Bet you didn't think you'd see this one again, didja? Another transition chapter, however. Just to help get back in the swing of things.

Nick arrives, wheezing as he drags himself over the newly buffed floors of the Big mansion. One of the Big mansions. Fuck that guy was rich.

Evidently too, as the dining room that had been previously thrashed beyond repair is standing before him I pristine condition. Unlike him, bruised and bleeding and only slightly dead.

But. His paws are clinging to incriminating evidence, his phone buzzing with eager contacts, all going oh we all want to please Mr. Big.

Suck-ups, Nick laughed to himself, the lot of them all.

Including himself, but that's beside the point.

Nick twitches, groans, finally arsed enough to get up when Koslov trudges through the doors. He wobbles on his feet, one of his eyelids is dropping, but he hands out both the folder and the phone.

Koslov quirks an eyebrow at his appearance, but nothing more, and takes the items out of his paws as Nick collapses face-first into newly buffed dining floors.

Koslov rolls his eyes, then brings out his walkie-talkie from his breast pocket and goes, "Prepare a cot in the infirmary. Wilde has returned."

The voice on the other end murmurs out a static response, before the device is clicked closed and Koslov places it back. He takes Nick by his arms and slings the fox over his shoulder easily enough, and starts walking deeper into the mansion.

The mansion is larger than it seems. All of the Big manors are larger than they seem.

For instance, no one has ever found any room beyond the dining room, the living room, and the foyer without assistance due to the deliberately confusing design of the interior. Big had paid much money to do so, but it pays well for the Family until today.

Animals of all species, predator and prey, pass by him in a long, winding corridor, doors on each side either leading to a gruesome death or another tricky hall to pass.

They do not look at him, do not even so much as brush him in the halls. Koslov does't mind. He reaches the end of the hall and pulls out a card and has it scanned, before pulling out his paw and placing it over the scanner.

"Access Code: 8-7-8-6-6-2-5-9-8-0," Koslov rumbled, "Guest: 0-0-0-8-2-1-1."

The door swings open and Big greets him on the shoulder of Lovro, who waves casually at the bear. Koslov grunts in response, setting the intel gathered on Big's desk and moving Wilde to a cot near Hopps'.

"Come, Koslov," Big murmurs, and Koslov promptly complies, scooping the shrew onto his shoulder, "Lovro, attend to our guests while we're away."

"Well, sure," Lovro replies, sticking a finger into his ear, "But what about the princess?"

"My daughter knows better than to leave unsupervised," Big says, an then both he and his giant bodyguard leaves Lovro to two near-catatonic meatbags.

"This is gonna be fucking boring."

Three hours later, Lovro is dying, decaying on the floor from inactivity.

Then a soft groan comes out, and Lovro almost laughs from sheer relief. He gets up and sees that it is the rabbit who wakes first, rolling around in her cot, dangerously close to the edge. Lovro positions himself to get a better view when she rolls out with a short cry and lands in a heap of half-dead bunny.

Lovro starts clapping, "A-plus landing, that."

"Oh shut up," bunny hisses, and gets up to see his gigantic frame towering over hers.

She gapes. Lovro puffs out his chest and goes, "take a picture, if you'd like."

She immediately recoils in disgust. Lovro counts that as a win.

"Who are you?" she demands, like she's in any position to do so. Lovro nearly laughs at her face, "Saferoom, sweety," he drawls out, crossing his arms, "In the Big mansion. Unless those Nighthowlers mess with memories too?"

"Night—?" she stops, and Lovro waves a lazy paw in the air, "Y'know, that shit that looked like blueberries? That ring any bells?"

She stays silent, and Lovro sighs, scratching at the area just behind his ears, "Look, love, you'd best rest up and wait for the boss to get back if you want any questions. Same goes for Nicky over there."

And then she notices, and when she does, her reaction is priceless. Lovro can only wish that the cameras managed to capture the beautiful disaster that was Judy Hopps screaming up a blue storm, waking both Nick Wilde, someone down the hall, and several birds outside, who all spit at the window with a rude gesture before flying off.

"Whoa now gorgeous," Lovro drawls when Wilde looks like he's about to jump out the window, "You think you can get away with another offense against the boss?"

And Nick pales so hard he nearly faints back on his bed. Then he gains his bearings and notices the other, smaller bunny in the room staring at him in blatant mistrust.

Lovro smiled, "I'll leave you two to your reunion then. Unless you don't want any water?"

"Water please," Judy croaks out, holding a paw against her throat while Nick merely nods at the Patagonian rabbit.

Lovro gives the two of them a lazy thumbs-up before striding out the door, leaving the two to stare at each other in a sudden spike of awkwardness.

Inwardly, Judy cries just a bit, because of course things could get worse.

Of course.

"What's the verdict?" Big asks around his cigar, blowing out a trail of smoke to the side. Koslov grunts and goes, "Both guests shall be fine. The princess is heading there now."

"Wonderful. And the sheep?"

"right here, sir," and Koslov guides him towards the holding cells, passing by several sheep, all who sneer and heckle at the passing bear. Koslov doesn't react.

They reach the end of the dungeon and sees the ringleader, a tiny thing. Big grunts and puts out his cigar before pulling out a walkie-talkie from his jacket and says, "We're at Prisoner 6-2-7. Commence interrogation. Level 3."

There were levels, levels of what kind of methods to use and how much paint to inflict. Level 0 was for civilians, and anything above two ended in severe mutilation.

And judging by the sheep's face she knew that too.