Chereads / Zootopia: Operation Thunderbolt / Chapter 10 - For Better or Worse

Chapter 10 - For Better or Worse

Following the recent turmoil at Blake's home, it feels like all hope has vanished. Blake has been taken to The Golden Fang Clan for further questioning. Meanwhile, one of his closest and most devoted friends, Jacob Silverthorne, has been given the responsibility of delivering Blake's family photo album to the ZPD, along with a significant amount of cash he has cleverly stashed away in the trunk of his car, which he intends to keep under wraps. Jacob manages to arrive at the ZPD without being chased by his main adversaries. After parking the car, he steps out in a panic, locks it up, and hurries toward the entrance of the ZPD as quickly as possible. As he enters the building, his injured state draws the attention of everyone around him.Jacob: Can anyone please help me?! Officer Wilde! Where's Officer Wilde?!A group of officers cautiously approaches him, their hands ready to draw their weapons if Jacob reveals himself to be a threat.Jacob: Please! I am not a criminal! I seek help from one of your officers; he is, uh, my relative! PLEASE!Officer Fangmeyer: Who are you?Officer McHorn: What's that in your hand? It better not be a weapon, pal!Jacob: No, it's not! It's a photo album, I swear! May I please talk to Officer Wilde?!Chief Bogo suddenly shows up on the upper floor, gazing across the hall.Chief Bogo: If you are searching for Officer Wilde, I regret to inform you that I have disappointing news. He is currently en route to a rather obscure company known as Onyx Technologies.Jacob: Let me guess, you run this place. Listen, whoever you are, I can lead you to the Golden Fang Clan!Chief Bogo: You know where the Golden Fang Clan is? That's some brilliant news! And yes, you are correct. Bogo is the name, and I am the chief of this police department.Jacob: Chief Bogo, I am Jacob Silverthorne. I can tell you everything, but all of these officers looking at me are just making this whole thing more unnerving.Chief Bogo: Just come up here, and I will guide you to my office. It will allow us to converse privately, away from any distractions.Officer Delgato: Sir, shouldn't we frisk him before we let him upstairs?Jacob: What? No! That's not necessary! All I got is this photo album that I wanted to give to Nick Wilde.Chief Bogo: Officer Delgato, that's a good point!Two officers search Jacob's clothes but find no weapons whatsoever.Officer Fangmeyer: The wolf is unarmed.Officer Delgato snatches the photo album from his paws.Officer Delgato: How about this? He is definitely a criminal or something. Just look at him.Jacob: NO! Give that back! You've no idea who the album belongs to!Officer Delgato flips through the pages, examining the photographs closely. He quickly identifies a familiar face among the family images.Officer Delgato: Chief Bogo! It seems that this album belongs to Blake Thunder!Chief Bogo: What?! Impossible! Bring that wolf up here. He is probably the key to tracking down that infernal criminal!Jacob: I can explain! Please just give that back to me!Officer Delgato: Say it again, punk!Jacob: You are police officers. You shouldn't be treating someone who needs help from you like this.Chief Bogo: I'll show you that we are here to help you. We just need to ask you a few questions before you can gain our trust.Jacob: Well, may I go upstairs now?Chief Bogo: Officer Delgato, bring him up here!Officer Delgato takes hold of Jacob's arm, but Jacob resists being led upstairs in that manner.Jacob: Stop touching me! I can walk up there on my own, and in case you haven't noticed, I am injured, sir!Officer Delgato: You really want to get handcuffed, don't you?Chief Bogo: Just let him be, Officer Delgato. I'll take care of the rest.Officer Delgato steps away from Jacob.Officer Delgato: Whatever. Look, wolf, we'll keep an eye on you all the time! Don't do anything... illegal, understood?Officer McHorn: Or I will enjoy crushing your skull!Jacob: Alright, alright! Just...control your temper, please!Chief Bogo: C'mon, shake a leg, wolf! We ain't got all day. It looks like you brought a new case to our attention!Jacob: Okay! I am coming! Can't you see I am injured?Chief Bogo: What even happened to you? You definitely should have hit up the hospital before coming here.Jacob: Hell no, I hate hospitals. I think a small first aid kit will be enough, and I bet you guys have many of those.Jacob reaches the upper floor and walks up to Bogo.Chief Bogo: You see, our first aid kits are strictly reserved