The Fire Triangle -- Part II, Oxidizer

The Fire Triangle: Book II - Chapter 46

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

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The Fire Triangle

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Part Two:

Oxidizer

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Chapter 8: Everything You Know is Wrong
(Part 3...Cont'd)

ZPD Precinct-1, Savanna Central, Zootopia, 11:07 Hours, ZST

Judy Hopps never made it to Mammalcide.

Less than a heartbeat after she left Juvie Division, a velvet-brass voice came over her two-way. "Detective Hopps...Detective Judy Hopps; respond please."

Judy sighed and unclipped the radio from her belt. Somehow, she sensed, this was not going to be something she wanted to hear.

"I read you, Clawhauser; go ahead."

A crackle of static followed and then, "The Chief wants to see you in his office right away."

"Oh, Sweet cheez' n crackers!" Judy grumbled and thumped her foot. Yep, just as she'd predicted. But before she could thumb the switch to make a reply, Benjamin beat her to the draw...or rather Chief Bogo did, by proxy. "He's already notified Mammalcide, Detective."

At once her thumping foot gave way to a twitching nose. What the heck could he want to see her about that was more important than...?

"Roger that Benjamin," she answered, masking her annoyance. "Do you have any idea what he wants to see me about?"

She expected, as usual, a negative reply: Bogo was notoriously tight-lipped about the reason for his summonses.

Not this time; for once, the plus-size cheetah had at least a partial answer to her inquiry.

"I-I can't say for certain, Ju...I-I mean Detective, but some bigwig VIP went up to talk to him a while ago, and I haven't seen them come back down again."

"Okay, Clawhauser," Judy was more perplexed than ever. "Who the HECK...?" Well, there was only one way to find out-and she wasn't looking forward to it.

It wasn't so much the interruption that bothered her; she was used to that sort of thing by now. No, the problem was...paying a visit to the Chief meant having to ascend that long, winding concourse to his office. In times past, she wouldn't have given it a second thought. Now, still recovering from her injury at the paws of Conor Lewis, it was a different story. She'd either have to stop and catch her breath a couple of times, or else get someone to assist her. And since Bogo wanted to see her right now, the second option was pretty much the only option.

Not that she'd have any trouble finding that assistance; with all the post-riot camaraderie still permeating Precinct-1, it would be a slam-dunk for sure. Nonetheless, Judy was loathe to ask anyone to help her; ever the self-sufficient farm-girl. In the end, as always, she swallowed her pride and asked Officer McHorn to assist her up the ramp-although she balked outright at his offer to carry her upstairs.