. Judy played along and blushed.

Both of their names were quite memorable. I found it neat that they actually had full names. Nonetheless, it pained me to reflect back on my old world. Animals received one name and one name only if they were lucky. Otherwise, they received nothing.

But not in Zootopia.

In this world, all the animals had full names. Perhaps four in some cases. With this in mind, Judy tapped my shoulder with the carrot pen. With a bright smile on her face, she passed me the pen and gestured me to write.

I took the pen, clicked it into place, and wrote what came to mind. It honestly didn't have much significance but it would do the trick for now. After all, who wants the extra paperwork?

Thus, I took another spare napkin and wrote:

Charles Henry Bimson

Or Cheribim for short, I thought. It came to mind last minute. That would take care of the full name requirement for now.

From the opposite side of the table, Nick was curious and tried to see what I scribbled down. I lifted my gauntlets, he took my napkin, and read it out loud.

His ear twitched. "Is this your real name?"

I shook my head. "No, it's made up."

He passed the paper to Judy. "I think 'Cheribim' sounds more made up. Wouldn't you agree?"

"It isn't. So drop it."

"I like it!" Judy commented, reading it back to herself again. "Even if it's made up, it will do."

"I'm gonna stick with Cherry," the fox concluded. "Nicknames are how I roll, anyway."

"Is that why they call you Nick?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Fine by me."

Now I had a full name. Fake, of course. The last time that ever happened was back in the simulations. With that out of the way, I was ready to fill out the sea of paperwork before us.

Document after document, paper after paper, I placed my John Hancock to the best of my ability. Judy and Nick didn't understand the reference but that didn't stop them from helping me sign the forms. Most were boring while others were quite interesting.

Though they were repetitive, a few of them stood out. In particular, the questions are what got me.

For example, after indicating the 'Male' gender on a government form, the section below it asked for my species. There were over a thousand selections to choose from and it boggled my mind to see them all listed here. It took up two entire pages, both sides. Most were extinct in my world and some I was yet to see in real life. Overall, it made me feel uneasy - silently reading the species' names back to myself - but I managed to push through.

Towards the very bottom of the extensive list, there was one selection that simply read as 'Other'. I checked that one. Next to it, it said 'If Other, please specify:'. Judy told me to put 'Human' so that's what I did. Otherwise, I would've written down something else.

Next, we started on medical and disability forms. Those were tough to fill out.

While I didn't smoke, drink, or use drugs, I still had a dark history of post-traumatic stress disorder from future warfare. While most would argue that it's counterintuitive, the symptoms were of little concern back when I was living in my previous world. Why? It was because the constant exposure forced me to accept the harsh circumstances. Whatever didn't kill you simply made you stronger.

But in Zootopia, all was well... and I wasn't used to it.

The animals were at peace, they lived in harmony, and the skies were blue. As a result, my symptoms began to manifest more in this world than it ever did in my previous one. Why? Because I now had two worlds to compare. Night and day. There was a stark contrast between the two that caused my emotions to boil back and forth.

There was no further explanation but that's how it was. Perhaps this world was simply too good to be true? All the diverse animals here made it seem that way.

Granted, there were a few rotten ones in their midst - such as those razorbacks - but everyone else was relatively easy to get along with. If they didn't want to get along, then they'd run or walk away. Nice and simple.

In my world, if someone didn't want to get along, then they'd blast, vaporize, or disintegrate the victim. Plain and simple. I would've done the same to those razorbacks if it weren't for the Zootopian laws in place, as specified in the forms I recently signed and agreed to. But such negative thoughts I had to keep in check.

Though I felt restrained, weaker, and somewhat degraded, it was the price I had to pay for living in this world. The resources weren't the same as they used to be. No nuclear fusion reactors to recharge the suit, no nano-particle-accelerated generators, and definitely no quantum computers to keep the software up to date.

But that didn't matter anymore. I had to finish filling out these health forms. Going off on tangents would've been a worthy inclusion to my list of disabilities but I didn't bother including it. Instead, I simply put down 'Stress' because that was a common mental hazard shared by me and most other police officers.

While Nick seemed to be okay with my answers, I could tell that Judy was having second thoughts. She wished to play it safe and conduct a brief mental wellness test to ensure I was fit for duty. This made me nervous and somewhat hesitant but I decided to go through with it.

Thankfully, I passed with flying colors. She asked fifteen questions and I already knew the answers. Mental tests were a common thing in my world so most of it was just recycled material. It was one thing to present answers but it was an entirely different thing to demonstrate them.

But for now, the bunny's doubts dissipated and she was at ease again. The mental health evaluation would require further follow-up at the Zootopian Police Academy where they had more resources. Fingers crossed. The rest of the form was carefully filled out and we were almost done. All that remained were a couple of signatures on seven separate documents and we'd soon be on our way.

