Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I guess you have to come into the office and do it then!" The man mocked, his hands nearly white from clutching the steering wheel.

"It's a Sunday evening, Sam!" The man argued back. "ZBT Industries isn't going to collapse if they don't have their quarterly report before their morning coffee. I'll come in early Monday and get it done!"

Rain spat wildly against the windshield, his wipers struggling to maintain a clear view of the road.

"Alex, we all play a critical role here. When you don't do your part, it makes you seem not very considerate of the team's responsibilities."

"Oh yeah?!" He lowered his foot on the gas pedal. "As considerate as making me drive into the office during a thunderstorm?!"

KRAKOOM!

The crack of lightning shook him from his imaginary debate. He exhaled slowly, allowing blood to return to his fingers while easing off the accelerator.

"Alright, chill." He calmed himself. "This job sucks. But, it's not worth dying over."

Edward Smith LLC was only a couple of exits away and planted less than 100 feet from the highway, so each and every employee could enjoy the local traffic patterns. It stood a meager three stories and was brushed with the finest 'rhino gray' paint; the same gray as every other building in the Clark Industries Business Park.

"So, I get to the office by 7:15," He mumbled. "Finish the report by 10, pick up a pizza by 10:15, get home by 10:30, devour the entire thing and pass out, so I can get 6 hours of sleep to do the same dumb shit again tomorrow!"

This fucking internship.

The pay was fine, but he truly only used it to appease his parents. He'd been on the search for months before finally making it past the first-round interview. His lips were beyond sore from kissing so much ass.

It was his last year at university. Well, the second time trying, at least. Accounting with a minor in Combinatorics. Just the title bored him. The number crunching didn't do it for him, but he was pigeonholeed into this. His parents expected a successful son, and success had a rigid definition in his family.

His parents loved him. He knew that. But, they blurred the line on unconditional love sometimes.

The 22-year-old straightened his back and exhaled deeply again. His short brown hair was still matted to his head from the short dash to his car from his apartment, a few strands covering his soft blue eyes. He stood about 5'6" on a good day and a bit on the heavier side, but he made an effort to stay in shape… Somewhat. There was no shame in falling asleep with your hand buried in a bag of Cheetos every once in a while.

BOOOOM!

"Jesus," he shuddered.

It was fortunate he knew the route by heart. Visibility was so low that he barely saw the exit signage fly past him. Turning into the business park, he huffed at the empty lot next to his building.

"I bet everyone else gets to enjoy their Sunday night pizza in peace…"

He pulled into a spot closest to the entrance, turned off the car, and re-stuffed all the items that had fallen out of his backpack during transit.

In the distance, the visible crackle of lightning zipped across the sky, illuminating the nearby clouds with a vibrant violet hue.

"Purple lightning?"

He unplugged his phone from the car charging port and opened the camera. Holding it horizontally, he recorded the area, the sound of rain sputtering in the background of the harsh gray scene. He waited nearly a minute before his interest in the subject began to decline.

He ended the recording and started to lower his phone when the device slipped out from between his fingers, dangling freely in space for a moment before Alex snatched it from the air.

"What the hell?!"

He inspected the device as if he'd accidentally bumped a button that granted it levitation. He opened the camera again and pressed it to the driver's window.

Suddenly, a strange video artifact blipped across the screen.

Then another.

And another.

The video began to blink, a sharp whirr blooming from the speaker.

Alex took a deep, nervous breath as his exposed skin suddenly prickled from static. His clothing clung tightly against his body in some places and fluttered in others. In the rearview mirror, his hair rapidly expanded into a stringy afro.

At this point, the phone screen was nearly unreadable, the red recording dot barely visible amongst the screen static zipping across the screen. The phone clicked against the window as a deep whirr vibrated the frame.

ZZZZZZZZZ

The bassy buzz grew louder and louder. Outside, the ground began to shake, small stones dancing across the pavement like popcorn. Then, they stopped bouncing altogether and began to float. The concrete took on a familiar shade of purple, growing in intensity that matched the almost nauseating static whirr.

That's when he felt the driver's side wheels leave the pavement.

"Uh oh."

KAPANG!

An explosion of purple light no less than 50 feet from his car shook the earth. The driver's side of the vehicle raised about a half foot before crashing back to the ground when the bolt struck. He experienced a shockwave pulse through his body that felt almost exhilarating if he wasn't stricken with fear.

His heart pounded in his chest, gripping the vinyl upholstery to the point he felt it would tear. His eyes darted around the area, looking for signs that another strike was imminent, but all he saw was the gray sheet engulfing his vehicle.

He stuffed the phone back in his pocket and readied his things. 

"You're fast, and the door is right there," he whispered his new mantra. "You're fast, and the door is right there."

Alex latched onto the car door handle, took one final deep inhale, and burst from the car door and into the gray abyss. It only took a few stomps across the pavement before he was completely soaked from head to toe. Visibility was already bad when peering through the car windshield, but now he couldn't keep his eyes open with the stinging jabs of raindrops against his face. His feet slapped against the concrete, the mixture of slosh and thud from his shoes almost entirely drowned out by the howl of the wind and rain.

Suddenly, his body started moving faster. Then, his bag felt lighter. It was only then that he realized his feet weren't touching the ground. He flailed his arms and legs wildly trying to get traction with something solid, but that only proved to discombobulate him. His body began to spin while his mind began to scream. Pebbles flew past his face in all directions. He felt his backpack slide up and off his body, looked up to follow its trajectory, and found the purple pavement glaring back at him. A familiar static cling welled in his body as a deep violet color enveloped his vision.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Everything went black before he hit the ground.

Chapter Text

Alex awoke with a frantic gasp for air. He scooched his body up against the wall behind him and clutched his chest, the brick against his back prickling the skin through his wet t-shirt. After a few moments of hyperventilating, he began patting each part of his body from bottom to top making sure that each bit of him was still there. The wet slap of his hands against his clothes clinging to his skin somehow helped maintain his sanity. Once his palms reached his cheeks, he stopped. The sound of his breath was still labored, but the shock was finally starting to wear off.

Though he was still drenched from the storm, there wasn't a single drop falling now. The intensity of that storm was nothing he'd ever experienced before. He was certain he was a goner once he left the ground. The weird floating must've been from a tornado blowing through cause he woke up nowhere that he recognized. It was a damp alleyway that reeked of refuse. His office park had only 5 buildings, so there wasn't a chance this was anywhere near his work.

He pulled out his phone, noticing the bullet hole crack in the top left corner of the screen. Between the shards of cracked glass, he could make out the time: 11:52 PM.

"I've been out for that long?" He rubbed his head.

Alex unlocked the phone, grateful it still worked... Sort of. Dead pixels were splattered across the screen accompanied by an incessant flickering. He pressed his finger on the 'Maps' icon. The application stuttered multiple times trying to open but eventually popped up with an aerial view of the business park, an 'Out of Range' message taking center-screen.

The man lifted his gaze to the multicolored alley wall across him, staring absentmindedly for a moment before roughly shaking his head. He hoisted himself up onto his feet, his legs and arms still a little stiff, and glanced in each direction of the alley. One dived deeper into the corridor's stench and the other led to a sidewalk illuminated by the soft glow of a street lamp. He made his way towards the light, glancing down at his phone again, praying cell service would pop up.

As he crossed the alley's threshold, an unnerving feeling crawled its way up his spine. What city is this? What kind of city is this? Up and down the street the concrete and masonry edifices cocked an eyebrow at Alex. The buildings themselves didn't look anything out of the ordinary, but the names and aesthetics completely threw him off.

"BugBurga?" He scratched his head reading a neon sign.

As he walked down the empty sidewalk, he took a mental note of the strange city towering over him. It felt like he got lost in a theme park. Everything was strangely 'animal' themed. Company names were littered with animal terms, but it didn't seem likely that every business was pet-focused. Some buildings were enormous and looked like run-of-the-mill financial firms, yet the goofiness of 'Otter and Pups Financial' was plastered in bland LED lettering to the top of the skyscraper. Unless you were a small business, it felt really strange to take a chance naming your international conglomerate with a pun in mind. But, what did he know; you don't get a building that big unless you know what you're doing.

Some shops even mimicked names he was already familiar with.

"Fur-ever 21?" He rolled his eyes. " I guess that's legal as a parody or something. But why?"

Alex was so lost in thought at his unfamiliar surroundings that he didn't notice another figure engrossed in his phone walking towards him. With a soft thunk, the two collided, each giving a respective 'oof.'

"Sorry, dude," Alex apologized. "I didn't see…"

He trailed off when he finally got a good look at the person he'd bumped into. Person might not be the right word, though. In front of him stood a brown bear; the strangest brown bear he'd ever seen. The creature was almost 7 feet tall and wore slacks with an unbuttoned dress shirt. He'd seen bears stand on two legs on National Geographic before, but this looked unnaturally natural for it. Then there was the gender: unmistakably signaled 'man.' It was a strange feeling to have gender cross your mind when being dwarfed by a half-ton wild animal, but here Alex was staring at a bear man. The phone completely broke his mind, though. It was just flicking its furry fingers across the screen nonchalantly, a motion he knew intimately well.

"Yeah, whatever, man," the bear muttered back, still lost behind the light of a phone screen. "Just watch where you're…"

The bear broke eye contact from his device to address the person, its bewildered stare widening at the stupefied thing in front of him.

"What the fuck?!" The bear shouted.

"What the fuck?!" Alex screamed just a bit louder.

With a spin that nearly gave him whiplash, Alex took off in the opposite direction as fast as his legs could take him. He huffed, dashing past the cracks in the sidewalk, the unfamiliar shops blurring in his vision as he passed them.

"What is going on?!" He screamed.

He tried to piece the puzzle together of the insanity going on, but nothing was connecting. Each piece that fit together only increased the number of pieces the puzzle had. Wherever he ended up, it sure wasn't earth. It couldn't be Earth. Or at least, it wasn't his version of earth. Things looked familiar at a glance but nothing made sense the more he analyzed them. An animal society? It was like experiencing an unfathomably intricate impression of human culture.

He glanced over his shoulder at the bear standing where he'd left him, the massive figure gradually shrinking in the distance. Even if this society was civilized, he wasn't about to risk finding out what their diet consisted of.

WHACK!

Something solid crashed into Alex, sending him to the ground. He clenched his teeth and grabbed the arm that stopped his fall, now pulsing with soreness. He sat up, wincing in the process, and peered at the figure of a jackal moaning in pain, curled in a partial fetal position. A couple of feet separated them, and right in the middle sat a ratty white purse with a golden chain.

Alex shook his head and cocked a brow at the purse. That's when he glanced behind him to find a feminine figure a couple of sidewalk squares back, mouth agape and horrified expression plastered across its features.

Just the look on her face snapped Alex back to the present, the fear and confusion sending a newly developed headache into orbit. He looked back at the purse just in time to see the jackal flip over and mirror Alex's position, a black hoodie drawn to cover most of his features. They shared a brief look of befuddlement before simultaneously glancing down at the brightly colored purse, over to the feline woman gawking at them, and then back at each other.

It only took a second for Alex to put the pieces together.

Without fully thinking his next move through, Alex reached out, grabbed the purse, and threw it wildly in the direction of the woman. The object flew like a frisbee, casting a small shadow as it passed under a street lamp, and landing a few steps shy of her feet. As Alex sat there with his arm outstretched, the jackal's confusion morphed into rage. The human tried to scramble to his feet, but the jackal latched onto his wet shirt and yanked. Alex briefly made eye contact with him once more before making direct eye contact with his furred fist.

Alex's chin swung to the sky, his body weight shuffling to his heels, forcing him to fall backward and into the street. His hands reached for his face, finding a throbbing nose paired with a thin smear of blood trailing along his upper lip. The jackal was now on his feet, hands in a hoodie pocket, and a fury in his eyes. The hooded mammal took a step towards the curb and casually pulled a wooden handle from his pocket. A click rang in the night air, and the sheen of a four-inch blade glistened under lamplight.

The human spastically shuffled his body backward like an injured crab, his eyes never leaving the threatening figure. His breath hitched when the jackal dropped from the curb and onto the tarred pavement. His heartbeat grew loud in his ears as he scooted his way to the center of the street. The jackal took slow and menacing steps toward his human prey, spinning the blade in his paw. Though his mind screamed for help, his vocal cords were still.

Alex couldn't handle fighting a regular Jackal, so there wasn't a chance in hell he'd beat a hyper-intelligent knife-brandishing one. He hadn't even gotten figured out where he'd ended up after the storm, but it looked like that wasn't going to be a problem after a few more steps.

All of a sudden, the Jackal lost focus and snapped his head to his left. His nose twitched briefly before taking off down the road in the other direction. The sound of paw pads against the pavement petered out and was quickly replaced by sirens wailing in the opposite ear. He sat up and glanced towards the noise, coming face to face with blinding headlights, hints of red and blue flickering in his peripherals. The taste of blood dribbled onto his tongue, but he didn't bother to wipe it away. The distinct clicks of car doors opening and closing were heard, followed by the static of someone activating a police radio.

"Uhm… Clawhauser," A feminine voice spoke. "Get Bogo for me…"

With the car lights still burning his retinas, Alex's mental state snapped from stress.

Once again, everything went black before he hit the ground.

Chapter Text

Alex's eyes fluttered open to fluorescent lighting and the smell of antiseptic, the droning buzz of hospital equipment ringing in his ears. He found himself in a patient bed, the top sheet draped over his torso, and his clothes replaced with a hospital gown. He gradually sat on his elbows and rolled his neck in both directions, sighing at each satisfying crack.

"What a fever dream," he moaned. "Walking, talking, nearly stabbing animals. I must've hit my head pretty hard."

He reached for his face to rub his eyes and was hit immediately by a questionable pain. A finger traced along the ridge of his nose, and a dull throb followed his touch. A familiar uneasiness snaked its way up his spine. He glanced around the room and absorbed some concerning sights: Surgical tools with widely customized handles, a comically oversized blood pressure armband, and nearly three dozen mammalian anatomy diagrams lining the side wall.

His eyes darted to the room's door just in time to see a deer's figure zip away from the rectangular window. The uneasiness began contorting into dread, followed by his body squirming in fear under the soft sheets. A feeling of metal scraped against his ankle as he moved. He frantically yanked the covers away to find one end of a handcuff wrapped around his ankle, the chain dripping to the white tiles below, and the other clipped to a metal loop bolted to the floor.

The sound of a door latch tore him from his thoughts, the heavy white door swinging open lazily. He heard bickering just past the threshold, which only seemed to bolster his rapidly developing anxiety. After a few seconds, the sounds stopped, and the first foot – or paw – planted inside the room.

One by one, animals of various species and sizes walked bipedally inside. It took almost a full minute for all five figures to enter, shuffle around each other uncomfortably, and find a place to stand where they could gawk at Alex. The human's eyes bounced between each figure as a painful silence enveloped the room's sterile air.

In front of Alex stood a buffalo, fox, rabbit, panther, and armadillo, all with shockingly human clothes, expressions, and mannerisms. The fox, rabbit, and buffalo all wore matching dark blue police uniforms and stood packed next to each other, the buffalo towering over the other two by at least 5 or 6 feet. He was amazed that the immense size difference didn't phase each other.

The female rabbit stood only three or so feet off the ground, maybe an extra foot taller if you included the ears. She was covered in light gray fur with accents of white under her mouth and nose. She had a wild array of emotions dancing across her features: concern, unease, and curiosity, to name a few. The fox next to the rabbit was a bit more challenging to read. Confusion was readily understood, but everything else was a toss-up. He was about a foot taller than her and only a couple of inches taller than her ears, an orange-reddish coat of fur covering most of his body with splotches of cream poking out from his chest and leading up to his muzzle. His pointed ears were raised and alert like warning lights on top of his head. The buffalo had the most distinctive features of the three officers. He had glossy blue and gray fur with two horns on his head, curling out and up to the sides, leading into themselves like a handlebar mustache. Not a single emotion could be read on those grizzled features. All three had police utility belts with empty holsters.

The other two mammals are dressed in stark contrast to the officers. The female panther wore black slacks and blazer, a white dress shirt poking out from underneath, and a thin red tie to bring the outfit together. Her fur was already black, which made her attire seem all the more intimidating, the red tie looking like blood dripping from her neck. She had a glare that could cut through steel and shockingly bright yellow eyes that Alex avoided at all costs. Her entire demeanor was reminiscent of something Alex had seen in a spy movie.

Next to the panther, the male armadillo shuffled nervously, matching the rabbit's height almost identically. He was a tannish brown and littered with what looked like black freckles. He wore a white lab coat with a couple of pens poking their heads from the breast pocket. His pants were a light blue, similar to scrubs, and were so small they could almost be considered shorts with his frame. A clipboard was tucked under one of his arms.

Not a single animal in the room wore shoes. Huh. Go figure.

Even with the excruciatingly unpleasant silence hanging around, he took the tiniest amount of comfort knowing the predators weren't going to maul and eat him. They would've done so by now, and he doubted that rabbit would still be here if that were the case.

"Can you understand me?" The panther broke the silence, an authoritative tone oozing from her lips.

Alex flinched, then nodded in a twitchy fashion.

"Can you speak?"

Alex nodded again, then returned a tired and raspy "Yes."

"Good," she paused a beat. "What are you?"

Alex blinked, briefly pondering the surrealness of that question.

"A h-human," he choked out.

The armadillo pulled the clipboard out before him and began taking notes.

"What is your name?" The panther continued.

"Alex."

"Full name."

The human gulped. "A-alex Baker"

"Where did you come from?"

"Um… Earth? Maybe?"

He wasn't entirely sure what they were looking for, but he clearly gave a wrong answer.

"Where specifically?" her voice didn't change in volume, but there was a precise adjustment in aggression.

"N-north America?" He tried again. "United States? Connecticut? New Haven?"

The armadillo was furiously scribbling notes, his features stretching dubiously after each mentioned location. After dotting the last note, the panther and armadillo exchanged sidelong glances, then returned to their interrogation.

"How did you get here?"

Alex opened his mouth to answer but closed it quickly, shuffling uncomfortably under the hospital bed sheet. His mind sprinted through options for explanations, but he had equally as many questions as they did. 

Alex flinched by the sound of a throat clearing, the panther cocking her head and boring holes into him with her deep yellow eyes.

"I…" Alex tried responding. "I don't know…"

The panther remained still. She peered around the room briefly, the other animals giving each other nervous glances.

"Do you know where you are right now?" She finally asked.

"N-no," Alex squeaked.

"You're almost a mile below the city." She punctuated each statement with menacing pauses. "Nobody except the people in this room knows where you are. No radio, cellular, or satellite signal can pass through the walls. That chain attached to your leg is electric. And, the only way out of here is the door behind me. That's where you are."

Alex gulped, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"How did you get into Zootopia?" She asked again.

"I-I don't know!" Alex yelled back desperately. "I really don't know!"

The panther said nothing. Then, she took a step forward.

"I swear I'm not lying!" Alex shuffled under the sheets, tears welling in his eyes until streams rolled down his cheeks. He moved his palms helplessly in front of him, trembling wildly. "I blacked out and woke up in an alley! I don't know how I got here! I don't know where 'Zootopia' even is! Please! I don't know what you want from me!"

"With all due respect, Ma'am," the rabbit interjected, her voice matching the authority of the panther, yet significantly less terrifying. "I think this might require a different approach."

The rabbit turned to Alex, took a small step toward the hospital bed, and put on her best sympathetic smile. He looked at her with red and puffy eyes.

"My name is Judy Hopps," she put a paw to her chest. "That's my partner, Nick, and our boss, Bogo. We're Zootopia Police Officers."

She gestured briefly to the two mammals behind her, the fox giving a simple half-wave while the buffalo remained still.

"We found you last night in the middle of the street with a broken nose," she continued. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Alex was quiet briefly, wiping away residual tears as they formed.

"I-I was attacked," he eventually answered. "A canine of some kind… I think. Male. Black hoodie and jeans. His face had brown and white skin—or fur, I mean... Sorry."

Alex paused to calm his breathing, lingering hitches in his throat escaping. Judy smiled and nodded her head gently.

"Um… I got punched." Alex briefly touched his sore nose again. "And a knife was pulled on me. He ran when he heard the police, I guess. I don't remember anything after that."

"Do you know why he assaulted you?" She pressed.

"The purse. I was running and crashed into him. He dropped it, and it didn't look like his. I assumed he was trying to get away. So, I threw it out of reach."

"What were you running from?" The panther butted in.

"A…" Alex sat on the question momentarily, knowing the reason wouldn't make sense to them. He sighed before responding. "I saw a bear. It—I mean, he spooked me."

"Spooked you?" Judy cocked an eyebrow. "Were you threatened?"

"No," Alex sighed. "It's just… I woke up in this city—in this world where the people aren't… people anymore. Walking down the road was just unnerving. Things felt familiar, but the closer I looked, the stranger they got. Then, I run into a bear waltzing down the street? I know what a bear is, but I've never seen one like this. Walking. Talking. Acting like a person. I-I didn't know what to make of it. I didn't know if I was in danger, but I knew I wouldn't win against something with two feet and a couple hundred pounds on me. It wasn't worth the chance. So, I ran."

Everyone in the room went quiet for a split second.

"You're going to need to give us more than a monologue," The panther scowled.

"He's not lying," The cape buffalo, Bogo, chimed in, his deep and grizzled voice perfectly matching his enormous size and posture. "We've seen the security footage of the jackal incident. The only other thing we found on camera was him wandering the streets. He looked pretty clueless and seemingly popped up out of nowhere. His story checks out."

"Nothing we have on film is important right now." The panther grabbed the conversation by the throat. "What happened before you woke up here?"

"Please, Alex," Judy agreed. "Anything you can remember?"

Alex huffed in defeat. "It's going to sound insane."

"Your existence alone is pretty insane, bud," the fox, Nick, chuckled. "Try us."

Alex crossed his arms and exhaled slowly. He exchanged glances with everyone in the room, various hues of nervous anticipation all around.

"There was this storm," he said. "It wasn't like any other storm I'd seen. There was lightning that was purple. And, right before it hit, I heard a strange buzzing sound, and then things started… floating…and…"

Alex glanced around, gauging the room, receiving a resounding set of crestfallen looks with a pinch of annoyance.

"I told you…" He groaned. "If only I could show—" Alex's eyes shot open. "My phone! I recorded it! I have proof! You have it, right?"

The panther looked at the armadillo and gestured toward the door with her head. He returned a nod and quickly huffed out of the room. Three unbearably quiet minutes trudged by before the armadillo re-entered with his phone enclosed in a clear plastic box. He meticulously opened the case, pulled out the phone, and walked towards Alex.

"Colin!" The panther growled, stopping him in his tracks. She turned her head toward the human. "Password?"

"1 - 9 - 6 - 3," Alex spat, rolling his eyes when he saw the armadillo sheepishly scribble down his pin code. "The 'Photos' app should be pinned at the bottom. Check the most recent videos; they'll have footage of what I'm talking about."

Alex watched the armadillo poke about the screen until it looked like he found the app. There was a pregnant pause in his motions. He glanced up to meet Alex's eyes, an apprehensive look growing on his features, and then began swiping across the screen. He swiped away as Alex's face contorted into confusion.

"You should've found them by now…" Alex said.

The armadillo hunched forward uncomfortably, looked unsurely at his colleague, then flipped the phone in his paw so the screen faced Alex. What he saw made his heart sink: A black screen with text in all white capital letters: 'File Missing or Corrupted.'

"W-what?" Alex squeaked. "All of them?!"

"I-It looks like it," Colin timidly answered in his relatively high-pitched and nasally tone.

"No…" Alex brought his hands to his face. "No, no, no, no! Let me see!"

He reached his arm out, which earned him a deep throat clearing from the panther. That tiny, grating sound transferred all of Alex's stress and fear into rage. 

"You don't get to make requests here." The panther narrowed her eyes. "This charade has to end. We need usable information, not this little fairy tale you've—."

"Stop!" Alex screamed.

The buzz of fluorescent bulbs and Alex's heavy breathing drowned out the sudden stillness in the room. Nick, Judy, and Bogo were frozen, paws and hooves hovering over their empty holsters. Colin tried to hide behind his clipboard. The panther was utterly unphased.

"I have no fucking clue how I got here!" Alex seethed. "Wild animals taking an evening stroll in business casual isn't a thing where I'm from. I didn't get much time to wrap my head around it before being assaulted, dragged to an underground hideout, and grilled for information that I don't fucking have! What do you expect me to tell you?!"

