Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The Heist
It was a beautiful Monday morning in Zootopia—the most unique city in the world. A city where, after Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde had uncovered the truth about the creators of the weather walls, reptiles and snakes had finally regained their rightful place in society.
And so, even in the early hours of the day, lively discussions filled the Lemons Brother Bank.
“I mean, those two saved the city again… they’re just incredible!” said a young vixen.
“That the Lynxleys deceived the entire city and its citizens for over a century—what a disgrace!” remarked a kangaroo mother.
“But whether it was really such a good idea to let all those lizards and snakes back into the city…” muttered an elderly goat lady in a wheelchair.
“Oh, Mom, your constant prejudices,” her young daughter whispered sternly.
“Exactly! We can hear you very well, ma’am,” complained a Komodo dragon, glaring at the old goat.
“I always believed in the innocence of those two.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“No, really! That cute Nick Wilde could never have been a criminal.”
“Cute? Jennifer! Don’t tell me you’re into foxes now. Mayor Winddancer also helped solve the case. He would be more our type.”
“I was just joking… but what if he and Hopps are actually toge—”
“Now rein in those hooves. A fox and a bunny, predator and prey… I mean, tolerance is one thing, but that really goes too far.”
This was the animated conversation of three mares.
---
“Next, please!” called out a lemming in a suit behind the consultation desk. Standing beside him was a rhinoceros in a suit—employee and deterrent in one, to make sure larger customers didn’t take out their frustrations on the smaller bank staff.
A female bear stepped forward.
“Good morning. I’d like to open an account. I—”
Suddenly, everyone heard the screech of tires outside as a car came to a violent stop. Seconds later, the door was kicked open and three masked lionesses stormed in, wielding tranquilizer guns.
“PAWS AND HOOVES UP! DOWN ON THE FLOOR! THIS IS A ROBBERY!”
Terrified, the customers obeyed. The rhino employee was still on his feet when one of the lionesses fired. A green dart hit him, and he collapsed unconscious with a heavy thud. The lioness reloaded.
“I’VE GOT POISON DARTS LOADED NOW! MY PARTNERS TOO! ONE WRONG MOVE, ONE WRONG WORD, AND YOU’LL BE ASLEEP FOR THE REST OF YOUR MISERABLE LIVES!”
The same lioness stepped up to the lemming, who had bent down toward the fallen rhino. He looked up at her in terror.
“A-are you… the Scarlet Claws?” the banker asked with a trembling voice.
“That’s right. And you’re coming with me, little guy. If you want to wake up tomorrow in that tiny, furry body of yours, you’d better cooperate.”
The lemming could only swallow as the lioness grabbed him—when suddenly, sirens wailed in the distance. The three lionesses exchanged looks.
“Damn it! Someone already called the cops,” said the youngest.
The leader growled down at the lemming, who raised his hands apologetically.
“I-I just followed protocol.”
“You’re lucky we still need you. You two watch the hostages. Stall the ZPD. Make it clear we’re not joking around. I’ll get the money.”
The leader stomped off—straight toward the bank’s vault.
---
Minutes later, a whole line of police cars had arrived outside the bank. Officers took cover behind their vehicles, aiming tranquilizer guns at the entrance. Shortly after, a certain rabbit and a certain fox arrived as well—the former worried and alert, the latter relaxed, wearing sunglasses and holding a coffee.
“Chief Bogo, what’s the situation?” Judy asked, looking at her boss.
The muscular Cape buffalo, equipped with a loudspeaker, snorted.
“Bank robbery. We prevented an escape, but the suspects have taken hostages. Appears to be the Scarlet Claws. They’re armed with tranquilizer guns—loaded with poison darts. If we storm the building, they could take out several hostages before we stop them.”
“Scarlet Claws? Cute name for three amateurs,” Nick commented casually.
Judy shook her head.
“They’re professionals. Haven’t you read the news? They’ve robbed multiple banks in other cities over the past few weeks. They’re extremely dangerous.”
Then she turned to Bogo and nodded firmly.
“Which makes this exactly our kind of case.”