Thus, I placed the completed documents in one pile tall pile, grabbed the rest from the thinning pile, and flattened them out before me. It was nice to start seeing the wood of the table instead of white paper.

With the documents in hand, I browsed through them one by one. They were from the ZBI, ZIA, ZDC, and the mayor himself. I probably should've read through them fully but I didn't. The paragraphs were too long and the text was rather small. What would they do if I didn't comply? I had no reservations about breaking the law but I also knew that they couldn't do me much harm. After all, the animals in this world used dart guns which wasn't an effective deterrent.

Turns out, the one from the mayor was more of an invitation. He wished to see me. Towards the bottom of the letter, he asked for the soonest date that I'd be available. There were three available dates to choose from and all of them were within this upcoming week. Instead, I crossed them all out, placed my phone number, and simply put 'Call first'. Hopefully, he wouldn't call. I was already growing tired of interviews.

Finally, we were down to two more papers. Nick passed one over to me. "Alright, big guy, don't forget to sign your UZI Agreement."

Confused, I slowly took it. Perhaps I misheard him. "...UZI?"

"Unregistered Zootopian Incinderaries Agreement." the bunny clarified. "Or UZI, for short."

I splayed my gauntlets. "What does that mean?"

"It means you agree to not use, operate - or, in your case - deploy any weapon that could inflict harm or cause property damage," she explained. "Only tools registered and inspected by the ZPD are permitted for use in the field. Both on and off duty."

Nick added, "In other words, no more popping off those shiny blue firecrackers."

I rolled my eyes at the fox.  "How long has this law been around?"

Judy and Nick briefly turned to one another.  "Ever since you arrived."

"Zootopia's never needed such a law until now."

For a minute, I glanced through the documents. "So UZI is a ban on guns then?"

They both nodded in unison. "Yep."

"Right."

Without further questioning, I signed the form and gave it back to Nick. It's been over a month since I last deployed phaser pistols and it was my intention to keep that streak going. But if the ZPD was going to have an intergalactic soldier fighting by their side as an ally, then their request to eliminate my weaponry was a major downgrade for them. Then again, it was overkill for their world.

Now we were on the final form. It was basically a culmination of all the previous ones plus a few extra conditions. It felt like a peace treaty. I signed the three highlighted regions and handed them over to Judy.

The last agreement was finally signed. Judy stacked it with the rest of the forms, and now she had a thick binder tucked in her arms. From a glance, it looked like a college textbook. She studied through the pages one-by-one to ensure they were properly filled out. Meanwhile, Nick finished picking at his teeth with a toothpick, drank his third cup of coffee, and got the fourth one in a to-go styrofoam cup.

On our way out of the breakfast diner, Judy and Nick were suddenly swarmed by a group of what appeared to be cub scouts, all dressed in an olive-green uniform. Their species consisted mostly of wildebeests with a few bunnies, one elephant, and one camel. They must've been on their way to a pack meeting but they spotted the famous bunny-fox duo from across the street and immediately ran over to them.

To avoid spoiling the moment, I hid behind one of the wooden totem poles just outside the diner and observed.

The uniformed younglings gave the animal officers big hugs, requested their autographs, and took a few group photos with their favorite heroes. From a distance, it was truly a tender moment. Despite the officers being about the same size as the kids, the kids looked up to them and treated them with such high respect.

In my world, no one ever seemed to appreciate cops as much as they should've. Perhaps their gradual integration into the military didn't help in that regard. After all, armored MPs with phaser rifles weren't exactly the most approachable beings within a community.

But Judy and Nick were far more friendly in appearance. They beamed with trust. These scouts felt it and knew that their safety was in good paws. Both were small animals but it was clearly evident that their communital influence was huge.

After the passage of three memorable minutes, it was time for the young scouts to go. They gave the officers last minute hugs and fist bumps before their pack leader called them into formation. Once they were gone and the coast was clear, I stepped back into view.

Judy held out her arms. "You didn't have to hide, Cherry."

"That's right, no need to be shy, my friend." the fox slurped his coffee. "A pack of cubs ain't gonna bite."

"No, no," I defended. "I just wanted to keep a low profile."

He took another loud, long sip, before speaking. "Cherry, buddy, if you wanna make a fine cop, then you gotta socialize more."

Upon hearing this, I gestured to myself. "Even like this?"

Judy looked me head to toe and nodded. "Yep, even like that."

"And you might wanna consider smiling more." the fox implied, motioning a paw around his face. "We both know there's only one way to do that."

Part of me hoped he'd drop the topic but he didn't.

"But we'll save it for the Academy." Judy stepped in. "Tomorrow's a big day for you Cherry so you'll need some rest."