"Alex…" Judy spoke cautiously. "We want to help you figure out—"

"No." He growled. "You want answers." Alex huffed into his lap. "Ok, I get it. You have a job to do, and I'm an unknown thing that walked out of an alleyway. You have my password. Scour my phone for whatever you want. Everything I told you was the truth, and I guarantee you'd believe me if you saw those videos. I'm trying to cooperate, but I have just as many questions as you do."

Residual heat faded from his neck and he found himself shuffling around, curling into a ball away from the crowd. He scrunched his wet eyes and tried to hide the sniffles.

"I'm trying to cooperate," he repeated with a croak. "But I'm really freaked out right now. I don't know what's going on. I… Just… Leave me alone… Please."

Alex tiredly stared at the back wall. He didn't need to watch them to know they were silently trying to agree on what to do next. A decision was eventually made, and the shuffling of paws and hoofs against the tiled floor reverberated off the walls. Not another word was spoken as the room emptied. The door shut with a light click, leaving the human in stillness.

Chapter Text

"I just can't wrap my head around the fact that only your species evolved hyperintelligence," Colin spoke from the edge of his stool. "You can't think of a single other species that uses complex language?"

"Nope. And honestly, it's a lot weirder to me that only mammals got a break here." Alex replied. "What about fish and birds?"

"Evolution gives us the how but not the why. Fish are intelligent to a degree, but they've always been simple creatures. And that's regardless of how many generations pass. Maybe they have a genetic blocker? We're not sure. My best guess: they got unlucky."

"Nature's a bitch, huh?"

Colin chortled, nearly spilling his coffee in the process.

It'd been almost a week since Alex appeared in this fantastical world. Unfortunately, he didn't get to see much outside his dual-purpose hospital room and jail cell. The whole animal people thing was still reasonably unnerving, but chatting with the armadillo helped ease his mind significantly. The guy was a walking anxiety vessel, but he loosened up pretty quickly after Alex cracked a couple of jokes. Plus, yelling at his boss seemed to help him get on his good side. The guy seemed way more interested in Alex's world than Alex himself. Still, he appreciated having somebody to casually talk to, especially considering every other waking moment felt like an interrogation.

Colin Feral was just one of the many researchers at the Zootopia Bureau of Investigation or ZBI. He led the Anomalous Technology group and was brought in for the initial meeting—or confrontation, as Alex saw it—after examining the human's cell phone. He'd been with the ZBI for nearly a decade and never saw anything as fascinating as Alex's device. Quite a few complex bootleg weapons came across his desk, but this human's cracked phone was a complete head-scratcher for Colin. It was a glimpse into another universe. The item was so familiar yet unbelievably strange.

The armadillo was initially fairly hesitant to admit he'd thoroughly snooped around the device, but Alex wasn't bothered; he knew the investigation wasn't unwarranted. If the roles were reversed, and Colin somehow ended up on his version of Earth, it would've been a matter of hours before he was strapped to an operating table, interrogated, probably tortured, and eventually dissected. Alex was extremely lucky this universe was dominated by the entirety of the mammal class, as every test conducted by the research team found him to be unarguably of mammal descent, thus deserving of fundamental mammalian rights. Rights that sadly didn't prevent him from being strapped to an electric hospital bed. Again, Alex somewhat understood this. His cooperation with the ZBI and phone data as an alibi helped bolster his case against being a foreign spy, but there were still too many unknowns for them to loosen his chain. Luckily, they treated him more like a permanent research subject than a prisoner.

"I just don't understand how our realities are built with similar fundamental structures, but they end with this strange array of menial social differences," Colin mused.

"What do you mean?"

"Take your phone, for example. The device was immediately recognizable; Nobody questioned what it was. It wasn't some alien communication device; it was a phone. I knew exactly which buttons were the power and volume. I knew how to navigate the interface without even thinking about it. For goodness' sake, I checked the firmware before I knew it had firmware! From a high level, nothing about the device is really noteworthy." Colin paused momentarily, looking off into space like Alex wasn't even there. "But, the culture of the device is fascinating."

"The culture?"

"Yeah. Like... google is a search engine, right?"

Alex nodded.

Colin scrunched his brow and fidgeted with his tiny clawed fingers. "I mean, I guess that makes sense. A googol is a massive number, and a search function's purpose is to return a multitude of results. It's a reasonably clever name. But why did it end up being so close to the name Zoogle, which just so happens to be our version of the same application? It's basically a carbon copy with a letter changed in the name! It's so interesting. All the naming conventions, the app designs, and even the context to your searches are just so… marginally bizarre to me."

"Hmm," a smirk grew on Alex's cheeks. "Well, I sure hope you didn't find anything too bizarre in my search history…"

"Oh, heh, uh, S-sorry, I can't delete it for you." Colin giggled timidly, looking around the room as if this was his first dirty joke.

Their conversation was briefly interrupted by a rapt at the door. A female antelope swung it open and entered the room dressed in nurse scrubs.

"All done?" She gestured to Alex's tray of food scraps from breakfast, making as little eye contact with him as possible.

"Yeah," Alex replied. "Thanks."

She walked over, picked it up, and was gone as quickly as she came in.

They brought him regular, surprisingly familiar meals, minus the bug meat. He nearly gagged the first time they set the tray down, but that first bite quickly changed his mind. It turned out that the animal diets here weren't too different from Alex's version of Earth. There was a range of nutritional requirements depending on the species, but all the food was rather typical. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and various non-mammal proteins were abundant—oh, and coffee. Alex was especially grateful for that. Initially, he was more than a bit nervous to admit his omnivorous upbringing to them, but nobody seemed to bat an eye. They ate living things already, and it seemed there wouldn't be a problem so long as he didn't sink his teeth into another mammal.

"There's got to be something to connect the dots," Colin held a finger to his chin. "What year was it when you showed up?"

"Oh, I doubt that'd match up. Even secular humans use a calendar year based around a—"

"Religious figure's birth?" Colin finished, his thin, brown lips curling upwards. 

Alex's eyebrows almost flew off his head with how quickly he raised them. The armadillo belly laughed at his surprise.

"Yeah," Alex held his shocked look. "2023"

"So similar… yet subtly different…" Colin muttered to himself. "Would you mind if I played around with your phone's hardware? I should be able to keep it intact."

"I couldn't tell you no even if I wanted to."

Colin hopped down from his stool, giving a light grunt as he hit the floor. He scurried toward the door and turned back just before passing the threshold.

"It was good talking to you," Colin smiled.

"Likewise," Alex returned. "Now go break my stuff."

Colin left the room, a chuckle echoing from the hall as he walked away, the door closing with a light wheeze.

A lot of Alex's time was spent alone, giving him plenty of time to digest the bits of information he was learning about the world above him. He had thought his human world of politics and socioeconomics was complex, but this world was a whole other level of complexity. A world built for humans was one thing, but a world built for supporting all mammals? That's an unfathomable spectrum of physiological and psychological needs being taken into consideration. Colin informed him that he was found in the heart of downtown Savannah Central, which just so happened to mimic a concrete jungle from his world. But that was just one of the many ecosystems built into the city. Zootopia had a multitude of different climate-controlled sections, each designed to sustain different Zootopian needs. They were referred to as districts, and they ranged from a frigid tundra to a scorching desert and everything in between. Alex hoped to get a better look at them one day, hopefully without drawing too much attention.

There was a short, sing-songy knock on the door. Then, a familiar red fox in police blues waltzed into the room; finger guns aimed Alex's way. He was accompanied by his law enforcement partner, Judy, with optimistic smiles perched across their features.

"Hey, hey," Nick fired a few rounds from his paws. "How's my favorite interdimensional mammal doing?"

"As good as anybody chained to a hospital bed," Alex replied, his tone split right down the middle between sarcasm and honesty.

"Alright, note taken." Nick holstered his finger pistols. He then used one paw to cover part of his muzzle and pointed to the rabbit next to him. "Though, I'd take lounging all day over strength training with officer boundless energy over here."

"What Nick means to say," Judy elbowed Nick in the stomach and rolled her eyes. "I hope you're at least somewhat comfortable here."

This was the second time Alex had seen the pair, and he was impressed by how relaxed they already seemed around him, especially compared to the ZBI researchers. Between the bureau and the police department, the police seemed to treat him more cautiously than dangerously. In a way, he felt like the ZPD was genuinely on his side and thus greatly appreciated the officers keeping tabs on him. Unfortunately, they didn't come by often, but he assumed their limited involvement had to do with the ZBI enforcing their area of governance.

Alex sighed. "I'm alright. They haven't done anything too invasive, and the food's pretty good. I just wish they'd give me a TV or something. Any form of entertainment that isn't staring at the walls. I'd take a deck of cards at this point."

"We'll see if we can do something about that," Judy said. "I can't promise anything, though. The ZBI is pretty stringent about what can be provided to..."

"Unidentified species," Nick finished for her.

"Nice way of putting it." Alex chuckled. "At least my unidentified status isn't causing a ruckus deep below ground."

Nick and Judy glanced at each other knowingly.

"About that…" Nick said. "It looks like your brief meeting with a local came with a free photoshoot."

Alex cocked an eyebrow.

"The brown bear you bumped into," Judy clarified. "Turns out he was able to snap a few photos as you ran away. We did what we could to collect security footage and inform local business owners of the situation, but those photos are another story entirely. He sent them to somebody he knew, they probably sent them to somebody else, and the cycle continued. As soon as those pics hit the internet, we knew it was too late."

"The first news story dropped yesterday: Mysterious Mammal Wanders Zootopia." Nick held out his paws for effect.

Alex groaned, letting his head flop down onto his pillow with a soft thud. He blew a short raspberry. "Great…"

"Honestly, a lot more flattering than we expected it to be," Nick said. "It could've been a lot worse. Especially with everything going on right now."

"Are things bad up there?"

"Let's just say that things have been a bit… tense recently," Nick said.

"Tense." Alex repeated.

"Well, Zootopia was built to provide for many, many, many different species of mammals." He paused briefly, a paw held to his chin. "I guess some mammals like to fixate on—"

"Officer Wilde."

Everybody snapped to the door to find a familiar black panther leaning against the frame, her arms crossed and her whiplike tail lashing back and forth.

"Do I need to remind you of the communication protocol you signed off on?" she asked.

"Not at all, ma'am," Nick tried to play it off, but he was clearly caught off guard. "We were just finishing up here, actually."

"Good," she said.

"Looks like we're cutting this one short," Nick half-whispered.

"We'll be back to check on you next week, Alex," Judy tossed him a smile. "We're rooting for you."

"Alright," Alex exhaled, trying to send a smile back but faltering.

Nick and Judy gave a quick wave and walked out of the room, a pair of sharp yellow eyes following them relentlessly as they exited. With them out of sight, the glowing eyes turned her attention back to Alex.

Samantha McCarthy, ZBI Investigative Director. A no-nonsense powerhouse and mental force to be reckoned with. She hid her name for days before Colin accidentally spilled the beans in passing. Alex was confident the armadillo got a verbal beatdown for that.

"What did they tell you?" She spoke evenly with a low growl.

"Nothing," Alex rolled his eyes and turned away from her.

"We have cameras in every room. Anything that's been shared, we will find out about."

"Then what are you asking me for?" Alex shot back, turning to make brief eye contact with her before rolling over again.

She stood silently at the door, tail bouncing back and forth like a metronome. Alex knew his attitude didn't help his situation, but it did make him feel just a tiny bit better.

"My job here is to protect this city," She eventually said, taking a step toward the bed. "You may think what I'm doing is cold, but I'm confident you understand where I'm coming from. You said it yourself: your story is insane." She took another step forward. "The tale may have convinced some, but I'm going to need more than some tears before I even consider letting you go."

Alex didn't respond, letting the silence take over the conversation.

"What do you think would happen if I just let you leave?" She said. "You think you'd walk out of here and strike up a conversation with the locals? Maybe get a bite to eat? Find a place to rent out and call home? Mammal or not, you stand out. What's being done is for your good and Zootopia's good. But, I think you know all this already."

Director McCarthy's body remained still while her tail sliced the air, waiting for Alex to reply. After a few moments, the human rolled over and shot her an apathetic look.

"You done?" He said.

McCarthy remained silent, glaring back at him with an unreadable, stoic expression.

"Great," he rolled back over. "You can fuck off then. I'm busy."

The mental battle between Alex and McCarthy seemed unending. She constantly tried to establish her authority over him, but he refused to give in. Regardless of whether she showed it, Alex knew his mild insubordination got to her. Even if it made his life harder, he wanted to latch on to this one bit of control he had.

He listened to her paws click against the titles but didn't bother to roll over again.

"You may have heard that: in Zootopia, anyone can be anything," he heard her paw clutch the door handle and an eerie chuckle escape her lips. "But, I'm not so sure that anything can ever be anyone."

Then, the door shut with a click.

Alex lay there meditating on the riddle she left him with. The words themselves didn't bother him, but that laugh chilled him to the bone.

His mind drifted to what she had mentioned about standing out. Nick and Judy treated him normally and didn't seem nervous around him. Although, being police officers, it's possible they hid their fear well. Plus, he didn't want to mistake their concern for pity. He could just be an injured puppy in their eyes.

Colin, on the other hand, seemed like he'd actually grown accustomed to Alex. He was much easier to read; his perpetual state of nervousness made that obvious. The conversations they shared felt genuine, and chatting casually with a skittish armadillo a quarter of his size gave him hope that Zootopia could see him as a bit more than a mysterious mammal. Perhaps all it took was a simple chat for others to see that he wasn't as different as he looked.

A sudden click of the door handle pulled him from his thoughts. He turned over to find a female goat nurse entering with a small tray of what looked like medical shears and collection tubes.

"The lab requested fur samples," she said, staring at a side wall.

"Ok," Alex said.

She approached his bed but stopped a couple of feet shy of arm's length. She set the tray down and picked up a pair of scissors, facing him. They looked at each other uncomfortably while she clutched the sharp object against her chest. Her eyes repeatedly darted between the scissors and Alex, never fully making eye contact with him.

"Uhm," she muttered. "Would you please… turn around?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure."

He awkwardly twisted his body so his legs dangled off one side of the bed. His head faced the back wall he'd been getting to know recently. He listened to her hoof-steps approach cautiously, then felt the light tug against the hairs on the back of his scalp.

SNIP

Alex couldn't tell how much she took off. It turned out to be not enough because he felt another slight tug.

SNIP

"So…" Alex choked out. "How is your day going?"

The room hesitated for a moment.

"Fine," She said.

SNIP

"That's good," Alex coughed into his hand. "Do you... enjoy working for the ZBI?"

Another hesitation.

"Yes."

SNIP

"That's also good," he said, mentally berating himself for how stupid it sounded.

SNIP

Just as he was about to ask another question, the nurse cut him off. "That should be plenty for the lab to work with. Thank you for your cooperation."

"Oh, alright," Alex began repositioning himself back around. "It was nice meeting—"

By the time he had turned to face her, she was already gone.

Chapter Text

Two Weeks.

Two weeks shackled to a hospital bed. Two weeks without sunlight. Two weeks of no humans, no news of the outside world, and absolutely no way for him to entertain himself. Alex had taken to mimicking the distinct whirs of medical instruments to pass the time. For days, he begged to be relocated to another room, anywhere that wasn't this sterile prison, but every desperate plea was rejected.

Colin, the sole connection he'd made at the ZBI, hadn't stopped by for a coffee chat in almost a week. The armadillo was the only mammal there that helped him maintain his social sanity. Nick and Judy were great alternatives, but he had yet to see them since their visit a week prior. He was certain McCarthy was doing everything she could to keep them away.

Alex had made a couple of efforts to strike up a conversation with the researchers that came by, but very few of them made it past a couple of sentences. Those who came in to collect biospecimens were never too pleased being in his proximity for long and responded curtly, most of the time with 'Yes,' 'No,' 'Ok,' or 'Good.' He assumed he'd have a better chance with researchers who came in for information gathering. Sadly, they promptly shot down Alex's every effort to steer the conversation in another direction.

His despondent figure lay still on the barely comfortable bed, apathetic glare chipping away at the ceiling tiles. He hadn't looked away in almost 20 minutes and planned to move on to the back wall once he finished there.

Click

The door latch turned, and the barrier to the room whispered open. Two mammals walked in.

"The Bio-Team would like an extra collection of nail samples, please," One said.

Alex didn't reply, his eyes fixed on the white tiling above him. Eventually, his right arm lazily flopped out and lolled over the bed, fingers outstretched for them. There were a few moments where the room stood still before the figures finally shuffled forward.

Tchk

They 'would like' nail samples.

Tchk

'Please'

Tchk

As if they were asking for permission.

Tchk

"That should be enough," the same mammal said. "Thank you."

Alex responded by exhaling slowly. The two figures said nothing and swung the door closed as they left.

Click

His existence had become a series of simple sounds. Clicks, snips, clinks, and scrapes. Things happened in between them, but his memory didn't quite retain anything. A clock pinned to the wall ticked away, but he had no use for it now. He'd grown accustomed to his schedule by the frequency of noises surging and dwindling as the day passed.

Not a single twinge of fear remained about living alongside mammals, but the fear of never leaving this room firmly took its place. Life had been reduced to an amorphous blob of meal deliveries and sample collections. Strange mammalian creatures stopped by to carefully scrape the gunk from his skin, treating the tubes like they contained a cure for cancer. At one point, he considered if his current situation would be worse than being stuck in an alien zoo or circus attraction.

Click

The sound of the door latch sounded again, followed by the soft thud of the door bouncing off the wall stopper. There was a solo shuffling of paws into the room, a stool scratching briefly across the linoleum, and then silence.

Then, more silence.

"Plenty of human samples to go around," Alex moaned to the ceiling, his voice hoarse from lack of use. "Step right up and take what you need."

After a few moments, a soft and feminine yet oddly coarse voice answered. "Um… Hello?"

Alex scrunched his brow, then slowly tilted his head to find a lynx hunched over on a tiny lab stool at the far end of the room. She was a swirl of gray and white fluffy fur, patches of black and brown accents speckled throughout. Her eyes were such a deep, azure color that her body fur almost appeared a shade of baby blue. Two pointy little tufts of black hair extended past her ears that lazily swung as she moved.

She wasn't with the ZBI; that much was obvious. She acted equally as nervous as the lab technicians, especially during their first sample collection. But, she didn't bring any equipment into the room, and her jeans, t-shirt, and unzipped hoodie didn't strike Alex as data collection attire. Oddly enough, it didn't feel strange that she was allowed to see him.

"Hi?" Alex cocked an eyebrow.

There was a very pregnant pause between the two.

"I was asked to talk to you…" She adjusted herself on the stool. "Just in general, I think? I'm honestly not sure what they wanted." 

Suspicion melded with the confusion already on Alex's face. 

"They gave me a list of questions I could ask," she briefly held up a notecard before lowering it back into her lap. "We don't have to use them, though. They said we could talk about anything."

Alex narrowed his eyes further while she flicked the card between her fingers.

"I suppose I could start with a thank you."

His memory sparked and eyes shot open. "The purse..."

"Yep." She rubbed the back of her neck.

He raised a brow again. "They just want us to talk?"

She shrugged. "I guess?"

Alex turned his head back to face the ceiling. "Huh."

A stillness settled between the two. Alex wasn't sure what to make of it. It made sense that the ZBI knew who she was, but why would they have her question him? What information were they trying to extract? Were they testing to see if he was lying? Was this some weird emotional tactic? It was a strange interrogation technique from every angle.

"So..." She coughed into her sleeve. "Did you have a job? Like... Where you're from?"

Alex rolled his eyes. He didn't need to look over to know she pulled that from the notecard. His eyes remained laser-focused on the fluorescent bulbs above, almost bright enough to hurt.

"Accounting," he said.

"Oh. That's… uh… Interesting."

He chortled unreasonably loud. "No, it's fucking not."

She flinched, briefly glancing toward the door.

Suddenly, Alex rolled his head to face her. "You know, the one good thing about having the universe suck me up and spit me out is that I never have to go back to that awful place ever again."

He returned to his staring contest with the lights.

"Crunching numbers," he chuckled. "That was my life. I mean, It paid pretty well. Made Mom and Dad proud-ish. But, I got out of my stupid bed every day to do math. The rest of my time was spent vegging out on TV or sleeping. Then, I got up to do it all over again the next day." He laughed again, burying his face with his hands. "Christ. My legacy is creating redundant fucking reports that I don't think anybody actually read! I can't believe how many other interns adored working that boring ass job! I feel like they all got off to complicated Excel formulas."

The very distinct sound of somebody rapidly exhaling from their nose ended his cathartic tirade. His head rolled back to see her paw partially covering her mouth, a smile peeking between the gaps in her furred fingers.

"Ok, so not interesting," she said, sitting taller. "And, honestly, I think I might know the feeling."

"Yeah?"

"Receptionist…"

Alex chuckled. "Oh, riveting, I bet."

"It pays the bills," she sighed. "My actual degree isn't really useful for anything… lucrative."

Alex stared expectantly at her.

"Art," she spoke with a lilt of equal parts pride and demure. "Painting in particular."

"Hm," Alex nodded his head with an impressed look. "Could I see some of your stuff?"

"Oh, I wasn't allowed to bring my phone in here..."

"No, of course you weren't." Alex covered his face with his hands. "I forgot that fun wasn't allowed in this room."

There was a brief lull in the conversation as she glanced at the medical equipment strewn about the space.

"What can you do here?" She asked.

Alex pulled his hands away and met her with a curious look.

"I guess the research techs keep me… entertained. There was this one guy who used to stop in every so often to chat, but I hadn't seen him in a little while. I'm also kind of kept in the dark about the outside world, so I can't watch or read anything. Which… sucks. But honestly? I mostly just think about the insanity of what happened to me—what's happening to me." He sighed. "I think about my family a lot. Friends too. I wonder if they know I'm gone? I think I buried the idea that I might never see them again deep down somewhere. Don't tell my therapist that, though."

She didn't laugh. "I'm... sorry all of this is happening to you."

"Thanks..." Alex lingered on the word.

There was another lull in the conversation before Alex released a dry chuckle.

"I'm surprised you don't think I'm an alien spy like some folks here," he said.

"Oh, please," she almost snorted. "The way you ran screaming down the sidewalk? Very inconspicuous, Mr. Alien Spy."

Alex's cheeks burned a deep red while she laughed.

"Seriously, thanks for the help, though," She smiled. "I really couldn't afford to lose my purse."

"I only did it because it didn't match his outfit," he smiled back. "You're welcome… um..."

"Emily."

"You're welcome, Emily."

Click

Alex and Emily turned their attention to the door as it flew open at sonic speed. In marched Nick Wilde, his chin held high and his paws imitating the shape of a trumpet.

"Brrr Br Br Brrrr!" He mimicked the brass instrument's call. "Please enter to meet the newest official citizen of Zootopia!"

Slowly, a parade of mammals walked into the room. Judy rolled her eyes, no doubt at Nick's behavior. McCarthy and Colin followed behind her, and one face he didn't recognize trailed in back.

"Nick," Judy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Not now, please."

"Well, I, for one, think this calls for a celebration," Nick countered.

"What's going on?" Alex wasn't sure whether to be excited or frightened.

"You heard me," Nick said. "It's official. You're a Zootopian."

"We have your citizenship documents right here," Judy added, waving a manilla folder.

"What?!" Alex launched into excitement. "Really?!"

"You have your pal Colin to thank for it." Nick patted the armadillo on the back.

Colin waved his claw meekly, reached into his lab pocket, and revealed Alex's cracked phone. If armadillos could blush, he'd be seeing it now.

"Everything at the core is the same; It's only the surface that varies," Colin explained. "Your operating system functioned exactly to my expectations, and I wondered if it wasn't the strange structure of the device, just the organization. I took the device apart, tested the pins on your charging port, and discovered that your alien phone is built on the same technological foundation as ours. The marginal bizarreness I felt before was just a translation error! So, I made some adjustments to the port, and then voila, the interdimensional 'Samsung' popped up on my PC like a Carrot iPhone would! From there, I could extract the contents and use a recovery service to restore the missing data."

"Everything you said about the 'purple lightning storm' was there," Nick said. "You're either the strangest spy and VFX artist of all time… Or, you were telling the truth."

"So, on behalf of both the ZPD and ZBI, You're an innocent mammal." Judy tapped her feet a little bit.