for the employees of the ZPD and not for some random folk. This isn't a medical center.Jacob: What if I was dying, bleeding fast on the floor? Would you provide me with medical treatment in that case?Chief Bogo: Me? I wouldn't personally, because I don't give two hoots about people who are friends with one of the most infamous criminals in the city. Where did you get that photo album?Jacob: Hey! Just because Blake's photo album is in my possession doesn't mean I am his friend!Chief Bogo: I would appreciate it if you could elaborate on how you came into possession of it. There is a compelling implication that you have committed theft, unless you are his friend, but I do hope that isn't the case. Plus, you are all bloody and beaten up. How can you possibly justify your actions and provide a plausible explanation?Jacob: I promise, I didn't steal it! He gave it to me before he made what might be the biggest mistake of his life. He chose to stay home and fight against the Golden Fang Clan with two bunnies. He's my best friend, and I just couldn't say no to helping him out.Chief Bogo: So, he is your friend after all. It appears that you may have just spilled the beans!Jacob: Oh darn it! Okay, I am sorry for lying.Chief Bogo: Listen wolf! Don't lie straight to my face! Such dishonesty truly frustrates me! If you wish to find yourself incarcerated, continue with the lies. This will not improve the situation. The world is already filled with corruption and malevolence; do not contribute to its deterioration! Understood?Jacob: I understand, chief. I'll try to make this world a better place then. It's worth fighting for.Chief Bogo: So, one of the most wanted criminals, Blake Thunder, became disloyal to his clan, and now he is being hunted. Is that correct?Jacob: He might already be dead as we speak. As I mentioned, he chose to stand his ground with two bunnies by his side. They could all be dead by now, and if that's the case, I honestly don't know how I'll move forward with my life.Chief Bogo: Relax. We'll help you. It's our priority to help those in need.Jacob: Yes, sir! And....thank you!Chief Bogo: I think I should be the one thanking you. It is you who is helping the ZPD the most at this very moment. Also, have I grasped your words correctly? You know where the Golden Fang Clan is?Jacob: Yep!Chief Bogo: I'll order one of the officers to escort you to the interrogation room.Jacob: What? I thought we were going to talk about this in your office.Chief Bogo: Listen, if we are going to gather pivotal information about the Golden Fang Clan, we need to make sure the interrogation is conducted by a specialist. Officer Judy Hopps will carry out the interrogation. I got a pile of other work to do in my office. You're lucky I was around when you entered the station. Those officers would probably rip you apart if you tried reasoning with them. You ran into my most elite and savage units down there.Jacob: Oh my god! Look, I just hope everything will be fine in the end.Chief Bogo: Good will always triumph over evil. Just relax. It's going to be okay! All you have to do is tell the truth, and you'll be fine. Now, handcuff him.Jacob: Wait....WHAT?!The officers restrain Jacob on the ground as they secure him with handcuffs, while Bogo picks up Blake's photo album from the floor.Jacob: I thought you were going to help me and treat me without any kind of brutality! Why are you doing this to me?!Chief Bogo: You really thought I was going to let you roam freely around the station knowing that you are Blake's relative? I am way too far from being impetuous and stupid! I can easily recognize a criminal amidst a sea of innocent people, and I am able to clearly identify their unscrupulous habits! You're not fooling the head of this station, boy!Jacob: Please, Chief! Don't do this to me! I wasn't planning to assault anyone here or outsmart you. I do not work for the Golden Fang Clan anymore. I came here to help YOU! To help you eliminate Zootopia's most dangerous criminals and their clan for Christ's sake!Chief Bogo: I don't care! Detaining you will have a satisfactory result, one less criminal to worry about. I have no idea what happened to you and what you are really up to, but you just escaped the bear and fell to the lion!Jacob: What? Can't you understand I am not the bad guy? Fine, keep being doubtful, full of trust issues. You are making a big mistake, sir!Chief Bogo: I can't really trust a wolf from a criminal organization.Jacob: Could you at least give that photo album back?Chief Bogo: Why should I? It is going