By AngloFalcon
The Sound of Silence
The rain lashed against the windscreen, dribbling down in vein-like tributaries, collecting on the bottom lip. The ferocity of the downpour defied the capacity of the windscreen wipers to make any real improvement to the night's visibility. Instead, everything in front of the car was a muddy swirl, sliced by two prongs of light radiating from the headlights. The siren blare mixed with the beating of rain.
"About here," Nick said, slowing the car to a juddering halt, lengthways in the middle of the entrance to an open car park.
"You sure, partner?" the rabbit sitting next to him grinned.
"Absolutely. I'm a promising junior detective, remember? Your words, not mine."
"Well you clearly took them to heart," she said, bending down to retrieve her notepad. "Targo Djudak. He's a puma."
"Yeah, wanted for five robberies. I read too, Judy. I have a good brain that comes with this handsome mug," Nick nodded, checking his gun, counting the bullets carefully and clipping the magazine back into place.
"Carmello Street, Dubas road, Migration Avenue, Cluedark Drive," Judy ticked each one off on her list. "He's going to hit here tonight, Nick."
"And here's his audition." Nick pointed to a figure sliding against the square warehouse they were facing, almost impossible to make out in the violent weather. "Gotta give him credit for showing on time, but he's a dumb-dumb if he hasn't even seen our car sitting here like a-"
There was a crunching sound as the windscreen cracked. A hole had appeared in the middle, cracks spreading out in a spider web.
"Down!" Nick yelped, ducking his head under the wheel.
"What the hell is he doing?" Judy spat, fingering her own firearm.
Three more holes patterned the windscreen as bullets speared inside. Nick's heart drummed. He could feel his paws going sweaty, the way they did back on the firing range in the academy. "Oh, he's so definitely gonna have a bad day!" He reached for the handle, flipping it open quickly and rolling outside onto the drenched tarmac, pulling the door fully open as a shield.
He waited, breathing, pulse tapping. Another shot smashed the screen to his door, glass cracking as he ducked his head down again.
"Damn you!" he shouted, steadying himself in a kneeling position, pistol raised. He saw Judy kick her own door open, sliding her small body out of the car and getting into position to add her own firing support if needed.
"Megaphone."
Judy looked at him through the car. "What?"
"Megaphone!" he yelled. She decided he probably didn't need one after all but grabbed it, throwing it through the car to him.
"Targo Djudak, you have ten seconds to stand down. Throw the gun to us and come forward with your hands on your head. Do you understand?"
Bam
Another bullet punched into the car's front tyre. Air hissed out as the car dropped a fraction on its front right.
"That was your only warning, jackass!" Nick shouted through the megaphone. His face was hot. His ears folded back in anger. The fox stuck his gun over the broken door window, trying to avoid touching jagged triangles of glass as he fired off three rounds.
"Where is he?" Judy shouted.
"I don't know! He's probably ducked behind that bollard. Can you see it? Right there." A flash from a small firearm confirmed Nick's suspicion. They could just see the puma's hunched back, illuminated in red by the flashing neon light advertising Skunkson's Wholesales which hung above.
This is getting nowhere. Nick slipped back to the car, laying across the driver's seat so he was near enough for Judy to hear. "I have a plan, Carrots."
She glanced at him distrustfully, immediately returning her eyes to the bollard.
"It's not like the previous plans!" he insisted. "I'll fire three shots. You're faster than me. You run to those bins right there," he pointed. "You'll get a better shot at this punk."
Judy smiled, shaking rainwater off her face. "Let's do it, chief."
Chief? He could get used to that.
"GO!" he shouted, firing as he did so. One shot. His gun clicked. He pulled the trigger again. The same metallic click. How could he be so stupid?
"You've got to be-"
An explosion sounded. A single gunshot. He looked at his gun for a second in confusion. Then his heart stopped. He slid round to look through the car again.
No, no!
Judy lay on her back one meter from the car. Her paws were squeezed together on her stomach, pressing. He could see her face grimacing, tears coming to her eyes.
"Judy!"
He began to rise but was instantly greeted with another two shots spitting past his head. He fell back to his knees.
"Judy!"
His heart felt like it was tearing out of his chest. He had to get to her.
