''Come out, come out, wherever you are..!'' called a voice from the other side of the building.
Nick bent low the instant he caught a sheep shadow showing on the blankets covering furniture in this dead end. He taught it took forever, but they finally moved on as they searched for him and Judy.
''You okay, Carrots?'' asked Nick after he lift himself up and looked down at his partner he had bent over to keep out of sight if the group of sheep ever came their way.
''Yeah, I'm fine...'' she said and moved out, gesturing at Nick to follow deeper in this dead end they were trapped in.
''This isn't a good idea.'' whispered Nick as he followed her, managing to squeeze between the blocks of furniture placed in every corner.
''Oh, so you got a better idea?'' said Judy who turned around aggressively, putting her paws on her hips. ''This is our only way out. If they get the Night Howler serum,'' She grabbed the little ball filled with blue toxin from the pocket of her police vest, putting it in Nick's face who backed off instantly – very well aware of its effects. ''We're doomed!''
A metal bar was suddenly clung against the asphalt in the distance, causing Nick and Judy to go even more alert than they already were and so they moved in deeper between the boxes until they came face to face with the wall of another building – leaving them no escape.
''Carrots...'' warned Nick from the corner of his mouth as he stared up hopelessly at the ceramic.
Judy eyed behind her, her ears folding back and backed off for a swing that she used to throw her weight high against the wall before them, and with her two hind legs pressed against it, pushed to get thrown on top of one of covered cubic shapes.
She edged closer to the frame of it and looked down at Nick who was still standing down there helplessly. ''Your turn!''
''I can't do that!'' he called back, widening his arms.
''Try!''
Nick lowered his nose and his desperate expression quickly turned confident. He took a couple steps backwards and swung his weight high. His claws dug in the cover of whatever was under it, and with effort he managed to climb a good distance. As he was almost there, his paw gripped at nothing, misbalancing him temporarily.
''AH!'' he shouted as his paw closed around what felt like a bar.
''Nick!'' called Judy from above.
Even if he tried, this was as far as he could reach. By rising their voices, the enemy must of heard them because they could hear the hooves connecting with the ground getting closer with shouts calling to the others saying ''Over here!''
''Judy, you have to go.'' said Nick as he held on to the bars under the cover.
''I'm not leaving you! That's not happening!'' said Judy, one ear suddenly twitching at approaching noises. She could see the shadows against the walls and so she turned her head back around and reached down a paw to her partner. ''Grab my paw!''
Nick gritted his teeth and tried to reach just a little higher to touch Judy's caw with his, but with his hind legs pushing backwards on a cover against metal, he slipped.
It all went faster than his mind could've registered. Nick's lower jaw hit the horizontal bar from the structure he'd been standing on, and soon enough he hit the ground below, having taken the dirty white cover that had been hiding what he'd been climbing on.
Nick clenched his teeth and shut his eyes tight at the pain from his head, his jaw and – well, everywhere. But his first thought wasn't himself. ''Judy? Judy!'' he called, and immediately heard grunts at his side. ''Judy...''
He picked himself up and ran to his partner lying painfully on the ground. Having pulled on the cover she'd been standing on had pulled her down with him, and now she was injured.
Judy held her middle tightly as her face showed nothing else but pain.
''I – I'm so sorry...'' whispered Nick, the fright in his voice very noticeable.
''It's okay, I'm f—'' she began, trying to reassure him. But other voices had cut her off.
''Here! I got something!''
''Here, take this.'' said Judy in a hurry, thrusting the serum inside his paw. ''Take it to the ZPD. Put it somewhere safe.''
''Judy, how many times have I told you – I'm not leaving you.'' whispered Nick loudly, furrowing his brows.
''Well, it's not like you said the same thing a moment ago!'' she whispered back, loudly as well.
''We know you're here, officers.'' sang Doug's voice. ''Now why don't you give us back the Night Howler, and make it easier on everyone?''
''Hold on, we'll think of something.'' whispered Nick, his eyes searching the area for anything that could help. There didn't seem to be anything until his green eyes landed on the cage he'd uncovered.
His eyes suddenly flashed wide and he immediately turned back around to Judy.
''I got an idea.'' he said, grabbing the gun they'd stolen along with the serum. ''You're not gonna like it.''
It didn't take an eternity to load the gun with the Night Howler toxin and thrust it in Judy's paws.
''We have to get rid of it.'' said Nick as Judy observed his movements with confusion, eyes half closed.
