Era of the Tame Collar

Nick's Past

Nick and Judy walked far away from the police station before Nick peeled off his black jacket. Judy looked at the sky. It was nearing six thirty. They had to come up with a plan to stop the mayor. But how? They could break in Animalia and stop her, but it didn't really make much sense to just barge in and hope for the best. They needed a full on plan in order to win. But to do that, they needed something more.

Judy turned to Nick.

"We need more help." she said, touching his arm. He looked off into the distance.

"I..I think I know where we can get some help from." he said with a hint of happiness in his voice. Judy wondered what had caused him to start walking faster as they neared the train station. The day was just starting, and clouds rippled through the sky, another threat of rain descending on the city.

"Where are we going?"

"To meet up with some old friends in the Rainforest District, which is where I live."
Nick sighed happily.
"Ah..I haven't gotten to go home in over a month. I believe I left my sink on. Probably not going to be great. Oh well, I'll just hope ole grizzly got it taken care of." he said.
"Ole grizzly?"
"Yeah. My roomate. A grizzly bear. I live in an old broken down apartment building." finished Nick.
"Oh. I never actually thought about your life before prison. I mean, I understood you had a place and everything, it just sort of passed over my head." she said embarrassed.
Nick chuckled.

"Don't worry about it Carrots. It wasn't much of a life anyway..." Nick paused. The two of them hopped on the train that was going to lead them to the Rainforest District. It would be only about a five minute ride.

Judy looked at Nick, who was sitting next to her on the train seat.
"What did you mean by "it wasn't much of a life anyway..."" she asked.
Nick sighed.

"Carrots, my life was nothing but just trying to survive the everyday struggle of being a predator in Zootopia." he smiled.

Judy looked at the ground.
"Do you have a mother and father?" she asked. Nick's eyes widened at the question.
"Sorry..." said Judy, realizing she may have traveled too far into his personal feelings.
But to her surprise, Nick spoke again.

"I..I did. John Wilde was my father." he said. Judy realized by the tone in his voice that something terrible had happened to Nick during his childhood.

"What..happened?" she asked.
"I lost him in the crowds one day. See, him and I were running around the city, looking for a loan to help open up a tie and tux shop that we were going to call "Suitopia". Nick smiled slowly at the memories.

"I loved my dad. He taught me everything that I know about hustling and living on the streets. But, one day, while we were looking for a loan..We were denied once again the money. Because we were predators...I uh.. I was small, and not very smart at the time.."

he said sadly. Judy listened.
"Well, the bankers were two lemmings. They were so small. So weak. How could they treat somebody like me or my dad that was so much stronger the way they treated us? I got angry. I grabbed them and lifted them up to face me. They screamed, since I was a predator lifting them towards my mouth. A rhino officer happened to be nearby, and he charged in for me. My father was leaving, but he turned around to see what I was doing. He tried telling me to stop, but I didn't listen...The rhino grabbed me and carried me out of the building. He was squeezing me so tightly. I could hardly breath. MY dad was screaming for him to stop. And finally, well my dad hopped up and clawed the rhino so he would drop me. His collar went off, and that caused him to fall down on the ground. He was arrested for attacking the rhino, and we were taken to the station. But after hours of talking with the police, they let us go home...A few days later, we were walking. The streets were so busy that day. I lost him in the crowds. I looked and looked for him, but I could never find him. I eventually gave up. And he never found me either..I was eleven then. After that, I lived on the streets until my friend Honey found me. She was only a couple years older than me, but she took me in, and I lived with her until I got back out on my own." Nick finished his story. He lowered his ears, then sighed.
"Sorry to be depressing, Carrots. But..I hate thinking about it. I try to hide my feelings." he finished.

Judy shook her head. "Nick, it's okay. Everyone feels emotions. It's okay to miss your father...Have you ever thought about trying to find him?"

Nick's eyes closed, and he rested his head on the seat.

"I have.. But I wouldn't know where to start. And he hasn't tried finding me anytime soon..It's been years carrots..I was young.  I'm 28 now..It's been years..He hasn't bothered to even look for me.  Sometimes I wonder if he's even still...You know.." Judy's ears lowered, knowing what he meant.

"What..about your mother?" she asked, hoping she wasn't going too far.

Nick's eyes opened.

"She..died..a long time ago. When I was only three years old." he told her. "She got sick. Father said there was nothing we could do for her..I didn't know her that well. But I still always wondered what could have been."

Judy looked down at the floor.
"I'm sorry, Nick." she said. He giggled a little bit.
"I already told you I forga-" "No." she interrupted. His pupils turned to her, his eyebrows raised.
"I'm sorry for the way you and your father were treated. I'm sorry about your mother. I didn't know you had no family left..."

Nick smiled sadly. "Well..I have my friends we're going to see right now."

Judy's ears lifted up.
"That's who were going to see? Your friends?" she asked. He nodded.
"Yep. My friends Honey, Finnick, and Benjamin Clawhauser. At least, we're traveling to where they most likely will be. I haven't seen them since that night when..you know.."
Judy looked back onto the night she heard about a savage attack by a fox at the park she hold told the mayor about.

She didn't think anything of it though, since she knew it was a place where predators were roaming free without their collars.

"I'm sure they'll be happy that you're okay.." she said, offering a small smile.
"I have you too." Nick said suddenly. The two looked at eachother for a long moment, before the intercom on the train came alive, telling them they were arriving in the Rain forest District.