Era of the Tame Collar

On Our Way

Nick reattached the uncomfortable machine around his neck, then turned to face towards the brown curtain that was hanging over the hole where they had come in. He walked over and peeled back the dusty curtain to reveal a couple bunnies standing there, who had been watching and listening to him and Judy's conversation.

"Ah! Uncollared preda...Oh..." The one bunny which had begun to scream stopped when she saw that the collar was back on the fox.

Judy strolled out from behind the curtain, and walked into the hallway with her ears down. She was angry.

"I told all of you to get out of here!" she shouted. The majority of them ran away down the halls, but one stayed. It was Emma of course.

Emma bounced up and smiled at Nick, who was just now coming out of the small room.

"See! Nick can be trusted!" she shouted happily. Judy just smiled, patted her on the head, then pointed with her paw down the hallway, motioning for the little rabbit to be on her way. Emma giggled, then bounced off, without a care in the world.

Nick watched her leave. How nice it must have been to be so young and care free, without the burden of the collar to stop you. Young predators were never allowed any sort of excitement, or else it ended in having an electric current run through the body.

"So...Palm Tree Hotel?" asked Nick with a small smile. Judy nodded.

"Yep. We're going to have to find a way to get in there. It's going to be tough, but we have to try."

"Try everything." said Nick.

The two waved goodbye to Judy's family as they walked outside into the open air. The luminous clouds have gathered closer to the city, and rain threatened to pour down any moment. It was about mid evening now. They had spent the majority of the day at Judy's, resting and gathering information. They only had a small amount of time left to confront the wolf and figure out what has been causing predators to attack prey.

They decided to take the train back towards Sahara Square, and once there walk to their destination. Nick tried to keep his head low, trying to fit in with the crowd on the train ride. He didn't need any of these animals to realize that he was the "savage fox".

Judy was holding onto the bar, trying not to fall over from all the bumping. The train was very bumpy, and bounced up and down here and there. Zootopia's railway systems were never the greatest to begin with.

"So, we head to the Hotel, confront the wolf..Gain evidence, take it back to the ZPD, then I get to be free and you get to continue with being a police officer?" asked Nick, who was trying to keep his balance. He tried speaking quietly so the others animals in the train car wouldn't overhear.

"Well..that's the plan..Only, I only have a small idea as to how we're going to get into the Hotel. Predators really aren't welcomed into the hotel often, and everyone is checked by security before entering. I don't want them to see you and know who you are. If that happens then everything has been for nothing."

Nick nodded in agreement.

"So how are we going to get in then? The wolf is a predator, so maybe they would be a little lenient with me if I disguise myself a bit." said Nick.

"I doubt it. We're going to have to find another way in once we get there. The place is filled with security and such. Mostly prey animals. We're going to have a difficult time."

Judy sighed. Nick saw her frustration, then added his thoughts.

"Judy. We've come this far. And think about it..Hotel... Fox, rabbit...Small size.."

"What are you going on about?" asked Judy.

"Think about it! You and I are small mammals. We could fit into a suitcase with ease if we really wanted to."

"I'm not stuffing myself inside a suitcase.."

"Come on Carrots, it's the only way..." said Nick, who was beginning to get frustrated.

"We'll see..First we just need to see just how bad security is. And then we need to know what floor the wolf is on. Maybe once we know that, we can figure out how exactly to get to his room."

The train curved around a building the the desert land came into view, the giant metal Palm Tree towering over the rest of the buildings. The sky was dark due to the clouds, and small water droplets hit the train windows here and there.

Judy stood up straight and gestured towards the building.

"We're here. Let's go see just who this wolf thinks he is."