The fox yawned and loosened his tie a tad. "I could use a nap too."

"Oh, no you don't, mister," Judy ran over, grabbed his tie, pulled it tight which jolted him awake.

"Hey, no fair, Carrots," Nick began stretching. "I practically spent the whole morning convincing Chief to let Cherry join. You know that takes a lot of energy."

"Oh, please," she laughed. "You know I did half the work and you don't see me complaining."

"Well, in that case, we both earned it."

"Nice try, Slick! But Cherry's the one who ran around the city all morning. He earned it."

I gave a triumphant nod. "Couldn't agree more."

Nick casually shrugged and started walking back towards the ZPD. We followed.

"Well, at least I'm all done with the academy and graduated." he continued while taking a few obnoxiously loud slurps from his mug. "Definitely don't miss it. No one does. Because, boy, let me tell ya... they sure know how to work you."

"Work you?"

"That's right," he smirked as he opened the double doors for us. "Pray that you've got yourself some good cardio, my friend, or you'll be sweating like a pig for the next three months."

We stepped back into the lobby and I tried to imagine what the academy experience would be like. Could he be right? I wondered.

"Don't listen to him. It's not that bad." Judy begged to differ.

Judy made me think that either the fox was being a total wimp or nothing was entirely difficult for her.

Nick rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say Carrots. I'm only being honest with Cherry."

As we walked upstairs along the banisters, Judy gestured me lower to whisper something.

"It'll be fine," she quietly said with confidence. Trust me."

Her reassuring smile dissipated some of the doubts. But some remained.

"There's no one else I can trust," I whispered to myself.

The fox's ear twitched. Obviously, he heard. "What? You don't trust me?"

"Not yet," I said to him, thinking about what might come to pass these next few months. "I might regret this."

But Judy shook her head. "You won't regret it."

From there on, the day proceeded as normal. The ZPD would soon ship me off to the Zootopia Police Academy tomorrow morning. Depending on completion, they said it could take anywhere between one to three months. Hopefully, I could do it in less but we'd have to wait and see.

The duo decided to take me on an afternoon walk through Antler Park. They changed into their casual attire which initially caught me off guard. Especially with Nick. His Hawaiian shirt and striped tie were a downgrade from his police uniform but Judy liked the outfit for two reasons: It matched his eyes and he wore it when they first met.

We sat and talked for over an hour about the academy. Nick said the training would be back-breaking whereas Judy said it would be doable if I tried my best.

But how bad could it be? I highly doubted we'd have to jump on implosive grenades, disarm planetary laser drills, or take cover in a surprise strafing run. Zootopia had none of that. Thus, It ought to be a breeze. Whatever the academy wished to throw at me, I could take it. No problem.

Judy and Nick wished to present me to all the animal officers in the bullpen room - mostly as a warm welcome to the ZPD. But I wasn't up for it and requested to be escorted back to jail where I could rest on the foldout bed until tomorrow. They found it odd, offered to house me in their own homes, but I declined their offer. Plus, Chief Bogo reminded them that I was still under ZPD custody and he deemed it better to keep larger officers close to my presence.

He then explained that my time at the Police Academy would - in a way - be a continuation of my prison sentence. Hopps and Wilde were assigned as temporary parole officers and the heavy presence of other police animals at the academy meant that I'd be under constant careful watch. Rules would be stricter, I wouldn't be allowed to leave the premises, and I'd be on their full-time schedule.

The ZPD knew my power, they wanted me on their side, and they saw what I was capable of. Regardless, the trust wasn't there, the Chief would give me a chance to prove it, but it would take a while until the regulations were fully lifted.

Hearing all this wearied my mind so I decided to hit the sack. The prison bed was in the exact same position as we last left it and that's when I resumed my long overdue nap. It was already 4:07 PM, a bit early for a regular bedtime, but that didn't matter. The two animal officers outside the cell were on a rotating schedule, they saw that I was dozing off, and that's when they kicked back in their chairs to tap away on their phones.

My eyelids grew heavy, the dimming light turned to penumbra which turned to total darkness, and that's when I was completely out.

But as my entire mortal frame fell further into a deep slumber, I heard a small wooden object hit me in the head. Whoever threw that was about to get it.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." a familiar voice called out.

What in the world? It was morning already? I turned in the prison bed to see a red-stained popsicle stick littered on the cement floor. As my blurred vision gradually regained its full resolution, another red object came into full view. I tried to rub my eyes but forgot that the helmet was still there. Whatever I saw, it had green eyes and was just as annoying since the day I met him. He was casually sitting in a foldable chair, eating a strange-looking red popsicle, and leaning against the cell grating.

I gave a stern look but he simply shrugged.

"My bad, I just naturally assumed you were wide awake," he said with a smirk. "Your ceramic blue eyes don't ever seem to close shut, do they?"