"You mean… I-I'm finally free to go?!" anticipation built in Alex's voice.

"Well, we didn't say that…" A slight grimace popped onto Nick's muzzle. "You're a citizen, but you're still unidentified. So, as a citizen, you get access to all of that sweet, sweet opportunity Zootopia has to offer. But, as an unidentified, you'll need some help getting access to it."

"What..." Alex's smile dropped off his face.

"Let me introduce you to James Horner," Nick gestured behind him. "He represents the Mammal Inclusivity Initiative. His whole job is about integrating mammals into society. I recommend calling it the MII, though. It's a lot less of a mouthful."

That was the cue for the nearly seven-foot-tall elk that entered the room last to shuffle past the others and approach Alex's bed. His body was huge, but his frame leaned slightly on the skinnier side. Eight-point antlers sprouted from his dark brown head, which faded into a reddish cream color near his chest. His form perfectly fit the dark blue suit coat and khaki pants that looked like they were ironed minutes ago. Poised was the best word Alex could think to describe him.

He took Alex's hand without hesitation, the hoofed fingertips feeling strange to the human.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Baker," he said with a soft British flair.

"Uh, Alex is fine," Alex nervously returned the shake.

"Alright, Alex," he smiled, standing up straight. "I'm terribly sorry you've been kept chained up like this for so long. Can somebody please do something about that?"

McCarthy's footsteps clicked across the floor like stilettos, Nick and Colin arching their bodies to avoid brushing up against her. Alex revealed his cuffed ankle under the sheet as she reached the bed, pulling a small black box from her pocket. She stretched over him until the box touched the metal cuff. Then, she paused. Her head swung to Alex for a fearful few seconds, her stare unreadable and unwavering.

Chrrrk

Alex felt the fetter relax around his ankle and the relief wash over his body.

"Wonderful," James clapped. "Now, let's get you out of this room and into some real clothes. Follow me, please."

Alex shifted his legs so they hung off the hospital bed. He looked at Nick, Judy, and Colin, all smiling brightly, Judy tossing in a little encouraging gesture. His eyes briefly roamed the room for Emily but found she wasn't there anymore. Then, he eased himself off the bed and took his first steps as a free man. Passing the threshold to his prison, he felt a pair of yellow eyes watching him intently. He chose not to return eye contact.

"I believe these are yours," James handed Alex a stack of folded clothes, a pair of shoes perched atop the pile. "I hope you don't mind, but I had these sent off to a tailor to begin working on some additional articles for you. If you happen to find something you like while out shopping, you're roughly a wolf-small. Though, I'd recommend coming to me for lower garments, as your—erm—tail situation may make some of the things you find less than ideal."

"Um, alright," Alex shrunk a bit. "Thanks."

"Of course," James gently encouraged him towards an open door. "Now, please, get dressed. We will start reviewing your citizenship once you're decent."

He shuffled into the room and flicked on the light. A simple toilet and sink sat on the tiled floor while the familiar buzz of fluorescent lights sang to him. He put on his old clothes and glanced around in awe. There wasn't a single interesting thing about the bathroom, but it was the newest thing he'd seen since being locked in that room, and he felt like he needed to soak it in for just a minute.

Alex opened the door to find James texting while leaning against the far wall. The elk finished his text, glanced up at Alex, then gestured for him to follow. Alex trailed closely behind as they traversed the ZBI hallways, a few mammal stares lingering on him as he walked by, but he couldn't entirely blame them. Eventually, they arrived at a conference room Nick and Judy sitting at the head of a wooden table.

"Before the fun can start, we have to knock out the paperwork snooze-fest," Nick said.

"Oh, come on," Judy dismissed Nick with a wave of her paw. "It's not that bad."

It was that bad.

Alex sat at that table for multiple hours listening to the bunny rattle off about Zootopia policy in rigid legalese. She pulled out document after document on the district laws, regulations, and permits. All of it was neatly bundled with an extended education on the social norms and expectations, plus a bonus anti-harassment discussion. He twirled the pen across his fingers and signed each document, half listening to what she was saying. Mostly from boredom, but finally leaving this building occupied a sizeable chunk of his mind.

He must've signed at least 15 documents before Judy finally began shuffling the papers back together.

"Finished!" Judy smiled.

"We actually have one more," James said, quickly unbuckling his briefcase and grabbing a relatively thin stack of papers. "It's an item a bit unique to your situation."

Alex pulled the stack in front of him. "The Endangered Mammal Act?"

"It's something to ensure you'll be provided basic accommodations and additional protections so you can live comfortably in the city," James clarified.

Alex briefly stared at the document's title before glancing at the written policy. Blocks of text quickly made his eyes glaze over, but a couple of dollar signs caught his eye. After gliding through the pages like a flip book, he slid the pen across the dotted line, and Judy added it to her folder.

"Alright, it's official," Judy's smile increased to full capacity. "Welcome to Zootopia!"

Nick stood up from his seat and nudged Alex. "I think you're really going to like what comes next."

The group ushered Alex out of the conference room and around the corner to a single elevator, a marmoset clad in a black suit manning a keypad on the wall. They shuffled in, and the agent entered a code into the panel. The anticipation swelled in Alex's chest as the doors closed and the elevator lurched upward. It took almost a full minute for the elevator to reach its destination, Alex's nervousness hitting its peak as its motion ceased.

The doors slid open to the ZBI lobby, a massive open space of blue, white, and chrome. The floor was pristine to the point you could see your reflection. The light of the moon peeked past the floor-to-ceiling windows covering the front wall as a sparse group of mammals milled about the area. One figure stood alone by the front entrance, waiting patiently for the group approach. Alex hoped he wouldn't ever have to interact with the panther again, but it looked like he didn't have a choice here.

"Alex Baker," the panther addressed him just as he was about to pass through the revolving door.

He turned to face her with a tired scowl, which she returned with an uncomfortably neutral countenance.

"I'm sure you understand that my treatment of you was purely out of safety for the city. However, I must acknowledge your honesty and cooperation while we gathered evidence. It didn't go unnoticed."

Alex rolled his eyes at her non-apology. "Mhmm."

She reached inside her suit coat, pulled out a phone, and extended it to Alex. "A peace offering. It has almost all of the content from your broken one: photos, videos, and texts. Do know that sharing your personal media with the public is strictly prohibited and will be taken very seriously. But, I trust you'll be reasonable with the content."

Alex took the phone and gave it a once over.

"You suck."

McCarthy's emotionless expression didn't change. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but I'm going to have to ask that you refrain from speaking to mammals like that."

"Hmm," Alex cracked a smirk, flipped the phone in his hand, then waved it in her face. "Alright. Well, thanks for this anyway, Sammy."

The panther's lip twitched so subtly that Alex almost missed it.

Nick pulled at his collar as the group shuffled away from the ZBI director and out into the night air. It felt unbelievable on Alex's skin. He inhaled deeply, relishing the city's robust smell.

"Feels nice, doesn't it?" Nick chuckled, taking a deep breath of his own.

"Yeah," Alex sighed with a smile.

A massive, black limo pulled up to the curb of the horseshoe road leading up to the building. The vehicle looked unassuming at first glance, but the tinted windows and subtly armored portions of the frame told a different story. James walked up, opened the back door, and gestured for Alex to enter.

"This is where we leave you for the night," Nick patted Alex on the back. "Don't worry, you'll be seeing our ugly ZPD mugs again soon."

"You're in very good hands with James," Judy added. "Take care, Alex. Welcome to Zootopia again!"

Alex gave a half-smile to them both. "Thanks."

Alex and James entered the vehicle, the elk needing to duck extra low to get his antlers in without scratching the frame. The door closed with a suctioning thud, and then the car the car rumbled forward.

Alex watched Nick and Judy waving from the curb fade as they drove out of the ZBI plaza. They rolled down the street in silence, the human watching the familiarly unfamiliar buildings pass in his peripherals. A few mammals still roamed the sidewalk, but the city was mostly still at this hour.

"Alex, we have a couple of things to go over before we drop you off," James said.

"Where are we going?" Alex asked.

"Your new home. It wouldn't be fair to keep you locked up somewhere if we truly wanted to integrate you into society. It's in Savanna Central, not too far from here."

Alex's eyes lit up. "My own space?"

"Yes," James replied with a hearty chuckle. "That's one of the things I wanted to go over. We want to ensure a smooth transition for you, which will require a bit of cooperation on your end. I'll review the details tomorrow, but for now, I'll say this first week might be quite intense."

Alex didn't like the sound of that. "Ok..."

"I'd also like to ask you not to leave the apartment without supervision."

Alex frowned.

"I understand," James sighed. "It's not ideal, but it's the best agreement we could work out with the city given the nature of your arrival here. That being said, we've made sure your accommodations are adequately stocked with food and entertainment." The elk reached into his breast pocket and produced a business card for Alex. "But if you need anything else, please don't hesitate to text or call."

The car slowed to a halt. Alex looked out his window to find a small townhome nestled between neighborhood businesses. It was simple but cute, although Alex was simply grateful it didn't end up being a concrete compound.

"It's nothing too fancy," James said, pulling out a keyring. "Two beds, two baths, and a small pool in the back. We had a very sophisticated security system installed for you, too."

He took the keys from James. "Thanks."

Alex popped open the door and stepped out of the car. He turned around just as the back window rolled down.

"I'll be back to pick you up around 10 AM tomorrow," James smiled. "Sleep well, Alex."

Then, the car slowly began to roll away. It rolled off down the street until Alex couldn't hear the engine anymore, left with only the sound of the night breeze. He turned toward the house, glanced down at the key in his hand, and then returned his gaze to the townhome facade. His steps clicked on the pavement to a non-existent beat as it grew near. Up the short, wooden flight of stairs to the deck, he drove the key into the lock.

Click

The door flew open. He rubbed his hand along the wall, flicking the first switch he came across, lighting up the room to reveal a modern living space. A white upholstered L-shaped couch, turquoise throw pillows, glass side tables, a silver rug, and a flat-screen TV were all perfectly placed about the room like the staging of a home improvement show.

He briefly mulled over checking out the rest of the place, but all he could see at the moment was the soft cushions of the white couch. As he made his way to the object, articles of clothing fell from his form, each step releasing another piece until he had whittled himself down to boxers.

He'd been locked to a bed for almost two weeks now, so a change of sleeping arrangement felt justified. With one final step, he let gravity take control and plummeted for the cushions.

Chapter Text

Alex's eyes fluttered open to silence. No medical machine whirring. No fluorescent bulb buzzing. No research staff chatter. Silence.

Beautiful silence.

He winced, sitting up. Falling asleep with his legs dangling from the cushions massacred his muscles. Yet, it was the most comfortable sleep since being zapped between realities.

He shook his legs, bringing blood back to them, momentarily meditating on the lack of shackle rattle.

The lights were still on, but bright strips of sunlight highlighted the walls from behind the sliding curtains. Alex walked over to the windows and parted the fabric just enough to fit his head between them.

Outside, the world was moving quickly, but Alex felt like the moments passed in slow motion. A stoat mother and son waltzed down the sidewalk, paw in paw, the young kit skipping with seemingly endless energy. He could see the laughter in their smiles. A tiger dressed to the nines that dwarfed most animals in the street tapped away on his phone with one paw while a half-eaten bagel perched in the other. An army of eight squirrels jay-walked to the other side of the street, all dressed in similar black and red streetwear and comically small baseball caps turned backward. They bumped and shoved each other like a squad of high school teens.

Alex pulled his head back behind the curtain and shuddered.

He took slow steps around the home, focusing on the details that made the house feel uncanny. Surprisingly, there wasn't much. Even all the mammal-themed decor didn't feel odd to him. He wondered if the interior designer got a peek at the photos on his phone. 

The kitchen was uncomfortably big. A space that could prepare a meal for 40, all for one dude. He ran his hand along the granite countertops while circling the area.

Opening the first cabinet, he finally got smacked with this world's strangeness. Vaguely familiar foods lined the shelves, all rebranded with abysmal animal puns. Everything from Quagga Oats to Bleaties cereal existed, complete with basketball dribbling sheep on the iconic orange background. His eyes nearly hurt from how often they rolled.

The first door upstairs contained his non-couch sleeping accommodations. A bed that could fit six people comfortably sat against the back wall, surrounded by sleek dark wooden dressers and a golden vanity. Alex knew the walk-in closet was bigger than his college dorm before he even entered it.

Across the hall, a room best classified as an entertainment center had bean bag chairs circling a projector screen almost three times the size of the TV downstairs. Cord bundles snaked from the projector to a shelf of game consoles, and a desktop computer radiated neon from the corner. An extra-large mini-fridge that he assumed was already stocked sat along the side wall, twinkling in the light from a basketball-sized disco ball. It was significantly more than he expected to get after being released. The disco ball is a bit weird, though.

Past a bathroom and at the end of the upstairs hallway, a stunningly tall radius window beckoned him. Alex pulled back the curtain to reveal an enormous pool area framing the yard. A fire pit sat near a patio and grill, and the wooden deck surrounding the area had more pool chairs than he had friends back home.

Home.

Alex shut the curtain and shuddered once again.

Ding!

The sound of a doorbell echoed throughout the house. Alex followed the ringing downstairs and up to the front door, his hand hovering over the doorknob briefly before pushing through with a quick gulp. Opening the door revealed a familiar elk dressed in a dark red blazer and black slacks texting away on the porch.

"Ah, Alex, good morning," James shoved his phone back into his pocket. "I hope you slept well?"

"Mmm," Alex mumbled, casually peeking behind his massive figure.

"Was everything to your liking?"

Alex nodded.

"Excellent." The elk gestured to the limo. "Ready to go?"

Alex wrung his hands. "Uh, Maybe?"

James smiled gently. "It'll be ok."

James turned and walked down his porch, Alex swallowing one final time before joining him. His eyes were fixed on the cracks in the pavement initially, but curiosity forced his gaze up. Seeing every creature in the street frozen in place and ogling Alex made the human's body tense aggressively.

"You're doing great." James placed a hand on his back. "This is all a part of the process."

Alex took a deep breath and kept his pace steady. He quickly entered the limo parked at the curb, forcing out a wavering sigh as the door locks clicked. The tinted windows felt like body armor to him.

"I know it's overwhelming," James said. "It will get easier."

Alex stared at his lap. "I hope so."

"Think of it like every other groundbreaking news story. New things pop up, mammals hear about it, and gossip takes over the town. Eventually, the content grows stale and mammals move on to the next novelty. If everything goes as planned, It won't be long before you become a blip on the cultural record."

Alex grunted in response, and the rest of the ride passed silently. He leaned his head against the window, mesmerized by the packed streets of bipedal mammals all going about their day. The word 'sonder' floated through his head, drawing an almost ethereal feeling along his neck. 

Before too long, the limo pulled into the horseshoe driveway of a short yet relatively wide, black-and-white building. It looked like a spitting example you'd find learning about modern architecture: The long windows, minimal ornamentation, and right angles everywhere. Alex found its features more inviting than the ZBI, but that was most likely a subconscious motivation.

"Welcome to MII headquarters," James exited the vehicle behind Alex. "This will be the home base for our operations. Do keep the address saved on your phone just in case; it'll be your best resource during and after your integration."

Alex followed James inside and toward reception. Most mammals milling about the lobby didn't pay the human too much mind besides a curious glance as they crossed. Right as they approached the desk, James veered off, opting for a quick wave to the geriatric pig working. Instead, the elk led them to a set of elevators tucked away behind reception. Alex sighed when the elevator lurched upward.

After about a minute, their ride slowed to a halt. The metal doors slid open to reveal two wolf agents in black suits, both covered in thick, menacingly dark grey fur and nearly identical in height and build. They said nothing as they eyed up the elevator patrons behind reflective sunglasses, then turned and marched down the hallway. James patted Alex's shoulder as he stepped out. 

They reached a conference room at the end of the hall, where the figures Nick, Judy, and Samantha chatted away behind soundproof glass. Judy noticed Alex approaching and tossed him a small wave and smile, resulting in everyone simultaneously turning their attention toward the approaching human.

One of the wolves held the door open for the human and elk. Alex nodded his head as a thank you, glancing to make brief eye contact, but all he saw was his reflection in tinted sunglasses.

"Good morning, sunshine," Nick greeted. "How was your first night as a free mammal?"

"Fine," Alex rubbed an arm.

"I know it's a lot right now," Judy half-smiled. "Give it some time. Soon, you won't want to leave!"

Alex tried to return a smile, but it faltered halfway up.

Samantha clapped her paws together. "Let's save the pleasantries for the public."

"Right," James moved to the briefcase centered on the table. "The Integration."

The elk unclipped the buckles of the brown faux leather case, removed a textbook-sized stack of documents, and spread them across the table. Three main sections divided the sea of legal documents: The Initiation, The Introduction, and The Integration. 

"Alex," James turned to him. "As I mentioned yesterday, this whole process might feel overwhelming, but I promise the method was designed with a smooth transition in mind. To put it plainly, we expect you to do exactly as the MII instructs. It will restrict how you engage with the public and what you can do without supervision. I recognize this limits your freedom, but it's necessary to mutually ease you and the rest of Zootopia into one big happy family. New things tend to… scare mammals."

Alex gave a nervous but honest chuckle, then nodded.

"Excellent," James gave an easy grin. "Now, your integration will occur in three phases. The first phase, Initiation, will consist of a guided tour of the many Zootopian districts. We want you to understand the city's current habitat before you carve your own niche. You won't be required to interact directly with the public during this period, and I will be by your side for every tour. The focus of this phase is simply: be seen. Let the media capture footage and feed it to the masses. Get as many citizens to notice you as possible; we want them as comfortable with your presence as you are with theirs."

Alex exhaled. "Ok." 

James offered a commiserative smile and then continued. "The introduction is where talking begins. It'll be a fairly controlled process, though, so you won't have to worry about striking up a conversation with everyone you meet. The goal here is to show certain mammals of influence that you're approachable, which should then permeate to the rest of society. There'll be some guidelines on what you should and shouldn't say, but this phase is ultimately a method to move your relationship with Zootopia from stranger to acquaintance. Unless you're actively trying to offend mammals, it should be a smooth process. We already have a few events on the timeline that shouldn't be much more than chit-chat and cocktails."

James paused briefly, then continued once Alex nodded.

"Finally, Integration is when we prove you're a valuable member of society. This means involvement in the community, possibly local government, and, of course, you'll need a job. You'll still receive your government living stipend, but starting your career isn't being done for the money. It'll be fairly hard to convince others you're a functioning mammal of society if you don't work."

"Alright," Alex mumbled. Looks like work is inescapable in every universe.

"The plan is fairly rigid in structure, placing extra care in preparing for contingencies. However, I like to treat it more as a guideline, as it's best when an integration develops organically. We anticipate the entire process to take about nine months, a year at most. Although, we hope to see you flourishing well before that point."

Alex held back a shiver. A year felt eons away.

"Do you have any questions?" James 

Alex looked around the room, expectant eyes all glued to him.

He coughed to clear his throat. "Can I ask how the MII benefits from this?"

James returned a curious frown. "I'm not sure I understand, Alex."

"Is this organization part of the government?"

James waited for a beat. "No."

A nervous blush bloomed on Alex's cheeks. "Maybe humans are just cynical creatures, and it really is out of the goodness of your hearts. But It feels like this is a big effort for some random ape."

From the corner of his eye, Alex saw McCarthy raise a brow.

The elk chewed the inside of his cheek before sighing. "The mission of the MII truly is to help mammals find comfort in Zootopia. However, I think it's fair we shed some light on the full scope of your integration." James flipped through pages under the 'Introduction' stack, pulled out a set of documents labeled 'representation,' and pushed them toward Alex. "We want you to be our front-mammal."

The human's eyes went wide as he spread the stack out. Headshots of Alex from uncountable angles spilled about, some already having templates for testing promotional material. There was a meet and greet itinerary with multiple pages of bulleted quotes stapled to the back, all categorized by sponsor. Each event had an outfit already picked out with a potential brand deal printed next to it.

"The MII is the backbone of Zootopia's inter-mammal rapport, and with you as the face of the organization, we have a very unique opportunity to rapidly develop our means for achieving the organization's goals."

Alex's eyes bounced between James and an uncanny cartoon rendering of himself. "Uh-huh."

"A novel species is the perfect candidate to simultaneously promote cultural understanding and garner attention for our sponsors. Thus, your integration has been designed to represent the spirit of the MII and our business partners."

"Promotion." Alex's voice was flat.

"Yes," James nodded. "Freeing two birds with one key in our minds."

Alex glossed over the stack of paper again. "So, I'm like your mascot for diversity?"

James winced while McCarthy shifted.

"I find that characterization to be a bit of an oversimplification," James argued. "We see your support as furthering your own mission—Proving that you're more than fur deep with your voice. The friendly face at the front lines, pushing for inclusivity, so you, too, can discover comfort alongside everyone else. The MII feels this is a positive outcome for everyone involved."

Alex hummed in response.

"Fortunately, none of this is important right now." James shuffled the papers back together. "One step at a time, and today, your only goal is to experience our wondrous city."

"Which means…" Judy jumped in, almost bouncing from excitement. "It's time for your first taste of Zootopia!"

Alex found a tiny grin. "Are you giving me a police escort?"

"I wish!" Judy huffed. "The MII is handling safety resourcing for your integration, so you'll be with Agent Carter and Agent Jackson."

Judy gestured to the two wolves that led him to this room, their backs pressed against the glass just outside the conference room door.

"Remember, I'll be with you the entire time as well," James added.

"Alright," Alex said.

"Don't worry, bud," Nick playfully nudged him. "Not many mammals get a private tour of the city, especially with an entourage of agents protecting them. Plus, you get to see our gorgeous mugs again for lunch today."

"I think he's been briefed enough," Samantha's voice cut through like a knife.

Judy rolled her eyes at the panther. "You ready, Alex?"

Alex closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. "As I'll ever be."

James and Alex made their way out of the room. Without a word, the two wolves followed in tow, and the group re-entered the elevator and descended back to the lobby. A few more mammals turned their heads to stare as they crossed the foyer, but it'd probably be a while before the lingering looks entirely disappeared. They strolled outside and up to the black limo, where Alex, James, and the two wolf bodyguards piled into the back.

"Where are we going?" Alex asked as the vehicle roared into motion. "Shouldn't I be out in public?"

"Oh, you will be," James stifled a chuckle. "We're heading to Savannah Central Plaza. City center. Lots to look at, and lots to be seen by."

Alex immediately regretted asking the question.

A strange tension gripped the back of Alex's neck as he watched the trickle of mammals traversing the streets develop into a rapid stream. After only a few minutes of driving, the limo's pace slowed to a crawl. Traffic exploded across the multi-lane roads, each tedious turn sending them to the back of a never-ending line of vehicles. The sounds of city life penetrated the car frame, feeling like bullet holes in his social armor. Car horns blared from salarymen and shouts to "get a move on" flew back and forth. As the overstimulation built, The tension in Alex's neck sunk to his gut.

The congestion peaked as Savannah Central Station came into view, an ocean of mammals mingling about the paved plaza. Alex glanced out the window at the sea of faces. His eyes flicked between forms, mesmerized by the immense variety of bodies.

"You can pull over here, Cecil," James told the driver.

The antelope at the wheel nodded, pulled the car over, and stalled.

"Carter, Jackson," James addressed the wolves. "Secure the area, please."

The two wolf agents quickly exited the street-side passenger door. Alex watched them walk in opposite directions around the vehicle, gesturing toward passersby to back away.

"Alex."

The human swiveled his attention to James who eyed him with the intensity of a lieutenant preparing soldiers for war.

"I need you to listen very carefully," he said. "As soon as you leave the limo, do not attempt to interact with anyone. Mammals are going to stare and record; mammals are going to cringe and scoff; mammals are going to outright gossip about your nature. But It is crucial that you stay calm. No talking back, no making faces, no gestures, and absolutely no outbursts of any kind."

Alex stared wide-eyed, then nodded in a choppy fashion.

"We're intentionally making a big show of your arrival to increase visibility," he continued. "Agent Carter and Jackson may act like other mammals are out to get you, but you're not in any genuine danger. And, even if you were, they're highly trained professionals."

Alex wasn't sure if that made him feel any better.

"First impressions are incredibly important. Luckily, you won't have to actually do anything to make a good one. Just take a deep breath and stay close to me. Alright?"

"Ok," Alex rasped.