''No, Nick, you can't be serious..!'' she said, grabbing his paw before he made his next move. ''If I shoot you with this you'll go savage!''
As she spoke, Nick was already entering the cage and locking himself in. The door slammed shut, the loud rumble echoing between the tight walls around them. His determined eyes hiding his fear met her scared ones.
''That's the whole point.'' he said flatly. ''They won't be able to use the serum if it's already used. And when it's all over...'' Nick lowered his eyes for a second and met hers once more. ''You'll save me. Just like you do every time.''
Judy didn't realize she'd been ignoring all of her physical pain and could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks as she raised the gun.
''It's okay, Carrots.''
Her arms shook uncontrollably and her watery eyes made it hard to aim correctly, but nonetheless, the Night Howler toxin met Nick's neck.
He was thrown backwards at the shock followed by a cry. Nick picked himself up from the ground and turned to face Judy who was still sitting where he'd last seen her, the gun still pointing at him with her eyes wide and full of tears.
For some reason, Nick didn't feel anything – yet.
''Huh... I guess that one's defect...ive—'' he said, but as he pronounced the last word, his vision began to blurry, its edges turning blood-red and whispers started to grow louder and louder in his head.
He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, folding his ears backwards while putting his paws over his head at the pain.
''Nick..?'' asked Judy worriedly as she watched him turning wild.
He suddenly dropped to the ground, his tail swinging madly as growls came from down his throat. The motions suddenly stopped and Nick rose on his four limbs.
Judy couldn't quite tell what was going on in there due to the fact that the inside of the cage was mostly dark.
''Nick?'' she called hopefully and approached the cage carefully.
It's until her nose almost touched the bars that the fox inside jumped at her, trying to claw her from the other side of the bars, his teeth bared, eyes wild showing only death.
Judy instantly jumped backwards, with now a new wound on the left cheek – just like when she was nine and Gideon had clawed her.
But her attention was suddenly brought on something else as she saw the shape of a sheep coming right for her. She gasped and rose to her feet using the little of strength left in her to find someplace to hide.
Doug and his two helpers walked right where Judy once stood, their hooves clapping on the ground loudly, causing an echo around - making it even more stressful for some reason.
From where she hid, Judy could see they had noticed Nick in the cage gone savage.
''Ha!'' laughed one mockingly, gesturing to the fox pacing angrily at the bottom of the cage - growling low, clenched teeth bared that could easily rip their skins off. ''Dumb bunny. That is the stupidest plan I've ever seen. You think you can just use the Night Howler against us, officer Hopps?!''
''Hey!'' came Judy's voice from the top of cage Nick Wilde paced in wildly. ''Heads up!''
As the three pointed their guns up at her, Judy was already pressing her hind legs against the little crack between the door and the cage itself. Metal screeched and the door finally swung open, letting the fox out to play.
For now, officer Judy Hopps didn't matter anymore – a savage fox on the loose after them was a much bigger issue right now.
''Run.'' was the only word that could leave Doug's mouth. And so the three ran for dear life as the fox chased after them the instant he caught a sudden move.
Standing on high ground, Judy could see in the distance three white spots chased by a red one running on four limbs. It was an awful sight to see prey hunted down by predator, but she knew they had no other choice.
She was about to climb down and call for back up, when cries of pain suddenly echoed all the way to her. Judy could feel her heart pounding hard in her chest; eyes open wide, waiting for something more to happen. And she instantly regretted having done that, 'cause from the corner she could see a large puddle of fresh blood spreading on the ground and deep silence following.
Judy suddenly let out all the air that had been trapped in her lungs and began sobbing at what she'd just seen, folding herself in a ball as she hoped and prayed to forget that sight.
''What have I done..?'' she whispered to herself as she put her paws over her ears.
...
I wish words were like little toy guns
No sting, no hurt no one
Just a bang, bang rollin' off your tongue
I wish words were like little toy guns
No smoke, no bullets, no kick from the trigger when you pull it
No pain, no damage done
I wish words were like little toy guns
So this is my first Zootopia fanfic, so please no fire. Just hope you enjoyed, and for those who wonder if there's gonna be a sequel - I don't know, I'll see how it goes. I've watched the movie so many times, I just love it.
(Dragonites, do not worry! I haven't given up the Dragon World! I will return! ;) Nothing beats HTTYD!)
See yah!
-Rain.