My head collapsed onto the pillow and I sighed. "Morning, Nick..."

"Top of the morning to you." he greeted before pulling out a plastic wrapper to unveil another popsicle. "Want one?"

I saw that it was paw-shaped and possibly homemade. A bit tempting.

"No thanks," I denied, knowing what he was trying to do. "But nice try."

"Whatever floats your tail," he said indifferently, not seeming offended. He pulled his phone out, typed away a few messages, and returned his attention. "Well, today's the big day. You ready to go?"

I stood up. "Let's get this over with."

The fox led the way out of the prison block and into the main lobby. Judy was waiting for us over by the front desk where Clawhauser proudly demonstrated a new app on his phone. The cheetah continued to demonstrate signs of nervousness around me but I gave him a gentle wave which seemed to put him at ease.

Judy led the way out of the lobby and into the ZPD parking lot where cruisers of all different shapes and sizes were tidily parked. For a fox and a bunny, it only seemed natural that they'd pick a smaller ride to match their sizes. But not them. They picked one of the largest in the lot which I found mildly humorous. Either way, it was large enough for me to fit so I had no problem with it.

Except, of course, having a bunny drive.

Regardless, we piled into the cruiser and fastened our seatbelts. Officer Hopps turned the ignition key, revved up the engine, and Officer Wilde put on his aviators. Just like that, we drove past the grand stadium, passed through Lions Gate, and we were coasting down the highway like we meant business. There was no stopping us now.

We came to a stoplight. As we patiently waited, Judy opened the central console to pull out a pamphlet.

"Check it out!" she passed it behind her.

With hesitation, I took it. "What's this?"

From the rearview mirror, she smiled. "A little something to get you motivated along the way."

I turned it over and saw that it was a ZPD pamphlet.

But instead of reading it, I passed it over to the fox. "Here, help me with this. My eyes are ceramic."

He playfully rolled his eyes and began to read in a melodramatic fashion. "The Top Three Reasons to be a cop are: One, to fight for justice! Two, to serve the citizens! And three, to make the world a better place!"

He grew tired of reading and tossed the pamphlet aside. We both looked at each other, probably thinking the same thing.

"Hey, don't look at me." he shrugged. "I'm not the one who came up with those tacky slogans."

"I think they're great!" the rabbit disagreed. The light turned green and she stepped on the gas pedal. We both had to embrace the sudden jolt.

Nick gave her a sly grin. "Why do you say that, Carrots? I'm sure you coined that last one, didn't you?"

She gave him a cheeky smile. "Even if I did, would that be a problem?"

He thought for a minute. "No, not at all." he chuckled." But if I had to come up with a reason for joining the ZPD, then I'd at least put something more original."

"Like being with me?" she asked.

The fox began to blush. He tried to hide it but he couldn't.

She continued teasing him. "You know it's true."

"Do I know that, Carrots? Maybe I do."

For the rest of the ride, the bunny-fox duo carried on their flirtatious remarks, while I rested my head against the side window of the backseat. The weight caused a tiny audible cracking sound so I moved to a more upright position. With a knack for breaking things, I had to be more careful. The last thing I needed was another paycheck going towards reparations.

As we passed all the exotic skyscrapers of Zootopia, the view outside the cruiser gradually transitioned from urban to suburban. The buildings got much shorter, the trees seemed to have grown taller. and wide open grass fields were becoming more common. In a way, it was like a hybrid between Zootopia and Bunnyburrows.

Water towers were scattered on the horizon as well as some traditional brick and mortar buildings that appeared to be from the nineteenth century. This place was perhaps older than the city itself, it still had plenty of thick trees, and the roads were becoming simpler and narrower as we cruised through the peaceful neighborhood.

It got to a point where there were hardly any cars except for our cruiser. It hummed through the quiet residences and echoed across the lonely road. Animals of all different species were just outside, strolling along, minding their own business in the community setting. Camels and gazelles were out on a jog, grizzly bears were playing a game of ultimate frisbee, and a bunny mother was pushing a single baby stroller filled with twenty bunnies. Unlike the urban city, no one was in a rush and everyone seemed more relaxed.

As if all were going well at the intersection, the light changed to green. But before we could move, an orange convertible zoomed right past us. The officers took notice and smiled at each other. Nick put on his shades and turned on the siren. Judy hit the pedal and we chased after the car. They managed to pull over the speeding motorist, walked up to his car, and gave him the talk he deserved. I rolled my window down, stuck my head out, and saw that it was a cheetah behind the wheel.

Despite the animal's larger size and disputatious attitude, Judy and Nick were completely unphased. Both stood their ground, were quick to take care of business, and left the cheetah with no other choice but to accept his speeding ticket. Thus, he drove away - although slowly, to avoid getting in trouble again - and he was gone. I was worried that he'd end up with a ticket for going too slow.