By now, a small crowd had formed a semi-circle around the parked vehicle. A few folks had already pulled out their phones in anticipation. From beyond the tinted windows, the wolves gave a subtle thumbs up.

"That's our queue," James grabbed the door latch, then glanced back to the nearly shaking human with a tender smile. "I know it's not going to be quite as relaxing as you'd like, but do try to enjoy yourself. It is your tour, after all."

With that, he pushed the door open and let the roar of society assault their eardrums. James stepped out, holding an open hand behind his back, signaling Alex to wait. The human caught glimpses of mammal heads trying to peer past James' figure, nudging their friends and configuring their camera settings.

"Folks, please step back," James called the crowd. "Give our guest some breathing room."

"Who is it?!" Somebody shouted. "Is it Gazelle!"

"No way! Gazelle's limo is way bigger!"

"You'll all see soon enough," James continued to push the pack back. "But first, I need you all to please make some room."

The air filled with whispers as James and the two agents guided the mob. Alex grew nervous at how much they were building his entrance. He understood hype builds publicity, but he hoped they factored in hype increasing expectations.

"Ladies and gentle-mammals," James announced, bringing his hands together with a clap. "My name is James Horner. I'm the Senior Director for the Mammal Inclusivity Initiative, and I'm ecstatic to introduce you to the newest citizen of Zootopia. It's not every day that we get the honor of welcoming an entirely new species of mammal." There was a noticeable increase in the murmurs from the crowd. "Please know that he's gone through quite a traumatic process to get here, and it's his first day seeing the city up close. So, I ask that you kindly keep your questions and comments to yourself. We want to ensure he receives the warmest welcome this wonderful city is known for. Without further ado, I'd like to welcome our very first human to Zootopia: Mr. Alex Baker!"

The moment his name was mentioned, Alex's heart started palpitating furiously. He scooched himself closer to the car door where James was moving out of the way for him to exit. It took every fiber of his being to avoid retreating into the limousine. He felt the sunlight splash across his face as he stepped out, partially blinding him, which surprisingly helped since the silhouettes made the figures look marginally more human.

The sounds emanating from the crowd changed orchestrally as Alex's grand entrance unfolded. It began with musings that dwindled into almost complete silence as he fully exited the vehicle. Then, the murmurs started again. Then, they grew. And grew. And grew. The various musings of passersby had morphed into full-on choral commotion—a cacophony of stupefied shouts, disbelieving gasps, and condescending cackles.

"I-It's the mystery mammal!" Someone screamed.

"I knew the government was hiding it!" Another yelled.

"I heard it secretes a poison that can paralyze you!"

"Doesn't look very intimidating to me. I bet I could take it on in a fight."

"What's up with the head fur? Does it shave the rest of its body?"

Alex's eyes were glued to the crowd, yet his vision couldn't focus on anything. He was locked in place, the barrage of vocalized thoughts grabbing hold of his limbs and cementing them. His heart was racing before even leaving the vehicle, but now it was slamming in his ears to the point he thought a blood vessel might pop. 

A hoofed hand gently touched Alex's back, causing him to flinch. Then, there was a gentle squeeze.

"I'm right here," James whispered.

The elk stepped in front of Alex and held his palms toward the crowd

"Folks, please!" James cut through the din. "Firstly, He is not an it! He's as much of a mammal as any of you are! Secondly, he only seeks support from his fellow Zootopians! Give him the courtesy of treating him like an equal."

His comments did nothing to quell the noise.

James turned to face the human fully.

"Well then, Alex." James' voice was calm and collected, but his eyes were heavy with concern. "Shall I show you around?"

Alex mustered everything he could to speak. "S-sure."

The two wolf agents pressed against the crowd, mammals scurrying backward and lining a royal path of phones for the elk and human to pass. Alex shuffled along, James' hand doing a large chunk of the work to propel him forward. He fixed his eyes on a non-existent focal point and forced his peripherals into a blur, while the incessant commentary from the peanut gallery rolled along the crowd like waves.

"You're doing great," James leaned over and whispered. "The hardest part is over."

Alex wasn't sure he believed him.

They pushed forward, Carter and Jackson immaculately maintaining a lane for them. Although, most mammals retreated before Alex even got close. 

"First stop on our tour," James said, almost startling Alex. "The Savanna Central Oasis."

Alex hadn't even noticed they had approached anything. He looked around the lush green space in the plaza's center, dirt walking paths cutting through the grass, and a small set of broad canopy trees sprinkled about the area. A large pond sat neatly in the middle, a couple of paddle boats mingling about it.

"The oasis was constructed over 12 years ago, intending to bring calm and comfort to all new arrivals to Zootopia." James continued. He then pointed beyond the green pocket to the structure spewing mammals into the plaza. "Savannah Central has the largest train station in the city, seeing over 100,000 mammals pass through its turnstiles daily. The rail system is one of Zootopia's proudest pieces of infrastructure, as it extends over 1400 miles in length within city limits alone." James flipped 180 degrees, and Alex sluggishly followed suit. "Across from Savannah Central Station is our beautiful city hall, designed by our very own Frank Lloyd Bite. Right next to it is the courthouse. We sure hope you never end up there, huh?" James nudged Alex lightly and chuckled.

Alex tried his best to focus on James' words, but his attention was far from the architecture. His valiant effort to keep his vision out of focus had failed, and now his eyes darted between mammals, rapidly absorbing each stare. He filtered the reactions into three categories: frightened mammals scrambling away without looking too obvious. Mammals with blank stares, though it was unclear if they were from awe or confusion. Then, there were the mammals that scowled, their features scrunched into a grimace and refusing to look away. Muzzles tugged downward by Alex's soul. He briefly locked eyes with a horse bearing a militant look of disapproval and felt his stomach twist and skin crawl.

"Do you like shopping, Alex?"

Alex flinched from his stupor at James' question. "I… Don't know…"

James frowned with a hum. "I had a few other stops planned first, but maybe we sit down and have lunch instead?"

Alex returned tiny nods of his head, semi-uncertain of what he was agreeing to.

"Wonderful," James attempted a smile. "I know just the place."

The elk pulled out his phone and tapped away while Alex continued mammal-watching. It only took two more ominous glares before he relinquished his gaze to the beige pavement beneath his feet.

"Right this way, Alex," James ushered him. "It's not too far from here."

The pair made their way toward the plaza's southern edge, his wolf agents marching on either side. Their path was made easy by the mammalian crowd parting like the Red Sea, some folks even moving back from the intersection to avoid crossing at the same time as Alex.

The further they ventured from their starting point, the more gossip he heard from the crowd. Alex felt his stomach tighten again, the whispers from every direction bouncing nauseatingly around his skull.

After about five minutes of walking, Alex's entourage approached an outdoor lunch cafe, bright yellow, orange, and red hues covering everything from the building awning to the patio chairs. They walked past the entrance gate to the order window, standing a few steps behind a towering hippo. It was the closest Alex had gotten to another civilian at this point, the unsuspecting customer tapping away on their phone while they waited.

The line crept forward, Alex doing his best to block out the sounds rumbling in the cafe crowd. Suddenly, another hippo cautiously approached the line from the side, scooching in next to the already waiting artiodactyl. Alex watched as the new line member nudged their hippo friend and jerked their head backward. The original hippo tried their best to peek behind them inconspicuously but accidentally made eye contact with Alex. The human watched them lean their heads in close together, attempt another peek, and finally decide to leave their spot in line.

Alex received a sigh and a pat on the back from James.

When it was finally their turn to order, Alex couldn't focus on the menu. His vision glossed over the restaurant's innards: Standard flat-top grills, deep fryers, a shaky weasel standing three feet from the register, and the snouts of the remaining staff peeking from behind a wall. Once James realized Alex wasn't going to speak, he ordered a meal for the both of them, grabbed the ticket, and ushered Alex away from the window.

"Alex, are you feeling alright?" James asked, grabbing a seat at an empty patio table. "You look pale."

Alex's eyes wandered to the tables around him rapidly emptying of patrons. "I don't feel so good."

"Hey, now!" A voice shouted from the cafe entrance. "You're not eating without us, are you?"

Alex and James glanced to see Nick and Judy pass the restaurant gate. They waltzed over to the table, smiles plastered across their cheeks.

"You picked a good place," Nick said. "Best bug burgers in town."

Judy made a gagging face, which Nick playfully bumped her for. When the two officers noticed Alex wasn't even cracking a smile, their faces dropped the happy-go-lucky looks.

"Rough morning?" Nick asked.

Alex rolled his eyes. His head lolled over his crossed arms resting on the wooden table while his stomach gurgled.

"I'll take that as a yes," Nick frowned.

"Nobody tried anything, right?" Judy asked.

"No," James said. "Folks have kept their distance. Maybe a few nasty looks, though."

Alex felt another gut swish at the word few.

"I assume he's been dealing with some commentary," Judy said.

"An understatement," James said. "Those that weren't whispering to each other were quite vocally creating fiction of him."

Nick scratched the back of his neck. "I guess I'm not entirely surprised."

Alex's stomach churned violently while the group played back his torturous introduction. He swallowed hard at every push his body made to stir his gut.

Suddenly, a red plastic tray dropped into the table center. "Order 47."

Alex's body gave in. He shoved his head below the table surface and heaved into the colored pavement below. The group winced in unison at the squelch.

There was a long gap of silence before Nick let out a drawn-out breath.

"I think that's enough for today." He said.

"Right," James pursed his lips. "I'll fetch the limo."

Nick looked around and sucked his teeth. "Let me take him back."

"No, no, we couldn't do that," James protested.

"Look, he obviously needs to get out of here pronto, and you can see where our cruiser is parked. I'll flick on the lights and get him home much quicker than a stretch limo ever could."

"Not a bad idea, slick," Judy admired. "I can stay here with James and talk to the public; make sure everybody knows it's an escort and not an arrest."

James tapped his foot nervously, gazing over the sea of onlookers.

The elk sighed. "Fine. Just get him back safe."

Nick turned his attention to the back of Alex's head peeking from below the table.

"You hear that, bud? I'm getting ya out of here."

Nick gently helped Alex from his bent-over position, resting a paw on his lower back while guiding him to the police cruiser. The human heaved into the gutter one final time before lifelessly entering the front seat. He buckled himself in and curled into a fetal position, groaning with his head pressed against the window. The door to the driver's side popped open, and Nick jumped in, bringing the engine to life. The fox flipped the red and blue strobes and pulled away from the curb, the gentle bumps in the road feeling oddly soothing to Alex.

Five city blocks of silence passed before Nick finally spoke. "You need a stomach pill or something? Judy keeps a bunch in the glove box."

"No." Alex whimpered. "Just need to get back."

Another three blocks of silence passed.

"Listen, I know platitudes aren't going to help, but it does get easier." Nick's voice was soft. "I know a thing or two about not being accepted. Being constantly judged comes with the whole Fox Package."

"A smooth talker like you?" Alex moaned out a joke.

"The flattery is always appreciated," Nick chuckled. "I'm serious, though. It wasn't easy growing up. And it still isn't easy, to be honest. Even as a cop, I see the same uneasiness of shifty ole me running around town. Before I met Judy, I let myself become what others thought of me. She helped me see that giving folks a chance actually made a difference." Nick drove quietly for a few moments before scrunching his muzzle and waving a paw dismissively at himself. "Bah! I'm preaching to the choir. All I'm saying is you're not alone, kid."

The rest of the drive to Alex's home was quiet. Nick pulled to the curb and killed the engine.

"You need help getting inside?" He asked.

"No, I'll be alright," Alex replied, squirming from his seat to the sidewalk. He grabbed the door, then hesitated. "Uh… Thanks."

Nick smiled and gave a two-finger salute before Alex shut the car door. He staggered into the house and flicked the lights on to the newly familiar living area. With his stomach recently emptied, the kitchen seemed like a reasonable first destination, but Alex's body couldn't help but gravitate to the couch that cradled him on his first night. He dragged his feet over, flopped onto a pillow, and let his tears soak the fabric.

Chapter Text

Alex jolted awake, his alarm blaring from his bedside table and forehead glistening. He lay awake for a good chunk of the night, switching between sides each time the pillow got too hot. Unfortunately, things didn't get much easier once he fell asleep. A bead of sweat lazily dripped from his brow onto the bedsheet covering his lap, nightmares still fresh in his mind.

He blew a raspberry and crawled out of bed, dressing himself in the only clothing he owned. He rubbed his eyes, descending to the first floor and entering the kitchen with an exaggerated yawn. Most of the cupboards' contents were still a mystery, but Alex knew precisely where the cereal was hiding. He filled a bowl with the satisfying tinks of 'Mice Krispies,' then watched them gently rise to the brim as he added milk.

It'd been a few days since he gained freedom, but the human wasn't sure he understood what that meant. What was freedom without choice? Each day was a grueling repeat of the previous: get up, James arrives, parade around a new district, get dropped off, pass out. The repetition was highly reminiscent of his life as an accountant, although his new day-to-day was wildly more interesting.

A ding rang from his pocket, and Alex pulled out his phone, swiping across the single text notification stuck to the phone's factory default background.

James [9:42 AM]: Good morning! How are you feeling?

Alex shoved a spoonful of the sugar-loaded cereal into his mouth.

Alex [9:43 AM]: Fine.

James [9:43 AM]: Ready for the Meadowlands tour today?

The human frowned.

Alex [9:44 AM]: Not sure.

Minutes passed, Alex munching on cereal while a "James Typing..." message flashed in and out of existence.

James [9:47 AM]: We've revised the plan a bit. I think you'll find today more digestible.

Alex sat back with an exasperated huff, his spoon clanging against the ceramic bowl. He cupped his face with his hands, groaning at James' ironic use of the word digestible. His fingers slid down his tired face, stretching his features into a zombie mask. Grabbing his phone, he formulated a text in the least visceral way he could manage.

Alex [9:49 AM]: Ok.

James' reply was immediate. 

James [9:49 AM]: Lovely! We'll start with breakfast today. Hope you'll be bringing an appetite!

Alex looked at his now empty bowl of cereal.

James [9:50 AM]: We'll be heading your way in the next couple of minutes. See you soon!

Alex took a minute to marvel at the extensive emoji selection on his phone before sending a wolf thumbs-up back. He stood up and dropped his bowl in the sink, not bothering to wash it. That was a future Alex problem.

He waltzed into the living room, plopped onto the couch, and turned on the TV. The flatscreen came to life; the volume set marginally too high for Alex's liking.

"-with increasing reports of vandalism outside Marshland businesses," said a feminine snow leopard news anchor. "Few arrests have been made, with some shops having to close their doors temporarily." 

"Organized protests have been taking place across multiple city districts calling for action from the government to address the attacks." Her husky moose anchor counterpart added. "Some locals are making it a top priority to get their voice heard." 

The video feed blinked to a scenic shot of a Marshland neighborhood, the tall grass and cattails fluttering in the wind. It cut to the face of a male beaver dressed in overalls and a bright yellow safety helmet, the text 'District Contractor' scrolled across a red banner.

"We've had to delay construction four times 'cause of all this ruckus!" The beaver flailed his arms. "Our supplies go missing one day, and our truck's brake lines are cut the next! It's like I got a target on my back 'cause none of my competitors got this problem. Not a thing's been done to fix it, and our business can't survive this much longer."

News. Alex thought. Crappy in every universe.

The reel flipped back to the mammalian news anchors.

"The recently revealed mystery mammal has been seen touring various Zootopian districts over the past few days." The snow leopard said, a clear shot of Alex's face displayed in the corner of the screen. "The public is still a bit hesitant about his miraculous arrival, but the Mammal Inclusivity Initiative seems to be doing its absolute best to provide the 'human' a comfortable integration into our fabulous city."

"He seems to be doing much better than his first day, at the very least." The moose added.

The pair chuckled as a blurry video of Alex, James, Judy, and Nick standing around vibrant patio furniture displayed on the screen. The feed shook from the camera's perspective, undoubtedly an amateur phone recording. Alex pressed the remote's power button just as his pale face dived below the table.

Ding!

Alex rose from the couch, dragged his feet to the door, sighed deeply, then opened it. James stood in a sleek, full gray suit with his trademark 'business casual' smile. Behind him, the familiar limo gave a low rumble from the curb.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

Alex forced a nod.

He entered the limo, taking a seat next to James. The two wolf agents sat stoically on the opposite seats, their eyes still concealed behind their reflective shades. They hadn't spoken a word since Alex met them. He preferred it that way, though.

By this point, his wariness around other anthropomorphic beings had entirely faded. He wasn't anywhere near comfortable yet, but the instinct to run or hide from a towering mammal vanishes after noticing their EweTooth headset and almond milk frappuccino from Snarlbucks.

The ride to the Meadowlands was noticeably longer than his other trips around Zootopia. It was spent almost entirely in silence, Alex only speaking when asked a question directly, and even then, James would get, at most, a one-word response or acknowledging grunt. He held nothing against James, but the morning drives were the opportune time to stare out the window and wallow in bitterness. His life had become a circus show, a mobile menagerie of sorts. With the job of being constantly watched, it felt appropriate to stare back at the mammalian figures streak past the tinted glass with distaste. It helped to pretend he was just a talentless celebrity on tour.

The car eventually stopped, and Alex was ushered out onto a quiet cobblestone street. It was the calmest road of Zootopia he'd had experienced yet, the serenity so strong that the woosh of a passing breeze seemed noisy. The peace felt authentic but somewhat enforced, almost like an endless suburb under an authoritarian Home Owners Association. It reminded Alex of a relaxing spring afternoon in his cushy, middle-class hometown. He took a slow, methodical inhale to see how they compared.

"Nice, isn't it?" James asked.

Alex hummed in return.

"The meadowlands were originally designed to cater to the bovine and cervid populations. It's since become quite the prime destination for escaping the hustle and bustle. Party mammals are not quite as attracted to the area as not a single nightclub exists within district borders. Plus, quiet hours start at 10 PM; that includes weekends, too. It does, however, have the largest selection of cafes and flower shops, more than all other districts combined." James took a deep breath. "If it weren't such a tedious commute, I'd love nothing more than to settle here."

The two mammals stood on the curb momentarily, appreciating the peace. The elk eventually took the first step down the bumpy sidewalk, Alex following closely behind, and finally, his wolf guards in tow.

They reached their destination after a brief walk. It was a stone cafe drenched in ivy, light gray bricks peeking between the lush green, and weathered iron chairs scattered about the patio. A dark wooden sign dangled above the doorless entrance, reading 'Ye Olde Pug.'

Alex and James took a seat at a central table while Agent Carter and Jackson chose one nearby. The place was deserted, except for a couple of sheep sharing coffees in the back corner. They pulled out their phones, trying to be discrete when snapping a pic, but they weren't fooling anybody. Alex paid it no mind, though.

A groundhog waiter soon spilled from the doorway and sauntered over to the table, a couple of menus held in his paws. As soon as he caught sight of Alex, the groundhog slowed, but he quickly regained his casual pace. He approached the table and put on his best customer service smile.

"Welcome in, folks," He said, placing menus between the two. "Can I get you started with anything to drink?"

The groundhog's gaze lingered uncomfortably on Alex.

"Coffee with cream," Alex mumbled.

James quickly smiled at Alex before turning to the waiter.

"I'll have the same, thank you," James said. "Oh, and we have one more joining us shortly."

Alex furrowed his brow as the waiter walked off, glancing at the wolves behind him.

"Not them," James read his mind. "But, you've met before."

"Hm," Alex murmured, resting his chin on his crossed arms.

A soft frown developed on James' muzzle. The elk constantly made efforts to engage him in conversation, whether about his home accommodations, thoughts on the current district tour, or simply the weather. But Alex refused to take the bait, growing quieter and quieter with each passing day.

Alex felt a thread of guilt for treating James with such an apathetic attitude. He genuinely adored the elk's lectures about Zootopian society and, interestingly enough, found being surrounded by animal people exhilarating—minus the existential dread, that is.

By pure chance, he'd happened upon a society with diversity beyond his comprehension. Millions upon millions of mammals co-existing under finely tuned socioeconomic policies, thriving in the engineering marvels of the expansive city's climate-controlled sectors. He was so fascinated with how things functioned that the intricacies of mammalian dental care captured his attention. The complexity of Zootopia regularly left questions perching at the edge of his tongue, aching to leap forth.

Unfortunately, it only took a few moments for Alex to reminisce about his upheaval from all that was familiar, and his attitude would slump back into an uninterested, depressive state.

"Your coffee," the groundhog returned with two mugs, a hot pot of morning energy, and a small carafe of cream. As he filled their mugs, his eyes slowly moved past the two, and another smile, somehow larger than his current one, spread across his cheeks. "Good morning, miss. Can I get you something?"

Alex craned his neck to follow the waiter's gaze, a familiar lynx approaching the table with a leisurely gait.

"Black coffee is great, thanks," she said, pulling out a chair.

"Right away," He returned another smile so sweet it might give you a cavity. "I'll give you all a moment to look over the menu."

The scrape of metal against the pavement made Alex blink, his eyes lingering on the feline settling into her seat. She wore black pants and a red T-shirt topped with an unzipped beige jacket. Her left ear was pierced with a couple of silver studs, Alex briefly pondering if he missed them when they first met.

Her smile was soft, but it was the kind of smile forced out of courtesy, almost diplomatic-like. After days of navigating the diverse leers of Zootopia, Alex had little trouble picking out the wariness that poked through a polite veneer.

"Alex, you remember Emily, right?" James said.

Alex glanced between the two.

"I do." His expression remained plain.

"Well, as part of the 'Initiation' phase, we want to introduce you to some lovely folks that support your integration, and Emily said she'd be delighted to help!"

Alex's eyes bounced between the two for another moment before nodding slowly. "Ok."

He turned his attention to his coffee, swirling the mixture with the wooden stick on the cup's plate. His mind started rapidly processing the situation, slowly unfolding into a full-on deep dive of his psyche.

It was apparent that integrating into society required casual interaction, but the idea of forming connections with animal people warped his reflective process. The thought of sharing a couple of beers after a long work week with his furry bros gave him an almost out-of-body experience.

Eventually, the waiter returned with Emily's mug and took everyone's orders. Alex opted for a bagel, while the others ordered rather sizeable breakfast skillets. Emily even went as far as asking for an extra side of hashbrowns and orange juice with hers.

"Alex, are you feeling alright?" James asked.

"Mhm," Alex stirred his coffee more. He hadn't taken a sip yet.

"It just doesn't seem like much food."

"Not hungry."

Then, the silence returned.

Once the food came, Emily and James dug into their hearty meals while Alex internally sighed, grateful for an excuse to keep the peace. He jumped at the opportunity to ruminate further into the light brown liquid, casually taking bites of his bagel and exhaling deeply whenever he felt existential dread creep up his neck. It wasn't the perfect plan, but his mind felt like the only familiar spot left, so he latched onto that comfort with an iron grip.

"So, Alex," James coughed into his hand, yanking the human from his introspective gaze into a coffee cup. "Do you have any hobbies?"

Alex's face held neutral for multiple seconds before scrunching into a confused frown.

"What?" He shook his head.

"Y-your hobbies. Do you care for sports? Movies?" James shifted in his seat. "Or rather, anything you're particularly fond of doing?"

"Um, I'm not sure… Why?"

"Just making conversation. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Oh, ok. I have to—uh—think about it."

"Alright."

Alex quickly returned his attention to his coffee and half-eaten bagel. However, it wasn't long before Emily's chuckling broke the silence.

"Oof," she laughed.

The elk looked to Emily with a raised brow.

"No offense, James, but that was hard to watch."

"I beg your pardon?" He pulled at his collar.

"I feel like I just witnessed a first date go down in flames."

Snnrk

It was so quick that Emily and James almost missed it. It even took Alex a second to register that he made the sound. The corners of Alex's mouth were perked up only a microscopic amount, but it was enough that the others immediately paired it with his snort. And even though the joke was at James' expense, his face showed no signs of annoyance, responding with a gentle chuckle of his own. 

The group finished their meals, and James paid for breakfast, leaving a generous tip for their waiter. Just as they were getting up to go, the groundhog came rushing out to ask for a photo of Alex, who responded with a polite nod of his head. The rodent quickly snapped a pic of Alex standing uncomfortably by the cafe exit, gave a thumbs up, and then dashed back inside without another word.

"Thank you for always being so kind to the public," James smiled at Alex as the group gathered on the sidewalk.

"Mm," Alex grunted back.

"I know what you're doing isn't easy. Very few Zootopians could handle this level of constant attention. I'm very impressed with how you've handled things this far."

