Investigations of a Godmother's Death
It's taken almost a year and a half of various avenues of investigation since their deaths occurred, tens of thousands of dollars in your efforts to uncover the truth. During that time, things had gotten tougher for the predators living within Zootopia. A majority of the larger predators had been 'encouraged' to leave the districts where the prey lived, forcing a mass migration into Tundra-town. Meanwhile, Bellwether had enforced her rule with an iron hoof having replaced the Head of Police with Doug Ramses, one of her enforcers. When asked about this change, it was revealed that Judy had been given no resources or help during her own investigation into what had been causing the Pred Attacks when they had first occurred. The result of your inquiries finally began to bear fruit though by sheer circumstance.
It occurred one winter day during the month of December, when an old associate of yours stated that they had found something that he believed you should see. When questioned by your security force, they simply stated that they had found something of Judy's, which quickly earned them a seat at your table. The Fennec Fox presented something that had gone missing from the scene of Judy's death, the carrot recorder she had kept hidden on her person.
You had only seen the item once, when she had brought in the weasel; where it had been hanging from her jean pocket. Said weasel who had started the whole series of events that nearly killed your beloved daughter, Fru Fru, a few days before her wedding, something that you couldn't simply let go or else the other gangs would think that you had grown soft. Especially since Judy and Nicholas knew of your more common method of execution, which could be linked back to you if the weasel simply died in the ice. So once the two had left, you had your Capo, Koslov; take the piece of filth to the courtyard. There he was held down while they ran the screaming coward over before moving the body somewhere else to be discovered, with your daughter happily cheering them on.
Fru Fru truly proved to the crew once again that day that she was of your blood once Judy left and her face shifted from her usually smiling persona to snarling fury at the weasel that nearly had got her killed. The shiver that you could see Rufus try to suppress truly did bring a smile to your face as she cussed at her near murderer while he pleaded for mercy about his ignorance.
Your reminiscence of that fool's pleas for mercy are broken as you hear the fox cough softly into their paw before speaking up, their baritone voice echoing through the room as he explained how he came upon the pen. Having recognized it from when Judy had used it to scam his former partner into helping her with her first and only 'big' case. Apparently he had been strolling through the old museum where his friend had been gunned down, and noticed something odd in the exhibit where Nicholas had met his end. Some dark green foliage among the faded yellow grass that tickled a little something in his memory. So under the cover of darkness, he snuck back in and uncovered the recorder. Knowing about the reward, he came directly to you.
The recorder had apparently been on when they had finally caught up with the culprits that had been inflicting these 'Night Howlers' on innocent mammals, and the responding voice shocked everyone in the room to the core.
"Fear always works, and I will dart every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way!"
Someone, you don't know who, tries to turn the carrot off, but everyone still manages to hear the blood-curdling screams as your grandchild's Godmother is being torn into by serrated fangs. The room is silent as you try to match up the image of the sweet, innocent Bellwether with the knowledge that she's the mastermind for this whole ordeal that your city has been afflicted with.
Predators have had to retreat from daylight activities, and job opportunities for such folk has become much harder in areas such as Savannah Central, Sahara Square and the Rain-forest District; which held the most herbivores in the city. While this had led to a mass migration of predators moving into Tundra Town which meant more cash following into your pockets, it had also led to several incidents between the different gangs as they had been forced into one sector; fighting over territory and putting the family in danger. The mayor had been promising new housing districts that would be for predators only, but so far she had failed to deliver on her promises, and some predators were starting to get antsy.
This reveal though; was more disturbing then you had thought it would have been. You had thought it would reveal some mad human scientist had been behind this tragedy and had been using animal patsies to get the produce that they needed to cause the transformation. But for it to be a fellow Creature was disturbing on many levels.
Sure you and your men had iced a few indecent folks in your time, but it was along the same lines that the rest of the world worked. Humans had been doing it for ages, along with Toons, no matter how inefficient it was. You hadn't heard of anyone willing to go to such extreme lengths of revenge as to reduce their target to their most base instincts, slavering feral hulks, from any of those races.
It was something that was an unspoken agreement in the Sapient community.
"Why that damn sheep, she's made us into a bunch of a scapegoats," you heard the fox snarl out, and you glance up from the floor to see Finnick jump down to the floor and start marching off to the exit.
"Finnick, settle down," you call out to him, hoping to reason with your old associate.
The fox stops for a moment, and turns to look you in the eye. There's murder in his voice as he asks, "Why should I, Nick's murderer is walking free on the streets, running this whole shit-show while we're forced to hide in the shadows like we're living a thousand years in the past; just to make a living!"
You cough softly into the palm of your hand as you reply calmly, "Because, old friend, it is not just you who's been wronged by her hand. She's forced a majority of my rivals onto my turf, from the Hyena Hit-men of Savannah Central, to the Romp Otter Squad of the Rain-forest District. All of them and more have come to Tundra-town for refuge. She has even dared to hit some of my boys with her poison, causing them to be locked up in her sanitariums for the foreseeable future."
You can see to your left that Rufus has lowered his head to cover the fact that his eyes have gotten a little misty at the reminder that his son is currently locked up in some jail cell, with no one to help him return to sanity. You promise to yourself that you will be doing something about that in the near future.
Reaching a paw out to grasp your chair, you raise your head to show the Fennec Fox the sincerity that you know is shimmering in your eyes, as you continue your retort to his face, "Finally, that black lamb has also tarnished the name of Judy Hopps, my only Grandchild's Godmother, by using her as a platform to rally the people against all predators. She has even made that damn memorial as a reminder that she was supposedly murdered by a predator in the line of duty."
For a moment the both of you stare into each other's eyes, testing each other's resolve, before the Vulpes lowered his eyes in submission and continued to leave the room; pausing at the exit. For a moment the room is quiet before he smashed his arm angrily against the door frame, prompting some growls from your protectors, as he muttered, "Then what do you expect me to do, while she walks free?"
You bark out a laugh, void of humor and cold as your territory's namesake, as you get up from your chair. Walking slowly towards the fox, you pat his hand as you chuckle icily, "Who said anything about letting her walk free? No, that sheep is going to learn why the Ice-burg Crew isn't one that should be messed with!"
The fox lets out a soft chuckle under his breath. "Well, whatever you do Mr. Bigs, I simply ask that when you finally do go and hang the lamb-chop up by her pretty little strings that you involve me."
"I promise to do so," you reply as Fennick leaves the room, and you turn to your boys and nod your head to them knowing that they would know what you desire.
As they all leave the room, you motion Rufus to take you to your bedroom and as he picks you up , he leans his muzzle towards you; darkly muttering, "I guess it's time to show that sheep that old sins have pretty long shadows, isn't that right Boss?"
"That's correct Rufus, the family has a debt to pay and there is only one currency that will do."
You pause for a moment as Rufus passes by a window as you both are heading to your room for the night, the city nightlife left pitch black except for the shimmering of the stars, before whispering just loud enough for him to hear.
"Blood."
AN: So I made a thing and it got a bit bigger then I expected. Please leave a like if you enjoyed it! Now edited and beta'd by Lockdown over on the Discord