Before my two furry escorts could return to the cruiser, they were suddenly approached by a large family of needy opossums. Something always had to come along.

To avoid detection, I stuck my head back in and rolled up the window. Thankfully it was tinted. I sat and listened to their conversation.

Apparently, they were lost and sought directions to the marsupial community fair. Judy and Nick were more than willing to help. After providing them with written directions, the opossums soon recognized they were in the presence of the very heroes who cracked the Nighthowler case.

Because they were some of their biggest fans, the opossums had a plethora of questions for the bunny-fox duo. They eventually asked about the mysterious white animal in Zootopia and were eager to learn more about his what he was and how the ZPD was going to do deal with him. One of the little ones even asked if I was captured yet.

Judy and Nick were quick to respond that I was indeed captured. This truly amazed the opossums. To this day, even I was amazed. However, some of the explanations behind how it all went down were somewhat exaggerated. Nick tried taking most of the credit while Judy reminded him that it was all a team effort to bring me in. Regardless, in my opinion, they just got lucky.

The family finally asked the big question of all. Where was the alien now?

Judy reassured them that he was in ZPD custody and there was nothing to worry about. They would first learn more about him before a final determination could be made. Little did they know what would actually happen. But the opossums believed the bunny's words and thanked both the officers for making Zootopia a safer place.

After both parties gave their warm goodbyes, the officers returned back to the cruiser and we resumed our journey. Even in the suburb community, both officers were fairly well known. Wherever we passed, at least a couple of animal residents would recognize them and give a friendly wave. Again, it was nice for me to have a dark tinted window.

We came to another roadway stretch that was a bit different than the rest. The sides were lined with plots of oak trees and old-fashioned lamp posts. There was a traffic island that came into view, extending beyond and splitting the main road into two. We continued to cruise down it for the space of three minutes.

Greystone walls made an appearance and that's when we saw a rustic archway directly overhead. It had brick pillars on both sides, a metal grating connecting the two up top, and stamped golden letters that read as:

ZOOTOPIA POLICE ACADEMY

I assumed this was the place.

It was a large facility with a centralized grass lawn, colonial-style wooden dorm housing, and a brick building behind the entrance. Overall, the place had a Harvard feel to it. The main things missing were the American flag and humans. Instead, there were four flag poles with colored district banners and there were animal cadets everywhere. They all wore dark blue t-shirts and darker blue shorts. There was no way I'd wear that.

We made our way to the brick building behind the grass lawn and pulled into the next available parking space next to a few other exotically shaped police cruisers. For some reason, the anxiety kicked it. It felt as if I were going back to school all over again. The data science position was supposed to be an automatic override but I had to start over. No matter, I'd do what I had to do.

"Here at last!" Judy cheered, turning off the car. "Welcome to the Academy!"

Nick opened the cruiser door for me. "Any regrets?"

"Oh, shush." she friskily shooed him off. "It's gonna be great."

I stepped out of the car and looked around to take it all in. This place was larger than I previously thought. The air was fresh, the skies were clear, there were no tall buildings, but the pressure augmented. Among the recruits out in the far distance, I saw rhinos and bison. Animals that could easily knock me over.

"So, where to now?" the fox asked.

Judy briefly pulled out her phone to check something.

"Building 5A," she answered. "We need to find Major Friedkin. She's already aware that we're bringing in Cherry."

We followed the bunny through the parking lot and she led us through a network of campus buildings. As we were walking, I tried to get a full grasp of how large this place was. It just kept going and going. There was no end in sight.

Normally, I could look for MAC cannon towers or sniper nests to give an idea of where the outer perimeter fencing was located in any facility. But this place had none of that. The only tower it had was a water tower with decorative bear ears on its sides. Everything else was just trees and brick buildings.

A pair of black bears spotted us just outside their dorm. They tried to take a picture but realized they didn't have their phones. An exhausted hippo was pouring water into his mouth like a waterfall, spotted me at the corner of his eye, and completely spilled all over himself. Two wolves were playing soccer, one of them kicked the ball, but the goalkeeper stood stagnant as we passed right by him.

What was wrong with these animals? Haven't they ever seen a human space soldier before? Perhaps not even a human. Surely they've heard about me by now from the news but never imagined me coming here.

Judy and Nick simply smiled and waved at the cadets while we kept moving forward. Everyone else stood in wonder.

"Well, would you look at that!" the fox pointed. "It's your first day and you're already famous."

From the corner of my eye, there were three body-building tiger recruits who folded their tricep arms and suspiciously stared.

"More like infamous," I countered.

"Don't worry, that'll change soon." the rabbit spoke up. "I know it will."

