<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>

When Nick woke up, the first thing he noticed was that he was back to normal.
He quickly put on a spare uniform, went back home for a quick shower and a breakfast, then came back to the precinct.
At his dismay, the forensics didn't progress much on the analysis on the candies. The only thing they found was that some of them, the ones at the summit of the little haul, were covered with a liquid that was unknown. Apparently, that was what caused the growth, but the analysis gave no results on what it was.
With no true news, Nick couldn't do anything but go back on patrol.
At least, Carrot wasn't here to see this.
Judy was indeed having a leave, she was at her parents now.
Although, I'd have loved to see her reaction.
His walking brought him to a group of kids who were going to go in a movie theater.
He recognized, among them, the boy of yesterday, the one who had the fateful haul.
An idea went through the fox's mind, and he went to the boy.
"I just want to ask you a question, kid: who was the last one to give you candy yesterday night?"
The "special" candies were on top of the haul, it was logical to assume it was the last person who gave them.
"The last one? Well, I was close to a big building called "Nature's Sweets"..."
Nick knew the building: it was one of the biggest sweet manufacturing firms in Zootopia.
"There was a man that was exiting it, I said "trick-or-treat", he gave me the candies. Why?"
"I need to talk to him," evaded Nick before leaving.
On his way to the building, the former con artist called the precinct on what he found. The chief replied that it was not enough to justify a real investigation, but that Nick could try and ask questions, to see if something would come up.
The fox, as he reached the building, heard some noise in a corner.
He got closer, and saw a woman, a big cat, in a scientist's coat rummaging through the bins while muttering swear words.
"Excuse me?" asked Nick.
"What?!" barked the woman.
Turning to him, he saw she wore a badge saying "LIA CROGAT".
"What are you doing?"
"My job."
"Your job is rummaging through garbage?"
"Not usually."
"Er... Can I help you?"
"Could you throttle my assistant for me? I tell him to lock down some dangerous stuff, and that moron throws it at the bins, under the hands of the first hobo who comes! I managed to find it all, except for one thing..."
And she pointed at a bag with some vials of an orange liquid. One that Nick saw at forensics.
"Let me guess: candies covered in that liquid?"
"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" roared Crogat.
Nick took his badge.
"ZPD, agent Wilde. To answer your question, the candies are at the precinct. And I ate one, so as you can guess, I have a lot of questions..."
The cat deflated.
"Not here. In my office."
The scientist and the cop entered the building.
"Actually, wait, let me lock these in the safe first."
They crossed the lobby, filled with other scientists, and went down in the basement, entered a room...
And saw, in it, a panther furiously ransacking the room and searching for something.
"But... Who are you?!" yelped Crogat.
The panther turned to them, and his eyes zeroed on the vials she held.
He rushed the scientist, brutally shoved her on the ground and ripped the vials from his hands before trying to run away.
Instinctively, Nick tackled him.
All the vials slipped from the thief's hands and went flying through the air.
The majority smashed on the ground, but one, that Nick caught back.
The fox and the panther then engaged in a furious brawl for the vial.
Quickly, Nick realized his opponent, bigger and stronger than him, would win and get away with the vial.
A crazy idea went through his head, and in desperation, he implemented it:
He opened the vial and twisted it so its contents would get emptied in his mouth.
The panther swore, broke the brawl and ran away.
The cat went after him, screaming "HE'S A THIEF!! CATCH HIM!!"
While Nick froze. He was already feeling the sensation of last night come back, and already was beginning to outgrow his uniform, again.
Then his shock amplified when he realized he was growing even bigger than last time, his head rising up and up until it touched the ceiling.
Nick instinctively crouched, but it didn't help much: a few instants were all his head needed to get back to the ceiling.
And his swelling muscles were filling the room at all speed, trapping his arms and feet against the walls.
Nick realized that with the dose he just took, far much greater than the one the candy had, he was going to grow far much bigger.
And as the walls and ceiling started cracking, he wondered: how much?

Art by  caseyljones
Original here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/30194459/
Nick Wilde © Disney