Alex's eye twitched.

"I'm grateful for the consideration you're willing to extend to other mammals, and it helps me better appreciate the person you are."

"Cut the fucking shit, James," Alex spat back, barbs coating each word.

A disheartened look flashed across James' features before his courtly poise took the reins. Whatever wall James thought he'd begun chipping away at had instantly reinforced itself. Even Emily flinched at Alex's outburst.

"Apologies," James stood up straight and adjusted his suit coat. "I did not mean to offend."

Alex wasn't entirely pleased with himself, but he made no show of it. The patronizing comments were getting gratuitous, but it shouldn't have been enough for him to erupt.

James cleared his throat. "I didn't have an extensive or formal tour planned for the day. I thought a simple walk in the park would be a suitable way to spend the rest of the morning. I also need to make a couple of calls. I'll take a bit of a lead so you two can get to know each other without disruption."

Alex could sense Emily stiffen.

The elk pulled out his phone, pressed a few buttons, moved it to his ear, and gestured with his head for the group to follow. Alex and Emily walked about a car's length behind James while Carter and Jackson followed a similar distance behind them. It took less than ten minutes for the group to reach the park trailhead. James looked back and nodded towards the grass path before entering.

The park was an elegant spectrum of green as far as the eye could see, the brown and grays of tree bark acting like landmarks across the viridescent landscape. Long grass just past Alex's waist lined the path, flowing gently, almost as if guiding them deeper into the sea of vegetation. Purple wildflowers danced in the grass as their tiny petals bounced against each other in the light breeze.

Alex seldom took walks or went hiking before arriving in Zootopia, but the more he promenaded around the city, the more he began to appreciate the calm nature offered him. Each soothing breath amongst the grass released a fragment of tension, like a gentle massage to his psyche.

"I-I don't find myself in the Meadowlands often," Emily spoke up, hesitant in her delivery. "I always end up loving it, though."

"Mhm," Alex instinctively returned.

Alex had completely forgotten she was with him, momentarily reflecting on how long they'd strolled in silence. Regardless, Alex's curtness cut the conversation as quickly as it started. From the corner of his eye, he watched Emily return to her rigid march, no doubt deciding to keep her mouth shut for the rest of the walk.

Alex sighed. He already felt frustrated for pushing James away, and she was at least trying to make conversation beyond a list of speed dating questions. The least he could do was give her a modicum of attention.

"Yeah, it's nice," He softly restarted the conversation. "The peace is a good change of pace." He looked off into the distance, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Kind of a bummer that I get the same reactions no matter where I go, though."

Emily followed Alex's gaze. Two sheep in their late teens were walking along another path that eventually merged with the one Alex's entourage was taking. Their eyes widened in horror as they grew nearer to the crossroads. They rapidly muttered something to each other before quickly spinning on their heels and walking back in the direction they came. Every few seconds, one of them would glance over her shoulder, then immediately return to whispering to each other.

"Oh, that?" Emily chuckled to herself. "You get used to that."

Alex furrowed his brow.

"You're obviously on a completely different level," she placated with stretched eyes. "But, preds are very used to that kind of treatment."

"Preds?"

"Predators. You know, us big scary monsters." She bared her teeth in a mock fury. "To be fair, things are getting better. Prey have been a lot more sympathetic ever since they found out a sheep was behind the Night Howler stuff." She chuckled gently, looking down at her paws, extending and retracting her claws a few times. "Unfortunately, It doesn't take much more than having sharp claws and teeth to make mammals nervous, and I use mine to direct calls and paint for a living."

Alex hummed. "Officer Wilde said something similar about being a fox."

"Oh yeah, foxes hang on to the social ladder with everything they got. Shiftiest animals around."

Alex quietly reflected for a moment. "What about me?"

"What about you?"

"You're not nervous around me?"

Emily's eyes danced over Alex. "You look... different. But not scary." She paused for a beat. "To be honest, I was surprised to hear you're a predator. You look about as tough as a quokka."

"Yeah, most of our predator-ness comes from our brains, not our brawn."

A sassy paw landed on her hip. "You calling me stupid?"

Alex laughed. It wasn't a deep belly laugh, but it was enough for Emily to chalk up a small win. The smile on his cheeks held for a few fleeting moments before spiraling back into a grimace, his joy melting like ice cream under the hot sun. 

He took a deep breath, looking forward.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked.

"Doing what?"

His head swiveled to her, holding her gaze for a moment before returning forward.

"Emily," he sighed. "Please." 

Emily stared him down with a watchful expression. Her ears flicked, and her nose twitched, but her words remained a secret. There was a moment when her lips parted, but after shifting her gaze to James, then back to Alex, her mouth drifted closed. A battle was being fought behind her eyes, but Alex couldn't witness the carnage.

Eventually, a defeated buzz escaped her lips, and she looked away.

"Alright..." She sighed. "The MII is a little concerned about your mental state. They want to make sure you don't do anything... rash and assume giving you somebody to talk to would keep things stable. Plus, they said it'd be a good idea for an 'average doe' to be seen supporting you. I guess our underground chat went better than expected 'cause they basically begged me to do this." She paused for eight agonizing seconds before adding, "They're paying me."

A quietness settled between them, the sounds of their feet shuffling across the path taking a focal point. Emily fiddled with her paws, looking toward James, deep in a phone conversation, praying that he had eyes in the back of his head.

Then, out of nowhere, Alex began to chuckle. 

"Thank you." He released a long sigh, grew a tired smile, and looked off in the distance. "I feel like I've been in a fever dream since I was unshackled from the hell hole. I thought things would get easier. I'd be sent off somewhere remote. I'd get some time to rack my brain around my absurd situation. Maybe even a team of wacky scientists would start devising my mystical return home!" He squinted his eyes shut and violently shook his head. "But, no. I'm paraded around an uncanny society like a walking exhibit. My life is having aliens gawk and snap pics of me. It's like I'm on a prank show, but there's no fucking punch line. It's absolute insanity. Nothing feels real." He breathed in deeply, exhaled sharply, and then pointed to her. "But, that? That felt real."

A strange, incredulous look passed over Emily's features, quickly followed by something akin to thoughtfulness, before finally settling on a curious smirk.

"You think I look like an alien?"

"Yes." Alex laughed. "Very much so."

"Because of some fur?"

"Oh, you have no idea."

After that moment, the hike flashed by, concern evaporating in the gentle breeze; their attentions no longer trapped churning in contemplation. The pair strolled in step, trading anecdotes about work life and sharing the occasional chuckle over customer pet peeves. Conversations fizzled out more often than not, yet the discomfort never returned when silence claimed the ambiance. It felt like a genuine exchange, just a simple, mundane chat.

Maybe it was the fresh air finally getting to him, but Alex found himself loosening up a bit.

The elk's call ended right as the group reconvened at the cobblestone road at the park's edge. The walk couldn't have lasted more than an hour, but Alex hadn't kept track of time. The thought of requesting another loop crossed his mind, but a familiar black limo pulling to the curb mentally stifled his request.

James stuffed his phone back into a pocket. "I couldn't quite make anything out, but it sounds like you were chattier than usual, Alex."

"Yeah, the dude doesn't shut up," Emily chided with an easy grin.

Alex offered a small but earnest laugh, a red tint making a brief appearance across his cheeks.

James glanced at his watch and then turned to the lynx. "Your ride to Tundra Town should be here in a few minutes. Would you like us to wait with you until then?"

"Nah, I'll be fine," Emily dismissed with a paw. "Appreciate it, though."

"Very well. Thank you for joining us today. The MII is so grateful for your support."

"Thanks for breakfast." She swiveled to Alex, her whiskers fluttering with the motion, and raised a balled paw. "It was cool talking to you again."

"Yeah," Alex grinned, honoring the fistbump. "Likewise."

James popped open a door and politely gestured toward it. "Shall we, Alex?"

Alex nodded and then entered the limo. As the vehicle pulled away, he watched Emily's figure dwindle past the sidewalk's horizon before turning his attention to the earthy-toned buildings speeding by.

The ride back began as quietly as the one out, but the self-pity was absent this time. Instead, a strange wave of feelings carried Alex out to sea, undulating haphazardly. As the emotional tide reached its crest, he steeled himself for the curl and crash of hopelessness to send his thoughts deep into the abyss. But it never came. The torrent settled, and a bizarre sense of comfort surfaced, reinvigorating a buried fascination—a drive to pick up a paddle and venture further into unknown waters.

His thoughts danced to Emily. The brief connection with the lynx was about as special as two strangers passing the time at the DMV. But it felt natural. It felt grounding. The corners of his mouth gradually curled upward when recalling her quips. 

Alex's gaze then moved to James, a pang of guilt dragging his smile down as the elk tapped away on his phone. Every reassuring pat on the back came flying back into memory, constricting his stomach into knots. James was a professional diplomat, and although his gentlemanly grace was a necessary part of his position, Alex knew his concern wasn't an act. 

"Alex, are you alright?" James cocked his head. "You look a bit unsettled."

Alex rubbed his temples. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Sorry. It's just—I mean..." He buzzed his lips and looked out the window. "I guess I wanted to tell you that today was really nice, actually. I enjoyed the Meadowlands a lot." His eyes met James briefly before darting away again. "Thanks for taking me."

"That's... Wonderful to hear, Alex." There was a hint of shock in James' pleased expression. "I can schedule more time out here if you'd like. I have quite an extensive list of recommendations we can try out!"

Alex sunk into his seat. He instinctively wanted to grin at James' spontaneous enthusiasm, but his body wouldn't allow him yet. So, he took one final breath and gazed deep into the elk's brown eyes. 

"James, I don't think I've been very fair to you," Alex rubbed his forearm. "You've been vouching for me since day one, and all I've given you back is a cold shoulder. Sometimes, it does feel like I'm being coddled, but I know you're just trying to help. I think I'm just stressed about... everything. So, I want to say thank you for sticking your neck out for me, and I'm sorry for—"

James held up a finger to stop him, and Alex could swear he saw his lip tremble.

"No need to apologize." James lowered his finger. "But, thank you. That means quite a lot to me."

Alex returned the brightest smile he'd made in weeks.

Chapter Text

"So you can grow fur in other places, just not as densely as your head?" The soft-spoken llama asked.

"Basically," Alex shrugged. "It depends on the person and where on the body. But I also think humans have hairs all over; They're just super small."

"And none of it keeps you warm?" 

Alex shook his head, running a hand through his bangs. "All for style."

"Style?" The llama scratched his wooly scalp. "But, you have so little of it…" 

Alex crossed his legs, frequently glancing out the window on his ride back from Sahara Square. Carl, A higher education director, sat across from him, grilling Alex relentlessly about his top-fur. It seemed as though the human's little patch of black hair was the most exciting thing about him to the entirety of Prance-ton University.

"Pardon my forwardness, but…" Carl twiddled his fuzzy fingers. "May I touch it?"

Alex froze. "Touch it?" 

"Your fur—or hair, I mean. Just to compare it to my own?"

Alex shifted in his seat and looked over to James, who returned a frown and shrug.

Alex moved his gaze back to Carl. "I guess?"

The llama didn't squander the approval, reaching out and gently combing his furred hand through Alex's short locks of black hair.

The sensation was strange to the human, almost like being petted. The occasional tug of individual strands pulled to their full-length made Alex wince. Although, strangely, he thought it felt nice.

Nice until it went on for an uncomfortably long time, that is. 

"Incredible," Carl mused, now both hoofs nestled in the human's stubby mane. "It's exquisitely smooth, and every last hair is packed between your ears, brow, and neck! I wonder how the follicles of your scalp compare to your upper lip." Carl's hand moved to Alex's chin and lifted it. "You called it a beard, right? Or maybe a musta—"

"That's quite enough, Dr. Wheezer." James ended Carl's analytical tirade, punctuating each word with venom. 

The llama flinched and reeled his arms back, nervous that the elk's gaze might make his wool catch fire. Alex shook away jitters and mouthed a 'thank you' to James.

The limo pulled up to the curb at Savannah Central Plaza, and the group exited to the sidewalk.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Baker," Carl said, standing up to his full height, towering over the human. "Prance-ton greatly appreciates every bit of knowledge you're willing to share with us."

"You're welcome," Alex replied, almost tired.

"Oh, and the head and body fur samples we received were phenomenal. I'm surprised how much you were able to provide with how bare you look."

Alex looked over to James, who repeated a familiar frown and shrug.

"Sure thing," Alex gave a dubious smile and extended a hand.

Carl returned a blank stare. He stood quietly, blinking a few times before quickly patting his trousers and glancing at his watch.

"Well, um, I really must get going," Carl offered a limp wave. "Thank you so much again for your cooperation, and have a lovely day."

The llama then spun on his heels and walked off, strides much larger than what looked comfortable.

Alex's arm drooped back to his side, his expression showing no change. By this point, he actually preferred the blunt bail over the limp hand clasp he otherwise got.

"Comfortable enough to fondle you, though..." James tsked and shook his muzzle. "What a pity."

Alex chuckled.

Carl was Alex's 'friend for the day,' as he called them. Recently, the MII has been granting mammals time with Alex, short stints of an hour or two and mainly consisting of academic types. The llama wasn't the worst buddy he'd had, but most of the mammals he met were tolerable at best. The frustrating mix of attentiveness and disgust made every interaction feel condescending and tedious. They all seemed to take a hyper-diagnostic interest in him as if he was some missing piece of a puzzle they didn't have the box for. It just felt strange that creatures existing around such intense biodiversity would care about the bland stature of a human. Maybe evolving around different species made Alex's novelty that much stronger. He'd never truly know unless he walked a mile in their… bare paws.

"I have to meet with a few mammals at the police station," James glanced at his phone. "It shouldn't take too long, but you won't be able to join me. I asked officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde if they'd spend some time with you, and they said they'd be delighted to. They offered a quick tour of the precinct. I hope that's alright?"

Alex subtly perked up. "Yeah, that sounds good to me."

He hadn't seen Nick and Judy since his first day out. Besides his posh MII guide, they felt like the only other mammals rooting for him. Alex was pretty bummed when plans for lunch with them fell through last week.

The human and his escort strolled along the square and toward the massive precinct in the distance. Being dropped off down the street from nearly every destination was a bit of a nuisance, but Alex didn't mind the mild exercise. James told him it was to meet a 'Public Exposure Time' metric that the integration team established with the media.

The expanding design of The Zootopia Police Department's Precinct 1 captured Alex's attention. Sandy taupe-colored stone flowed in individual streams up into a crown above the entrance, glass panes filling in between the stone lines. Alex knew it had to have a sophisticated defense setup with how beautifully crafted it was.

Alex noticed his wolf bodyguards turning and walking off as he passed through the revolving door entrance behind James. The ZPD foyer was massive, its circular structure lined with doors and hallways spewing mammals to and from its passages. At the center was a round kiosk where a plump cheetah gabbed to an attentive Judy and exasperated Nick.

"It was her top song for years… Years !" The chubby cheetah threw his arms up. "Suddenly, 'Hoof Groovin' slides into the number one spot? It's good, but it's not number one good, you know?"

"I am one hundred percent on board with everything you're saying, Ben," Nick's voice dripped with boredom.

Judy giggled as the human and elk duo approached.

"James! Alex!" The bunny nearly hopped from excitement. "I'm so glad we could make this work."

"It couldn't have been more perfect. Thank you again." James smiled and then turned to Alex. "I've got to run, but I'll meet you back here in an hour, alright?"

Alex gave a thumbs up. "See you later, James." 

The elk then strolled off, disappearing down one of the ZPD's many hallways.

Suddenly, a tawny paw thrust itself in front of Alex's face and gave a little shake. "Wow, um, hi, you're Alex Baker."

Alex blinked to steady himself. "Uh, yes... I am." 

"Benjamin Clawhauser," the waving paw transformed into a handshake. "I know everything about you!"

Alex scrunched his eyebrows and returned the shake. "Thanks?"

"When I first heard of you, I didn't care. But then Gazelle mentioned you in an interview about the importance of our uniqueness-es, and I was hooked. You're a new species! Special! Only one of its kind! Isn't that crazy?"

"Uh huh," Alex's left eye twitched. "Insane."

"I assume you know who Gazelle is?"

"Alright there, Benny-boy," Nick jumped in. "As much as Alex would adore hearing about your musical tastes, we only have him for a little bit, and there's a lot of station to show him."

"Ughhhh, fine. But at least share the playlist I made for the ZPD. It has the perfect ramp-up to fully appreciate her complete discography."

"We'll make sure he knows, Benji," Judy said with a wave. "See you later!"

Judy and Nick led Alex away from the kiosk, all kinds of police mammals milling about the area as the trio made their way through. Mostly predators and the occasional large herbivore made up the force. Hippos and rhinos fit the role perfectly in Alex's mind. 

"So, we can't show you anything fun, but I think we can still have a good time," Nick smirked. "Plus, lunch is on Carrots."

Judy rolled her eyes. "We'll get you a snack from the cafeteria if you want. I refuse to pay for any more of this freeloader's meals. It's like he scratches your back once, and now you have to scratch his back six times. Friends are supposed to spot each other equally."

"Not if you have the right friends," the fox winked.

A few twists and turns down the relatively narrow halls led the group to a vast open space with a lofty ceiling near the back of the building. Circling the entire area was a mile-long running track, a group of canines currently completing a loop squished together in a pack. A brigade of yoga mats took up the track's center alongside rows upon rows of rowing machines. The ellipticals, stair climbers, and other electronic cardio equipment sat along the back edge of the room. Finally, lining almost the entire length of the front wall was a lifting gym with more equipment than Alex had ever seen, the most fascinating part being the immense size variation of weights. Alex had seen extensive dumbbell racks before, but these started at fractions of a pound, the grips the width of his finger, and expanded into multi-hundred-pound sets. It made him wonder if mice were on the force.

"Welcome to hell!" Nick announced with outstretched paws. "Judy calls it the gym, though."

Nick received an elbow to the side from Judy, but she didn't quip back this time.

"It's massive," Alex commented.

"This is just weight training and cardio," Judy laughed, then pointed to a set of double doors along the eastern wall. "Through there is our wrestling gym. It has a full-size boxing ring, too. Occasionally, they'll get an MMA specialist for group training sessions. Only happens about once a month, but they're by far my favorite classes!"

"You have mixed martial arts?" Alex cocked his head.

"Martial arts?" Judy glanced over at Nick briefly. "Mixed mammal arts. Defensive fighting styles amongst different mammals. Big bears, small rodents, sharp claws, teeth, horns, and tusks."

"Huh," Alex grunted. He had an inkling to ask more but didn't want them to get the wrong idea.

"Ayo, Delgato!" Nick shot finger guns toward a lion drenched in sweat leaning against a squat rack. "Lookin' big, fella."

The lion looked over, rolled his eyes, readjusted his earbuds, and prepared for another set.

"Nick," Judy's voice was a concoction of annoyance and amusement. "Stop showing off your insecurities. We have more to show Alex."

"Me? Insecure?" Nick pressed a paw to his chest. "Preposterous." 

The group strolled back through the winding halls, Alex's intrigue piquing as they passed the evidence room.

"Wouldn't be worth the tour," Judy said. "You'd only be able to see the office itself." 

"The last entry wasn't too risque," Nick offered. "Maybe he could get a—"

"No."

"Sorry, bud."

After a short trip up an elevator, the group walked across a catwalk that overlooked the foyer and approached a large wooden door with a golden nameplate nailed to it.

"Ok, so this next stop isn't the fan favorite," Nick's paw hesitated before knocking on the door. "But the big guy was curious about how you're holding up."

"Come in."

The door swung open, and Alex walked into the rather simple office of Police Chief Bogo. He sat behind a large wooden desk with his neck fixated on the paper below him, his thick horns jutting out just past the front edge. The wispy scribble of his pen was the only thing bringing the room to life.

"Hey, Chief," Judy greeted. "Alex stopped by, and we thought you'd like to say hi."

The writing stopped abruptly, and the cape buffalo's dark eyes flicked to the human. "Mr. Baker."

"Alex is fine," the human gave a single nervous wave.

Bogo sat up straight and crossed his massive arms. "How are you faring?"

"Uh, good."

The buffalo grunted. "The MII handling your integration ably?" 

"Yeah, it feels alright."

"Mr. Horner is treating you well?"

"Yes, really well." 

The buffalo paused, staring Alex down with an indiscernible expression. 

"Have you felt an overstep that would need the ZPD's intervention?"

Alex's face scrunched slightly. "Sorry, I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

Bogo didn't miss a beat. "Do you feel unsafe?"

Alex blinked, his mouth hanging agape for just a moment. "No. I—uh—don't think so."

The buffalo huffed again.

"Excellent."

The room went completely silent.

"Dismissed."

Bogo's head dropped back to his papers, and the scratch of pen on paper overtook the ambiance once again. The three shared a glance, then quickly shuffled out of the office. Judy whispered to Alex once they were way out of earshot. 

"He may not show it," she said. "But, he cares." 

Alex acknowledged with a soft chuckle. "I actually appreciate the straightforwardness. A little intense, maybe. But, it weirdly made it feel more comfortable."

"He's a softy at heart," she bounced. 

"Soft as a rock, maybe," the fox coughed. 

Returning to the main floor, Nick and Judy led Alex through the bullpen and archives. They lacked anything stimulating, but Alex found something fascinating about never having seen the human versions. Upon passing the cafeteria back to the main hall, Alex's eyes locked onto a cinnamon bun. His eyes lit up when Judy rushed in to snag one for him and another to split with Nick.

"I know it probably wasn't the most interesting tour you've been on, but I'm glad we got to show you around." Judy chewed the last bite of her sweet treat.

"It was great, really," Alex smiled. "And honestly, It's just good seeing you guys. If I'm not being shoved around town for people to stare at, then I'm being questioned about everything and anything. It's nice doing something casual with familiar faces."

"Aww, Judy," Nick clasped his paws near his heart and fluttered his eyes. "He called us family."

All of a sudden, Judy reached up and pulled him into a hug. She was stronger than she looked, yanking him into a hunched-over position to meet her height, her paws reaching around as much of him as possible. Alex's eyes widened at the connection, arms pinned to his sides. Seconds passed, but before Alex could grow nervous about his lack of response, Judy pulled back and shot him a reassuring smile.

"I'm just so happy to see you doing better," she beamed.

Though a little awkward, it was the first hug he'd received in a while, including before his journey through time and space. His instinct was to cyclically ponder the weirdness of hugging a humanoid rabbit creature less than half his size. But instead, his mind eased. A pang of melancholic guilt surfaced as he thought about how much more comforting it felt than the last hug his parents gave him. 

"There has to be something else you can do!" A sudden shout rang about the lobby.

"Mr. Meldovich, we're trying." Ben attempted to soothe a beaver on the brink of tears at the front desk. "We have officers all over the city looking for them." 

"We're at our wits' end!" He begged, nearly pulling himself up onto the counter. "Please!"

"Yeesh," Nick buzzed his lips. "The masks have been non-stop recently." 

"The masks?" Alex questioned.

"The crime syndicate," said Judy.

Alex narrowed his brow. "...called The Masks?" 

"The Masked Mammals, actually," Nick chuckled. "Not by choice, mind you. All it took was one EweTube video of an ocelot shouting the name, and everybody ran with it. Not what I would've gone with, but gossip is a strong force."

"Oof," Alex cringed. "Too bad you can't draw them out by ridicule alone."

"We can't draw them out with anything," Judy stomped her foot. "They're by far the most obnoxious perps we've dealt with. They crawl out of the woodwork, hit places across every district, and slink back into the shadows before we can get a cruiser on the road. Every report mentions a different species, and their only consistent trait is that stupid mask they wear. Investigating them has been a real pain in the tail."

"Yep." Nick clicked his tongue, staring off into the distance. "They're professionals."

"It's especially frustrating that every call involves low property damage," Judy began counting their offenses on her furry fingers. "Tearing up yards. Spray painting businesses. Destroying porches. It's awful, but the police can only do so much."

"Like death by a thousand cuts," Nick sighed. 

"Nobody's been attacked?" Alex asked

Judy shook her head. "Not a single assault. A couple of flimsy written threats at the worst."

Nick scoffed. "Their love letters aren't very convincing."

Alex squinted at the front desk. "Wait, I think I've seen this beaver on the news before. Runs a construction business? Had his break lines cut, right?"

"Yeah, the poor guy," Judy sighed. "It's tough enough as it is running a small business. Toss in the damage, and you're trying to keep yourself afloat with holes in the boat and the bucket you're trying to dump the water out with."