Hopefully, she was right. I had a feeling that things would work out one way or another. The anxiety of being here would weigh on my shoulders but her optimism kept my head up.

After extensive walking and multitudinous looks from other animals, we came to a two-story building that had a distinct design. It had no windows whatsoever, had a box-shape, and only had a pair of metal double doors and two emergency exits. It reminded me of a war bunker only it was brighter and had a fresh coat of blue paint.

The duo opened each door and I stepped inside. They followed.

The entire building was one large room. It had hard rubber flooring, dark corners, and only a single incandescent ceiling light to illuminate the center of the room. What I saw next took me by surprise.

It was a boxing ring.

About seventeen animal cadets stood around as spectators. There in the center, was an imposing rhino boxer who wore bright blue boxing gloves and a neoprene headpiece. Adjacent to him, standing just outside the ring, was a polar bear. Most likely a drill sergeant. It wore the same dark blue outfit as the rest of the recruits except it had a blue baseball cap and a plastic whistle around its neck.

"Enormous criminal!" she announced.

As soon as we stepped closer, the rhino knocked out an arctic wolf boxer with one swift blow.

The female polar bear blew her whistle. "You're dead!"

The defeated animal - with crooked ears and messy fur - painfully rolled himself out of the arena. Other animals were in line to take turns fighting.

But there was a brief hiatus in the room as all heads turned towards me. No one spoke up and no one moved. They only stared.

The polar bear decided to play tough and marched towards me. She didn't seem too happy with my sudden drill interruption. But as soon as she saw Officer Hopps and Wilde standing beside me, she stopped in place and smiled.

"Well, if it isn't my former little cadet, fuzzy bunny!" she greeted.

Judy gave a friendly wave. "Major Friedkin, it's so good to see you!"

"The pleasure's all mine," she said. "Now, what can I thank your visit for today?"

"We've got a one-of-a-kind recruit here for you, Major." the fox presented. "One that's going to rewrite the books."

The polar bear shook her head and chuckled. "I doubt it, Wilde. This year's cadets are a bunch of slackers."

The animals murmured in the background while Friedkin carefully inspected me from head to toe. She got close to my face, waited for me to blink, and tried to get a grasp of what I was.

"So this is the one then?" she asked. "The mystery mammal everyone's talkin' about?"

The rabbit folded her arms and stood proudly. "Yep! He's the one. His name is Cherry."

"...and he'd like to join the ZPD." the fox added.

"...to eventually become a data scientist." I finished. Nick rolled his eyes again.

The polar bear scoffed. "Boring."

Seriously?

While standing still, the polar bear walked laps around me with circumspection. I extended my gauntlet as a simple greeting but she ignored it. She was only with visualizing me from all angles until it felt uncomfortable.

"I wanna see what he can do," she turned to face the animal cadets and gave them commanding gestures. "Stand back cadets! We're putting him in the ring!"

Wait, was she serious? I recently arrived and she already wanted to put me under the spotlight? This had to be a joke. But as soon as she tossed me a pair of boxing gloves, I knew she was serious. I looked back at Judy and Nick, hoping they were also caught off guard, but they decided to go along with it.

All eyes were now on me. These guys were really asking for it.

Thus, with the gloves in hand, I placed them over my gauntlets and tightened the velcro. Never in my life had I worn boxing gloves until now. They were loose-fitting, primarily designed for creatures with four fingers instead of five, so I had to place both my ring finger and pinky finger into the same inner glove slot.

Major Friedkin pointed at the ring and I reluctantly climbed inside. There in front of me stood the mighty rhino. He primed his fists and prepared to strike. However, I waited in the corner of the ring and didn't move.

He waited for me to advance but I remained still. Both his gloves were up but mine was down. Growing impatient, the rhino decided to charge me. I dodged his first head-on attack and we swapped ring corners. He began to circle me for an attack but I remained parallel to him. I strived to be cautious due to all the ZPD lobby memories so I kept a distance.

With a sudden heartbeat, I lunged and socked him in the throat.

It didn't do jack squat.

To mock me, he let out an unsavory chuckle through his reeking mouthguard. That's when I went for the nose.

He instantly fell over.

The audience went wild.

Even the major was impressed. "You're dead, horn-face!"

"Woo! Nice job Cherry!" Judy clapped her paws.

Nick gave a thumbs up. "Way to go, pal."

As the fatigued rhino rolled away, the polar bear blew her whistle. "Listen up, cadets! Cherry-Bun will be our new enormous criminal for today!"

All the other animals gave each other worried looks.

Nick smirked at his partner. "Seems fitting."

Judy elbowed him in the rib.

"What? It's a compliment," he defended. "After all, he is a natural."