to be examined. Take him to the investigation room!Jacob: So much for being accommodating. Thank you!The wolf officers escort Jacob to the interrogation room. One of them opens the door, revealing a space furnished with a table and two chairs. As Jacob steps inside, he starts to tremble with anxiety. The door closes and locks behind him. He takes a seat, placing his paws on the table in an effort to remain calm, though his heart races like never before. After a few minutes, three officers enter the room accompanied by a small, valiant bunny of notable rank—Judy Hopps. Dressed in a crisp white dress shirt and holding Blake's photo album, she is prepared to conduct the interrogation. Upon entering the room, she experiences a moment of shock after seeing Jacob's blood-stained fur.Judy: Oh, sweet cheese and crackers! What happened to you?Jacob is unable to respond appropriately due to his distressed state. This building, this room, and everything within it negatively affect his mental well-being.Jacob: A wolf that finds itself unwelcome in a certain community faces a significant change.She sits down and puts Blake's photo album on the table.Judy: You need to be hospitalized or something because those are some serious injuries that need medical attention.Jacob: I'll live. I already went through the worst. I am willing to tell you the truth about anything you want. I got no reason to keep any secrets from you anymore. My life is worthless.He is making a strong effort to hold back his tears. Judy genuinely understands his feelings and softly takes his hands, rubbing them to help ease his sorrowful emotions.Judy: Look, Jacob. I heard you are friends with Blake Thunder. I know him personally. I must say he isn't the nicest fox out there, as he tried to assassinate me in the past. If it wasn't for my partner, Officer Wilde, I wouldn't be here interrogating you and, most importantly, trying to keep you calm, free from tension. You see, you'd probably get someone who would use violence to get all the info out of you.Jacob: You are not going to use violence to make me talk?Judy: Nope. I mean, what can a simple, tenderhearted bunny do to a dangerous and kind of cute wolf, right?Jacob's feelings of depression begin to diminish, largely due to Judy's kind words and her supportive demeanor towards him.Jacob: I can't believe what you just said. I was not expecting you to be this friendly to me, not after my encounter with your superior, Chief Bogo. I hate him so much after what he did to me. I thought he was going to shred that photo album. The last thing I want to do in my life is let my best friend down.Judy: He has a short temper sometimes. Back when I was a recruit at the ZPD, he didn't believe in me. He said I was inadequate for my position, unfit for doing real police duty. But I proved him wrong, and look where I am today. You can do the same, Jacob. Now, let's proceed to the questions. I need to get some info out of you because, you know, Chief Bogo will be highly unhappy with my performance if I return to him with no retrieved info about the Golden Fang Clan.Jacob: Alright, let's do this. What do you want to know?Judy: So, you claim you're a former member of the GFC? Since when?Jacob: Since today. I was basically sentenced to death by my own clan after abandoning our mission back in Bunnyburrow. Me and my now-late friend were supposed to help our partners, but we decided to fall back instead. That's when my life was changed forever. My friend was killed in front of me by the clan's leader, Raphael Roarlington, and I was taken to the torture chamber by the clan's most dangerous and violent member, Kyle Swiftmark. He is the reason why I am so wounded. I managed to escape death, and here I am.Judy: Hmmm, the shootout in Bunnyburrow. I am sorry for your loss, Jacob. But the road doesn't end here for you. Life is just so beautiful and has a lot more to offer. Giving up would be pointless, and you'd miss all the good things the future has prepared for you. Next, what was your main job at the clan? Like your position?Jacob: I wasn't a highly respected member, so the only job that was always assigned to me was guarding the hideout. So, I was basically a guard. I wasn't engaging in any shootouts or anything, and most importantly, I never killed anyone in my life before.Judy: Why would you join that hideous gang of criminals?Jacob: For a higher paycheck. I couldn't find a lucrative job that would meet my requirements. Before I joined the clan, I was living in an apartment. One day, the rent increased a