"Steak you!" he shouted, snapping a fresh magazine into his pistol and firing another two shots. He ran out in front of the car, sliding over the hood, not caring if this put him in more danger.
The rain beat down on him as he slid to a halt on his knees beside her. He didn't even bother aiming but turned and fired off another three shots. A pained scream from a short distance away brought him some satisfaction. He spun round to Judy again. It looked like the bullet had passed straight through her stomach. He wished to hell he'd paid more attention to the first aid module. He gripped her limp paw, checking her pulse. It was so faint it frightened him. His stomach churned and his paws moved around uselessly. He didn't know what to do. He had practiced it tens of times and now his mind was blank. Panicked.
"Judy…" he lowered his ear to her chest. In the rain, listening to her heartbeat was impossible. Her chest was still. Why wasn't she breathing?
"JUDY!" he screamed, voice cracking. He slipped his arms under her body, lifting her limp form into an embrace. Tears burned down his face, mingling with the rain water which spattered his fur relentlessly. He had failed her. Killed her. His chest was bursting. Mind spinning. "COME ON JUDY! WAKE UP! JUDY WAKE UP!"
He felt her ears against his arms. Unmoving. Why wouldn't she wake up?
Help. She needed help.
He lowered her body onto the concrete, clicking the black radio caller which rested on the left side of his upper chest.
"Ten double-zero, ten double-zero, officer down. We are-"
The words stuck in his throat, smothered by wet gagging. Strangely, he only then heard the gunshot. His paw shot up to his throat, finger running round the jugular bullet-hole.
The radio crackled Ten-nine, ten-nine. Repeat message.
He slipped backwards, colliding with the ground with enough force to wind him. He held his throat, hot liquid running over his fingers. He couldn't breathe. Someone had to save Judy. His paw groped out, searching for her. His eyes blinked away the rain, staring up at the night sky. Coldness was working its way up through his legs. She really was a special bunny.
Judy Hopps forced her eyelids open. All she remembered was darkness. The corners of her vision kept dimming. The pain wouldn't go away. She gritted her teeth, feeling warm patches on her stomach. She tried to glance around her. The police car was a blur, blue lights still flashing in the night. She rolled agonizingly onto her stomach, positioning herself to crawl, stretching one paw. Her fingers scratched at the concrete of the car park ground.
She pulled herself forward an inch.
It was too much. The pain spread through her body again. Looking ahead, she saw a still form laying inches away. She knew that bushy tail. She scraped against the concrete again. Dragged herself another inch, vision clouding. How much time had passed? Her fingers stretched out, touching his paw. It was rigid. Cold. That's my fox. She smiled, lip trembling. Always my sly fox. She squeezed his paw. She would never let go. Never. The pain was leaving her, replaced by a delightfully numb feeling, her vision narrowing further. The rain soaked their bodies. Judy could hear sirens wailing in the distance. Approaching. She knew they wouldn't arrive in time. But they were coming. They had responded and she couldn't ask for more than that.
She smiled again, closing her eyes. That's what she loved about protecting Zootopia. There was always another cop waiting in the ranks. Always another animal willing to help maintain that thin but solid blue line.
Author's Note:
Hi there.
Thanks for reading. The stories in this collection generally stand on their own, linked thematically but not chronologically. So although Nick and Judy died here, rest easy. They only died in this standalone one shot. They will return in future stories in this collection. The stories will be a mix of gentle happiness and a more sombre approach. Life and death. Black and white.
Please review. It means a lot. This is a side-project for when I'm not working on In and Out of Love. Any suggestions (or submissions) always welcome.
Special thanks to Neytirix for inspiring this piece. Now go ahead and listen to The Sound of Silence for the full effect.
Disclaimer: Zootopia and all related intellectual property is copyrighted by Disney. I make no money from this and pursue it simply for enjoyment. Any images used are copyrighted to the artist who created them. If I do not mention an artist, it is simply because I haven't been able to track down where the picture originated. If you do know who they are or are the artist themselves, please contact me and I will add the details without question or remove the image if so desired. The text of this work is copyrighted to myself. Do not reproduce the material without permission or try to pass it off as your own. Cheers. :)
Image: Neytirix