"Is he being targeted?" Alex asked.

Nick and Judy gave each other uncomfortable looks, silently conversing. They turned back to Alex, their teeth clenched as if to stop information from slipping through.

"We have a theory about what they're doing..." Nick spoke slowly.

"Hopps! Wilde!" The police chief's beckoning finger from across the lobby captured their attention.

"Looks like we got to run," Nick moved past Alex with a nudge of his elbow. "We'll get lunch sometime, alright?"

"James should be back in any minute," Judy gave Alex a quick squeeze and followed the fox. "So good seeing you, Alex!" 

Judy and Nick set off to assemble with the other officers, hip-checking each other across the floor. Alex chuckled at the natural enemies turned beautifully ironic partners. 

As the two disappeared behind the briefing room, Alex began to feel increasingly vulnerable standing alone in the police lobby. Luckily, the landmark sight of James' antlers taking slow strides over to him eased his nerves.

"Alex," he greeted with a polite smile, then glanced over both his shoulders. "Where are Officers Hopps and Wilde?"

"Called to duty," he said. "They just left, though. I haven't been standing here long."

"Very well. Come along, we have one more stop for the day, and this one is extra fun, I promise."

The two walked in sync out of the building. As they descended the front steps, the quiet sobs of the beaver from the front desk floated to Alex. The large rodent's stubby body was dismally hunched over, paws covering both eyes, and body shaking lightly with each whimper. Next to him, a feminine anteater pressed her long face against the side of his head, arms wrapped around his form, and light tears dripping down her cheeks.

Alex shrunk away from the sensitive display, a wave of embarrassment briefly flooding over him. One part of him wanted to say something while another felt wrong for simply watching.

They made their way back to Savannah Central Plaza relatively quickly, Agents Carter and Jackson impressively sneaking up behind them without Alex noticing. About a block away from the center of activity, Alex began to feel his skin crawl and a surge of nervous energy course through him. 

By this point, Alex was immune to being recorded. He was a novelty, and folks wanted to capture their little snippet of the zeitgeist. But this mammal didn't have his phone out; this mammal just glared. He burned the image of Alex into his mind with an expressionless squint, the corners of his mouth perpetually threatening to dip. Alex briefly locked eyes with the leer of a wildebeest before turning back with a shiver. He felt fairly confident nobody would attack him with how publically guarded he was. But it didn't stop the hairs on the back of his neck from standing on end.

"Here we are." James slowed to stop in front of a quaint and colorful building. "I thought ice cream could be a nice way to end the afternoon. What do you think?" 

Alex blinked at the shop's sign, reorganizing his thoughts. "Uh, yeah… Yeah, ice cream is good."

"Excellent." James grinned and opened the door for him.

They entered and immediately got in line. The place wasn't packed, but most of the pastel pink and white high-top stools were already taken. A couple of mammals nudged their friends and mumbled to each other as Alex and James navigated the line, but most seemed to keep to themselves. When it was their turn, Alex ordered a double scoop of rum raisin and chocolate while James opted for a single scoop of vanilla. The elk paid, and the two walked outside to grab an open patio table.

"How's there?" James pointed to a couple of free spots at the patio's edge. 

"Sure."

Alex took the lead and squeezed between mammals to claim their spot, though most scooched out of the way to make room as he approached. Ironically, the mammals making a hasty effort to let him pass slowed him down, as Alex was unsure if he was about to get squashed when they shuffled their seats around.

His hand latched onto the frame of a metal chair just as a furred paw grabbed the other side of it.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you going for the table. You can have—" Alex's eyes trailed up the paw's arm. "Emily?"

A sly grin formed on the lynx's gray cheeks as she took a lick of her chocolate cone.

"What's up, dude?"

"Emily!" James greeted, approaching from behind Alex. "Lovely seeing you again! What brings you to Bessie's Creamerie?"

She returned a single wave to James, almost like a salute. "Finally off work for the day and felt like something sweet."

"Oh, that's right, you mentioned working downtown. Are you close?"

The lynx swiveled and pointed down the road, her black ear tufts dancing languidly with the motion. "I'm on the fourth floor of that tiny gray building there, right next to the Whales Fargo."

James hummed in acknowledgment. "Well, would you mind if we joined you?"

"Why not," she shrugged. "Ice cream makes for good company."

The group settled at the table and began quietly enjoying their cold treat. Alex tried to focus on his ice cream, but his eyes kept stealing glances at Emily. She seemed lost in her dessert, meticulously licking the top edge of the wafer cone, ignoring the swirled peak completely. His attention bounced between the gooey bits of brown liquid glistening over his fingers and the lynx's mottled fur. He couldn't help but admire the long brush strokes of white hair cascading around each side of her muzzle, falling into two dark grey points along her neck. He briefly pondered how much of her form was fluff before his gaze drifted to her maw, smiling at the adorable way her tongue poked at the treat. 

"Something on my muzzle?"

Alex's smile evaporated, and his eyes flickered. "W-what?"

"You're staring," Emily chuckled, holding out her cone. "You want to try mine?"

"Oh, no, I'm good," Alex coughed, then took a few tentative licks of his dessert. "I just noticed the way you eat it. That's so it doesn't get on your hands—or paws, right?" He rubbed his sticky digits together. "I bet getting ice cream in your fur is a real pain."

Emily glanced over her arm as if she were analyzing it for the first time. "Honey is way more devastating." she briefly scanned Alex's skinned arm before flicking to meet his gaze and then returning to her dessert. "Ice cream isn't worth wearing a drip glove over, though."

"A what now?"

"A dining band," James provided in lecture cadence. "It's a piece of fabric or plastic that goes over your lower arm to prevent dirtying your fur while eating. Exceptionally fluffy folk tend to use them more often, but quite a few mammals have them anyway. I have a set at home just in case." His eyes moved off in the distance. "I see one right now, actually."

Alex followed James' eyes behind him, turning his chair to find a light brown alpaca woman taking careful licks of her strawberry ice cream. Most of her forearm and paw were covered in a clear plastic casing, stubby fingers poking through perfectly sized holes to grip the cone. She had to scrunch her face just the right way to get a taste without getting any pink on her fur. Alex stifled the strange thought of squeezing those fluffy cheeks.

"Well, how about that?" Alex curiously admired. "Napkins don't work?"

"They help, but they're not designed for fur," James answered. "They're better for spills, clothing drips, and wiping your muzzle."

Alex shrugged and nodded. "I guess I wouldn't trust napkins to get it out of my hair."

"I'm surprised you don't have them. Your species tends to eat like slobs…" The corners of Emily's mouth cracked a wry smirk as she took an extra long lick of her cone. "Or is that just you?"

Alex briefly raised a brow before glancing down to find a small, brown rivulet cascading down the back of his hand and onto his pants. He quickly grabbed a pile of napkins and dabbed the denim, using the rest to form a ring around his cone. Unfortunately, the powerful chocolate stream broke the paper dam, forcing Alex to hold the melting treat over the table in defeat.

"Let me grab some more napkins." James quickly stood from the table. "I'll see if we can borrow a wet rag as well."

James shuffled off while Alex continued wiping his pants with what little clean napkin he had left.

After a few moments of silence, Emily slowly leaned an elbow on the table. She rested the side of her muzzle on her fist, her fluffy ruff of neck fur compressed under her arm. Her tongue intermittently darted out for a lap of ice cream from the free side of her mouth.

"Hmm..." She mused.

"Hmm?" Alex glanced up to meet her teasing eyes.

"You seem a lot more comfortable living around a bunch of aliens."

"You seem pretty comfortable eating ice cream with one."

Emily's eyes brightened, and she shifted on her paws. "Eh, you're not so weird to look at anymore," 

"You're telling me," he chuckled, finally giving up on wiping the fabric. "To be honest, though? I've kind of embraced the sci-fi strangeness of it all. I'm still like… existentially uncomfortable. But life is so crazy diverse here that I'm more curious than confused." 

"Are humans really that bland?"

"Physically? Without a doubt. We make up for it in personality, though."

"You think so? A society of one species against one with all mammals?"

"The variety of cultures is enormous, but the spectrum is identical. Art and music, celebrations, displays of affection, food, heritage, blah, blah, blah. They look different, but they're all the same idea." He chuckled, shaking his head. "The only truly mind-blowing thing I've come across is the sickening amount of animal puns you use."

"Now that's something we can agree on," she laughed. "So I just look 'out of this world,' then?"

"Ehhh, Kind of." He leaned back in his chair and watched the mammals pass on the sidewalk. "There's such a weird familiarity to everything here. A lot different in scope, but it feels really similar." He paused for a beat. "I think it's how I know my world isn't hiding out in space somewhere. It just feels like a version of my universe rather than a whole new world." His head swiveled back to her with a smirk and lidded gaze. "You know, now that I think about it, alien is the wrong word altogether."

"Yeah?" She leaned forward.

"Mutant fits way better."

"Mutant?!" Emily chuffed, the short giggle betraying her pseudo-offense. "Didn't you have to go through mammal sensitivity training? Pretty sure you're not supposed to say stuff like that."

"Oh no!" Alex brought his fingers to his lips in faux moral panic. "Did I offend the furball?"

She bit her lip. "Oh, you're just lucky you're protected, or I'd teach your endangered ass a lesson!"

James' slender frame popped into Alex's peripheral, hurrying toward him, a stack of napkins in one hand and a damp white cloth in the other. Alex took the rag and scrubbed the spot on his leg while James took care of the mess on the table.

Emily took the last couple of licks of chocolate before munching down on the wafer cone.

"Alright, I've got to head out," Emily wiped her paws with one of the extra napkins, then looked at the human with a cheeky smirk. "before I go, though... Alex."

Alex stopped scrubbing and raised a brow.

Her smile widened. "We should be friends."

Alex blinked, racking his brain for a split second before recovering with a deep smile that challenged her own.

"Oh, you think so?" Alex hummed.

"Mhm," she mused, inspecting her paw.

"Run-of-the-mill feline just casually wants to hang out with the rarest mammal of all time, huh? There some sort of test to hang out with you?"

"Yeah, and you barely passed," she winked. "Here, give me your phone."

Alex handed over the black device. She tapped her clawed tips across the screen and then handed it back. 

"Well, alright, Emily Sharpe," he read from his contacts, wiggling his eyebrows. "It looks like you're the first official friend of the only human ever to grace Zootopia: Me, Alex Baker."

The smile dropped off her muzzle. "That was really sad, dude."

A beat passed, Alex and Emily sharing bored looks before matching grins bloomed on their cheeks. Their smirks grew and grew until the giggles started, which James happily joined in on. Their laughter built, subtly stark enough against the typical murmur of the street's patio that a mass head turning took place. Enough mammals pulled out their phones that a noticeable ring had formed around the group, and Alex was so lost in the giggles that, for a moment, he almost didn't notice.

Emily stood up and waved her goodbyes as the crowd around them slowly filtered back to minding their business. Alex and James finished their ice cream soon after—or what was left of it in Alex's case—and then made their way back to the limo. 

Alex silently fiddled with his phone as they traversed the busy city streets back to his home. He'd glance back and forth between the black mirror and out the window, the cycle repeating while his knee furiously bounced. His heart thumped to an uncomfortable beat of skittish anticipation while releasing gentle, weary breaths. Savannah Central wasn't nearly as hot as Sahara Square, yet Alex couldn't help but focus on the beads of sweat trailing down his back. 

The sound of James startled Alex.

"Hmm?" Alex's knee stopped bouncing.

"I said: we're here, Alex," James said.

The human glanced out the window at his abode.

The elk cocked his head at him. "Are you alright? You seemed a bit spacey on the way back."

Alex nodded his head in a choppy fashion. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about the day."

James raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Good… It was good. Great, maybe." He paused. "It was nice seeing familiar peop—mammals."

James returned a charming smile. "I'm thrilled to hear that. I'll make sure Officers Hopps and Wilde know how much you appreciated the visit. Hopefully, we can get you more time with them." The elk's eyes roamed to the phone in Alex's hand. "It seems like you and Miss Sharpe get along well, too."

"Yeah," Alex clicked his tongue and spun the phone between his fingers, his knee threatening to bounce again. "She seems cool."

There was a beat of silence before James spoke again. "Would you like to share anything else?"

Alex had just begun zoning out again. "Oh, no, I—uh—don't want to make everyone wait." He coughed into his sleeve. "I'm good, thanks." 

James' smile didn't falter. "Alright, well please don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like someone to talk to. I'm happy to listen." James popped open the back door for him. "Have a great rest of your evening, Alex."

"Thanks, James." The human hopped out. "You too."

Almost immediately after entering his home and locking the front door, Alex began to pace. It started in the kitchen, taking him up and down the stairs several times, in and out of each room, before finally landing him on the living room couch. He flopped back onto the cushions, his phone's luminescent screen casting a projection of the blank text conversation onto his face. He typed and erased, typed and erased, flipping from side to side as he strung together words. 

Alex tapped the phone against his forehead and grunted. "Come on, just do it." 

He inhaled, typed out a message, and hit send. 

Alex [4:48]: Hey, it's Alex

He exhaled. Seeing the blank conversation transform into the beginning of one churned his stomach in a way reminiscent of his first day out.

Alex shook his head. Emily seemed laid back, and it wasn't like texting was a high-stakes scenario. Unfortunately, flashbacks of research techs ignoring small talk fought valiantly against his rationalization. 

Dots appeared on the screen, undulating across the chat bar in a mesmerizing pattern before flashing out of existence. Then, a message appeared.

Emily [4:55 PM]: Um… Alex?

Alex's stomach dropped. Why didn't she recognize the name? Had she given him a fake number? Did she do this on purpose? Terror welled in the pit of his gut as demoralizing scenarios raced through his mind. 

Suddenly, another message popped into existence.

Emily [4:56 PM]: Wait... You don't mean Alex Baker, the rarest mammal of all time, do you?

And just like that, the tension evaporated. A chuckle floated through the air while he typed a reply without hesitation.

Alex [4:56 PM]: The one and only haha

Emily [4:57 PM]: How's it goin? ;)

Chapter Text

“There should be a container of onion dip in there, too,” James pointed toward the back of the walk-in fridge. “Check behind the condiments. It might be tucked away.”

Alex shuffled some hot sauce bottles around before discovering a five-gallon jug of fatty dip, the container bigger than his torso.

He glanced back at James.

“Do you want me to pour some into a bowl?”

The elk gave a slow shake of his head. 

“Bring the tub.”

“The whole thing? How many people am I meeting with again?”

James returned a strange mixture of laughter and a sigh. 

“Just the one.”

Alex shrugged, hefting the plastic container against his chest and following James out.

The MII’s kitchen was about ten times the size of Alex’s, a swarm of cooks dancing around multiple rows of hot burners during a busy lunch hour. The kitchen was split into two colors, designating the carnivorous and herbivorous meal prep, while an array of symbols at each station distinguished further between diets. Alex could translate what seemed to be a carnivorous mushroom-only station, but most of the other abstract designs required an explanation.

The pair loaded their food supplies onto a cart, squeezed around the chefs, and strolled out into the hallway. After a short trip up an elevator, the two wheeled the food down the hall and into a large meeting room. A deep mahogany conference table sat center, and a flimsy white folding table was pressed up against the back wall.

“So…” Alex began. “We’re throwing a party for one mammal?”

“Not a party,” James said. “It’s her accommodations.”

“I didn’t think somebody would need accommodations to speak with me.”

“It’s not for her to speak with you. It’s for you to speak with her.”

Alex cocked his head. 

“Betty is another mammal of interest to the MII.” James clarified. “She’s in a similar predicament to yours. Not quite as extreme as a novel species, of course. But valuable nonetheless.”

“Really?” Alex looked over the feast compacted onto the single rolling cart. “Another mammal of interest?” 

James shot Alex a gentle smirk while heaving items from the cart to the folding table. “You don’t believe that the MII exists solely to provide for one alien mammal, do you?” 

Alex blushed slightly before moving to help James. “No...”

The elk chuckled. “To be fair, after we first heard about your existence, over half of the MII's resources ended up dedicated to your integration plan alone. You’re by far the largest investment the organization has undertaken. But integration is only one of the operations we run. Conservation work is right up there.”

“Which is why Betty gets a buffet.”

Another sigh from James as he laid out six family-sized bags of Preys potato chips. 

“Unfortunately.”

“Sounds like you don’t like the lady.”

James stopped moving snacks and palmed both hoofs down, head sunk over the table. 

“She’s a twat.”

Alex choked down a laugh, which would’ve no doubt been a spit take had he been sipping something.

“Unpleasant, inconsiderate, and as obnoxious as they come.” James continued unloading food with a bit more aggression this time. “She put a sour taste in my mouth after only one meeting. I wanted nothing to do with her after onboarding, but her case file was tossed back and forth before ending right back up on my desk. I should’ve shredded the thing right there if I knew what was good for me.”

“I’m surprised the organization wants anything to do with her in the first place, being that much trouble. Isn’t the MII just trying to help?”

James paused for a beat, then hummed. “This may sound silly, but help is subjective.” 

“You’re right,” Alex smirked. “That does sound silly.”

James returned a grin. “Be that as it may, it’s the truth. The paths we forge don’t always need to end in the same place.” James's smile slipped back to a neutral expression. “Unfortunately, I have a job to do.”

Alex tilted his head. “Unfortunately?”

James slowed his movements, eyes flickering. After a moment, he shook his head and returned to emptying the cart.

“Sometimes, doing what you think is right doesn’t always feel that way.”

The elk dropped the onion dip centerpiece onto the table with a thwump.

“Alright, that should do it,” James wiped his hoofs together, then glanced at his watch. “I’m going to try and catch her in the lobby.” 

James wheeled the cart out the door, antlers poking back into the room just after passing the threshold. 

“Oh, another employee will be joining you for the meeting. She should be arriving any minute. If she asks, I left a copy of the case file on the conference table.”

“You got it, boss.”

Alex strolled around the quiet room, the soft hum of artificial lighting serenading him as he ran his fingers along the edge of the table cradling the feast. His thoughts jumped between the food and the elk’s words, realizing that James still hadn’t mentioned what this meeting was about. 

The thick manila envelope snagged his attention. It sat atop the lavish conference table, waiting patiently for curious eyes. Alex walked over and rubbed his thumb across the bolded name stamped on top: Betty Cavill. He lifted the top, pulled out the cover sheet, and the pieces immediately fell into place. His eyes grazed the extensive meal for several seconds before flicking back to her overview page. 

A curt “ah” left his mouth.

Betty Cavill, the endangered black rhino.

He thumbed through the rest of the packet absentmindedly, not looking for information in particular, but letting details jump out at will. It held pages upon pages of notes outlining her contrarian attitude, a small section on family and upbringing, and a couple of sheets of medical history. The back held the thickest portion of the stack by far, a binder-clipped section titled ‘conservation methodology.’

Alex pulled out the hefty back section and began skimming through it like a flip book. Each page was densely packed with text, impossible to make out at the pace the paper flicked across his view.

However, the one thing he couldn’t miss was a big, bolded ‘Rejected’ stamp covering a quarter of every page. Each stamp was marginally offset from the last, making it jump around his vision as document after document flung from right to left, hypnotising him with its unsettling, connotative mystery. 

“Hi!”

“GAH!”

Alex jumped nearly a foot in the air before stumbling backward and crashing to the floor, the stack in his hands exploding into a mushroom cloud of paper and fluttering around like butterflies.

As the shock wore off and the paper drifted to the floor, Alex looked up to a feminine cheetah standing above him, both paws hovering over her mouth, eyes as wide as dinner plates. She quickly kneeled in front of him, the motion so quick it almost startled him again. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Her voice was soft and sweet with a staccato edge. “Are you ok?”

“I’m good, I’m good,” Alex slowly shuffled himself back to his feet and gave a placating swipe of his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak out. I was a little distracted.”

“No, no, no, that was my fault for sneaking up on you! I didn’t realize I was so quiet on my paws.”

Alex glanced around the torrent of spilled documents and rubbed his neck.

“Sorry for messing up the file.”

Her face rapidly transformed into a vibrant grin. 

“Oh, don’t worry! I got it.”

Before Alex could protest, she dashed around him, snatching up the scattered papers, mesmerizing the human with her impressive pace. 

As Alex watched her spectacle of speed, he gave the lithe cheetah a once-over. Black dots speckled every visible square inch of her tawny fur, while a gentle cream rose up her neck to the bottom half of her muzzle. The rest of her body was covered by a simple white blouse and black skirt. She looked young-ish, probably a couple of years his junior at most, and taller than him by about a head. She radiated an energy that felt like five cups of coffee.

“I’m Ashley Summers.” Her hand zipped in front of him. “You can call me Ash, though!"

He smiled, returning the shake. “Alex B—”

“Baker! Ahh! I know!” She squealed, her eyes flicking over him from tip to toe. “I can’t believe I finally get to work with you!” Her face suddenly dipped into an annoyed frown. “Ugh, and of course, this is how I make my first impression. Nice going, Ashley, you goof .”

Alex laughed. “James mentioned somebody would be joining me today. I assume that’s you?”

Her tail whipped around in excitement. “Yep, yep, yep!”

“Are you going to be helping with my integration stuff too?”

Her ears drooped slightly. “No… I’m still an intern, so I can’t support your team full-time. But, I begged and begged to at least join you on one project, and management finally approved it!” She released another tiny squeal. “Ugh! It’s so exciting! You’re like sooo inspirational!”

Alex raised a brow, the back of his neck feeling warmer than usual.

“Wow,” he coughed. “Not sure I would say what I do is inspirational, but thank you, I guess.”

She gasped lightly. “How can you say that? You’re a part of the most elaborate integration the organization has ever devised, and nailing it!”

“Not much to really ‘nail’ when I basically just do what I’m told.”

She cocked her head at him. “Yeah, but you seem genuinely interested in Zootopia.”

Alex mirrored her head tilt.

Ashley giggled. “Ok, so I haven’t worked here that long, but I’ve supported too many mammals that come through the MII basically just looking for a check. And I mean, I’m happy to help a mammal out, that’s why I wanted the job in the first place. But… ugh . Can’t they be a little more invested in the community or try the social resources?”

“Social resources?”

“Yeah!” She lifted up on her toes for a moment while her tail flitted around like it was trying to speak along with her. “We have neighborhood groups in every district to help get mammals get situated in their new environment.” Her ears folded again. “But, of course, they never take advantage. They collect their stipend and go straight back to their little comfort zone. I mean, what’s the point of integrating into a new environment if you don’t even try to make friends with the locals!”

Alex chuckled at her passion. “I’m not much of a socialite either.”

“Yeah, but you actually try! James tells me you’re super nice to everyone, and you ask questions about everything, and are like super engaged when he teaches you stuff! He told me about how you thought the Tube Transport System was a water slide!”

“I didn’t think it was a water slide…” He grumbled. “I just thought it looked like fun.”

Ashley bounced with a giggle. “You may not see it now, but you do a lot to represent what Zootopia is all about. That’s pretty inspirational to me.” She paused for a moment. “Plus, your face is basically everywhere. That’s super cool because I feel like I’d be… stressed all the time.”

Alex clicked his tongue. “Yep…”

“You better not have skimped on the dip this time, James!”

Alex and Ashley whipped their heads toward the new voice to find a nearly ten-foot-tall rhino duck in through the doorway like she was exiting a clown car.

“Oh yeah!” She rubbed her massive hooves together, her tone hoarse and low, almost like that of a smoker. “Come to mama!”

The black rhino stomped across the room to the array of snacks, barreling past Alex and Ashley, nearly bowling them both to the ground. She quickly squeezed a chip bag until a satisfying pop filled the room, inverted it, and down the entire thing in a matter of seconds. Before the first bag could finish floating to the ground, Betty had popped off the top of the onion dip and gulped down multiple servings worth.

The pair gawked at the voracious display before a hoof gently landed on each of their shoulders.

“Alex, Ashley,” James gave them each a pat. “Meet Betty.”

The elk's introduction didn’t slow the rhino’s gluttonous tirade by a modicum, slurping down a bowl of pasta salad that’d last Alex a week.

Everything about the woman was massive. Each appendage looked like it could crush Alex’s body with little effort. Even her voluminous chest had Alex uncomfortably contemplating whether he could bear their weight. Her charcoal gray skin looked like well-worn leather, wrinkles and creases snaking across her body when she moved. Right between her eyes sat two horns, one right in front of the other, the larger holding centerstage above her nose slits. Alex knew a ‘normal weight’ was relative to the species, but Betty had enough pudge that he guessed her appetite was a tad bit above the average rhino.