lot, and I couldn't afford it because I had a really bad job. I was a janitor with an undesirable income.Judy: I see...and how did you earn your membership at the Golden Fang Clan?Jacob: You see, there was this awesome person; Gerald was his name. He was my best friend. He was a longtime member of the clan, so he advised me to give it a try and join. I didn't know the clan was like the biggest criminal den in Zootopia back then. I've seen people getting killed, tortured, robbed, and innocents die for nothing all these years, but I think it's time to end their reign once and for all.Judy: You're walking on the right path, Jacob; do not look back. Go forth and redeem yourself. See? It's never too late to change. Change always starts with you. The future highly depends on your choices in life. Now, where can we locate the clan?Judy's words full of motivation and hope make Jacob feel comfortable, as he is willing to speak freely about everything Judy asks him.Jacob: The clan has multiple concealed entrances throughout Zootopia. Their hideout can be reached from every region of Zootopia. They have one entrance in every district, even in Little Rodentia.Judy: The more entrances there are, the more options they have to escape when we ambush them. Where is the nearest entrance?Jacob: It's under a derelict bridge not far from Sahara Square. This is the entrance I highly suggest you pick if you want to get to their leader, quickly. I tell you what, you don't need to necessarily use all of your units to strike the clan from every single direction. One entrance will be more than enough. The main target here is Raphael himself. Without his leadership, the clan won't be able to operate properly, and it will ultimately fall apart.Judy: But we can't let those criminals escape, you understand? Our duty is to keep Zootopia clear from these freaks, not make them scatter all around our kingdom.Jacob: Just listen to me, and I guarantee you this city will no longer be crawling with criminals the next day.Judy: I'll talk about this with Chief Bogo to formulate a proper plan for eliminating this threat once and for all. And that bridge—I think I know which one you are referring to.Jacob: You knew about the bridge, but you didn't really think about the possibility of the clan having a secret entrance there, did you?Judy: Yeah, I did not.Jacob: Before you guys actually go in sending those poor bastards to a graveyard. Beware! They will be prepared for the assault. You are going to face some heavy resistance.Chief Bogo walks into the interrogation room just then, ready to share his insights on the discussion between Judy and Jacob. Both Judy and Jacob are surprised by his sudden appearance.Judy: Chief, what a pleasant surprise!Jacob: Yeah, really. Wonderful.Chief Bogo: Heavy resistance, you say? Then we will show them our expertise in dealing with culprits!Jacob: You were listening the whole time!Chief Bogo: Yes, I was, wolf. You are very keen to tell us the truth. I like that. Officer Hopps, you did well with the interrogation. Now, patch him up so he can lead us to the clan's hideout. We're going to polish them off.Judy: Chief, are we really going to kill them?Chief Bogo: Yes. What else can we do? Detain them? No, that's not going to work.Jacob: I have to agree with Bogo. They will not surrender.Chief Bogo: It's Chief Bogo to you.Jacob: Yes, sir! And sir, may I ask, what are you going to do with me after the raid is over?Chief Bogo: The court will decide your sentence.Jacob: But....Chief Bogo: Look, I don't care about your dreams or wishes, wolf. You're convicted of illegal activities.Jacob: Like?Chief Bogo: Unlawful monetary gain and for throwing your weight behind this notorious clan that is responsible for so many casualties in our city.Jacob: Officer Hopps, I'll lead you to the clan under one condition. I want you to kill me afterwards because I'm done with my life.Judy: Chief, with all due respect, could you please give us some space for a little moment?Chief Bogo: Fine. And please, don't treat him in such a gentle way, Officer Hopps. He is a criminal!Jacob remains seated in utter silence, overwhelmed by an unprecedented sense of guilt as Bogo walks out, leaving him alone with Judy.Judy: I'm sorry about everything that's happening to you. I do believe in you. You mentioned that your role was to protect the clan's hideout and that you've never harmed anyone. It's possible that you might face some consequences for your long-standing support of the clan. Once this situation is resolved, I'll do my best to help