Zootroplis: BANG! by Robbie Patrick

BANG! BANG! BANG! Gunshots echo all throughout the Rainforest district as loud and clear as the thunder high above. nick chases the gunman through the labyrinthine allies of the area. dodging his gun fire while exchanging his own. "you're not getting away this time, Benji!" nick shouts as he sprints after the jaguar; all while Judy lags far behind nick. Judy was normally much faster than nick, but nick's enthusiasm, combined with the fact it felt like the two had been chasing this stubborn jaguar for what seemed like an hour meant even Judy was having a hard time keeping up. even she had her limits. her slower pace gave her time to think however; about whether happening upon notorious cop killer: Benjamin "Benji" o'feral, was a stroke of good or bad luck. "what the hell was nick thinking?" she pondered. "even we can't take this guy! he's already kill half dozen cops over the last month, why did he think we could stop him on our own?! we should have at least called for back up! still. i guess i can understand. morale's been at a low since this guy hit the streets. maybe nick was right. we can't let this guy slip through our paws again. not after everything he's done. i just hope that crazy fox has a plan."

BANG! BANG! Benji fires more shots at nick hoping to force him to retreat. but nick wasn't going to retreat. not this time. nick had had special hatred for Benji, ever since the first murder. Benji was known well known for never moving the bodies or trying to hide them after he shot them. instead, he just left them there. with nothing but a bullet in either their head or chest. Benji was smart though and always recovered the casing afterwards so the Z.P.D. couldn't trace his gun. but most importantly, Benji was known for his smile. though few who ever saw it lived to tell of it, Benji's smile was so well known because of how evil and uncaring it was. that's how most mammals described it anyway. Benji's smile was the kind that belonged to a mammal who saw life a something for him to take. the kind of smile only the devil would have. unfortunately, nick was so caught up in his own thoughts that as he rounded a corner, Benji leeped out from behind a dumpster, hitting nick in the back of the head with the butt of his gun, sending nick crashing down onto the hard ground. dazed and confused, nick could only watch helplessly as Benji kicked nick's gun away. the jaguar then pulled out his own gun, cocked it, an pointed it a nick's head. Benji laughs to himself as he flashes his psychotic and uncompassionate smile at nick. "and foxy, makes seven. lucky you!" nick, seeing his end coming, could only close his eyes as his final thoughts turn to the one woman he loved: Judy Hopps. "carrots. the prettiest girl in the whole damn world. i'm so sorry, i thought we'd have more time together. but i guess my luck finally ran out. don't worry about me though. you know what they say? life's just one big hustle." but just as Benji starts to squeezes the trigger, he hears another set of footsteps approaching. Judy, stops dead in her tracks just as she sees nick laying on the ground, injured, or worse. Judy, barley receives enough time to shout nick's name before Benji, spins round and pulls the trigger.

BANG! just like that, nick's vision and thoughts snap back to normal. he leans up only to have his eyes go wide in shock. "carrots. no." before nick, is a sight he'd hoped never to see. a smoking gun, the smile of a killer, and Judy. laying on the ground. motionless. the stones beneath her running with her blood. "damn! and here i thought i was going to get a new fox skin rug. oh well? i guess rabbit skin will have to do. what to you think officer Wilde?" nick doesn't answer Benji. instead he continues to stare at Judy's body on the ground in disbelief. "she... she's really gone." so much rage begins to fill nick's mind. the kind of rage only a predator who went savage could understand. "YOU!" "what's the matter officer? 'touch a nerve?" Benji laughs loudly as nick angrily get to his feet. grief stricken and out of his mind, nick lunges at Benji. in the blink of an eye, nick knocks the jaguar's gun out of his paw, grabs him by his coat and tosses him to the ground. before Benji can get to his feet, nick lunges on top of him and begins to violently punch and claw at Benji's face. spilling his blood across his own face. mixing in with the rain water in his fur. Nick scream at Benji's face, all while tires stream down his own. "YOU COP KILLING SON OF A BITCH! you think you can just shot someone in the face and then laugh about it?! you didn't even give a second thought as to who they were or what they might have, did you?! WELL THINK AGAIN! she had a name! a name and a family and a life, and you killed her! just like you killed all the others! without hesitation!" nick grabs the sides of Benji's head, forcing the jaguar to look into his eyes. filled with a mixture of rage and grief. "DID YOU EVEN KNOW HER NAME?! her name was Judy Hopps! the most beautiful rabbit in the whole god damn world. the only woman i'll ever love. and now... and now she's gone forever. BECAUSE OF YOU!" Benji turns his head to the side slightly as he spits blood and begins to quietly laugh. "heh. ha ha. i d-did you... a... favour... officer Wilde. *cough cough* a prey... doing a... a predator's job? that... *cough* that was never... going to end well! besides. at leased... her death was quick. if not me... then some... wolf or bear... or... *cough cough cough* or even another... fox would have done it. and i guarantee... it would have been... a lot... messier. ha. ha. ha." the jaguar's evil smile and weak but selfish laughter infuriates nick even further as he wraps his paws around Benji's throat, in an attempt to strangle him. "i can't bring back Judy. or any of the others. but i can do the next best thing!" Benji just weakly chuckles while spitting up more of his teeth and blood. "so much... for... protecting... and serving. go... ahead, officer. do it." while still holding onto Benji, nick winds up one final punch. ready to finish Benji. in that one moment, time stands still for nick as he remembers Judy's irreplaceable smile. he sees every moment he and Judy spent together flash before his eyes, not unlike someone on the brink of death seeing their entire life. nick sees and remembers it all. he sees the moment him and Judy met, the moment they first teamed up to help solve the night howler case, the moment they exposed bellwether's conspiracy, the moment Nick joined the Z.P.D. he sees the all the cases the two partners solved together, the moment Judy asked him to move in with her, he sees Judy's unmistakable face. but most importantly, he sees the ring he planed to give to Judy that night. he sees the ring clear as day in his mind, and he sees the inscription written on it: "carrots, i love you."

but just as Nick gets ready to end Benji, for what he's done, nick feels a familiar paw grab his wrist. followed by an even more familiar voice. "nick, that's enough!" nick turns around to see Judy. alive and well, the bullet having only gone through one of her ears. nick stares at her in both relief and disbelief. almost too shocked for words. "carrots! i..." nick looks back at Benji's beaten and bloodied face. horrified, nick lets go of his throat, as Judy dose the same with nick's wrist. nick gets up and starts to slowly shamble down the ally way, while staring at his bruised and blood soaked knuckles. Judy quickly cuffs Benji, who lays on the ground to injured to move, before walking over to nick. "nick. i won't judge you for whatever you did back there. it's okay. i'm fine! see? it's not that bad, it'll heal in a few days. right?" nick doesn't answer Judy, as he falls to his knees. still staring at his blood covered claws and knuckles. "nick? nick, are you okay? i know you're upset but-" nick looks up at Judy, horrified with his actions as tears fill his eyes. "carrots. i... i'm so sorry! i thought he killed you. i just... i don't what happened. i just felt... so angry. and then i... he... OH GOD! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" nick starts to cry uncontrollable in response to his actions. Judy, unsure what to do or say, holds Nick closely, comforting him while gently stroking his blood soaked fur. "sshhh. it's okay nick. it's okay. i'm here now, i know you wouldn't let anything happen to me, and i won't either. i promise, everything's going to be alright now." Nick and Judy, sit where they are silently as the rain pours down all around, with thunder claps echoing loudly and lightning illuminating the dark cloudy sky. "carrots... i love you." "i know."