Well, he wasn't wrong, I thought. Being placed in a boxing ring wasn't my intent, nor did I even consider it on the way here. But they had me front and center so I decided to stay in the ring.

The animal cadets lined up, one-by-one, and we began a new match.

My new opponent was now a spotted jaguar. He was young and agile, full of energy, but also quite nervous. He got a few chest hits on me but I finished him off with a single strike on his own chest, which caused the animal to be flung back. Lucky for him, my gauntlets were covered in pads to lessen the pain.

"You're dead, Mr. Spots!" the major mocked.

The next opponent was a horned ram. We got into position but he immediately surrendered as soon as I took a step forward. That was easy.

The major got in his face. "You're dead, fluff-wig!"

After the ram fled, a massive tiger leaped into the ring. Now I got nervous. His triceps were much wider than my thighs and he had them fully flexed until the veins were visible. I looked at my own arms and considered myself buff until I met a real tiger. No matter, I got into position and awaited his attack.

He sprung forward, nearly faster than I could react, and he landed four consecutive punches. One on the chest, one on the face, and two more on my chest again. This caused me to slide back but he didn't knock me over. I'm glad he was wearing rubber gloves because he might've broken a wrist upon impact.

He blocked one of my punches so I immediately tackled him to the ground. We did a few somersaults before I spun around and got behind his back. Using all my strength plus the suit's material integrity, I placed him into a headlock and held him until he tapped out.

"You're dead, stripes!"

After hearing that from the polar bear, I released the tiger, and he rolled himself away. I had a feeling that he wanted to remove his glove and slash me but he kept his composure.

The next animal who entered the boxing ring caused me a great amount of visible confusion. It was tall, thin, and lanky. He had a red fur coat, a black mane, a black muzzle, and white pointy ears. Was it a fox? Was it a hyena? Honestly, I had no idea.

Whatever he was, I didn't like that look he was giving me. It was prideful enough that he wasted no time in jumping onto my back, placing me into a tight headlock. I had to admit, this animal had an incredible grip despite his thin stature. He was also a tryhard.

I reached back to grab him but he kicked my arms away each time. No matter what I did, he would not let go and continued with the chokehold.

He persisted until my patience began to wear thin. In response, I rammed my back into the rubber post and he flipped right over. He fell onto the laps of the spectators, knocking them over as well.

The major walked right up to the fallen opponent and pointed. "You're dead, Wolfram!"

Whatever that animal was, he definitely wasn't happy. I soon found out from a nearby clipboard that he was actually a maned wolf. He limped away into the bleachers but continued to give me a nasty glare.

Regardless, the boxing matches kept going. Many cadets eagerly waited in line for their turn. But why? They had no chance.

The next opponent was an elephant. Every giant step he took would vibrate the entire boxing ring like a small earthquake, causing my anxiety levels to rise. But as soon as I saw how slow and unbalanced he was, I took full advantage.

I climbed onto one of the posts and slammed my fist onto the elephant's head. He took a mighty tumble and rubbed his bruised head.

"You're dead, Tuskabee!"

I rolled my eyes and facepalmed. Why did she always have to say that? It was starting to get on my nerves.

The sore elephant was escorted off the ring and more officers wanted a go at me. For the next fifteen minutes, that's what they did.

A lion came to the ring but I dodged his swipe and nailed him in the gut.

The whistle was blown. "You're dead!"

A timberwolf jumped in but I pinned him down.

Another whistle was blown. "You're dead!"

"Please stop saying that..." I begged.

Major Friedkin blew her whistle yet again. "You are not in charge here, Cherry Bum! Next!"

More animal cadets were in line so I got into position. Pretty soon, there'd be no more animals to fight. Regardless, I was truly enjoying myself and found great pleasure in every minute of it.

It wasn't solely because I was beating up talking animals and reliving the lobby experience. But rather, it was the variety and randomness of the challenge.

We were in a stable environment and every match was one-on-one.

It was a good way for me to get to know them better. Thanks to the rubber gloves, there was only so much injury I could inflict upon them.

I tried to be gentle with some cadets while others I quickly put into their place. Animal after animal, boxing match after boxing match, the list kept going.

It got to a point where I faced a bison, a hippo, and even a panther to name a few. Some matches were close while others had no competition. But no matter the animal, I emerged triumphant every time.

Naturally, my confidence was high. Perhaps my time at the academy would be much better than I thought.

Nearing the end of the hour, another animal approached the boxing ring. It was a grizzly bear. Though he appeared wide in stature and formidable, I could tell he was still nervous. No one in this room could beat me so far. Neither would he.

Before the match bell chimed, he closed his eyes and pondered. I got the impression that he was performing a deep meditation to summon some undisclosed powers or abilities specifically reserved for a bear. It got worrisome but I remained in my stance.