you. For now, you'll be in detention until your court date, where your fate will be determined. Stay hopeful; not all outcomes are negative. Trust me, everything will turn out alright, bud.Jacob: You know, I came here just to help my friend Blake get rid of the clan without thinking about the outcome of this interrogation and the future of my life. All I wanted to do was make sure my friend's life wasn't in danger. I hope my actions here will save his life and also help you eliminate the clan. For better or worse, I did what I thought was justified and ethical.Chief Bogo reenters the room after overhearing their discussion from outside the door.Chief Bogo: The actions you've taken today are irreproachable, wolf. You are one of the people who are capable of taking a bullet for someone else, especially someone whom they really care about. If you really came here to help the ZPD track down and eliminate one of the most dangerous clans in the history of Zootopia, then I shall try to convince the judges to make your sentence less serious, but only if your goal is to not lure us into a trap of some kind.Jacob: Why would I even try to do that? To make my life harder than it already is? NO! You can count on me! I want to prove I'm a good person.Chief Bogo: Excellent. Stay on this good path and never look back!Jacob: What about Blake?Chief Bogo: Your friend Blake Thunder will never be forgiven for his barbarous deeds.Jacob: As long as he stays alive after the upcoming events, I'm fine with that.Judy: I am afraid your friend Blake will spend the rest of his life in jail if we arrest him.Chief Bogo: We are obligated to act in accordance with the law, and there's nothing we can do about it. He is subject to lifelong incarceration. The court will decide his ultimate fate.Jacob: Look, as long as I can talk to him and continue being his friend, I am fine with that, like I said.Chief Bogo: If you really wanna be with that malefactor, you can be his cellmate.Jacob: No thanks. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a small room.Judy: Alright, everyone. I'm going to get some medics over here to take care of Jacob so he can help us out. We really can't afford to delay any longer. Chief, have you heard anything from Officer Wilde?Chief Bogo: Not yet. He left approximately an hour ago. It is prudent to wait for his arrival so that he may participate in the police operation; however, I harbor concerns regarding the location to which he was assigned. Something's off with that whole complex....Judy: I am still really upset that he decided to undertake this case without me.Jacob: Maybe he didn't want you to get hurt or something. That place is nothing good.Judy: You know something about that place we don't?Jacob: What's that place called again?Chief Bogo: If I can recall correctly, it's Onyx Technologies. Do you know something about that company?Jacob: I know absolutely nothing. I wish I knew though so I could warn you and expose them. Only Blake himself knows because that place is allegedly run by his best friend called Zack Wolfward. You know that guy? A peculiar wolf with extraordinary power and appearance.Judy: Nope. Never heard of him.Chief Bogo: I am telling you something is definitely wrong with that place. Officer Wilde better be extremely cautious!Judy: Chief, I swear if he doesn't return in an hour, I am going after him.Chief Bogo: Officer Hopps, that clan is our primary target. I am not going to alter our plan. The government has been kicking my big buffalo ass for years for not being able to wipe out that clan, and now that we have someone who can lead us to it, the ZPD's main objective is to conduct a raid on their hideout. It's crucial to Zootopia's safety!Judy: But chief, what if there's a much bigger foe hidden from plain sight?Chief Bogo: Our units are trained to deal with the unexpected; don't worry. We got this.Jacob: So, what's next?Chief Bogo: Just patch him up already!Jacob: I almost forgot! Could you please take care of this?Jacob slides Blake's photo album across the table toward Judy.Jacob: I was supposed to give it to Nick, but he is not here.Judy: It's in good paws; don't worry. I'll take care of it.The ZPD starts gearing up for a significant operation. Judy escorts Jacob to another office nearby, accompanied by other officers, where he receives essential medical care. The ZPD is fully prepared to eliminate the Golden Fang Clan from existence, aiming to create a safer and better environment for the animal kingdom. Unfortunately, an even greater danger lurks in the shadows.