Ashley watched the impressive show of consumption with awe before suddenly twitching back into focus. She approached Betty cautiously, craning her neck in from the side in hopes of grabbing her attention.

“Ms. Cavill,” Ashley said with an excited yet gentle wave. “I’m Ashley Summers! I’ll be your case guide for today. It’s so—”

The rhino suddenly released a thundering belch, startling Ashley, her face scrunching and tail extending stiff.

“—Nice to meet you…”

Betty mumbled a reply that vibrated the chip bag her face was buried in.

Ashley cleared her throat and shook some stiffness away. “I’ll let you finish—uh—snacking before we get started.”

A thumbs up from behind a second bag of chips was the rhino’s return. The cheetah strolled back over to Alex and James, a small scowl pulling at the corners of her muzzle.

“I’m sorry about her,” James sighed. “Did operations brief you about her case?”

“They did…” Ashley glanced over her shoulder. “I guess I didn’t fully grasp how intense she was.”

“Polite way of putting it.” James chuckled. “The bright side is that the experience is invaluable. Working with more difficult cases is a great way to garner recognition here, and I’ll make sure the right people are aware of your support today.”

At that, Ashley’s whole demeanor sprang back to life with an ear-to-ear smile and a breeze-like sway to her tail.

Another satisfied burp shook the floors.

“Wow,” Betty gave a long, contented sigh. “You’ve outdone yourself, James.” She grabbed a nearby chair and sat down, the reinforced steel squealing as she settled in. “A real chip-chop cheerio wanker, you are.”

“Oh my lord,” James groaned to the ceiling.

“Lord! Hah! Never gets old, Jamesey boy.” She reached back and grabbed a half tray of strawberry cake. “Now, out of here. You know how I do this.”

“In a moment, Ms Cavill.” James held up a finger, then turned to the human. “Alex, Ashley’s going to lead with a proposal. It shouldn’t take too long, and you won’t need to provide any input at this point. We just thought it'd be valuable for you to see how the process works. Afterwards, we ask that you talk to her. The only requirement is that you interact with the rhino. Whatever you decide to chat about is up to you. Alright?”

Alex nodded with a hum.

The elk smiled, then turned to Ashley with a commiserative lilt to his grin. “Good luck.”

James strolled out of the room, stopping to exchange a single nod with Betty. The door clicked shut, and the room went silent.

Then, Betty burped again.

“Let’s get this show on the road, kiddos.” She said. “What do you got for me?”

Ashley zipped to a nearby chair across the table from her 

“Of course, of course!” She straightened her back with a smile that looked like it was about to fly off her spotted muzzle. “First off, it’s so great to meet you! Being able to talk to you is such an exciting opportunity!”

Betty grunted.

“Why?”

Ashley blinked. 

“W-well, I feel like there’s so much I can learn from you.”

“Like what?”

Ashley squirmed in her chair. 

“I think… uh, maybe you have some wisdom that you could share with me. It’s rare that—”

“Rare?” Betty cocked her head.

Ashley shrank in her seat and looked away as the room grew quiet. Betty studied Ashley, but the creases along her face didn’t spell hostility or annoyance. There was something buried behind her gaze that Alex was intimately familiar with: tedium. 

“Start your spiel,” Betty finally said.

Ashley nodded, sifting through the case file for a specific page.

“S-so, your previous exchange was with Mr. Mertens a month ago.” Ashley’s lengthy tail vibrated, shaking away jitters before reading off a document in front of her. “The MII understands why you rejected this previous offer. We want to ensure you feel compensated for your time and effort. We’ve considered your return offer and feel we could come to a better comprise.”

Betty smirked, then grunted some affirmation.

“So, in addition to necessities,” Ashley continued. “We are willing to cover all personal expenses incurred for the term of the agreement. This includes the original two-month contingency post-term and one month prior. There will be a monthly cap on expenses, but we believe it’s more than enough to ensure your comfort.”

The rhino shoved a hoof full of cake into her mouth. 

“How much?” The words were muffled in Betty’s full maw, cake dribbling down her chin.

“O-oh, it’s $10,000 a month for—”

“No.”

The cheetah balked.

“You know, this is in addition to all necessities, not just a flat cap—”

“No.”

“Ms. Cavill, this won’t affect your regular stipend either. A separate check will be cut for this contract.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Ashley’s brow tightened, her tail whipping the floor with gentle thuds. After a moment, she closed her eyes and let out a quick breath, a cheerful inflection slipping back into her voice.

“Would you be willing to at least look over the proposal?”

Betty swallowed another wad of cake. She grabbed the document, and her beady eyes scanned the page, while Ashley waited with stiff hope.

Suddenly, the chunky rhino scrunched up the white paper and wiped her muzzle. Pink frosting caked the wrinkled edges of the page and splatte

Ashley’s tail bristled, and her body snapped straight. “Ms Cavill, I feel like you’re not even considering how—”

“Consideration? ” Betty leaned on the long conference table, raising the other end in the air. “How much of a background have you done on my case?”

Ashley’s frustration immediately evaporated, her features softening and tawny form shrinking back in her chair.

“I… I reviewed your file.” Ashley’s tone was devoid of confidence. “I’m aware of your history. I-I’m only making you this offer on the MII’s judgment. I didn’t think that…”

Ashley’s voice trailed off as the room was swallowed by silence. She looked at everything except for the rhino staring her down, a shimmer glistening in the corner of golden eyes. Her tail lay in a loose coil under her chair while her ears folded slightly backwards.

A beat passed.

“Are you serious?”

It felt like a pin dropped. Then, the massive rhino’s head slid toward Alex, her horn glinting in the light as she moved. Ashley’s gaze flicked to him with a concoction of fear and appreciation.

The human sat back, arms crossed, and visage wrinkled. He lifted his hands and shook his head. 

“I am the only species of my kind,” Alex said. “I cannot do anything by myself. I am at the mercy of whatever this organization tells me to do, yet you don’t see me yelling at everyone. We are both endangered, but you’re the only one acting like a baby.”

In an instant, both of the female mammals’ expressions morphed. Ashley’s paws flew to cover her mouth, tail rigid as lead pipe. Betty’s eyelids calmly rose to fully stretched eyes.

The room grew aggressively still. One end of the conference table still hovered off the ground, a gentle groan of wood feeding into the silence. The hulking mammal trained her attention on the hairless hominid, his relaxed disapproval holding firm against her glare. 

Suddenly, Betty made some sort of weird chortle. 

A beat passed. 

Another came another chortle.

Then, a sharp snorting sound flew from her maw before finally exploding into deep bellowing guffaws. 

Betty leaned back and laughed, her chubby arms holding her gut, while the table she had been holding up slammed back into the floor, lifting Alex and Ashley's chairs off the ground for a moment. The rhino's rumbling glee shook the room while the younger mammals shot each other confused glances.

“Woowee! Now, pipsqueak here is great,” she laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. “Where’d you come from, sweetie?”

“Crawled out of an alley,” Alex didn’t miss a beat. “Surprised I didn’t see you there.”

Another round of heavy laughter circled the room before Betty settled down. She leaned back, grin stretched to max capacity, and let out her final stream of giggles.

“Finally.” She said. 

A single slow breath left her lips before snapping her attention to Ashley.

“Look, I’m sorry, honey.” She said. “I am never going to change my mind. I have already told every suit in this building that. But you just don’t leave me alone. You’ll never hit that magic number. Let’s save our breath and end this little meeting here, alright?” She paused for a few moments. “Also, I do suck normally, but I might go a little overboard on these proposal meetings.”

A tiny smile bloomed on the cheetah.

“Don’t get me wrong, I care about what you all do here,” Betty added, then gently shook her head. “But no. Thank you.” 

Ashley’s body relaxed, sitting up a bit taller with a couple of quick nods. She shook out a final, tiny jitter before popping out an electric smile, seemingly springing back to her bubbly self.

“Ok!” Ashley’s ears gave a lively flick. “As long as I didn’t offend you, cause I also said—”

“No, trust me,” the rhino cut her off. “I’m an asshole.”

Alex and Ashley laughed.

The door clicked open, and the group turned to see James ducking in.

“Don’t mean to interrupt,” he said. “Just wanted to make sure she hasn’t made anyone cry yet,”

“Almost," Betty chortled. "The furless bean bag over here snapped me straight, though. I think we’re good here unless Spots has anything else to add.”

Ashley giggled, shaking her head. “No, Spots is good.” 

The cheetah and human rose and began walking to the door when Betty called out.

“Wait, I wasn’t done with Bean Bag,” she said. “I only need a minute.”

Alex stopped, turned to Betty, then looked over at James.

“You’re under no obligation to continue this if you’ve already spoken,” James said, then chuckled under his breath. “Minutes slog by with her.”

Alex turned back to the rhino, a smile creeping on his cheeks.

“Sure,” he said. “I’ll chat.”

“Now, that’s a first,” James laughed to himself again. “Come find me in my office when you’re done. Ashley, I’ll handle your debrief.”

The cheetah gave an excited nod. “Ok!”

Ashley took a step toward the door when suddenly her face twisted into surprise, and she whipped around.

“Oh, I forgot!” She yelled, then zipped back to the table. “Can you just sign this Counter-Offer Form for me? It tells them I at least asked you.”

Betty gave a deep laugh. 

“That’s right, you want a ballpark payment from me.” She grabbed a pen, put a hoof to her chin, and hummed. “I guess my last request was a little greedy… You know what. Let’s split the difference. Three billion dollars. That’s a quarter of what I expected before.”

Ashley returned an eyeroll, ending it with a tiny chuckle. “Thank you, Ms Cavill.”

She grabbed the form, then her eyes drifted to Alex, her face lighting up like a Christmas Tree.

“It was nice meeting you!” She gave an exuberant little wave, her rope-like tail flowing behind her, eventually settling into a rumbling vibration. “I really hope I get to see you again!” 

Alex smiled. “Me too.”

The door clicked shut, and Alex walked back to his seat, all the while Betty scrutinized every last inch of him. Her eyes bounced around him, her head following with gentle nods. Her lips pressed into a thin line as Alex finally settled into his chair.

“Flex,” she said. 

“What?” Alex balked. “No.”

“Come on.”

“No.”

Betty rolled her eyes. “At least hold your arms out.”

Alex tilted his head back and sighed before extending both arms.

Betty’s eyes narrowed, and her muzzle made strange little twitches as she eyed his arms. She craned her head slightly to get a better view of his legs. The silent inspection continued for another few silent moments before her gaze met Alex’s again.

“Wow, yeah,” she said. “I just wanted to gauge how bad you get it. You get it real bad, don’t you? There’s nothing to defend yourself with.”

“Excuse me?” Alex chortled. “Maybe agreeing to this was a mistake.”

Betty laughed. “At least you got that mouth on ya. I’m surprised you’ve made it this long without blowing up in public yet. The level of social awareness on some mammals is crazy. I mean, I haven’t socked somebody yet, but I’ve been close.”

“You’ve been endangered a little longer than I have. There’s a good chance I’m just going to snap one day.”

“Nah, you’re already over it, I can tell.”

Alex laughed. “Over being endangered?”

She shook her head. “No. Over the fact that it’s the only thing mammals care about.”

His grin softened, and the room grew quiet for a moment.

“I guess I just focus on the mammals closer to me,” he said, looking away briefly. “It’s kind of obvious the mammals that easily see past this are the good ones.”

Betty scrunched her horned nose. “You know, I used to think that too. Now, I’m not so sure.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “I think it’s really hard to truly understand another mammal’s perspective. You can repeat back what they say, but their story passes through so many filters of you. It’s like a translation issue.” 

She paused for a few moments before shrugging. 

“Sometimes, I think it’s just saying the right thing at the right time.”

Alex didn’t respond. He leaned back in his chair like he was digesting her words. Then, his gaze met hers again, a touch of embarrassment hidden behind his eyes.

“Uh, you obviously don’t have to answer… But they want you to have a kid, right?” Alex asked, raising his fingers into air quotes. “That’s what she meant by the ‘term of the agreement?’” 

There was a beat of silence while the corners of Betty’s mouth roamed strangely along her maw. Then her head drooped, and she gave a tired chuckle.

“Yeah.” 

She paused.

“They want a kid.”

She paused for multiple beats. 

“And I think three tries is enough.”

A calm moment passed before Alex went from pink to pale, his insult crashing back into memory like a missile. His hands shook gently while his mouth gurgled stressed noises of apology, but Betty cut him off before he could get anywhere.

“I’ve been waiting for one of these mammals to blow up in my face,” She laughed with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “It’s alright. You’re good.”

Alex slowly eased as her gentle laughter faded into a bittersweet sigh. 

“My tears are gone.” She blew out a final breath. “But my heart’s done.”

The room grew silent for a moment.

“Luckily, I’ve learned that hearing these proposals out means free lunch,” Betty grunted, reaching for a half-eaten veggie platter on the table. “It’s only a couple more years until I can’t help them anyway, so I’ve got to take advantage while I can.”

Alex’s mouth went agape at the word ‘lunch.’

“They set you up good, right?” She asked.

“Real good,” Alex nodded. “That ‘special mammal act’ basically covers everything.”

“The EMI? Pretty sweet gig, huh? You probably have a couple of extra zeros on yours, but I’m not complaining about some extra cash and my monthly buffet.” 

Alex laughed. “I’m surprised James puts all this on for your annoying ass.”

“He loves it,” She shrugged with a smile. "I razz James, but I know what he’s about.”

She went quiet for a moment, looking toward the door as if he were there. Alex followed her gaze.

“You’re very lucky to have him looking out for you, you know,” she said.

Alex turned his head back to a dead serious expression from Betty, a hint of admiration radiating from her gaze.

A smile bloomed on his face. 

“Yeah," he said. "I know.”

Betty matched a smile and nodded.

“Alright, I’m done with ya,” she said. “I’m gonna pack this up and get out of here.” 

Betty stood from her chair, which now sat slightly lower from a permanent deformity, scooped up the remains of her meal, and crammed it into a to-go container the size of a small bathtub. The two left the room and walked down a long corridor to the elevator landing. Betty used her massive elbow to push the down arrow, then up, before finally bumping against Alex’s arm playfully.

“I know James is sitting up top,” Betty winked. 

The elevator dinged, and the rhino squeezed into the small room, Alex chuckling at the way her hulking form gobbled up the space.

“See ya around, Bean Bag,” she said.

Alex gave a final salute-wave as the doors slid together, and she disappeared from sight.

Bzzzz

Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, his eyes lighting up at the notification from Emily.

The human and lynx pair had been texting regularly for the past couple of days. Even with big gaps between interactions sometimes, it was a lifesaver for Alex. He didn’t realize how cathartic a ‘what’s happenin?’ text could be. The gravity of finally being able to send someone a meme lifted his soul.

When their messages weren’t fully comprised of Instaham reels, Emily caught Alex up on interspecies zeitgeist. He nearly short-circuited when she walked him through the six levels of subculture dedicated to felines only. The social dynamics in Zootopia soared far beyond predator and prey. There were trends specifically for mammals with tusks. There were celebrations for mammals that shed. It never ended. Alex wished he could’ve asked Colin about Roll Crew, a dance form armadillos performed as the only shelled mammal.

Alex poked the message, his excited gaze growing with anticipation before crashing into an eyeroll once the GIF loaded. The short clip of Alex engulfing a stack of cricket kabobs, two at a time, repeated endlessly on his screen. He would’ve felt embarrassed if GIFs like this didn’t pop up every couple of days.

[Emily]: I’m actually kinda impressed by this

[Emily]: Not helping your slob case tho

[Alex]: Have you tried them?!?

[Alex]: It’s like the perfect crunch on a stick! 😻

[Emily]: Doesn’t mean you can’t use a napkin 

[Emily]: You check out the Fur Fighters yet?

[Alex]: Yeah

[Alex]: Turns out I already knew them lol

[Emily]: ???

[Alex]: Well the lyrics were more cat-centric than I remembered, but I liked a near identical band from my Earth.

[Emily]: Huh

[Emily]: Cool

[Emily]: Guess your taste in music is one less thing I have to educate you on.

The corners of Alex’s mouth perked up.

[Alex]: You didn’t ask to be friends just to bully me, did you?

[Emily]: No

[Emily]: It’s a nice perk tho 😼

A chime echoed, and the elevator doors slid open while Alex finished an emoji-laden reply with a big, goofy grin. He then slid the phone back into his pocket and looked up.

And there was Samantha McCarthy. 

The panther stood impressively still, though her tail twirled behind her with a taunting lilt. Her casually crossed arms and shoulder leaning against the elevator frame gave the illusion of a relaxed form, but she emitted an energy that felt coiled to pounce. Her sleek, inky black barrel of a snout locked onto him like prey. 

She said nothing, simply watching him with unblinking yellow daggers.

Alex’s gaze never faltered, holding her rapt attention with an unmoved affect. Something deep in his soul craved to draw a smirk for her. To scoff and roll his eyes away. Sigh. Shake his head. Laugh. Anything to assert his status as a free mammal to the twisted creature that had locked him beneath the Earth for so long. 

But he did none of it. The relaxed lines of his eyes and mouth held firmly in place, disinterest festering from his soul, as if the unbridled emotion conjured from her form was being funneled into raw passivity. 

Alex stepped into the elevator with slow and even strides. His eyes held McCarthy’s until his body passed the opening, her ropelike tail swinging languidly out of the way as he entered. He pushed the floor button while she backed out of the elevator threshold.

Their eyes met once again with an unrelenting intensity. The elevator gently rumbled, and a barrier between them began to form. As the wall grew, the panther’s piercing gaze shifted, roaming his body with quick and meticulous care. When her yellow orbs returned to his brown pools, her pupils had thinned. 

And as the elevator doors met, a whisper of her smile slipped through. 

A shiver ran through his body when the elevator lurched upward.

Chapter Text

“15 minutes and you’re done,” said James. “30 max, I promise.”

Alex pulled his cheeks down and huffed. “What am I even supposed to say to her?”

“It’s just to introduce you and exchange pleasantries. No political discussion. We just want footage of the interaction.”

The limo jostled violently as it rolled over a pothole, rattling Alex in his seat and sending a new wave of stress through his already shaky form. He pulled at the collar of his stiff white dress shirt, then wiped clammy palms on his jet black slacks.

“Think of it this way,” James continued. “You’re pushing the conversation forward. This interaction will support your integration and give mammals some much-needed perspective.”

“Yeah, I’ll read her a poem and fix society.”

“It’s just to introduce you, Alex.”

“Don’t you have better pundits for this job?”

“You’re not a—” James stopped short, suddenly clasping his hoofed hands together, closing his eyes, and releasing a heavy breath. “Look… Whether you like it or not, you have influence. Being a novelty means everything you do is scrutinized that much more than your average mammal.”

Alex flung his arms up. “What are they scrutinizing? I haven’t done anything!” 

“Exactly,” James said, jabbing a finger at him. “In the eyes of the masses, not doing anything can be just as detrimental as doing the wrong thing. You have to prove you’re moving in the right direction first. Mammals need to see that you’re adapting to their lifestyle.”

The human huffed and crossed his arms.

“Progress, Alex. That’s what we’re after. We’re trying to prove that even a species no one has ever heard of can thrive peacefully amongst the denizens. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

A sigh escaped Alex’s lips that went on longer than he intended. “Ok.” He lifted his tired gaze to meet James. “Talking to the mayor will help?”

“Talking to the mayor will help,” the elk echoed, a loose smile hanging on his lips. “It’s a meet and greet. Small talk, at most. You won’t be giving a speech.”

“Yet…”

“R-right,” James coughed. “Afterwards, the day is yours. Do you still have plans to meet with Emily?”

Alex squeezed his phone’s power button, the display glowing bright under the cabin light. He scrolled through a text conversation until the screen rubber-banded at the bottom.

Alex: yeah 3 works

Emily: Meet at Mousy’s 

Emily: We can walk the west wing

“Yeah, Galleria Mall at 3 PM,” Alex said, swallowing a chuckle after reading the latest message.

Emily: I assume your nanny will be hanging with us?

The limo stopped abruptly, sending another torrent of discomfort through Alex’s bones. He peered out the tinted window at Zootopia City Hall, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of the twin facades of white concrete clawing their way to the sky. The pillars of white flowed down into a flared base, scrunching a single stream of glass between them.

The structure towered over Savannah Central Plaza, yet it appeared nestled into the city’s skyline, flanked by the sharp peaks of the surrounding skyscrapers. The plaza in front spanned a wide semi-circle of the same sandy-taupe and burnt orange that made up most of the government buildings in the city.

Upon entry, the grandeur of the interior dropped Alex’s jaw. Palm trees sprouted from the marble floors so seamlessly that Alex questioned whether they were authentic. A gentle stream divided the foyer, its crystal clear waters winding beneath a gold-and-white bridge that nearly spanned the lobby. The human’s eyes wandered over the almost futuristic design, wishing for a moment to explore every square inch. 

Unfortunately, a stampede of journalists scrambling toward him ripped him from his trance. 

“Alex Baker! Alex Baker!” A masculine dhole burst forward, jamming a microphone so close to his face he nearly toppled backwards. “Is it true that humans dominated over mammal-kind in your reality?”

The human’s eyes flew wide, mouth sputtering useless syllables before another microphone rocketed over the canine’s shoulder.

“How much protein does your species need?”

Another microphone flanked him.

“Why is the nature of your home world being kept secret?”

Electronic flashbulbs exploded like fireworks, leaving ghostly halos in his vision.

“Do your species have dormant behaviors?” 

Microphone after microphone snaked its way into Alex’s peripheral, staring him down like the heads of a hydra. The cacophony of their questions slowly blended together, and his eyes found difficulty focusing. Rivulets of sweat slipped from his brow as his thundering heart pounded against his ribs.

Suddenly, James’ imposing form leaped in front of Alex, creating a barrier between the human and the onslaught of voices. 

“Mr. Baker won’t be taking questions at this time,” he asserted.

Without missing a beat, James reached back and grabbed Alex’s arm, using his free hand to snap toward the human’s bodyguards and point to the floor beside him. The two agents skillfully slid into place on Alex’s flank, pushing back the probing microphones. Camera flashes highlighted the gaps between the mammalian barricade as the group expertly maneuvered the human around the cavalcade of press and over to the elevators.

Once inside the elevator, Alex slumped against the mirrored wall and released a breath he didn’t know he was holding in.

“Are you alright?” James asked, lowering himself to meet Alex at eye level.

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine,” Alex muttered, shaking off a tremor. “Way more intense than I expected.”

“We didn’t anticipate it to be this bad.” James sighed. “You’re officially ‘communicating with the public’ now, so to speak. While planning your integration with the city, we argued that direct interviews were too risky for your mental well-being. We didn’t want you to feel more overwhelmed than you already were. So, we struck a deal. All footage had to be collected organically. No journalist could approach you until deemed ready. Unfortunately, meeting with the mayor means you’re fair game.”

“Fantastic.”

“We held the dam as long as we could, Alex. You wouldn’t believe how many interviews we’ve turned down this week alone.” 

Alex pursed his lips. “Let’s keep that streak going.”

The elevator chimed, and the doors slid away to reveal a massive hallway bathed in gold decor. Ornate sconces lined the walls, their glow bouncing off gilded trim and plush carpeting that swallowed each footstep. After a short walk, James stopped before a magnificent set of double doors and knocked firmly.

“Come in!”

The doors swung wide, unveiling the mayor’s elegantly simple office. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across the room, flooding it with sunlight and offering a panoramic view of Zootopia’s skyline. Off to the side, a sleek black couch and a few armless chairs circled a small coffee table. In the room's center, a cherry maple desk gleamed like still water on a bright summer’s day.

Behind the desk sat a mink of pure white fur and emerald eyes. Her expression bloomed at the sight of Alex, pushing her chair back and hopping up onto the desk. She strolled to the edge of the rich brown cliff, while her simple red dress fluttered in the non-existent breeze, the fabric clinging just enough to accentuate her curves. From her perch, she matched Alex’s height almost identically, significantly highlighting her barely two-foot stature. Her face hinted at maturity, maybe somewhere in her late 40s, though Alex admittedly was no expert at judging ages, human or otherwise.