Finally, the match started, his eyes shot wide, and he rushed after me.

His sudden burst of valiant determination caught me off guard and I began to slide across the boxing ring. He had me in a tight bear grip and tried to push me off the ring.

I tried to punch free from his grip but to no avail. He kept pushing with his broad shoulders and was nearing victory.

With no other option, I sprawled my legs out and threw all my weight onto his head. I tightly wrapped both arms around his neck and used my hips to flip him onto his back. My hip popped but I didn't care. As soon as the bear was flat on the ground, I threw an unforgiving punch into his eye socket. Just like that, he was out.

All the officers gasped, including Judy and Nick. Perhaps I went too far.

While I stood silently in the middle of the ring - feeling somewhat guilty - two tiger cadets escorted the grizzly bear over to the bleachers where he could recover. They gave him an ice pack for his black eye and he seemed okay for the most part.

Meanwhile, Major Friedkin blew her whistle and signaled another animal cadet to face me in the ring.

No one came forward. They all looked at each other and slowly backed away.

At least I earned some level of respect, I thought to myself. Seeing that things were wrapping up here, I unfastened the velcro to pull the boxing gloves off.

The major placed both paws on her hips and turned to face all of the cadets. "Anyone else?"

We all searched the room but no one spoke up. I assumed we were done for the day.

"I'll take him." a female voice spoke up.

I panned my head around but couldn't see who it was. The voice sounded familiar but it wasn't Judy.

From the dim corner of the room, a small animal figure stepped into the light and I instantly recognized her.

It was Rebecca Pawts.

The same coyote who interrogated me back at the station one month ago. But why was she here?

She climbed under the ring ropes, stood directly in front of me, and gazed with those golden eyes. The coyote only stood less than half my height but she got herself into a fighting stance by positioning her feet and raising her paws. Was she actually serious?

"Alright, Mr. Cherry," she said with confidence. "Give me your best shot."

I looked around the arena and saw animal cadets eagerly gathering around to watch. Strangely enough, there appeared to be a greater audience than ever before. I was detecting a lose-lose situation here.

After all, the coyote had no gloves on. Just her bare paws and that was it. Surely, she'd get herself injured and I'd be the one to blame.

I tossed my rubber gloves aside and folded my arms. "What are you doing here, Rebecca?"

"To see what you're made of," she answered, jogging in place. "Are you ready?"

Everyone in the audience crowded closer and the major blew the whistle. This was just absurd.

"Whatever," I shrugged. "I'll go easy."

As I took one step forward, she got on all fours in a stealthy-like pose. Strange. My right fist swung towards the coyote but she ducked. I followed through with my left and she evaded that one. The right came back for a follow-up but she veered off to the side.

With no luck, I waited for her to lunge. I would've loved to see her try because a furry little creature couldn't do much against an armored soldier.

But no matter how long I waited, she wouldn't attack. The coyote only kept mirroring my position in the boxing ring and rotated whenever I tried to get a better angle.

I threw both my gauntlet fists at her with improved velocity but she had no trouble dodging them. I attempted a roundhouse kick but she saw that one coming. Just when I thought the coyote had her guard down, I thrust my arm in her direction but she evaded its path.

She was just too nimble

But now she was starting to piss me off. I tried to be gentle but decided to throw that rule out the window.

In a sudden frenzy, I repeatedly swung my fists at full speed. Now she was asking for it.

I managed to graze her shoulder, causing her to fall over, but she got back up.

Seemingly in a desperate attempt to flee, she leaped onto the ring rope instead. The coyote pulled back against it, flung herself towards me, and used her feet to kick my own gauntlet against the side of my head.

In other words, she caused me to punch myself in the head.

The impact knocked me down completely and I was flat on the floor. The visor had a tiny crack in it and the coyote stood right over me.

"Hmph," she nodded in satisfaction, breathing heavily as she recovered.

"You're dead, Cherry Bum!" the major mocked.

Upon hearing this and noticing that I was just beaten by a coyote, my only reaction was to drop my head back, stare at the ceiling light.  So this is what she meant when she told me she knew Zaekwondo.

"Not all criminals are enormous, Mr. Cherry." the coyote said. "Never underestimate the smaller animals of Zootopia."

I gave her a fake thumbs up and sighed. "Whatever..."

"By the way," she whispered to me directly. "That's for throwing my number away."

I sat upright, feeling confused as ever. "What number?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. My job forbids me from exchanging numbers with an interrogee. My mistake."

She marched away, hopped off the boxing ring, and disappeared through the double doors. So much for her.

While Judy was chatting with Major Friedkin, the fox ran over to my side.

"Nick, what was she talking about?" I wondered.

He patted the back and chuckled. "Buddy... you've got a lot to work on."