“To be honest, Hopps, I was hoping you might come up with a plan that doesn’t involve my best officer almost getting killed,” Bogo said seriously.
Nick cleared his throat. Bogo groaned in irritation.
“Yes, and you too, Wilde, are a fairly decent officer.”
Nick took off his sunglasses and nudged Judy with his elbow.
“Wow. That was practically a compliment. You’ll see—tomorrow he’ll invite me out to dinner.”
Judy rolled her eyes, barely suppressing a grin. Bogo snorted.
“Don’t push it, Wilde.”
Then he gestured over his shoulder.
“I’ve had someone brought in who might be able to help us.”
A chameleon in a suit stepped forward. Judy beamed.
“A chameleon! He can camouflage himself and sneak into the bank unnoticed! Brilliant idea, Chief!”
The reptile quickly raised his hands.
“Oh no! Absolutely not! I’m only here because I work at the bank! I—I’m way too cowardly for something like that. Chief Bogo called me in because I have the building plans.”
He pulled out a map. Bogo, Hopps, and Wilde studied it carefully. Hallways, ventilation shafts, rooms, functional areas—everything was marked.
“There’s no back entrance?” Judy asked disappointed.
“Unfortunately not. The Savage Company building is directly behind the bank. There’s no direct connection between the two—just a thick wall. So entering that way is impossible.”
Judy bit her lip, thinking. Then Nick spoke up.
“Well, if I were robbing a bank—purely hypothetically, of course—I’d use the ventilation system. According to the map, it gives you access almost everywhere, and you wouldn’t need to do something as unprofessional as taking hostages.”
The bank employee, Bogo, and Judy stared at him in surprise. Judy punched his arm enthusiastically.
“You’re a genius, Nick! Chief, we’ve got this!”
Nick raised an eyebrow.
“Hold on. I didn’t say we were doing this. Chief, wasn’t it something about not wanting to lose your favorite fox and your favorite bunny?”
He smiled nervously at Bogo, who scratched the back of his neck.
“Well, technically it’s too risky… but if we sent half a dozen officers—”
“Oh no, Chief, that won’t work,” the chameleon interrupted. “The ventilation shaft is pretty narrow. These two…”
He looked around at the zebras, bears, wolves, rhinos, elk, bison, elephants, boars, and other large animals in uniform.
“…yeah. These two are the only ones who’ll fit.”
Nick sighed.
“Fantastic.”
“Don’t worry. We can do this. Chief, once we’re in position, we’ll signal you. Then we strike together—you from the outside, us from the inside. The Scarlet Claws won’t stand a chance!”
Judy said full of Enthusiasm. Bogo nodded.
“I don’t like it, but… if you’re volunteering, we’ll do it your way.”
Nick raised a finger.
“Uh, when exactly did I volunteer? Are Carrots and I being treated as one person now?”
“Oh, stop it. Come on, Nick. Mr…?”
Judy looked at the chameleon questioningly.
“Mr. Sucharez Green.”
“Mr. Green, could you take us to the entrance of the ventilation shaft?”
“O-of course. This way.”
He led them carefully ahead while Judy dragged Nick along by the arm.
---
“Here it is,” Green explained, pointing at the ventilation shaft.
Judy thanked him, and Sucharez quickly made himself scarce. Judy removed the grate so she and Nick could climb inside. As they looked in, they realized just how tight it really was.
Judy turned to Nick, her face serious.
“I’m sorry… ever since our last adventure, I keep pulling you into dangerous situations without asking you first. I’m sorry. If you don’t want this, we’ll call it off and tell Bogo.”
Nick smiled warmly.
“Thanks for asking, Carrots. But first, it’d be pretty embarrassing to back out now. And second—I’ve always wanted to break into a bank. Still on my bucket list.”
Judy chuckled.
“I don’t even want to know what else is on that list. But… thanks, Nick.”
He waved it off and gestured toward the shaft.
“Well then—ladies first?”
Judy rolled her eyes.
“Of course.”
Then she climbed in, and Nick followed.
Into the ventilation shaft.
Into a new case.
Into a new adventure!