She had an undeniable allure that had Alex’s gaze walking up and down her form. The way her hips swayed ever so slightly to a subtle rhythm. The way the curve of her chest filled out her dress, proportioned perfectly to her figure, while a teasing plume of white fluff peeked from her neckline. And the way those viridescent pools seemed to pierce his soul with the confidence of a life rich with experience. 

Alex’s eyes lingered on her for a heartbeat longer before finally catching himself. Her gaze sharpened with a playful angle.

“You’re looking at me like I’m the first mink you’ve ever met,” she teased, a gentle southern lilt to her tone.

Alex swallowed hard.

“I was admiring your outfit,” he said, coughing into his hand in a weak attempt to hide the heat rising in his cheeks. “You look… nice.”

“What a charmer!” She laughed, a bright, musical sound that filled the room. “Shame that Zootopia only gets one human—mammals could learn a thing or two from you.”

The mink leapt from the desk, landing with a grace that made the motion look effortless. She brushed her paw lightly against Alex’s calf and cocked her head to the sitting area. 

“Come, sit with me,” she said. “No need to hover around a desk.”

Alex followed, his longer strides carrying him to a seat well before she reached the halfway point.

“Do you mind if we keep the chit chat plain, Mr. Baker?” She asked, crossing her legs as she settled into her chair. “All the political talk can be such a slog.”

“I’d actually prefer it, ma’am.”

“Perfect.” She flashed a grin. “No more of that ma’am stuff, either.”

His posture eased slightly. 

“Only if you call me Alex.” 

Her grin widened. 

“Deal.” 

The door behind them rattled, and a wave of mammals filed into the office, lugging matte black hard-plastic cases. Within seconds, a small squad of mostly canines and the occasional bear began unloading an arsenal of camera gear. Alex wondered if the smaller mammals were limited to operating stationary cameras, like those on talk shows, while their larger counterparts handled the heavy lifting.

“So, tell me about yourself.”

Alex turned to find the mink’s head tilted slightly, her emerald eyes fixed on him.

“Oh, uh… I’m a human.” He rubbed his neck followed by a cough. “Which is… a kind of mammal.”

She rolled her eyes, though her smile maintained its mirth. “Not quite what I was looking for.”

“Right, well… I’ve been working with the MII to integrate into society. I’m still learning the ropes here, but—uh—it’s been pretty good so far.”

She laughed. “Getting colder, sweetheart.”

“Sorry, um…” 

He twiddled his thumbs, shifting in his seat as the silence stretched, beat after beat. Minerva sat with the same sweet smile, watching him wrestle with words. Finally, his head dropped and he let out a small, defeated sigh. 

“Alright, I’ll be blunt,” he said. “I’m not sure what you want me to tell you.”

Her brow arched, and she cocked her head.

“I mean… do you want to know about my human life? I was a below-average salaryman still trying to figure things out. Want to hear about my life now? I’m a cultural phenomenon that’s shuffled around the city for a day job. It’s... hard to talk about me when existing is the only thing I’m doing.”

Alex’s gaze drifted to the wall of windows while Mayor Minerva eased deeper into her seat.

”It feels like my life hit reset the moment I got here—only now, I’m suddenly a big deal. People care about what I do, everything in my life is paid for, and I get to talk to powerful mammals...” He made a small gesture toward Minerva, eliciting a giggle from the mink. “It just… feels so strange to have this big, meaningful role. I don’t feel that special.” He sank back into the upholstery with a sigh. “I’m just a dude letting life take me for a ride.”

Her gaze softened. She looked down, idly brushing her tail across her lap. 

“I don’t think so.” She said. “There’s more to you than that.”

“How do you figure?”

Her smile took a coy turn as her eyes met his again.

“You liked my dress.”

Alex’s cheeks flushed instantly.

“Oh, quit your blushing,” she laughed, flapping both paws at him. “I’m old enough to be your mother, for goodness' sake.”

Alex only ripened further. 

“What does me complimenting your outfit tell you?”

“You’re open-minded.”

The human didn’t respond right away, his eyes flickering in thought. “That’s… valuable?”

“I think so. This city thrives on open-mindedness—It’s what drew me here in the first place.”

Alex didn’t answer, his focus wandering to the clouds floating lazily by the window, holding back the pull of an introspective spiral.

“I’ve been so excited to meet you, you know.”

His attention returned to her, brows lifting. “You have?”

She chuckled, crossing her legs. “I’ve been dying to hear what you think.”

“About Zootopia?”

“About everything .” Now, it was her turn to gaze out the window. “I grew up in a small town miles from here. Spent my whole life around mustelids—Most of them minks, too. Similar creatures tend to get along well.” Her radiant gaze gleamed as it found his again. “But I wanted more. Not just new mammals. I needed new cultures. New Ideas. I craved a shock to my system in a way I hadn’t felt before. So, I applied to Zoo U and never looked back.” She exhaled, the sound tinged with nostalgia. “I remember my first steps off that train… So many mammals. So many lives. So many perspectives all mingling together in one big pot. It was so daunting, and yet wildly intoxicating. Fell in love with it right then and there.”

Alex sat quietly, weighing her words. “So, you want to know if my experience was like yours?”

She let out a soft laugh. “Not quite. From what I understand, your situation is a bit more complicated. This isn't your first city of different mammals, it's your first world of them.”

Alex chuckled and nodded.

“I want to know if you see the beauty of it all—really feel the connection in the differences. The community in our diversity.”

Alex’s eyes roamed as he pondered her words before eventually settling on her small, white paws, folded neatly on her lap. Then he looked to his own hands, gently rubbing them together with a surreal curiosity. The corners of his mouth teased at a grin. 

“I think so,” he said. “My first couple of days here were a little—uh— overstimulating, to say the least. But now, the more I look, the more fascinated I am. It’s still scary, I won’t lie. But even though I didn’t choose this, I still get to choose what comes next. It’s like a strange opportunity… A really, really strange opportunity.”

They both chuckled, the sound fading into an appreciative quiet.

Alex leaned back and let out a long breath. “Maybe strangeness isn’t so bad.”

Minerva’s smile glowed. “I knew I saw the wonder in your eyes.” 

“Brilliant!” James’ voice boomed, filling the room like a cymbal crash. “Absolutely brilliant! Thank you, everyone. We’ll cut it there. Arthur, make sure that audio ends up on my desk. I think we’ve got more than enough valuable sound bites.”

Alex’s head whipped around. Three different cameras framed the human and mink from various angles, while another half dozen mammals were scattered about the space with boom mics or notebooks in hand.

When James called the cut, the energy in the room began to dissolve. The camera operators lowered their rigs, and a rising hum of idle chatter filled the air. After such a focused exchange, the background noise now felt oddly intrusive.

“It’s been so wonderful speaking with you.”

Alex turned back. Minerva now stood atop the low coffee table, bringing her to eye level with him while sitting. Her paw extended toward him, the gleam in her eyes warm and inviting.

He smiled and took it, mentally gushing at how soft her fur felt. “Yeah, this went way better than I expected.”

For a few moments, they shared a companionable shake before the brightness in Minerva’s gaze shifted. Something coy curled at the edges of her expression.

“You know,” she said softly. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you personally.” She leaned forward, voice dropping to a playful whisper. “But you don’t have to rub my paw.”

Alex’s eyes darted down. His hand all but engulfed hers, absentmindedly kneading the velvety fur between his fingers. 

His eyes flew wide, his face flushed beet red, and he ripped his hand away as if from a hot stove.

Minerva’s laugh followed her as she hopped down and waltzed back to her desk, tossing him a wink over her shoulder. 

“Keep that mind open, Alex.”

A grin tugged at his mouth despite himself.  

He stood and crossed the room toward James, who had just handed a clipboard and pen back to one of the crew.

“Alex, I am blown away!” The elk beamed, his hooves gripping the human’s shoulders in a gentle shake. “That was beautifully executed. Miss Minerva’s charm puts a lot of folk under a spell, but you—” his eyes sparkled, and a knowing grin slid onto his muzzle “—you held your own pretty well.”

Alex laughed, subtly rolling his eyes. “Thanks, James.”

“C’mon, let’s get you out of here. No need to hang about while the crew packs up.”

The pair waved a final farewell to the charming mink and stepped out into the hallway, bodyguards in tow. They made their way back down the hall, but instead of slowing down as they reached the elevator landing, James kept walking. Alex’s brow furrowed as the elk rounded a corner and pushed open the heavy stairwell door.

“I planned an escape route,” Jame said, propping the door open with an arm. “I doubt you want to deal with the media again.”

The dull thunks of their steps echoed throughout the stairwell as they descended. They passed three floor signs before James glanced back over his shoulder.

“That really was impressive work, Alex,” he said. “And I don’t just mean the recording’s value to the organization. I mean the conversation itself—how fruitful of a dialogue it was.” He slowed his pace just slightly. “It wasn’t any one thing you said in particular, either. You just… talked. Talked about being a mammal.” He tacked on a tiny wink before facing forward again. “Maybe you are a pundit after all.”

Alex didn’t reply, but he couldn’t help the dopey smile that lingered as they descended. 

Before Alex could ask if they were taking the stairs the entire way down, James opened a door marked 84B. A short walk later, they reached a service elevator, rode it to the lower level, and stepped through the cool air of the parking garage toward a familiar black car.

The limo was almost exclusively reserved for the higher-profile appearances now. Most days, James drove him in a black sedan that would’ve been considered typical if not for the car armor and extra cabin space to accommodate the elk’s sprawling antlers.

After a quick drive, they arrived at the concrete and glass behemoth known as the Zootopia Galleria Mall. Alex had never been to the ‘Mall of America’ before, but he was near certain this one could swallow it whole. Fourteen turnoff points blurred past before James finally steered into one of the entrance lanes, pulling into a drop-off zone outside of a department store.

“Go ahead,” James gave a gentle nod toward the passenger door. “I’ll find parking.”

Alex raised a brow. “You want me to wait for you somewhere?”

“No, go enjoy your time with Emily. We’ll be nearby. Just call me if you need us.”

Elation danced in the human's gaze before settling into an appreciative smile. “Thanks, James.”

The elk returned the grin as Alex stepped out, and then eased the car away. 

The human turned in place, trying to take in the sheer scale of the architectural leviathan they called a mall. As he stepped inside, the temperature shifted to a cool, conditioned breeze carrying scents both mouthwatering and strange. Towering banners draped from the ceiling displayed smiling mammals in the latest seasonal fashion, while signage the size of billboards advertised everything from bear boutiques to gourmet nut shops for squirrels. From every direction, a constant tide of shoppers flowed in and out of storefronts, their voices and footsteps blending into a low, rolling hum.

A long, descending whistle broke Alex’s musings.

“Blown away by a shopping mall, huh?” Emily’s voice carried a teasing lilt. “Just wait until you see a wholesale store like Rams Club.”

Alex’s attention shifted to the lynx approaching with a smarmy grin and a saunter so confident it echoed Mayor Minerva herself.

Alex and Emily have met a handful of times since the ice cream shop. Mostly meetups for coffee, strolls around a district park, and the occasional meal, typically lasting a couple of hours or so. James encouraged it, even offering her to join the full Rainforest District and Outback Island tours.

“Nice to see you too,” he deadpanned, a faint smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“Where’re your boys?” She asked.

“James said he’d let us do our thing today.”

“Ooo, does that make you a free mammal?”

“Closest I’ve been so far,” he smirked.

The pair strolled into Mousy’s, one of the larger department stores at Galleria Mall. 

“So, I’m not entirely sure where to take you,” she said. “They don’t have a humie section here.”

Alex gave a dry chuckle with a shake of his head. “I think James mentioned that I was a wolf size or something.”

“Canine, got it.”

She waved for him to follow, leading the way to a set of four escalators in the store’s center, each wide enough for them to stand side by side five times over. Alex trailed closely behind the lynx, his gaze sweeping across the vast floor, mentally mapping the store’s layout. 

At a glance, clothing seemed organized by genus or family, as signage for rabbit and hare sections hung around the ground floor. However, as they descended, it was made clear that the system grouped clothing by taxonomic order. The escalator lazily carried them past signs for Carnivora, and Proboscidea, while the ones for Lagomorph, Eulipotyphla, and Rodentia faded behind. It made sense to keep larger, heavier mammals on lower levels.

They navigated through the canine section and eventually found the racks labeled for wolves. The style was surprisingly similar to humans, save for the posters featuring dog models and copious graphic tees centered around howling. The area barely looked any different than one he’d see back home.

Emily plucked a small stack of shirts from various racks and handed them over. Alex immediately tossed two back after spotting their clearly child-sized proportions.

“Hysterical.” He drew out the word. “Bet your stand-up is great.”

She held up her paws, smirking. “Sorry, I didn’t know your vibe.”

Alex responded with an odd half-snorted chuckle, thumbing through the rest of the clothes for any other outliers. 

“How’d your chat with the Mayor go?”

Alex paused his search and glanced over to the lynx. She leaned casually against a sweatshirt display, her splotchy muzzle twitching, and her usual smugness absent.

“Uh, really good, actually,” Alex resumed scanning through the shirts, a subtle pink creeping up his jawline. “The mayor is super laid back. Very easy mammal to talk to.”

Emily hummed.

“James said I did great,” he smiled. “I think they only needed a friendly conversation from me, though. Not a high bar to pass.” He chuckled. “They’re probably going to chop the recording up for a bunch of different stuff anyway.”

“You enjoy doing it?”

His brow arched. “Talking to the mayor?”

“All of it.” She listed items on her furry fingers. “The mayor, district tours, the big appearances. The babysitter makes it a little weird, but you basically live the life of an Aardashian.”

He chuckled. “I don’t really care for the spotlight, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say this isn’t the easiest job I’ve ever had. There's a brat in me that hates doing what I’m told, but I trust James.” He paused, idly pinching the shirt fabric. “He basically saved me in all honesty. I was sinking for a while, but he never gave up trying to pull me out of it. Didn’t realize how much help I needed. Some things really do make the push all worth it.”

Emily’s nose scrunched. “Like what?”

Alex gave a gentle shrug and chuckled.

“Friends.” 

Emily’s fluffy form remained relaxed against the display, but something in her posture flickered. 

“That was gross, dude.” She mimed a gag. “The cornball of two universes.”

Alex returned a hearty laugh while a smile bloomed on her cheeks.

“You gonna try on the shirt or just tickle it?” She said.

Alex worked through the short stack of clothes, slipping each shirt over his current tee. Emily gave an occasional nod toward one she thought looked decent, but nothing sparked enough interest for Alex to bother checking out. After, they took a quick stroll through the pants section, but Alex knew full well that trying anything on was out of the question. Still, he snapped a couple of photos of brands that caught his eye, hoping James might be able to recreate them without the embarrassing gap in fabric.

They eventually circled back toward the escalators. Just as Emily was about to step on, Alex called out.

“Wait—Can we go down a level?”

She raised a brow. “Why?”

“I want to see the elephant section.”

“Why?” She repeated, a bit slower this time. “Getting a gift for somebody?”

“No, not a gift,” he wrung his hands. “I just wanted to see what it looks like down there.”

Emily chewed her tongue, scanning him up and down. A quip lingered at the back of her throat, but it died with a click of her mouth.

“I don’t think you should do that,” she said.

“Oh… I shouldn’t?” His shoulders dipped.

“I don’t think you mean any harm, but I also don’t think it’s a good look.”

“Is it weird to walk around areas meant for different mammals?”

“If you don’t have a reason to be there?” She paused briefly, gaze flickering. “Maybe.”

Alex scratched his arm, eyes flitting around the room. 

“Alright,” he sighed. “Let’s head back up.”

They rode the escalator back up to the main level, falling into an easy pace as they wandered the mall. Alex’s eyes roamed over the mammal-specific stores with an easy grin, the puns providing an endless supply of entertainment. Stretch’s Athletic Club, a gym specializing in long necks, had him rubbernecking as he passed.

Near the end of a strip of stores, a paintbrush sign swung gently. He bumped Emily’s shoulder and pointed. 

“Want to check it out?”

Her eyes sparked for a heartbeat before a gentle shake of her head snuffed out the light. 

“Creative Collections?” 

“Yeah. You’re a painter, right?”

“That place is crazy expensive. I don’t really use their products.”

“So what? We don’t have to buy anything.”

She buzzed her lips and crossed her arms. “I don’t know, dude.”

Alex rolled his eyes, nudging her again. “Come on, what’re you flaking about?”

He moved in front of her, cocking his head to the storefront and then slowly curved toward it. Emily hesitated, glancing around for a moment before eventually joining him.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the faint smell of canvas and glue greeted them. Rows of neatly stacked frames, felt, and branded craft supplies filled the aisles. Every size and shape of paintbrush poked outward along the back wall, edge to edge, complete with brush attachments for every type of paw and claw. 

Alex, having little art experience, let Emily take the lead. She tried for a mask of indifference as she skimmed over displays, but the faint curl of her lips betrayed her. After traversing a few aisles, a thought popped into his head.

“You know, I still haven’t seen any of your work yet,” he said.

Emily glanced at him, an uncertain brow lifting. “You know you can just Zoogle it.”

Alex shrugged. “Thought it’d be more fun if you showed me.”

She studied him, her gaze scrunching ever so slightly. Her paw tapped against the floor with a soft click as she bit the inside of her cheek. Then, with a small sigh, she pulled out her phone, poked around the screen, and flipped it toward him.

Alex’s eyes went wide. 

The first piece was an explosion of color. Paint splatters of hues across the entire spectrum burst outward from a chaotic center. The gentle swirling near the edges made him feel like he was being pulled into the canvas itself.

He reached out and swiped his finger across the screen, Emily narrowing her eyes for just a second.

The next had jagged lines that tore across the frame, crisscrossing in layers, each stroke fighting for dominance. The composition formed a kind of maze that urged his eyes to chase one color until it vanished beneath another, each line he followed lulling him into a trance.

He reached out and gripped the phone, gently pulling it toward himself. She held it for a moment before relinquishing the device, so he could flick through her library, his mind mesmerized by the stark contrast of her sharp, aggressive pieces and soft, fluid ones. 

“Woah!” Alex said, zooming in and out of images. “You do Abstract stuff!” 

She returned a curt hum. 

“All of this with paint?”

“Yep.” 

“Dang! I’d love to see these in person sometime.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I bet you love my squiggly lines.”

He raised a brow and offered her phone back, flinching when she snatched it from his hand. 

“I’m serious, I think those are cool.”

Her lips curled into a frown. “Do you even care about art?”

Alex leveled his gaze, mirroring an affect he’d seen her wear before. He watched her wide ears flit between vertical and splayed, while her pink nose twitched in short bursts. Her fur puffed out slightly, compressed under her crossed arms, while occasional clicks of her foot paw tapped to an anxious tempo. The narrowed look in her eyes spelled impatience.

“Alright, time out.” Alex mimed a ‘T’ with his hands. “Something’s bugging you, and I don’t think it’s me.”

Emily’s tapping stopped abruptly.

His eyes softened. “I’m sorry if I pried too much, but I’m not lying. Your stuff is eye-catching. I don’t know anything about art, but I’m still impressed that you can harness a vision and create things like this. Coming from a guy who went to school for something he couldn’t give less of a shit about, it’s fascinating to see real passion like that.”

Emily’s eyes relaxed, but the rest of her expression remained blank. Then, slowly, her arms dropped to her sides.

“That’s—I mean, Uh…” She searched for words before settling on, “Thanks.”

Alex smiled. 

“And hey, the fact that you have something to show off? Pretty sweet. All I’ve got to show from selling my soul to corporate life is a hunch in my posture.”

That earned him a small laugh, some of Emily’s spirit floating back into frame. 

They quietly returned to browsing. Though this time around, Emily’s attention on the shelves seemed looser. Her ears sat at half mast, listlessly shifting between positions. 

After another aisle or two, Emily suddenly jerked her paws to her face and dragged them along her muzzle.

“Ugh, dammit!” She groaned. 

Alex's eyes widened, and he tilted his head.

“Look, I’m sorry about all… that.” Her eyes drifted away briefly. “I… I appreciate what you said about my work. I’ve had some rough experiences talking about it, so I can get a little defensive.”

Alex hummed. “Mammals trashing your squiggly lines, huh?”

She twirled a paw. “Ehh… More along the lines of ‘your passion is a complete waste of time,’”

“ Oof .” He winced. “Strangers can be harsh.”

“Try boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Alex’s brows shot up. “Like dating right now, boyfriend?”

“Pfft, not a chance.” She wrinkled her nose like she caught a whiff of something foul. “Recent ex. Broke up a couple months back. Took me years to realize what a walking trash bag he was, though.”

“How’d you end up together?”

She shrugged. “I’d hesitate to say he was charming when we first met. Not many lynxes at my university, and we overlapped on gen-eds. He struck up a conversation one day, and now four and a half years of my life are gone.” She chuckled, then frowned. “I probably should’ve realized losers have an easier time reeling you in when your dating pool’s shallow.”

“No other species has caught your eye before?” He asked.

“Like another feline?”

He shrugged. “Not necessarily.”

Her pace slowed. “Not necessarily?”

“You’ve never seen a cute—uh— otter, or something?”

Emily stopped dead, fixing him with an unreadable glare. Then, a singular brow shot up her forehead.

“Alright, I’m just the weird alien here,” he said, palms up and laughing. “But a society with so many different mammals definitely has interspecies dating, right? There’s no way a civilization this advanced would think that’s crazy.”

Emily kept her brow raised, but something in her eyes shifted.

“Sure, genetics matter,” he continued. “But from my end, there isn’t anything that diverse in the way species interact. Mannerisms and lifestyle might make it hard, but the general attitude between mammals? That seems like a pretty solid baseline when it comes to compatibility.” He limply waved a hand. “An elephant and a mouse might be extreme, but a wolf dating—I don’t know—an antelope? It’s going to be hard to convince the only living member of his species that it’s an affront to God.”

Emily returned a wavering chuckle. “Alright, alright, you got me. Pred-prey relationships are still pretty uncommon, but different mammals hooking up is a tale as old as time. I actually remember seeing flyers for ‘interspecies speed dating’ around campus.”

He hummed. “Didn’t mean to put you on the spot, by the way. You don’t really get to choose who you’re attracted to.”

The lynx’s face softened in thought. “Nah, you’re good. Some mammals do have pretty strong opinions about it, though.”

“Yeah? Maybe it’s because my Earth only had one intelligent species, but dating another mammal sounds like it could be kinda…” His cheeks suddenly flushed, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “Wild."

Emily barked a laugh. “Alright, I think somebody needs a cold shower.”

“Oh, whatever, dude.” He laughed back.

A flash of color caught Alex’s eye. Just past Emily’s shoulder, LED strips flickered around the edges of a luxury display advertising a singular set of paint products.

“Whoa,” Alex pointed. “I didn’t know fancy paint existed.”

“It is fancy, as a matter of fact.” Emily teasingly stuck out her tongue. “Seriously, Elite Color makes the best stuff, and this Spectrum pack is unreal. Broadest range of colors I’ve ever seen.”

“You use it before?”

“I—uh—borrowed some from another student during class.” The left side of her maw bunched up. “Only once or twice, though. Promise.” 

“Hope it wasn’t a mistake going in here with you.”

She smirked. 

Alex glanced at the box, chewing his cheek silently, before turning back to her.

“I’ll get it for you,” he said.

She blinked. “What?”

“I’ll buy you the paint set.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

She folded her arms. “It’s a $400 paint set.”

“And I have $400.”

She narrowed her eyes, lips twitching in a suppressed smile. “That’s a lot of money for your spontaneous gifts budget.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Emily, I get paid to exist. This is nothing.”

She adjusted her stance, head tilting just enough to suggest she was sizing him up. Her eyes traced him in deliberate passes, tightening to a squint that made it clear she wasn’t going to accept that answer.

So, Alex frowned and slumped his shoulders.

“Alright… I’m sorry.” He mumbled, rubbing his arm and sighing “It’s just… Well…”

He cracked a smile.

“James told me I get a pretty good tax break for supporting starving artists.”

The facade fell, and Emily suddenly exploded into laughter. She shook with delight, stomach wrapped in her arms and nose lifted to the ceiling.

Alex lit up at the magical sight, the sincerity in her giggles music to his ears. It was the kind of infectious giddiness that spreads throughout your body until it vibrates. 

But it wasn’t the sound that had fully enraptured him. It was her smile. A different kind of smile. A smile he’d barely met.

A smile he wanted to get to know better.

“Alright, alright, you win,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye. “Thanks, humie.”