09-17-2016, 08:44 AM
"Do we have an agreement, Police Officer Hopps?" the elf asked, a steely tone to his voice. Judy opened her mouth to answer, but any words she tried to reply with simply died in her throat.
He was asking for her to let him murder someone, if his sister was injured or... worse. She hoped it hadn't came to that. While she completely understood his anger, she really just couldn't decide whether to let him go through with his threat. On one hand, murder was a very serious crime. She didn't want to have to do anything to do with it. Even then, Judy may have to bring him in herself if that were the case. But on the other hand, they kidnapped his sister. Quite possibly killed her. Now, Judy wasn't an expert in loss, but she understood what that could do to a person.
That was not to say she agreed with him. Because, despite herself, she didn't. Murder wasn't okay, and two wrongs didn't make a right. It was a question of morality now. And she had made her choice.
"Well?" Rigalt said, eyebrow raised. "We don't have long until the sun sets."
The rabbit took a breath, before speaking. "No, Prince Rigalt. We don't have an agreement."
Rigalt was silent for a moment, before replying with a simple, "Pardon?"
"You heard me. We don't have an agreement. Regardless of how you may feel on the matter, I'm not going to just let you kill someone. They deserve a fair trial, just like anyone else."
"But they kidnapped my sister! Don't you understand that?!" The prince was understandably mad now. This rabbit was standing in the way of his vengeance!
"I... do understand that, yes. I've seen my fair share of kidnappings. But going so far as murder? It's wrong!" Her own voice was raising in volume now. He needed to understand, what he wanted to do wouldn't fly. Not with her, anyway.
"But it's justice! They'll be getting what they deserve!" It was clear now, how different their view of justice was. While Rigalt believed that death should come to those who do evil, Judy believed in the right to have your side of things heard. Maybe this person was being held at gunpoint while kidnapping his sister? Unlikely, but possible.
"That's not how it works. Not where I'm from."
The prince sighed. "Then how exactly do you propose we do this?" He sounded exasperated, more than angry. Perhaps that was a good thing?
"Well... First, an investigation is in order." The flatfoot stopped, for a moment. "Do you, um, know where your sister was when she was kidnapped?"
"I believe I have a good idea as to where that was, yes."
--
Judy was struggling not to vomit onto the ground. They found their spot. The guards of Rigalt's sister were still here. And they had been gutted. It was obvious that the perp, or perps, weren't screwing around.
"Hopps, are you quite alright? You seem a little sick." Hopps swallowed down the bile in her throat, taking a breath to calm her nerves. Corpses were never quite her strong suit, and this many? Almost unbearable. Besides, the smell was terrible. She found herself actually happy that Nick wasn't here. He'd be dying.
"Y-yeah, I'm okay. Let's just see if we can find any clues." The dead guards were even neatly arranged in a circle. A sick joke. The prince and the police glanced toward each other for a moment, before slowly approaching the circle. There was a folded note in the center.
"Rigalt. Will you...?"
He was asking for her to let him murder someone, if his sister was injured or... worse. She hoped it hadn't came to that. While she completely understood his anger, she really just couldn't decide whether to let him go through with his threat. On one hand, murder was a very serious crime. She didn't want to have to do anything to do with it. Even then, Judy may have to bring him in herself if that were the case. But on the other hand, they kidnapped his sister. Quite possibly killed her. Now, Judy wasn't an expert in loss, but she understood what that could do to a person.
That was not to say she agreed with him. Because, despite herself, she didn't. Murder wasn't okay, and two wrongs didn't make a right. It was a question of morality now. And she had made her choice.
"Well?" Rigalt said, eyebrow raised. "We don't have long until the sun sets."
The rabbit took a breath, before speaking. "No, Prince Rigalt. We don't have an agreement."
Rigalt was silent for a moment, before replying with a simple, "Pardon?"
"You heard me. We don't have an agreement. Regardless of how you may feel on the matter, I'm not going to just let you kill someone. They deserve a fair trial, just like anyone else."
"But they kidnapped my sister! Don't you understand that?!" The prince was understandably mad now. This rabbit was standing in the way of his vengeance!
"I... do understand that, yes. I've seen my fair share of kidnappings. But going so far as murder? It's wrong!" Her own voice was raising in volume now. He needed to understand, what he wanted to do wouldn't fly. Not with her, anyway.
"But it's justice! They'll be getting what they deserve!" It was clear now, how different their view of justice was. While Rigalt believed that death should come to those who do evil, Judy believed in the right to have your side of things heard. Maybe this person was being held at gunpoint while kidnapping his sister? Unlikely, but possible.
"That's not how it works. Not where I'm from."
The prince sighed. "Then how exactly do you propose we do this?" He sounded exasperated, more than angry. Perhaps that was a good thing?
"Well... First, an investigation is in order." The flatfoot stopped, for a moment. "Do you, um, know where your sister was when she was kidnapped?"
"I believe I have a good idea as to where that was, yes."
--
Judy was struggling not to vomit onto the ground. They found their spot. The guards of Rigalt's sister were still here. And they had been gutted. It was obvious that the perp, or perps, weren't screwing around.
"Hopps, are you quite alright? You seem a little sick." Hopps swallowed down the bile in her throat, taking a breath to calm her nerves. Corpses were never quite her strong suit, and this many? Almost unbearable. Besides, the smell was terrible. She found herself actually happy that Nick wasn't here. He'd be dying.
"Y-yeah, I'm okay. Let's just see if we can find any clues." The dead guards were even neatly arranged in a circle. A sick joke. The prince and the police glanced toward each other for a moment, before slowly approaching the circle. There was a folded note in the center.
"Rigalt. Will you...?"